The Library

[Frybabe]

I found a good one! Paulette Jiles, she of News of the World fame, wrote a dystopian novel called Lighthouse Island. Set in the far future, the earth has essentially turned into a one big dry, hot, city. A little girl, abandoned by her parents, dreams of finding a vacation paradise called Lighthouse Island, which is said to exist in the Pacific Northwest. It has gotten mixed reviews, but so far, two chapters in, it is still very much holding my interest. This is my day read.

My bedtime read is Terminal Rage by A.M. Khalifa. It is an thriller involving hostage taking, espionage, and revenge. Engrossing, but not to the point I have to stay up all night reading it - yet. The author's website says that every character in his novels are based on a real person, composite of several real people, or his own experience.

[BarbStAubrey]

I notice Paulette Jiles has one book - Celestial Navigation that is only available used with the lowest price including shipping over $79 - wow - sometime back I downloaded Enemy Women but had not started it... she seems to win many book awards and after reading News of the World after seeing the movie her almost poetic writing style makes her books a joy to read. Let us know what you think of Lighthouse Island frybabe...

The concept that the book you are reading has the couple heading for land further north than Lighthouse Island that sounds like it is land that is barely explored or that few know about reminds me of what I have started. Haven't read more than a couple of pages and already into deeper territory of new knowledge - Cloud Cockoo Land 

Have not read his, All the Light We Cannot See however did read Four Seasons in Rome that was a preclude for All the Light... - well he is back to the Greeks with Cloud...

First out of the shoot had to find out who was Antonius Diogenes - so instead of going to Google etc. decide to try first Amazon since he wrote a book that included the story that either was or was the inspiration for Cloud Cockoo Land - all Amazon did was direct me to book after book about a Dogenes that after reading several excerpts the personality was not matching - Seems Diogenes was someone who believed and tried to persuade others to understand we have nothing and all we are to do in life is gather from the earth like an animal in the wild food for the day and find shelter in whatever is handy that for Diogenes was sometimes a wine vat and go without clothing and do all personal activities including procreate in public so that he was nicknamed a dog - this philosophy that was called Cynicism was picked up and carried along through the ages and was the thinking behind many a monk including St. Frances of Assisi - not going to go into more here or my thoughts because it was a side bit of information only happened on  because the name Diogenes is shared by both men. 

Ok next find Antonius Diogenes on some web sites and did not read through but quickly learned he wrote a book that was called Wonders of the Thule - Found the book on Amazon but, but, but not by Antonius Diogenes rather a S.W. Rice - reading through this book of wonders (seeing the world through the eyes of wonder) even found a short thought on the Cloud and world that the Cloud hovers over but became more confused as I was reading more that would be appropriate for today's world rather then the world of ancient Greece. So back to finally reading the rundown about Antonius Diogenes on wikipedia

Turns out his book is not available and only a few chapters here and there were found, pieced together from the writings of others during this time in history -  and the tie in to Lighthouse Island Thule is a land further north than either the Greeks or the Romans had any knowledge nor had they yet explored which is one of the themes in Lighthouse... There appears to be more information and maybe even more of the actual book on wikipedia but enough - at least now I know that Antonius Diogenes was a real person, a Greek romance writer and how or why he was introduced into the very beginning of Cloud Cockoo Land I need to read the book and find out...

[Frybabe]

Okay, you got me searching too, Barb. Here is what I came up with this evening. This is supposedly a translation of the novel. Awful short novel if you ask me, at least, it did not say it is a synopsis . https://www.arcus-atlantis.org.uk/horizons/classical/wonders-beyond-thule.html I also found a book similar to the $220 one, but with a different author), at Dumbarton Oaks (I am not familiar with them), but the price is so much lower. These all appear to be synopsis' and partial translations rather than the full text. I suspect the author uses (or used) this as part of his classroom lectures. The Leob Classical Library may have the complete text, but they are notorious for not showing the contents pages. The reference I found pointed to volume one of early Greek philosophers, but I wonder if that was an older volume. The one Amazon has includes in the title that it is an "Introductory and Reference Materials". I am beginning to wonder if there is a full text or whether any translations, at best, including the much cited Photius I collections are just snippets and impressions that early readers had of the book like this one also found on Amazon for almost $26.The Library Of Photius; Volume 1 Hardcover – March 27, 2019, by Saint Photius I (Patriarch of Constantin (Creator) This last one is a by a collaboration of scholars. Once again no inside sample to check contents. Maddening.

[BarbStAubrey]

I'm hoping as I read Doerr's book, Cloud Cockoo Land it will fall into place because after your search found a bit more one thing that adds up is that it appears to have been a short novel written by Diogenes and if the book I found written by Rice is an example of the format it is quick sometimes one sentence or at most half a page of a thought that is based in wonder or almost fantasy thinking - don't know till I can read an excerpt of Diogenes' book but curious and curious I read only another few sentences and come across Aethon, that again have to search and in Greek myth it appears there are several Aethons that are either eagles or a person who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky—provides solace and mystery to these unforgettable characters.

