Lucy’s Comments (group member since Sep 08, 2014)

Lucy’s comments from the Discourse in a Digital Age group.

Well, Kenny, I'm trying to quell my knee-jerk reaction to your (well-written) critical review, since I loved this bk to the end and beyond. I'll save my comments for tonite, except to say that besides your good point about Egan telegraphing several plot twists, my primary objection was to the liberal use of "Deus ex machina". Still, I devoured the story, loved Eddie Kerrigan's essential nobility and the way Lydia's inner life (and Anna discovering it when they go to M. Beach) was depicted. And I'm a suckered for WW2 stories,
*Re Naples beach pic -- are you bragging, pointing out the dearth of shipping, or?

I agree with Vera -- this is definitely a great read. I marvel at how much Egan seems to know about everything -- New York in the Depression and wartime, the workings of orphanages, Irish & Italian gangs, dockworkers, shipyard operations at the NYC ports in WW2, how divers trained, etc, etc, etc. If she spent 10 yrs researching this, I'm not sure how it could've come out more natural and true-seeming. And the characters are each so vivid and more than 3-dimensional, if that's possible. I'll be so disappointed if the rest of you hate Manhattan Beach!

I just double checked with Teresa -- she says yes def. for this Thurs pm at the Chase; see you all in the lobby at 6:30-ish.

I emailed people who haven't responded yet, so far Kim has replied and can't make it. Teresa and her husband & I are in for Thurs p.m. at the Chase

Ok, will do. Did we decide on a day (aft, eve) to go see "Ready, Player One"? If not this week, I'm going up to Mich Thurs Apr 13-16.

Well, it appears the County's bk discuss'n kit for "When Breath..." is checked out 'til May 9, so that's no good. I'll call there tomorrow to see if there is any other option, or if they're ok with my using my card to check out multiple copies. How can we get these to everyone that needs one?

Teresa. I will get the bk from SLCL, and the "When Breath Becomes..." kit, too if possible.

And I'm already reading it, so no fair switching!

Teresa, and anyone else who needs a copy of M. Beach -- I can get a couple from the County lib. -- shall I today?

Absolutely - the previews are making me salivate! Next wk I could go Mon. Wed, Thurs or Fri nite.

For those of you who missed the March discuss'n, I'm echoing Donna's comment thanking Anne for a great job organizing us Discoursers for the year ahead! With the two laptops she provided, we had Kenny there participating via Skype and a way to look up various titles being proposed for the coming list. Plus she'd created a spreadsheet of suggestions, showing how many copies of each bk are available in local libraries. Yay, Anne!
Please, those who've had to miss recent mtgs, be there for Apr 11 back at Schlafly Lib, 6:30 pm -- you're missed!

Oh well done, Ken! Your Goodreads review of "..80 Days" was excellent, and forcefully reminded me of my own shortcomings as a librarian 'booktalker' -- never been able to coherently share why a bk I loved (or hated, or "meh") would/wouldn't appeal to someone else. Anxious to hear what the rest of the group felt about the bk.

Cheryl, these all seem like excellent choices.
Anne, are you compiling a ballot?

Hi Kenny - Re video game, I'm going to download it and my daughter has promised to come over and show me the ropes on my first-ever video game!
Re book, enjoyable as a travelogue thru the world circa late 1800's but palpably of its time -- role of women and other lesser beings (anyone not fortunate enough to be a British male), and obviously written for young people, who would be able to swallow all the unlikely last-minute rescues from disaster.

So, the most urgent need is to pick a book for April. Since so many are not active on Good Reads, should we try another email, to elicit suggestions?

Anne, here are two of my suggestions for the Discourse... reading list: The Power, by Naomi Alderman; and The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin. Both are speculative fiction, both highly recommended, the 1st by my daughter and the 2nd by you, and both very well reviewed.
I'm sure to have more!

Hope everyone is able to come tonight, for Kenny's last (in-person) bk discuss'n. Interesting book!

What DOES this author have against librarians?!

"Strange & unorthodox" this book is in, in spades! Don't generally like absurdity for its own sake, but I'm trying to reserve judgment...

I can't do the 7th either, in Calif visiting relatives til the 9th.
Vino sounds great!