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)
For those of you in the Glens Falls area, you may be interested in "Book Club Night" at the Wood Theater. See details at the following topic: ====>http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
The Goodreads description says: "This first new railroad romance in a generation celebrates that sweet, youthful, evanescent moment, exactly in the middle of the last century, that we now look back upon as a time of innocence." I wonder what they mean by "railroad romance". I DO know what they mean by "a time of innocence". :) About the author (from Amazon.com): The well known train wreck that killed quite a few young men on their way off to war is featured in the book. It is told with authenticity, vivid details and reflects the impact it had on everyone afterward. It has become popular with railroad enthusiasts and that is probably why it is described as such...
Mary wrote: "The well known train wreck that killed quite a few young men on their way off to war is featured in the book. It is told with authenticity, vivid details and reflects the impact it had on everyone afterward. It has become popular with railroad enthusiasts and that is probably why it is described as such..."Mary, thanks for explaining the term "railroad romance", as used in the book description of _Smart Boys: Swimming in the River Styx_. That's quite a title!
Someone should write a book explaining book titles, how they are/were chosen, what they refer to, and if they're taken from a quotation.
For example, the following titles were taken from Bible quotations:
_The Sun Also Rises_
SEE: http://bible.cc/ecclesiastes/1-5.htm
_Wings of the Dove_
SEE: http://www.mcgoodwin.net/pages/otherb...
Joy said: Someone should write a book explaining book titles, how they are/were chosen, what they refer to, and if they're taken from a quotation.Isn't that the truth! I guess they don't have the room-who knows.
PS-Somebody DID write a book about book titles and their origins.I googled and found a book entitled:
_Why Not Catch 21?: The Stories Behind the Titles_
SEE: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASI...
Also see: _Why Not Catch 21? The Stories Behind the Titles_
As for the railroad romance story..Which war and I don't remember ever hearing about a train wreck killing young men on their way to War..Please fill me in on some details..nina
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "PS-Somebody DID write a book about book titles and their origins.I googled and found a book entitled:
_Why Not Catch 21?: The Stories Behind the Titles_
SEE: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN..."
What about Gone With the Wind? Does the title tell you it's about the Civil War? I have read some titles in the past and can't recall now which ones that were titled something entirely different than what they ended up calling them..nina
Nina wrote: "As for the railroad romance story..Which war and I don't remember ever hearing about a train wreck killing young men on their way to War..Please fill me in on some details..nina"It was a terrible train accident in PA killing 33 soldiers (heading to Korean War). I have included a link for you to take a look.
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker...
Nina wrote: "What about Gone With the Wind? Does the title tell you it's about the Civil War? ... "Good question, Nina. I found the following at Wiki:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RE: _Gone With The Wind_
"The title is taken from the first line of the third stanza of the poem "Non Sum Qualis eram Bonae Sub Regno Cynarae"* by Ernest Dowson: 'I have forgot much, Cynara! gone with the wind.'
"The novel's protagonist Scarlett O'Hara also uses the title phrase in a line in the book: when her home area is overtaken by the Yankees, she wonders to herself if her home, a plantation called Tara, is still standing, or if it was 'also gone with the wind which had swept through Georgia'. More generally, the title has been interpreted as referring to the entire way of life of the antebellum South as having 'Gone with the Wind'.
"The book was almost titled quoting the end line in the book, "Tomorrow is another day"; but the publisher at the time noted there were several books close to the same title, so she was asked to find another title, and "Gone with the Wind" was chosen."
ABOVE FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gone_wit...
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* See Ernest Dowson's poem at:
http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/7...
I wonder who "Cynara" is.
It says:
"The Latin title is from the opening of Horace's Odes, Book 4.1: (translated):
'Spare me, Venus, spare! / Trust me, I am not the same / As in the reign of Cinara, kind and fair'."
I still don't know who Cinara is. :)
Further googling found out that Dowson's line is an adaptation from Psalm 103:15:
"For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone".
See the following links:
http://bible.cc/psalms/103-16.htm
http://books.google.com/books?id=Dof6...
Ahh, perhaps the most famous line though is...
I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion.
I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion.
Pontalba wrote: "Ahh, perhaps the most famous line though is... I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion."Pontalba, you sent me scurrying to Google once again.
I found the following:
"I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion."
