Author Topic: The Library (Read 2085894 times)

marjifay · « **Reply #2320 on:** August 23, 2010, 08:53:18 AM »

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

Thanks for that interesting article about Paul Harding, Pedln. I am planning to read his book, Tinkers, with another group in October.

Where did you hear that President Obama had purchased Tinkers?

Marj

pedln · « **Reply #2321 on:** August 23, 2010, 10:41:51 AM »

Marj, I think it was in an article in yesterday's NY Times

mrssherlock · « **Reply #2322 on:** August 23, 2010, 12:44:22 PM »

I hated the heat waves in San Jose. One of the plus factors in Oregon was its temperate climate. GW (Global Warming) Seems to be the reason for much that is going wrong with our weather and I hope Oregon will not get too warm for comfort. 70s are lovely, 90+ is not.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2323 on:** August 23, 2010, 02:18:08 PM »

The humidity is what does me in, especially if it is hot too. The weather here for the week calls for it being in the 70s - finally. BUT - yesterday is was supposed to be 71F. It actually got up to 76F. The weather service says 72F for today, but it is now going on 78F. Usually they are a little bit better than this at prediciting temps.

JoanK, I remember my former pest control guy telling me once that ants and termites don't like each other. So if there are ants around it is less likely the termites are.

Steph · « **Reply #2324 on:** August 24, 2010, 06:14:53 AM »

In Florida we have so many different types of ants. Some horrible, others like the little sugar ants, mostly a pain, but they dont sting.

Babi · « **Reply #2325 on:** August 24, 2010, 08:49:20 AM »

I think you're right, STEPH. As we get older, we seem to have less
tolerance for extremes in anything. Which, of course, means some
adjustment problems when two persons of different ages occupy the
same space. Which explains why one associates warm shawls with
old ladies.

bellemere · « **Reply #2326 on:** August 24, 2010, 10:22:54 AM »

Almost finished with Kristin Lavransdatter. What a wonderful book. The feelings of Kristin are pure "womanly" in spite of the medieval context. Her ambiguity toward her husband, her worries about her sons, so many human touches. i can barely eplain the hold it has on me.
Aside: My talented actress daughter in law, who gave up her New YOrk efforts to marry my son and move to the Berkshires, gave an amazing summer theater performance in the one-woman show, The Amish Project in Hudson , New York. She played six different roles ; all people connected with the shooting of the amish schoolgirls a few years back, and with the amish conceipt of forgiveness. All without coustume change, just changes in her voice, her facial expression, posture, gestures, etc. On stage for 90 minutes. It was wonhderful, and I don;t think I am biased. The rest of the small audience hardly moved , they were so mesmerized.
There, that's my family brag for today. But if you live anywhere near the Hudson river valley in NY, try to go. it runs until Sept. 5.

MaryPage · « **Reply #2327 on:** August 24, 2010, 12:37:56 PM »

Sounds just my piece of cake, and I would love nothing more than to be able to visit the beautiful Hudson River Valley once more and to see that performance. Alas, not possible!

And good on you for bragging on your son's wife. Sure haven't heard much of THAT in my 81 years!

JoanK · « **Reply #2328 on:** August 24, 2010, 02:52:55 PM »

It sounds like a wonderful play. I wish I could visit that area again, too.

Well, I'm not going to try Borax, until I'm desparate. The grands were over yesterday: I got them together and said: the black things in the kitchen are ant traps: don't touch them. The 6 year old disappeared, and came back holding all the ant traps. "Are these what you meant?" he asked.

I found a site with natural remedies (vinagar, red pepper etc.) I'll try a few of those first.

http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/natural-ant-control.html

mrssherlock · « **Reply #2329 on:** August 24, 2010, 03:08:52 PM »

Last time we had ant invaders we used vinegar to erase the traces of formic acid the ants leave to mark trails. You have to remove the trail; my son says to rub it thoroughly where the ants enter.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #2330 on:** August 24, 2010, 03:12:17 PM »

Hahaha, Joan - i love that story about your g-son! He just wanted to be sure he knew what you were talking about..........lol.........that's priceless.................jean

ginny · « **Reply #2331 on:** August 24, 2010, 08:12:33 PM »

Oh is that not priceless? Love it!

