Author dies

[Lisa]

That is very sad :(

[Sarah]

That is sad news. He will always be a legend.

[Travis]

I was surprised he was only 66. Man he cranked the books out in his time. 40+ discworld plus several other series

[Sandra, Moderator]

That's really sad. R.I.P

[Janice, Moderator]

I found it very interesting that he continued to publish books right up to last year in spite of having Alzheimer's. He'd already had it for 7 years at that point. Amazing!

[Travis]

While it won't reverse, stop or cure, really working the brain is supposed to slow alzheimers. Childrens games or puzzles. Brain twisters suduko. I'm sure wtiting novels is a puzzle in itself which probably really helped slow the disease

[Tejas Janet]

My mom had it :(

[Peggy]

My grandmom too. Horrible disease :( And 66 is so young!

I also found it interesting that he continued writing. But I think it can progress quite slowly as well, and doesn't it often affect newer memories first and old memories not so much? So perhaps the ability to write isn't affected when there are other symptoms. But maybe that also doesn't make sense, as an author you should be able to remember the story you're writing.

I have never gotten around to reading any of his books (except one he did with Neil Gaiman), although they are on my tbr.

[Tejas Janet]

It is terrible disease - one of many cruel diseases. When my mom got the diagnosis, she told me that I shouldn't feel bad. That she wasn't in pain physically and that she wouldn't really know. She sort of did tho, but she really handled this all with such grace.

Neither of my grandmothers got it. One lived to 82, one to 93. My mom has two living siblings. One has it, one doesn't. Both are well over 75 now. My mom got early onset - about age 60. I'm terrified of getting it of course.

She died in 2003. Her short term memory was crap. But she could still sing songs and joke with the nurses almost up until she died from complications.

That's amazing Sir Terry was able to keep writing. Awesome really. But the disease isn't really the one size fits all it's sometimes made out to be.

[Sandra, Moderator]

I'm sorry about your mom, TJ. It's so hard for the family too.

[Janice, Moderator]

Very sorry about your mom, TJ.

[Bella]

My grandfather had vascular Alzheimer's, and the areas where his mini-strokes were concentrated did not affect his memory much. Short term more than long term, but he lived with us and never forgot me or his great-grandchildren. So, I think that continual contact with people or things can improve or maintain short term memory.

[Tasha]

Sorry to hear that, TJ. Very difficult I'm sure.

I'm not a big fantasy fan but Terry Pratchett was like a rock star in the book world so I was really saddened to hear the news. Shocked actually when I saw it on my FB feed. I read my first Pratchett this year for our Dragon theme month. So now I feel a bit of a connection to this sad day. :(

[Rusalka, Moderator]

I yelled "NO!!" at the radio this morning on the way to work. So incredibly sad. But lovely to have my facebook wall covered in discworld

[Cherie]

I have not been on FB nor on-line here and just saw the post. I am shocked and sad too. I did not know he had A. WOW...

[Sarah]

Terry Pratchett says it best:

“...no-one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away – until the clock he wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested. The span of someone’s life, they say, is only the core of their actual existence.”
― Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man

[Rusalka, Moderator]

That first sentence was exactly my post on my facebook today :)

This is also now my profile pic

[Rusalka, Moderator]

I'm thinking that Reaper Man is also next on my serial list.

[Sarah]

I've not read that one yet either. I think I'm going to listen to one discworld or other to finish off my level.

[Tejas Janet]

I've only just started reading discworld this year. Read Guards! Guards!, first book in the Castle Watch subseries, which I plan to continue and hopefully finish off for series challenge.

Don't know what took me so long to come to the party given that his brilliant silliness is just my cup of tea.

[Tejas Janet]

City watch I mean - not castle watch.

[Janice, Moderator]

I've only read one of his books - Mort. I had been playing around with the idea of reading some of his books for the serial killer challenge, and I think I shall now.

[Marcus]

Yeah...I've loved his series so far and now have new ambition to start up again...he was great.

[Cherie]

Rusalka wrote: "I'm thinking that Reaper Man is also next on my serial list."

That is the next one in the series for me too. It will definately be on my Level 7 list. I have enough books to make my Level 7 choices all dedicated to Sir Terry except for the series I will use as the series victim to kill off. I have a long way to go with the Discworld series books and two books in the last trilogy he wrote called The Long Earth. I wasn't wholly thrilled with the first book but I bought the last two to finish out the trilogy on my ereader.

[Lynda]

Little late in hearing the news, I'm sad to hear of Terry Pratchett's passing. I've been meaning to start the Discworld series for a while now, but didn't want to get too invested in a fantasy series, until I paired down my serial killer reading list a bit more.

