Author Topic: Fiction ~ Old ~ New ~ Best Sellers #2 (Read 776202 times)

Babi · « **Reply #2720 on:** January 13, 2012, 08:42:06 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

My son's letters were great, too, STEPH. He has such a humorous style, and
always had me laughing. Now that he lives close enough to come see us about
once a month, he no longer needs to write the letters. I miss them, but
gladly forfeit the letters to have the writer.

That's a very promising list of books, BARB. I wonder if I can find any of
them in my library. Let you know if I do.

maryz · « **Reply #2721 on:** January 13, 2012, 10:37:31 AM »

Thanks for the reminder, Steph. I've looked at those from time to time, but haven't found one at the same time there's something John wants to take. Guess I could go by myself, couldn't I.

pedln · « **Reply #2722 on:** January 13, 2012, 11:17:36 AM »

Are we going to rue the day of email? Steph and Babi, your comments remind me of the book I just picked up from the library -- As Always, Julia (edited) by Joan Reardon, non-fiction) --
the letters between Julia Child and Avis DeVoto. Two women, who had not met, quickly change from Mrs Child and Mrs DeVoto to Julia and Avis. And it all started with a thank you note for a kitchen knife. I'm loving this book -- what if we'd had email then.

What also amazes me is that these letters were saved. When you think of all the moving around that Julia Child did -- when y ou move house, you clean house.

JoanK · « **Reply #2723 on:** January 13, 2012, 03:45:53 PM »

What a wonderful discussion of print and paper. Ever since I saw a (old-time) book that listed the men who had printed it by name, I always thought the note about typeface was a way of acknowledging the artistic contribution that the printers had made to the book. I like to think that's true, anyway, even if it's not.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #2724 on:** January 13, 2012, 03:56:47 PM »

Yes, JoanK, I think you are correct about the acknowledgement of the printers or designers of the print type/font.

maryz · « **Reply #2725 on:** January 13, 2012, 03:58:54 PM »

I was reminded.... There is a artist from Chattanooga - Barry Moser - who does etchings, wood-cut prints, illustrations. etc. His work is fabulous, and we are lucky enough to have one of his original illustations for Huckleberry Finn. He's done many of the children's classics, etc. Anyhow, a few years ago his company put out a VERY limited edition of the Bible - with his illustrations, all handmade - and very expensive. Here's a link to the web site about it.

http://www.pennyroyal-caxton.com/

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #2726 on:** January 13, 2012, 04:08:20 PM »

Fascinating Mary - the whole story of how the book was handcrafted, printed, illustrated - just wonderful - thanks for the link.

JeanneP · « **Reply #2727 on:** January 13, 2012, 08:13:48 PM »

I am a lot like your son. Love writing long letters and also receiving them. Something about opening a letter one receives from the Mail man. Different feeling from getting a E-Mail. I just received one today from a cousin in UK. She and I normal to E-M daily. I have been sending but not hearing back. Now know why. Her computer has gone. Not worth fixing. Lost all E-M address.
We never think of it breaking down or people being sick and not able to get on a computer. Have lost 3 people last 2 years and know that due to us going onto E-mail for past 8 years their family had no way of letting me know due to them not being able to get into their computers. I did finely use a telephone to get the info.

I have always liked letter writing. When young in Uk., some of the time during the war, I must have had about 10 Pen pals. Some in other parts of the World. Now most are gone.

JoanK · « **Reply #2728 on:** January 13, 2012, 09:36:18 PM »

And I'm the opposite. I could never write letters: I'm famous in my family for it. As a result, i've lost track of many friends as I moved around in my early days. But something about that big, empty page intimidates me. For some reason, e-mails and posts feel completely different -- very comfortable.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #2729 on:** January 14, 2012, 05:13:25 AM »

I love letter writing but there aren't many people who are prepared to keep up a correspondence. Yesterday I had a letter from my friend who moved to Milan, Italy seven years ago - it was so lovely to be able to read all of her news, then read it again. A friend who now lives in Malaysia also writes, which is great. The only two people with whom I still have regular paper correspondence here in the UK are my mother and a friend from before I was married - we now have 5 almost grown up children between us, and meet up about once a year, but still write in between.

Emails are wonderful, but there is nothing like getting a real letter, IMO.

