Author Topic: Fiction ~ Old ~ New ~ Best Sellers #2 (Read 776304 times)

Aberlaine · « **Reply #2960 on:** March 18, 2012, 05:42:58 PM »

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

Has anyone read Cutting for Stone? It got rave reviews, but I'm finding it very difficult to get into.

I just finished Major Pettigrew's Last Stand (highly recommend) and Unbroken (recommended, but be careful - has violent parts.)

Nancy

Steph · « **Reply #2961 on:** March 19, 2012, 06:28:46 AM »

According to Shanghai Girls.. A shadow or ghost son.. Immigration from China was severely restricted for a long long time. However many males who were citizens would go and swear that certain people were their sons, left behind in China when they emigrated.. The sons would then come to the states as a relative and could be citizens. They were illegal of course and the country tried to find them and send them back.. Shanghai girls has a plot that hangs on this. My young friend came to the US at 17 to marry , sight unseen a man who was a shadow son. He abandoned her when her second child was born. She moved to Florida all by herself and supports herself and her daughters. She has never been able to get a divorce, since she has no idea where he is. She has bought a house, runs a very prosperous little restaurant and I love to talk to her.

Babi · « **Reply #2962 on:** March 19, 2012, 08:59:51 AM »

I read "Cutting for Stone", NANCY, and liked it very much. You might be intrigued to
checkinto the author. He is remarkable. I believe in some respects the main character
is modeled on him.

Thanks for the explanation of "shadow son", STEPH. This is all new info. to me. I wonder
if those already in America used the practice to bring over relatives, or if perhaps some were
paid to do it. Both, I would suppose.

ANNIE · « **Reply #2963 on:** March 19, 2012, 10:21:28 AM »

Of course, I remember now, 'shadow sons'! I read Shanghai Girls about a year ago. So much for my memory!

Ella recommended "Cutting for Stone" to me last year and I forgot about it as I was in the middle of Malcolm Gladwell's books at the time, "Blink". Anyone read that? The man's supposition are very different but fun to consider.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2964 on:** March 19, 2012, 12:56:47 PM »

I've started another light read as an antidote to my accounting studies. It is called House of a Thousand Candles, don't recall the author's name just now. Essentially it is one of those stories where the protagonist inherits, but only if he completes a request first. In this case, the request is to live in a house out in Indiana for one year. The house is quite unfinished or unfurnished, apparently, except for a few rooms, one of which is a library. The library is filled floor to ceiling with only one subject matter - architecture. The person inheriting is a young man who hasn't settled down yet and has squandered his money on traveling and revelry. Near the house is a girl's school run by nuns to which the deceased had been a regular donor/sponsor. The young man finds the butler rather disconcerting and has not been in the house for more than a few hours before someone takes a pot shot at him through a window. I am enjoying it.

marjifay · « **Reply #2965 on:** March 20, 2012, 12:06:37 AM »

I just finished one of the the best books I've read so far this year: THE PLEASURE OF MY COMPANY by Steve Martin. It's a short book (163 pp) about a loveable young man who has an obsessive-compulsive disorder with many strange and funny habits which, as he says, keeps the demons away. He is also very intelligent in certain ways (give him a future or past date and he instantly knows the day of the week on which it falls; he can quickly devise a "magic square" in which the numbers across and down all add up to the same number, etc). You will laugh a lot at his thoughts and behavior, you may have a tear in your eyes at times, but you will love him. I know I did.

Frybabe, I had to laugh at your reading a good book as an antidote to your accounting studies. I was the same way when taking my business minor courses--had to read something to get away from those d..n boring classes. The books for my anthropology major were much more interesting. House of a Thousand Candles sounds good -- I put it on my TBR list.

Marj

Steph · « **Reply #2966 on:** March 20, 2012, 06:31:52 AM »

I have been struggling with Blackbird.. It is a memoir, but there is no way this woman could remember in all that detail things from when she was four..So I suspect a good deal of it is "Maybe". An odd book, so I read a bit and then change off to something that is an easier read. Lazy..

Frybabe · « **Reply #2967 on:** March 20, 2012, 07:23:46 AM »

Marj, House of a Thousand Candles is written by Meredith Nickolson and published in 1905. I downloaded the free ebook from Manybooks.net.

Babi · « **Reply #2968 on:** March 20, 2012, 09:11:44 AM »

That does sound intriguing, FRYBABE. An unfinished and mostly unfurnished house, with a library full of books on architecture. Not to mention a disconcerting butler. Sounds like fun. "The Lovable Young Man" sounds good, too, MARJ. I hope my library has them.

