Author Topic: Suggestion Box for Future Book Discussions ~ (Read 271479 times)

kidsal · « **Reply #600 on:** September 14, 2011, 05:11:18 AM »

Now Considering titles for December Bookclub Online Discussion-

November Book Club Online Discussion will be
The Elephant's Journey by José Saramago

Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter will be considered for January providing there is still interest.

Contact: JoanP

JoanR · « **Reply #601 on:** September 14, 2011, 06:34:44 AM »

Oh, another Archy fan!! I have several editions of the books - I especially like the ones with the George Herriman (he of "Krazy Kat") illustrations. They even made a Broadway musical of Archy and Mehitabel! I think it's all good reading to take one away from the awfullness around us just for a little while. I'm no escapist but a little lightness is nice indeed.

PatH · « **Reply #602 on:** September 14, 2011, 08:53:37 AM »

Then there was the wonderful night when someone left the shift key engaged, and archy was able TO WRITE A WHOLE POEM IN CAPS!!!

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #603 on:** September 14, 2011, 11:12:35 AM »

http://www.donmarquis.com/index.html

PatH · « **Reply #604 on:** September 14, 2011, 07:02:44 PM »

Goodness, Barb, you're taking me back. Thanks for the link. I learned to type on a machine only a bit more advanced than that in the picture (mine was a Royal) and archy must have had to take a huge dive to get any of the keys to work. You have to suffer for art.

JeanneP · « **Reply #605 on:** September 14, 2011, 08:31:29 PM »

Just ordered "The butterfly's Daughter" at Library. Hope to read it before Discussions start.

JudeS · « **Reply #606 on:** September 16, 2011, 02:18:50 PM »

This coincidence is really strange. Having loved e.e.cummings as a teen ager and mostly forgotten him, I have just finished a book called "How Elizabeth Barret Browning Saved my Life" by Medwed.'
It opens with the following poem by cummings:(I quote only the beginning)

the cambridge ladies who live in furnished rooms

the cambridge ladies who live in furnished souls
are unbeautiful and have comfortable minds
(also), with the churche's protestant blessings
daughters,unscented shapeless spirited)
they believe in Christ and Longfellow,both dead,
are invariably interested in so many things-

Notice that he does capitalize proper names of people .

PatH · « **Reply #607 on:** September 16, 2011, 08:32:19 PM »

Quote from: JudeS on September 16, 2011, 02:18:50 PM

who live in furnished souls

Thanks, Jude, for reminding me of that phrase. I've always liked it, but forgot where it came from.

Poppaea · « **Reply #608 on:** September 17, 2011, 06:56:27 AM »

I fancy "The Leopard." Saw the movie on TV the other night - it was fascinating.

Frybabe · « **Reply #609 on:** September 17, 2011, 08:54:02 AM »

While at my local used book store, I spied Ship of Fools on the shelf. An omen perhaps? At any rate I didn't buy it - yet. Instead I came home with The Silver Chalice, a book I started when I was twelve but never got to finish. My Mom loaned it to a neighbor. It never returned. To this day I remember the cover, blue with a silver embossed chalice and type. The volume I found fairly jumped out at me from the first shelf I perused.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #610 on:** September 17, 2011, 09:55:25 AM »

Oh yes, didn't they make that book into a movie? He was a favorite author wasn't he -

One his books that I read when I was still in High School that I found in a used book store recently and had to have was Below the Salt - there was always a nugget of historical facts in his books and this was the first I knew about the expression and how important Salt was to survival. Many years later I slid down into the Salt Mines of Austria and Germany - fun to tie it all together.

But the Silver Chalice - yes, I remember that book cover but I never did read the book although I did see that movie. I loved anything that Pier Angeli was featured. Jack Palance was never a favorite and so the movie did not stay with me as others had plus I saw it in our car with two sleeping children in a bed we rigged up for them in the back seat.

Babi · « **Reply #611 on:** September 17, 2011, 10:47:33 AM »

Costain was a great favorite of mine. I believe I've read every book he wrote. "Below the
Salt" was a particular favorite. "The Siver Chalice", "The Robe". So many of his books were
filmed.

