The Library

[bellamarie]

Barb, we took our great grandson to the library today for Storytime hour and I was browsing the shelves while he played with the trainset there with my hubby and guess what was sitting on the shelf... the book you are reading The Ride of Her Life. I decided to check it out so I can see if I like it.  I like the quote you mentioned, sometimes we just need a book to relax and enjoy and not depict and expect so much more than just the journey it takes us on. 

Once we got home driving through the rain and it's so chilly here today, I decided to snuggle up on the couch with my favorite throw blanket and read the afternoon away. 

Ciao~ Bellamarie

[BarbStAubrey]

Hope you enjoy it as much as I am - it never turns boring - she is quite a character but yet with dignity and sense of who she is - interesting how the closer she is to big cities the more people have opinions they openly share judging her and her journey...

[BarbStAubrey]

Well I wondered where she was going to cross the Mississippi - still in Tennessee and there it is... "And now, in the last week in March, at last the weather had warmed up—no rain and sunny skies, as the four companions left Jackson behind and headed down the road toward Memphis."

I recognized all that in Kentucky - we lived in Lexington for 13 years in the 50s into the 60s only we arrived in early '56 a few years after Annie traveled through the area however during that time there were many who walked into  and through Lexington from the Appalachians with their hickory walking stick, jean overalls, and if a man usually a flowing beard - some were walking to Louisville that butted up against the Great Mississippi and so I cannot imagine Annie was considered that unusual except that she traveled a great distance on horseback where as those often seen walking along at a good clip had no animals sharing their expedition.

The only quibble I had is yes, on the Versailles road there were two farms with rock walls however, 90% of all horse farms had either split rail or white three rail fences surrounding the property and separating pastures and paddocks.  When we lived in Lexington for 9 years we lived one street away from Ashland, the Henry Clay estate and later we lived 4 years south of the Versailles road in an area called Stonewall just south of the Harrodsburg Road. 

We went to Louisville every Thanksgiving weekend where the department store had a Christmas shop just for Children as well as Santa and all the holiday decoration - Lexington at the time had only 2 floor department stores that decorated but nothing special for children - also to attend a movie with a large screen it meant a trip to Louisville as well to see the trotters race and of course thoroughbred races.

I used to work at the Girl Scout camp deep in the mountains of eastern Kentucky bringing Paul from the time he was 4 along with my laundry to wash (by hand in a metal tub) and my iron with me going home every other weekend. Katha was at the camp and Peter was at Boy Scout Camp. A dear man from the mountains who helped at the camp gifted me a handmade dulcimer and I learned to play many of the old mountain songs that some go back to the 14th Century originally from Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Peter had just graduated from Grade School and Paul would start the first grade when we moved that summer to Texas.   

Reading how Annie traveled through Kentucky brought back so many memories for me - appears she missed Bardstown, (Stephen Foster's home) as well as the Shaker village,  Shakertown both west of Lexington according the road you take on the way to Elizabethtown - back in the 50s there was a place to cross the river north of Louisville however since Annie travels through the area in winter I can see why she did not want to go north but continue south and the next crossing would have been Memphis into Little Rock.

[ginny]

Wonderful article this morning by 20 Librarians about how to get back to reading: The experts: librarians on 20 easy, enjoyable ways to read more brilliant books. And how about ALL kinds of books are important, it doesn't matter  your genre choice.


https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/apr/25/the-experts-librarians-on-20-easy-enjoyable-ways-to-read-more-brilliant-books?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

It contains some interesting theories, like...how many pages should you read before deciding to discard the book?  One theory here is subtract your age from 100 and that's how many pages you should read before giving up on any book.

Here's an interesting statement from it:

“If you take 10 minutes a day to sink into a book, newspaper or read anything, it is very good for your mental health,” says Middleton. “There is lots of medical evidence of that being the case. Reading a book for 10 minutes is better for you than listening to your favourite record.”

Morrish makes a final impassioned plea: “It has been scientifically proven that reading increases your powers of empathy, social skills and ability to relate to other people. It relaxes you, it lowers your cortisol levels and blood pressure. It increases your vocabulary, your knowledge, creativity and imagination. If you read for pleasure, your grades will be better. To read from a book gives you time off the screen, which is hugely beneficial for your mental health.”

Well worth reading, I thought.

[bellamarie]

Ginny, thank you for this article I shared it on my Facebook.

Barb, once again your life stories about growing up and where you have lived amazes me. Think about writing that book.  I have traveled through Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and into Florida.  I felt like we were never going to get out of the state of Georgia.  I can't begin to imagine traveling it on horseback in the 50s.  Haven't begun the book but love hearing your thoughts. 

Ciao~  Bellamarie

[Tomereader1]

Oh, Ginny.  That was wonderful.  I feel that reading increases all those skills and abilities.  No one would have had to "scientifically prove" any of that for me!  Thank you for posting this.

[Frybabe]

As I looked at a list of books Marilyne over on Seniors and Friends posted in the Library Shelf discussion, Edna Ferber caught my eye. I do not believe I have ever read her books. This one, when I looked into it, caught my eye - Cimarron. I looked into it and found this synopsis.  https://masshumanities.org/ph_rediscovering-middlebrow-edna-ferbers-cimarron/ Has anyone read it? Also, in the article, the writer calls Ferber a "middlebrow" writer. ?? I don't recall that term applied to writers. Do you? I'd like to see a list of "middlebrow" writers. Is the article writer referring to the readers or to the economic situation of the characters in these books (as in middle class society)? Anyone care to comment? I might just find me a copy of the book.

[BarbStAubrey]

Middlebrow is not kind as I understand the word...

Googled it and these are some descriptions ---

"relating to or intended for people who are interested in art, literature, etc., that is not very serious and that is easy to understand."

"The term middlebrow describes middlebrow art, which is easily accessible art, usually popular literature, and middlebrow people who use the arts to acquire the social capital of "culture and class" and thus a good reputation. First used in the British satire magazine Punch in 1925, the term middlebrow is the intellectual, intermediary brow between the highbrow and the lowbrow forms of culture..."

