Author Topic: Fiction ~ Old ~ New ~ Best Sellers #2 (Read 776011 times)

Steph · « **Reply #200 on:** January 26, 2010, 06:26:41 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

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Another author who makes me want to visit their area.. Rita Mae Brown.. Her town sounds so real and I Have been to Charlottesville and it is so very beautiful.. I know the little towns are probably a delight. Now if only I liked cold weather.

Frybabe · « **Reply #201 on:** January 26, 2010, 08:51:29 AM »

The next Mrs. Murphy book in my pile to read is "Tale of the Tip Off". I some to go before I catch up.

Steph · « **Reply #202 on:** January 27, 2010, 06:23:39 AM »

The Christmas book by Brown was interesting. She brings in the murderer way out from left field.. Hmm. But Tucker was a genuine hero in this one.. I always wondered if she has a corgi. I know that she has cats.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #203 on:** January 27, 2010, 07:20:29 PM »

A little book, A Year of Cats and Dogs by Margaret Hawkins, has strangely caught my interest. This novel, written in a diary-like format, uses the I Ching divination's to head each page or two division. I Ching can be defined as :the dynamic balance of opposites, the evolution of events as a process, and acceptance of the inevitability of change. (Wikipedia) Example: "Lin / Approach
Good approaches the superior person"

Maryanne, on the brink of celebrating "the big 5-0", is abandoned by her lover of ten years. She withdraws from her social life. her dog walking buddies, and, eventually from her job. She asks, "What happens when nothing happens?" The anchor of her days is caring for her Rottweiler, Bob, and her cat, Clement, with occasional dog sitting of her neighbor's collie, Gregoire. Though she feels she is surrounded by death she is not depressed, she does not take drugs, she simply does nothing. Like I said, this is a strange tale but it has me enthralled. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/h/margaret-hawkins/year-of-cats-and-dogs.htm

joangrimes · « **Reply #204 on:** January 27, 2010, 08:16:14 PM »

Does sound intriguing, Jackie.

Joan Grimes

Steph · « **Reply #205 on:** January 28, 2010, 06:31:25 AM »

I am reading another first novel. This one from a woman who grew up in society in Charleston. Belonged to the Camillia club.. and cotillion and came out.. At this point in the novel, she has moved to Ny and is drinking herself to death.. It is good, but sometimes, you just want to shake her good and hard.

Aberlaine · « **Reply #206 on:** January 28, 2010, 08:11:15 AM »

I'm reading James Michener's Caravans. I read somewhere that, if you want to know about life in Afghanistan, read his book. Not much has changed there since he wrote the book. It's not like his other huge novels that start at the beginning of time and span generations. It's shorter and much easier to read.

My f2f group has chosen Out Stealing Horses this month. It's written by a Norwegian author, Per Petterson, and was translated into English not long ago. I'm enjoying it very much.

Babi · « **Reply #207 on:** January 28, 2010, 08:34:22 AM »

Does it say what Maryanne lives on, JACKIE? It's amazing how savings
disappear when one is not working.

I was interested in the Per Petterson book they first time someone
mentioned it, but couldn't find it in any nearby libraries. I think I'll take
another look and see if it's turned up anywhere.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #208 on:** January 28, 2010, 01:23:41 PM »

Maryanne has savings enough to last for six months if she wants or one year if she budgets. She is free-lancing for her old firm, also. Plus she finds another opportunity working part time for the shelter where she found Bob, whose formal name is Roberto to go along with the cat who is formally Clemente but called Clement. There is not much nothing in this .little book, 207 pages, but it is so savory that I find myself lingering along the way as I read, not my usual breakneck pace at all.

Steph · « **Reply #209 on:** January 29, 2010, 06:14:02 AM »

I am still slogging along on the novel. She seems to have thrown her life away, although I would bet that at the end, there will be peace.. Still if this is a memoir, the lady needs to clean up her act.

Judy Laird · « **Reply #210 on:** January 31, 2010, 09:15:38 PM »

I would like to tell you of a book I just finished and highly reccomend it.
Roses by Leila Meacham. I put it on my Kindle and couldn't put it down .

maryz · « **Reply #211 on:** January 31, 2010, 10:44:20 PM »

I've just started Roses on my Kindle, too - I'm liking it.

