Author Topic: The Library (Read 2085623 times)

winsummm · « **Reply #2080 on:** July 21, 2010, 05:08:42 PM »

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!

Suggestion Box for Future Discussions

magazines on the kindle are a great buy, lots cheaper than books. the NEW YORKER, a weekly, is only three dollars a month. they fill in between my many books and are good for my short attention span nowadays having read or tried to read over one hundred and fifty of them. . . books in the kindle archive,

that is. I also have THE ATLANTIC, a monthly, for two dollars a month. good writing and timely subjects.

can you get them at the library?
claire

mrssherlock · « **Reply #2081 on:** July 21, 2010, 06:45:23 PM »

I'm strongly tending towards buying an Apple iTouch which is one of the iPod family but offers most of the iPhone features including Kindle! Those are great prices for magazines, I love Atlantic and like Vanity Fair for its mix of the cerebral and the trashy celebrity gossip. There are podcasts I would like to have access to, the iTouch is equipped for wifi, it takes video pictures, navigates, has an FM tuner, records voice memos, my library has Books 2 Go, etc, etc. If I can talk my daughter into going halvsies with me and then keep it for myself, no, that's selfish, isn't it?

marcie · « **Reply #2082 on:** July 21, 2010, 10:16:23 PM »

Steph, I hope that you find some interesting people in the library book club and that they will talk about a book that interests you.

Ginny, it's great to see you posting! It sounds like you have a fabulous view. I hope all goes smoothly for you from now on.

I appreciate those links, jean. I'm going to check them out later.

mrssherlock, I hope you are able to get the Apple iTouch. I'd love to have one too. Will you have to purchase a contract for the phone part? Do you already have a wireless router at home for Internet access?

Frybabe · « **Reply #2083 on:** July 21, 2010, 10:34:09 PM »

Traude, I just finished reading Staying On. I liked how Scott pulled everything together a) by switching back and forth between characters, b.) using letters to convey information, and c.) by daydreamings and reminiscences . Scott tied up some loose ends by letting us know what became of the Layton family after they went back to England. The ending, however, was sad and left me to wonder what will happen to Mrs. Smalley. Oh, and can I make a guess that the guest who was to arrive shortly the intermittent unknown narrator in the Raj Quartet? It doesn't say.

pedln · « **Reply #2084 on:** July 21, 2010, 11:46:05 PM »

Jackie, thanks for the heads-up about The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig. I’ve heard the name, but have never read anything by him. I’d like to read this one as it touches on Montana schools in the early part of the 20th century. Several years ago while going through old photos, etc. my brother found a letter written to my mother in the mid-1920’s from a school superintendent in either Roundup or Harlowton MT, confirming her teaching position if she could be released from her current position. (She was planning to marry our father and would be moving from that location.) As the letter described the school, her upcoming teaching duties, even the basal reader that would be used, we thought it would be of some historical interest and sent it to the Montana Historical Society. Unfortunately I did not make a copy of it. My parents moved eastward shortly after my brother’s birth in Roundup. I’ve heard lots of stories of my mother growing up in Wisconsin, but know nothing about the years she taught in Montana.

Ginny, it's good to hear from you. Glad to know you're still reading up a storm and haven't been locked up or lost in any Pompeiian villa.

roshanarose · « **Reply #2085 on:** July 21, 2010, 11:58:15 PM »

Ginny - I have gone six shades of green. Having a view over the water to Vesuvius sounds like living a dream. Enjoy!

pedln · « **Reply #2086 on:** July 22, 2010, 12:03:02 AM »

Whew, all this tech talk, how does one keep up. It's only recently that I learned the difference between Blackberry and BlueTooth. Now we have all these iGizmos.

Today I spoke with a friend whose nephew and family have just returned to live in the US after spending 20 years in Africa as Bible translators. The oldest child will start college, and even though she's a US citizen, is considered an International student. That means she gets to go early for orientation and to close some of the gaps of culture shock. (The children were home-schooled until the last few years, when they attended an international boarding school.) Even though they came here on leave every few years it was hard to keep up with all the changes here, especially the technological ones.

My Seattle granddaughter returns home next week after six weeks in Panama with the Amigos de Americas program. They were told outright -- "Don't take anything electronic because your host family may not have electricity."