I am loving all the conversation here, too, so wide ranging, you all are a lot more up on the latest things (and things in depth I know nothing about) that it's a pleasure to come in here and just read.

I loved hearing about your daughter in law, also bellemere, I love one man (or in this case woman) shows. The last one I saw was Shirley Valentine on Broadway (shows you how long ago it was) and boy was it good.

I have not read any of the Girl Who.. books, I feel so sorry for the author. Is there anybody who knows IF he had any inkling that at least one of his books would be published at all? He dominates the best seller lists, how sad he is not here to see it.

I am also very sorry to hear of the death of Northern Joan from SeniorNet, she came to our Chicago Books Festival, I am sorry to hear of her passing.

I am currently totally engrossed in Peter Benchley's Beast. I have been wanting to reread Benchley (Jaws)_ for years. A long time ago I bought one of those publisher's omnibus type things, they had combined three of his books and I found it the other day. There's nobody who writes like Benchley. Unfortunately his books are no longer stocked at B&N (other than Jaws), I guess some of them are out of print and not popular, what a shame.

He's SUCH a good writer. He was a serious oceanographer, and just reading his books which are fiction you learn so MUCH about things. Currently I'm learning the history of Bermuda, what causes the so called Bermuda Triangle, and the giant squid. When he wrote the book, his giant squid was not known and people thought he had gone overboard, (pardon the pun). A few years after his death (people should have known better) a.. was it a Japanese fisherman hauled up a monster very similar to what he described and since then several more and larger ones with speculation on what's really down there have surfaced, which proves his theories. Of course his monster is an attack sort of creature, but I am so enjoying this book.

The book is so old, they had time and money to decorate the pages, it's illustrated with waves between chapters, and the print is large and the paper is very nice. It's a pleasure to read it. In fact I stayed up half of last night enjoying it.

Speaking of three volumes in one, does anybody remember those books, there would be three books shown on the cover as if each page was 1/3rd in each volume? Did any of you ever take them? It was by...Doubleday? There would be three books in a compact volume, which were of different genres; it was like a club. I don't think it was Reader's Digest, or was it? I used to enjoy them, some of them were books I'd never have read and I gave them away like paper. I wish I had some of them back, now, they were always good. Too good not to share once you've read them but boy I wish I had some back now. That was my introduction to Nun in the Closet and I never forgot that one.

Thank you, Mrssherlock, for saying that the Da Silva needs to be read in order! Does anybody know what the first one is? I've heard nothing but raves about his latest.

And thank you Pedln for the Paul Harding mention, I had never heard of him, either, and good for him!! How interesting on what the President is reading. Franzen and A Few Corrections by Brad Leithauser. I looked the last one up, it's quite interesting. I wonder where he heard about them? Maybe he reads the Atlantic or something? Gosh Leithauser has been called the new Updike, I sure hope not, for the sake of those reading him, Updike is SOO (to me) depressing.

I dunno, maybe it's the heat or the long summer but I want a book which is going to GRAB me up and immerse me in its world. Benchley has done that and he's got another one about an octopus I have on order at the library. I got a paperback of Pillars of the Earth after hearing you all discuss the program and book, and sequel, and I hope it's one of those, too. There's nothing like a good book.

Or computer.

I have to tell you something cute, too, about my own grandbaby. Today we went "for a hike" this afternoon, as he calls it, up to the "woodlot #2 site" in the woods. We had been building volcanoes in the garden and digging for buried treasure, and he wanted to take his (toy) computer along on the walk, it does all kinds of things.

As we walked he said, and this is verbatim, "I calculate on the computer that a volcano is coming from the west. I'll send you an email on it when I get home." hahaha

He's 3 1/2.

