What are U reading these days? (Part Five) (begun 3/12/09) Showing 201-250 of 1,049

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Pontalba wrote: "Joy,
The only thing I can say is that Gone With the Wind encompasses every emotion known to man or woman, in war time, and peace, in bad times and good times. It's about survival no matter what. ..."

Pontalba, thanks for explaining why _Gone With The Wind_ is such a notable story. Your comparison of the GWTW with _A Woman in Berlin Eight Weeks in the Conquered City A Diary_ seems very fitting. The two stories do have similar circumstances even though the time and place is different for each one.

Good point about the theme of both stories being survival and the skill and the strength it takes to survive. I searched for a quote which would express the idea well. I found the following:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The winds and waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators."
-Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "Add me to the list of non-readers of GWTW ... I often wondered why I hadn't read it. But, the first time I travelled to Atlanta years ago I made sure we drove down Peachtree"

Nina, speaking of "Peachtree", have you read _Peachtree Road_ by Anne Rivers Siddons?
I loved that book.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

NOTE: SEE A CORRECTION IN MESSAGE #189 OF THIS THREAD ABOUT THE DATES OF OUR LIBRARY'S BOOK SALE IN GLENS FALLS.

[Jackie]

Is anyone else who lives in the area going to the book sale? It's my big 'event' of the year, LOL

[Jim]

I'm very surprised by the reading of GWTW & seeing the movie. I really thought everyone had seen both. So much for what I 'know'. ;-)Both are classics for good reasons. Worth making the time to read/watch although both are long.

I'll second Pontalba that the story encompasses all of life. Scarlet epitomizes innocence & magical thinking. Her journey through the Civil War, her loves & survival pretty much encompass everything a person could experience in life. It's a fantastic journey. Rhett is another fabulous character, so is... well, they're all great. Margaret Mitchell really managed to portray a lot of basic character types & put them through the wringer.

The movie, while it edits the book, is very true to it & gets the same major points across. Again, I don't know of any other movie that has survived so long without a remake. This one is just so well done that I think everyone is afraid to even try. They'd get laughed out the business. The actors were so perfect for their parts. When Gable says, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." it's so fantastic. That one line sums up so much & is so perfectly delivered. Then Leigh says, "I'll go back to Tara." It brings shivers to me just thinking about it.

Now I really want to read the book & see the movie again. It's been too long for both.

[Jen]

Jim wrote: "I'm very surprised by the reading of GWTW & seeing the movie. I really thought everyone had seen both. So much for what I 'know'. ;-)Both are classics for good reasons. Worth making the time to r..."

What are you waiting for? Read it! :) Seriously, I'm loving this book! I would like to see the movie, but only after the book is finished.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie wrote: "Is anyone else who lives in the area going to the book sale? It's my big 'event' of the year, LOL"

Jackie, I hope you find some good books. What kind do you look for?

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim wrote: "... I'll second Pontalba that the story encompasses all of life. ... Margaret Mitchell really managed to portray a lot of basic character types & put them through the wringer. ..."

Jim, you've convinced me. I'm putting it on my To-Read Shelf. :)

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jenni wrote: "... Seriously, I'm loving this book! ..."

Jenni, what made you start reading GWTW?

[Werner]

Jackie (and Joy) thanks for enlightening me on BFF. One of the interesting things about Goodreads is learning a lot of new abbreviations! :-) (And, nah, Jackie, we wouldn't have thought you were a cheater --if it stood for boyfriend, I just figured it was before you got married.)

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Werner wrote: "Jackie (and Joy) thanks for enlightening me on BFF. One of the interesting things about Goodreads is learning a lot of new abbreviations! :-) ..."

Werner and all:
I keep the following link on my desktop and I use it a lot:
http://www.acronymfinder.com/
As you saw, that's how I found out what BFF stood for.

Another link I keep on my desktop is:
http://thesaurus.reference.com/
I use that a lot too because I can never think of the right word to use.

I'm in awe of the articulateness of the Goodreads members. It shows how effective reading can be in increasing our ability to use words. I wish I had read more earlier in my life, during my formative years, when the brain absorbs so much so easily. I'm hoping that my grandkids will be avid readers so that they will grow up to be articulate.