Steph · « **Reply #2087 on:** July 22, 2010, 05:59:37 AM »

On the face to face club.. they pick the books in a meeting in November for the next year. All who come suggest and they like to have a classic, some mysteries and some straightforward, at least one non fiction.. That is what I am gold. However both the Francis and the Woods books were suggested by two people who have not been back since the selection period, so no group leader on them.. The people are the same ones in Friends of the Library and the Friday morning senior meetings. Now to figure out why we have to meet at 5 in the afternoon.. Weird time.. but I suspect picked by the library. The library here is the tail that wags the dog and they have the strangest rules in all of creation.. Owned by the county and subject to management from the county..

Babi · « **Reply #2088 on:** July 22, 2010, 08:13:27 AM »

There's a Blacktooth?? I don't even try to keep up, PEDLN. I'm happy to be reasonably familiar with a computer.

I'm a little befuddled this morning. Yesterday, my daughter was complaining of pains in her chest/arms/neck. She was only half-dressed
and working via the computer. As it persisted she finally got dressed and allowed me to drive her to a nearby emergency clinic. They ran
an EKG and promptly transferred her to the hospital where she went
straight into surgery.
I followed, but it was a while before I even knew she was in surgery.
Someone finally located me, brought me up to date and took me to
the proper waiting room. Valerie had a blocked coronary artery. Thank goodness they were able to clear it via catheter and placed a
stent. When I finally got to see her she was chattering away and joking
with the nurses. Excuse me if I'm still a little numb. I am truly grateful
for the swift action by the emergency people and the hospital staff.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2089 on:** July 22, 2010, 08:40:27 AM »

Oh Babi, I am soooooo glad it was caught in time and that the surgery was successful. My best wishes for a speedy recovery go out to your daughter.

pedln · « **Reply #2090 on:** July 22, 2010, 11:11:36 AM »

Babi, I'm glad you insisted on the ER. And so glad they caught the problem quickly. How long will she have to stay in the hospital?

Sometimes people try to pass things like this off or say they'll go away, and don't thinbk it's serious enough for the ER. But I'm a firm believer in if you think something's wrong GO. (Like my recent excursion that turned out to be nothing, thankfully.) The hospital, amd everyone else would rather you bounce back than turn up dead.

I hope your daughter has a very speedy recovery.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #2091 on:** July 22, 2010, 11:15:18 AM »

Babi: Valerie's guardian angel was working overtime. Yours, too. Please give Valerie my regards and best wishes for a speedy recovery. Now, remember to take care of yourself, indulge yourself a little. You must be strong to cope and help Valerie cope with the changed circumstances her continued good health will require. We're here for you when you need us, feel free to vent or cry or celebrate as your well-being may require. Your comments have become a highlight of my day.

PatH · « **Reply #2092 on:** July 22, 2010, 11:16:31 AM »

Goodness, Babi! A happy outcome to a scary situation. Good for you for getting your daughter to do the right thing.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #2093 on:** July 22, 2010, 02:08:45 PM »

Babi - think positively about Valerie's situation - she was lucky to have pain, i understand some women don't get pain to alert them to blocked artieries. I had 3 stents put in 4 yrs ago and w/ a change in diet and some meds - "better living thru chemistry" - i'm doing really well. Medicine has come a long way in the last 2 decades.

Did anyone get an ipad? I'm thinking of asking for one for my birthday in Oct. It looks like the best of many world's, not just a reader, which i'm not interested in, but the opportunity to sit comfortably in an easy chair, or on my patio and go online, PLUS the reader sounds very appealing. I haven't been interested in any of the gadgetry until the ipad, but this looks promising...................jean

JoanK · « **Reply #2094 on:** July 22, 2010, 05:21:28 PM »

Oh, Babi, I'm so glad it turned out ok. Do get some extra rest and rellaxation, so you can help her when she comes out.

JoanR · « **Reply #2095 on:** July 22, 2010, 06:54:30 PM »

Babi - Valerie is so fortunate that you were alert to the problem and saw to it that help was sought!!! Good for you!!!!

marcie · « **Reply #2096 on:** July 22, 2010, 07:44:36 PM »

Babi, what an ordeal but I'm glad to hear of the good outcome. I wish your daughter a speedy recovery.

