Author Topic: The Library (Read 2085761 times)

bellamarie · « **Reply #18000 on:** April 27, 2017, 09:36:59 PM »

Jean, I read this interview and it explains a few things that had me wondering about. I left a post on the Hidden Figures wall. Thank you for posting the link. After reading Hidden Figures I do feel as if Shetterly had at least two if not three books that could have come from this one book.

Frybabe · « **Reply #18001 on:** April 28, 2017, 08:13:23 AM »

Tomorrow, April 29, is Independent Bookstore Day. You can find a local participating bookstore here. http://www.indiebookstoreday.com/

PatH · « **Reply #18002 on:** April 28, 2017, 11:01:59 AM »

I see Politics and Prose, near me, is on the list, and Green Apple Books in San Francisco is still around. Frybabe, do you know anything about Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg? It looks like a super place.

Frybabe · « **Reply #18003 on:** April 28, 2017, 11:41:07 AM »

I've never been in it, Pat, but they always have something going on. The owner is currently the Mayor of Harrisburg. I ordered a used (like new they said) book from there once and when it came, it looked like someone had spilled coffee on it. Not what I would call like new, but that is what I get for having them mail it instead of going over there myself. I don't drive around in Harrisburg unless I absolutely have to.

The store is near both Riley St. and Verbeke; in the mid to late 90's both streets were popular streets to pick up prostitutes and other nasty stuff. I don't know what it is like now though I guess the place has been cleaned up a bit. I see it is across from the Broad Street Market where my sister and husband like to shop on occasion. Broad St. Market is another very popular place to go. In fact, I think that is where Hillary Clinton gave a speech when she was campaigning in Harrisburg.

Frybabe · « **Reply #18004 on:** April 29, 2017, 05:28:39 PM »

This week, Publisher's Weekly is highlighting some African novels and novelists. Thought you might like to take a look. http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/73445-10-essential-african-novels.html?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly&utm_campaign=5df2878864-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_04_28&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0bb2959cbb-5df2878864-304806741

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #18005 on:** April 30, 2017, 02:09:57 PM »

For those of you with Kindles, and might like to collect childrens stories, this was one of Amazon's deals today: Betsy-Tacy Treasury
by Maud Hart Lovelace
The Betsy-Tacy Treasury brings together the first four books in Maud Hart Lovelace's classic series: Betsy-Tacy; Betsy, Tacy and Tib; Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill; and Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown. Tracing the girls' lives from early childhood to the brink of adolescence, Lovelace illuminates their innocent, mischievous fun and their eye-opening adventures exploring the world around them—from the stories Betsy spins from their neighborhood bench and the sand stores they run in their backyards, to their first experiences at the library, the thrill of the theater, and the sight of their first automobile.

$1.99

bellamarie · « **Reply #18006 on:** May 01, 2017, 11:42:15 AM »

Not sure why but this section The Library is NOT showing up on our HOME page as The Library. It was difficult for me to find this. Can we place it back like it used to be so others will know it still exists?

Ooops disregard. It must have been a glitch because now it is back the way it used to be!!

PatH · « **Reply #18007 on:** May 01, 2017, 11:46:00 AM »

Good. I was just about to start troubleshooting.

PatH · « **Reply #18008 on:** May 01, 2017, 11:53:54 AM »

The continuation of the Science Fiction/Fantasy Short Stories is going to be the May discussion. We just started page 3. This link will take you there.

http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=5050.80

Even if you don't normally read sci/fi, you might like some of the stories. There are descriptions to help you decide.

PatH · « **Reply #18009 on:** May 03, 2017, 01:27:07 PM »

Jonathan and Ginny, you enjoyed Avram Davidson's golem story. The newest sci-fi/fantasy story is also a golem story--with a difference. No Yiddish humor--it's a Chinese golem, but the Chinese take is kind of funny too.

It's Here

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #18010 on:** May 05, 2017, 09:04:00 PM »

My f2f book club just finished reading and discussing "Did You Ever Have A Family" by Bill Clegg. His debut novel is "a powerful story about a circle of people who find solace in the least likely of places as they cope with a horrific tragedy".
Anne Enright (a ManBooker prize winner) says this is "full of small-town secrets and whispers...Clegg has woven a richly textured tale of loss and healing. This is a deeply optimistic book about the power of human sympathy to pull us from the wreckage of our fate."

This book produced one of the very best discussions we have ever had in our 10+ yrs in this group, and we had a delightful moderator, who did a fantastic job. The book is divided into chapters about the various people, and switches point-of-view
rapidly sometimes. I could not do this book a good service, only can say once you get into it, and are able to switch POV and follow the story (you will be going back & forth a good bit to make sure you have everyone clear in your mind) it will be totally worthwhile. At least IMHO. 9 out of 10 of our attendees truly enjoyed the book and feel the same way I did. Give it a chance.

ginny · « **Reply #18011 on:** May 06, 2017, 09:03:51 AM »

That sounds like a great recommendation for a book club someday! Thank you Tome! Books which make good discussions are often surprising, and the result is a satisfying experience for everybody.

