Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
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ABOUT BOOKS AND READING
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What are U reading these days? (PART NINE (2013) (ongoing thread for 2013)
message 1001:
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Joy H., Group Founder
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Nov 30, 2013 10:13PM
Great reviews, Jim!
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Old Bones the Wonder Horse by Mildred Mastin Pace was one of my favorites when I was 8 or so. I read it to/with all my kids, too. Just got another copy & read it in about an hour. It's a wonderful book, the story of the 1918 KY Derby winner, Exterminator, & I gave it a 5 star review here:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Jim wrote: "Old Bones the Wonder Horse by Mildred Mastin Pace was one of my favorites when I was 8 or so. I read it to/with all my kids, too. Just got another copy & read it in ..."Thanks, Jim. Just now I ordered this book online but if I go horse crazy, I'll blame you! :) (It cost me one dollar plus 2.48 shipping.)
Still working on Sherwood, and I read How To Be a Good Wife, which was quite disturbing. Nothing big and exciting, it was insidious.
Jackie wrote: "Still working on Sherwood, and I read How To Be a Good Wife, which was quite disturbing. Nothing big and exciting, it was insidious."Guess we can avoid that one, eh? ("How To Be a Good Wife") I see that it's part of a genre called "Psychological Thriller". GR defines that as:
"Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the broad ranged thriller with heavy focus on the unstable emotional states of characters, in combination with mystery and thriller."
I just finished listening to A Galaxy Trilogy, Vol. 2: Aliens from Space, The Man with Three Eyes and Conquest of Earth. It's made up of 3 old SF books. The first Aliens from Space by David Osborne (actually Robert Silverberg) was good. My 3 star review is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Man With Three Eyes by Rachel Cosgrove Payes wasn't bad, a 2.5 star listen.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Conquest of Earth by Manly Banister was pretty awful, a Lensman knock-off. I generously gave it 1.5 stars, not worth listening to.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Thanks for the links, Jim. Where did you get audio book?
I see. Speaking of audio books from the library, I'm currently listening to The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum by Temple Grandin. It gets very technical when describing various studies of the brain related to the causes of autism. Grandin is autistic. She describes the way her brain enables her to remember in detail the things she has seen. But her memory fails her in other ways. The portion of her brain that remembers what she has seen is larger than other parts of her brain related to memory. It's fascinating.
Jim, the book by Pace is one that I read aloud to Barb years ago, though it's one I'd forgotten to list on my read shelf until you posted about it. Being the horse lover she is, Barb appreciated it more than I did; but we both enjoyed it, and I'd also highly recommend it!Right now, I'm reading (as a beta read) an unpublished book that doesn't show in the Goodreads database. It's a science fiction novel by my friend Andrew Seddon, Wreaths of Empire, set in the same far-future, human-colonized universe as his Iron Scepter. I'm just past the Prologue, and already totally hooked!
Have you all read Marguerite Henry's books, King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian, Misty of Chincoteague, & such? The same guy that illustrated 'Old Bones' illustrated 'King' & the stories are similar in a lot of other respects.
What I think is interesting about autism is that i had never heard of it until the last few years. It was never mentioned when i was growing up or my children. Now it's everywhere. Why all of a sudden and never before?
Jim, Barb and I both read and really liked the book King of the Wind (though I haven't reviewed it here on Goodreads --Joy posted a good review of it, though, which I just "liked"), and the movie version too. We had some discussion of both back on the "What Movies or DVDs have you watched lately?" thread (Part 4, for 2011 --it starts at message 44). Neither Barb nor I have read the book about Misty, but it's on my to-read shelf.Nina, some medical personnel think that the explosive spread of autism in the current generation of kids is related to the proliferation of harmful chemicals in the diets and home environments of the parents, which (they believe) causes damage to fetal brain development. I know that much from reading reviews and blurbs of books in the field when I'm doing library book selection here at BC; but I've never read the books myself, and so don't have an opinion.
I think that explanation is overused but I can't prove it. My teacher daughter had a proliferation of students in elementery school diganosed with autism and mostly these are kids from upper middle class parents who didn't necessarily do the fast foods diet and I would say say their home enviornment wasn't suspect. There coud be exceptions of course. That is just another side of the story.