Is this entire book going to be introducing one seldom heard myth after another I'm wondering - If I could just get through one chapter I'm thinking it will all fall into place - it can't be an award winning best seller for no reason and I cannot believe the average person has an intense knowledge of Greek Myths - my gut says most are reading past what they do not know and are OK with that approach - however the concept of a person wanting to be a bird to fly to a utopian paradise makes sense if Thule is thought to be a distant land far to the north and therefore, this unknown is some sort of paradise so that we still have tales like MacDonald's Back of the North Wind or even the Snow Queen that are tales of a northern paradise where good and bad is easily identified.

[BarbStAubrey]

tra la found this... "Around Diogenes' manuscript, ``Cloud Cuckoo Land''--the author did exist, but the text is invented--Doerr builds a community of readers and nature lovers that transcends the boundaries of time and space."

Oh OH if ever a cheat sheet was needed this is a God Send - https://www.supersummary.com/cloud-cuckoo-land/symbols-and-motifs/

Did not join but there is just enough information to be helpful with additional info by hitting the chapters in the side window...

[BarbStAubrey]

Cannot believe it... Doerr's book keeps on giving - essentially the second chapter although named differently starts by mentioning The Birds: by Aristophanes' -  a play described as a satirical comedy of Avian chaos and politics. Well of course I had to go find it and there it was on Amazon kindle for the grand total of 99 cents - cannot believe I'm actually going to read something written in 414 BC That is nearly 3,000 years ago and here it is on my kindle - talk about wonderment. To top it off since I've become fascinated with the concept that with a few letters billions of books have been written - well it appears among Aristophanes' many quotes is,  "By words the mind is winged."

[Frybabe]

Let me know what you think about The Birds, Barb. We read a few Greek plays here years ago, but if I remember correctly all were Greek tragedies. I have had some plays downloaded from Gutenberg, also years ago, that I have not read, but none of them are by Aristophanes.  There are a lot of lost plays by him. I have to say two "undated"  lost plays with the intriguing titles of Frying-Pan Men and Women in Tents have me hoping that some day they, or fragments of them, are found.

I am very much enjoying Lighthouse Island. What is really weird, though, is that not a single quotation mark or other offset indicates dialog between people or between dialog and narrative bits in paragraphs. Fortunately, I have not had too much trouble deciphering who is doing the talking in spite of it. Still, very odd. I do hope this does not become a trend like the recent pronoun changes being foisted upon us. I feel like writing is becoming less precise, more murky, and more likely to introduce error and confusion. 
 

[BarbStAubrey]

OH lordy switching from one link to another and I've lost the entire post - I thought I could recapture by using the link in my history but no a blank message box

need to stop and breath and then try to remember all that was in the post and now I've decided not to post here but do a word document and then copy and paste it - I do not believe I pressed anything that I should have lost the entire post but whatever - shoot...

[PatH]

Let me know what you think about The Birds, Barb. We read a few Greek plays here years ago, but if I remember correctly all were Greek tragedies. I have had some plays downloaded from Gutenberg, also years ago, that I have not read, but none of them are by Aristophanes.  There are a lot of lost plays by him. I have to say two "undated"  lost plays with the intriguing titles of Frying-Pan Men and Women in Tents have me hoping that some day they, or fragments of them, are found.

I am very much enjoying Lighthouse Island. What is really weird, though, is that not a single quotation mark or other offset indicates dialog between people or between dialog and narrative bits in paragraphs. Fortunately, I have not had too much trouble deciphering who is doing the talking in spite of it. Still, very odd. I do hope this does not become a trend like the recent pronoun changes being foisted upon us. I feel like writing is becoming less precise, more murky, and more likely to introduce error and confusion.

Amen to that last sentence, Frybabe.
The only Cloud Coocoo Land of those those you two mentioned that I've read is the play by Aristophanes, which I found kind of so-so.

His Lysistrata, though, is very good reading.  JoanK and I read it to see if it would be good for our Greek play series.  It's very funny, and has a good plot, with some telling social comments, about the women of Athens withholding themselves from their men in order to force them to end the Peloponnesian War.