I have become obsessed with Father Brown on PBS and they are rerunning all the series including the latest which is year 5. I have seen some sniffs online about not being what the original author G K Chesterton intended in his original books so I thought I'd read some of them and lo and behold on Amazon they have, on Kindle, two choices of them, the Complete series and the "REALLY" Complete series for 99 cents. I went for the 99 cents one because it contains all the stories, and I'm going on a trip and it's possible 50 books might drag me down a little.

The first thing I noticed is that the writing is SO good I don't mind if it's on kindle.

I didn't get far tho. The second thing I noticed is that suddenly underlining has appeared in MY text, in the form of dotted lines ----------- under the text in several places!!! I thought oh this is why it's 99 cents, it's defective.

But nooo, when I touched them it says that 33 previous readers felt these lines should be underlined.

WHAT? Ickers! If I wanted an old used highlighted underlined notated book with somebody ELSE'S thoughts, I would have bought one.

It says I can get it off? Through Library controls? I have unticked everything tickable and it's still there.

Does anybody know how I can rid myself of this unwanted Ghost of Readers Past? I really don't want to "share" the book this way. I like to try to think for myself what's memorable.

Ickers ickers ickers BLEAH, and I was so enjoying it as far as I got.

Holy smoke, now l have to watch out for underlining in an E BOOK?

ANNIE · « **Reply #18012 on:** May 06, 2017, 09:23:51 AM »

Can you delete it one letter at a time? Or how about returning it for a refund? Can you ask our techies? I don't have a Kindle so not too techie myself🤓🙏🙏🙏🙏!

LarryHanna · « **Reply #18013 on:** May 06, 2017, 09:26:43 AM »

Ginny, I did some searching trying to find an answer to your problem about the underlining. I have no idea whether this will work but would be worth a try:

This is the highlight feature. To turn it off go to the Home page, from the Menu, go to Settings, go to the second page and turn off the Popular Highlights.

I hope this works for you.

Hope you have a great tripl Are you going back to Italy or France or England. Take care.

ANNIE · « **Reply #18014 on:** May 06, 2017, 09:32:41 AM »

I read most Father Brown books while in high school. They were all in the school library. Do you think that was because I went to a Catholic school? Seems like they must have been in the local public library. I never looked for them there!🤓🙏

Larry, I thought of highlighting too but due to a SENIOR MOMENT couldn't think of the word--highlighting!🤓😄😄😄😄! ROFLOL🤣!

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #18015 on:** May 06, 2017, 11:54:01 AM »

I've had that highlighting thing on my "old Kindle", and I could never get rid of it. I just ignore it and move on with my reading. It may be on my Kindle Fire also, but I've not noticed it.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #18016 on:** May 06, 2017, 12:00:02 PM »

Larry, I went to my old Kindle, and followed the steps. I'm not currently reading anything on this one, but did find the place where you could turn it "off". We shall see what we shall see! Thanks for your help.

ginny · « **Reply #18017 on:** May 07, 2017, 09:08:13 AM »

Thank you, Larry. That did not work, darn it, but I appreciate the time you took to look it up and put it here.

Apparently these things are called Popular Highlights. I found a person called Dave Taylor on the internet showing how to get them off. https://www.askdavetaylor.com/disable-popular-highlights-ipad-kindle-app/

But my kindle app for ipad did not show the same screen options his does, though he gives a lot of iterations, and I had no idea why until I thought to rotate the device so it's taller vertically instead of width wise, and voila! There it was, and it's gone. Thank goodness.

I agree with Mr. Taylor that perhaps that little function might be better left as a choice, not an automatic feature, for those who want to see when they read a book what others thought was important.

Frybabe · « **Reply #18018 on:** May 07, 2017, 09:50:35 AM »

Ginny, my Kindle app on the computer has a thing under Tools/Options called Annotations. Click that and you get to click off popular highlights. I am assuming that your Kindle app for iPad is similar. But maybe not. You would think they would try to keep things looking as close as possible across all devices.

ginny · « **Reply #18019 on:** May 08, 2017, 10:54:16 AM »

Mr Taylor got it, thank God. I couldn't stand it. I'm looking forward to a veritable feast of writing, the first story starts with Flambeau.

As the Latin classes draw to a close this weekend I had time to start a new book I bought, Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life by Sally Bedell Smith. The book itself is a glory, the pages are smooth, and slick, there are tons of photos, both in plates in sections and in the text itself in black and white, deckle edges. Somebody who loves books set that one up and the print in the regular edition is nicely large and readable. I am enjoying it, very much, waiting for Number our Days which is taking its own time to get here.