SOME RELEVANT QUOTES:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter.”
-James Earl Jones

RE: JOHN UPDIKE
“I would write ads for deodorants or labels for catsup bottles, if I had to,” he told The Paris Review in 1967. “The miracle of turning inklings into thoughts and thoughts into words and words into metal and print and ink never palls for me.”
-FROM his obituary at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/boo...

"Whenever I wondered what Sara saw in me--and I wondered more than once--I always came back to the fact that she loved to read. She read everything, every spare moment. She was a junkie for the printed word, and lucky for me, I manufactured her drug of choice."
-character, Professor Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas, in the film _Wonder Boys_ ,2000)

"Wordstruck is exactly what I was--and still am: crazy about the sounds of words, the look of words, the taste of words, the feeling for words on the tongue and in the mind."
-Robert MacNeil (1931- ) _Wordstruck_ [1989:]

"The difference between the almost right word & the right word is really a large matter--it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning." -Mark Twain

“In a very real sense, people who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read.” -S. I. Hayakawa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Nina]

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Nina wrote: "Add me to the list of non-readers of GWTW ... I often wondered why I hadn't read it. But, the first time I travelled to Atlanta years ago I made sure we drove down Peachtree"I love almost any book by Anne Rivers Siddon including Peachtree Road..Did you ever read Fox's Earth by her? It was the first one I read..I am trying to think of the title of the one she set in Italy..It was one of my favorite reads. Now I thought of it, "Hill Towns," and do read it if you haven't already. nina

Nina, sp..."

[Nina]

Joy, I mentioned the book that was reviewed in our paper yesterday,"The Zookeeper's Wife," and today I was visiting with my priest friend and he said he had been to that zoo. Of course, he'll be reading her book..By the way she lives in Ithaca, NY. Do you know anything about her? She lives on several acres and grows organic roses. nina

[[deleted user]]

Joy, I love your quotes, they hit home. :) Particularly this one... “In a very real sense, people who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read.” -S. I. Hayakawa

Yes! The lives we can safely lead that we never would consider in "real life"!

Thanks for sharing.

[Jackie]

Sci fi and fantasy, first stop. Then I look for specific books and authors.
I only go to it on the first day. When I work, I take the day off because it's starts on a Friday. You would not believe how many people show up for this event and how quickly books fly off the shelves! If you don't get there early, you miss out. Then I think about what I might have missed out on; it's easier to just be there early on the first day. I love seeing all the shelves full! Ready for my hands to grab them!
We bring backpacks. The bags they give at the door are too small for what we're getting. We fill up quickly and then I go home and rearrange my shelves. It's the happiest day of the year for me, and I'm not kidding. It's better than Xmas.

[Nina]

I did see the movie, "Gone With the Wind," and agree it weathered time in an excellent way..Good, great movie then and beats most of them now. nina

[Jen]

Werner wrote: "Jackie (and Joy) thanks for enlightening me on BFF. One of the interesting things about Goodreads is learning a lot of new abbreviations! :-) (And, nah, Jackie, we wouldn't have thought you were ..."

Honestly? A few things. First of all, it's a monster of a book. I LOVE reading big books. I feel like you get to know the characters so well, and really get to be involved in their story.

GWTW is one of those books that so many people have read, and I've heard so many speak highly of it. It has been on my TBR list for a long time.

A friend of mine who I met through Goodreads loves this book, and we thought that we'd read it together. Unfortunately she can't read it currently because her eReader is getting fixed.

Incidentally, now that I've taken the plunge and gotten the Sony Reader, I'll be tackling even more of those monster books! The only thing that really stinks about big books is carrying them around - they get banged up so easily and weigh so darn much! :)

____

I've just started part two of GWTW, and would love to discuss it with anyone who is willing! :)

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "I love almost any book by Anne Rivers Siddon including Peachtree Road..Did you ever read Fox's Earth by her? It was the first one I read..I am trying to think of the title of the one she set in Italy..It was one of my favorite reads. Now I thought of it, "Hill Towns," and do read it if you haven't already."