Unfortunately, the many jokes are the dirtiest we'd ever seen, and I haven't seen many that raunchy since.  We didn't think it would be suitable for discussion here

[Frybabe]

I am glad you are enjoying Lighthouse Island, PatH. A few quotes do find their way into the text where someone is quoting someone else mostly. It struck me last night that Jiles may have omitted the quotes to go along with the theme of the story to emphasize the degeneration of knowledge and, except for certain books chosen to be narrated over the air on a seasonal basis, the loss of libraries, general interest in reading, and education and learning in general except for very basics. Only the elite have any kind of knowledge, but it seems to be missing critical elements too. Even they have to watch their step lest they fall from grace and possibly get sent to the prisons and work farms and factories or get executed. What happens to the ones who, when cut off from their overlords, have to fend for themselves without someone telling them what to do, those who cannot think for themselves, do not have any imagination or creative impulses. But, there are a few intrepid souls who do read, do think, do like to tinker and create. So, the future is not entirely lost. Okay, so I am quite taken with this book.

Thanks for the heads-up about the raunchy jokes.

[Frybabe]

This may be of interest if anyone is considering Kindle e-Books. I haven't checked yet, but I won't be surprised if Kobo (and others) have similar terms of use contracts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwU5xkXj7Kw  I have to seriously think about continuing my Audible account  or buy anymore e-Books. And yes, this guy confirms what I have suspected about they can change the content from the original any time they want. So, does this mean I have to be subjected to ongoing politically correct edits.

My new eyeglasses are working a lot better while using the computer. I still prefer reading books w/o the glasses, but the new eyeglasses work pretty good. So, I can do either w/o problem. Pretty happy about the glasses, but like always, they seem to attract smudges, dandruff and dust almost immediately, it seems, after cleaning the lenses.

[BarbStAubrey]

Yes frybabe, I've been experiencing lots of hiccups with my Kindle library - some books they have without notice taken off their library and so if you had not downloaded the book you are out of luck and others they are changing to Word 11 so that anything earlier will not open the book in the online version of kindle - on and on it goes - you would think just by staying home we could avoid the madness but with technology holding us by our feet there is very little room to escape - your link frybabe may be one of the windows to crawl through and escape the current attachment some have for justifying propaganda changing thinking and history. 

Have not gotten that far in the Doerr's book for all the sidebar research - Reading The Birds is a trip in itself - I have to look nearly everything up so I'm taking a deep dive into Greek Myth and other aspects of Ancient Greek life that led somehow to my having to look into the art and book written about The Garden of Earthly Delights

And then I am still stuck in what in The Birds they mean when they talk about the "Pole" - sure it makes since when you know the earth is round but then the earth was thought to be flat and so is it simply describing the space where you only see 'Clouds and Sky' - Is it part of the concept of the gods and if so where are they - memory, dead. living at the top of the Pole or maybe some at the bottom of the Pole - which leads to the Valadores {flying Pole Dancers} in Mexico which originated ten century ago as a ceremony that the religious nature of the Valadores is one of many ceremonies created in various lands that are all recognizing the gods which became the basics for many of the ceremonies in Christendom including the religious symbolism of a Pinata - sheesh - it goes on and on - I feel like I'm in an intense class that compares Greek mythology and history to Christian symbolism and today's political figures that can also be identified by what is special about these birds but only because the special features of the birds was used to describe literary and political figures in ancient Greece. 

All this on one hand sounds convoluted and a huge dive that I did not have to take but frankly I am so enjoying learning all this - another tidbit - in The Birds they mention the 'Mede's' from 'Median' - turns out the Mede's are what we know as Iranians and Median is Iran 

When I get back to Cloud Cockoo Land I'm wondering if I see this connection and that is Doerr's point that throughout history we are only repeating with additional people and inventions what was already understood 500 years BC so that the saying there is nothing new under the sun has more meaning than we realize.

Oh yes, this is a pretty good online version of The Birds annotated so some of it makes sense - i say some because I've still had to either refresh or learn anew the myth stores. https://www.online-literature.com/aristophanes/birds/3/

[BarbStAubrey]

Wow Frybabe you are current - just read an article about how after the fact speeches and other documents are altered and since October with one tweek after another since the summer Way Back was a system that caught and kept that from happening because it captured the original and as of October that capability has been essentially dismantled -

Here is a quote from Steven Green a former newspaper reporter (1978–84) turned freelance journalist, who has also written short fiction and poetry.

"When the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine was hacked in early October, it looked at first like just another email-and-password smash-and-grab. But that was followed up by repeated Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks that crippled the service. The Internet Archive was hit again on Oct. 20, "this time with the threat actors gaining access to their Zendesk support email system."

The Wayback Machine came back but as a read-only service. What that means is, while you can search archived webpages from before the attacks, "you can’t currently capture an existing web page into the archive."

He goes on to say Wikipedia not only has information changed or scrubbed but often after the initial story is mostly forgotten.

[Frybabe]

Jogging your memory Barb, way back when, Pythagoras speculated that the Earth is a sphere because he believed, philosophically, that the most perfect shape is a sphere. Aristotle went a step further and provided observational evidence that the Earth is round. Eratosthenes used a sundial to be the first one to calculate the circumference of the Earth.