Steph · « **Reply #212 on:** February 01, 2010, 06:22:12 AM »

Roses is on my wish list at the paperback swap club.. So sooner or later, I will get to read it.

CubFan · « **Reply #213 on:** February 01, 2010, 09:08:07 AM »

Greetings -

I started Roses yesterday and am not quite sure how I am going to keep myself doing what needs to be done today instead of spending all my time reading. There is also the fact that I would like to drag this one out a bit so I can enjoy it longer. And yet on the other hand - on a cold gray day - what can be better than curling up with a good book.

Have a good day all.

Mary

Judy Laird · « **Reply #214 on:** February 01, 2010, 07:25:34 PM »

Mary I could not stop reading it. It was funny last night at dinner I was talking to a lady and she said she couldn't figure it out but everytime she went in to make her bed she found herself laying in it. Shes also mad at me because I have her Starvation Heights to read and she can't put it down.

CubFan · « **Reply #215 on:** February 01, 2010, 11:30:05 PM »

Greetings -

Well other than taking a short time out to pay the bills for this month and a couple of quick meals I did nothing else today except read. I just now finished Roses. It's been a while since I've had a book that I could not put down. Wow!! A good read.

Mary

Steph · « **Reply #216 on:** February 02, 2010, 06:07:42 AM »

OK Judy.. First Mexican hat and now stealing books from little old ladies.. Wait wait.. Thats what we are..

Babi · « **Reply #217 on:** February 02, 2010, 09:24:55 AM »

Judy Laird · « **Reply #218 on:** February 02, 2010, 02:19:43 PM »

Steph maybe I should read what I write before I hit post. I meant I gave her the book and not have her book. She's unhappy because she can't put it down. Her son had me show her my Kindle as he wants here to get one. She has some reservations about it because she needs very large print. I am told that her grandson works at Amazon so she could probably get a discount always a plus in my world.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #219 on:** February 02, 2010, 03:37:09 PM »

Steph: I was browsing Yahoo Groups and found there is one for friends of Corgis and thought of you.

Steph · « **Reply #220 on:** February 03, 2010, 06:16:34 AM »

I belong to Corgi-L, and two spinoffs Corgiwives ( which is a widows group) and corgibooklovers( a brand new bookclub for books with dogs). Like all of them.. The bookclub discussion is not quite settled down. Seniorlearn is much much better for discussions.
Aha Judy, a likely story.. I know what you mean. I wish I knew someone close who has a kindle. I think I want one, but am not quite sure.

maryz · « **Reply #221 on:** February 03, 2010, 06:46:15 AM »

I wish I could loan you mine.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #222 on:** February 03, 2010, 10:08:48 AM »

Oregon Public Radio's Early Bird drawing prize for today is an iPad. Too bad I've paid my dues already.

Judy Laird · « **Reply #223 on:** February 03, 2010, 06:26:14 PM »

The lady that I told you about has had her grandson order her one. She says that she will be on my doorstep for months, thats what you get for touting your Kindle. hehe

mabel1015j · « **Reply #224 on:** February 04, 2010, 12:27:46 AM »

I think Amazon should give SeniorLearn and SeniorsandFriends donations for all the advertising you are doing for the Kindle

............i'm sure between all the discussions at least 2 dozen have been sold

................jean

Steph · « **Reply #225 on:** February 04, 2010, 05:59:00 AM »

I gather from reading that there are several new things out that are like Kindle, but none are compatible. I do so wish companies would not do that.. Makes it hard on readers.
I am reading My Lobotomy by Howard Dully.. It is a memoir written years later by a man who had a lobotomy at age 12.. The sins committed in the name of medicine is remarkable.

jane · « **Reply #226 on:** February 04, 2010, 08:50:14 AM »

It sounds as if there's probably going to be a VHS/Beta and then the Blue Ray ans whatever the other format was problem with the various ebook things. I guess there must be 4 now? Kindle, the Sony one, the B&N "nook," and now the I-Pad.

I also saw the news that Amazon caved to Macmillan and will charge what Macmillan wants, not the $9.99 for new titles that it did formerly. It sounds as if things could get very interesting in the e-book world over the next months.