From Virginia Woolf, "As a social critic, Woolf criticizes middlebrows as petty purveyors of highbrow culture for their own shallow benefit. Rather than select and read books for their intrinsic cultural value, middlebrow people select and read books they are told are the best books to read: "We highbrows read what we like and do what we like and praise what we like." Middlebrows are concerned with appearances, with how their social activities make them appear to the community, unlike the highbrows, the avant-garde men and women who act according to their commitment to the beauty and forms of art, and to values and integrity. Likewise, a lowbrow person is devoted to a singular interest, a person "of thoroughbred vitality who rides his body in pursuit of a living at a gallop across life"; and, therefore, the lowbrow are equally worthy of reverence, as they, too, are living for what they intrinsically know as valuable."

Middlebrow or not years back, in the '40s and '50s into the '60s and early '70s at least one of Edna Ferber's books was studied in High School English Lit. along with Shakespeare, Voltaire, von Strassburg (13th century poet, Tristram and Isolde) and Chaucer.  Cimarron was one of the books or So Big - not so much Show Boat or Giant - she was before her time writing in characters that in the US were separate because of 'race, color or creed' - many of us enjoy a movie using a Shakespeare play as much as we enjoyed movies that the script was from a book including the writings of Feber and so if the definition of Middlebrow includes that an author's work became a box office ticket selling movie then we have to include a few authors considered Highbrow.

Frankly cannot believe in this day and age anyone much less a critic would stoop to using this terminology but then I'm finding humans are always a surprise...

[Frybabe]

Thanks Barb, very interesting. BTW, My online library has only two of Ferber's books, Giant and So Big. Cimarron is in my to buy wish list.

[BarbStAubrey]

OK a new one... what in the world is "Comixology store" on Amazon kindle??? Evidently a new release from Kazuo Ishiguro is available on Comixology

Oh yes, frybabe there is an old movie of Cimarron - most of the story takes place in the wild cat fields of mostly Oklahoma - so far can only find the Glenn Ford 1960s version - lots of clips but cannot find a free version of the movie = this later version highlights the passion between Glenn Ford and Maria Schell there is a 1930s version black and white.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Bcaz-Gp688

[BarbStAubrey]

Ok going through a bout of sleeping at strange hours again - anyhow got to finding out where Annie crossed the Mississippi and knew the journey would take a different approach since towns would be further and further apart and so took a break and became fascinated coming across Secrets of Italian Self Care which prompted me to flip back and forth between it and Fiona Ferris' How to Live Well and in an hour finished Art Before Breakfast: A Zillion Ways to be More Creative No Matter How Busy You Are - Not that I'm interested in sketching just now but lots of tips how to squeeze in time to in small bits actively pursue a new interest - never thought of breaking it down to ways to do something in a minute while waiting for the kettle to boil for morning coffee or actually do something while enjoying your morning coffee.

My big question is after starting or finishing books that describe the wonders of Italian Dolce Vita - sweet life - or French Joie de Vivre - Joy of life - as it relates to home, family, cooking, slowing down, dressing, gardening etc. with my German background thought I would find something that expresses the good things experienced by the Germans - Well was I wrong - about the best you can find is lots of German Cookbooks but other than a book written back in 1855 Elizabeth and Her German Garden notta...!

But what really shocked me is that there are books galore about German life however EVERY ONE has something to do with WWII - getting past it - those few who did something brave - being caught up in it and how they survived - German guilt - German shame - it is as if nothing else has happened and all German family life or home life stopped before WWI and for sure completed the stop during WWII - The Nuremberg Trails were over in October of 1946 and so 78 years later Germany is frozen in time - no sweet life or joy of life only guilt and shame and memories of horrors and fear with escape stories to hold on to... Can you imagine a kid growing up in the last say 40 years with that over their head - I'm even wondering if any new music or art originated in Germany for the last 70 years - do German families get together for fun anymore and if so why is there nothing about that side of life shared - is it Germany who is reluctant to share or is it the rest of us that does not want to read much less think of Germans enjoying themselves or having a backyard garden or a summer family gathering under the trees or a vacation in the mountains or on a river or near a lake - most disconcerting...   

[Frybabe]

Barb, I forgot to answer your question about comixology. I believe it covers comics, manga, graphic novels, and such. The "ology" at the end makes is sound like the study of such, but is most likely the invention of some advertising or marketing group to do, what else, make it easier for fans to find their favorite "reading" material and encourage more sales. Oh, and here it is: ComiXology.com a website launched to provide comics, etc. fans a place to discover up and coming releases, stores selling such, and read columns, news and podcasts launched in 2007. I think they even had an app that would let people read their comics on their   mobile phones. Not unsurprisingly, Amazon, always sniffing around for ways to expand their wealth and reduce competition, bought them out. My browser summary claims that the founders, for a while, continued with the company. However, just recently, Amazon fully "absorbed" the company and fired its founders and staff. It recently discontinued their Comixology app and blended comics bought through Comixlogy into the Kindle platform. There are a lot of comics fans out there that believe Amazon ruined the platform, and they are very unhappy (aka: livid) about it.

[BarbStAubrey]

thanks frybabe - another new to me way of connecting on the internet - I just never thought of the author, Kazuo Ishiguro as a comic or graphic novelist, however, who knows, today nothing can be off the mark.

What a day and a half - thunderstorms beyond belief - of course lost electricity for a few hours - rain and rain so that it appears it washed much of the backyard soil down the side of the house to the storm ditch that runs across the front of all our properties... Joanne did you also have these storms roll through your area?

[bellamarie]

Happy May!!!  So far, this month has been days of rain and storms.  Thinking maybe it got mixed up with April somehow.  Last night my dog barked all night at the storms and this moring the air conditioning guys were here bright & early to install a whole new unit.  We have been lucky to get by the past few years with them adding freon but knew after 17 years it was time for a new one.  So, it's going to take a lot of coffee to keep me going today.   