Frybabe · « **Reply #612 on:** September 17, 2011, 11:03:37 AM »

Looks like I have another book to put onto my find it list - Below the Salt. I took a look at the customer reviews in Amazon. There are some SERIOUS fans of this book, one who has read the book off and on for over 27years.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #613 on:** September 17, 2011, 11:08:10 AM »

Come to think on it most of his books I read in the later 50s - now I remember - it was when there was that small library in the drug store where you paid to borrow a book and yes, The Robe was another - he sure was a different story teller from the current flock of repeating popular authors like King - I guess the closest today would be Follett.

pedln · « **Reply #614 on:** September 17, 2011, 11:49:25 AM »

There was another Costain that I know I read years ago -- The Black Rose. And I always think of Below the Salt whenever some big event is written up and they talk about the seating. Well, who's sitting Below the Salt?

hats · « **Reply #615 on:** September 17, 2011, 01:20:01 PM »

I voted for The Elephant's Journey. Hello.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #616 on:** September 17, 2011, 01:23:21 PM »

Yes, and during a large family meal we always had a salt dish in the middle of the table with all the youngsters on one end - guess a left over from earlier history because of course the children were considered below the salt and another, as we aged we moved closer to the center till we crossed over - but we only thought of it as joining in the adult conversation. Now for Thanksgiving that was different - there was no open salt dish but a battalion of silver and cut glass including several sets of salt and pepper shakers and the kids were mixed in with the teens sitting at their own small table.

Not living near all their aunts and cousins my children did not share in these large dinner gatherings and so many of these traditions are now gone. My children have scattered just as we started the scattering because of job.

The Black Rose - now that one I do not remember - sounds like it has something to do with the English Civil War. No - look the setting is earlier than the Civil War - owww it sounds really good http://www.amazon.com/Black-Rose-Thomas-B-Costain/dp/1568497016

Gumtree · « **Reply #617 on:** September 17, 2011, 02:03:15 PM »

Hi Hats - I did too

hats · « **Reply #618 on:** September 17, 2011, 02:36:20 PM »

Hi GumTree~

JoanR · « **Reply #619 on:** September 17, 2011, 07:30:45 PM »

Hats - I'm happy to see you back!! What have you been doing all this time?

JoanK · « **Reply #620 on:** September 17, 2011, 10:26:00 PM »

HATS: great to see you back. How are you? (I voted foe Elephants Journey, too).

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #621 on:** September 17, 2011, 11:35:34 PM »

Hats so glad to see your post - missed it till I just checked in before I shut things down... Must be cooling off where you are - is there any signs of autumn yet? And what have you been reading this long either hot or in the east wet summer?

hats · « **Reply #622 on:** September 18, 2011, 02:32:13 AM »

Hi Barbara, JoanK and All,

It has gotten very cool. Had an appt. on Thursday. I felt so cold walking to the bldg. Then, it was cool yesterday. It feels good. Can't wait for the leaves to change. Since the cool weather is here, Bought pansies and mums.
Just finished The Taste of Salt by Martha Southgate. The characters are still roaming about in my head. It's my favorite novel this year. Can't say enough about the novel. The publisher is Algonquin. Now I'm reading "Forsaking All Others" by Allison Pittman. This woman has left her husband and two children in order to get away from the Mormon religion. Her husband has a Sister wife.

hats · « **Reply #623 on:** September 18, 2011, 02:32:36 AM »

Missed all of you. Good morning.

Babi · « **Reply #624 on:** September 18, 2011, 08:33:21 AM »

HATS! How wonderful to hear from you again. I do hope you will come visit us at some of
our other sites, too. We used to have some great 'conversations'.
What was "Taste of Salt" about? Martha Southgate is new to me.

hats · « **Reply #625 on:** September 18, 2011, 09:11:03 AM »

Hi Babi,

Yes, I'm anxious to make my way about the site. I might get lost its been so long. A Taste of Salt is about relationships, a family. It begins in Cleveland, Ohio and ends up in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The main character Josie is a black woman. She's a marine biologist. Too much to tell. You would enjoy it. It's very thought provoking.

Babi · « **Reply #626 on:** September 19, 2011, 09:01:08 AM »

I went to look up "Taste of Salt", HATS, and found there are two books of that name, the
one by Southgate and one by Frances Temple. Both have good reviews; I wonder how often
people get them mixed up. I'm going to check and see if my library has the one you liked.

hats · « **Reply #627 on:** September 19, 2011, 11:33:01 AM »

Hope you find it. Yes, my copy is Martha Southgate as the author. Good luck.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #628 on:** September 19, 2011, 03:05:52 PM »

Won't y'all share - even if you do not stay around to chat in Talking Heads it would be so great to have as many of us as possible list our favorites in 20 Questions - it really is a way we get to know each other a bit better -

Here we are http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=2510.msg129764#msg129764

Babi · « **Reply #629 on:** September 20, 2011, 09:56:44 AM »

My library has one Martha Southgate book, HATS, but it's not "Taste of Salt". I'll look further
afield. The Frances Temple book is apparently a first novel. It's getting very good reviews, but
of course my library doesn't have that one either.
BARB, much as I would be pleased to participate, I couldn't begin to pick favorites. I suppose
if I had to I could pick my favorite color....green...and that's about it. For everything else I'd be sitting there going "uh...um...uh..maybe..but..uh".

