You people certainly are great motivators. OK, now I'll put two more Ken Follett books on my TR shelf:

_Night Over Water_ (first published 1991)
and
_Eye of the Needle_ (first published 1978)

Hmmm, look what I found as well:
_The Needle's Eye_ by Margaret Drabble (first published in 1972)

I am going to read Eye of the Needle. I've heard several people tell me that they like it. I'm charging up my ereader now so that I should be able to make it through the rest of the book without charging again! :)

I've actually read Pillars of the Earth twice, the last time about 4 years ago, have the [sorta:] sequel on the shelf unread so far. I've read several of his spy novels, the one that comes immediately to mind is Eye of the Needle, very well done. I'll definitely have to investigate Night over Water.

I've just added the book, _The Pillars of the Earth_ by Ken Follett, to my To-Read shelf. It's such a familiar title. It's about time, I read it.

Below is an excerpt from the GR description:
"In 12th-century England, the building of a mighty Gothic cathedral signals the dawn of a new age. This majestic creation will bond clergy and kings, knights and peasants together in a story of toil, faith, ambition and rivalry. A sweeping tale of the turbulent middle ages, The Pillars of the Earth is a masterpiece from one of the world's most popular authors."

This is my first Ken Follett book. I'm somewhere around 50-60 pages into the book, and am enjoying it. I think that I will be reading more of his stuff in the not so distant future. :)

Jenni wrote: "Hi Katherine! I hope you like it here! :)

I just finished The Lightning Thief and Shantaram. I'm now reading The Pillars of the Earth, and listening to [boo..."
My Goodnes! Thank you so much; I haven't thought about Ken Follett in quite a while. I will have to reread "Pillars of the Earth" because it's been quite some time. I think he has a newer book out featuring the descendants of those characters in Pillars.
I like him as an author because he is so diversified. Have you read "Night Over Water"? It's my favorite of his. Hard to imagine he's the same person who wrote "The Third Twin". I think that was a LIfetime movie sometime back.

Hi Katherine! I hope you like it here! :)

I just finished The Lightning Thief and Shantaram. I'm now reading The Pillars of the Earth, and listening to The Sea of Monsters. I'm also starting a book that I won from another site - Into the Path of Gods.

I haven't read Rutherfurd's Irish series yet. Matter of fact, they're not even on my radar right now. I picked up "New York" because it is about American History, and wanted to see if the book would be an appropriate gift. I've added two copies to my Christmas list for people who live here that originally came from New York City.

Hi Katherine, welcome. :)

I'm a Rutherfurd fan, at least to some extent. I thoroughly enjoyed London and Sarum, but wasn't so keen on Russka, in fact couldn't finish it. I have a few more of his on the shelf, and will, someday, get to them. Have you read the Irish series? Good?

Welcome to the group, Katherine! My oldest daughter is a big fan of Rutherfurd's work (though I haven't read any of it myself). I'll have to recommend New York to her.

I'm new to this group; this is my first comment besides The Introduction.
I just finished Edward Rutherfurd's "New York" and highly recommend it. The way the author interweaves his characters into the story of four centuries of the growth of New York City makes this a page turner.
If you have read "London" or "Sarum" by this author, you know the format.

Didn't care for the Patterson book. A few things were left unfinished in my opinon, questions that needed answering.

Started on The Lightning Thief so we'll see where that takes me....

PS: I know I must sound crazy, with the back and forth, but I decided to just stick with Mary Mary til it's finished.

This cold has been the worst I can ever remember, everyone has it for 2 weeks, that's a long time for a cold. Unfortunately, in my case, a simple cold always turns into bronchitis. I was crankier than usual this time around because I've only just gotten over my last bout of bronchitis and it really wipes me out. No sleep, coughing all the time, it stresses me out.
I'm glad that you are feeling better, Earl; hopefully I'll recover quickly.

Jackie wrote: "I've got the dreaded bronchitis yet again, so I was grateful to have a book I didn't have to think too hard about. "
I'm coming off a 2-week cold myself that got into my chest. Last two nights I've finally been able to sleep on my back, and actually GET some sleep. Hang in there.