I finished The House Maid and boy was it a book that had me rooting for the torture of a character who tortured others secretly.  Well worth the read.  Didn't see the ending coming. I hear this is a series: #New York Times and USA Today bestseller psychological thriller Books collection set By Freida McFadden - The Housemaid, The Housemaid's Secret, The Locked Door & The Inmate  Not sure I am ready for the next one, but I will read the rest of them at another time.

Tomereader, when I posted that article link on my Facebook all the comments were about audio vs holding a book to read.  I'm not sure any of them actually read the full article.  lol

[BarbStAubrey]

Bellamarie you also had the rain! Had no idea it was in the north - thought it was coming from both west of us as well as up from the Gulf -

AC is a must with all this damp from all this rain - so glad your getting a new one to help rid your home of all the moisture from this heavy spring rain. and Kudos -  I do not think I could read a thriller at this time with all that is happening in our world... I'm even having a difficult time staying with the Baseball game if it is a tight game.

I'm thinking this is a time to watch an online Wizard of Oz where the iconic song ...Over the Rainbow starts Somewhere jumping an entire octave as if a musical rainbow... Well no rainbow with these storms. With the sky so gray and heavy I think I'll just let the clocks all blink for the rest of the day since more thunder storms are predicted which means we can bet on loosing electricity yet again. 

[BarbStAubrey]

[Tomereader1]

The rain/storms have been somewhat sporadic here in Dallas.  Outlying areas to the South, East, West. and Northeast are getting storms, heavy rain, lightning, hail and a couple of tornadoes to boot.  Can never really tell when it's going to hit, the weather apps on my phone will say something either moderately or completely different that the TV weather persons.  It will cloud up, dark, dark, thunder will roll, it will sprinkle or rain heavily for a few minutes, and then stop for here, but move on to the areas East of Dallas.  Right now it is getting cloudier.  Seems a bit cooler out side, but I don't go out much, because there must be a lot of dust/pollen or something. I went to the porch to get my mail, and came back in the house sneezing like crazy, nose and eyes running.  Then it calms down till I go out again.  Allergies are awful.  Born and raised in Dallas, never had allergies until I was about 40 or so.  I could do nicely without them!

[Frybabe]

Love that balloon adaptation for the painting, Barb, which brings me back to Kazuo Ishiguro. I never thought of him as a comic writer/artist, but who knows. He has written lyrics for songs mostly pairing with Jim Tomlinson for Stacey Kent's albums. Back to comics (aka: graphic novels), a lot of writers are collaborating or allowing their works to be adapted to comics, etc. these days. As far as I can tell, only one of Ishiguro's novels, Remains of the Day, has officially been adapted by Neil Gaiman and Lorenzo Mattotti.  So, I wouldn't put Ishiguro in as a comic artist any more than I would Jane Austen, Olivia Butler, or Harper Lee, whose works apparently have suffered the same fate and they had no say in the matter.

It isn't a surprise that many books have been adapted to graphic novels although some of the titles surprise me. These days, I often see book (print and audio) adaptations of computer games. The HALO and Warhammer series are an example.  We also see movies that release book and game adaptations in conjunction with or shortly after their release. All ways to make more money, but also wonderful new ways to see or read some of your favorite characters and stories, many of which get expanded well beyond the originals in scope and characters. I hate to think about how many Star Trek books have been and are still being published, for example.

Okay, enough of that for a while.  I finished The Far Pavilions. My next audio listen is Prince of Fools: The Red Queen's War, Book 1 by Mark Lawrence. It is a fantasy read by one of my favorite narrators, Tim Gerard Reynolds. It has the feel (sound?) of a medieval setting, but it apparently it is a follow on of a previous series set in a post-apocalyptic world. Well, it is a free borrow. We'll see how long it lasts.

Meanwhile, I started reading a sci-fi called "The Last Librarian: A Booker Thriller (The Justar Journal Book 1)" by Brandt Legg. The story is, so far, moderately interesting. It starts out with the last physical library on earth (which happens to be housed in what was once Powell's Book Store in Portland, WA) about to be shut down. Of course I have to read it!

[bellamarie]

Frybabe, this sounds really interesting,

sci-fi called "The Last Librarian: A Booker Thriller (The Justar Journal Book 1)" by Brandt Legg. The story is, so far, moderately interesting. It starts out with the last physical library on earth (which happens to be housed in what was once Powell's Book Store in Portland, WA) about to be shut down.

Tomereader, I'm with you it seems the weather apps on my phone vs the weather forecast on my local channels on tv are never in sync with each other.  Yesterday I felt like it was going to rain for certain and my hubby kept saying, "No rain is on my app or radar for our area."  Well, we got out to go to this cute little shop that is open once a month Thurs-Sunday called Baycreek & Co.  We are on our way home which is only 10-15 minutes from the shop and lo and behold we drove directly into a down pour to the point we couldn't see the road or cars coming.  One thing I have learned over the years is my instincts tell me when it is going to rain regardless of what any forecast says.

Speaking of allergies, mine have been miserable.  I get up in the morning and go out to weed my flower gardens while the earth is still damp and in no time, I am sneezing, and my eyes are itchy.  I never had allergies until I was diagnosed in my 40s as well.  My daughter in law is experiencing allergies now that she turned 40.  My doctor told me years ago it is common to happen in your 40s, he said take an over-the-counter allergy pill non drowsy from the beginning of April til the first frost and it will help.  I began doing that and it really makes my life more comfortable because I live outside gardening from May - Nov.

Barb, I can understand you not wanting to tackle psychological thrillers with all the unrest going on in our world today.  I did begin The Ride of Her Life and so far, I am enjoying it.  I'm to the point where she has lost everything after her uncle dies and she had been in the hospital.  She sure was lucky to have neighbors who checked in on her who probably saved her life.  I also began another thriller called The Perfect Son another book my granddaughter gave to me to read.  I'm getting the feeling I have read this book already so I will continue to see if indeed I did. 

