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 401:
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Joy H., Group Founder
(new)
Apr 03, 2013 09:04AM
PS-Jackie, give me a call and we can arrange to watch my DVD of "Pope Joan" together. I'd like to watch it again anyway and it would be fun to do it with you. I enjoy your comments.
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Maybe I'll just skip a bit further along in Mark Twain's autobiography the next time the mood strikes. It's tougher on my MP3 player rolling down the road, though.
OK, Joy, it should probably be soon, since the warm weather will be here one of these days, or should I say weeks? months? lol
This weekend it's supposed to hit 70 & my neighbor, J.R., called last night to tell me he'd seen the first Purple Martin scouts. He expects they'll flock in this weekend, a sure sign of spring.
Jim wrote: "Maybe I'll just skip a bit further along in Mark Twain's autobiography the next time the mood strikes. ... "Yes, Jim, do that. As I said, Mark Twain has his great moments (of course). :)
Reminds me of a comment that Spencer Tracy said about Katharine Hepburn in the movie "Pat and Mike". It was something like the following:
"She may be thin but what's there is prime." :)
PS-I FOUND THE EXACT QUOTE:
"Not much meat on her, but what's there is 'cherce' ". [From imdb.com/]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045012/t...
Jackie wrote: "OK, Joy, it should probably be soon, since the warm weather will be here one of these days, or should I say weeks? months? lol"Hope it's soon! :)
Jim wrote: "This weekend it's supposed to hit 70 & my neighbor, J.R., called last night to tell me he'd seen the first Purple Martin scouts. He expects they'll flock in this weekend, a sure sign of spring."I saw a red cardinal in the yard the other day. They never fail to thrill me.
Joy H. wrote in Message #405: "... Reminds me of a comment that Spencer Tracy said about Katharine Hepburn in the movie "Pat and Mike". It was something like the following: "She may be thin but what's there is prime." :)"I FOUND THE EXACT QUOTE:
"Not much meat on her, but what's there is 'cherce' ". [From imdb.com/]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045012/t...
LOL - Good one, Jim. But if I got skinny, what would I do with all my fat clothes? :)
Don't you love it that the gal saying this isn't fat at all?
The Killer Trees by David E. Manuel just came today. It's third in the Richard Paladin series. I've really liked the first 2, so I'm looking forward to this. Unfortunately, it has to compete with Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal & My Planet: Finding Humor in the Oddest Places by Mary Roach which came in the same box. Tough decision which to read first.
Jim wrote: "Don't you love it that the gal saying this isn't fat at all?"Maybe she's anorexic and only THINKS she's fat! LOL
Jim wrote: "The Killer Trees by David E. Manuel just came today. It's third in the Richard Paladin series. I've really liked the first 2, so I'm looking forward to this. Unfortunately, it has to compete with Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal ..."Today I downloaded the audio version of "GULP" from audible.com. I'm looking forward to listening to it. I also downloaded Roach's "STIFF". They had a special "Rewards" offer. So I took it. Here's the offer: http://www.audible.com/mt/ListeningRe...
I hope you like Roach's writing, Joy. She balances tough subjects very well, IMO. Adds just enough humor to keep them interesting. I wouldn't eat while reading any of her books, though. She does get into gory detail occasionally.
Jim wrote: "I hope you like Roach's writing, Joy. She balances tough subjects very well, IMO. Adds just enough humor to keep them interesting. I wouldn't eat while reading any of her books, though. She doe..."Jim, I listened to Roach's BONK book last year. It was great! Yes, she does have a good sense of humor. I'm looking forward to listening to GULP & STIFF. I'm still working through the audios of Mark Twain's autobiography. Twenty discs!
"Bonk" was great, one of her very best. Right up there with "Stiff". Didn't it amaze you how little science knows about sex? I learned a lot - some of which I had rather not known - which amazed me, too. Great read.
The 13th Hour was very good. Still have Rama 2 to get back to and I also started Starship Troopers which has been on bookshelf for too many years. I like it so far.
Jim wrote: ""Bonk" was great, one of her very best. Right up there with "Stiff". Didn't it amaze you how little science knows about sex? I learned a lot - some of which I had rather not known - which amazed..."Yes, BONK was very enlightening, to say the least. Nowadays that subject isn't as taboo as it used to be. I think that the following book should be given as a gift to all engaged couples: Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus by John Gray. Even married couples might benefit from it. It talks about the subject in a straight-foward manner and might help communication between spouses. My short review is here:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Sword Woman arrived in the mail a couple of days ago, so I've gotten a good start on the title story; I also enjoyed the introduction by another speculative fiction author (and Howard fan) Leigh Brackett. (I've never read any of Brackett's work; that's an oversight I definitely need to remedy one of these days!)
That was fast, Werner. It's been years, but there was a trilogy of hers I read. I think it began with The Ginger Star. I don't recall it being one of my favorites, but pretty good.