Jackie wrote: "Thanks. The Lightning Thief came into the library today, so I may start that in a little while. "

Jackie, I'm nibbling away at it. I'm on p. 136. I'm sure you'll finish it before I will. :)

Thanks.
The Lightning Thief came into the library today, so I may start that in a little while.

Yes, Jackie, we're all rooting for you to feel better! And I agree 100% about not wanting detailed scientific explanations in my SF. What counts in any form of fiction is character and story --historically, some SF authors (especially in the purist, "hard" SF tradition) haven't always understood that, with unhappy results!

Tim Byrd's book proved to be a very quick (and fun) read, so I've started another one: Water Witch, by my Goodreads friend Deborah LeBlanc. It's supernatural fiction, set primarily in the bayou country of her home state, Louisiana.

Feel better, Jackie.

I too have found an easy and compelling read. I got it from the library yesterday as part of the Tues. afternoon book group's selection for December.
It's _The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time_ by Mark Haddon. It's a fictional story, told in the voice of a boy with Asperger's Syndrome, a mild kind of autism. By coincidence, I've also been listening to an audio of _Look Me in the Eye My Life with Asperger's_.

Just finished The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman. This is the first book I've read by this author and I found it an easy, interesting read.
I've got the dreaded bronchitis yet again, so I was grateful to have a book I didn't have to think too hard about. What I liked best about this is that while the scientific theory could be a possibility to time travel, the author didn't go all physics teacher on me. Wrote what it was but I didn't have to get mind-bendy to comprehend it. The story was more about the person(s) involved and the journey, not so much the science involved. A good balance for my liking. I don't care for novels that go too hard in the science, it is a novel not a textbook. While I understand it, I don't find it entertaining. When I'm in science mode, the textbooks/articles are what I read.

Next up is Mary, Mary (Alex Cross, Book 11) by James Patterson. I borrowed it a month ago from a friend and forgot about it and just noticed it on my shelf. Patterson fits the easy read where I don't have to think too much, which is all I want right now.
Going to the doctor's today. Might as well get it over with before the holiday tomorrow.

OK, I see what you mean. I'm not a fan of predictability.

Too many good guy bullets. All the characters are caricatures, too many coincidences, too predictable. Besides, Doc can always get the girl & never does. He's too noble. Blech! Waste not, want not.

Jim, can you elaborate?

I read some of the Doc Savage books, but even as a kid, I could only take them in small doses.

I'd heard of Doc Savage before (he comes up at times in discussions in the Pulp Fiction group), but I've never read any of his adventures. (What I've read so far in Tim's book is sparking my curiosity to explore those stories, though!)

Werner wrote: "Yesterday, I started reading Doc Wilde and the Frogs of Doom ... by Goodreads author Tim Byrd. An adventure novel inspired by Lester Dent's Doc Savage series from the early modern pulp period..."

Werner, I looked at the Goodreads description of _Doc Wilde and The Frogs of Doom_.
Interesting excerpts from the description:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Doc Wilde and the Frogs of Doom is an adventure yarn in the old tradition. It gets that reading is an intellectual activity, and that an adventure, to be really good, has to engage the reader’s brain. I love a smart book!” —Daniel Pinkwater

"Doc Wilde and The Frogs of Doom recaptures the magic of old-fashioned pulp adventure stories, with lost worlds, ancient ruins, cool gadgets, evil villains and daring heroes, and brings them into the 21st century with contemporary themes, modern scientific notions, the wonders of a close family, and a deep appreciation of literature and of the thinking life in general."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wow! That's a lot of good features.

In addition, your post motivated me to look for more info about "pulp" and "Doc Savage".
=====================================================
PULP: "Pulp magazines (or pulp fiction; often referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines. They were widely published from 1896 through the 1950s."

"The term pulp fiction can also refer to mass market paperbacks since the 1950s."

"The name "pulp" comes from the cheap wood pulp paper on which such magazines were printed."

"...many eminent authors started out in the pulps before they were successful enough to sell to better-paying markets..." *

"The collapse of the pulp industry changed the landscape of publishing because pulps were the single largest sales outlet for short stories. Combined with the decrease in slick magazine fiction markets, writers attempting to support themselves by creating fiction switched to novels and book-length anthologies of shorter pieces."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulp_fictio...(genre)
====================================================
* The list of well-known authors (at the above page) who wrote for pulps is amazing.