Did anyone watch the Kentucky Derby yesterday?  This yearly event holds a special place in my heart since it is the last time my hubby and I spent with his Dad dying of cancer.  We sat and watched the Derby with him in 1972 and I remember him lying in his bed so excited, rooting on the horses that Saturday and days later we were told he passed on.  We decided to go to the casino to watch it on the enormous tv screens there this year.  It was indeed exciting to see #3 Mystic Dan with 16-1 favored beat out Sierra Leone and Forever Young.  He now has a chance at the Triple Crown in the Preakness.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10119879-kentucky-derby-results-2024-final-race-chart-finishing-times-and-purse

Well, my CCD classes have ended for the year, and I am lazing around this morning not having to rush out the door to teach.  We will go to a later mass, and it feels good to have my Sunday mornings back.  It is cloudy outside so who knows, it may rain some more today but I did want to go to our state park and see the flowers in bloom.  My daffodils, phlox, tulips, periwinkle, Shasta daisies, peonies, lily of the valley, irises, clematis, hydrangeas and Asiatic lilies are all full of buds and just about ready to bloom!  I love this time of year!   

Ciao~ Bellamarie

[Frybabe]

Sorry, Portland is in ORegon. I knew that.

[BarbStAubrey]

so many great tidbits everyone is sharing - yep, rain and rain and more rain it appears for all of us and the allergies - my take is the wind is blowing in from many miles away allergens that are now a part of the spraying done on crops with various preservatives - I've noticed for several years I've been reacting to foods that never bothered me - even washing the grapes is no longer doing it - guaranteeing shelf life is all that matters.

Interesting frybabe hearing about all the additional storytelling portals - reminds me of when as a Kid reading or having read to me certain traditional tales and I always daydreamed what would happen next till finally, I was probably about 8 and a book came out with a couple of chapters of at least 10 of these stories of what happened next - loved it - ha my initial reaction to comics used (to replace reading) traditional lit reminds me more of how it was considered a lazy way of reading and we were told - whether it was true or not - that taking the tests the nuns could tell if we read the book or used a comic - I'm afraid that concept is so ingrained that to this day I think it is not only lazy but a mark of little education when comic are used to tell stories more than those typical of what used to be a comic book or the Sunday paper - good thing I'm no longer the typical buyer. Oh dear...

Frybabe are you serious that Powell's is shuttering or is that the story - best thing about visiting my son and family when he was transferred to Portland and lived in Beaverton a suburb back when his boys were just started school. They were there for 2 and a half years and except for the magic land the boys walked through a small forest to get to school each day it was not their favorite place to live however, I used to take that long flight and visit about 4 times a year - only visited the main store once but Powell's had a great store inside the airport - I always came home with 4 to 6 books and would have one half read on the trip back home.

What surprised me was the main store had aisles and aisles of resale books as well and the section typical of any book store selling new books. That was a special time when nearly all of the larger bookstores, at least in Austin had a cafe and on the weekend there would be a musical venue so that it was a great place to hang out - lots of memories taking my grandboys on a Friday evening and then when the Harry Potter books were released oh oh oh - all these kids immediately would drop to the ground to start reading their book that families had secured their place on the list for that first release - there would be kids sitting all over the floor of the bookstore and on the steps coming in or going up to the second level and outside they would be sitting on the sidewalk leaning up against the store front and then later they would arrive in costume for release night - all that is gone and so many of even the big bookstore chains are gone. 

I looked up on Amazon The Last Librarian and shocked to find 3 authors using that exact name for their published book - Legg that you mentioned and then a Debbie De Louise and a James Quinn both published since Brandt Legg - giggle see no imagination left because of reading comics rather than books hahaha

Missed the Derby this year Bellamarie - with the storms the electricity was out again - didn't recognize any of the horses and the Derby has changed so over the years from the year when there was a unified gasp that a horse from California not only ran but won - that was the start and for years the traditions surrounding the Derby held but slowly like so much in life it has all changed - we all used to wear our best and have a late breakfast either on the covered porch or in the backyard using our best and always serving mint julep - many a company in Kentucky honored particularly successful employees or those with the company for 25 year an engraved silver julep cup and so the silver cups came out for the day - then the excitement that TV offered so we could all watch both when we lived in Lexington and later when we moved to Austin - found a small group in Austin from Kentucky and we always watched together only instead of a late breakfast we usually did a lunch. Slowly that all passed as well - I think as the race became more about horses from stables across America instead of focused on local Kentucky bred horses the tenor of the day changed as well.

While writing this a call came in from an friend in Austin - so nice to hear from her - she is writing a second addition to a book on Breast Feeding that was so successful it is used in most nursing schools - she had a co-author who lived in England and now that co-author has moved here to the states and lives in Florida then they found another who lives in Mexico and they all three got together this past winter to outline who was re-writing what chapters etc. and what new information was being added - and now my sister, who has been writing has her book accepted by a publisher - never in a million years as the expression goes did I ever imagine I would personally know or that a family member would be published writers.

Finished reading Secrets of Italian Self Care and everything he promotes was my memory of how life was back before WWII with the exception of using Olive Oil rather than butter - but the way of life he describes when walking was usual along with an evening stroll or strolling with friends - here during those years it was always taking the dog for a walk after supper and if company visited, usually family, everyone always went for a walk as their visit but as he said, he found in Italy it is still a patriarchal society with strong families all living close by - that all changed here in the States during and after WWII - IBM used to be nicknamed 'I've Been Moved' which created lots of isolation for women with little support if the family was going through difficult times along with a lot of overtime hours expected leaving kids without nearby family to stop in when riding their bikes or just out playing -

I do not see this switch from success measured by your education, job title, and income changing back to a family centered relaxed lifestyle unless, you are fortunate enough to have a comfortable income without the hours devoted to assure that achievement and even that is not taking into consideration families seldom can find individualized employment in the same town unless the entire family is behind the success of a family company or farm or ranch and that happens less and less - even several generations working for the same large manufacturing company is history and so where some of what he wrote I can see as a happy adaption I think his idea that we could live the relaxed life he admires is not currently a possibility. 