Would you BELIEVE the doggone toy computer HAS a volcano on it? If you put on the ABC program and hit the V (he kept asking me to find the volcano) the v is pronounced and a volcano appears on the screen (this is very primitive, it's for very small children) and erupts. But I did not know it was on there.

Ah. Grandchildren.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #2332 on:** August 24, 2010, 10:29:40 PM »

One of the best thing about g-children is that they keep us laughing........how old is he Ginny? The vocabulary of these kids just amaze me....................jean

Steph · « **Reply #2333 on:** August 25, 2010, 06:19:18 AM »

Ants,, I agree they leave a trail and you need to trace down where they are coming from and clean it with something like white vinegar.. I found them one time in another house coming in through the electric socket of all things.
Ohhh Ginny, I cannot read
Benchley.. I love the ocean and used to live on the beach and did not want to read about sea creatures that would hurt you..
Grandchildren are fun.. Even my very very complicated grandson.. At almost 9 he still drives his teachers nuts, but they agree that he is very bright, but has ADHD and is so restless at the best of times. My granddaughter is almost 15.. on the 29th of this month is the magic day. She is in looooove.. all of a sudden with a real boy, not someone on facebook( which caused howls from her parents, her Nana and everyone else). He seems nice and is obviously brave. He has been invited to come to dinner on her birthday with her parents,, her Aunt and Uncle( My older son), etc. And he said Yes.. Wow..

ginny · « **Reply #2334 on:** August 25, 2010, 09:04:26 AM »

Jean, he's 3 1/2, and the only one we have so naturally we dote on him. hahahaha

Stephanie, oh yeah the Benchley got rough this morning, grabbed it immediately on waking, the "creature" is eating the divers, and swooping fishermen off their boats, but somehow it's...I dunno...you feel as if you've had a course in ....hard to describe. You exit the roller coaster knowing more than you did when you started and going WHEE, I want to go again, despite the dips.

I just like the way he writes.

Babi · « **Reply #2335 on:** August 25, 2010, 09:10:59 AM »

My sympathies re. the 6-year-old, JOAN. You really have to emphasize
the critical parts,...like 'DON'T TOUCH THEM!" My grandmother used to
tell the story of her son,...even younger...that she overheard swinging
on the gate muttering a new phrase.."summa bitch". Shocked, she grabbed
his shoulder and told him that was not a nice thing to say and she never
wanted to hear him say that again!
As she walked away, he begn swinging again and she heard him whisper
the forbidden words. She promptly turned back and said "Didn't I tell
you never to say that again?!" "No," he replied. "You said you didn't
want to hear me."

If I remember correctly, those three book volumes were condensed. It
made for faster moving action, but left out much else. Great timesaver,
tho', when I was raising three kids and didn't have much reading time.

STEPH, that young man is very brave or very confidant. OR, he's still young
enough to care more about a free meal than where he eats it.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #2336 on:** August 25, 2010, 10:47:53 AM »

Ginny: Daniel Silva's first Gabriel Allon book is : http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/daniel-silva/kill-artist.htm

bellemere · « **Reply #2337 on:** August 25, 2010, 05:09:31 PM »

My friend's three year old grandson called him a "dummy" and when
Grandpa chastized him and said never call me that again, the little one said"You're insecure!" Everyone at the table screamed and he started to cry. "That's not a bad word, is it?" The fact that his mom is a psychologist just made it funner.

PatH · « **Reply #2338 on:** August 25, 2010, 05:54:25 PM »

Bellemere, you made my day with that one. It's hilarious!

joangrimes · « **Reply #2339 on:** August 25, 2010, 08:04:32 PM »

I just finished reading a very good book on my Kindle...It is called "The man Who Loved Jane Austen" by Sally O'Rourke Smith.
Some of you Jane Austen FAns might like it. It involves a lot of fanasty...I do not usually enjoy fanasty but I did enjoy this one very much...Joan Grimes

bellemere · « **Reply #2340 on:** August 25, 2010, 08:11:42 PM »

Does anyone remember a book called "A High Wind in Jamaica" from about 20 or even 30 years back?