****************************************************
DOC SAVAGE: "Doc Savage is a fictional character originally published in American pulp magazines during the 1930s and 1940s. He was created by publisher Henry W. Ralston and editor John L. Nanovic ... with additional material contributed by the series' main writer, Lester Dent.

"The heroic-adventure character would go on to appear in several other media, including radio, film, and comic books, with his adventures reprinted for modern-day audiences in series of paperback books. Into the 21st century, Doc Savage has remained a nostalgic icon referenced in novels and in popular culture."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Savage
(This page has a good picture of the cover of a 1933 Doc Savage magazine. Ten cents!)
****************************************************
Since this is the first time I had ever heard of Doc Savage, my curiosity was sparked.

Yesterday, I started reading Doc Wilde and the Frogs of Doom (which finally arrived on interlibrary loan!) by Goodreads author Tim Byrd. An adventure novel inspired by Lester Dent's Doc Savage series from the early modern pulp period, it's written for kids (and kids-at-heart in the 18-99 bracket :-)); and is this month's common read in the Pulp Fiction group here on Goodreads. (The official group name is longer, but I usually don't bother to look it up. :-))

Jackie wrote: "Read three out of five of the Amber novels. Ready to take a break. I'm starting The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman. It looks like it'll be a fast easy read. ..."

Jackie, I know you like time-machine stories. I do too. Good luck with the quantum physics. :)

Read three out of five of the Amber novels. Ready to take a break. I'm starting The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman. It looks like it'll be a fast easy read. I'll let you know...

I've begun reading _All I Did Was Ask Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians, and Artists (2004) by Terry Gross.
I discovered this book while looking around the Net for something else. It was included at the website of wnyc.org.

You can read the book's introduction online at:
http://www.wnyc.org/books/36189

I've always enjoyed listening to Terry Gross on NPR Radio. So I know I will love this book.

Jackie wrote: "Just finished The Winds of Dune. ... I'll be starting the next set of Amber novels, starting with with The Trumps of Doom."

Good going, Jackie. (Cover links below.)

The Winds of Dune by Brian Herbert

Trumps of Doom by Roger Zelazny

Just finished The Winds of Dune. Yet another excellent addition the the Duniverse I love with all my heart. With each interquel, I get a better understand of the main characters and what drives them. I will never get enough of Dune. I hope it continues forever, as long as it stays interesting.

The most perfect closing line:
In time, all things came back to Dune.

Absolutely correct, LOL

I'll be starting the next set of Amber novels, starting with with The Trumps of Doom.

Erin wrote: "I've seen those and I think I saw one that didn't have to be hooked up to a computer but I'm not positive."

I wish I had gotten that kind. I'm sure I'd get more use out of it than I'm getting out of the other one.

I've seen those and I think I saw one that didn't have to be hooked up to a computer but I'm not positive.

The gadget which I previously referred to as a "digital pen" (in Message #826 of this thread) is properly referred to as a "handheld scanner". It's known as the C-Pen.
Below are links to a website which describes it:
http://www.cpen.com/
http://www.cpen.com/artikel.php?aid=75
http://www.cpen.com/artikel.php?aid=63&l...
(The above page shows a good closeup of the C-Pen in action.)

To use the C-Pen, I first attach the cable from the pen to my computer. Then I run the tip of the pen across the line of text which I want to copy from my book page. The text then appears on my computer screen. From there I'm able to save the digital text to a file of my choice.

Yes, for something like that it's ideal...and innocent. Don't mind me, I'm paranoid.

Its really nice for my in school because I can go back and fill in my notes later. I use another program to change my notes into a word document and then listen to the parts that I missed and fill in the gaps.

I saw someone with the pen you are talking about Erin, I had no idea it recorded audio too. That's disturbing to me.

Erin wrote: "No it doesn't do that. That's what I thought you were looking for. It simply records what you write on the special dot paper for it and records the audio around you. You can use both functions separate from each other."

Erin, I had no idea there was a special "pen" that did those things!

Pontalba wrote: "...Funny though, I do remember Dagmar, the character. I must have seen it at some point."

Pontalba, who can forget Dagmar! LOL

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Hi Erin. Thanks very much for taking the time to tell us about the pen. Quite a gadget. The digital pen which I have, copies written text from a book as you run the pen over the text. Does the Livescribe pen do that?"