Not 'lazy', STEPH. It's a very sensible way to approach a book that you want to
read but does not lend itself to long sessions. I've read many a good book that I
could not have managed without a break in other directions.

ANNIE · « **Reply #2969 on:** March 20, 2012, 09:32:55 AM »

I have written down all the suggestions for the last day or two.
Marg,
The description of your book sounds very similar to one that I read last month for my f2f group. Entitled "Born On A Blue Day" is story of a young man who sees colors for everything. He is autistic but functioning thanks to his stalwart parents of six children. He has a mathmatical memory and does incredible things like taking pi out to almost inifnity and other unbelievable things. He also does the date thing plus other. He lives with his partner and runs a business on the internet. I believe he is about 30 now and he is asked to do the pi thing for different math groups. I believe he lives in England. He wrote this book himself. Did your young man? That would be non-fiction. Oh well, we can talk about it here anyway. I will see if my library has it. By the way the square sounds and looks like Soduko.

marjifay · « **Reply #2970 on:** March 20, 2012, 11:41:07 AM »

BORN ON A BLUE DAY sounds very interesting, AdoAnnie. I have not read it.

THE PLEASURE OF MY COMPANY is a short novel by Steve Martin. It reads as tho' it was written by the young obsessive-compulsive man in the story, but it is fiction. Steve Martin has such talent: comedian, actor, writer, musician. Have you heard his great banjo playing?

Marj

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #2971 on:** March 20, 2012, 01:25:42 PM »

I found House of a Thousand Candles to be published in 1866 with some later publishing dates of 1901 and 1905 - you can read it online with Amazon - Free - it is all there when you click the line that says: Search inside this book. Sounds like a delightful read and I think the message is you can do great things with what you have in front of you even if there is not a buffet to choose from - If that is one of the underlying messages it would be a good one for now with folks feeling we are more limited rather than like a few years ago when we felt everything and anything was at our fingertips.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2972 on:** March 20, 2012, 04:25:54 PM »

Here is an interesting site that has info about Nickolson and shows the illustrations from the original book, which I do not have in my ebook edition. http://www.culver.lib.in.us/house_thousand_candles.htm Several sites say that this was one of the top ten best sellers in 1906.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #2973 on:** March 20, 2012, 07:37:24 PM »

Frybabe I bet what I saw 1866 was the date of the author's birth because more research and round this really nice web page with his bio that does include the dates of his various books

http://iwp.iweb.bsu.edu/IndianaAuthors/Pages/Nicholson,%20Meredith.html

Wow looks like he had his doctorate in Letters and in Law and the book it appears was published in 1905.

Steph · « **Reply #2974 on:** March 21, 2012, 06:25:28 AM »

Since I have been down in the dumps for the past few days. Dragged out a saved Terry Pratchett.. They are guaranteed to make me laugh and realize that life is short, best to laugh hard.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #2975 on:** March 21, 2012, 11:13:34 AM »

he is a good one for a laugh - for me to break a mood I read the exploits of Agatha Raisin - granted a cozy but she to me as a character is so funny and often hits the nail on the head with her aging and inadequacy coverups...

mabel1015j · « **Reply #2976 on:** March 21, 2012, 01:34:06 PM »

Interesting article on how reading fiction effects our brains and what we learn from it.....

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-neuroscience-of-your-brain-on-fiction.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3&sq=Your brain on fiction&st=Search&scp=1

Steph - I hope your mood is better and you found something to laugh about in your reading.

Jean

dbroomsc · « **Reply #2977 on:** March 21, 2012, 03:55:14 PM »

Steph and Barb, another author for a laugh is Tamar Myers, especially her early books in the Penn Dutch series. Also, I like to reread Anne George's books. They are always good for a laugh. They are both mysteries, but sometimes the mystery get lost in the humor.

CallieOK · « **Reply #2978 on:** March 21, 2012, 05:30:22 PM »

I loved the Anne George "mysteries"!!! Hadn't thought about her in a long time and just checked with my library. No new ones listed.

I've not known about Tamar Myers, but there are some of hers listed - and quite a few are in my branch of the metro system.