Looked at an old list of books I wanted to read and found on the list Waverly by Sir Walter Scott - looking into it I was struck and never realized that Scott's stories were mostly about the Borderland, as it is called with its great history - the border between Scotland and Britain - had only downloaded a book by Moffat about the history of the Borderland called The Borders and so I downloaded Waverly for all of 89 cents would you believe and also learned Scott's first two books were legends retold from the Borderland. Need to get back to Annie and her ride across the nation back in the 1950s but all this about Scott has me eager to read more...

[Frybabe]

It's the story, Barb. Happily, Powell's is still there and doing business.

In the story what was once Powell's became the last library in the world, all the others being shuttered after a pandemic wiped out about half the world's population, one global government came into being and digital forms of communication, etc. almost completely replaced (as encouraged by said world government) replaced paper in the name of restoring and saving the environment.

The book is shades of 1984 and Fahrenheit 450 although not nearly in the same literary category. The first few chapters (I am only on the third or fourth) is filled with angst, hand-wringing, and defeatist attitude. Only now I am seeing some kind of plan of action emerge. While not a literary masterpiece, the story does convey the current fears that artists, craftsmen and other creative people (not to mention us consumers of such) have about their creations and all those that came before will either disappear or be distorted to suit the government's agenda or means of control. I think most of us are at least a little worried about this.

Used bookstores thrive around here, but Barnes and Nobles is the only brick and mortar bookstore selling new books in the area now. Well, not quite true. There are some used booksellers who include a few new books. Cupboardmaker Books, the used bookstore that was nearest me when I was living in Enola, sells a few new fantasy books generally tied to her monthly book club gathering. When I first visited the store, she sold new Dresden Files (author, Jim Butcher) series books in conjunction with her book club and she supports local writers by holding an occasional book lecture/signing. I think Midtown Scholar in Harrisburg and the Mystery Lover's Bookstore in Mechanicsburg, do the same thing now and again.

[Frybabe]

What great news about you sister's book, Barb.

I am a bit perturbed to discover that my downloads of several of Walter Scott's books, including Waverly, never made the transfer over to my Kobo e-reader. I am positive I had downloaded it, Rob Roy and Ivanhoe years ago from Project Gutenberg. I don't recall reading any of them though. My sister read Ivanhoe some years back and greatly enjoyed it. I have yet to tackle it or Rob Roy. I may have read Waverly, but forgot it. I did read Guy Mannering, and his short story Phantasmagoria so long ago that I do not remember what they were about. those two have also disappeared from my e-collection. I am not surprised because some of these books made moves more than once and may have been missed or wouldn't transfer to a newer e-reader. Okay, off to Project Gutenberg to redownload them. I'll have to see if they have any of his essays, or his two volume History of Scotland.

[BarbStAubrey]

Yep Frybabe,  Barnes and Noble it is - back when I was in High School all they were noted for was selling the texts we needed in High School - back then there were no free text books and we paid a fee to borrow the texts we used in grade school - Barnes and Noble carried used and new textbooks for High Schools and Collages - almost like the university book store back in the 60s and 70s before they also branched out and carried current publications of novels etc.

I should not even open my mouth but the rain appears to have stopped - hope you are OK Joanne - the news is showing the flooding in the Dallas Fort Worth area - here all the rivers and bayous are severely over their banks however the major highways are clear - from what the news is saying some of the flooding is because they had to release water on some of the rivers and lakes to prevent embankments from disintegration. I'm thinking I'm lucky only having the rain take out soil in the back - no house or porch flooding - I sure hope you too Joanne came through without damage...

[Tomereader1]

Frubabe, the bad stuff kind of bypassed us here in Dallas.  The Trinity River, running thru Big D, was 6 feet over its banks the other day.  No mention of damages to property or people.  A 4 yr old was swept away from his Mom in another county, where the flood waters were rushing down streets and roadways.  Some people never learn NOT to try and drive through high water.  It will wash your car downstream quickly.  I understand, from Weather Gurus, that Oklahoma will be in for bad thunderstorms over the next few days.  I feel like they've had enough of that for a good while!  But, I don't control anything concerning weather (or anything else really!)
Dallas, directly, has only gotten rain showers, some heavy, some not.  Outlying counties have had worse.  Today was a mostly good day, muggy, some sun, some clouds.  Back when I was working, I remember telling the ladies when they asked if I had the weather report showing on my computer.  I said, no, I don't, but if I want to know what the weather is doing, I'll go look out the windows!  (We were in a multi-storied building, several floors up, so the weather was very visible through those windows).  I know, no one loves a smart-aleck, but I just couldn't help myself!  Stay safe everyone!

[Frybabe]

Barb, I looked at Project Gutenberg's list of Sir Walter Scott stuff and then decided to check out what Amazon and Kobo had. I found a new edition published just last year by Good Press of his complete works for less than two dollars. It is humungous and includes his nonfiction works, essays, journals, letters as well has his poetry and novels. It sure saved me a lot of time downloading each individually. and then copying them to my Kobo, where I keep all my non-Kindle downloads these days.

[bellamarie]

Kudos to your sister Barb, on getting her book published!  I have had a few poems published and it is so exciting to see your work in print for others to read. 

Goodness, I have seen the floods in Texas and had no clue it was that bad.  Glad to hear you are safe and okay Barb.  Tomereader, I did see Where the child was swept away.  How sad, it seems so needless for people to attempt to try to outrun these waters. So sad. 

We still have a Barnes and Noble and I love going in there with my hubby and younger granddaughter to browse and have a muffin with a Starbucks caramel coffee.  Zoey thought she was very special to be treated to a sweet & coffee and get to pick out a journal she always wanted. 