From my limited exposure to the literature about it, I hadn't been aware that anyone thought that upper middle class kids and their parents would have less exposure to toxic chemicals than their lower class counterparts. But I'm really super-ignorant about that whole subject. :-(
I think you're hearing of autism for a lot of reasons, Nina. I don't think it was really settled on in mainstream psychiatry for kids until 90's.- In the past, it was just called mental retardation or lumped in with other mental/emotional issues.
- I know a couple of kids with it that were caused by their mothers abusing drugs & alcohol while pregnant. At least one also had fetal alcohol syndrome.
- There might be something to all the chemicals we have around now. This includes prescribed psychotropic drugs, plastics, & other household chemicals, but I wouldn't exclude food preservatives, either.
- It's the 'in' condition. Like ADHD, overprotective (helicopter) parents, school administrators/teachers, & doctors can diagnose this to get extra attention & services for kids. It's a way of working the system.
IMO, at least half of the ADHD cases I knew of when my kids were in school were simply a matter of not enough recess &/or discipline. All of my kids were diagnosed with it or at least half of it at various times. We refused to medicate for it because the kids were fine. They just had a lot of energy & no recess to spend it in.
When they were at home, we made them play/work outside, even in horrible weather sometimes. Once they blew off the energy, they were fine, just like the dogs. (Lots of cold rain today, so ours are still bouncing off the walls even after I took them out to feed.)
Jim wrote: "Have you all read Marguerite Henry's books, King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian, Misty of Chincoteague, & such? The same guy that illustr..."I listened to the audio version via a CD from our library. ("King of the Wind") See my review at:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
No illustrations. :-(
It will be 8 degrees tomorrow morning with a smattering of snow. Wind chill below zero when we are to take care of my daughter's dogs; let them outside, feed them and play with them and let them outside again. Fortunately we don't have to care for her horses; another person's job. We are doing this all but one day of this very cold week. She and her husband are in Las Vegas; escaping this cold. Hope we survive with no frostbite. wish us luck.
Saw an excellent movie last night. Almost turned off by the title, "Hula Girls," but it was based on a true story taking place in an off the beaten track mining village in japan. Such an interesting slice of life. Great acting. I recommend it.
Nina wrote: "What I think is interesting about autism is that i had never heard of it until the last few years. It was never mentioned when i was growing up or my children. Now it's everywhere. Why all of a sud..."Nina, it's not really "all of a sudden". Not many studies had been done earlier. So little was known about autism. It probably existed but wasn't recognized as such. Temple Grandin explains this in her writings. Nowadays there are more detailed studies being done. In the studies, they are categorizing the different types of symptoms and doing statistical analyses showing the relationship between environmental causes and congenital causes. Also, nowadays they can do brain imaging to see where the problems lie. In her book, "The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum", Temple Grandin describes the many studies which have been done. It's quite a science.
Teresa wrote: "Saw an excellent movie last night. Almost turned off by the title, "Hula Girls," but it was based on a true story taking place in an off the beaten track mining village in japan. Such an interestin..."I guess "Theresa" is you, Nina. :)
I'll check out "Hula Girls". Thanks.
Teresa wrote: "It will be 8 degrees tomorrow morning with a smattering of snow. Wind chill below zero when we are to take care of my daughter's dogs; let them outside, feed them and play with them and let them ou..."Keep warm, Nina/Teresa!
Joy H. wrote: "Teresa wrote: "Saw an excellent movie last night. Almost turned off by the title, "Hula Girls," but it was based on a true story taking place in an off the beaten track mining village in japan. Suc..."I had to sign up again; don't know why to Goodreads or they wouldn't let me comment and so they used my real name which is on Facebook/My grandson who calls me "nina" as do all my grandchilren, signed me up originally to Goodreads and so he used the name Nina. Life does get complicated. I answer to both nina and Teresa and Terry so make things even more confusing.
I found a book store in Saratoga, $1 books. I would have loved this place except none of it was organized, everything was willy-nilly. I spent way too much time browsing through books I would never read. I told the owner that I would have easily spent $50 if it was organized. 68 Weible Ave if anyone local is interested.I found these:
Lord of Emperors Guy Gavriel Kay
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
I have the first book, this concludes the story. I'll be reading this one soon since he's a favorite author.