Nina, yes I read _Hill Towns_. I've always enjoyed Siddons' stories. Haven't read _Fox's Earth_ yet. Will look into it. Thanks for mentioning it.
Fox's Earth by Anne Rivers Siddons

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "Joy, I mentioned the book that was reviewed in our paper yesterday,"The Zookeeper's Wife," ..."

Nina, I haven't read anything by Diane Ackerman yet.
I see that the Goodreads description of her says:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ackerman's awards and honors include: a Guggenheim Fellowship, the John Burroughs Nature Award, and the Lavan Poetry Prize. She was named a "Literary Lion" by the New York Public Library, and a molecule ("dianeackerone") has been named after her."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See more about her at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Ac...

Very impressive!

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Pontalba wrote: "Joy, I love your quotes, they hit home. :) Particularly this one... “In a very real sense, people who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read.” --S. I. Hayakawa
Yes! The lives we can safely lead that we never would consider in "real life"!"

Good point, Pontalba... we're able to have so many vicarious experiences through books.
Glad you enjoyed the quotes. I'm addicted to quotations. :)

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie wrote: "Sci fi and fantasy, first stop. Then I look for specific books and authors.
I only go to it on the first day. ... It's the happiest day of the year for me, and I'm not kidding. It's better than Xmas. "

LOL - You're a true book lover, Jackie!

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jenni wrote: " ... I LOVE reading big books. I feel like you get to know the characters so well, and really get to be involved in their story. ... I've taken the plunge and gotten the Sony Reader"

Jenni, it's true that a long novel gives the author a chance to develop his characters well. Good point. Often when I read a short story, I feel a bit disappointed when it ends so quickly. There are some books which are so good that you don't want them to end.

I feel that way about the book I just finished reading, _Olive Kitteridge A Novel in Stories_, by Elizabeth Strout. I hated to see it end because Olive Kitteridge was such an interesting character. The book is so readable... a wonderful surprise, since it won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize. Finally, a readable Pulitzer Prize winner! :)

Please tell us more about your Sony Reader. I wonder how it compares to a Kindle book.

[Mary]

Jackie said<"Is anyone else who lives in the area going to the book sale? It's my big 'event' of the year, LOL"> When is it Jackie? I don't head north for a few weeks (but I will have to put it on my scedule for next spring). Where is it held?!!? Sounds great!

[Mary]

Mary wrote: "Jackie said When is it Jackie? I don't head north for a few weeks (but I will have to put it on my scedule for next spring). Where is it held?!!? Sounds great! "

Sorry...just saw #189! haven't been on in a few days due to a killer bug, and I "missed the boat" on that one! I will definately put it on my schedule for next Spring! I am usually up there by then but am waiting for my book so I am in PA for an extra week or so...

[Jen]

I love my Sony Reader! When I first got it, I wondered if I'd miss using the actual book - and I don't! It won't replace real books entirely for me, but the convenience of it makes it much easier for me to take a book along anywhere I go. (Especially since I love my monster books!)

Honestly, the Sony Reader and the Kindle are probably equal in terms of use. They each have their perks. The Kindle has more bells and whistles, but you're more limited to what format/book you put on. You're at the mercy of Amazon. With the Sony, you can use a wide variety of formats - so you're not restricted to just the Sony store.

The Kindle is more expensive, but the books can be cheaper. With the Kindle, you can download a book from just about anywhere in the US. The Sony requires you to plug the unit into your computer in order to put more books on it.

I've heard several horror stories about Kindle customer service, and two of those were from reliable sources. I've yet to hear anything bad about Sony customer service from someone that I trust, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist - it just made me feel more confident in purchasing.

I purchased the Sony PRS 505. It's not the new touchscreen one, but it's the one that I wanted. The screen is great! There's no glare, and it's easy to read. I get headaches easily when reading, and haven't had one yet with my little toy. It's not a battery hog - it seems like the battery charge lasts forever! (Okay, I think it advertises 7,500 page turns... but that's a lot!) You can also load pictures on it (they become black and white), and the pictures are great quality!

One comment that I keep hearing about the Kindle is that it's reallllllly easy to accidentally turn the page when you don't mean to because of the button placement. On the Sony, I've never had this problem.