Well, speaking of rain, I see the clouds coming in so I need to run and get the patio chair cushions in before it gets here.

Ciao~ Bellamarie

[BarbStAubrey]

Wow frybabe on Sir Walter Scott writings - a bonanza - the change from this older English is slowing me down but I had to get at least a gist of what the book is all about... in the preface of what I'm reading it seems he was the owner of a large corporation - forgot what but the bigger story is he had to take bankruptcy in 18 something or other during a time of financial depression in Scotland and the corporation had some connection to a bank that he inherited from his father - anyhow he did not have to but he promised to pay back all the money and so for the rest of his life his very successful writing career was the income that he used to pay back the huge loan that was actually released by the bankruptcy. Upon his death he still owed and the subsequent sales of his books expected by the bank became like a promissory note till it was all paid back.  Wow talk about moral fortitude.

Interesting that it was a choice your sister made to read Ivanhoe - we used to know what year in high school you were in by the book you carried home for the year - regardless the high school, public or private we read in Freshman year Ivanhoe and then it was 2nd year Hamlet and third year it was Julius Caesar and Candide although, instead of either of those two the public high did Romeo and Juliet and in our senior year it was expected we read over the summer and study first semester Les Miserables and last semester after Christmas we read Macbeth however, I'm almost sure the public High did not do Les Miserables however, they did do Macbeth - other books like Red Badge of Courage was 6th grade and Scarlet Letter in 7th grade and Tale of Two Cities in 8th grade although, in 8th some did A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Come to think of it I never have read this Mark Twain story - should do that. All these books had questions on the annual State Board of Regent's test except senior year High when we did not take the annual test.

I noticed my children did not read the same group of books when they were in high school however by then Harper Lee had published along with Orwell and earlier Steinbeck being an author whose works were more acceptable by the school administration.  No longer did they get that grounding in Shakespeare or the love of reading about the ethics of knights in the middle ages from writers like Sir Walter Scott - where we learned of how Jews were not treated with respect in Ivanhoe my children learned how Blacks were not treated well in To Kill a Mockingbird.

I wonder if today there is a common curriculum of books that all the high schooler's read - I bet you would know Bellamarie - don't you have grands that are high school age... 

Sounds like we are all being soaked with rain - here it is May - the rain was supposed to take place in April so the saying goes...  - has anyone seen a prediction weather map for this summer - there is usually a map showing the areas of the country if they will have a hotter than normal or wetter then normal summer...

Joanne did you get any particulars about the 4 year old swept away - all I heard was it was the family of three trying to cross a road and all three were swept away however the parents were able to stay close and were swept into a ditch by not their son - I wondered why they were crossing a road - were they leaving their vehicle to get to their house I wonder? Did you hear anything about what happened?  I'm hearing in east Texas so far 9 have been lost... thank goodness at least the major highways in the Houston area are above water - when they go under it is a mess beyond imagination as I bet Dallas is coping with during this storm cycle however, I don't know if Dallas has any highways that are 11 and 12 lanes on just one side making it a 22 lane highway as there are on parts of I-10 going through Houston. At least in Houston all lanes are very well marked which was not the case in Atlanta - got lost going through Atlanta more times than I want to remember - had to go through Atlanta to get to my daughter's in NC all those years when I would drive through.

Sky still overcaste I really do not want to read anything that is more than a chit chat story - need to look and see if I have anything that is short and light because other than the baseball game there is nothing on TV and everything is too damp to get the last of these couple of boxes emptied and put up... I was thinking Found in a Bookstore but it is 384 pages - I really would like to find something that is in the low 200 page range... Ah found two The Italian House only 250 pages but also I like the sound of The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock however it is 317 pages - such a dilemma - if others had it so easy... ah so can't look a gift horse in the mouth...

[PatH]

Talking about ways of reading books.  One thing that happens to me is I get stuck in a book again and again, and then I try one more time, am completely unstuck, and read the book straight through, enjoying it.  This happened with Ivanhoe for years always at the exact same place, then I did read it straight through, enjoyed it a lot, and have reread it several times since. 
It's been a number of years.  Maybe I should see what I think of it now,

[Frybabe]

Barb your school list coincides similarly with what I read in school, although I am not sure of the order. I did read A Red Badge of Courage, but don't remember it being a school project. The book impressed me mightily, and I was very surprised to learn that George never read it. I could have read it on my own, but I think our Mark Twain project was Huckleberry Finn. That lead me to read Tom Sawyer and some of Twain's short stories on my own. Just recently Audible listed an audio book of  Mark Twain's complete works, one of his book and one of his short stories. I have them in my wish list waiting for their release. Our Steinbeck read was The Red Pony and we read some Poe short stories and Nathaniel Hawthorn's The Scarlett Letter. Oh, and we read H. G. Wells The Island of Dr. Moreau.. I remember reading a Summerset Maugham, a short story, I think, that I remember nothing about except he did manage to squeeze into our reading curriculum. We did not read A Tale of Two Cities, Candide, Les Misérables or A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.  To this day, I have not read them. Some of these things were in class discussions, some must have been assigned for a book report otherwise, I can't see how we managed to get all that reading in and still have time for English Comp. I have to say that my high school English Teacher was a huge lover of Shakespeare and greatly influenced my reading of same on my own and in our former book discussions. What a pleasant trip down memory lane bookwise.

[Frybabe]

Uh, Oh! I have just now started looking at the latest audiobook sale. Hyperion is on it with multiple readers. I wonder if that would be any easier to get through. I tried reading it and gave up rather quickly, though I am still strangely attracted to reading it. I It is possible I didn't give it enough time because I had a library borrow with a waiting list and knew I wouldn't get through it all before returning it. Any opinions? What about the rest of the series, has anyone read them?

Simmons wrote Drood; I didn't realized that. Nor did I know he wrote The Terror, the video version of which my sister liked very much. Simmons has been a busy man. I am determined to try reading Ilium again and then Olympos. Both are hefty. Ilium had to be returned before I had much time to read it too. I should never borrow huge popular books unless I am willing to return them and get into line again. Meanwhile, I have Song of Kali in my library wish list. It will be a while till I get to it.

