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What are U reading these days? (Part Five) (begun 3/12/09)
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I regret I have never read any Joy Fielding.Right now, I am still reading "Something's Alive on The Titanic" by Robert Serling. It is okay--no fantasci--but now the pace is picking up a bit so we shall see.
"The Other Woman" It was also a TV movie that was recently aired on Lifetime."See Jane Run".
Both were pretty good, easy reads.
Mary JL wrote: "Right now, I am still reading "Something's Alive on The Titanic" by Robert Serling. It is okay--no fantasci--but now the pace is picking up a bit so we shall see."Here's the link:
_Something's Alive on the Titanic_I often wonder why authors don't realize that they should help the reader get into their book by providing a good beginning. So often they make you wade through mediocre text before they catch your interest. The worst beginnings, IMO, are those which throw too many names at you, overwhelming your memory.
OTOH, there are those authors who provide good beginnings only to disappoint you later. You never know.
Katherine wrote: ""The Other Woman" It was also a TV movie that was recently aired on Lifetime. "See Jane Run". Both were pretty good, easy reads."Thanks, Katherine. I'll have to look for those books... and the movie too.
_The Other Woman_ by Joy FieldingMovie (2008)(TV): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1143152/
_See Jane Run_ by Joy FieldingEasy reads can be very relaxing.
I've just finished The Pillars of the Earth, and I thin I'll be starting the sequel, World Without End, tonight. I'm also listening to the audio version of Stardust, which is quite good. I'm about 75% of the way through... so it's time to start thinking about my next audio book... Decisions, decisions! :)
Yes, I have. See Jane Run, The Other Woman and The Deep End. All were pretty good and she's easy to read.
Jenni wrote: "I've just finished The Pillars of the Earth, and I thin I'll be starting the sequel, World Without End, tonight. I'm also listening to the audio version of Stardust ..."Jenni, I've got a couple of those on my To-Read shelf. Heaven knows when I'll get to them, but they're there, waiting for me. :)
Jackie wrote: "Yes, I have. See Jane Run, The Other Woman and The Deep End. All were pretty good and she's easy to read."Thanks, Jackie. I once saw a boat named "The Other Woman". :)
I received the SCFB monthly catalogue. Michael Crichton has a new book coming out, Pirate Latitudes.I ordered Sword of Avalon by Diana L. Paxson based on a Marion Zimmer Bradley series which started with one of my most cherished books, The Mists of Avalon. There's no way I could pass this up. Or wait for it.
Marion and Diana were sisters-in-law and best friends. They worked on many of the Avalon novels together and I've read them all.
I've also read Diana Paxson's story of Tristan and Isolde in The White Raven. And she's written a series I want to read, The Hallowed Isle, which is Arthurian but told from the Saxon's point of view. I think it would be very interesting, since we usually see them as encroaching villians.
That's a perfect name for a boat, since many men spend more time with their boat than they do their wives, LOL
Jackie, Pirate Latitudes is on sale now! I saw it on the shelf at Borders the last time I was there (the same day I saw the New Moon movie, in fact), and thought it definitely had possibilities.
I'll read it eventually. Some books I can wait for the library book sale.
I still have 2666 Part B on the back burner, but have finished The Girl Who Played with Fire, and have started Dixie City Jam, about one-third of the way through right now. Like all of Burke's Robicheaux series, the prose is beautiful, becomes realistically and gritty. Sometimes a bit too gritty, but accurate. It is accurate.
Jackie, I've decided to wait for the Library Sale for certain authors of series especially that I well know will turn up at the sale eventually. I've been irritated too often at finding a nice hardback at a sale six months after I've purchased the new copy. Granted I ordinarily buy off of Amazon and they are lots cheaper, but no comparison to the Library Sale!
Yes, especially popular authors. They are always at the Library book sales. I have so many books on my shelves, it's not like I'm starved for reading material. And the prices at the sales can't be beat.
Pontalba wrote: "I still have 2666 Part B on the back burner, but have finished The Girl Who Played with Fire, and have started Dixie City Jam, about one-third of the wa..."Pontalba, thanks for the links. From what I can see from the GR descriptions and the reviews, they sound like serious reading. I wish the descriptions would include the genres the way they do with movies at Netflix. Would the words "heavy drama" apply here?
2666 I've barely started, twice now in fact. My OH has read it and harbors mixed feelings. There has been loads of hype about the book in every way, some seem to love it, some dislike it, but it's certainly garnering much attention. From what I can tell, it's rather a mixed bag. There is, I suppose, some justification in calling this heavy drama, and even some detective/police work. More though, I think it is Literature, probably will be considered a classic someday, if not already.
