Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 897869 times)

Steph · « **Reply #3240 on:** January 13, 2012, 06:15:47 AM »

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Discussion Leader: JoanK

I am reading another first novel, that is older.. A black female detective. I am not sure I will get all the way through.. It is seriously overwritten.. Shame, since the premise is good. I am also still on Lit by Mary Karr.. This is a memoir and the third by her. She is or was a serious drinker and this part of the book centers on drinking and how at the time she thought it solved her problems. Interesting although the appeal of alcohol has always escaped me.

Babi · « **Reply #3241 on:** January 13, 2012, 08:49:33 AM »

Speaking of terms that annoy me, JOANK, I really dislike the idea of grown
men and women referring to each other as 'girlfriend' and 'boyfriend'. They
are no longer boys and girls, and certainly more than friends. I've been
trying to think of a more suitable term to promote, but haven't come up
with one. I may have to invent one. Any ideas out there?
"Man friend" doesn't work either; it sounds like that's the only male friend
the woman has.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #3242 on:** January 13, 2012, 09:01:43 AM »

Well here they seem to call one another 'partner', but are you necessarily a 'partner' when you have only met a few weeks before?

ursamajor · « **Reply #3243 on:** January 13, 2012, 10:04:09 AM »

I referred to my daughter's special other (the same age as my husband and I) as her manfriend. Now he is her husband, but he hasn't gotten a bit younger.

pedln · « **Reply #3244 on:** January 13, 2012, 11:23:04 AM »

ursa

Well, in answer to the question, Mrs Ali (Major Pettigrew) cut right to the quick and referred to the Major as "lover," but I don't see us doing that. "Significant other?" "Good friend?" I sometimes hear "ladyfriend," but never "manfriend."

Boyfriend, girlfriend does have that younger connotation, doesn't it.

The other day one of my friends was telling me about a mutual friend of ours, has always been single -- "She has a FRIEND and they are going everywhere together." I knew she wasn't referring to another one of us old gals.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3245 on:** January 13, 2012, 02:13:16 PM »

I often call George my best friend and mentor. A little longish, but it is appropriate.

JoanK · « **Reply #3246 on:** January 13, 2012, 03:18:31 PM »

FRY: sounds great to me.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #3247 on:** January 13, 2012, 03:23:16 PM »

And from "olden days" - my Gentleman friend.

JoanK · « **Reply #3248 on:** January 13, 2012, 03:28:45 PM »

That is "olden". I like it.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #3249 on:** January 13, 2012, 03:35:21 PM »

My mother always called her female friends "Ladyfriends".

I'm afraid I use the more modern "girlfriends", even though most of us don't qualify as "girls" anymore, LOL!

MaryPage · « **Reply #3250 on:** January 13, 2012, 10:56:33 PM »

I was brought up not to use boyfriend but to say friend or, in the case of a close romantic friendship with a courting male, say "beau." I like beau. I like beaux even more!

Steph · « **Reply #3251 on:** January 14, 2012, 06:16:36 AM »

Beau has a lovely ring to it.. Mostly you hear "Friend" in widowed circlea which tends to mean a bit more than that.
Hmm, a new donation to our library, when I was sorting.. is a whole book about the accident of Princess Diana and tha Arab.. A whole book... Whew..

Babi · « **Reply #3252 on:** January 14, 2012, 09:32:37 AM »

'Good' friend does sound better, and usually gets the message across. Of course,
it can be ambiguous. People do refer to friends of the same gender as "my good friend' ____.
I, too, like the terms 'gentleman friend' and 'beau', but I doubt if we will be able to revive that usage.

JeanneP · « **Reply #3253 on:** January 14, 2012, 05:10:14 PM »

It does seem sort of funny when you hear people now in their 60s.70s called their Steady's My Boyfriend or My Girlfriend. I don't think I have ever use that term,even when younger. They would go from Acquaintances to friend to good friends. I don't care for the term "Lover" either. What bothers me is when you read in the news about Movie stars, Politicions, Business men who have these sort of one night stands or maybe a little longer and they are called "Mistresses" That term is not right at all.

ursamajor · « **Reply #3254 on:** January 15, 2012, 08:11:29 AM »

My mother would have thought boyfriend was "common". The boy who came to see me (now my husband of 59 years) was my beau. You know, you never believe you will be old, until one day you are.

Has anybody here moved into a retirement community? We are considering that - I can't bear to give up my big windows.