PatH · « **Reply #2341 on:** August 25, 2010, 09:12:06 PM »

I do indeed remember it. Although I read it something like 30 years ago, it was actually written in 1929. The children of a family are sent home from Jamaica for safety after a hurricane. Their ship is captured by pirates, and they endure a number of hair-raising events, most of which they totally misunderstand. It's interesting what seems important or not from the children's point of view, and there is a lot of vivid stuff in it.

PatH · « **Reply #2342 on:** August 25, 2010, 09:13:04 PM »

JoanG, tell me a bit more about "The Man Who Loved Jane Austen".

Steph · « **Reply #2343 on:** August 26, 2010, 10:01:03 AM »

Good heavens.. A High Wind? That was a book I read as a teen.. Good sort of adventure as I recall.
Got a summer cold and oh boy, is it the drippy icky type. I am mostly sleeping and taking things to make the sore throat ease up a bit.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #2344 on:** August 26, 2010, 03:08:42 PM »

Steph, you mention our "teen-age reading," the first tho'ts that come to mind EVERY time i think of my teen-age reading was that i got hooked on sev'l fiction books w/ stories around Josephine and Napoleon. I guess because there were a couple of movies about them around that time (50's).

In fact, much of my reading came to books i read after seeing a movie - Battle Cry, Caine Mutiny, Man With the Golden Arm, some Mitchner books, and then of course, i would read other books by the same authors - Marjorie Morningstar and other Herman Woulk books, Frank Yerby books, Irving Stone books, Costain, John O'Hara (from the terrace - another great Paul Newman drama), etc. etc......there seem to be far fewer movies produced from popular fiction these days - or am i just not paying attention as closely? ...............jean

JoanK · « **Reply #2345 on:** August 26, 2010, 04:49:54 PM »

If you're thinking of joining the Zeitoun discussion in September, but haven't been in the prediscussion, the Zeitoun family will be interviewed on PBS's Tavis Smiley show tomorrow (Friday).

Frybabe · « **Reply #2346 on:** August 26, 2010, 05:36:51 PM »

A High Wind in Jamaica: I remember seeing the movie, never read the book. The movie starred Anthony Quinn and James Coburn.

Steph · « **Reply #2347 on:** August 27, 2010, 06:14:14 AM »

Oh me, the memories of teen reading. John O Hara, who was considered extremely racy and my mother very forward in letting me read them. Her reply is that I could read whatever I wanted..Herman Wouk.. I loved Marjorie Morningstar and loved Natalie Wood in the movie..I read a lot of science fiction as well.. none of that was a movie. But yes I agree, a lot of my reading was influenced first by the movie.

Babi · « **Reply #2348 on:** August 27, 2010, 08:35:37 AM »

Ah, yes. I remember Costain, too. Loved his books. Yerby was a daring thrill, but he and others
of a similar nature were sadly misleading as preparation for the future.

I devoured historical fiction, and still love a good one.

MaryPage · « **Reply #2349 on:** August 27, 2010, 08:50:21 AM »

When I was a teenager, it was also Gone With The Wind (the book), You Can't Go Home Again and Look Homeward Angel, Forever Amber, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, Remembrance of Things Past, Precious Bane and Gone To Earth, all the Jane Austen books, all the Shakespeare plays, anything by Wodehouse, some really great Science Fiction, most of Kipling, Wilkie Collins, Dickens and the Dumas. Lots more. Boy, was I a devourer of all things written in those days! Now my eyes and my energy level just won't accommodate it.