No it doesn't do that. That's what I thought you were looking for. It simply records what you write on the special dot paper for it and records the audio around you. You can use both functions separate from each other.

Joy wrote: PS - Wow! I just remembered his name! It came out of nowhere. My mind must have been working on it sub-consciously! His name was JERRY LESTER!
See:
http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/2008/...
http://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/25/obitua...

Now that's a name I had not heard! :) I thought Steve Allen was the originator. I liked Arthur Godfrey, and thought he'd had something to do with the Tonight Show because I recall being surprised to see him on a morning show some years ago.
Ahhh, brain confusion. lol
Thanks for the info.

Funny though, I do remember Dagmar, the character. I must have seen it at some point.

Erin wrote: "I have livescribe's pulse pen. www.livescribe.com is where it can be found. It holds either 4, 2, or 1 GBs of data. You need the special paper for it to write on it. If I understand what you wan..."

Hi Erin. Thanks very much for taking the time to tell us about the pen. Quite a gadget. The digital pen which I have, copies written text from a book as you run the pen over the text. Does the Livescribe pen do that?

I have livescribe's pulse pen. www.livescribe.com is where it can be found. It holds either 4, 2, or 1 GBs of data. You need the special paper for it to write on it. If I understand what you want it for, I'd say its not worth it. It records audio and what you write and you can play back the audio from where your notes are. Its targeted to college students, reporters, and people with lots of business meetings. You still might want to check it out, but its pretty expensive because its a mini computer pen.

Pontalba wrote: "Arthur Godfrey?
Steve Allen was the first host of the Tonight Show, but first made his appearance on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scout show. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Allen "

Pontalba, thanks for the Steve Allen link. He was such a talented man.

The comedian I was thinking of wasn't Arthur Godfrey, although I remember him well, of course.

I was thinking of a comedian who was on late night TV even before Steve Allen. He was actually an early TV pioneer. I can still see his smiling face in my mind. He was kind of a silly fellow... always fooling around with a silly grin on his face. Full of fun. I've searched in vain on the Internet but no one mentions him. Perhaps he was on for only a short period of time. Only a very old night owl like myself would remember him. :)

PS - Wow! I just remembered his name! It came out of nowhere. My mind must have been working on it sub-consciously! His name was JERRY LESTER!
See:
http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/2008/...
http://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/25/obitua...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 26, 1995
"Comedian Jerry Lester, whose breezy style established the milieu for generations of late-night television hosts, has died in Florida.
Lester, host of the early 1950s TV show "Broadway Open House," the forerunner of the "Tonight" shows, died Thursday at a Miami nursing home, said his wife, Alice."
FROM: http://articles.latimes.com/1995-03-26/l...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Jackie wrote: "I wouldn't be able to buy one any time soon in any case. It's so interesting, all this new technology. It's late, I'd like to get some reading in. You're a night owl like me, Joy."..."

Arthur Godfrey?

Steve Allen was the first host of the Tonight Show, but first made his appearance on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scout show. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Allen

Usually very depressing too.

Jackie wrote: "Joy, Every once in a while, Lifetime Movie Network runs a month of Nora Roberts books-turned-movies. One a week for 4 weeks. It's where I usually catch them. Midnight Bayou sounded familiar bu..."

Yes, Jackie, I do get the Lifetime Movie Network on TV. Please let me know when they run the Nora Roberts movies. I usually don't enjoy the Lifetime films because they're too much like soap operas.

Joy,
Every once in a while, Lifetime Movie Network runs a month of Nora Roberts books-turned-movies. One a week for 4 weeks. It's where I usually catch them. Midnight Bayou sounded familiar but when I read the netflix description, I realize I didn't see that one.

Though I rarely ever say this, I prefer watching her movies to the books. Like I said previously, I find them vey predictable and I don't like putting time into a book that's like that. A 2 hour movie, yes, I can do that and they are quite enjoyable.

Do you get the LMN, Joy? If so, I'll try to remember to tell you the next time I see them there.

Jim wrote: "I dropped her an email. She said she'd stop by.
Hmmm... Living in interesting times! A Chinese curse, I think."

(big grin) Thanks, Jim. I look forward to hearing from her.