Also, sorry for those who lives have been touched with Alzheimer's. My brother was just diagnosed, he's only 60. My grandmother and my great-grandmother (both on my Mom's side) suffered from it. I've been worried about my 80 year-old mother being hit with it, and never thought it would get my big brother first.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Sorry to hear about your brother, Lynda.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Sorry to hear you and your family's going through that Lynda :(

A cute interview with Pratchett and Gaiman from 1991. http://www.locusmag.com/2006/Issues/1...

[Sandra, Moderator]

That interview was a pleasure!

[Tasha]

Sorry to hear about your brother, Lynda. That is a tough thing.

[Mariab]

Günter Grass (87), german author
Eduardo Galeano (76) uruguayan author have died today

[Sandra, Moderator]

I read both in the news today, but I forgot about this thread...
Never read nothing by Grass, but I read 3 or 4 by Eduardo Galeano many years ago. It used to be a "must" for us young uruguayans.

[Janice, Moderator]

How sad. I don't think I've read anything by either author.

[Mariab]

Janice wrote: "How sad. I don't think I've read anything by either author."

Well, Günter Grass is no light snack. The Tin Drum is one of the major works

Galeano is no easy either.
One of his quotes is:
"We are all mortal until the first kiss and the second glass of wine"
Or:
"Only fools believe that silence is empty. Sometimes is better to be quiet to comunicate"

[Tejas Janet]

I never knew this before that The Tin Drum is part of a series: The Danzig Trilogy: The Tin Drum / Cat and Mouse / Dog Years.

Like the Galeano quotes. Thanks, Mariab.

I've not ever read either author - at least not yet.

[Mariab]

Tejas Janet wrote: "I never knew this before that The Tin Drum is part of a series: The Danzig Trilogy: The Tin Drum / Cat and Mouse / Dog Years.

Like the Galeano quotes. Thanks, Mariab.

..."

Yes, but they are standalone works, only bound together by place(Danzig), by time (sort of: pre, during and post war), and -of course- by author

You'r wellcome with the quotes!

[Sarah]

I like the Galeano quote about silence. It reminds me of The Name of the Wind and how Bast hated the silences.

I unfortunately haven't heard of either of those authors. they had long lives though.

[Mariab]

@Sarah Galeano is mostly know in Latin America. And is a political writer. Has many good quotes, therefor. G Grass is know in Europe. The Tin Durm was made a movie in the 70s (same titel), very polemic and very disturbing film

[Sandra, Moderator]

Just read author E.L. Doctorow died yesterday. Never read nothing by him, but thought some of you could be interested.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/22/boo...

[Kandice]

Ragtime was great. I've seen the play a few times too,

Such a loss.

[Mariab]

I only saw the movie in the 70's

[Almeta]

Jackie Collins died of breast cancer September 19, 2015.

[Cherie]

I was never drawn to her kind of writing but she was definitely prolific and led the way for many, many other writers.

[Lynda]

I'm not sure I ever read her books, but I know I've seen them everywhere. Wasn't Joan Collins her sister? I kind of associated Jackie's books with Joan's acting.

[Janice, Moderator]

I think I read one or two of her books when she first started writing.

[Anne (Booklady)]

Lynda wrote: "I'm not sure I ever read her books, but I know I've seen them everywhere. Wasn't Joan Collins her sister? I kind of associated Jackie's books with Joan's acting."

Yes, Lynda they were sisters.

[Kirila]

Henning Mankell passed 4 days ago from cancer. A few years ago I was recommended a book by him and I have read at least one every year since. He writes quite interesting thrillers, sometimes mixed with politics.

[Elsbeth]

Kirila wrote: "Henning Mankell passed 4 days ago from cancer. A few years ago I was recommended a book by him and I have read at least one every year since. He writes quite interesting thrillers, s..."

Yes, I heard! Really sad! I've read a few of his Wallander books, but really loved his other (non-thriller) books (mostly about Africa)! I have a few of those (like Daisy Sisters, Italian Shoes and Daniel)...

[Almeta]

Kirila wrote: "Henning Mankell passed 4 days ago from cancer. A few years ago I was recommended a book by him and I have read at least one every year since. He writes quite interesting thrillers, s..."

I have a couple of his books on my TBR, but have yet to read his work.

I do remember watching Kenneth Branagh playing Wallander on BBC Masterpiece Mystery aired by PBS.

[Cherie]

My library had a table set-up with his picture and many of his books on display today. I have never read any of his books. I think I remember seeing the Wallander BBC show mentioned though. I think I watched one episode.

[Sarah]

I have heard of the author and seen the first Wallander book crop up in my recommendations many a time but I've never added it for some reason. Until now.