The Library

[ginny]

The Library Our library cafe is open 24/7, the welcome mat is  always out. Do come in from daily chores and spend some time with us. We look forward to hearing from you, about you and the books you are enjoying (or not). Let the book talk begin here!

[ginny]

.Good to see you here, Jim, that looks quite a complicated plot. I love NPR and their recommendations,  good on you for persevering.  Let us know if NPR was correct when you finish.

I continue to read slowly thru Henry VIII, there is no way I'll finish it before my trip, and it's one of those books you can pick up and put down and   read other things, too,  but at least I may learn something, that's my motto.

I need a good plane read or travel book. Summer travel and reading are approaching, I want a good book to take me out of myself so to speak and into other places. A book that while sitting in the Tuileries I wish i were back reading, like the Zafon first one.

The local B&N recommended strongly the Michael Cox The Glass of Time. They were raving about it. It's a sequel to his first book The Meaning of Night. They had him under new authors.

I bought them both and the Meaning of Night  is described as:

“The Meaning of Night” is set in an 1850s London awash in fog, footfalls and fatality. Subtitled “A Confession,” it draws on, and looks winkingly back at, the conventions of Victorian novel-writing in all their purple profusion. Ostensibly a rediscovered manuscript (itself a Victorian narrative conceit), the book is thick with editorial footnotes, snippets of Latin and deliberately florid prose as it tells a story of murder, usurped inheritance, revenge and other unpleasantnesses.

It's a Zafon type experience apparently, full of country houses, etc.  However,  even in paperback it's  a bit heavy and more  than I normally like to lug around on planes, trains, etc.

And then I read about this "new" author's story.

In looking him up the first thing I saw is "Michael Cox is Dead." I kid you not, that's the title of the article.  

Michael Cox, an authority on the Victorian ghost story who, five years ago, spurred by the threat of blindness, sat down and wrote the vast Gothic novel that had been haunting him for three decades, “The Meaning of Night,” a widely praised narrative of intrigue and murder, died on March 31 in Kettering, England. He was 60 and lived in the Northamptonshire region of England.

Now I'm going to have to read it. Have any of you read either of these books?


_______________________________

Carolyn, thank you for your lovely words on the achievement of the Latin students! Aren't they something? They're all good, but to win like that, so many awards when I, even knowing how good they are,  and our program is,   (now it can be told) would have been proud of one certificate of honorable mention! For them to blow the top off the thing with 14 of 16 firsts, gold medals, silver medal, gorgeous purple and gold ribbons,  Magna, is just beyond comprehension. Everybody finished in honor. Unheard of, our stats are beyond belief.

I'm just so proud of them,  and of all of our community here, who have been  enjoying learning in various forms and doing quality work for so many years, it's so good to see some of it begin to be recognized for what it is. Thank you for the lovely remarks.

Do you all also realize our Books on SeniorLearn are members of the Center of the  Book at the Library of Congress, that one of our Discussion Leaders,  Robby, is an entire chapter in a new book called What Should I Do With the Rest of My Life, recently mentioned in the AARP Magazine, that on our short year here on this website due to the diligence of our outstanding Books Discussion Leaders we have had MORE authors participating here in one year than we ever had in a couple of years (or more) on SeniorNet?

WE here, thanks to YOU are a good thing.

Thank you all for being here and making it what it is!

[Babi]

 JIM, you intrigued me, and I went to look up "Infinite Jest".  Found a number of comments,
of course   'a semi-parodic future version of North America'   'bitter satire' Then there was 'a wild, sprawling magnum opus'.  But that was Amazon, who have a book to sell.
  I found this interesting, from a reader: " I find the depth of the last sentence to be unparalleled in literature."
   I find literary critics often like esoteric writing.  If you find you're really not enjoying the book,
you might want to just go read that last sentence. 

 STEPH, I think your approach to the problem is wise.  Do let us know how it progresses.

[JimNT]

I have a disease that requires me to finish every book that I begin.  My oldest son gets great joy from this malady as he is not similarly plagued.  I cannot bare the thought of reading only the last sentence of Infinite Jest or any other book for that matter.  I also read two or three books at a time and choose one according to my mood.  I suppose many others do the same.  My oldest son also finds this practice amusing.  Maybe he was adopted???

[pedln]

Post modern.. generally means to me an unreadable book that everyone praises..

Steph, that’s funny.  I love it.