Steph · « **Reply #2979 on:** March 22, 2012, 06:12:00 AM »

Anne George did not start writing until late in life and died when the last book was barely finished. Sad, she was a fun writer.
I am dragging myself up to some sort of humor..Everything technical in the house managed to implode yesterday,, so I spent the day doing catch up.
This Pratchett is decidedly odd.. I am slogging through it and may stop for a while. Shame.. he always has had the ability to make me laugh, but this one is sort of weird. I guess in the end it is about football??? and how different people can be?

dbroomsc · « **Reply #2980 on:** March 22, 2012, 06:44:23 AM »

Sadly, when Anne George died there were no more books. Unlike so many writers who die with completed scripts waiting to be published or incomplete ones that someone else finishes, Anne had neither. I own most of her books and have read all of them. Loved them all.

I must look up Terry Pratchett. I feel sure our library will have some of his books. Have read some of the earlier Agatha Raisin books. They are a hoot.

Not in the mystery genre, but my first taste of real humor in books was Richard Armour's books. The only title I can remember is It All Started with Shakespeare. Alan Bennett injects a lot of humor in his books too,

Babi · « **Reply #2981 on:** March 22, 2012, 08:16:44 AM »

I agree with you, FRYBABE. Why not copy that post and send it to OpEd at your most
popular newspaper?

CALLIE, I would love to have met your grandmother! Good for your granddaughter, too.
Didn't you find a family of independent women was a terrific aid to the young women of
your generation? Mine were wonderfully lovable, but sweet and compliant. There were times
in my life I would have been better off to stand up and fight. But no, I was too afraid of
hurting someone's feelings.

I like the Tim Parks article, JEAN. Well written...and he agrees with me!

I'm afraid I would find a book about football boring, STEPH, even by our beloved Pratchett.

Steph · « **Reply #2982 on:** March 23, 2012, 06:21:07 AM »

The book is sort of about football and how it had become a killer in the streets. I think making fun of soccer (football) fans and the riots.. It also has an odd character, who seems to be an experiment in seeing if a totally different type of person can learn to blend in.. Very odd Pratchett.
If I really need a laugh. Stephanie Plum does it for me..
Dont think I want to see Hunger Games, have not read or want to read the books..
Shirley Jackson.. The Lottery was terrifying, but she had several books on her family that are very very funny.. She was married to a critic for Theatre and some are about that.

Babi · « **Reply #2983 on:** March 23, 2012, 08:49:04 AM »

Much as I love Terry Pratchett, I have not loved all his books. Some, like his spoof of
film-making, just didn't cut it for me. But 'when he was good, he was very, very good'!!

JoanK · « **Reply #2984 on:** March 23, 2012, 03:35:04 PM »

My daughter and oldest grandson loved The Hunger Games. they're planning to see the movie this weekend. She keeps urging me to read it, but I've resisted so far.

maryz · « **Reply #2985 on:** March 23, 2012, 04:48:13 PM »

JoanK, John read Hunter Games sort-of accidentally, having no idea what it was. He said it was a good book...and that the teenage girls would go berserk over the movie. Our daughter (age 53 had gotten it for our Kindles) said that the first book was "excellent", the second one was "fair", and the third one was "weak". I don't like that type of story, so I'm not planning to read it. John and I won't be seeing the movie, either.

Steph · « **Reply #2986 on:** March 24, 2012, 05:51:41 AM »

My granddaughter, boyfriend and half of her friends all went to the first night of Hunger Games. They even bought advance tickets.. They were so excited.
I gave up onthe Terry Pratchett. It was just too too stupid..I mostly like him, but the witches are the most fun.

salan · « **Reply #2987 on:** March 24, 2012, 06:49:29 AM »

My 11 yr old grandson's class has been reading The Hunger Games. My daughter got it for her Kindle, so she could read it along with him. She loved the book and has read the second and is waiting for the third. She texted me yesterday and she, Dylan and a friend were in a long line waiting for the 7pm showing of the movie. She said there were a lot of "tweens" in line. She keeps encouraging me to read it; but I didn't like the premise. My older sister read it and liked it alot.....I may have to give in & read it?

?
Sally

Babi · « **Reply #2988 on:** March 24, 2012, 09:04:12 AM »

Maybe we could read the first of the "Hunger Games", which is supposed to be the best, and
then pass on the rest of them unless we really get hooked. I really don't know what it is actually
about. SALLY, could you explain the premise you said you didn't like. I might not like it, either.

maryz · « **Reply #2989 on:** March 24, 2012, 09:34:07 AM »

Babi, here's the synopsis from Amazon....