[PatH]

Frybabe, The Red Badge of Courage somehow slipped through the cracks for me too.  Maybe I should take a look at it.

I had the same reaction to Hyperion.  I don't know what makes him so oddly compelling, but I was pretty baffled too.  I think one would have to read his other works, and work very hard to get anywhere.  I did a tiny bit of that, and had one minute eureka moment about a very minor point, but I think it's beyond my abilities.

[PatH]

Barb and Frybabe, I won't be able to figure out which of those books I had to read in high school, because my parents had already read most of them aloud to JoamK and me.  my father read us Connecticut Yankee and The Prince and the Pauper as bedtime stories, my mother read Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn and the Alexander Dumas stories involving the Three Musketeers.  There was a lot more, and we could read aloud too. if we wanted to.sometimes we would take turns reading aloud to someone doing some chore like ironing, then swap roles.

[Tomereader1]

Flood/drowning:  The family of 3 were trying to get to the dad's brothers house, the roadway flooded, washed the truck downstream, the Mom held onto the 4 yr old, till the waters tore him out of her arms.  The pictures show that water looking llike ocean waves, and I don't see how she managed to hold onto the child for as long as she did. So very sad, but as I said earlier, it is so foolish for people to be driving when mostly they are familiar with the roadways that flood.  The PSA, "turn around--don't drown" fell on deaf ears in their case. 

[BarbStAubrey]

Oh that poor women - to have to live with that knowing she could not hold her child against the power of water - thanks for clarifying Joanne - we were not getting here the story only the simple version that did not explain the full impact of what happened. Water here seems to have crept up without the rush that I remember being part of flooding in Austin and it appears in your area as well... Must also be the way the water rushes into areas in East Texas - i think the worst is over - no bright sunny day but the sky today was a brighter light gray

How great the memories Pat - yes, I remember my Mom reading Black Beauty which had me in tears and Robinson Crusoe - oh and corny but I Loved them the Bobbsey Twins - they were her books when she was a child - and of course Heidi my most favorite that later I received Heidi Grows Up - she used to tell us stories without a book about the Lorelei and of course King of Mummelsee and the legend of Nikolaus, the Pirate that was both fun, with his ability to drink so much beer and as kids the goolish was just as much fun as she described how headless, after his beheading he walks past 11 of his crew members - Mom always slipped into her German telling us about Siegfried, the hero who slays a dragon becoming invincible - the others like Mark Twain and Alexander Dumas, The Man in the Iron Mask and yes, the Musketeers, and Kipling's Captain Courageous , oh yes and Mary Poppins I read on my own - I was a bookworm but never did read but a very few of the Greek Myths

On can't forget in 7th and 8th grade reading Shellabarger - Prince of Foxes and Captain From Castile and by then reading Gone With the Wind oh yes and Mutiny on the Bounty - there was a follow up book, I cannot remember the name, that describes how Bligh is recused and goes back to London.

I'm remembering reading to my kid sister and brother and later to my children - loving the memory of how I heard Mom and followed her way of changing her voice in apprehension to danger and elation when courage or success was part of the story. The memories are so full I'm smiling - how safe and yet, adventurous I felt reading all those wonders.

Who else has memories of reading or having been read to as a child - I love it Pat when you described how you and your sister read to each other doing household tasks like ironing...   

My most precious childhood book that was an adult book but my Grandmother gave it to me after we were about a year into the war - I'd've been 10 - she said this is what a real German is like - she had this way of turning hard when anything to do with Hitler and the German side of the war came up - back when I was very young - probably 4 maybe 5,  Grandma received a letter from Hitler - probably a secretary - telling her if she came back to Germany she would be given free the orchard that had been in her mother's family for generations located in Bavaria - which she not only declined but we heard good and proper in her staunch voice, not raised, how he was not Bavarian and on and on -

The Book Grandma gave me was Count van Luckner the Sea Devil - who was a WWI Sea Raider and made captain of a submarine during WWII. He did all he could to evade orders finding secret harbors and dead areas mostly in the southern hemisphere so the ship's communication would not function - He actually helped US sailors board a nearby ship after he was ordered to torpedo their ship - and yes, a gentleman in and out - the story was full of adventure and intrigue with a German acting as best he could to stay out of Hitler's cross hairs while acting as close to his moral values and the traditions of the sea before the war - of all people the author was Lowell Thomas -

To give the book to one of my grands, even if they read it they will never see and hear my Grandmother's way of sharing her assessment of the Count or understand the times - We had other German relatives that some helped the Nazis and one, a teacher died in a camp early in the war and most of the others were killed by bombs or were lost never to be found. And so to read the story of someone who successfully evaded and kept in tact what was Germany before Hitler had a meaning and emotional impact that today would not be understood.

[Frybabe]

I don't remember being read to very much, so I don't know where the reading bug came from. Bobbsey Twins was my sister Sue's reading passion, I read Nancy Drew. I also read Black Beauty, The Black Stallion, the children's cleaned-up version of The Three Musketeers. As I grew out of children's books and versions, I read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a bunch of Max Brand's nameless horse (except for Alcatraz) and cowboy stories, Is Paris Burning?, Green Mansions (although I didn't understand it much at the time), and Run Silent, Run Deep. Lots of other which are just plain forgettable. My progressive reading theme during Jr. High was the Civil War, WWI in early High School progressing to WWII by the end of High School. I think by the end of High School, the Vietnam War put an end to my war story reading for a while. I don't think I started reading Jane Austen until later, except maybe for Jane Eyre.  Oh, I see I forgot to mention Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and Romeo and Juliet as our Shakespeare reads for English in High School in my earlier post.

Well, I my memory cells are getting tired and I have an appointment to get to later this morning.