Dixie City Jam is a detective story embedded in some of the finest prose around. This is part of one of James Lee Burke's series about an ex-New Orleans Detective named Dave Robicheaux.
The Girl Who Played with Fire, along with the first of that series, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, are both a combination of character study and detective. There has been much hype regarding these as well, and they are definitely living up to said hype IMO. But I've always been a mystery/detective genre fan.
Dixie City Jam is a detective story embedded in some of the finest prose around. This is part of one of James Lee Burke's series about an ex-New Orleans Detective named Dave Robicheaux.
The Girl Who Played with Fire, along with the first of that series, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, are both a combination of character study and detective. There has been much hype regarding these as well, and they are definitely living up to said hype IMO. But I've always been a mystery/detective genre fan.
Pontalba,Do you know if the movie Bordertown with Jennifer Lopez is based on 2666? If so, it was a good movie. Awful situation but good in the fact that it drew attention to a very real problem.
My OH says he wouldn't rule it out, and I'm not far enough into the book to know myself. We do think it is based on the same True to Life murders. However, according to the synopsis on Amazon, the film talks about corruption on both sides of the Border. That is not something that is in the book. In the book, it's all in Mexico.
The film does sound good.
The film does sound good.
Bordertown was a really good movie. In it, the bulk of the corruption was in Mexico, mostly it was turning a blind eye on the US side so it didn't look bad for NAFTA. I find that probable.I like Jennifer Lopez as an actress. I first saw her in 'Selena' and was mesmerized by her powerhouse performance.
Pontalba wrote: "2666 I've barely started, twice now in fact. My OH has read it and harbors mixed feelings. There has been loads of hype about the book in every way, some seem to love it, some dislike it, but it's..."Pontalba, thanks for elaborating and enlarging my horizons.
I'm currently reading Frankenstein: Dead and Alive by Dean Koontz. This was one of those series that got better as it went along.
I stayed up all night during the wee hours finishing _The Space Between Us A Novel_ (2005) by Thrity Umrigar. It's one of those novels which compels you to keep reading. I think that what caught me up was my feeling for the character of Bhima, a servant in a rich home. She suffered so many setbacks in her life. My sympathy was aroused by the skillful way in which the author tells the story. Excellent dialogue. I recommend this book highly. The story is set in modern-day India.
I just finished "Blood Shot" by Sara Paretsky. It is the fifth book in the V. I. Warshawski series, about a tought lady private detective in Chicago.I have read several; this was on e of the better offerins in that series.
Mary JL wrote: "I just finished "Blood Shot" by Sara Paretsky. It is the fifth book in the V. I. Warshawski series, about a tought lady private detective in Chicago. I have read several; this was on e of the better offerins in that series."I once tried reading a Paretsky book. Couldn't get into it. I'll put _Blood Shot_ on my To-Read shelf and give her another try, one of these days.
GR description:
"Everyone's favorite female detective returns in her fifth case, as a missing person assignment turns into a murder investigation, in which V.I. is placed more than knee-deep in a deadly mixture of big business corruption--and chemical waste!"
I just started reading"Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay. Only have 60, or so, pages read, but I can tell that this is a wonderful book.It's the story of a 10 year-old girl who's taken with her parents and thousands of other Jews to Auschwitz, leaving her 4 year-old brother hidden in their apartment.Sixty years later an American, living in Paris, is researching the July, 1942 event. Can't wait to find out what she uncovers.
I like the way the author intertwines the two stories.
Katherine wrote: "I just started reading"Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay. Only have 60, or so, pages read, but I can tell that this is a wonderful book.It's the story of a 10 year-old girl who's taken with her par..."Katherine, thanks for the reminder. I have _Sarah's Key_ on my To-Read shelf.
I don't have much left to Dead and Alive so I already chose a new book: Twistor. It's been on my shelves for years. I don't know why I passed it over because I do want to read it. I want to finish the last two Amber novels but I know that new Avalon book is coming in the mail. I'd rather not split the last two Amber novels. And I'll drop everything to read the new Avalon novel.
Jackie wrote: "I don't have much left to Dead and Alive so I already chose a new book: Twistor. It's been on my shelves for years. I don't know why I passed it over because I do wan..."Jackie, it will be interesting to find out if you agree with the GR description of _Twistor_ which says: "Given Cramer's dry, stiff, academic prose and the equally dry, stiff, academic characters, the interesting and dramatic kernel of physics speculation will open only to the most persistent of readers." Jackie, just how persistent are you?
BTW, this is the first time I'm reading and typing this message using my TV screen access and stand-alone keyboard. I finally learned how. I wonder if this is the way of the future.