It's a gigantic tome, more than 600 pages, so you can get in weight lifting while reading it.

You'd have to read it in an ebook for the large print one, you couldn't lift it.

Larry, I meant to say, yes, all three of those but first this year my oldest son, his wife and my grandson and I are starting the trip you describe in Barcelona, Spain, to see Messi play soccer at their home field. We saw him in Boston last year with Argentina, now we get to see him and Neymar and Suarez on their home field. I say "see," but our tickets are literally above bird flight, so we will "see" what we see. It's the experience.

LarryHanna · « **Reply #18020 on:** May 09, 2017, 11:25:23 AM »

Jenny, it sounds like you need to each has a binoculars to watch that game. I hope you and your family enjoy it.

ANNIE · « **Reply #18021 on:** May 09, 2017, 11:20:59 PM »

I recomended reading the book The Other Einstein to someone here in the Library. If any of you are watching "GENIUS", the first four episodes are following the story in that book.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #18022 on:** May 15, 2017, 03:03:23 AM »

I am reading Field Notes from a Hidden City by Esther Woolfson. It is brilliant.

Woolfson lives in Aberdeen, just a few streets away from where I stayed for over 10 years, yet when I read her observations and thoughts about wildlife, natural history, and life in general I am shocked by how little I actually saw of what was all around me. She is a writer - her work has appeared in national newspapers and on the radio - and she is also, interestingly, part of one of the very few Jewish families in NE Scotland, and has a degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her particular loves are birds - she has a pet (rescued) crow and a parrot, plus a rescued rat. Her knowledge is encyclopaedic, bit she writes with such a light touch and in such an interesting way that you never feel you are reading a textbook. She is also fascinated by the stars, and especially the aurora borealis, (the Northern Lights).

I really would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in nature, and also in the damage man has caused (and continues to cause) to it. Like one of my other heroes, Jim Crumley, she does not accept 'nature conservation' projects at face value, and is very doubtful about such things as a local plan to cull grey squirrels in favour of red ones - what, she asks, makes us revere one type of squirrel as 'native' and another as a 'pest'?

Woolfson has written another book, Corvus - I haven't read that yet but a friend says it's even better than Field Notes.

bellamarie · « **Reply #18023 on:** May 16, 2017, 01:41:25 PM »

Oh dear I am having a lapse in memory and need your help. Over the past year we read a book about a family that had slaves. The mother always sewed clothes for the women and the daughter took care of the young girl in the family. The lady of the house would beat the slaves and her daughter would sneak books to the slave girl to read to help educate her. Can anyone tell me the title of this book? I looked in the archives and don't see it but I know we discussed it this past year or so.

PatH · « **Reply #18024 on:** May 17, 2017, 12:55:21 PM »

Bellamarie, I could go back to the middle of 2012 in the archives and not find anything that fit. Maybe we didn't have a formal discussion, but just talked about it a lot?

ANNIE · « **Reply #18025 on:** May 17, 2017, 01:29:06 PM »

Rosemary, your author sounds like Rachel Carson who wrote Silent Spring plus another book called The Sea Around Us. People thronged to buy her books. I just read a book about her(a biography) which was quite good. Can't remember the title but you can just google her name and the book should come right up. She knew how to write for those of us weren't students. No text
books from her.
I will be looking up those titles to se if Wolfson's titles are in my library!

Bellamarie, I have no remembrance of that book but your librarians will look up what you remember and might find it for you. I have had them look up several titles for me with great success!

ANNIE · « **Reply #18026 on:** May 17, 2017, 01:37:30 PM »

Rosemary, I have a hold on both of Woolfson's books and I am first in line for both of them them.
I must research Jim Crumley's books too!! Thanks again for your suggestions.🤓🤓❤️❤️

bellamarie · « **Reply #18027 on:** May 17, 2017, 01:43:12 PM »

Gosh PatH., and Annie, I could have swore we read it recently, but like you, I went back into the archives and found nothing. The slave mother sewed for the family and there was something she used as markers out by a tree. She hid her money in her mattress and her daughter was able to use that money to gain her freedom. I need to go through my books and see if I read it alone. Thanks for looking for me.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #18028 on:** May 17, 2017, 02:09:20 PM »

I bet it was "The Invention of Wings" by Sue Monk Kidd. Check and see, Bellamarie.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #18029 on:** May 17, 2017, 03:45:11 PM »

Thanks Annie - Esther Wolfson does refer to Silent Spring several times in Field Notes.

bellamarie · « **Reply #18030 on:** May 17, 2017, 06:03:43 PM »

Tomesreader1 YES!!!! Thank you so much. It was driving me crazy. It is an excellent book.