Having said that, i do think the www is an amazing thing - it has led me to all sorts of places and people that I would never have met; it is a great way of finding people with similar interests or takes on life, and I have found out so much about the little details of life in other countries, especially the US.

Rosemary

Steph · « **Reply #2730 on:** January 14, 2012, 06:13:43 AM »

MaryZ... maybe you and I could find a week when we both wanted classes, this next summer and we could room together. I love John Campbell, but they wont let you have a single room.. and the idea of complete strangers throws me..I do love taking their classes and am very interested in learning quilting..I quilted a bit when younger, but only piecework types. Now I think it would be fun to learn some of the intricate patterns.

maryz · « **Reply #2731 on:** January 14, 2012, 09:19:37 AM »

Sounds like a plan, Steph. See if you can find a class or two you'd like, and I'll see what I can find in those weeks. (I don't think I snore too much.

)

Babi · « **Reply #2732 on:** January 14, 2012, 09:25:32 AM »

Fascinating, MARYZ. I was surprised,tho', that the majority of the illustrations
seem dark and bloody. I realize that the Bible does reflect the bloody history of
humankind, but it's primary message to me is the light shining through all of it.

A good point, JEANNE. I am fortunate that my daughter and I share this computer,
and she knows how to access all my information. I can always ask her to pass on
an explanation for my absence. Maybe we should make it a practice to have someone
who can do that, just as we arrange for someone to hold a power of attorney for
us. The times, they are a-changing, as someone or other said.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2733 on:** January 14, 2012, 09:43:41 AM »

Marvelous, MaryZ. Of course, the first thing I did was look up the history of the Galliard typeface. Have yet to check out the other one and finish looking at the rest of the book. Caxton is a typeface name but they didn't use it in the book, so it must denote something else. I need to find out how they decided on the title "Pennyroyal Caxton" when I have time.

Steph · « **Reply #2734 on:** January 16, 2012, 06:00:09 AM »

I have been digging around in classes for next summer.. I found that Road Scholar has a bunch of classes at Black Mountain and at Lake Junalaska.. Both are close enough to Franklin to make it an easy drive.. Not to commute, a bit far for that. Also John Campbell, when I find my summer catalogue. I can go on line if I have to.
Snore.. I suspect I do, but who hears themselves.

Babi · « **Reply #2735 on:** January 16, 2012, 08:51:30 AM »

maryz · « **Reply #2736 on:** January 16, 2012, 11:23:34 AM »

Steph, unfortunately I have heard myself - it's quite humiliating! The JCCampbell doesn't have anything in a catalog past June 2012 (we have that one). I looked on line, too, but still nothing past June. Surely there should be something out soon.

marjifay · « **Reply #2737 on:** January 16, 2012, 01:04:02 PM »

Off topic, but I was just noticing Babi's quotation "I don't pretend to understand the universe; it's a great deal bigger than I am. ...Thomas Carlyle"

My son who likes to read science books was just telling me that they have found that there are an infinite number of universes (not galaxies like our Milky Way galaxy, but whole universes). I was amazed. I'm probably the only one who didn't know this. With that many universes, there must be other planets with humans like ours, eh?

Marj

Frybabe · « **Reply #2738 on:** January 16, 2012, 01:25:23 PM »

Marj,

Your son must be talking about the theory that there are parallel universes. Perhaps he is more familiar with the term Multiverse which includes parallel universes. As far as I know, it is all mathematical construct and not proven by physical means - yet. I mostly associate it with quantum physics/mathematics and string theory, oh, and of course, science fiction.

marjifay · « **Reply #2739 on:** January 16, 2012, 01:45:18 PM »

Thanks, Frybabe, I'll ask him. He said he was going to explain it more to me. Sounds very interesting, but probably too complicated for me to grasp.
Oh well, on with Stephen King's 11/22/63, more my speed. LOL.

Marj

marjifay · « **Reply #2740 on:** January 16, 2012, 02:28:17 PM »

Frybabe -- more on mulltiverse theory:

I showed my son what you said, and he agreed that was what he had been talking about. But he said that just recently some scientists in England believe they have discovered physical evidence to support the theory. He said to google BBC - MULTIVERSE MICROWAVE BACKGROUND and read about it if you are interested.

Marj

Frybabe · « **Reply #2741 on:** January 16, 2012, 07:38:22 PM »

Thanks, I will, Marj.