Babi · « **Reply #3255 on:** January 15, 2012, 10:14:15 AM »

I've just started an Ella Chah story, "The Shooting Chant". I've read one of this
series before, but this one appears to be the first. After I've read this one, I'll
have a better idea of whether I like them well enough to pursue the series.

maryz · « **Reply #3256 on:** January 15, 2012, 11:13:07 AM »

ursa, we haven't moved into a retirement community. I think I'm ready, but John isn't - and it's not the best time to think about selling a house. Keep us posted on your search and progress.

JoanK · « **Reply #3257 on:** January 15, 2012, 03:02:49 PM »

I now live in a retirement community, and I like it a lot. I've made friends here of my own age. I had already sold my house and moved for other reasons, though, so it wasn't such a big decision for me.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #3258 on:** January 15, 2012, 06:12:00 PM »

I heard someone today say "my companion", which i thought was very nice.

Jean

Steph · « **Reply #3259 on:** January 16, 2012, 06:04:34 AM »

I know that Judy Laird moved into a retirement community, but then moved out.She had kept her house.
I like the ones with individual type houses.. I always have at least one dog, so would not want to give that up. I also would like options on meals. I still like to cook a bit, just now every day. We have a lot of 55+ communities in Florida, but they are not anything but compounds where you buy your house, pay large fees for programs and live quite separately. I assume we are talking of the independent, assisted living type of retirement communitites??

ursamajor · « **Reply #3260 on:** January 16, 2012, 08:37:08 AM »

The place we are looking has cottages (about 1500 SQ feet), beautiful brand-new apartments,
an assisted living unit, and a nursing home (God forbid). One entry fee, different monthly rates for levels of care. Big entry fee, but 90 per cent comes back to heirs if you die or to you if you leave. There is a standard meal allowance of $180 per month per person, which can be applied to any meal in one of two eating areas. Obviously you would need to opt for a more expensive plan if you didn't cook. The units have real kitchens, so I could continue to cook as I do now. They do allow pets, at least in the independent living facilities.

I would particularly like to hear from both those who are satisfied and those who are not. Thanks.

maryz · « **Reply #3261 on:** January 16, 2012, 11:22:07 AM »

Ursa, that sounds like the kind of place we'd like to find - one with all levels of care plus the independent. My aunt who died last year had moved into that type of facility. She originally was in an independent living apartment, but in her last months had moved into an assisted living room. She was very happy with the arrangement. Is the one you're looking at part of a "chain" or just local to your area?

FlaJean · « **Reply #3262 on:** January 16, 2012, 01:50:14 PM »

Susan Wittig Albert has a new China Bayles mystery coming in March named "Cat's Claw". I know many of you like the China Bayles series so thought I would mention it. Our library already has a reserve list going so I'm #14 and looking forward to one of my favorite mystery series.

JoanK · « **Reply #3263 on:** January 16, 2012, 03:33:03 PM »

URSA: the place I live is not like that: it is just condo's that are restricted in who can buy or rent to those 55 or older. A companion must be 45 or older. So it is just like a regular apartment, but all my neighbors are seniors. There is a central clubhouse, and activities orgganized by the residents. The condo is run by the residents.

My parents at one time moved into a place like you mentioned to see if they liked it, but kept their house. They didn't like it, and moved back. Of course, many couldn't afford financially to do that.

pedln · « **Reply #3264 on:** January 16, 2012, 05:24:05 PM »

Here's a link to what is called Continuing Care Communities.

Continuing Care

We have two such in my small city, where they have cottages or duplexes, independent apartments, assisted living, and skilled nursing care, all with varying fees. They are both "buy-ins" with varying amounts refundable to your heirs, from $0 to about 50%. The larger the refundable amount, the more you pay upon buying-in. At least one meal is provided each day. The older one here, about 30 years, the monthly fee for ONE in a basic 2-bedroom apt is approx $1600.

A friend of mine moved into one in Springfield, MO that is set up a little differently. It's rental, rather than a buy-in. She pays so much a month for her unit, which is in a group of 8 attached. But at first she paid a non-refundable $2500 "move-in" type fee.

Three of my relatives moved into one in Wisconsin that didn't have the one-meal a day requirement, they just had special dinners on occasion. It was apartments with common areas, alert-cords in the bathrooms to pull for help, a manager and small staff. No assisted or skilled. When my aunt had to go to a nursing home, she was able to sell her apartment.

I may be ready some day, but right now I like my own cooking too much, and like keeping unconventional hours. And at times there's too much chatter about who uses rubber sheets, etc.