I remember some years back the Internet Archive had a rather devastating fire that destroyed much of their equipment and building as well as some irreplaceable books. While the cyber-attacks are nasty, it may have less of an impact that you might expect. The archive has backup sites in several places around the world. I found this blog, dated December 3, 2016 regarding these efforts to backup their work. It includes their impetus to speed up their backup efforts. Please read it. https://blog.archive.org/2016/12/03/faqs-about-the-internet-archive-canada/ 

As far as Wikipedia is concerned, part of their "mission" is that they are set up specifically to allow people to add, update or amend questionable content posted on their site. I read a few years back that they tightened up their requirements some, but I don't know the particulars.

[Frybabe]

Bellamarie, I know you've been busy. Hope you and yours are okay. It has been just about a month since you've posted. I think I can speak for the few of us still posting, that we are missing your posts.

[BarbStAubrey]

Great thanks frybabe - now the thoughts expressed in The Birds makes sense - did not know that Pythagoras speculated on the Earth being a sphere  or that Aristotle had believed Earth was round - now the bit about the birds flying in the pole begins to have meaning - need to re-read that early part of the play - I'm finding I can read bits of the play separately since to me it is a collection of thoughts rather than a continuous story.

Good to know there are other backups however my take-away from the backup article link is that individuals are having to keep the original from anything that was made public - I wonder if the system Green spoke of is the system used by these other nations mentioned in the archive story your shared - not having trust in the information available sure affects critical thinking doesn't it so that it is easy to see why loyalties have become the shield for most -

As to Wikipedia my experience seeing changes seem to fall on information that is 20th and 21st century history and bios rather than the kind of information I need although, there are many recent, in the last 50 to 60 years, finds and digs and advanced technology that is giving us sometimes even conflicting but at least updating information about geography, earth, various ancient populations - The thought went through my head that the answer to a wanky Wikipedia is and probably will always be is the written word published and if not held in a public library there will be a copy somewhere so that truths associated with time sensitive history will always be available - maybe not readily but available. It is just a shame that folks can't leave things alone even to the point of printing a story that is more propaganda then lining up impartial factual explanations - Could be wrong but the inference is that the Wikipedia changes are the result of competing governing and political systems thinking. Well whatever - the finger pointing goes on and keeps the news reporting in a constant turmoil that I don't see stopping anytime soon all of which encourages some to take matters they disagree with in their own hands.

Hmm just dawned on me on Wikipedia there were pages and pages of an article written in 1907 that the internet is now saying was written in 1912 and called If I Were Kaiser which was a follow up to an article from German political group active since the late 1800s - anyhow the article that was at least 10 pages long spelled out what ultimately became Hitler's plan how he changed Europe - from the change in elementary school education followed by what universities could teach, the control of newspapers, the control of the postal service, the control of Church sermons, the establishment of what we call day care in nations that did not have kindergarten that would indoctrinate very young children, the various issues and ways to change the population country by country - I had it book marked and back now about 5 years ago it disappeared - not only disappeared but none of my library contacts had a copy including the University of Texas - did find that there was one professor emirates from Harvard that was supposed to have a copy and I was going to write to him but never did - for awhile the piece was available on a few German sites written in German but my German is not that good - no where for the past few years can I find that article and it was like a blueprint for taking over a swath of nations.

Currently there are comments and current thinking about the piece from several university professors on various websites mostly attributing the content of the article to Hitler's activities however the article was written long before Hitler was old enough to imagine his later role in life and also, there is online a description or the article that is rather benign changing the concept of the article - and so that would be an example I guess of more than the average person tampering with information on Wikipedia - with the disappearance of the article from more than Wikipedia there seems to be other hands in the mix.   

I've been reading things that are intense for the past few weeks and I need a break - something light or even silly - First chapter not starting too lightly however, the cover says otherwise and so I'm reading The Old Ducks' Club starting out with a mature but still working English women arriving in Greece - hehehe yep, Greece - can't get away from it however, this seems so far to be about a contemporary relationship that she is chucking forcing her to do what had been unthinkable like hanging up on her nemesis. Hoping this grabs my attention to the point I do not turn on the TV till at least Thursday when PBS shows some good English Drama  I may have to read another chit chat book to fill the time-frame and hope against hope all the drama about this election has died down.

[BarbStAubrey]

Not really enjoying The Old Ducks' Club as much as others of these what I call chit chat books - the story unfortunately is predictable plus it is very disjointed - scenes are at times cut short and inferences are to be made to get to the next collection of words describing another scene - I'm at the point where I will look forward to the more challenging books...

Talk about challenges - I've a challenge with my AC - first of all it hit 100 here yesterday yep, in the middle of November - and then for a week I've been getting emails about my over use of electricity - turns out there is a leak in the coils that hold the Freon which mine are aluminum and so they have to be replaced rather than simply soldered as copper - he filled up the Freon hoping it holds till he can find the aluminum coils to replace mine with. Always something...