-from a poem by Ernest Dowson, entitled:
"Non Sum Qualis Eram Bonae sub Regno Cynarae" (1896).
The title, a quotation from Horace, means "I am not as I was under good Cynara's reign."
I found the info at:
FROM: http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topi...
I don't understand why the title of Dowson's poems had to be in Latin! Grumble... :)
I'm almost done with Gone With The Wind. Over the weekend, I finished Jodi Picoult's Handle with Care. Personally, I thought that Handle With Care was a quick and interesting read, but it's really too much like her previous book, My Sister's Keeper with different medical issues. I wasn't thrilled with the ending either... in my head I'd been hoping for a different ending, though I was pretty sure it would never happen. Has anyone else read this book?Oh! I forgot to mention that I've also started reading Little Heathens Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression, recommended to me by my Grandma. I'm from Iowa and my Grandma grew up in the depression, so it really hits home.
Jenni wrote: "I'm almost done with Gone With The Wind. Over the weekend, I finished Jodi Picoult's Handle with Care. Personally, I thought that Handle With Care was a ..."Thanks for the reviews and links, Jenni. I've just requested _My Sister's Keeper_ from the library. Haven't read _Handle with Care_. I hate a disappointing ending. I wonder if authors ever consider how their fiction affects people... or are they just out to make their point... whatever the consequences. Makes a good subject for a debate, no?
For example, the ending of _The Story of Edgar Sawtelle A Novel_ really turned off a lot of people. I hated it. I probably will never read that author again.
As for the book you're reading, _Little Heathens_, below is a bit from the Goodreads book description:
====================================================
"Recounted in a luminous narrative filled with tenderness and humor, Kalish's memoir of her childhood shows how the right stuff can make even the bleakest of times seem like -quite a romp."
ABOVE FROM: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77...
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PS-_Little Heathens_ was listed by the NY Times as one of "The 10 Best Books of 2007".
See: ====> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/boo...
NY Times reviewer, Elizabeth Gilbert, says that this memoir is: "filled with fervency, urgency and one amazing twist, which surprised me to the point of a delighted, audible gasp:
Mildred Armstrong Kalish absolutely loved her childhood."
FROM: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/01/boo...
Wow! I read a lot over the weekend. I finished Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet A Novel, and started (and finished) Body of Knowledge. Both books are by goodreads authors, and I highly recommend both of them! I'm still digesting Body of Knowledge... I stayed up late last night to finish it, so I didn't think about it to much last night.Right now, I'm working on Something Borrowed. Not something I'd normally read, but it looks interesting, and I got it as a goodreads giveaway. :)
Jenni wrote: "Wow! I read a lot over the weekend. I finished Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet A Novel, and started (and finished) Body of Knowledge. Both books are by goo..."Hi Jenni - It must feel good to have accomplished all that reading.
Thanks for providing the links.
I'm almost finished with _The Gnostic Mystery_ and have enjoyed reading it.
I'm also currently reading and enjoying _The Center of the Universe A Memoir_ .
I've also started the following books which I manage to give attention to whenever I can:
_In Defense of Food An Eater's Manifesto_ (This is my library group's selection for June.)
_Body Surfing A Novel_ (This is the June selection of my other library group.)
_Swanson on Swanson_ (I enjoy biographies of people in show business.)
It's so nice to have these book waiting for me on my reading table.
I always have them to look forward to.
Joy,If you're enjoying The Gnostic Mystery, you may want to consider Body of Knowledge.
I think I'm going to look into the books you're reading. Great, more books to add to Mount TBR! :)
I'm reading The Master of Whitestorm by Janny Wurts. My main problem with the book is I don't have time to read it. Very engaging, so it's frustrating not to be able to devote the time to it. I'm also reading Founding Brothers The Revolutionary Generation. Interesting, but easy enough to put down.
Jenni wrote: "Joy, If you're enjoying The Gnostic Mystery, you may want to consider Body of Knowledge. I think I'm going to look into the books you're reading. ..."
Thanks, Jenni. _Body of Knowledge_ sounds intriguing. Below are some customers' comments which I found at Amazon.com.
====================================================
"Bryce Anderson has penned a very entertaining, quizzical story. This is the type of story that makes you think, reflect, think, smile, think, ponder..."
"This book delves into the mind of 2 intellectuals. Both question life. Both for different reasons. Book of Knowledge had me thinking with each and every turn of the page. It is a great read with light hearted quips and deep questions."
