Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
ABOUT BOOKS AND READING
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What are U reading these days? (Part Five) (begun 3/12/09)
Hi Jim,Are you floating? The storm that only dumped less than an inch on us last night made up for it big time I understand in Louisville. nina
Thanks for thinking of us, Nina. No, we got an inch of rain & the high winds broke my sunflower (I had one that was almost 8' tall!) but otherwise we were fine. It's downtown Louisville that got flooded. My son lives & works in the Highland neighborhood & was well above the water, too.
How are you liking the Anita Blake books, Jenni? A friend recently borrowed mine & we discussed them. I think this is the first where the relationships start harming the story. Anita is so tough & single minded about everything except this aspect of her life. By book 10, I was ready to kill her. Then in book 11, she starts... well, I can't think of a polite way to say it. You'll find out!
Jim,Glad to hear all is OK minus one sunflower. They can be amazing can't they. They climb like Jack's beanstalk. nina
Jim,Glad to hear all is OK minus one sunflower. They can be amazing can't they. They climb like Jack's beanstalk. nina
Nina wrote: "...They climb like Jack's beanstalk. nina"Perfect!
Jim-Glad to hear that you're okay after the storm. The poor sunflower! My daughter would have mourned the loss of it.
The Anita Blake series is interesting, but I can sense that it's going downhill. I just wish that Richard would go away... but that's not going to happen. If it did, her stories would be half the length! (I mostly can't stand that it's okay for him to "date" anyone, yet he gets jealous the second that any other guy looks at her.
I'll update you after I finish the 7th book - half way through it right now.
After this one, I'll finish up An Artist of the Floating World, and then I'll probably hit the 8th book. :)
Have a wonderful day everyone!
Jenni, actually I found Richard's reactions perfectly understandable. Often males keep harems in nature & human society. He wants to. That he doesn't get that she won't stand for it (how many women would in this day & age?) & that she keeps going back for more is what I don't get.
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Thanks, Pontalba. Lawrence Sander's mysteries contained awful murders but I never considered his writing dark for some reason. I think it's the writing that makes a movie dark, not necessarily the events. Robert B. Parker is another example of a writer who writes about murders but he's far from "dark". In fact, his style is rather light.It might be fun to explore this aspect of murder mysteries... i.e., what makes some dark and others not so dark. "
NOTE: See a continuation of the above idea (about dark mysteries) at our mystery book thread at the link below:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
See messages #43 and #44 by Werner and Pontalba.
I'm happy to see the discussion continuing in that mystery thread. Thank you for doing that, Werner and Pontalba.
Jim wrote: "Thanks for thinking of us, Nina. No, we got an inch of rain & the high winds broke my sunflower (I had one that was almost 8' tall!) but otherwise we were fine. It's downtown Louisville that got ..."I was away from my computer yesterday. So I missed reading the latest posts here. Sorry about your sunflower, Jim. I hate it when the rain and wind ruin my flowers! Glad you didn't suffer any serious damage from the flood.
Jim wrote: "Jenni, actually I found Richard's reactions perfectly understandable. Often males keep harems in nature & human society. He wants to. That he doesn't get that she won't stand for it (how many wom..."Hi Jim-
Yeah, I see your point and I can understand and agree. :) See, I can admit when others are correct! (As far as my husband is concerened, I am always right, so please don't tell him.)
I haven't read the Anita Blake series but I'd like to comment on the harem. From an anthrological standpoint, men having a harem was all about procreation, producing as many children as possible. Remember, even a hundred years ago, many children didn't survive to adulthood. In ancient times, the world wasn't overpopulated as it is today. The idea of the harem is that one man can impregnate many women in a one year period, for example, while a woman can only bear children once a year, approximately. It made sense in ancient days. Overpopulation would explain the shift to the monogamy we have today.
Jackie wrote: "I haven't read the Anita Blake series but I'd like to comment on the harem. From an anthrological standpoint, men having a harem was all about procreation, producing as many children as possible. ..."Exactly. :)
Richard is a werewolf, the pack leader. I think part of many of these packs (can't keep all the different universes straight) is that top dog gets his pick of females, whether mated or not, whenever he feels like, if he wants. Part of Richard's problem is that he is a decent guy that didn't want to be a werewolf & he constantly struggles against his nature.
Jackie wrote: "...I'd like to comment on the harem. From an anthrological standpoint, men having a harem was all about procreation, producing as many children as possible. ..."Jackie, you've brought up an interesting issue. Although what you say about harems seems to make perfect sense to me, Wiki says the following instead:
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"It is being more commonly acknowledged today that the purpose of harems during the Ottoman Empire was for the royal upbringing of the future wives of noble and royal men. These women would be educated so that they were ready to appear in public as a royal wife. No forms of sexual activity took place in those harems."