" I find the depth of the last sentence to be unparalleled in literature."

Babi, don’t you just love hogwash! That should win a prize for something.

I also read two or three books at a time and choose one according to my mood.  I suppose many others do the same.

Jim, ain’t mood grand. What would we do without ‘em?

JoanR, A Fine Balance is not a book I would have willingly picked up on my own, but surprisingly, I’m often reminded of it and different scenes frequently come into play.

[winsummm]

jim:  yeah I do that too. I feel committed to the book once started and have several going at the same time currently eleven in th eactive index on my kindle.  However I am inclined to preview via the SAMPLE process which lets me off the hook if I don't like the writing or the characters.  But "according to my mood" is very much the rule of the day and I have all sorts to choose from.
cliare

[kiwilady]

I always have three different books on the go at the same time.

Carolyn

[JoanR]

I'm happy to hear that I'm not alone in having 3 books going at the same time!!  I used to think that I shouldn't really be doing that, that it showed a lack of concentration or application - however, we do "wear different hats" for different roles - one for work, one for home and one for "on the go" for example.  So why the heck not have different books for different situations or moods?  I like to have something serious, something light and something such as a mystery or sci-fi - also a favorite blog or two. And then, of course, there's Latin which is in a classification all its own.  A rousing cheer for diversification!

[salan]

I now have 3 books going.  Noah's Compass (for next month's discussion), John Grisham's Ford County (short stories, which I may not finish--pretty depressing so far, and Golden Roamers (which looks to be fun).  I will not comment on Noah's Compass until the discussion.  I usually have a couple of books going at the same time.  Usually that means that no one book has "gripped" me.
Sally

[Steph]

Sally, I did laugh because I always have three books going, but if one starts to grip me. then all bets are off. I keep on that one until I am done.. I only have a few authors who seem to do that to me.
Today and tomorrow should be interesting. The Friends of the Library are sponsoring a seminar on Marjorie Kinnan Rowlings. Today we will have a professor talk and then a small group discussion , lunch and then a movie on her ( Mary Steenbergen?). Tomorrow we will take a bus to Cross Creek which is a state park here in Florida.. Do a tour of house and grounds and then proceed to Micanopy for lunch. That is a teeny town here that is almost entirely antique shops, etc. Should be a nice two days.

[Babi]

 Sounds great, STEPH.  I saw that movie,  and of course read The Yearling as a youngster.
Actually, tho', I wasn't aware that Rawlings had written anything else.  Did she?  It seems it
would be difficult to work up a seminar on a one-book author, though "The Yearling" is
something of a classic.

[JoanP]

Babi, I just had to look up the answer to your question about M. Rawlings, author of the Foundling -  as I thought I remembered one or two others - look HERE!  Sounds as if you are giong to have a good time, Steph!

I stopped in this morning to let you know that I had the opportunity, the honor really, of attending the Memorial Service for Maryal (Deems) at the US Naval Academy.  If you wish to hear more about the service, you may read about it in the Tribute to our dear Friend, Maryal (Deems)

[bellemere]

I listened to Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetabe, Miracle, is that it?  I enjoyed it, but found the premise, eating only locally grown in season food not practical for a New Englander.  The book refers to the website which has some nice recipes, and the readers include Barbara, her husband and her two daughters.  Best part was Barbara trying to get two incubated turkeys to mate; they had lost all instincts and didn't know how to proceed.  Hilarious.
I am sort of intimidated by the David Foster Wallace reviews: greatest novel, etc.  I did read a long journalistic piece of his about the annual "academy awards" of the pornographic film industry, held each ;year in (where else?) Las Vegas.  Jaw-dropping and funny and bitingly satirical.  Not for kids.  Yes, I thought he was a good writer, don't know if I want to try a full-length novel.
Barbara Kingsolver's latest , The Lacuna, was  good, but a little heavy with the death of Trotsky at Stalin's orders and the McCarthy hearings .  Very well-researched, great sense of place and time, but I think I prefer her earlier novels.

[CallieOK]

I'm another multiple-books-at-one-time reader!  Usually one fiction and one non-fiction - with one for background on some project I'm working on sandwiched in.

Salan,  I loved "Golden Roamers"!!!!!  That author, now deceased, has written some good non-fiction books also.  I enjoy her sense of humor and practical outlook on Enjoying Life Even When You Have To Do It By Yourself (my description - not one of the titles).  She was a sorority sister of a friend (Kansas State) and spoke several times in OKC.  She was just as much fun in person as in her books.