Thanks, Jim! I've just added that one to my to-read shelf.
Werner: The trilogy is 1) The Ginger Star 2) The Hounds of Skaith and 3) The Reavers of Skaith.There were a few other featuring Erick John Stark, but this was the the main trilogy.
Another favorite Liegh Brackett is The Long Tomorrow!
I am reading Sisters of the Raven a fantasy by Barbara Hambly. It is a fantasy set in a primitive society where only men can/could do magic.Now men are losing the ability--and women are gaining it...which is causing quite a bit of conflict in the society. Pretty good so far.
I've read a few of Barbara Hambly's books, Mary JL. I have trouble completing her trilogies, though. Marg read the one trilogy I do have all of, starts with The Time of the Dark, I think. We both liked that. I need to print out a list of her books & work on completing them, though. Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks for the tips on the Brackett books, Mary JL!
I just finished The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin. Wow. Excellent, even though I remembered it so well. My review is here:http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
She covers so much territory with just a handful of characters. The dangers of science & wishful thinking aren't so much pointed out as slapped into your face, but in a wonderful way. It's a short book, so a quick read, too.
Rama 2 has gotten so good, I couldn't put it down last night. I don't know why it started out so slow and marginally dull. This is why I can't quit a book in the middle, it just might get better...though that's not my usual experience, it can happen.
Jim wrote: "I just finished The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin. Wow. Excellent, even though I remembered it so well. My review is here ...:http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... "
Jim, I read Ursula Le guin's Searoad in 1997. It's the only book of hers which I've read. For some reason I was left with a vague impression that I didn't enjoy it. But now, as I've searched and found my handwritten quotes from the book, I see that there are some very interesting thoughts there. The following GR review by Beth A. may offer a hint as to why I wasn't able to appreciate it.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I will read your review of Le Guin's _The Lathe of Heaven_ and see what you had to say.
Jackie wrote: "Rama 2 has gotten so good, I couldn't put it down last night. I don't know why it started out so slow and marginally dull. This is why I can't quit a book in the middle, it just might get better...."Jackie, I feel the same way about quitting in the middle of a book. So many books have their ups and downs, their compelling parts and their boring parts. If I had been a book editor, I think I would have advised cutting out or abbreviating the boring parts of books.
Of course, one man's meat is another man's poison. :)
Jim, which movie adaptation of _The Lathe of Heaven_ would you recommend, the 1980 version or the 2002 version:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081036/?...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0290230/?...
I know I'll probably never read the book! :)
I won't live long enough to get to it. :)
PS-Jim, I re-read your review of _The Lathe of Heaven_ and I see that you preferred the 1980 film adaptation.
My last three books were mysteries, so I am switching to historical fiction. Today I just startedShare of Honor by Ralph Graves.Hoping to soon catch up on a few past reviews, also!
I've gone back to work at Hall's Boat Corp so I haven't been able to keep up here as much as I would like. I read Enchantment by Orson Scott Card; I've read quite a few of his books and this one is his best to me. It's a modern retelling of Sleeping Beauty with some Russian Folklore added in, switching between 2 time periods, what's not to love?
I started Cave of Secrets by Morgan Llywelyn. I like her work too, I didn't even open it when I bought it, saw her name on the cover and that was good enough for me. Usually she writes long books, tiny print. This one must be for a younger audience because the print is bigger than usual. The reviews are still positive. It's good for now, when I'm working and have less time to devote to reading.
Mary and Jackie, thanks for posting. As for myself, I'm in the middle of reading Hello, Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand by William J. Mann. I'm really enjoying it. It reads like a novel. Very articulate author. Lots of behind-the-scenes material.
I am reading, "A Week in Winter," by Mave Binchy. Not quite as compelling as her earlier books, but she is so good on characterization. This does keep me reading to find out what is happening to each of them.
By coincidence, fairly recently I cut out an article about Maeve Binchy's death which took place in July 2012. I've been meaning to mention it here at this group.The NY Times headline reads: "Maeve Binchy, Writer Who Evoked Ireland, Dies at 72".
Links:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/boo...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europ...
I remembered that Mave Binchy had died and this was her last book. One reason I wanted to read it. Also, it is our pick this month for my book club. Should be interesting to hear what others think of it. I will post the main reaction.
Ether Books plans to take the writing & publishing world by storm. The article says they're 'Amazon meets Goodreads'. Has anyone heard of them?http://www.idgconnect.com/blog-abstra...
Jim wrote: "Ether Books plans to take the writing & publishing world by storm. The article says they're 'Amazon meets Goodreads'. Has anyone heard of them?http://www.idgconnect.com/blog-abstra......"
The article is too long. They should get to the point faster and explain exactly what their product does in as few words as possible.
Sounds like they're trying to do too much. When you try to do too much, you end up not doing enough. Amazon Prime is an example of this. They rent movies like Netflix does but their service isn't as complete, e.g., they don't keep track of the movies you've seen. Also, their star system for movies requires you to write a review as well. Forget that.