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harems
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I searched, but couldn't find anything about the fact that harems existed for procreation purposes. I had never thought of them that way. I always thought of them as existing merely for men's pleasure.
I've never read any of the Anita Blake books; but real wolves mate monogamously, and for life. If werewolves take on wolf characteristics, we'd expect them to adopt that pattern. :-) Of course, non-rabid real wolves wouldn't attack human beings, either --there's never been a recorded case, contrary to what many people believe. The folklore of werewolves was shaped in a medieval culture that hated and feared wolves, but had never studied them very seriously.Interestingly, monogamy has been the form of marriage practiced by the overwhelming majority of people throughout history, even in most of the cultures where polygamy was (or still is) legal. It costs money to feed, clothe and house a wife, and the great majority of males have never been able to afford more than one at a time. One of the principal reasons for polygamy among the rich was the direct result of this: it was a form of conspicuous consumption, an expression of wealth and status that treated females as a form of showy and expensive property. Of course, a desire for many children played a part in the practice, but the institution wasn't primarily based on any conscious social policy re procreation; pre-modern societies usually didn't think in terms of population demographics in designing their institutions.
Joy, I'd have to check that wiki on Ottoman harems, and see what source (if any) they cite for the claim that sexual activity didn't take place there. Most sources that I'm aware of indicate that the opposite was true, and base this on empirical evidence, including the attested fact of royal children being born to multiple women in the harem. The same kinds of evidence exist for harems in other times and places, such as ancient Israel, imperial China, etc.
Werner wrote: "... Joy, I'd have to check that wiki on Ottoman harems"Perhaps the sexual activity took place outside the location of the harem, but with the harem members.
While searching for info re harems, I found the following interesting articles:
http://barbadosfreepress.wordpress.co...
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/20568...
Excerpts:
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"But the most interesting find of the morning is that polygamy is now effectively legal in both the Britain and Canada (click on the country for details). If you are a Muslim on the dole (welfare) with multiple wives in either of these countries, the authorities will knowingly pay larger sums for your extra wives."
"Muslim men in polygamous marriages — some with a harem of wives — are receiving welfare and social benefits for each of their spouses, thanks to the city and province, Muslim leaders say."
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Just thought the idea was an interesting one.
The subject of harems is like a Pandora's Box. You never know what interesting information a researcher will come upon. :)
Yes, this is very interesting. After reading it all, I'd say, it's probably a mix of the above mentioned. Werner, thank you for stating the fact that healthy wolves do not kill humans. I believe part of the demonizing of the wolf was that man was in direct competition for food. Wolves prefer hoofed prey such as deer, moose and elk. Many people do not realize that wolves are one of the most successful predators on the planet, getting 8 out of 10 kills. Lions get 4 out of 10, just to show you the difference. Of course, this is just on average. By demonizing wolves and creating fear of them, it justified slaughtering them at will in cruel, inhumane ways.
Wolves are my favorite animals and I've done tons of research on them, the more I learn, the more I love them. Thanks again, it did my heart good.
I just finished Heinlein in Dimension A Critical Analysis & did a long review of it. I read it on the computer so I took notes. Not bad. A good way to find out about his older books. Panshin did a great job summarizing most of them & the short stories.
Jim wrote: "I just finished Heinlein in Dimension A Critical Analysis & did a long review of it. I read it on the computer so I took notes. Not bad. A good way to find out about his older book..."Jim, I just took a brief look at your detailed review of the above-mentioned book.
(See Jim's review at:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46... )
Your review has stimulated my interest in Heinlein's writing. Don't know when I'll get around to reading any of his books, but I've got a couple of his books on my To-Read list. They are the following books which I recently gave to my teen-age grandson, just so he'd be familiar with the name of the author:
Farmer in the Sky
Have Space Suit-Will Travel
The above titles were probably recommended by you or someone in this group. I can't remember.
I wish I were a faster reader. Then I would have a chance of reading more books. As it is, I'm a real slow-poke of a reader. You must be an astoundingly fast reader. I notice that you read many more books than I ever could. Not only that, but you write intelligent reviews.
Panshin & I both agreed that those two books are among his best. They're quick reads. I'm reading "The Star Beast".
Jim wrote: "Panshin & I both agreed that those two books are among his best. They're quick reads. I'm reading "The Star Beast"."Jim, that's good to know!