[maryz]

I remember seeing the Mary Steenburgen movie about MKRawlings a long time ago.  I loved the story, the acting is great.  The only other thing I remember is thinking that the movie itself was poorly edited - and I never notice things like that.  Oh, well.....

[Octavia]

Loquats, are they anything like cumquats? Lots of people had cumquat trees when I was growing up. I confess I've never seen a loquat.
I keep a few books going at a time too. When I've been crying over a sad book, I have to have a distraction.
 I felt guilty yesterday for reading a book non stop, because I couldn't bear to put it down. Luckily no one disturbed me besides the odd telemarketer .
Last night, I heard the BBC interviewing an author about her book "The Secret Life Of The Grown Up Brain".
 She told us our brains in middle age and beyond, can be just as good as in our 20's, apart from that annoying time lapse while we struggle to remember a movie we watched last week, only to have it pop into our head just after a child has rolled their eyes and smirked a little.
Her advice? Push your brain out of its comfort zone.
Crosswords help a little, but a different language help the most because it challenges our set ways of thinking.
Boy, does it do that! But if it grows new brain cells it's worth those dastardly French verbs.

[joangrimes]

Octavia,

I am under doctor's orders to walk at least a mile every day. To me this is unbearable.  But  I happened on listening to a tape  with which I practice my French.  This has not only made the walking bearable but fun.Learning  or practicing a new language is certainly the exercise that the brain needs.  Joan Grimes

[Gumtree]

Octavia Hi, how is every little thing with you? I agree about challenging the brain to do new tricks as a way of countering the onset aging problems and have been doing just that for the best part of 20 years or more - and learning a new language is certainly a challenge on all fronts. It's why I enrolled in Ginny's Latin - now of course, after only one year of it I can't imagine my life without Latin - but talk about verbs -YIKES!

I took French at school but didn't go on with it afterwards so nowadays when I come across a French  phrase or sentence in a book, the best I can do is just puzzle out the meaning - sometimes with the help of a dictionary - DH has better French than I and comes to the rescue sometimes.

Did your news bulletin tell you about the earthquake in Kalgoorlie yesterday? I think it was 4.8 with the epicentre just out of Kal/Boulder.
All the same there was lots of damage and many of the old buildings from the gold rush days are likely to be pulled down as they are now considered unsafe and beyond repair.

Joan Grimes That's a great idea to practice language skills whilst out walking. I'm going to learn from your example and start doing the same though my mind is usually taken up with looking at the plants and birds along my regular walking track which is heavily planted with native species so there is always lots to see. But I'll try doing the language too. Thanks.

[Gumtree]

Octavia Loquats aren't like cumquats at all. I think they need a cooler or perhaps dryer climate than where you are - they grow easily here whereas cumquats have to be cultivated and cossetted and are usually grown in pots. There is a pear shaped loquat variety about the size of a large apricot which is delicious and fleshier than the old types - one to die for.

JoanK My mother used to make a loquat chutney - I don't have the recipe so maybe you could use your favourite chutney recipe and substitute loquats for apple or apricot or whatever. They go well with raisins. She also made a kind of loquat crumble for dessert sometimes and of course the jelly.

[Steph]

Marjorie K. Rawlings.. Wrote quite a few books. Yearling was the most famous, but I adored Cross Creek..Funny and real.
The movie,, hmm. truth is Mary Steenbergen struck me as way too frail for the part.. The movie was way way dark.. and spooky.. The plot seemed to revolve around the second husband a bit too much.. It also implied that Marjorie simply took her books from real life and I suspect there was a bit more.
Today the house and grounds and then Micanopy for lunch. Micanopy is a wonderful teeny little town. Lots of antiques,, a museum and wandering streets. Should be fun.

[Babi]

 Oh, yes, JOAN. I had forgotten about "Cross Creek"!  But really, I didn't
know about the others on that list. Thanks for looking that up.
  GUM, that explains why I've never seen a loquat. In our hot, humid climate
I see an occasional kumquat, but I've never tried to eat one. I'm not sure
I'd even know whether one was ripe.