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #630 on:** September 20, 2011, 10:33:18 AM »

Babi I know the feeling - and so all I could do is like taking a snap shot list the favorite for the day and probably for the minute because an hour later I would have another list - but actually I have probably the makings of only 7 or 8 lists and so it is not the end of the world or painting myself into a corner to list one version - it would be close enough to the kind of reading I prefer - the ones that would change for me is my favorite novel, author, children's book and favorite memory of both reading to others and being read to by someone.

I hope you do guts up and give us a snapshot of some of your favorites - we won't hold them or you as caste in stone but with everyone sharing I can almost see a virtual library of all the books that are rattling around in our heads that help to form who we are...fun...

Full day - so I am off - need to of all things pay my electric bill - I may not eat for a month sheesh - it is not the electric so much as the water - I could have closed up the house and let the lawn go back to nature and cinch bugs and then vacationed in Canada or even Europe for the amount of this summer's utility bills.

marcie · « **Reply #631 on:** September 20, 2011, 03:03:49 PM »

We're keeping the vote open for our November book discussion through end of day today.

If you haven't already indicated your choice, vote for your favorite at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/526QL5B

The three choices are:

THE ELEPHANT'S JOURNEY by José Saramago: In 1551, King João III of Portugal gave Archduke Maximilian an unusual wedding present: an elephant named Solomon. The elephant’s journey from Lisbon to Vienna was witnessed and remarked upon by scholars, historians, and ordinary people. Out of this material, José Saramago has spun this whimsical yet compulsively readable tale - “a triumph of language, imagination, and humor"

SHIP OF FOOLS - by Katherine Anne Porter: The story takes place in the summer of 1931, on board a cruise ship bound for Germany. Passengers include a Spanish noblewoman, a drunken German lawyer, an American divorcee, a pair of Mexican Catholic priests. The novel explores themes of nationalism, cultural and ethnic pride, and basic human frailty that are as relevant today as they were when the book was first published in 1962.

Two Novella's by Eudora Welty: - The OPTIMIST'S DAUGHTER: This Pulitzer Prize winning novel is a story of a southern girl who goes back to her home in New Orleans due to the death of her father and proves completely unable to cope with his passing. She comes to realize that she will not find peace until she deals with her own past and what it means for her father to be gone. - THE PONDER HEART –another, short novel written by Southern writer, Eudora Welty–is the story of the eccentric and eternally child-like Daniel Ponder, narrated by his niece, Edna Earle Ponder - with irony and humor.

Talk about the selections and other books you want to recommend for the future here in the Suggestion Box.

Babi · « **Reply #632 on:** September 21, 2011, 05:06:45 PM »

Well, okay, BARB. I'll give it a try, so long as it's understood the list would undoubtedly
change as soon as I thought of something else I loved.

salan · « **Reply #633 on:** September 22, 2011, 06:11:15 AM »

Please Marcie, Don't keep us hanging any longer---what is the book?

??
Sally

JoanP · « **Reply #634 on:** September 22, 2011, 08:50:58 AM »

Sally - you'll be surprised - we're deciding now how to handle the unusual result of the vote. This is the first time ever for such a situation. We're considering two different paths to follow. Will let you know - in this spot - by the end of the day.

Frybabe · « **Reply #635 on:** September 22, 2011, 10:26:24 AM »

Wow, a teaser. Can't wait.

PatH · « **Reply #636 on:** September 22, 2011, 11:08:05 AM »

Good grief. I can hardly wait. I hope you'll share the gruesome details too. I know I had a hard time picking, not surprised it's close.

JoanP · « **Reply #637 on:** September 23, 2011, 12:05:42 PM »

The The Elephant's Journey and Ship of Fools ended up in a tie - both times! If you would like to participate in a discussion of either of the two books in November (or both of them) please let us know soon so we can get them on the schedule. The book titles are links to the proposed discussions.

If you wanted to discuss both books, please indicate that in a post below.
If you want to post in both books, but NOT in the same month of November, we'll need to know that too! We may have to discuss each book in a different month in the new year.
Please let us know what you think!

JudeS · « **Reply #638 on:** September 23, 2011, 01:27:34 PM »

Can we discuss both books but in different months?
Once we delve into THE ELEPHANT'S JOURNEY there will be so much History and Geography related material that SHIP OF FOOLS will get lost.

I haven't read S.O.F. but did see the movie. If the book is like the movie it is very psychologically thick.
Such differnt worlds. Difficult to mix them although separetely it will be wonderful.

JoanP · « **Reply #639 on:** September 24, 2011, 08:57:44 AM »

We certainly can do that, Jude. Since there is so much more enthusiasm being expressed for starting with Elephant's Journey, and since we usually opt for something light and "jolly" for December, we can consider discussing Ship of Fools in January - as long as there is sufficient interest. Please post your though on this in the Ship of Fools discussion if you haven't already done so.

News:

Author Topic: Suggestion Box for Future Book Discussions ~ (Read 271479 times)