Now I'll go read about _The Star Beast_.
I figure that if I can't read the book, at least I can read ABOUT the book. LOL
You're welcome, Jackie! Have you read Never Cry Wolf, by Farley Mowat? If not, you'd love it! I got a lot of my information about wolves from that book --including the fact that they not only prey on deer, etc., but also eat a lot of mice; they're very efficient mousers. (Farmers ought to appreciate them, not demonize them!)
Werner wrote: "You're welcome, Jackie! Have you read Never Cry Wolf, by Farley Mowat? If not, you'd love it! I got a lot of my information about wolves from that book --including the fact that they not only pr..."Sounds interesting...
_Never Cry Wolf Amazing True Story of Life Among Arctic Wolves_
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Werner wrote: "You're welcome, Jackie! Have you read Never Cry Wolf, by Farley Mowat? If not, you'd love it! I got a lot of my information about wolves from that book --including the fact that t..."I am always amazed at how many things we have in common, Joy like the name Joy being my granddaughter's and both of us sailing enthusiastics and I have forgotten what else except now comes Farley Mowat. I have read almost everything written by him and he is one of my favorite authors but fail to find anyone else who had read him. I once found a short story by him in a magazine in my eye dr office. I had to ask if I could borrow the magazine. He had never heard of him ....nina
Werner,No, I haven't read it but I will. I use Mech as a source for wolves and their behaviors. Wolves are equal opportunity eaters; they eat grapes and berries too. But they do love the hunt. Have you ever seen footage of a pack on the hunt? It's amazing how they all work together, some go round and scare the prey towards the others who are waiting. You can tell they're having a good time as well as working.
There's a lot to learn from wolves. They understand familial ties better than people do and their sense of community is something we should strive for. I really love wolves. One of my dreams is to live in Alaska near or with a pack. Not like that crazy bear guy or that other looney in England. Have you ever seen the documentary "Living with Wolves"? If you have, that's what I mean. If you haven't, I highly recommend it. The couple involved were pioneers in wolf behavior, most of our current knowledge of wolf behaviors stem from their observations, even Mech.
No, Jackie, I haven't seen any documentary footage on wolves (and I'm not familiar with Mech --can you elaborate on that?) I don't get as much chance to watch TV (either network programming or recordings) as I'd like; but if the opportunity to see something like that ever presents itself, it would be interesting. (The library where I work has quite a few educational videos available for checkout, but none about wolves, unfortunately.)
I watch animal docs at either Animal Planet or National Geographic. I record them and watch when I have the time. My Malamute Juneau will watch the TV screen the entire time when I have wolves on. I wonder if he recognizes them as close cousins.L. David Mech is the author of a host of non fiction wolf books, some of which include The Wolf The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species, The Way of the Wolf, The Wolves of Minnesota Howl in the Heartland and The Wolves of Denali. All of which I rated 5 stars, rare for me to give out 5 stars.
His books are filled with all sorts of information on wolves. It's probably dry reading for most, but I find it fascinating and enjoy reading them.
This is an exerpt from the information area here on goodreads of "The Wolf The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species":
Chapters cover wolf evolution, range, and physiology; society and pack behavior; reproduction; hunting and predator-prey relationships; and the species' uncertain future. Like any self-respecting scientist, Mech includes all the hard data, but he presents his work in an engaging manner that is accessible to a broader audience, drawing heavily on anecdotes and personal experience.
Have either of you tried, Never Cry Wolf Amazing True Story of Life Among Arctic Wolves by Farley Mowat? It is pretty good too. It is very interesting reading. He is a nut job. He camped next to a wolf den, marked his own territory, with the help of a pot of tea, cutting into part of their trail. He was amazed at the efficiency with which the male wolf managed to duplicate the feat. Entertaining & good.
Jim, see messages 524-5 above. :-) (And I agree with your assessment!)Jackie, thanks for the information; Mech's books sound good. I'd be tempted to select at least one of them for the college library where I work (I'm in charge of book selection, among other things). But I've already added two books on wolves in the last couple of years; and most of our Biology majors are interested in pre-med, not zoology.
I am listening to an audio version of _The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society_ by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. It's a series of letters. I have finally found out why they included the words, "Potato Peel Pie", in the name of their literary society.The letters from each character on the audio are read by a different person. The difference in their voices helps add variety to the reading and also helps the listener to focus and pay attention. The readers speak with dramatic expression and that helps too.