Before I get back to Doerr's Cloud Cockoo Land I may dip into The Happiest Man on Earth The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor by Eddie Jaku - evidently he determined to be happy everyday upon his freedom - that to me is an example to learn from... after witnessing what he must have experienced - wow...

[bellamarie]

Good afternoon, ladies, yes, Frybabe, it has been extremely busy this past month.  My granddaughter's volleyball season has finally come to an end, happily it ended with her 8th grade Notre Dame Academy team winning the CYO championship!  Along with going to her games the concrete work which started at the end of September is finally completed.  We are over the moon thrilled with the work my granddaughter's fiancé' did for us.  With so much going on I have not been able to read, nor get much sleep so needless to say I have been feeling like I'm sleepwalking through my days. I have been watching the Countdown to Christmas Hallmark movies at night.  It's amazing how those movies can truly calm you and make you feel so cozy to fall asleep.  So, now I am hoping to get back to reading along with beginning my Christmas shopping.  Where did the time go?  I really don't want to take down the Fall decorations but at the pace we are going it will be Christmas before we know it.

Barb, I hope they can fix your air conditioning without you needing a new one.  We had that issue last year and was able to put it off, but this past Spring we had to have a new unit installed.  I am so glad this election is over because now the ads have gone away.  I stay away from MSM and rarely put my TV on until dinner time and then I watch what I have on my recorded dvr.  I do like some night shows like Blue Bloods, Grey's Anatomy, Survivor, Dancing with the Stars and a few reality shows for entertainment.  I like playing Words With Friends on my phone to keep my mind active.

Frybabe, so glad your glasses are working good for you.  I have about 4 pair of non-prescription glasses laying around in each room in case I forget my prescription glasses. I am overdo for an eye exam so I am anxious to see if anything has changed.  I need them for reading and I can tell things are much more difficult to read if at all without any glasses.  We shall see...lol a little pun!

I do hope Ginny is doing well. 
Okay must get off and see to dinner. 

Ciao for now~  Bella

Here is an album of the before, during and after pics of our concrete work.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=marie.patterfritzreinhart&set=a.10234979392649164&__cft__[0]=AZXZRCtQtULvX57G6a9pV43dQNctBL7KtNNmA_t-JQ8YRcg6hXU6Hr-Q3I3Ns7LHJOvO6a-EnrKT8wpA9xGCXqyE_kMayS9-36EqyLW9XgK63DTPHYobnxYX28TqzGFbmuKTg7oV-fB8LQaK6ynG5BIntICSnO_vTqj0KuwIFS-lxQ&__tn__=-R

[BarbStAubrey]

Great to hear from you Bellamarie - lots of good things happening in your life - wonderful and yes, not only the ads but the robo calls that had me up and down to see if I should answer the phone - with any deep loss folks go through the 5 stages of loss or grief - from what I see on the news most are on the early stage of Denial and Anger - looks like the politicians have already moved into Bargaining - we still have Depression before there is Acceptance - I'm hoping Christmas will help to allow folks the cozy comfort they need. Unfortunately I cannot get the link showing the photos of your driveway and patio to upload - so glad the work is a happy addition to your home.

Wow I cannot believe - I'm whizzing through The Happiest Man on Earth The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor by Eddie Jaku and yes another holocaust survivor but he writes his  story almost upbeat as he constantly looked for any scrape of positiveness - I do not think purposefully I think it was just his nature or maybe how he sees things all these years later- he is in his 90s writing this that his experiences at the camps etc is about half the book -

He is still down, reclusive, weary not trusting anyone, physically recovering when he meets his wife and marries but with the birth of his first child it was as if the clouds parted and he found within the love and healing that continued - he and his wife together had several successful businesses - they moved with help from some after-the-war agency to Australia - seems in Europe it was a mess - some countries had laws that prevented him from returning to his family home without every 6 months reporting to some agency because he was German and others would not allow him still because he was Jewish with the Netherlands being the worst. He'd have never had a successful life in Europe but by going to Australia he and his wife could build a life.

In one sitting I'm three quarters of the way through the book. He writes in a way the reader moves along without getting bogged down nor does he dwell on the horrors although he explains them - I think probably because he saw something in each incident that he was grateful like over and over being grateful his father urged him to have a skill that required as much education as possible even though already he had to hide he was Jewish and not even call or write to his family as well as shower alone when others were not around to hide he was circumcised giving him away - this from the time he was 13 till 17 without seeing family - it was hard however over and over he is thankful because the German's needed his skill and it kept him alive.

Cannot recommend this book more highly - not just reading things about the time I never knew and with all that has been written I never expected that but more to read his upbeat grateful way he gets through life plus his writing is easy to read - no startling phrases but clean sentences that flow...     