Hmmm... this has ended up just being bits and pieces - my thought process isn't with it this morning. I stayed up too late reading last night! I can say that I'm sure that both are great toys. If you're considering getting one, you just need to research it and figure out what you need. I decided that I preferred to pay $100 less (the Sony was on sale at Target - but it's generally $60 less) as I didn't need the bells and whistles. :)

I'm heading to The Netherlands to visit my husband's family, and can't wait to finally be able to take a lot of books, and not have to actually pack them! Of course, I won't be doing much reading on the plane as I have two kids, but I'd feel naked if I didn't take a book with me in my carry on!

[Jim]

Jenni, I've been interested in an ebook reader & looked at the Sony. Will it read Microsoft Reader books, PDF, text & RTF formats? I probably can't scrape up the $300 though, so I don't know when I might get one. It looks like a good size & I love the ability to enlarge the text. How is it in the sun?

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Mary wrote: "Sorry...just saw #189! haven't been on in a few days due to a killer bug, and I "missed the boat" on that one! I will definately put it on my schedule for next Spring! I am usually up there by then but am waiting for my book so I am in PA for an extra week or so..."

Mary, hope you're feeling better. At what stage is your book? Has it been released yet?

Folks, see Mary's new book at the following web pages:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63...

Also see the topic in this group about her book:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

See cover-link below:
_The Adirondacks that are, The Other Half of Me_ by Mary A. Paladin
(Will you be getting a special cover image for display for Goodreads?)

Anyway, good luck with your book. Will we be seeing it in the local stores? An acquaintance of mine authored a book about Lake George and I've seen it for sale in the local stores in the small towns around the lake, even the little grocery store near me at the lake. Below is a link to her book, _Lake George_:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40...

I'm sure your distributors will see to it that your book is on the shelves of our local stores. I'll be looking for it. :)

BTW, I'll be delayed in getting up to the lake too. We usually are there by June, but this year I'm having cataract surgery on June 2. So that puts a clinker in our plans.

I'll bet you're missing your lake already.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jenni wrote: "I love my Sony Reader! When I first got it, I wondered if I'd miss using the actual book - and I don't! It won't replace real books entirely for me, but the convenience of it makes it much easier..."

Thank you, Jenni, for the great post about Sony Reader. Sounds like a miracle. :)

My only reservation is that I currently get all my books from the library. So I'm spoiled because I don't have to pay anything to read a book. If I travelled a lot, it would probably be worth paying, but these days we stay home a lot and are on a fixed income.

How much does it cost to download an average book?

[Nina]

My son sent me an article that was quite interesting from the NY Times titled,"Some thoughts on the Lost Art of Reading Aloud,"I recommend it..Quite worth the effort..Here is the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/16/opi...
nina

[Nina]

Here's a quote for you all from Neil Simon: "If no one ever took risks, Michelanglo would have painted the Sistene floor." nina

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "My son sent me an article that was quite interesting from the NY Times titled,"Some thoughts on the Lost Art of Reading Aloud,"I recommend it..Quite worth the effort..Here is the link: http://www.n..."

Nina, for some reason your link didn't work for me, but I googled and found the article at the following link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/16/opi...

If that doesn't work, try the following link:
http://audiobooker.booklistonline.com...
There's a good link there.

A very interesting article. Thanks. The final sentence is:
"But what I would suggest is that our idea of reading is incomplete, impoverished, unless we are also taking the time to read aloud."

Funny you should post this at this time. Currently I am listening to an audio version of _The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao_. At the same time, I am following along in a hard copy of the book. I find that it's very enjoyable to do this, especially with this book, in which there are many Spanish expressions intermingled with the English prose. Not only does listening to the reader add more to my appreciation of the writing, but it's fun to hear the Spanish language spoken so beautifully.

I'm going to try to do this again with another book sometime, i.e., read the book while at the same time listening to an audio version. I find that my concentration is enhanced, even though it takes longer to finish the book.

PS-I realize that the article at the NY Times was suggesting that we should try reading aloud ourselves, and not just listen to someone else reading aloud. I see his point. It might be fun for an in-person book group to try this, each member taking turns. I wonder if I'd enjoy it. I guess it depends on the skill of the readers.

Any opinions on this idea?

