Bernice's profile

81 ratings | 3 reviews
avg rating: 3.91

Bernice's bookshelves

read (82)
currently-reading (3)

to-read (21)
non-fiction (15)

kids (2)

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Bernice is currently reading

	05/21 Bernice is currently reading: Espresso Tales (44 Scotland Street, Book 2) by Alexander McCall Smith bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
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	05/05 Bernice is currently reading: The Glass Castle: A Memoir (Paperback) by Jeannette Walls bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
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	02/24 Bernice is currently reading: The Big Red Fez (Paperback) by Seth Godin bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
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Bernice's recent updates (rss)

October 02

Bernice took the never-ending book quiz.

questions answered:	658
correct:	358 (54.4%)
skipped:	84
best streak:	20
questions added:	0

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September 22

Bernice liked a trivia question:
What is the title of the first book of Sue Grafton's alphabet series, featuring Kinsey Millhone? see if you know the answer »

June 17

Bernice gave

to:
Cell (Paperback)
by Stephen King

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Bernice read and liked Nolan's review of Cell:

"I was in high school when Peter Benchley’s epic book Jaws became a movie. I used to laugh long and loud at my then-youthful friends who wouldn’t go near the water that summer, and if they did, they spent lots of time furtively glancing around th...more I was in high school when Peter Benchley’s epic book Jaws became a movie. I used to laugh long and loud at my then-youthful friends who wouldn’t go near the water that summer, and if they did, they spent lots of time furtively glancing around them to make sure the evil shark wasn’t anywhere near, never mind that they were swimming in a public pool or local reservoir. Why do I tell you all this? Because I’m having just a wee bit of a problem picking up my wireless phone on the first ring these days, and it’s directly related to the fact that I’ve just finished Stephen King’s “Cell,” DB61241.

Clay Riddell is on top of the world. He’s just made his first major sale as an illustrator and author of comic book characters to a publisher in Boston. But his entire world is turned upside down and changed forever on a seemingly normal afternoon in Boston. Civil, ordinary cell phone users are turned into murderous zombie-like creatures when they use their wireless phones because of some kind of pulse that is broadcast to their phone which obliterates their minds and reboots their brain somehow. The consequences are awful. Clay witnesses graphically violent murders all around him, and Boston is soon on fire with flames and explosions everywhere.

Clay realizes he must get back to Maine to his estranged wife and son, and he remembers with horror that his son got a new red cell phone for his birthday! He manages to attach himself to a group of normal people who do not use cell phones and therefore haven’t been affected by the pulse. Clay and his companions realize they must take action against the Phoners, as the zombies are called. For the Phoners are evolving into a group of people who can communicate telepathically and levitate themselves.

The book is violent with graphic details of murder and mayhem. King drops the F bomb in here quite liberally it seems to me. A major character for whom you develop a great deal of sympathy dies, and I think her death was entirely unnecessary. It did nothing but detract from the story as far as I’m concerned.

The overarching theme of this book almost seems to be that we need to beware of our increasing dependence on technology and how easy it would be for the right group of people to somehow forever alter our world through the very technology we’ve come to think of as harmless and indeed helpful.

Would I read this again? Well, perhaps. It was well written in so many regards, and King’s ability to horrify and tell a gripping story is well known to us all. This wasn’t my favorite King book, but it’s certainly understandable how it can be a bestseller.
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May 21

Bernice is currently reading:
Espresso Tales (44 Scotland Street, Book 2)
by Alexander McCall Smith
bookshelves: currently-reading

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Bernice marked as to-read:
Savvy (Hardcover)
by Ingrid Law
bookshelves: to-read

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May 12

Bernice marked as to-read:
Monkey Boy (Paperback)
by Alexander McCall Smith
bookshelves: to-read

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Bernice marked as to-read:
The Muscle Machine (Paperback)
by Alexander McCall Smith
bookshelves: to-read

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Bernice marked as to-read:
The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday (Sunday Philsophy Club, Book 5)
by Alexander McCall Smith
bookshelves: to-read

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Bernice marked as to-read:
The Ice-Cream Bicycle. (Paperback)
by Alexander McCall Smith
bookshelves: to-read

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see all 82 of Bernice's books »

Bernice's favorite quotes

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."
— Douglas Adams

tags: deadlines, humor, work

1467 people liked it

"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."
— Douglas Adams (The Restaurant at the End of the Universe)

tags: humor, scifi

1208 people liked it

"The Guide says that there is an art to flying,” said Ford, “or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
— Douglas Adams

tags: flight, flying, hg2g, humor

516 people liked it

"Don't Panic"
— Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)

168 people liked it

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
— Benjamin Franklin

tags: liberty, security

162 people liked it

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Bernice's groups (recent posts)

Public Librarians — 129 members — last activity 22 days ago, 03:46PM
Yet another way to connect and work on our Readers' Advisory.

Librarian 2.0 — 28 members — last activity 10/18/2007 08:32PM
Librarians discuss technology and online social networks. Please share books that you've read (or want to read) on the subject.

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Bernice's friends (9)

	Jespera 88 books 7 friends
	Pam 84 books 11 friends
	Holli 60 books 5 friends
	Lafayette 32 books 4 friends
	Shirley 110 books 12 friends
	Lillibet 19 books 3 friends
	Claudiat 5 books 4 friends
	Jenna 1 book 2 friends

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questions answered:	658
correct:	358 (54.4%)
best streak:	20
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