ABOVE FROM: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615...
=====================================================
This is a good book for "Mount TBR" (my To-Read Shelf). :) Thanks again for the recommendation.
Jim wrote: "I'm reading The Master of Whitestorm by Janny Wurts. My main problem with the book is I don't have time to read it. Very engaging, so it's frustrating not to be able to devote the time to it.I'm also reading Founding Brothers The Revolutionary Generation. Interesting, but easy enough to put down."
Hi Jim. Yes, it is frustrating when we don't have enough time to read our books. On the other hand, we have them to look forward to. As for books "easy enough to put down", you said it well. Some books we are compelled to read. Others are interesting but not compelling. The most we can do is keep on plugging along as best we can.
I see that one of the Goodreads members (Eddie) said the following about _The Master of Whitestorm_: "This is a solid fantasy read." Ah, I might have known it was the fantasy genre... one of your favorite genres. :) I still have to get into one of those fantasy books. I have one or more on my To-Read Shelf.
I watched the fantasy movie, "Kyle XY" (Season 1, Disc 1). I still have to watch the continuations to find out where he came from. I also watched X-Men. So I'm tasting some fantasy stuff. Not bad. :)
Jim wrote: "I'm reading The Master of Whitestorm by Janny Wurts. My main problem with the book is I don't have time to read it. Very engaging, so it's frustrating not to be able t..."The Master of Whitestorm sounds good! Yippie! More books for Mount TBR! :)
Jenni wrote: "...Yippie! More books for Mount TBR! :)"LOLOL!
Jenni, I love your enthusiasm! :)
Jenni, the first books of Janny's that I read were the Empire Trilogy that she wrote with Raymond Feist. Chronologically for the story, he wrote 2 books by himself, then 3 with Janny & then a couple more that have since blown into dozens. I like the first 7 the best.For some reason, I never got around to reading any more of Janny's novels until we started chatting here on GR. We both have horses & a lot more in common, so we've developed quite a good online friendship. That she's a wonderful fantasy writer & an excellent illustrator (she's done the artwork for most of her book covers) is a real bonus.
Thank you Jim! I'm going to look into her.Joy - I love that picture! It's perfect for me, and a lot of fellow goodreads members! :)
Joy, I'm pleased you are emjoying Gnostic Mystery. Body of knowledge sounds very interesting, I'll have to look for it.Jim, Janny was an author I never heard of until I started reading Feist's Faerie Tale, I noticed her name in collaboration with Feist in the 'Other Books By' section. Then I met her here a few days later. When I read the short synopses of her novels, I thought "How the heck did I miss her?" All her novels are right up my alley.
Next Friday is the Library Book Sale and Janny is one of the first authors' novels I'm going to look for. I have a huge list this year, but even if get 20% of my list, I'll be good on reading material for a while. I'm mostly hoping for the rest of series I have sitting on my shelves, waiting for their companions so I can start them.
If anyone is considering Body of Knowledge, just send the author a message. He's a goodreads author who is VERY attentive to his messages. He'll send you a copy for cheaper than you can get it online. Not only does it save you money, but he'll sign it for you too if you like. :) As soon as my brain is awake, I'm going to put together some questions and send them to him.
____
My local library book sale starts next week - I'm looking foward to it! Sadly, I'll be out of town when it starts, but hopefully I'll find some treasures when I get back home.
Jackie wrote: "Joy, I'm pleased you are emjoying Gnostic Mystery."Thanks, Jackie. I'm almost finished reading _The Gnostic Mystery_. Thanks for loaning it to me. I'll return in when I see you at the book sale. I'll write a short review when I get my thoughts together. I think the book is very well done.
Jackie wrote: "Jenni,Where are you located?"
I live in North Liberty, Iowa. :) It's a short trek from NY.
Joy, I thought it was well thought out also. I liked the way the Professor gave information in a believeable dialogue. And it was an easy read.What time will you be at the book sale?
Jenny,
I guess you won't be attending our Library Book Sale either.
Jackie wrote: "... What time will you be at the book sale? ..."Jackie, I'll try to be there well before the door opens at 9:00 AM.
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Jackie wrote: "... What time will you be at the book sale? ..."Jackie, I'll try to be there well before the door opens at 9:00 AM."