[BarbStAubrey]

Goodness it has been quiet in here - but then we are only a handful - notice some are into the fall colors and thanksgiving holiday while others seem to have skipped into December

I'm not ready for Christmas decor or reading Christmas stories although we finally are experiencing some chilly weather - had to put the heat on yesterday and it looks like it will go on this evening as well...

Gave up on the Old Ducks' Club that was more about one women at the age of 60 gradually falling in love and experiencing a fine romance then about the experience of the other three women and her together being outrageous which the title and graphic on the cover suggested to me.  Need to finish the last of The Happiest Man on Earth The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor Although written with less angst and horror and an almost upbeat way his experiences, many I had not heard of in other readings, stayed with me so that I delayed getting back into his life... And I think also I'm going to let Cloud Cuckoo Land sit for a bit - I don't seem to be able to read more than a page without needing to find out the background of things mentioned. I would like something simple giving me the rush yet peace and enjoyment that I remember as a kid almost inhaling stories I brought home from the library. hmm I wonder - I've so many children's books, folktales and even poetry - need to browse my own bookcases... 

[Frybabe]

I am about to try a fantasy titled Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire. Published in 2015, it won the Alex Award, the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award. The Alex Award is presented by the Young Adult Library Services Association. Okay, so it is a YA book and it is a fantasy. Don't hold your breath that I finish it. My bedtime reading is a book of Jack Campbell's short stories.

Earlier this evening I tried listening to another chapter of Birth of the West. I say tried because a few minutes into the chapter 14 I fell asleep and didn't wake up until there was only three minutes left to the chapter. That is the second time I started that chapter. Don't know if I will try again.

Earlier this week I listened to more of Dalrymple's The Anarchy. Actually, I have the e-book and now I have access to the audio book as well. So, this is the first time I used the audio book in conjunction with the eBook. Interesting. It sped things up a bit.

[BarbStAubrey]

Funny I wonder why - here you are into Fantasy frybabe that is nothing more really than a fairytale or folk tale with modern thinking and characters that are more today or future - I have never been able to get into fantasy becoming annoyed quickly with what to me is outrageous and yet, I can read and enjoy just as outrageous a theme with dragons and sea monsters peopled with characters we imagine represent the past. Wish I could figure out the key to why because reading some of the fantasy novels you read would be a hoot to be able share our perceptions and reviews. Ah so I may give the genera another try but not just now - need to wrap myself into something that is not a challenge - no escaping the news and it is as full of angst and strong feelings as before the election if not more so - I need to escape.

Which by the way I don't know who among us remembers MaryPage - she is now ether 95 or 96, bedridden living with her daughter and is very happy whenever I send her an ecard or email a note thanking me to no end - I'm thinking a quick contact is her window to the world - her info... marypage29@comcast.net
MaryPage M. Drake
3720 Ramsey Drive
Edgewater, Maryland   21037

[PatH]

Oh, Barb, Thank you for digging up all that contact info for MaryPage.  I do follow her on our sister site, in Norm's Bait and Tackle, where her descriptions of losing her memory show great grace and courage.  Our contact brings things back to her, making her happy, and your ecards would make anyone smile.  Her daughters are taking good, loving care of her, and her many grandchildren, who she sees on occasions, are a source of joy.

[Frybabe]

Barb, thank you so much for MaryPage's contact info.

Hi Pat!

I have never been terribly big on fantasy, especially romantic fantasy, magic and witchery, and superheros, but I do read (or try to read) some on occasion. Now-a-days, writers have been combining fantasy and science fiction. Those I usually avoid too. There are exceptions, like the Liaden Universe that Sharon Lee and Steve Miller created. Some of those books lean a little too heavily on magical fantasy. Those I don't care for much.

I am more interested in the adventure and in myth and folklore. And here I get to Michael J. Sullivan's fantasy series Legends of the First Empire series and its off-shoots. These revolve around the associations and wars between humans, fairies and elves. I did a little research and discovered that elves started showing up in 7th century England as being a bringer of disease and began showing up in Norse mythology in the 13th and 14th century along with fairies.  Fairies were first described by the historian Gervase of Tilbury in the 13th century. The term "fairy" traces through old French all the way back to the Roman Fates. It represents a number of different but similar mythologies and folklore. Sullivan does a decent job of blending in these myths and superstitions into the daily lives of pre-Christian societies. Just recently, I've started seeing the incorporation (lightly) of Early Christianity into his narrative. Fairies, elves, and dwarves seem to be fading into the background a bit. Oddly, I don't recall any mention of Druids. His series spans at least a 1000 years. I have yet to listen to his latest release once again narrated by the incomparable Tim Gerard Reynolds.

[PatH]

I'm with you on the fantasy, Frybabe.  It has to be good for me to do the work of keeping track.