That's not the description on the back cover. If it was, I never would have gotten it. But I have to admit, I pretty much expect 'dry' when I read hard sci fi. Which is why I don't read it often. I didn't get very far last night so I have no opinion as of yet.
That is so cool, Joy!
I just got this in my inbox:
The biggest tech story of 2009: Everything you bought this year is obsolete already
http://dvice.com/archives/2009/12/we-...
This is nothing new.
Wow, Jackie, that link you gave us is scary! (about "Everything you bought this year is obsolete already.")http://dvice.com/archives/2009/12/we-...
Rapid obsolescence is the cause of a lot of tension for everyone. We're all going to turn into nervous wrecks trying to keep up with all the changes!
It shouldn't be scary, it happens every year. Even before we had computers, each year a new crop of TVs, stereos, would come out, 'better' than the ones we just bought. It's the way of technology. We've been buying the 'latest' for as long as I can remember. What bothers me is, the developers/manufacturers have to know that the products they sell right now, will be superceded by the next best thing they are developing. And yet, they keep on developing them in this fashion, one upgrade at a time, to sell more 'newer' products.
I have no intention of keeping up. I buy what I need when I need it. What I currently own is good enough for me. But Eric's generation, they are obsessed with the next best thing. That's frightening, to me. They will always be in a state of 'want' or be perpetually in debt.
Jackie, what you say makes a lot of sense.Right now I'm having trouble with my transition from WindowsXP to Windows7. The routine things I used to do on WindowXP are done differently on Windows7. So now I have to discover how to do all those things again. Thank goodness I have techie sons who are able to help me. Otherwise I would give up completely. It's so discouraging.
That's an interesting article, Jackie. I think (hope) it's half spoof because people really do seem to think that if they're not up-to-date, there's a penalty attached, a social stigma. I don't understand it. Technology has accelerated & so have our buying habits. Conspicuous consumption was already a known force in our economy back in 1970 - 40 years ago! - when Alvin Toffler pointed this out in Future Shock. So what? Having more or the latest & greatest isn't necessary or even desirable. People talk themselves into it to their own detriment. Like the ebook readers mentioned. I don't want a bright, back lit screen. It's harder on my eyes. I have computers, so the idea that the Apple Touchpad is an ebook reader killer seems silly to me. The battery life between the two won't be comparable.
I keep stuff until it doesn't do what I want before buying new. My big problem now is finding a new product that does what I want, when I want, is of good quality & does ONLY WHAT I WANT. I'm so tired of devices that don't do a very good job at their primary function, much less a dozen other things that I have no desire to use them for.
Cell phones are a perfect example. Do you know how hard it is to find one that is a decent phone? By decent, I mean has good reception & is simple to use as JUST A PHONE? It's practically impossible. I have a digital camera, MP3 player & a computer. I don't need those functions crammed into a portable phone. I'd like a good, solid one with a long battery life & a good antenna. As it is, the fragile, multifaceted piece of junk I carry around doesn't do any of those things well much less its primary job of actually connecting to the phone network in our rural area.
I'm not averse to something that does multiple tasks, if it does them well. My Gravely, from the early 70's, eats trees over 1" in diameter with the 3' mower deck, does a great job on the lawn with the 42" mower deck, plows the garden with the rotary plow or blows snow 30' away with the snowblower. It starts first try, every time. It takes me 10 minutes to swap out one implement for another & the old, steel bolts will tighten their full length with just fingers, even though they're original & it's spent a fair amount of time out in the rain. What's the upgrade to something like that?
Jim wrote:Having more or the latest & greatest isn't necessary or even desirable.Well said! I couldn't agree more.
And: Conspicuous consumption was already a known force in our economy back in 1970 - 40 years ago!
As long as I can remember, I've heard the saying "Keeping up with the Joneses', I suspect our rampant consumerism dates even further back than the 70s.
And: My big problem now is finding a new product that does what I want, when I want, is of good quality & does ONLY WHAT I WANT.
How true! Devices these days have a million functions, lessening the primary function. Your example of a cellphone is top on my list. I don't have one, nor do I want one. But if I did, it would be for the phone capabilities, not the 800 things Eric's cellphone does. Pictures, now video, texting, and who knows what else. And the prices get higher and higher for all these functions, and most of those functions will never be used.
Joy wrote: The routine things I used to do on WindowXP are done differently on Windows7.
This is one of the big deterrents for me to buy new tech. I finally learn the 'new' way and a few months later, there's a 'newer' way. If they have to 'improve' on a product, why can't they use the same format? Why does everything have to change so drastically? I have a sneaking suspicion that the 'newer' model isn't all that much improved, but if you change the format, it seems like everything is different.