I really want one...but now don't know what to get. Guess I'll sit and see how all of this resolves itself.

jane

mabel1015j · « **Reply #227 on:** February 04, 2010, 01:34:50 PM »

There was a little blurp in our Sun paper saying "A priest in Poland is using an electronic reader for schoolchildren to leave their fingerprints in order to monitor their attendence at Mass".......the columnist commented "And i tho't checking for envelopes was strict."..............

That seems so wrong on so many different levels, but i tho't you'd appreciate knowing another way readers are being used.

jean

pedln · « **Reply #228 on:** February 04, 2010, 06:25:11 PM »

Jean, I can understand your concern, but the kids seem to like it. Apparently if they attend enough mass over a period of time they can skip the exams required for confirmation.

Quote

The kids love the idea.

Reuters interviewed one young churchgoer:

“This is comfortable. We don’t have to stand in a line to get the priest’s signature (confirming our presence at the mass) in our confirmation notebooks,” said one pupil, who gave her name as Karolina. Poland is perhaps the most devoutly Roman Catholic country in Europe today and churches are regularly packed on Sundays.

While the fingerprinting idea seems to have gone down well with the kids, it must make some adults nervous that someone out there (possibly in the Vatican?) has access to a huge database of tiny fingerprints.

joangrimes · « **Reply #229 on:** February 04, 2010, 10:38:15 PM »

That is interesting. I can understand why the Kids like it .

Joan Grimes

Steph · « **Reply #230 on:** February 05, 2010, 06:09:25 AM »

Electronic.. The kids love anything like that. They dont consider later, when they might not be happy for someone to be able to track them.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #231 on:** February 05, 2010, 01:26:16 PM »

Poetry
My library f2f book group, since Valentine's Day is imminent, chose to do Poetry for our February reading! I just want to tell you, that poetry and love for it is not dead! We had 13 people attend, which is amazing. The format was: Bring your favorite poem or two, bring a poem you have written. These will be read aloud and discussed briefly, not in any academic way of course! I can't begin to tell you what a hit this was, and since we had such wonderful response, our librarian group leader has said that we might do it again this year! As for the menu, we had e.e.cummings (twice) Carl Sandburg; Edna St. Vincent Millay; Kay Ryan; 4 people read their own poems, or ones written by a family member; plus there were others that I had not heard of, or poems that we knew most of the lines of; (leave it to me to forget the poets' names). But, wow. we were all so uplifted and most lingered on past our appointed hour, to chat and rehash. If you are in a f2f group, you might give this a try. It goes without saying that not specified, short poems were in order rather than epic odes!

JoanK · « **Reply #232 on:** February 05, 2010, 03:14:21 PM »

Tomereader:That sounds great.

When I'm on Seniorlearn, I always go into the poetry discussion last. It sends me on into the day feeling uplifted.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #233 on:** February 05, 2010, 03:16:12 PM »

No, Joan, not IN the poetry discussion, although from time to time, I pop in and read the posts.

JoanK · « **Reply #234 on:** February 05, 2010, 03:17:19 PM »

I saw you were there, and changed my post.

Steph · « **Reply #235 on:** February 06, 2010, 06:23:15 AM »

A different approach. Every time I have joined any of the poetry book groups, they tend to want to read their own.. Just doesnt work well for me.

Babi · « **Reply #236 on:** February 06, 2010, 09:31:13 AM »

Quote

Guess I'll sit and see how all of this resolves itself.

That's generally a good tactic, JANE. The first wave of new products are
always expensive and generally still have a few bugs that need to be
worked out. The later models have more competition and are generally
cheaper and work better.

STEPH, the poetry discussion here only has one bona fide poet,
Fairanna, and her poetry is beautiful. Sometimes she will share some of it with us. The rest of us just post seasonal topical poems that we enjoy.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #237 on:** February 06, 2010, 10:33:34 AM »

Steph: We have also spent the month on one poet, posting and discussing poems by that poet. Right now we are sharing poems about winter: snow, ice, storm, cold, etc. Drop in and try us.

Steph · « **Reply #238 on:** February 07, 2010, 05:49:23 AM »

Possibly will try the poetry. My problem is I have strong likes and dislikes in poetry..

JoanK · « **Reply #239 on:** February 07, 2010, 02:23:46 PM »

I admit that if I think I'm not going to like a poem, I just skip it. (Don't tell).

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Author Topic: Fiction ~ Old ~ New ~ Best Sellers #2 (Read 776011 times)