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Acclaimed writer Suzanne Collins, author of the New York Times bestselling The Underland Chronicles, delivers equal parts suspense and philosophy, adventure and romance, in this searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present.
Sh

Babi · « **Reply #2990 on:** March 24, 2012, 10:02:00 AM »

Ah, thank you, MARYZ. Actually, this reminds me of another book, but I can't remember which
one just now. In it, young people were chosen and sent to Crete to become 'bull dancers' with
the Minotaur. It was very dangerous, and the young people had no choice in the matter. Anyone
else know the book?
Having read that summary, SALLY, I don't care for the premise, either. I enjoyed the book I
vaguely remember, but in that case there was no 'fight to the death'. If the dancer was skillful,
his/her art could become a matter of pride.

MaryPage · « **Reply #2991 on:** March 24, 2012, 10:57:23 AM »

From the trailers I have seen, I gather the girl's younger sister was actually the girl chosen for The Hunger Games from their district, and the older girl talked them into letting her take her place. I may be wrong, but I have seen that bit on the news a number of times now.

I say again, the premise of these stories reminds me of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery. Shudder!

Over and over I am so glad I have lived during the times I have lived, and I do not have to face a future that may look like that. I absolutely will NOT read the books or see the movies. I have read one critic I admire say the writer is a very good one and she appears to be trying to warn the younger generations that they have to wake up and realize their voracious voyeurism is sucking the humanity out of their souls with these vicious reality shows being all the rage.

Babi, I think that was a Mary Renault book. Based on some guessing about what the pictures on the pottery mean. But the aim was not that all, or indeed any, would die.

CallieOK · « **Reply #2992 on:** March 24, 2012, 11:17:44 AM »

My book swap group is passing around "America Pacifica" which seems to have a similar theme to "Hunger Games". Post - (Social) Apocalypse ??

The one who passed it to me stopped after about 25 pages. I stopped after about 10.

As MaryPage said..."Shudder".

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #2993 on:** March 24, 2012, 11:42:34 AM »

sounds like the Hunger Game is the Roller Coaster of literature - some folks have to read what scares them so they can imagine beating the odds.

pedln · « **Reply #2994 on:** March 24, 2012, 01:26:54 PM »

My f2f group read The Hunger GAmes. I thought it was something written to our --what's that phrase -- prurient interests? Written to appeal to certain senses, in this case , violence involving others, not us. Fight to the finish. Only one victor left. It reminded me of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, in that a person is chosen to be beaten until dead. In another sense, it also reminded me of Lois Lowry's The Giver, another young adult book that I liked. There wasn't the violence in that one, it was more about living well in a society where all decisions were made for you. And in THe Hunger Games it seems that all decisions are made for you as well.

Just saw this -- from the Seattle Public Library

25 titles similar to The Hunger Games

marjifay · « **Reply #2995 on:** March 24, 2012, 11:54:52 PM »

I liked the HUNGER GAMES, just not enough to read the other two in the trilogy. It was a fast read, nothing deep. It was interesting to see how the girl, who had grown up hunting in the wilderness for wild animals and edible plants to have enough to eat, was able to outwit the others and stay alive.

Marj

Steph · « **Reply #2996 on:** March 25, 2012, 05:55:29 AM »

Ah Babi, it was of course Mary Renault and her Greek series who wrote about the Minotaur.. Lovely books. I did like her and I think read most of her books. She made ancient history become so vivid..

Babi · « **Reply #2997 on:** March 25, 2012, 09:54:23 AM »

It probably was a Mary Renault, MARYPAGE (and STEPH). She was a great favorite of mine; I read all her books.

Quote

some folks have to read what scares them so they can imagine beating the odds

. Barb
You may have a point there, BARB. I frequently imagine, or dream of, myself trying to
elude, or capture, the bad guys, but it usually doesn't seem to come out right. I sometimes
try to imagine what I would do if I got in serious trouble, but my ideas cannot work with
the reality of my uncooperative physical state. The best thing I can do is place myself
in God's hands and let Him work it out.

JoanK · « **Reply #2998 on:** March 25, 2012, 08:10:14 PM »

My daughter and grandson saw the movie of Hunger games and thought it was an excellant adaptation. So if you liked the book, you'll probably like it.

Steph · « **Reply #2999 on:** March 26, 2012, 06:09:40 AM »

I am having fun with Rita Mae Browns hounds and horses series. She has foxes, horses, hounds and people.. birds. They all have names and they talk to each other. NO murder thus far in this one, but I enjoy the great love of nature and animals.. Sister is a character.

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Author Topic: Fiction ~ Old ~ New ~ Best Sellers #2 (Read 776304 times)