Author Topic: Fiction ~ Old ~ New ~ Best Sellers #2 (Read 776103 times)

Steph · « **Reply #1360 on:** January 11, 2011, 06:14:21 AM »

This is the place to talk about the works of fiction you are reading, whether they are new or old, and share your own opinions and reviews with interested readers.

Every week the new bestseller lists come out brimming with enticing looking books and rave reviews. How to choose?

Discussion Leader: Judy Laird

Wow.. the east has had a snowy winter thus far.. Since I am going to NYC to the dog show in February, I will hope that this stuff will stop.

ursamajor · « **Reply #1361 on:** January 11, 2011, 08:13:04 AM »

We are well and truly snowed in - five or more inches in our driveway. Neither of us able to shovel it. I will try to get our handy helper to come when he can get out or his driveway. Otherwise we will probably be here for the next few days.

maryz · « **Reply #1362 on:** January 11, 2011, 09:09:05 AM »

We were snowed in yesterday, and probably will be tomorrow, too. Still cold with no sunshine to melt the stuff.

ursamajor · « **Reply #1363 on:** January 11, 2011, 09:46:20 AM »

We are too. Probablly won't get out of our driveway until Thursday or Friday.

maryz · « **Reply #1364 on:** January 11, 2011, 10:21:36 AM »

Where are you, ursamajor? Wish we could meet for lunch or something. I'd guess you're not anywhere near my neighborhood.

ursamajor · « **Reply #1365 on:** January 11, 2011, 10:50:24 AM »

Near Knoxville, Mary. I think you are near Chattanooga.

maryz · « **Reply #1366 on:** January 11, 2011, 11:00:30 AM »

Well, gee - we're neighbors! Don't guess we'll be driving on I-75 for a while, though. John and Margaret (daughter) go to the Lady Vols games, but might not get up there on Saturday.

jeriron · « **Reply #1367 on:** January 11, 2011, 11:58:51 AM »

We're snowed in here too. I want to be able to get to the mailbox because I know there are 2 Netflix movies waiting. That is if they were delivered.

maryz · « **Reply #1368 on:** January 11, 2011, 12:53:54 PM »

We (John) can get to the mailbox, but no delivery yesterday and none so far today.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #1369 on:** January 11, 2011, 01:10:27 PM »

I understand there was white up in the Dallas area and Lubbock had 6 inches according to my grands - so far no snow here but brrrr cold - we are deep into the very low 20s and maybe the teens tonight which means I need to get busy this afternoon - the sun came out today - and while it is still in the 40s get the plants in that north bed covered. Here I thought I was going to get all this reading done yesterday and instead I ended up spending hours mesmerized with one site after the other on the internet. Let's see if I can do better today.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #1370 on:** January 11, 2011, 03:39:53 PM »

Dallas (proper) didn't get that much in the way of snow. Tiny bit, some freezing rain and it all started off with big rain showers first. We had (N.E.Dallas) maybe l/2 inch to 1 inch snow. Did cover the roof tops, did not stick to all the grassy areas, didn't even stay on the patio or driveway. However, if you went 45 mile east to Greenville or Sulphur Springs you would have found 3 to 4 inches or more. They had a "white up". Played heck with the traffic here though. Those High 5's and overpasses. Temp is about 31 degrees, and my heat keeps coming on, and have it set pretty low. I have my three layers of clothing on!

Judy Laird · « **Reply #1371 on:** January 11, 2011, 04:43:27 PM »

Barb great to see you here, I am going to put some of the books you reccomended on my list.

Its cold here and were supposed to have snow this afternoon. It will probably be one on Seattle's big little deals. They have been talking about this storm for days. Interesting that there is supposed to be snow this afternoon and about midnight warm air comes and snow's gone.

God knows how much money they have spent for their 4 hour snow storm. We shall see.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1372 on:** January 11, 2011, 05:39:36 PM »

It has been snowing for a couple of hours here. We are to get 3-6 inches by morning. Not a surprising start for my first day of this new semester, after all, it is Farm Show Week.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #1373 on:** January 11, 2011, 10:47:35 PM »

Right! Frybabe, always snows in Farm Show week for as long as i can remember. When it doesn't it becomes a topic of conversation........only Pa people connected to the farming community wld understand.......jean

Steph · « **Reply #1374 on:** January 12, 2011, 06:17:59 AM »

No snow , thank heaven in Florida, but it is supposed to be very very cold for us and probably freezing tonight. Brr.
A good friends husband died on MOnday and I have plans to go and see her today. We knew it was coming, but she is late 70's. This was a second marriage, but it was 26 years, so long term as well.

Steph · « **Reply #1375 on:** January 14, 2011, 06:11:00 AM »

Answering someones query.. What I eat, Around the world in 80 days. Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluiio
97 Orchard Jane Ziegelman and As Always Julia, The letters of Julia Child and Avis Devoto. All were Christmas presents and I love all three

Aberlaine · « **Reply #1376 on:** January 15, 2011, 03:58:58 PM »

We've always been real lucky. We live just below the Finger Lakes which seems to be protected no matter which way the storm is coming. We don't even get the lake effect snow the I-90 corridor gets. We have 4" on the ground but it's come in several snow "storms".