[Octavia]

JoanG, I learn as I go, as well.
 I walk past two nursing homes, one across the road and the other around the corner, yet never see a soul. I would have thought they'd enjoy the morning sun on their faces and the pedestrian traffic. Kids off to school, dogs, workers etc.
Cumquats are very tart Babi, they ripen like a mandarin. We share the same climate, hot and humid. There's very little winter here.
Gumtree, did we ever hear about your earthquake! It was front and centre on the news all day and night.. Lots of vision and interviews too. I feel sad about the lovely old buildings.
 My 2nd son worked in a mine at Kalgoorlie for a while on his travels. Perth too, and the wheat belt. I felt sick thinking about what could have happened to the mine workers.
I studied French at school for 4 yrs. and wrote essays, took dictation etc. Unfortunately, not much stayed with me, unlike other things.

[serenesheila]

Just checking in.  My  aunt had either a kumquat, or a loquat.  I loved going to visit her, and staying a few days.  I ate the fruit, but have no idea which "quat", it was.  Somewhat sweet, as I remember.

This next week will be a busy one for me.  So, I am usually reading two, or three books at a time, but am so interested in the non fiction book we are reading, that one is enough.  It is called:  "Troublesome Young Men".  About the thirties in London.  I also like it well enough to buy two other books by Lynne Olson.  I highly reccomend her!

My 48 y/o daughter is moving back in with me.  Her marriage came to an end a year ago.  She has been unable to find a job.  Even though she has both a BA and a MA, in Public Administration.  Sigh........  I really prefer living alone, but I certainly will not allow her to end up homeless!  Fortunately, we get along well.  However, my time will not be completely my own.  I am grateful that I can afford to share my home, and groceries.

Sheila

[Steph]

Sheila, I do understand how you feel. You can love your children, but adults learning to live together is a difficult undertaking. Still you want to help, no matter what. Good luck and I will think ofyou adjusting..
Yesterday was lovely. The House of Majorie K. Rawlings was a delight. A genuine cracker house, made up of several houses hauled to the site.. This was before she bought it in the early 30's.. No electric or hot water or inside plumbing when she bought it. As she made money from the books, she bought a generater,, did the first indoor plumbing in the area and brightened it up.. Our guides are all volunteer locals and provided a lot of insight into the area. Then off to Micanopy which is a truly delightful tiny little town. All in all a lovely lovely day.
And then because I am an idiot, I came home and cried.. I would guess I was enjoying myself and suddenly it flashed that this was probably the first time in 52 years, that he was not here to tell about my adventure. Darn.

[Babi]

Unfortunately, not much stayed with me, unlike other things. 
  I found that true also, OCTAVIA. I studied Spanish, since I live so
close to a Spanish speaking country, but I never really had much occasion
to use it. So, as you said, I lost most of it. I can still translate
the Sp. language billboards and book titles, but never could speak it
fluently.
  SHEILA, my younger daughter lives with me, also. Neither of us has
sufficient income to live alone in any comfort, and we get along wonderfully.
As I grow older I have more and more reason to be grateful she is with me.

  STEPH, I like to think our loved ones still know what's happening with us. 

[maryz]

{{{{Steph}}}}
I've not been where you are, but you remind us to cherish every minute of every day.

[ginny]

Stephanie, I am so sorry. We're a poor substitute, but we're interested, too.

Shelia, I think you are lucky and this will be a wonderful experience for both of you!

[mrssherlock]

Steph:  We are here to comfort you.  Tears are a natural expression and release. 

Sheila:  Both my middle-aged children live with me and it can be trying at times but rewarding too as we learn to live with one another as adults and learn to love one another's foibles. 

[PatH]

Steph, certainly you are sad that you can't share any more, but it's very important that you did go, and did enjoy yourself.  You can be proud of yourself.

[JoanK]

STEPH: I AGREE WITH PatH. You can indeed be proud of yourself. You already know there will be "up" days and "down" days.

Moving on has been a zigzag pattern for me, after my husband died suddenly and unexpectedly.. When I went to the Seniornet 20 year reunion, it was kind of a "coming out" for me. Then, in a year, I moved away from the house and life we had shared -- from Maryland to California. I thought I hadn't taken him with me: I no longer felt as if he was right behind me; if i could just turn fast enough I would see him. But I still feel him sometimes.

But the apartment I chose is very much his kind of place: down to earth, friendly, family oriented, but not poshy. He would have fit right in here. Now, four years after his death, I'm planning to move to a condo which I don't think he would have liked. I asked the owner to leave the lace curtains and the fountain. I can't even imagine Dick living in a place with lace curtains and a fountain! But I decided I like them!