I like what I have right now. Goodreads is highly dedicated to my needs. So is Netflix. I like it that way. I'm not interested in writing or publishing books.
The article talks about platforms. What is a platform? I tried to do something at Facebook and a window came up with a note about a platform I needed... or something like that. Things are getting too complicated for me!
PS-What does IDG stand for? I hate initials at websites that don't tell what they stand for.
Early last week, I finished The New Adventures of Senorita Scorpion; and more recently the Charmed spin-off novel Date with Death; I don't think I got around to mentioning either of these here before.For the past few days, I've been doing some beta reading for a Goodreads friend. Now, however, I'm reading Fire Storm, by another Goodreads friend, Mackenzie Dare. She was kind enough to donate a copy to the BC library, and I promised her that I'd try it out.
From our newspaper today concerning the new Poet Laurette of KS, Wyatt Townley. This is her quote:"The notion of home is a long-held Kansas value and I'd like to start a conversation around the state about coming home to poetry. Poetry is a place we can return to in all kinds of weather with innate power to heal and comfort, transform and inspire. Its porchlight is always on."
Jim, I read the articles by Brill and Sass on medical costs that you shared links for, some time ago; but I'm only now getting around to commenting on them. The Brill article, IMO, ought to be required reading for every American. It documents a state of affairs that I'd long suspected existed; but it does so in a solid way that's beyond refuting, and makes clear both the scope of the problem and the fact that it's an anomaly in both the U.S. economy and the industrialized world.I wasn't nearly as impressed with the Sass article, which IMO simply ignored facts to push the author's ideologically-derived anti-insurance mantra. In fact, far from insurance companies being indifferent to medical costs, the Brill article demonstrates that the only headway made against these kinds of price-gouging charges are made by insurers, such as Medicaid and some private companies with a scale that gives them some clout. Seriously expecting single critically ill or injured patients, or their families, to successfully negotiate prices with an oligopoly of health-care providers is so unreal that it borders on lunacy. (And his "painfully simple" solution is short on specifics for the good reason that there are no imaginable specifics --other than some form of insurance!-- that would accomplish what he prescribes.)
I thought there is a lot more that should be said in response to the Brill article; but I didn't want to say it here, where some people might feel it's off-topic and where others might be bored by it. However, if anyone's interested, I posted a fairly long comment about it in the Christian Goodreaders group, at www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1314660-... .
I don't remember which was which any more, Werner. I do recall they were quite eye-opening &, if I didn't have an insurance company to do it for me, I'd be hiring an advocate. Seems like you need one for dealing with any of the big institutions now. A friend with Parkinson's Disease had to get one to get SSA Disability. This was after he'd been diagnosed & paid by 2 private insurance companies - our short & long term insurance. That's just ridiculous & yet some people seem to think the gov't, bless it's flabby black heart, can actually do a better job of running the chaotic mess that is our health system.
The gov't are the ones that say that if Marg doesn't accept their health insurance, they'll give her an FSA (Flexible Spending Account for health purposes) & put money in it. My company only has high deductible insurance, but we have an HSA (Health Savings Account for health purposes), which both we & the company contribute to. The amount we can put in comes close to matching the yearly deductible, so it works out.
Unfortunately, for some unfathomable reason, the gov't says that we can't have both types of health savings accounts, though. Just one or the other in the same family, so Marg HAS to take the insurance they offer her & I HAVE to take my insurance so we can get the HSA.
If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law.
- Winston Churchill
Yeah, I don't have much respect any more.
:-(
Werner wrote: "Early last week, I finished The New Adventures of Senorita Scorpion; and more recently the Charmed spin-off novel Date with Death; I don't think I got around to mentioning either of these here befo..."Werner, you must be a fast reader. I'm still reading Hello, Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand. I admit that watching videos is eating into my reading time! :
Nina wrote: "...about coming home to poetry. Poetry is a place we can return to in all kinds of weather with innate power to heal and comfort, transform and inspire. Its porchlight is always on." "Nina, about poetry, I recently came across the following. I chuckled when I saw/heard it. (I think it was dialogue in a movie.)
===========================================
QUESTION: What kind of poetry do you like?
ANSWER: I like the kind I can understand.
===========================================
Joy, I'm really not a very fast reader. I can read text quickly enough when I actually get time to read, but in a normal day I only get about half an hour of reading time. :-( Both of those books just happened to be pretty quick reads, even for me!Jim, I hear ya! Nora, our former library director, still hasn't jumped through all the bureaucratic hoops to get on disability payments, though she had to retire from work at the end of November (and has no income). "Your tax dollars at work!" :-(
Joy H. wrote: "Nina wrote: "...about coming home to poetry. Poetry is a place we can return to in all kinds of weather with innate power to heal and comfort, transform and inspire. Its porchlight is always on." "..."I too like the kind I can understand.
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