Kieffala's comments (member since Apr 15, 2008)

Kieffala's comments from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die group.

Exactly!

Certainly, if one lives in NYC or a reasonably sized city these services are unnecessary, but, as I said above, not all of us have the luxury of great libraries.

I like Booksfree also. I've been teased/reprimanded for using it over my local library. But I too don't have the best library. There have been a few books I've wanted that they haven't had, and I wish they had a better recommendation setup, but otherwise good. I had one set of books get lost, and had to wait the 14 days before I could post a complaint, but they fixed it right away once I'd waited the requisite time. Of course, about a month later the Post Office finally delivered the original books, so I just sent them back. No harm, no foul.

I just started "The Book of Illusions." I didn't even remember adding it to my Booksfree, but it arrived a week ago. It's interesting so far.

Denise,

Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2008 version

Don't you hate that Denise?

Douglas Adams is hilarious. Hitchhiker's Guide is definitely all it's cracked up to be! And Christopher Moore, as we've mentioned.

I just finished the first in the Hitchhiker's Series. I look forward to reading more of it. As a psych major in undergrad, and a philosophy Master's student, it made me laugh even more!

I'm almost done with Cocaine Nights. At this point, I'm finishing it because I want to see what happens, not necessarily because I really care. It's just getting weird now.

Then I'm on to the Tipping Point.

Yeah, I'm always surprised to see my favorites on the hated lists, and my hates on the favorites list. It makes it good though, we're all different! Plus, I can look at people who are in agreement with me can be great for guidance and suggestions.

Vicky, I thought Tipping Point was on the list.

Well, I had 18, so I took it down to those I'd read in the last 10 years or so. No particular order:

The Shining
To Kill a Mockingbird
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (although I only just started it)
Lord of the Rings
The Hobbit
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Sun Also Rises
The Pit and the Pendulum
Le Pere Goriot

Smilla's Sense of Snow
Breakfast at Tiffany's
The Tropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Capricorn
Gulliver's Travels

I just started Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy. HILARIOUS! I started it last weekend while I had to wait for my husband to get food. It happened to be in the car, so there you go!

I REALLY didn't care for Smilla's Sense of Snow. About the only thing I liked about it was the descriptions of the landscapes and her "discussions" of snow. I remember turning the page, and discovering the book was over. I actually checked to make sure some pages weren't missing! It was so strange. It really left me hanging.

Welcome Isabella! Hope you enjoy this greoup.

I started Hitchhiker's Guide this weekend. It may be a bit before I can get into it, as I need to finish Cocaine Nights and start the September selection, but it was HILARIOUS in the first few pages!

I love Moore too! Practical Demon Keeping is my favorite so far.

Not on the list, but I started No. 1 Women's Detective Agency the other day. It's a very enjoyable and quick read. I'll finish it tonight. I could hav finished it last night, but I was falling asleep. I really like the characters, the writing, etc. I'm almost having a hard time believing a man wrote it.

As for Pride and Prejudice, I love it. I read it years ago and should reread it. And definitely, the A&E version is AWESOME.

Interesting, Karen, I listen to Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter.

What's ILLIAD? Is it something that all public libraries are involved with? We have a regional library, and even with that, I still can't get the books I want. That's why I do booksfree!

Alright Tom et al. Here's a Dickens rumor I've heard. Since it was serialized, and he tended to have cliffhanger endings to his chapters, people would be so excited about the arrival of the boat bearing the next installment, that they would actually throw themselves off the end of the pier in excitement. Many DROWNED! Or perhaps the crowd ended up pushing people in as a result of their fervor. Either way, HILARIOUS! Makes the Harry Potter crowd seem TAME!

As for the bipolar and prejudice discussion. I know many who are bipolar. Both diagnosed and undiagnosed. For the most part, aside from the side-effects, the diagnosed bipolar sufferers seem better off. They are being pro-active about their lives and their particular issue. Those non-diagnosed are WAY worse off.

As for the people who have no tolerance for people with any kind of mental disorder, they are just scared and small-minded. These are the people who refuse to get counselling when they NEED it because they think it's weak. So stupid! Most of the time, people being stupid and mean about mental disorders just haven't been diagnosed yet! We all have issues, and we could probably all do well with some therapy.

I agree also with those pointing out the amazingly intelligent and creative people who did or do have mental disorders. Life would be pretty dull without their input!

Also, I think it wasn't Lincoln who was bipolar. It was his wife. I know she had a mental disorder of some kind, more to the depressive side, but she did exhibit signs of mania and paranoia. I could be wrong about whether Lincoln himself was bipolar though too. I feel like I remember reading about his periods of depression.

I just finished "A moment on the Edge". Not on the list, but a nice break to be reading short stories. I'm getting ready to go get Cocaine Nights from the car.