PS: just checked out the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/ that is mentioned in the article. I hadn't heard of it before now. It is now a new link in my science bookmark folder, along with Kepler and Messenger. I also the NSF, NASA and Chandra newsletter. I don't remember any mention of this. Hmmm!

Steph · « **Reply #2742 on:** January 17, 2012, 05:57:32 AM »

I am still using the Daniel Silva books to catch up. I am not reading them in sequence, which is a little confusing sometimes, but as I can find them.. No idea why I like them so much, but I do. Gabriel is interesting.

JoanK · « **Reply #2743 on:** January 17, 2012, 11:05:36 PM »

Margefay: "probably too complicated for me to grasp."

Don't sell yourself so short. If the explanation is too complicated for you to grasp, either it's a bad explanation or the person explaining hasn't gotten to the root of it yet. All great truths are simple. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #2744 on:** January 18, 2012, 03:46:10 AM »

Joan - you are so right. When I was working in my last job, the senior partner had a way of brushing you off with 'it's perfectly simple' - and because he was the senior partner, I always felt obliged to crawl away and try to understand whatever it was by myself. It was only as time wore one that I realised that he usually had less of a clue than i did - he was just a typical court lawyer, very good at bluff and not at all interested in the detail, which bored him rigid. The kind of work I did, however - wills, trusts and estates (probate) - requires a lot of attention to detail. In the end, I did often say to him 'No, I don't think that's right' - never got me anywhere, but at least I didn't feel quite so inadequate!

I wish I had learned to stand up to people like him earlier - when I was at university I was surrounded by people from public schools (ie top rank fee paying schools like Eton) who all sounded so authoritative and clever that I more or less turned up my academic toes. Only now do I realise that it was 99% bluff - and of course it is these people who go on to run the country!

Rosemary

Steph · « **Reply #2745 on:** January 18, 2012, 06:17:15 AM »

I love detail, always have..and math.. yum,, but the scientific community bores me enough that I dont even try to figure out how things work. I know I should, but I simply cannot bring myself to care. As long as it works, that is just fine with me.
I picked up an older Lisa See.. Her China is fascinating to me. The idea of Red Princes and Princesses is really wild. The original marchers children are priviledged. and rich.. Hmm.

Babi · « **Reply #2746 on:** January 18, 2012, 08:45:12 AM »

I had a somewhat similar problem, ROSEMARY. I was raised to be polite and kind, and dreaded confrontation of any kind. Consequently, I could never bring myself to tell anyone a harsh truth or stick up for myself when someone became aggressive. I will speak up now when I think I need to, but I'll still be tactful about it.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #2747 on:** January 18, 2012, 01:17:08 PM »

I think it went with the territory if you were a girl - there would be a smirk and smile when boys mis-behaved and pride if they "stood up for themselves" regardless if it was with words or fists and a bloody nose, but a girl was supposed to be a good little girl with a curl in the middle of her forehead as the old nursery rhyme suggested because you may have been tolerated as a tom boy but not dis-obedient or rough mannered - or not giving deference to your elders - which set us up to imagine men and boys had the skills that we were never allowed to practice without the risk of being considered 'less than' therefore, they knew and we were humbly in second place.

Remember the cartoons, jokes and even movie scripts that showed a women, especially a wife, who knew her way and could get things done she was called and depicted as a battle ax, a wild women without an attractive body. I am also remembering how much women drivers were always made in fun of and blamed as the cause of any hiccup on the road.

We still have to weigh our words in some instances to be heard or to move things along but to get help - that takes a special guy and for that I wonder if it is not so much we are women but even guys seldom help each other - their world is all about competition and so they bluff themselves through much just to make themselves look like they are top dog.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #2748 on:** January 18, 2012, 01:42:48 PM »

Barb - just yesterday the plumber called about installing a new shower. He is in his seventies but still working. He explained that we needed to buy a certain type of shower to fit the existing hole in the wall - then he said 'it's difficult to explain what I mean over the phone - especially to a woman'.

Needless to say, husband thought this was hilarious. Unfortunately tradesmen are like gold dust around here, so i will just have to bite my lip.