FlaJean · « **Reply #2097 on:** July 22, 2010, 10:25:56 PM »

Jean, I have an iPad and really like it. As I explained in a different forum, it was a gift and is 3G (like a cellular phone) as well as wifi. Before we took a recent trip, I signed up for the 3G and used it for keeping notes, sending and checking email and using the Internet. I was very happy with it. We have a Budget financial program and it has an iPad app that goes with it. I was able to keep track of our expenses and sinc it with our Budget program when we got back. Worked very well. I've gotten so used to the computer that I feel lost when I can't check my email and the Internet for news. My daughter can do the same thing with her iPhone but I like the larger size and just use a Tracfone for the few phone calls we made on the trip. FlaJean

Steph · « **Reply #2098 on:** July 23, 2010, 05:46:46 AM »

Oh Babi, how scary for you. Am glad it all worked well..I must chime in with take care of yourself as well. She is getting well and you must settle back. Good luck
FlaJean.. Does the IPAD not do email without 3G.. is that a monthly charge as well.. I thought the IPAD could pick up wifi without any further ado.. Or is the 3G a phone?? Sorry, but I am somewhat confused and am really interested in the IPAD. The idea of using it for a reader and being able to check email sounds really interesting. I got a salesperson who was so into Apps, that I did not get answers for my sort of questions. I have an old friend who has one, so he , his wife and I will have lunch on Tuesday and he will show it to me. He loves it and takes it everywhere, he says.

bellemere · « **Reply #2099 on:** July 23, 2010, 08:54:05 AM »

I just finished Goldengrove by Francine Prose, for my face to face book club. It is rather "dark" , about the loss of a teenage daughter and resulting efforts by the family to cope and help each other, with a coming of age angle as told by the younger surviving sister. So now I have Olive Kitteridge for September of my othr
Book Club. Killer Angels that I picked up at a used bood sale - wonderul fiction based on the Battle of Gettysburg; Merchant of Venice for my Shakespeare on Sundy group, currently on hiatus since the UMass professor leader is on vacation; and am looking for something really good to get lost in for the rest of the summer. A friend is urging me to get Kristin Lavransdatter, and even trying to spell it is hard. Anyone read it ?
Also, I was disturbed by an article in the New Yorker a few weeks back about "dystopia" books for young sdults. I thought I might try to chedk out some of them. Evidently they deal with a world like "1984" where current trends (reality TV. cosmetic surgery, artificial intelligence, etc, have been takien to the extremes in a totalitarian society. Can't believe kids are reading this.
Steph , I finally caught up with you on this board and I am so glad you are moving ahead so bravely.

Babi · « **Reply #2100 on:** July 23, 2010, 09:02:50 AM »

Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers. Valerie is doing very
well; no complications.
I didn't mean to suggest that she went to the clinic solely at my insistence. When the pain recurred instead of going away, she realized that she needed to be checked out. Very intelligent woman, my Val.
You are also quite right to tell me to 'settle back' and take care of myself
As of last night I could hardly move and realized I was overdoing it. It's
not as though there weren't swarms of family and friends around her.
But you know how it is; Mom thinks she needs to be there. Truthfully,
Mom is there for her own peace of mind!

marcie · « **Reply #2101 on:** July 23, 2010, 11:16:25 AM »

The miniseries based on Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth starts tonight. There is a review of the series at http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2010/07/23/2010-07-23_royalty_clergy_rule_earth.html
Tonight's first episode runs two hours. The next four nights will be an hour apiece, followed by a two-hour finale.

You can watch the two hour premiere online at http://www.starz.com/pillars

mrssherlock · « **Reply #2102 on:** July 23, 2010, 12:10:58 PM »

Steph: The iTouch does many of the same things the iPad does: http://tinyurl.com/yewrx5z which is why Ii'm considering the iTouch.

Judy Laird · « **Reply #2103 on:** July 23, 2010, 02:31:28 PM »

I have just gotten an I-Pod Touch and am so in love with it.
It supplies anything you want on it. I put a Kindle App on mine many games blood pressure app, pedometer and a thousand other things, I love it.