This is simply not fair... I want to be able to do this with fellow goodreads members! :)
Jenni wrote: "This is simply not fair... I want to be able to do this with fellow goodreads members! :) "Jenni, hop on a plane and join us. :)
The New York Times wrote the following about Glens Falls:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"In the heart of a small city 200 miles north of Manhattan, audiences delight in the Adirondack Theater Festival's work on an old-fashioned main street."
FROM: http://www.atfestival.org/Current-Rev...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In fact, Glens Falls was named "Home Town, USA" by Look Magazine back in the 1940s.
You can visit "Cooper's Cave" which figured in James Fenimore Cooper's
_The Last of the Mohicans_. Below is a link about the cave: ====>
http://www.sgfny.com/Coopers-Cave.htm
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Jenni wrote: "This is simply not fair... I want to be able to do this with fellow goodreads members! :) "Jenni, hop on a plane and join us. :)
The New York Times wrote the following about Glens ..."When I was a little girl I played a game of cards called, "Authors" and that is how I came to know the author, James Fenimore Cooper..I never knew until now there was a Cooper Cave..I loved that game and thought of the authors as friends of mine..nina
Nina wrote: "When I was a little girl I played a game of cards called, "Authors" and that is how I came to know the author, James Fenimore Cooper..I never knew until now there was a Cooper Cave..I loved that game and thought of the authors as friends of mine."Nina, was the "Author's" game one of the ones described at the following web pages? ====>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authors_...
http://thehouseofcards.com/kids/autho...
http://www.djmcadam.com/authors-card-...
Sounds like a great educational game!
Great, Joy. I'll be looking for you. I should be there around 8 AM.
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Nina wrote: "What about Gone With the Wind? Does the title tell you it's about the Civil War? ... "Good question, Nina. I found the following at Wiki:Interesting info..I am always interested in titles and how they were arrived at as it seems more often than not, the publisher changes them. Or even on a more mundane level than a novel.. I once had an article published in our Sunday supplement about the fact that I had cooked all these different things, such as roast beef and mashed potatoes and birthday cakes and numerous pies etc. for a family of eight. And when I asked my then thirteen year old daughter if she could think of anything I had done well she paused and answered finally, "Well, you do make good broccoli dip." I titled my article, "From Butcher to Baker to Broccoli Dip Maker." My writing critique teacher at the time thought it was a catchy title..so I submitted it..They did publish and even came to the house to take my picture but they titled it, "Teresa Peck's Broccoli Dip.." So much for thinking up clever titles.nina
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~..."
Nina wrote: "... I titled my article, "From Butcher to Baker to Broccoli Dip Maker." ... They did publish ... but they titled it, "Teresa Peck's Broccoli Dip.." So much for thinking up clever titles"Nina, your title was clever, but I guess they had space limitations.
I liked your title better than theirs. :)
I just started reading _The Tortilla Curtain_ by T.C. Boyle (our library group's selection for July). I am already hooked by the plot and even more so by Boyle's rich prose. I'm admiring his rich vocabulary and his skill in using it with so much style. So far the book is very readable. I like that. :)Somewhere I heard that the book was controversial... that it deals with the social issues of the haves and the have-nots. I can see that already.
One of the books I picked up at the sale is Raising Atlantis by Thomas Greanias.I still haven't finished Midnight Sun, the partial draft Stephenie Meyer put up at her website. Maybe 100 pages to go. I don't read much on the computer, I prefer a hard copy so it limits the time I send on Midnight Sun. And The Jesus Papers is going slow, like most non-fiction reading is for me. I don't pick it up as much as I do novels.
It's a beautiful day and I plan on sitting in the yard and reading. Going to enjoy the sun while it lasts!
Jackie wrote: "One of the books I picked up at the sale is Raising Atlantis by Thomas Greanias. I still haven't finished Midnight Sun, the partial draft [author:Step..."Jackie, I'm not a fan of reading books on my computer screen either.
Non-fiction is usually a slower read for me too, even though it may be interesting. I need a plot to pull me along.
Yes, it's a beautiful day... time to get working on my potted flowers. But you can be sure I'm going to take time out to read and relax too.
I'm currently reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The Outsiders, and The Laughing Corpse (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #2). I am enjoying all three books. :)Jackie - I also plan to read Midnight Sun, but I still have to finish the third and fourth books first.