I was most definitely brought up not to 'make a fuss'. I am not sure how much of this was a gender thing and how much a class one. My mother certainly thought that you should show the utmost deference to anyone 'better' than you - that meant all teachers, bank managers, lawyers, doctors, anyone who lived in a better house than you, earned more money than you, had a better education, etc etc. However, I do recall her being outraged when women demanded equal pay for an equal job - her view being that 'men had a family to support, women were just doing work for pin money' - I don't know where that idea came from, as she had to work from the day my father died (I was eight at the time) and it certainly wasn't for 'pin money'. Oh well, we are all children of our time I suppose. I'm sure my daughters despair over some of my views!

Rosemary

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #2749 on:** January 18, 2012, 01:50:23 PM »

ah - plumbers and electricians - have you noticed they can never explain anything without referring to sexual explanations for parts and fits - sheesh... I am sure it was how they were taught and in the beginning to get a bunch of guys who worked the land to understand it was probably the easiest since they were most familiar with animals as well as humans - but now it seems ludicrous.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #2750 on:** January 18, 2012, 03:24:19 PM »

I saw a wonderful bumper sticker here yesterday, and wanted to let the woman know that I appreciated it, but her car window was up, and I couldn't get her attention!

"Well-behaved women seldom make history!"

JoanK · « **Reply #2751 on:** January 18, 2012, 06:37:22 PM »

TOME:

Back in the 50s, I was a computer programmer, at first one of a few women in a man's field. I found, whenever I had to work with a new male colleague, I had to work to make him hear what I said.

MaryPage · « **Reply #2752 on:** January 18, 2012, 08:27:21 PM »

I believe that. I like TOTALLY believe that. Many, many men have accustomed themselves to just zoning out when women are speaking. Too many of these are husbands!

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #2753 on:** January 19, 2012, 04:48:37 AM »

MaryPage, you are so right!

Steph · « **Reply #2754 on:** January 19, 2012, 06:21:09 AM »

Y es, I have a wonderful tshirt.. Women who behave rarely make history.. I love it..
Yes, having gone through this whole siege with my toilet.. The plumbers will be here today to install the new one.. I am sure that he will be condescending, but I just want the new toilet and then to have some peace.
My parents were great about believing that women were equal. My Dad believed in education, but did have severe thoughts that women should be nurses, teachers, etc.. I thought being an architect would be great, but he really really discouraged me, but I did meet a female architect when I was in my 20's and already married. She confided however, that she and her husband were full partners and even then people would ask for him first.. Times have changed.
Why do I think there are two sides to the current argument on the web and freedom. There are some ways that I really believe that the web has too much freedom. I have recently been given the names of several sites and I really do not like the amount of information sitting out there about me and where I live,etc.

pedln · « **Reply #2755 on:** January 19, 2012, 06:47:08 PM »

Rosemary, re: equal pay for equal work -- When I was a kid, in my town there was a woman doctor on the school board (Dr. B.O. Jones) who was quite outspoken and caused quite a stir in town because of it. The school board was discussing salaries and many were of the opinion that male teachers should be paid more because they had families to support. Dr. Jones' comment to that was, "We do not pay our teachers according to their fertility."

JeanneP · « **Reply #2756 on:** January 19, 2012, 08:11:41 PM »

Rosemarykaye.
I grew up in UK a few years before you and so I doubt you ever heard of my Favourite book. (The girl Crusoes). How I love it. Was maybe 10 years old when I got it. Read it at least 5 time a year clear up to me leaving for the US many years later. Having had 2 daughters I have tried for years to find a copy. Never have. Long out of print. However someone just about 6 months ago told me they had seen a copy for sale but alas. it was In Australia. Every girl would have enjoyed that book.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #2757 on:** January 19, 2012, 08:52:49 PM »

Jeanne it may be that Amazon recently re-released the book - is this it - if so you have a source...

http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Crusoes-Story-South-Seas/dp/1467905372/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327024219&sr=8-1

Steph · « **Reply #2758 on:** January 20, 2012, 06:14:26 AM »

Iam reading Julia Spencer Flemings latest.. "One was a soldier" It is truly amazing. The has Claire and Russ.. and a mystery... but also a wonderful part of it is counseling about Trauma.. They are all vets in the counseling, but I can related being in a group just now myself.. It gave me a lot of insight about where the facilitator is coming from. Good book.

salan · « **Reply #2759 on:** January 20, 2012, 09:03:02 AM »

Barb and Jeanne, I just ordered it for my kindle because it was free. Hard to beat a deal like that~
Sally

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Author Topic: Fiction ~ Old ~ New ~ Best Sellers #2 (Read 776202 times)