Microsoft & their insistence on changing how everything has been done, most of it since Windows 95, is a primary reason we're thinking of leaving them. We still don't use Office 2007, but 2003 instead. We will be getting Windows 7 in the middle of this year, but we're being dragged kicking & screaming. Changing everyday tasks on business users for a 'new look' is just stupid!
Finished "Sarah's Key". Read it in one day. It's one of those books you read so fast, but then want to slow down to make it last.I'm giving it 5 stars.If any of you read it, I'd be interested in knowing how you like it.
Jim: Good luck with Windows7. At least you have the advantage of knowing how to deal with technical problems. I just panic when I run into a stone wall. :)Katherine: I know what you mean about not wanting a book to end. You get so wrapped up in the story-world that you want to stay there. It's like not wanting to wake up from a good dream. :)
Joy, I have to rebuild the first computer I get with a new operating system quite a few times before I'm happy with it. I think the record was Windows 2000. I rebuilt that 7 times. I've had a Windows 7 Beta version for months now. I haven't blown it up yet, which means I haven't played with it enough.;-)
That's funny, Jim. I was thinking, 'Oh, if I ever have a problem I'll let Jim have a look'....until I read the blow up comment, hahahaha
Patience, Jim, patience. :)I've almost run out of it.
Jackie wrote: "That's funny, Jim. I was thinking, 'Oh, if I ever have a problem I'll let Jim have a look'....until I read the blow up comment, hahahaha"LOLOL!
It's not patience, or the lack thereof, that causes me to destroy a new operating system. I tend to poke around in the dark corners just to see what is really needed & why. I guess I could read a book, but I learn better by monkeying with them. I push their limits & try to take back control.Did you know that you can't even see all the files on your XP PC? There are hidden temp directories that are only accessible if you put the exact location into Explorer. Since it's a temp directory & has a weird name, you need to find it by going into the registry & copying the path you find there into Explorer. That's ridiculous!!! I'm the admin, not just of the machine, but of the entire bloody network & yet I have to hack a computer to find files. Arrgghhh! As a card carrying member of the Control Freak Club, that sort of 'father knows best' attitude on the part of Microsoft drives me wild.
Jim wrote: "It's not patience, or the lack thereof, that causes me to destroy a new operating system. ... As a card carrying member of the Control Freak Club, that sort of 'father knows best' attitude on the part of Microsoft drives me wild."Jim, you and my oldest son would get along fabulously! I hear the same type of thing from him. He's a Linux man.
Folks, should I start a new general-reading-thread for the New Year or should we just keep this one going? What are the pros and cons?
My son is a Linux man, Joy. I have to deal with Microsoft for two main reasons: 1) Too many applications are written just for them. We have specialized CADD programs to sound programs that are MS only. Most cost tens of thousands of dollars. It's one reason I'm very hesitant to go up to Windows 7. Most aren't written for it yet & no, the XP Virtual Machine isn't a fix-all.
2) All my top management is content with Microsoft. Trying to run a network with multiple operating systems or retrain the owners & directors to use a new one, when they don't want to use it & don't use it at home, would be a disaster, a good way to get fired. They just don't & won't see the benefits since it isn't on TV.
I've run a hybrid network before, Novell & Microsoft. It's a pain. Microsoft breaks things all the time. They used to do updates that would goof the Novell client & cause issues. Novell would sue them & MS would settle just before it came to court. In the meantime, we'd fix it, but often the damage was done. It ticked off the Powers That Be. I was forced to switch to using Microsoft servers. Yuck. No one does file system servers as well as Novell & that includes Linux.
If Novell had gone after the desktop back in the late 80's, I'd be using them now. They have some great ideas but don't tell anyone about them & tend to abandon them halfway through. What they do, they tend to do very well. Unfortunately, they have idiots steering their company.
I hear ya, Jim. You have to go with the flow or else. It's a strange world.I recently saw a documentary on TV about how Google runs its company. Sounds like the management knows what its doing. The employees have all kinds of perks like free lunches (with good food) and exercise rooms, right in their own buildings. Their employees are all very bright and clever. Of course, Google is making a fortune.
See "PART SIX" of this thread at:http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...
Feel free to continue this "Part Five" if you prefer.
Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
Books mentioned in this topic
Future Shock (other topics)Dead and Alive (other topics)
Twistor (other topics)
Dead and Alive (other topics)
Twistor (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Alvin Toffler (other topics)Thrity Umrigar (other topics)
Diana L. Paxson (other topics)
Marion Zimmer Bradley (other topics)
Joy Fielding (other topics)
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"Fielding is a master of anticipation and tension." -The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
"Joy Fielding is the mistress of the 'taut suburban thriller.'"(Kirkus Reviews)
ABOVE IS FROM: http://www.amazon.com/Puppet-Joy-Fiel...