[Octavia]

Steph, that feeling never really goes away but it does gets easier.
 I missed having someone to share all the ups and downs of school life. The biggies like graduation  and the little ones like skinned knees.
I'm off to the Library today before "cyclone Nate", my 3 yr old Grandson comes for the day tomorrow .

[Octavia]

That's funny Joan. I had a guilty feeling when I bought anything that wouldn't have passed muster. Bob would've looked at my little Hyundai Getz and said "You call that a car!"

[Steph]

One last blow.. The States Attornies office has  decided not to prosecute the man who killed him. Not enough evidence. Seems the police did not have a blood alcohol done..and has never investigated how fast he was going. I am more at peace with this than my sons. What has happened will not be changed by anything. I live in a small town and obviously have police who are not willing to investigate properly. Sad.. but true. One of my sons wants to hire an accident investigator. Seems there are professionals who will recreate and certify what really happened. Not sure why this will help him, but told him I would pay if it would ease his pain.
Thank you  all for the comfort. Senior learn as was Senior net.. are great friends in my life. I always feel as if I know all of you even though I dont of course.

[Babi]

Good for you, JOANK. Isn't it a good feeling to find that we can still
make changes and choices in our latter years?

[marcie]

Steph, I'm very sorry for the outcome of the (non)prosecution. I hope that your sons and you will be able to find peace.

[mrssherlock]

Steph:  My extended family recently went through a shocking experience when my sister, hemorrhaging uncontrollably from her nose, was carried 16 miles to ER with no pulse and no BP.  By the time we heard about it she was stabilized and safely at home (this happened when she was staying at her beach house).  I can't express how helpless i felt; I believe your sons are feeling much the same.   What can a family do?  Acting to right some of the wrong will alleviate some of the frustration and the report of the investigation will be tangible, something to feel and handle.  Solace may lie in such a small act as touch.  

[Steph]

Oh Jackie, How terrifying. The feeling of helplessness is truly awful. I know that the accident and the events after in the hospital left me with numbness and an indifference about life for a long time. I am just now starting to respond without snapping at people..
I suspect eventually I will move from this three story townhouse.. It is too large and too many steps, but it is such a beautiful place and setting overlooking a very large lake.. We picked it out and wait almost two years for it to be finished.. I will enjoy it just now.

[Babi]

 Yes, you probably will find it too large and too difficult to maintain, STEPH.  I know I finally
moved from my roomy home when it got to be just too much for me.  But there is no rush.
Selling, moving and starting over require a lot of energy.  Take your time.

[serenesheila]

Thank you all for your feedback about my daughter moving in with me.  Your response warms my heart.  I don't feel so alone about sharing my home with my adult daughter.

STEPH, I am so sorry that the police have decided not to prosecute the man who killed your husband, and injured you.  I can certainly understand your son's desire to have the accident investigated more thoroughly.  I pray that you all find peace.

When my husband died, I was told not to make any major decisions for at least a year.  It was good advice.  I am happy that I remained in our home.  However, one of my friends was a trained interior decorator, and she redid my home.  It is definitely feminine, and I love it!  In addition, my car broke down a year after Ralph's death.  So, it was up to me to replace it.  My mother insisted that I take one of my son's with me.  I refused.  I wanted to learn if I COULD do major things my self.  I bought a sports car.  I had always wanted one.  I am still driving it.  It was a very good buy.

Well, my daughter just came by with a load of her clothes.  She is packing small to medium things herself to save money.  The movers will bring the heavy things on Wednesday.  She is running errands to get more boxes.  So, I am dog sitting her Yorkie.  She will be good company for me.  Her name is Isabella, but we call her Bella.

Sheila

[Steph]

I am sure that your daughter and the yorkie will be good company. I have two corgi and they are my life line to life and laughter. They have the ability to cause me to laugh and if I cry, they crowd close and try to lick my tears away. I honestly dont know what I have managed without them.
For some reason I have been thinking of a place called Pleasant Hill. It is the shaker community that is restored in Kentucky. My husband and I visited it several years ago when we were rving in Lexington. It was the most peaceful place imaginable. I felt stepped back in time.. It is sort of a long trip, but I may try it sometime this summer. The urge to go is so strong. I guess that I feel that the peace I felt there might return if I go and stay a few days on the grounds.. Hmm. Odd but true.