Steph · « **Reply #3265 on:** January 17, 2012, 06:02:05 AM »

I read and corresponded with one in Western Virginia.. As I remember it is called Kendall. It is run according to the Quaker community. Sounds heavenly to me, but way too far north. They have a chain, but mostly in Ohio,Virginia, etc. I dont think I am ready for that.But I am now beginning to realize that an over 55 might suit me. The little manufactured house in Franklin is one.. We will see how I like it this summer.
Found a new series that sounded interesting. Written by Fern Michaels.. about a band of women called The Sisterhood. I listened to an audio book and liked it.. Am going to try one of the books.

Babi · « **Reply #3266 on:** January 17, 2012, 08:32:31 AM »

What is the 'Sisterhood' about, STEPH. I'm not familiar with Fern Michaels, but had a vague
idea she worked primarily in the romance genre.

JoanK · « **Reply #3267 on:** January 17, 2012, 03:06:18 PM »

Here is FF on Fern Michaels. Wow, she's written a lot of books, and I'd never heard of her.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/fern-michaels/

The first in the "sisterhood"series is "Weekend Warriors". I ordered a sample for my kindle.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #3268 on:** January 17, 2012, 03:22:38 PM »

Oh my gosh! Looks like Fern Michaels has a factory of bookwriters also. Four books in some years? Having said that, the few books of hers i have read, i liked, and will read more.

I finished Margaret Moran's High Country Fall, a Judge Knott book. It wasn't as good a story as some of the previous ones. She is engaged to long-time friend and having angst about it, altho he comes thru in the end. Just not a very interesting mystery story..........maybe she needs a "factory"

Jean

Steph · « **Reply #3269 on:** January 18, 2012, 06:19:28 AM »

YEs, I thought that Fern was strictly romance. Someone gave me the audio tape for the car of one of the sisterhood books and while it is certainly not great literature, it was a fun ride all the way.. So I thought I would go back and see how the sisterhood began.. The one I listened to was maybe the 12th or so in the series.. And yes, she does seem to write a lot.. I will have to check the copyright.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #3270 on:** January 24, 2012, 02:04:17 PM »

I have totally lost my memory this morning - help me! Who is the author who wrote a series about a woman sheriff whose husband is an FBI agent. They are someplace in the west or midwest? I would like to get another of that series, but my mind is blank....... Jean

JoanK · « **Reply #3271 on:** January 24, 2012, 03:29:47 PM »

Doesn't ring a bell with me.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #3272 on:** January 24, 2012, 03:35:00 PM »

Is it Joanna Brady, sheriff in Arizona? Written by J. A. Jance?

maryz · « **Reply #3273 on:** January 24, 2012, 03:56:45 PM »

I thought of her, too, Tome, but John says her husband isn't an FBI agent. Good stories in any case.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #3274 on:** January 24, 2012, 04:03:38 PM »

I didn't think he was FBI, thought he was a writer (?) I think I remember seeing somewhere that there is another Western Female Sheriff, but my mind is also blank. (I need a nap!)

maryz · « **Reply #3275 on:** January 24, 2012, 04:39:22 PM »

mabel1015j · « **Reply #3276 on:** January 24, 2012, 04:44:42 PM »

Does Brady have a friend who is an agent? It may be Jance, but my "read" list says i've only read one of hers and i know that i read at least two in the series. I'll keep going thru my list to see if something strikes a cord.......too many books in my "computer" brain.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #3277 on:** January 24, 2012, 05:10:47 PM »

I may be thinking of Cathetine Coulter's FBI series and confusing two stories. In Blindside the setting is in the Smokey Mts, which was the setting i was thinking of.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #3278 on:** January 24, 2012, 05:36:01 PM »

The Catherine Coulter FBI Series features two (2) FBI agents out of Washington, DC. They are a "team" but doesn't say anything about them being married. I've tried searching FantasticFiction and StopYou'reKillingMe, but obviously my "search" entries are not pushing the right buttons! I tried western/female/sheriff w/FBI husband. No matches. Now you've got me wondering!

Steph · « **Reply #3279 on:** January 25, 2012, 06:02:38 AM »

Senior learn is doing its imitation of not wanting to let me reply this am.. JOanna Bradys husband is a writer.. I like J.A. Jance and read both of her series, although I am not fond of her stand alones.
There are several woman sheriffs.. One at least in North Carolina, I think.. Also maybe Arkansas.

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Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 897869 times)