FlaJean · « **Reply #2104 on:** July 23, 2010, 03:29:07 PM »

Steph, You have to have wifi for the iPad. You do not need to buy one with 3G capability. My husband got me one with 3G for traveling when wifi isn't available. I signed up for one month ($14.99 with AT&T) and then disconnected it before the next month as I don't presently need it. As long as you have the capability, you can just sign up for a month at a time. It sounds more confusing than it is. When I first got the iPad, I was a little confused but it is really straight forward and simple. If you've used an iPod or an iPhone you would have no problem at all. I had never used either one so I was a little tentative at first.

I got a cover for mine and I'm glad I did as it is very handy and protective of the screen when you aren't using it. I've read three or four free books that I downloaded from the Apple store. In the corner of the iBook app (which comes with it), there is "store" which you can click on and go directly to the book store.

Many places have free wifi now. I've used mine in McAlister's Deli and Panera Bread and it works great in both places. FlaJean

JoanP · « **Reply #2105 on:** July 23, 2010, 07:22:38 PM »

We've just now opened the vote for fall book discussions. You can vote for your top choice in Part I of the poll and then in Part II click on ALL of those you would be interested in discussing at some time. Some great choices - note that there are reviews linked to the book titles in the header in the Suggestion Box if you are not familiar with some of them.

Are you ready? -
Click Here to Cast your Vote! -

mrssherlock · « **Reply #2106 on:** July 23, 2010, 07:57:08 PM »

Judy: Congratulations! I've decided to wait for the new iTouch, due in Sept, it's rumored that a camera like the one in the iPhone will be included. I use Trac-fone, too, for mobile service. Wifi works just fine when on the road, there's usually wifi in lodging places, there's cafes, etc. My laptop has a wifi gadget plugged into the USB port so I can connect to the 'net without cables but it is internal in the aoole ipad, iPhone and iTouch.

PatH · « **Reply #2107 on:** July 24, 2010, 08:36:56 AM »

Bellemere, I read Kristin Lavransdatter, and liked it very much. It was a long time ago, so I can't tell you much detail, but I mean to reread it sometime. Definitely worth a try, though I think it's a specialized taste.

Babi · « **Reply #2108 on:** July 24, 2010, 08:38:18 AM »

Oh, shucks. "Pillars of the Earth" looks wonderful, but we don't get the Starz channel. Maybe one of these days the DVD will be available
on Netflix.

bellemere · « **Reply #2109 on:** July 24, 2010, 09:41:12 AM »

Hi Pat, I did check Kristin Lavransdatter out of the library and almost gave up on page one, with all the Norwegian geneology and "begats", but kept going and I think I am hooked on 14th century Norway.
I know almost nothing about Scandanavia, so it is all a revelation.
I do have a favorite Norwegiena story. I had a friend whose parents were born in Norway and they were very active in Norwegian=American activities. When the Queen of Norway came to visit, my friendwas about 5 years old, blonde, pink and chubby like a made-t0-order Norwegian girl and was selected to present a bouquet of flowers to the Queen. As the Queen bent to kiss Anne and accept the flowers , the
Queen farted. My friend's indelible first impression of European royalty.
But I like the music of Grieg, and the pictures of the fjords look fabulous. So I will continue with The Bridal Wreath, the first in the trilogy. should hold me until September.

JoanP · « **Reply #2110 on:** July 24, 2010, 09:49:08 AM »

Bellemere - watch out - you may get hooked and find yourself deep into the third of the Trilogy... Sigrid Undset's Kristan Lavransdatter 's saga were by far my all time favorite coming-of-age books when I was young -
A few years ago I read Bridal Wreath again to see if it still held up - and it did. I had wondered whether it would make a good online group discussion. I'll be interested to hear what you think as you get into it. It seems to have it all, the history, the passion...

Whose translation are you reading?

Steph · « **Reply #2111 on:** July 24, 2010, 09:59:39 AM »

Oh me.. Kristan. That takes me back. I read all three way back. Loved them.
My granddaughter has an Itouch,, but I like the slightly larger IPAD.. Thanks for the clearing up of when I wouldneed the 3 g.. I have a friend coming to show me his next Tuesday for lunch.. He and his wife both love it. Are actually thinking of getting a second one for her.