Tonight we're predicted to get a bit more, but nothing much to shovel. Very strange weather. Well, not for the climate change we're going through. More violent weather should be expected as the glaciers melt.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #1377 on:** January 15, 2011, 05:02:46 PM »

It's continued to be cold so the houses in our town-many colonials and victorians - look like Christmas cards, the snow is still on the roofs and the shrubbery and some C-mas lights and wreaths are still up. The kids have been sledding all week on a long, long hill, a piece of property the owner sold to the twp about ten yrs ago for $1. People have been sledding on the hill for eons. It was a prime piece of property right in the center of Main St, so it was a very generous gift to the town and all the "children" in it......jean

FlaJean · « **Reply #1378 on:** January 16, 2011, 12:29:53 AM »

We're supposed to have some weather in high 60s and low 70s next week and I am looking forward to it. We have been having some unusually cold weather lately. But it's better than the cold weather we had when we lived near Chicago. BRRR!

Steph · « **Reply #1379 on:** January 16, 2011, 06:35:23 AM »

I am bit further south Jean and central Florida is warming up.. Still very chilly first thing in the morning however.
Years ago I read a book (over and over) called "The Cheerleader" by Ruth Doan McDougal. Having been a child of the 50's, the book rang all sorts of bells and I have kept it ever since and loved it. This months Bookmarks mentioned it in the article and said there was a sequel " Snowy" and I bought it and am deep in memories as
Snowy works her way through her life and rings life bells for me like crazy. Amazing how some books just ring deep in you.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #1380 on:** January 18, 2011, 09:21:58 AM »

I kept reading and reading - didn't pay attention and read all night long finishing the wonderful Fannie Flag - I Still Dream About You - I loved it - so many of the small changes in life were brought up so that I felt like I was in the story as exasperated as the characters, adding to the comments, while we, in our mature years still hang on to the manners that meant so much only a few years ago. You could see the end coming but there was enough surprise along the way and some wonderful characters - this is one of her better stories.

Finished CeeCee Honeycutt the other day and felt mixed about it - It was choppy with one incident after the other but not smooth and the story was like someone writing 'about' the south - even getting a few small things wrong that is a bit jarring like calling cloth shoes sneakers instead of tennis shoes or even tennies. Where as, I still Dream About You is written 'from' the south - not only spot-on but a smooth story that easily slides from one funny incident to another.

Well I am off for a couple of hour nap - I will simply postpone my shopping till after lunch - and I can nap in peace knowing the lovely Maggie, icon of gracious living and community service is in her historically preserved house on the hill built in Birmingham Alabama by the Scottish Iron, coal and steel tycoon who as a child lived in a shanty outside the coal mine in Scotland that he and his family worked and where generations before the family was collared as serfs to the mines.

CallieOK · « **Reply #1381 on:** January 18, 2011, 01:21:59 PM »

Barb, I just finished "I Still Dream About You", also - and loved it! Just before this one, I had read "The Girl Who Played With Fire" - and I really really really needed something light and happy!

joangrimes · « **Reply #1382 on:** January 18, 2011, 05:59:51 PM »

Barb and Callie, I read "I still Dream of You." I had mixed feelings about it...I would get tired of the Miss Alabama thing...Of course...I live On the other side of Birmingham from the area that this book was describing...Oh well..My Brother said he really enjoyed the book too...So I guess it is just me...I would recommend to anyone who is not a native of Birmingham, Alabama..

I usually enjoy Fannie Flag's novels but sometimes I get sorta bogged down in them but they usually come out being very funny...Joan Grimes

marjifay · « **Reply #1383 on:** January 18, 2011, 11:13:09 PM »

I haven't read any of Fannie Flagg's novels, altho' I've seen a couple of movies made from her books, i.e. Fried Green Tomatoes, etc. that were good. I like to watch her on the old 1970's game show, Match Game. She's funny. I always thought it odd that being a writer, she was such a terrible speller (the panelists on the show had to display their written answers). I just read in Wikipedia that she was severely dyslexic and for this reason she had a hard time spelling which embarrassed her. Per Wikipedia, she admits to being lesbian which I also had not known (not that it's really any of my business).

Marj

CallieOK · « **Reply #1384 on:** January 18, 2011, 11:35:22 PM »

Joan, I understand your feelings! I get more than a little tired of the southern women stereotyping in so many books. However, I have known enough who fit the pattern to get a bit of a chuckle from it, too.