I have just finished listening to the audio version of the book, _Married to Laughter A Love Story Featuring Anne Meara_ by Jerry Stiller. This is a very enjoyable audio.Comedian and actor, Jerry Stiller's reading is very touching. I never realized he had that soft side, having seen him mainly as a deranged father in comedic roles on the TV sitcoms, "Seinfeld" and "King of Queens".
The story of the hard climb to success in show business for Jerry Stiller and his wife Anne Meara kept me interested all the way through. They became famous as the comedy team known as "Stiller and Meara". They also appeared in dramas and comedies on Broadway.
Now, of course, their son, Ben Stiller, has been successful in show business as well.
I can recommend this audio to all those who enjoy seeing behind the scenes in show business.
One of the phrases from the audio has stayed with me. It speaks of "the painful distance between the past and the present", as Jerry visits an aging relative. As I look back on all my own beautiful memories, I can appreciate that phrase.
PS-Also see the following link to my topic about another excellent audio I am currently listening to:http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
The title is: _Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism_ (by Bob Edwards) (2004).
I listen to this one while riding in the car.
Werner,To be honest, I think wolf books would be much the same. The reason I read Mech is because that's what my library had in stock. I liked it and am glad I read him but how many different ways can you present facts? I'm sure the books you chose are perfectly fine.
Jim, No, I haven't. I put it on my To Read list. If I ever had the opportunity to live near wolves, I wouldn't want to act like a wolf, but remain a person. They are extremely loving and, on rare occasion, will accept a person into their circle of trust. It would take a long time, most of it spent just being there with no interaction, but it would be worth it when the interaction finally came. What people don't realize is, all those wonderful traits we love so much in our dogs came directly from their wolf ancestors.
Joy, I remember when Stiller and Meara were a comedy team and they were really funny. I remember when Jerry Stiller was on Seinfeld, he was hysterically funny; he was so crazy. Not mental crazy, but funny crazy. I like Ben's movies too. The boys rented Zoolander a while back, and I thought it would be stupid like most so-called comedies are today. I figured I'd watch for 10 minutes and be done with it, but it was really funny. So I wound up watching a few of his movies, Dodgeball was funny and Night at the Museum was fantastic.
From imdb about Night: A newly recruited night security guard at the Museum of Natural History (NY) discovers that an ancient curse causes the animals and exhibits on display to come to life and wreak havoc.
Highly imaginitive. The second one is set at the Smithsonian. I hope that comes to DVD soon.
Edward R. Murrow, ah, the days when journalists had backbones and risked all for the truth, not this celebrity worship crap we get for news now. I long for the days of real journalism.
I finished Second Foundation. While it was better than the first two, I think I'll put the series down for a while. It's just not making me want to read more at this time. I decided on The Anubis Gates, which JIM was so kind to send to me, along with a few other books I wanted. Thank you, Jim! I'm a sucker for time travel and have wanted to read this for a while.
From the goodreads write up:
The colonization of Egypt by western European powers is the launch point for power plays and machinations. Steeping together in this time-warp stew are such characters as an unassuming Coleridge scholar, ancient gods, wizards, the Knights Templar, werewolves, and other quasi-mortals, all wrapped in the organizing fabric of Egyptian mythology. In the best of fantasy traditions, the reluctant heroes fight for survival against an evil that lurks beneath the surface of their everyday lives.
Oddly enough, Anubis now has a lasting presence in my home. Eric's first tattoo was of Anubis. Fitting, because my grandfather and father owned a funeral home, and my first husband, Eric's father, worked in a cemetary.
Jackie wrote: "I finished Second Foundation. While it was better than the first two, I think I'll put the series down for a while."Congratulations on finishing Asimov's _Second Foundtion_. I've read very little of Asimov's writing, but currently I'm reading one of Asimov's short stories entitled "Profession". It can be found at: ====>
http://www.abelard.org/asimov.php
Our son told us about it and now I'm curious. I located the story online via someone (named Marissa) who answered my question about it at the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club Group of GR. You can see the original webpage containing my question and the replies at:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
As you can see from the posts at the above link, I had also posted my question at AbeBooks online where someone also answered my search question.
Our son was impressed with the success of my search. He couldn't remember the name of the story but he had remembered the plot.
The Internet is amazing! It's like science fiction come true!
Today's science fiction is tomorrow's science fact. So many of the things we see around us were first thought of in a science fiction book. Pretty cool!
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "I am listening to an audio version of _The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society_ by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. It's a series of letters. I have fin..."Joy-
I just finished listening to it! How are you enjoying it?