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "Here's a quote for you all from Neil Simon: "If no one ever took risks, Michelanglo would have painted the Sistene floor." nina"

LOL - So true!

[Jen]

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Nina wrote: "Here's a quote for you all from Neil Simon: "If no one ever took risks, Michelanglo would have painted the Sistene floor." nina"

LOL - So true!"

I love it! :)

[Jen]

Joy-

I think it costs an average of $5-$12 per book depending on what you're downloading. However, most of the classics are free if you use google.com or the Gutenberg project website. There are also websites out there that allow you to download books for free. So far I have well over 250 books, and I've paid for one.

Jim -

I'm not sure if it can do the Microsoft books stuff or RTF. However, there are converters out there that take care of this for you. My hubby is a software engineer, so he takes over and does this stuff for me. I'll have to ask him tonight, and give you an update tomorrow. :)

Happy Tuesday all!

[Jim]

Thanks, Jenni.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jenni wrote: "Joy-I think it costs an average of $5-$12 per book depending on what you're downloading. However, most of the classics are free if you use google.com or the Gutenberg project website. There are..."

Thanks for the info, Jenni! The availability of free downloads makes the digital readers more appealing. I suppose I could get my sons to help me with downloads. I hate downloading. Download-Phobia. :)

I like the idea of being able to search for words or sentences which I want to go back to. You can't do that with a plain old-fashioned book. :)

Let's face it, the "search" applications have revolutionized the learning process. Learning gets easier all the time... except for the steep learning curves related to technical operations.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

QUESTION FOR THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS THREAD:

Shall I start a new thread for this topic or keep this one going?

The reason I ask is that I think newcomers might be reluctant to jump into a long-established thread.

What do you think?
What are the PROS and CONS?

Also, what do other Goodread groups do about long threads?

I know that one of the advantages of keeping a long thread going is that the participants can receive email notifications when new comments are posted. That keeps the group connected, whereas new topics sometimes go unnoticed.

[Jen]

Joy -

Long threads are fun! :) Seriously, I think it depends on the content. Yes, it's great to know when somebody replies in the thread that you're interested in, but thread-jacking happens a lot in long threads.

It might be easier to try to keep the "What Are You Reading" thread more on topic, and have people be more proactive about starting new topics. For example, the whole Sony Reader/Kindle thing that got started could easily be a topic of itself.

I'm peachy and okay with anything though! Thread-jacking is a pastime of mine, but I can be proactive and start my own threads too! :)

[[deleted user]]

Well...starting a new, dated thread might aid in searching for a particular post we may wish to look for, narrow the parameters at least, and you may be right about newbies not wishing to jump into an established verra long thread. :)

As far as finding the new thread, that's easy, when we log into the main page of this group, just look to the "Discussion Board" line and look to the right. You'll see "all|new|unread", just click on "unread" and that'll give you all unread posts.

For my preference, it's six to a half dozen of the other. :)

[Catamorandi]

I am starting I Capture the Castle.

[Jim]

I'm fine with continuing this thread.

A friend at work just loaned me the new Sookie Stackhouse (HBO True Blood) novel Dead and Gone. It's the ninth in the series. They're like eating chips - I can't read just one. They're light, fun entertainment. Perfect for escaping during lunch or after a long day at work.

[Jackie]

Either way is good with me. If you do move it, just let me know so I can jump over to that one.

[Jen]

I'm all for keeping everything here. IT makes the thread fun to read! :)

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Thanks for the replies. Looks like we'll stay with this thread.

I don't mind going off on tangents a bit, as long as we return to the main topic eventually. Tangents can be very interesting... as most spur-of-the-moment ideas seem to be ... a spontaneous outpouring of enthusiasm about partially-related subjects.

New topics are always welcome. Folks who want to search out new topics by clicking on "unread" can do so easily. It might be a bit overwhelming for newcomers for whom EVERYTHING is unread, but I'm sure they eventually can find their way to whatever interests them.

As with all new areas, things take getting used to. I'm for whatever works. :)

If I ever start a new "What-are-U-reading" thread, I will post a message about it in this thread at the same time.

Naturally, always feel free to stay on whichever thread you like. Thanks for participating.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Camerandi wrote: "I am starting I Capture the Castle."