Frybabe · « **Reply #18031 on:** May 20, 2017, 06:45:29 AM »

I was watching, this morning, a program posted to YouTube about color and color perception. What I found most interesting was that Goethe spent years studying and experimenting in color and color perception. The program narrator stated that he considered it and Faust as his greatest works. I didn't know this. But then, I know so little of Goethe's life.

Frybabe · « **Reply #18032 on:** May 23, 2017, 04:50:57 PM »

Now reading St. Charles at Dusk by Sarah M. Crandt after giving up on several mediocre/poorly executed SciFi books. This book is a prequel to the House of Crimson and Clover series. Amazon lists this as a Romantic Suspense novel, but I am getting some inklings of a supernatural element. The story is set in modern day New Orleans. Not into it very far, but am liking it so far. It is well written.

Frybabe · « **Reply #18033 on:** May 24, 2017, 06:14:05 AM »

Having you every heard of Short-Story Dispensers? We have one sponsored by Penn State here in PA. http://www.pennlive.com/life/2017/05/short_edition_story_penn_state.html#incart_river_home
They didn't list, or I missed it, where the other one is located.

bellamarie · « **Reply #18034 on:** May 24, 2017, 10:04:47 AM »

I've started The Perfect Letter A Novel by Chris Harrison he is the host of The Bachelor and the Bachelorette tv shows. I know, I can't figure out for the life of me why I am hooked on watching those shows other than my twenty-one year old granddaughter and I have watched for years now, and have had some great discussions on the men and women who are on the shows. I love hearing her insight on the young dating people of today. She has a great head on her shoulders and has been dating a very nice guy for two years now. Anyway, I was ready for a summer love story and this book is proving to be very interesting, a bit suspenseful, and the protagonist is a book editor.

Who knew Chris Harrison could write?

Frybabe · « **Reply #18035 on:** May 25, 2017, 08:08:06 AM »

A new development in the book publishing world of Amazon. I heard about this a few weeks back. This article has more information, but I am still not sure, after reading it, just what this truly means for Indie writers down the road or for us as readers. I do agree with Warner's comment that relying on just one vendor (in this case Amazon) is dangerous. We all remember the warning not to put all our eggs in one basket. Interesting that the company plans on expanding their Print on Demand (POD) offerings.
https://booklife.com/publish/print/05/17/2017/what-amazon-s-new-buy-box-policy-means-for-indie-authors.html?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly&utm_campaign=cc43ea8860-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_05_22&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0bb2959cbb-cc43ea8860-304806741

BTW, I think this is likely to make indie authors (especially new authors) even more desperate to get buyers and good reviews for their works.

bellamarie · « **Reply #18036 on:** May 25, 2017, 09:35:33 PM »

I just ordered our upcoming book for June's discussion Number Our Days by Barbara Myerhoff off of Abe Books for only $3.65 with NO shipping and handling charges. Came in just under a week and perfect used condition.

https://www.abebooks.com/?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg_trns&cm_pla=order-processed_CM&cm_ite=htm_bdy_home

I have been using less and less from Amazon.

Frybabe · « **Reply #18037 on:** May 27, 2017, 07:14:59 AM »

Interesting short interviews from the PBS program Blank on Blank with Stephen King, Kurt Vonnagut, Ray Bradbury, and Aldus Huxley. http://www.unboundworlds.com/2017/05/4-animated-films-featuring-favorite-authors-conversation/?cdi=13F0CB1F062E09D7E0534FD66B0A73BA&ref=PRH2028E2388CC9

Addendum: very short ad in some, so don't click off till the end. Found King's narrative amusing, Bradbury's rather ordinary. Vonnegut was really interesting what with the family history. Huxley is an old interview with Mike Wallace; what he says about our future as a society is a bit disturbing.

I wasn't aware of the Blank on Blank program, but I see there are plenty of interview clips and not just from authors.

Frybabe · « **Reply #18038 on:** June 03, 2017, 07:29:56 AM »

I will not be joining the new book discussion, but I did look in this morning. There are indeed Roman ruins in Barcelona. http://www.barcelonayellow.com/bcn-tourist/359-map-roman-walls The Barcelona City Museum sits atop extensive underground ruins, http://www.barcelonayellow.com/bcn-tourist/359-map-roman-walls According to what I read, these are the largest known underground Roman ruins. Barcelona's Roman settlement is still one of the largest discovered so far in Europe.

PatH · « **Reply #18039 on:** June 03, 2017, 11:15:11 AM »

Oh, good, Frybabe, I'd hate to think of Ginny stranded without something Roman to investigate. Nice pictures--I like the way the remains are part of the more modern buildings all over the place. Good aqueduct too. I still remember the thrill over 50 years ago of seeing the Pont du Gard. You could walk in the channel that carried the water (no roof anymore). I'm 5' 2" tall, and my head was just a bit taller than the channel, and I could just about touch both walls by stretching my arms out.

News:

Author Topic: The Library (Read 2085761 times)