[BarbStAubrey]

Ok I did it - had no idea that the one book and maybe most of the 'fantasy' books you read frybabe are actually more like The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe  - all your collected information on Fairies and Elves is fascinating and so I just downloaded three of the books you are reading...
Every Heart a Doorway - don't remember if you are reading Michael J. Sullivan's Age Myth but it sounded too good to pass up and so I downloaded it and finally I've had The Birth of the West on my list for awhile and downloaded it. First bit about the horrors of the Vikings and the chaos that leads to what he  summarizes as the new controlled 10th century Europe including the names of those leaders he gives credit for their leadership already has me hooked.

Frybabe I realize you are the only one whom I do not have your personal email so I can include you when I send my usually holiday email cards - if you would like to be included please I would need your email address - if you prefer not making it public here how about sending it to my email address that I have listed on this site - find it by clicking my name.

Pat I looked for Norm's Bait and Tackle and of course all that Google shows is actual Bait and Tackle shops all over the nation - I knew the site went through many changes as some of the original group have passed but did not know the current name and have completely lost track of the link - please could you share the link... not sure if I will post or not but it would be nice to catch up with those who are still posting on the other as I recall less formal site.

I can see we are going to have one of those crazy winters when the weather is all over the place - after two days with heat turned on and then last night it got so hot and muggy that it woke me and had to turn on the AC - then this afternoon the AC came on just to maintain 76 in the house - wet wet wet and humid which is great for the plants but confusing for my heat and AC system. Still have not dipped into my flannel shirts that I usually wear over a Tshirt in the house - it could be that I don't wear flannel till either just before or even after Christmas - we shall see...
 

[Frybabe]

I read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings years ago. Never read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe though. I've been listening to Michael J. Sullivan's books rather than reading them. I never would have thought of it except I heard an expert narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds. He doesn't just read, he brings the pages alive by giving the many characters different voices and rarely gets them mixed up.

Seanan McGuire is an excellent writer, but I ran into a bit which slowed me down. It seems she used many if not all the stereotypes describing one girl (spoiler alert) who has a gender identity problem. She identifies as a male and  likes to design, sew and sort clothing for other characters according to their inclinations. Not every parent will want their children reading this even if it is only a paragraph or two. Well, we will continue to see where this leads. This book, after all, seems about children who are at odds with themselves and/or the world they live in, who want to get back home to where they think they belong. Using fantasy to tackle the problem is interesting. I wonder if using fantasy is used much in child psychology to help such children.

Norm's Bait and Tackle is one of the forums on Seniors and Friends under Town Talk.https://www.seniorsandfriends.org/index.php?PHPSESSID=vv37juo4ekn282op4jtqb9s7fm If you join, don't forget to check the other forums. The Library Bookshelf is under Leisure Activities.
 

[bellamarie]

Ughhh... I had an entire post ready and moved my computer and zap...all gone!!  So let me try again.

Barb, yes, I had all my Fall decorations up since September 1st and just packed them all away and have switched to Christmas!  After the election I had a newfound sense of hope & joy, and it put me right into the Christmas spirit!  I'm sorry you were not able to open the link to the picture album I posted.  I have completely forgotten how to post a pic in here.  Maybe one day we will make adjustments to just copy & paste like all other sites do.  So, you have found a book that is enjoyable, and about the holocaust which is rarely a positive topic to read about.  It's good to know there is someone who can use any positives to write about it.

Frybabe, your book Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire reminded me of the fantasy series I bought for my pre-teen granddaughter called Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland.  She read every one of them and so enjoyed them.  I personally have not been able to get into fantasy or sci-fi genres.  It's interesting how you mentioned wondering if child psychologists could use fantasy books to help children "who are at odds with themselves and/or the world they live in, who want to get back home to where they think they belong." 

In this upside down and inside out world today, I suppose fantasy could bring about some type of escaping the real world and issues they are dealing with for a bit, but yes, then they do have to deal with the real world they live in.  Gosh I sure wish we could go back to simplicity where our kids weren't faced with so much confusion about their identity, religion, sexuality, gender, self-awareness, bullying in schools etc. In some public-school systems today, they are allowing teachers and other faculty to talk to minor children about these things without informing the parents, so imagine the confusion it can cause if it is in direct conflict with what is being taught in the home.  As a retired teacher and day care owner I can't even begin to imagine wanting either of these as a career in today's world. Oh dear, it seems I have gone off into a bit of a rant, I'll shut up on this topic.  lol

Barb, thank you for the info on Mary Pat.  I do recall her I and am certain she enjoys your holiday e-cards as much as I do.

PatH., it's good to know there is a sister site called Norm's Bait and Tackle. 

Frybabe, thank you for the link to the site.  I wonder if there are more members interacting in that site.  I will have to check it out.