Jenni wrote: "I'm currently reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The Outsiders, and The Laughing Corpse (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #2). I am enjoying all three b..."I've read the last two & really liked them. Haven't read the first. How do you like it?
Jim,Well, I've only read the first three chapters of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but I'm really liking it so far. I'll have to read a little more of it and post back with an update. So far it's an awesome (fun, insane) way to present Pride and Prejudice, and it doesn't make fun of the original. It just adds a new zany twist to it. :)
How much of the Anita Blake series have you read?
I think I've read all the Anita Blake series except the last one published, "Blood Noir". I won't be buying any more of them new. I loved the first 5 or so. Then she got into more romance & kinky sex, but still kept the story going. One of the last books, Micah, was filler. The one after that was a bit better, but not enough story.Her Merry Gentry series followed the same path, but was well down it by the second book &, by the 5th, wasn't worth the money for a new paperback, IMO.
Jenni wrote: "I'm currently reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The Outsiders, and The Laughing Corpse (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #2). I am enjoying all three b..."Jenni, after reading your post, I followed your link to _The Outsiders_ and found a good review of it by our friend, Werner. Below is a link to it: ====>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....
The review makes me want to read the book. Werner gave it 5 stars. I also see that Jackie gave it 4 stars which means she liked it too.
Yes, 4 stars from me means I liked it a lot. 5 stars starts is reserved for outstanding books, my favorites. The Outsiders was a powerful book, with themes I think everyone can relate to at some point in their lives.There was a movie made of it in the 80s (I think) with a great cast: Patrick Swayze, Diane Lane, Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, C Thomas Howell, probably others I'm forgetting about. It's worth watching, IMO.
Jackie wrote: "Yes, 4 stars from me means I liked it a lot. 5 stars starts is reserved for outstanding books, my favorites. The Outsiders was a powerful book, with themes I think everyone can relate to at some ..."Jackie, thanks for telling me about the movie made from _The Outsiders_. I've put it on my Netflix queue. Below is the Netflix description:
====================================================
"The Outsiders(1983) PG
Francis Ford Coppola's drama about teen turmoil in rural Oklahoma features nearly every big name of 1980s cinema -- including Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, C. Thomas Howell, Diane Lane, Ralph Macchio and Patrick Swayze. In this faithful adaptation of S.E. Hinton's popular novel, the hardscrabble "Greasers" face off against the affluent "Socs," and the resulting conflict proves sad and deadly for these ultimately lovable delinquents."
FROM: http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Outs...
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I'd put the book on my To-Read list, but the list is already impossibly long.
I wonder how I missed this movie. I loved Hinton's novel, including the one before it, That Was Then, This Is Now. I like a lot of the actors in it, too. Wow, they would have been young back then. Hmmm, I know why I missed it - one boy had just been born & the other was on his way. We didn't have the time or money to go to the movies!
Jim wrote: "I wonder how I missed this movie. I loved Hinton's novel, including the one before it, That Was Then, This Is Now. I like a lot of the actors in it, too. Wow, they would have been y..."Jim, yes, while we were raising babies, we didn't have time or money for the movies.
Now I'm trying to catch up. :)
Thanks for the link to Hinton's That Was Then, This is Now.
The Goodreads description says:
=====================================================
BOOK: That Was Then .. This is Now (1985) R
"In That Was Then, This Is Now, one of her most admired novels, S. E. Hinton paints a richly textured portrait of two boys at a crossroads in their friendship.With careful, intimate strokes, Hinton reveals a boy struggling over whether to protect his best friend or whether to follow his own beliefs about right and wrong. The ending will surprise readers, challenging them to puzzle over Bryon's dilemma in their own hearts."
=====================================================
Another good book... with a surprise ending too!
Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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Mary, thanks for recommending _Smart Boys Swimming in the River Styx_ by Robert Phillip Bomboy.
The Goodreads description says: "This first new railroad romance in a generation celebrates that sweet, youthful, evanescent moment, exactly in the middle of the last century, that we now look back upon as a time of innocence."
I wonder what they mean by "railroad romance".
I DO know what they mean by "a time of innocence". :)
About the author (from Amazon.com):
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"Robert Bomboy is a widely published magazine writer and educator whose fiction and non-fiction have appeared in more than 60 national, international and regional publications. He is the author of four previously published books, all histories."
FROM: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1419...
(The webpage has some very favorable reviews of his book.)
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