Jenni wrote: "I just finished listening to it! How are you enjoying it?"So far, so good, Jenni (with The Guernsey Literary audio). I need to hear more to make any judgements about the contents. I'm also looking forward to seeing the movie. I'll be back with more comments after I hear more of the audio. I have to become more familiar with the different characters.
I'm just starting Mistress of the Art of Death, if the synopsis and first page are any indicators, it's delicious with an excellent sense of humor.
Pontalba wrote: "I'm just starting Mistress of the Art of Death, if the synopsis and first page are any indicators, it's delicious with an excellent sense of humor."Pontalba, _Mistress of the Art of Death_ looks like an interesting mystery. Different. Below is an excerpt from one of the Goodreads reviews:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mistress of the Art of Death", a fresh and inspired twist of historical fiction and crime thriller, a blockbuster of murder and mayhem told through lively, darkly humorous prose that is as educational as it is entertaining."
From review by fbuser1412633581 at:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22...
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I wish I could write reviews like that.
In the end I was disappointed in Mistress of the Art of Death, it was too gory and cruel, too clichéd for my taste. There is some good story telling in there, but it doesn't outweigh the other stuff for me.
I've started and am half way finished The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston. Interesting story, bluntly told, but the fantastical thrust of it is a little too much in that direction. I'll definitely finish it and read more of her though.
I've started and am half way finished The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston. Interesting story, bluntly told, but the fantastical thrust of it is a little too much in that direction. I'll definitely finish it and read more of her though.
Pontalba wrote: "In the end I was disappointed in Mistress of the Art of Death, it was too gory and cruel, too clichéd for my taste. There is some good story telling in there, but it doesn't outweigh the other stu..."Speaking of being disappointed, I'm trying to get through _Tallgrass_ by Sandra Dallas. I can't believe how the author stretches the book out with descriptions of boring domestic routines which can hold no possible interest for anyone. For example: "The boys had finished their coffee, and Carl took their cups to the sink, washed them, and put them into the dish drainer... Dad ... standing up and reaching for his plaid wool jacket on a hook beside the door." (p.201, lge prnt) How exciting! More: "Mom put on an apron and stood behind the table, cutting slices of cake and setting them on plates. I took a piece of cake for Granny and led her to a chair, then went back to the table to help Mom." (p. 162-3) Thrilling!
And if they mention quilting once more, I'll scream! Alright already... they're making quilts! Get past it! LOL
Otherwise the book has the potential to be an interesting novel about the internment of the Japanese during WWII, told from the point of view of a young American girl who lives near the location of the internment camp in Colorado.
PS-Perhaps the author is trying to describe the flavor of life back during the war years, but the writing itself has no flavor, IMO.
I'm currently working on An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro and Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer.I'm only a little way into each book, but am enjoying both. :)
Jenni wrote: "I'm currently working on An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro and Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer."Thanks for the links, Jenni. I really have to try reading more of Ishiguro's writing. As I've said, I loved his _The Remains of the Day_.
I saw the movie, "Twilight" with Jackie, but haven't read any of Stephanie Meyer's books yet.
Jenni, I loved the Twilight series. I have to admit that while I loved Bella in Twilight, I grew increasingly annoyed with her. I'll elaborate when you finish the series, but by now, you should want to slap her so I don't think I'm giving anything away, LOLI can't wait for New Moon to hit the theaters in November.
The library finally called, having received my copy of The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. In the meanwhile, I'm putting down The Anubis Gates just so I can put all my time into TTTW.
to be honest, I'm not connecting with the characters in The Anubis Gates. I'm more than halfway through and it's slow going. I'll go back to it after TTTW.
I just finished Up Till Now The Autobiography, and while it went on a little long, I am glad to have read it. Shatner is an interesting guy. Also finished The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston. It's a wonderful look at Chinese American life, the first generations certainly had a rough adjustment. I'd never realized just how difficult it was.
Now I've picked up Dancing After Hours by Andre Dubus...can't get a link on here for the book, guess it's one they never heard of. :roll:
Here's an Amazon link... http://www.amazon.com/Dancing-After-H...
It's a group of short stories, short and to the point. Really nice.
Now I've picked up Dancing After Hours by Andre Dubus...can't get a link on here for the book, guess it's one they never heard of. :roll:
Here's an Amazon link... http://www.amazon.com/Dancing-After-H...
It's a group of short stories, short and to the point. Really nice.
Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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I'm working on the 7th Anita Blake book, as well as An Artist of the Floating World, and I'm listening to The Color of Magic. :) I'm liking them all so far!