I must say I finally settled myself down the other night and picked up a psychological thriller I borrowed from my granddaughter Kenzie and believe it or not I began reading at 8:00 p.m. and finished the entire book.  Granted I was up til the wee hours of the morning, but it was a book as the cover described as "An unputdownable psychological thriller with a breathtaking twist." It's actually the first book I have read in a couple of months, so it was worth staying up for.

Now to find a Christmas book to delve into to.  I read Shepherds Abiding a Mitford Christmas by Jan Karon a couple of years ago and loved it but I have never read a book more than once, so must find another good one.  Any suggestions are welcomed.

Ciao for now~
BellaMarie

[bellamarie]

The name of the psychological thriller I read is Don't Let Her Stay by Nicola Sanders

[BarbStAubrey]

Haha you made a great pitch for a book suggested by your granddaughter but funny funny no title included... please let us know what is the name of the book that you could not put down... Tra la - just about to post and there you are with the title - wonderful... 

As to Norm's Bait and Tackle it is the name of a discussion in Seniors & Friends - years ago there was a take over of SeniorNet that forced new web sites - the first to go up was Seniors & Friends and then within if I remember a week SeniorLearn - for awhile SeniorLearn focused on reading books that included this discussion the Library where as Seniors & Friends focused on chatting and classical music with several contributors from Canada - after a bit I seemed to post more on SeniorLearn and gradually was no longer posting or even checking out Seniors & Friends - well in the meantime they must also have had a crash and so they lost everything including those of us who were early members and did not follow up re-joining and so the other day I had to start from scratch as a newbie - but that was OK - the site has changed considerably since last I posted and I noticed a few names from back when we were all SeniorNet - it is a more casual site and although I thought I would just read of course I ended up posting a bit - the focus is not on Reading

I think i may have doped out frybabe's name on Seniors & Friends Mo something but not for certain... and yes, from time to time MaryPage still posts

This election was so hard since half my family was behind one candidate and half the other - did not want to get into any political discussion since I thought family was more important than what I was hoping would bring change - I was really dismayed when a couple of the family whose candidate lost really lost it with the only way I could describe is being hysterical that this or that was going to happen...

Very painful for a mother to hear a daughter in such an emotional reaction with beliefs that many had been refuted that she missed - there was no way I could calm her and at her request I sent her a couple of links to Politico and others that had refuted what she was still believing - had not heard back till the the other day and with no reference to anything political or what I sent she was fine - and today out of the blue an Amazon delivery of a apple scented candle - and so whatever happened it does not matter but we are OK again and that to me is the most important -

With this win I do not see that the vitriol is going to stop - the news is as harsh and caustic if not more than before the election - We are living in rough times that there is not much I can do about it except do a lot of praying. Those of us in the family who do not live back east see the world differently and none of us seem to need to talk about any of it - where as those in the family living back east are most likely going through the 5 that are now 7 steps of loss - I see it in the news so that the media can keep rewinding the first couple of steps or move on and if so, it will be a different news cycle by the end of winter or early Spring.  We shall see... For me it was hard to see family who I dearly love in such emotional straights and so I have not taken joy so much as feeling thankful there was a majority who saw we need a sharp turn around.  Most satisfying was seeing the photo of the 4 leaders who were all original Dems as I was and we saw the party change - OK on to books...

the last chapter in The Happiest Man on Earth The beautiful life of an Auschwitz survivor begins with What I have to Share is not my pain. What I share is my hope.  and what I saw was he got through all the atrocities by constantly in the face of all logic seeing and being grateful for the glories of how a body works and will withstand what he was experiencing, how because of his father's words about being of value through education in a skill required by others, by the good friendship that he was 'fortunate' to continue since the schoolmate was also in the same camps as he was and they were able to urge each other on - this attitude is rife through the entire book written in his 90s after his children were adults and no longer needed to be shielded. An amazing testament to courage, bravery but mostly love and seeing the world, including the horrors with kindness and gratitude.

Barely started Every Heart a Doorway when my emotional well-being was crashing around me and so I'm reading once again Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross - the first bit I schemed till chapter VIII onward and like salve on an open wound gradually I'm putting things together - again have to be reminded it is not what I think is best but what is... that we all have to experience for our growth.

Christmas books - ah so many  - Dorothea Benton Frank, A Christmas Pearl - Mary Kelly, The Christmas Egg (British Library Crime Classics) - Daphne Simpkins, Christmas in Fountain City - Anne Perry, A Christmas Gathering: A Novel Christmas - Debbie Johnson, Cold Feet at Christmas: The perfect heartwarming and cosy Christmas romantic comedy - Nancy Mitford, Christmas Pudding - William Horwood, The Willows at Christmas (one of my favorites) and if you haven't read Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot's Christmas you're missing a delight and a classic.