Steph · « **Reply #1385 on:** January 19, 2011, 06:04:56 AM »

I like Fannie Flagg and have the newest on my tbr list. CeeCee.. this was a first novel and as such I think she did an ok job. You are right though. At that period, they were tennies, but in the 50's we wore Penny loafers most of the time.Tennies were not for everyday wear.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #1386 on:** January 19, 2011, 10:59:15 PM »

complete change of pace - was I surprised - I ordered a few books from Amazon that arrived today and the one I knew nothing about but the write up and title intrigued me - well I opened the book late this afternoon to get a gist by reading the first page and I could not put it down -
The Language of Trees: A Novel

It is a magical story taking place in the Finger Lake region of New York State - some of the characters are Seneca with locals who have lived in the forest and have supported each other through life's trials from taking in a child who is either a 5th or 6th cousin because of the death of her parents to the drowning of a young boy whose spirit leaves paper airplanes in the garden and windowbox of one of the women. He died when with his two sisters they paddled across the lake to escape the drunken rage of a father during a Spring storm - then there is a lovely man, a school teacher who changed the lives of some difficult children and now is trying to come to terms with his wife leaving - it all sounds so melodramatic with these sad tales of woe but instead it is a wonderful poetic read of folks who care about each other along with some mystical and mysterious happenings that are written as the sprite world of the Seneca active in the land and their lives.

The author writes like a non-rhyming poem that I cannot put down - the language of trees is that trees are filled with faith since they remain forever where their roots run deep in that one chosen place - I imagine the end of the book will wrap up the importance of how the faith of trees relates or is valuable to our lives.

Steph · « **Reply #1387 on:** January 20, 2011, 06:13:50 AM »

Sounds like a lovely lovely book. I finished Snowy yesterday.. Not quite as good as the Cheerleader ( snowy when she was young), but still rang some deep gongs of familiarity. That is Ruth Doan MacDougals specialty.. If you were a teen in the 50's and a young mother in the 60's in the east, she will chime bells in your heart.

Babi · « **Reply #1388 on:** January 20, 2011, 08:53:51 AM »

I remember someone recommending "The Language of Trees" quite a
while back, BARB. I wanted to try it then, but couldn't find it.
Thanks for the reminder; I'll see if I can find it now.

FlaJean · « **Reply #1389 on:** January 20, 2011, 10:51:05 AM »

I was a teen in the (early) 50s and a young mother in the 60s so I will have to look for those MacDougal books. Right now I am finishing Stones into Schools.

Steph · « **Reply #1390 on:** January 21, 2011, 06:33:20 AM »

Miles and I are deep into adventure. He now seems to have a clone.. Hmm.. Lois McMaster BuJold makes life fun.

Babi · « **Reply #1391 on:** January 21, 2011, 08:36:08 AM »

Indeed she does. I do hope she is writing some new books. I'm
hungry for more of her particular genius.

ALF43 · « **Reply #1392 on:** January 21, 2011, 11:54:43 AM »

Barb- who is the author of The Language of Trees? Thanks.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #1393 on:** January 21, 2011, 02:36:47 PM »

Alf - the author is Ilie Ruby - here again is the link to the book as sold by Amazon where they have a write up that may be helpful The Language of Trees

ALF43 · « **Reply #1394 on:** January 21, 2011, 04:34:28 PM »

Thanks Barb, the review sounds enticing. I appreciate it.

Andy

Steph · « **Reply #1395 on:** January 22, 2011, 06:35:16 AM »

I saw where Little Bees authors first book is now in paperback here. I suspect from the popularity to Little Bee.

ALF43 · « **Reply #1396 on:** January 23, 2011, 12:04:23 PM »

Yes, Steph, I would imagine that is why it's in paperback now. I'm sorry that you found it too difficult to stay with us but we will meet again under better circumstances in the next book, I hope.

Steph · « **Reply #1397 on:** January 24, 2011, 06:15:59 AM »

Oh Andy, I simply cannot do violence since the accident. It causes nightmares again and flashbacks.. I wish it would go away, but it has not, so I deal as best I can. I am sure I will join other discussions.
What I eat is such a great book. The pictures are glorious and the people interesting.. It is amazing how different the food that we eat is.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1398 on:** January 24, 2011, 08:35:37 AM »

Steph - that book sounds so fascinating. The Nigerian short stories that I mentioned on the Little Bee page have quite a lot of snippets about Nigerian food and eating customs - eating from the same bowl, drinking a locally brewed gin (the downfall of many, apparently), etc - very interesting. I always like the details about what people eat - that's why I like Donna Leon's books. Barbara Pym was also a great describer of food (usually as a social marker - Miss Lord with her "egg on Welsh", Adam Prince with his ridiculous food snobbery). Even Enid Blyton always made sure you knew what the Famous Five were having for their picnics, and the thing I remember most of all about reading "What Katy Did" is tuck box when she went to school

Rosemary

ALF43 · « **Reply #1399 on:** January 24, 2011, 12:24:41 PM »

I understand 100% Steph and look forward to our discussing a book together down the line.

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Author Topic: Fiction ~ Old ~ New ~ Best Sellers #2 (Read 776103 times)