Thanks, Randi. Below are the links to that book and author:
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

The Goodreads description says: "Dodie Smith, author of 101 Dalmations, wrote this novel in 1948. And though the story is set in the 1930s, it still feels fresh, and well deserves its reputation as a modern classic."

[Nina]

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Nina wrote: "My son sent me an article that was quite interesting from the NY Times titled,"Some thoughts on the Lost Art of Reading Aloud,"I recommend it..Quite worth the effort..Here is the link:..."I am going to a Box Hill picnic on May 31st and as that is where Jane Austin's Emma's characters went we in the Jane Austin Book Society have an annual picnic to capture her mood. I will be reading aloud from that book..Should be fun. When I was into writing poetry I had to give several readings of my poems to an audience..Not as easy as it sounds. I even had a class on reading poems aloud. The hardest reading aloud for me was when I was asked to read part of Ulyssess for a half hour or more..The dialect was so difficult that both I and the audience were relieved when someone else took over.. By the way, I enjoy goodreads just as it is. nina

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "I am going to a Box Hill picnic on May 31st and ... we in the Jane Austin Book Society have an annual picnic to capture her mood. I will be reading aloud from that book..Should be fun. ... The hardest reading aloud for me was when I was asked to read part of Ulyssess for a half hour or more..The dialect was so difficult that both I and the audience were relieved when someone else took over.. By the way, I enjoy goodreads just as it is."

Nina, glad to hear you're enjoying our group.

Just the mention of _Ulysses_ by author:James Joyce|5144] gives me the chills. :) Being my usual curious self, I read the Goodreads description. It says:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ulysses has been labeled dirty, blasphemous, and unreadable. In a famous 1933 court decision, Judge John M. Woolsey declared it an emetic book--although he found it sufficiently unobscene to allow its importation into the United States--and Virginia Woolf was moved to decry James Joyce's "cloacal obsession." None of these adjectives, however, do the slightest justice to the novel. To this day it remains the modernist masterpiece, in which the author takes both Celtic lyricism and vulgarity to splendid extremes. It is funny, sorrowful, and even (in a close-focus sort of way) suspenseful. And despite the exegetical industry that has sprung up in the last 75 years, Ulysses is also a compulsively readable book."
FROM: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Jim]

I finished the new Sookie book last night. More cotton candy, but fun.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

RE: _The Story of Edgar Sawtelle_
Last night I went to a book group discussion of _The Story of Edgar Sawtelle A Novel_ by David Wroblewski

It was a very lively discussion (to say the least) with widely varying opinions. Folks either loved it or hated it. My feeling is that, if I had known how wrenching the story would be, I never would have read it... it was almost like a horror story to me, despite the fact that it started out so benignly. I started out loving the book. I ended up wishing I had never read it.

It's interesting to read the Goodread members' reviews of the Sawtelle book. You can see them at: ====>
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27...

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim wrote: "I finished the new Sookie book last night. More cotton candy, but fun."

Jim, was the following book the one you read? ===>
All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

I see that Netflix has the True Blood HBO series on DVD. Below is their description:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"True Blood: Season 1(2008) TV-MA
Mind-reading Louisiana waitress Sookie Stackhouse's (Anna Paquin, in a Golden Globe-winning role) life gets complicated when she falls for vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) in a world where vampires live openly and drink synthetic blood. Trying to improve their image and legitimize their finances, the out-of-the-coffin bloodsuckers hire PR firms and contribute to influential Republican politicians. Alan Ball ("Six Feet Under") helms the HBO series.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BTW, Jim, as clarification, in another post you had written the following:
---------------------------------------------------------
"I just finished the 6th Sookie Stackhouse book last night Definitely Dead & started in on the 7th, All Together Dead. They're VERY entertaining, light reading. I'm hooked on paranormal romances, especially this one.
"It is now also an HBO show called "True Blood". The TV show & the books share a lot in common, but they're like alternate universes or something. Same character names & some of the same story elements, but otherwise they're pretty different. They're both really good, though."
----------------------------------------------------------

I've put the "True Blood" DVD on my Netflix queue. You've made me curious. :)