PatH · « **Reply #2112 on:** July 24, 2010, 11:15:44 AM »

Quote from: bellemere on July 24, 2010, 09:41:12 AM

Hi Pat, I did check Kristin Lavransdatter out of the library and almost gave up on page one, with all the Norwegian geneology and "begats", but kept going and I think I am hooked on 14th century Norway.

If you think that's bad, you should read the sagas. You can get pages of genealogy.

I love your story of royalty.

MaryPage · « **Reply #2113 on:** July 24, 2010, 02:18:05 PM »

Watched Pillars of the Earth last night and loved it. Had to sign up for STARZ in order to get it; but it only costs $5.00 a month. Also, it repeats every Sunday and Wednesday night at the same hour: ten PM EDT.

This mini-series has been following the book quite closely thus far. One misses the rich characterization and background from the book. For instance, Ellen is not really a witch, just one of those female healers that existed back then and were So much better than any of the male doctors! Don't know whether anyone watching the film without benefit of the book would pick up on that, or whether they would believe Follett was injecting a kind of fantasy that is so popular in fiction these days, and which I do not care for. My motto is there is enough weird and strange in the real world, without dreaming up the outrageously impossible.

One thing in last night's film bothered me, and I do not remember Follett making the mistake of putting it in the book: the mother of the dreadful lad who raped Aliena is giving him a bath. A bath! In the twelfth century! It just did not happen!

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #2114 on:** July 24, 2010, 03:27:30 PM »

Anyone with a Kindle, amazon sent me a message that there is a software update. It gives instructions on how to do it. Says it will automatically upgrade but mine hadn't. It's supposed to have some new things, incl. some larger fonts.

marcie · « **Reply #2115 on:** July 24, 2010, 09:02:00 PM »

MaryPage, I enjoyed the PILLARS OF THE EARTH episodes too. I haven't read the book yet but didn't think that Ellen was really a witch--just that it was convenient for the bishop and others to accuse her of that "crime" because of some of the skills she had developed and because the boy who lost his mother accused her.

Steph · « **Reply #2116 on:** July 25, 2010, 06:12:24 AM »

If you like scandinavian books.. There is an excellent series.. Old.. Titled The Emigrants.. I loved it and read all three.. Great insight into the settling of the upper midwest by various Scandinavians. Had not thought of it for years, but the Kristan books brought the others back to me.

Babi · « **Reply #2117 on:** July 25, 2010, 08:49:08 AM »

Ah, BELLE, how comforting to know that even Queens have those embarrassing
moments.

MARYPAGE, there was some bathing in the 12th century; people did not go unwashed all their lives! There are manuscript illustrations of wooden tubs shaped like half-barrels that were used for bathing. River bathing was common, too, esp. for those on the road..like soldiers. As for the kid who got bathed, maybe it depends on what they got into.

pedln · « **Reply #2118 on:** July 25, 2010, 10:39:54 AM »

Someone mentioned Ivan Doig's Whistling Season the other day. Here's and article about the sequel to it, from the Seattle Times.

Ivan Doig

Interesting, the discussion about Scandinavian novels. My daughter gave me two by Marianne Fredrickson a couple of years ago -- Hannah's Daughters -- three generations, from early conflicts between Norway and Sweden, to current day life. The other, Simon's Family, set in Sweden, post WW II.

My family was all Norweigian on both sides. In the family bible my grandmother was Anna Catharine Stephansdaughtter. One of my aunts married a man from Swedish heritage. He loved to tell about his father's first arrival in the US. Claus Johnson was a young man who marvelled about all the beautiful red apples he saw being sold on the streets of NY. So he gave up a few cents and bought one. But when he cut into it, is was soft and gushed juice all over him. Clause had just me his first tomato.

JoanR · « **Reply #2119 on:** July 25, 2010, 10:59:15 AM »

Oh, Pedln, I love that story!

I remember "Kristin Lavransdatter" fondly because not only was it a great read, but it was the first book that my husband ever bought for me when we were poor newlywed students at university. We couldn't really spare the money nor could I really spare the time to read it. - but I did, and loved it. I still have the 3 vols.

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Author Topic: The Library (Read 2085623 times)