Babi · « **Reply #2350 on:** August 27, 2010, 09:03:08 AM »

You have an excellent memory, MARYPAGE. I have only a vague memory of exactly when
I read certain books. I read so much Dickens, I couldn't begin to say which ones I read when. Same with Austen, et al.

bellemere · « **Reply #2351 on:** August 27, 2010, 09:39:07 AM »

If you loved "Like Water for Elephants" you will be glad to hear that it is being made into a movie with Sean Penn as August, Robert Patterson as Jacob, and Reese Witherspoon as Marlena. Sean Penn as a villain, oh yeah!

bellemere · « **Reply #2352 on:** August 27, 2010, 09:16:18 PM »

Finally finished "Kristin" , such a great book! Her feelings as an elderly woman really resonate with me. Elderly , she was 50! She certainly wept a lot throughout , but had plenty of reason. So I can check off one more classic that I really liked. Now what? September Book Club selection is Olive Ktteridge, and I have seen divided opinion here. I think after Kristin I am noveled out and will be looking at biography. "The Escape of Edith Wharton" sounds like a biography with a twiist. Will have to get a 30 percent off coupon at the bookstore, as I don;t think the library has it.
Oh,yes, Albany reviewer called Rachel's performance in the Amish Project, "magical", the best performance of the summer season, no one will even come close." I hope something a little lighter next summer, maybe Noel Coward or Neil Simon?

Babi · « **Reply #2353 on:** August 28, 2010, 09:22:39 AM »

I do hope Rachel's career eventually leads her into films. I'd love an opportunity to see her at work. A solo performance involving many characters is a real 'tour de force', and she obviously
has handled it beautifully. Did you ever mention her last name, BELLE?

joangrimes · « **Reply #2354 on:** August 28, 2010, 09:56:57 AM »

Quote from: PatH on August 25, 2010, 09:13:04 PM

JoanG, tell me a bit more about "The Man Who Loved Jane Austen".

Pat H in this book a young American lady visits an antique fair with her young man friend...While there she buys a a beautiful old vanity.She is very taken with this piece of furniture. As she cleans it an oils it lovingly, she discovers something hidden behind the mirror. It turns out to be a packet of letters from Jane Austen. The letters seem to be from Jane Austen to a young man named Darcy. The young American lady begins to wonder if Darcy was a real personor fictional character created by Jane Austen. Thus she sets out to try to find out . The book consists of her adventures on her search. It has lots of surprises in it plus the travel through time of the young Darcy who thus meets Jane Austen... Don't want to tell you too much and ruin the story for you if you decide to read it....JoanGrimes

Steph · « **Reply #2355 on:** August 28, 2010, 09:57:38 AM »

Another fond memory of my early 20's. I discovered Sinclair Lewis and devoured all of his stuff. Mostly dated now I expect, but oh me, I did love it.. A tree grows in Brooklyn for a farm girl was so exotic. I did love the book and even read several others of hers. Another author of that period.. Betty McDonald.. Oh I have all of her adult books to this day..

bellemere · « **Reply #2356 on:** August 28, 2010, 02:16:31 PM »

"The Egg and I" .

? Was that Betty McDonald, Steph? Or do I have it mixed up with someone else. I shared all the books mentioned as a teen, and in addition, Pearl Buck. She kicked off an interest in all things Chinese that has lasted a lifetime.
"The Brave Escape of Edith Wharton" is reviewed as a young adult book. Maybe a restful change.

Babi · « **Reply #2357 on:** August 29, 2010, 10:39:51 AM »

How could I forget to mention Pearl Buck! Devoured all of hers, as far
as I know.

MaryPage · « **Reply #2358 on:** August 29, 2010, 12:00:44 PM »

Me, too. The magnificent Pearl of the Orient, that is. She was something else!

And how about Rumor Godden? Rachel Carson? Remember "Silent Spring?"

mabel1015j · « **Reply #2359 on:** August 29, 2010, 04:48:43 PM »

If you haven' read a bio of P.S. Buck, you probably would like to, her life is fascinating. You can visit her home and the offices of her adoption agency - they are in the "barn." Her home is an old stone house and barn in Bucks Co, Pa.

A good bio is Pearl S. Buck: a cultural biography by Peter Conn.

She had many lives and knew "everybody" in the first half of 20th century.

Jean

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Author Topic: The Library (Read 2085894 times)