The High King Lloyd Alexander
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
I read one of the Prydain books.
Time's Eye Arthur C Clarke
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
Thought I had one in this series, nope, so now I've got a new series, and it's time travel.
Dinosaur World Stephen Leigh
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
Time travel, one of those 'Ray Bradbury Presents', should be good.
Rosewell ~ Shades Mel Odom
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
I watched the series and liked it, so why not.
The House Between Worlds Marion Zimmer Bradley
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...
Love MZB
And at a different store, I found an illustrated 1958 copy of The World of Pooh for my son's friends who are having a baby in February. A compilation of Winnie the Pooh and House on Pooh Corner.
Nina, your original profile (as Nina) is still here; I clicked on it just now. I think what may have happened is that when you went to sign in, you might have clicked on the "sign in with Facebook" link. I've known of cases where people did that, and Goodreads then responded to their Facebook persona --so if you didn't have your Goodreads account in that name, they'd prompt you to create one. I'd try logging in on the regular log-in link as yourself, and see what happens.
The Pooh book sounds like the find of the day, Jackie. As I recall, there are 5 of the Prydain books & the one you got is the last. I think the first is "the Black Cauldron", but it's been years since I last read them.
Jackie, sounds like you got some good book bargains! Good for you! Lots of Fantasy and SF, I see. I'm sure the Pooh book will be appreciated. My son and his wife are expecting a baby in February too! A girl! I can't wait! It will be our 5th grandchild.
Black Cauldron is #2, I think, I read that when I was a child, my mother bought it for me. I might have read others in the series but I can't remember.Luke and Alicen are having a girl too! What's the due date? Theirs is the 15th. I'm so excited, I'm very close to Luke, this will be like having a grandchild. In fact, when he told me he said, 'You're going to be a grandmother', lol Most of Eric's friends call me Mom. I have many sons and a few daughters.
Give them my congratulations, Joy.Jackie, I see you're right. Here's the series:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/4037...
I liked it, but it was never one of my favorites. I was reading the Lord of the Rings & Conan at about the same time, probably 45 years ago. Pretty hard acts to follow. Only one of my kids ever read it more than once. A year or two ago Brandon asked for them. I'm not sure if he ever got around to re-reading them or not.
Thank you, Jim.Jackie, the due date is Feb. 4 which was my MIL's birthday.
Sounds like the kids like you a lot, Jackie! I never had a daughter but I have 2 granddaughters and 2 lovely DIL's. Our youngest son's current girlfriend is so wonderful. I kiddingly asked her if I could adopt her and she said "yes". Fingers crossed that she will be with us for a long time. She's a whiz in the kitchen! A big help to me! I need all the help I can get when it comes to hosting. :)
Jim, for a dollar it was worth buying, and it'll be a quick read. Not something I would go out of my way to buy, but that always happens when I'm book shopping, I just can't help myself, lolJoy, fingers crossed!
I've always made my home comfortable for the kids to be in, they love coming here. When they were in school, I'd have kids staying here all summer long, and during the school year every weekend. I think it's important to know my kid's friends, and know them well. Even when Eric moved away to Buffalo for 6 months, Luke was still here all the time.
Jackie, did you feed those kids too? I've always been a nervous hostess. Wish I weren't! I envy people who enjoy hostessing. I enjoy hostessing my family... but it's a lot of work... especially overnights! But I'm happy when I see them all together.
Joy, yes, I feed them, still do, lol I love to cook, and always make extra because someone is bound to turn up. I don't consider myself hosting them, I'll cook the food and then they're on their own, clean up included. For the most part, they don't bother me and I don't bother them. And it's been a joy watching them all grow up.
Jackie, yes, watching kids grow up is a pleasure. That's the reward of nourishing them, one way or another.
Jim wrote (in Message #1002): "Old Bones the Wonder Horse by Mildred Mastin Pace was one of my favorites when I was 8 or so. ..."Jim, as you know, I ordered "Old Bones the Wonder Horse" online. It hasn't arrived yet but today I borrowed the following book from our local library. It's by the same author:
"Home is Where the Heart is" (1954) by Mildred Mastin Pace.
I discovered it by browsing our library's catalog online while searching for the Old Bones book.
I can't find "Home is..." at Goodreads but here are a couple of links to it:
http://www.amazon.com/Home-Where-Hear...
