Barbara Blume's recent posts

Recent public discussion board posts (showing 1-20 of 46).

Muggle,
Welcome!
How about My Side of the Mountain, The Call of the Wild, White Fang, Robinson Crusoe, Eragon.
I'll think of some otheres and get back to you.

What a nice idea. (wish I still lived in CA :-).
I live in the NY/NJ area. Anyone interested in a meet let me know.

Barbara

I picked up Julie this week as well. Looks like an ambitious read, especially if you are reading another book at the same time. I'm doing the same with an off the list book, The Other Boleyn Girl.

I know some have mentioned they did not care for Handmaid's Tale, but I enjoyed that book a lot.
So that's my suggestion for a first Atwood read.

I, too, vote for Rousseau

After reading Handmaid, which I loved, I picked up Blind Assassin and couldn't get into it at all. I like a book that grabs me at the start. Iknow that isn't always good since many books have slow beginnings.
I am currently reading an off the list book - The Other Boleyn Girl. I really am enjoying it. Since it a snow storm here in Jersey today, guess I'll get a lot of reading done :-)

Hi Mara,
Is it me or is it hard to get into this book?
I can be impatient about slow starting books, but I glanced ahead and it seems the writing style is the same and that is what I am having a hard time with.
Just wondered what you thought of it so far.

Barbara

Ashleigh,

I started Lolita a few weeks ago, and I couldn't get into it. I thought it was just me. I'll probably try again some other time, but like you because of the hype I expected I would be drawn into it easily.

Speaking of The Old Man and the Sea, that is what I just finished.

Susana,

Yes!
I recently watched the movie (not the original)produced in 1992. The story is so gripping,it's hard not to live it for days after viewing. In the case of reading it, I was always in the story, whether reading it or not.
GREAT BOOK

Debbie,

I love YA literature.
I've home schooled all of my children until they were at least in H.S. As a result I read lots of YA fiction with them. My youngest just started school this week. So my "career" is over.
Gotta find a new one :)
Thanks for the list.

I agree that not having any Shakespeare seems like an enormous oversight. But I believe that since his work was primarily meant to be "spoken" that it doesn't fall into the category of "reading".
That is why there are groups out there that get together to read his works aloud. That's my humble opinion on the subject.

Just finished The Sun Also Rises.
Mighty good, I might say, mighty good :-).

Thinker & Charity,
Are you watching the Masterpiece Theater special?
I have and am thoroughly enjoying it.

<<My approach is to set up a page on my blog (below) and then, as I read the book, write a review, post it, and then change the text to a link to that review. Until I have all 1,001. Well, it seems a good idea at the moment. Will see how far I get.>>

I just read your review of Slaughter House Five. I'm glad I did. I have that book sitting next to my bed and have read about three chapters and couldn't take any more. I thought it was me being ignorant of the style or something.
Anyway, I like your idea of reviews and will look at your site more for opinions.
Happy Reading.

BTW I'm not reading a book on the list at the moment. Kind of being led as Henry Miller mentions (love that quote). I've just finished The Moveable Feast and am reading The Sun Also Rises both by Hemingway.

The Catcher In The Rye

This is one of my favorite books of all time.
The plot "haunted" me day and night whether or not I was reading it.

I probably would not read a book that is electronic. I say probably because I never thought I would love using a computer and I do.
But as far as books go, I love everything about books. The feel, smell, the different types of paper used, the fonts, the covers. I especially love small books like the poetry size that can be easily carried around.
So at this point in life I have to say I would prefer to read an actual book.

Well Natalie,
We have more in common than HomeSchooling. Mental illness runs in my family as well, on my mother's side. And yes, I struggle too with depression, and many (what I believe) are related illnesses due to the condition.
I have Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue (which is at it's worst in these cold months) and an array of other emotional things which cause my life to be difficult. I have great faith, which for me, is what has brought me this far in life. I know that this will be with me forever, but it is a challenge which I must embrace, for if I don't it will surely destroy me. Thanks for sharing your story.

I also read The Road and found it quite good. It was a bit spooky, but the love of a father for his son was warming. A nice balance. I would recommend it.