[BarbStAubrey]

Reminiscing about reading during our childhood and young adult years has me wondering if it was innocence or actually the writers and their subject matter that made us so eager to read those books with great anticipation and emotionally getting into the stories that I do not remember experiencing in years and years - somehow reading has become more cerebral - oh there were a few that I was aghast at the happenings and a few made me laugh but by and large I have not felt that intense involvement in the characters and their involvement with the issues in years and years.

Having found for the other Senior Learn 'room' Rosemary Kaye's blog this month she too is reporting on reading a couple of 'Children's Books' which makes me think of reading a few of those classic stories -

I'm wondering Frybabe if that is the pull for your reading Sci-Fi and Fantasy - both you and Pat look forward to titles in those two genre - Every so often I start a Fantasy novel but just cannot seem to stay with it - funny because I can get into myths that are just as outrageous with happenings and events and I loved the Harry Potter series but then that was more a children's story and most Children's stories are often outrageous with all sorts of changes to reality example the C.S. Lewis Narnia series.  Come to think on it I only read The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe about 25 years ago - as a child I had no exposure to Lewis.   

hmm read something a few years ago that was worked into a novel that said people collect sea shells, clean them up often labeling them and then line them up at home as an unconscious way to make sense of the world - I thought of books being my sea shells and I think that is what I've been unconsciously doing so of course reading has lost that childhood magic - I'm beginning to think there is no making sense of the world - it is a mess and has been most of my life - maybe it's time to just enjoy rather than attempting to glen some understanding while looking for the author's message - Yes, I know even C.S. Lewis was sending a message but maybe it is the attitude of the reader rather than the author's intent.

I just realized many of the books I call chit chat books are all about solving some granted simple everyday problem - even this light read The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock - far different than the swashbuckling stories we read as youngsters where characters just went into it or Heidi who wasn't calculating how but she helps Clara as if the mountains protect and heal rather than being a barrier to cross. 

[bellamarie]

Oh, how tragic for that mother to have to live with not being able to hold onto her child's hand.  My heart truly breaks imagining the second she no longer has hold of her child.  When will we ever learn to take heed as Tomereader points out, The PSA, "turn around--don't drown"

PatH., Barb, I am just amazed hearing how as a child some of you were introduced to books by your parents reading to you.  Gosh, I don't remember one literature book ever being in our house in all the years I was growing up.  Never saw a book in my mother or sibling's hands. My first book I ever recall reading was in kindergarten the Dick and Jane books. I was introduced to reading literature books in my Senior year of high school when we read Hiroshima as a class discussion, then The Time Machine and The Tale of Two Cities.  My English Lit teacher saw my excitement and got very tired of me raising my hand to answer questions when it was pretty obvious the rest of the students had not read the assignment. He finally at one point said, "Who other than Marie, can answer my question?"  Not one student raised their hand, so he called on me. 

Frybabe, I think I know where my reading bug came from.  After I married and moved to Toledo we lived within walking distance of a library.  Not yet being employed I found myself walking to the library and that is where I began my obsession for reading.  I signed up for The Book of the Month club through an advertisement I got in the mail, and I felt like a kid in the candy store!  At that time, you could choose 5 free books and pay shipping and handling with agreeing to purchase one book each month for a year and then you could rejoin. My first favorite author was probably Mary Higgins Clark and Danielle Steele. I had never been introduced to famous authors or classics such as the titles you all have listed.  That came once I joined Senior Net when I was NOT a senior and asked if I could join anyway.  The first book discussion I was a part of if my memory serves me well was, I believe the book Teacher Learn.  Do any of you remember this book?  It was about a male teacher who takes a teaching position in I believe a rough part of New York City.  It reminded me of the movie with Sidney Poitier, To Sir With Love. 

As for mandatory reading in high school there were none for me and as far as now, I don't recall any of my grandchildren mentioning having to read any particular books in either public or private schools.  My granddaughter Hayden is a freshman in college and for her 16th birthday I gave her the Jane Austen collection and told her every young girl should read at least one Austen novel.  My grandson Zak is a sophomore in an all-boys Catholic school, and he was mentioning to me about a discussion they were having about the Trojan horse in the Aeneid by Virgil.  I told him I had read that book years ago and he was shocked I had even heard of it.  lol I remember my friend who taught English Lit in an all-girls Catholic high school had her class read The Shack by William P. Young.  As controversial as that was, I was surprised the school allowed it back in 2007.

My fear is with the removing of books from school libraries and curriculum today due to controversy our young students will never be introduced to classics or know the history of the world, which would be a shame. As Winston Churchill said, "Those who forget history are bound to repeat it."

Ciao~  Bellamarie
 

[PatH]

Bellamarie, my bookish childhood will seem less mysterious after I tell you that before she married, my mother had been a children's librarian.

[BarbStAubrey]

Well good for you Bellamarie - introducing yourself to reading as an adult - what a coup - I remember those early years going to the library with my two preschoolers, Paul not born yet, and while they spent time upstairs in the children's section which was the entire second floor of an old Southern Mansion I was downstairs looking up and learning about artists - had heard of artists like Renoir and Chagall but knew nothing about them or their work and so I spent time looking in books and borrowed a few spending months and months putting it together and with that I can just imagine you also spending months and month putting it together looking at authors who were all new to you and starting your journey as a reader.

With your grandson's reaction to not knowing you knew of the Aeneid maybe they have been reading more than you know and just did not think to share it with you - I'm thinking they would have had English Lit but maybe not - school curriculum's are not like they were back in the 40s and 50s or the 60s and 70s --- goodness just realized 1974 was 50 years ago which is when my daughter was a collage student - haha and Paul met Sally - yep they have been high school sweethearts who stayed together and the last year of collage married - funny my children are not great readers, Peter was but he never married or had children however, 4 of my 5 grands are avid readers. 

Well I'm glad you are a reader - your perspective on a book adds to our outlook and understanding... haha the ONLY one who read and could answer in the classroom questions about the books assigned - I'm smiling...