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/home-...
On back of the book jacket it says:
"Judge Marston declared he would fight with everything he possessed when plans for a railroad threatened the peaceful isolation of his Kentucky mountain community..."
I can't find much about the author. The most I found was at:
http://mildredmastinpace.ponymadbookl...
"Mildred Mastin Pace - "American author - Mainly a writer of non-fictional works, including a book about the Kentucky Derby. She also wrote one pony story which is a fictionalised account of the life of American racehorse hero Exterminator."
I'll bet she was from Kentucky! :)
Interesting, Joy. I don't think I've ever read another book by her.
I finished Sherwood, gave it 4 stars. While at times it bogged down with politics I was uninterested in, it turned out to be a really good book. I have the 2nd book and will definitely read it sometime in the future.
Glad you enjoyed the book, Jackie. I know what you mean about getting bogged down in a book. I'm still reading Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker. It's slow-going because at times it boggs down telling about the progress of the battles in the Civil War. I'm not a Civil War buff! :)
I'm going to start Hex and the City by Simon R. Green, one of his Nightside novels. I read the first one and liked it. Urban fantasy, supernatural elements.
Hope it's a good one, Jackie.My current book, "Mrs Lincoln's Dressmaker", is so slow-going that I started reading the following as well:
Morgan's Run by Colleen McCullough - (historical fiction about the birth of modern Australia)
I picked it up from a "free shelf" somewhere.
Sometimes I do that, pick up another one when the first one isn't doing it for me. I read McCullough's Thornbirds and loved it; I'd be interested in how Morgan's Run turns out.
Having trouble getting into it. Hasn't grabbed me yet.
I dislike that, I want to be captured right away.
My Goodreads friend Shane Joseph is an Canadian author (but born in Sri Lanka, also known as Ceylon) of mainstream, descriptive fiction. I'd never read any of his work; but he recently offered me a free ARC (that's advance review copy, if anyone's not familiar with the abbreviation) of his latest story collection, Paradise Revisited, in return for an honest review, and I accepted. (I do like descriptive fiction, and hope to read more of it eventually; the preponderance of speculative fiction in my reading over the last 20 years owes a lot to accidental factors, even though I like it, too.) I started on the book yesterday, and I'm appreciating it so far.For once, I'm also reading an e-book, using the free Kindle app on my PC: Iron Bloom, the first novel in Billy Wong's new swords-and-sorcery fantasy series, Legend of the Iron Flower. The author recently offered it free for a limited time; and I grabbed up a copy, since I've mostly liked his short e-stories, and was very much intrigued by the series heroine here, whom I "met" in that format Bad Milk. But if I like the novel, I'm going to buy a paperback copy to keep permanently!
Werner, it sounds like you've gotten a couple of good book bargains. Enjoy them!How do you like reading an e-book, compared to a hard copy?
On the whole, Joy, the reading experience itself is similar to hard copy (at least with the Kindle app); the frames of text are short, with good-sized print, and I'm not conscious of any eyestrain. The navigational features are self-explanatory. It's a bit of a nuisance to have to backspace through several frames of text if I want to recheck something that I've already read; and I can't multi-task while reading that way --I can't hold the PC on an exercise bike. :-(My main reason for preferring print books is the belief that they have social utility as a cheap, low-tech way of disseminating ideas, information, and entertainment, and that they foster an ability to read carefully and comprehend connected chains of thought better than e-reading does. Since the latter threatens to elbow out the former because it's more profitable for the Big Business book trade, I throw my financial support to print books; as a rule, if I read e-books at all, they're free.
E-books versus hard/paper back's. I agree with Werner it is harder to backtrack on a Kindle; however, the convenience of punching a button and in a minute there is your book(not as cheap/free as the library) but always cheaper than the bookstore makes me a fan. This doesn't mean I don't still frequent B & N or an independent one or the library. I tend to use both the e-books and the others. I must say when we are snowed in as we are today and icey streets abound, getting a book at my fingertips is worthwhile. Like my homemade brownies beat any mix, but sometimes it is nice to do what is easiest. One last thought. I never order e-books for children;only book store books for them.
Finished the Simon Green book, it was good. Now I've started a book given to me by a friend, A Discovery of Witches
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Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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