Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
ABOUT BOOKS AND READING
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What are you reading or what books have you read or heard about? (Part TWELVE) Ongoing general thread.
BTW, Jim, I've started listening to that INNOVATORS audio you recommended. (by Walter Isaacson). Eddie listened to it and now I'm listening to it. It pulls together so much information. I think I'm going to enjoy it.The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution BY Walter Isaacson
Interesting and what a time consuming job to print all of this list.
Glad you & Eddy liked "The Innovators", Joy. Great book.Nina wrote: "Interesting and what a time consuming job to print all of this list."
Not really. I just update it every few books. Only takes a minute to copy the name & author from GR to paste & update the Ravelry topic. To post it here took almost no time - simply a copy & paste. Very quick & easy. One of the best things about computers.
Yes, indeed, Jim, "copy & paste" is definitely one of the best things about computers! However, I was disappointed when I realized that we can't copy & past any words or sentences from digital books! I'm a collector of quotations and I love to collect phrases or sentences that are well-put.
Actually, you can if you read them on the computer, Joy. I know that's beyond what you want to do, but that's one reason I always take them off my Kindle & save them to the hard drive. I also convert them because I find it easier to grab quotes from a Word or PDF document than a Kindle or .Epub file.
Yes, if you did it that way /the copy and paste that is much easier. I don't know how I would have done my memoirs without that method/trying to get my thoughts I'd written down at random and then having to put them in the right sequence would have been a nightmare without that method.
You can save the quotes and go back and find them later on your Kindle, Joy.
Nina wrote: "You can save the quotes and go back and find them later on your Kindle, Joy."Nina, going back is a problem. I have too much I want to do going forward. If I don't get the quotes when I see them, I'll never get them.
Jim wrote: "Actually, you can if you read them on the computer, Joy. I know that's beyond what you want to do, but that's one reason I always take them off my Kindle & save them to the hard drive. I also conve..."Jim, you're right. It's beyond me. I wouldn't know how to take them off my Kindle & save them to the hard drive. I asked my son just now and he said he doesn't know anything about Kindle.
Here's the instructions, Joy. I can get more specific if he wants. Once he got it working, you could probably do it, but he could also do the books in batches when he visits. Just download Calibre: https://calibre-ebook.com/
Install it & add the DRM stripper for Kindle. Read the instructions carefully. There are several. I think I use different ones at home & work, but all have worked so far.
Once you get them running, just save the books from the Kindle to the hard drive. They'll wind up in the user's 'My Documents\Calibre Library' folder. You can export the books to different formats easily, too. I like to export them as PDFs or RTF files since it makes it easier to search (find) for phrases & copy them out for discussion or whatever.
Jim wrote: "Here's the instructions, Joy. I can get more specific if he wants. Once he got it working, you could probably do it, but he could also do the books in batches when he visits. Just download Calibr..."
I will show this to our son and see what he makes of it. As I said, he says he doesn't know anything about Kindle products. I showed him my Fire Tablet and he gave me a few hints about navigation (like the "hamburger menu", the 3 lines you click on). I'm gonna need a LOTTA hints!
Here is a quote I like: "Every exit is an entry somewhere." Tom Stoppard from "Aging Wisely,"
Nina wrote: "Here is a quote I like: "Every exit is an entry somewhere." Tom Stoppard from "Aging Wisely,""Good one, Nina. (I've added it to my collection.) My mom used to say: "When God closes a door, he opens a window."
I have a light-catcher in the window which says: "Every end is a new beginning."
MORE:
"When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us." ---Alexander Graham Bell
ANOTHER WISE ONE:
"Satisfaction begins when comparison ends." -Anonymous
We were talking this morning about mother daughter relationships and one of the ladies there quoted this from something she read about as the daughter got older, "When I open my mouth, my mother speaks."
LOL! I've noticed that more than a few times myself.;)
Nina wrote: "We were talking this morning about mother daughter relationships and one of the ladies there quoted this from something she read about as the daughter got older, "When I open my mouth, my mother speaks."LOL - I have a little clipping next to my mom's picture. It says:
"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
I have become my mother after all." :)
I love your quote, Not quite true in my case but close,
I'm currently listening to a CD of The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee. I thought it would be more interesting than it is but I'm sticking with it, so far.
That does look interesting, Joy. I added it to my To-Read shelf, if I can find it as an audio book from the library. I see there is an audio edition, but it's not something I want to buy.
Jim, I borrowed it from our library (The Gene: An Intimate History ). I'm surprised they had it since it was just published in May 2016. (I first saw it as an ad online at audible.com.)
I've been very remiss in posting my reviews here due to a lot of good reading, so I'm going to do something I hate & post a bunch of them all at once to catch up. Sorry.Red Rising was the first book in a SF trilogy & a 5 star read. My review is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The next book, Golden Son, didn't impress me nearly as much. I only gave it 3 stars here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've read more in the Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly. In my 4 star review of Lost Light, I've also updated the chronology that I feel is the best for the HB universe. It includes peripheral series characters & short stories. My review is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg is a YA fantasy with a neat system of magic. Not really my cup of tea & I don't intend to read further, but that's a personal preference. I think young girls would really like this. My 3 star review is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
One Second After by William R. Forstchen was fantastic & awful in the tradition of On the Beach. A must read. I gave it 5 stars here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
There is a sequel (Does that make it a series?) but I'm not sure when/if I'm going to get to that. This one was too emotionally charged. I need some time.
Whew! Good reading! Thanks to all my friends here for turning me on to so much.
:)
Jim, I have to admire your energy in posting these reviews. I sometimes find that writing the reviews is like a monkey on my back. It's like having a homework assignment that needs doing. So I've decided to keep my reviews short. At least I will have a record of my reading... or "partial reading", as the case may be. :)
Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance was another fantastic read by Atul Gawande. I gave it 5 stars here:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Jim wrote: "Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance was another fantastic read by Atul Gawande. I gave it 5 stars here:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
That was a great review, Jim. Have you always been interested in the medical field and related areas about health? I was never drawn to that genre but from your past recommendations I can see how interesting it can be. To me it can be a bit scary at times because it reminds me of my own mortality.
I don't have that much interest in the medical field, Joy. No more than in many fields of science, anyway. I like the way Gawande writes & thinks. Much of what he discusses are processes & ways of thinking about issues that can be used in many other aspects, especially my job. In a way, I'm a computer doctor. I bring them into the network & nurse them through illnesses until their lives are over. And some days I think I need a psychology degree when they're acting flaky.;)
He often discusses scientific findings & what they mean, especially statistically. It's refreshing to listen to numbers being put into context which they rarely are today. I get so tired of having to research numbers. The news will shout that thousands die from something as if it is a terrible catastrophe, but I usually find it's not all that bad because hundreds of thousands used to. Most of the time it's actually good since the world's population doubles every couple of decades, so the percentage of deaths is less.
For instance, the news would have us believe that traffic deaths are growing at an alarming rate because of texting, crowded roads, & the sheer number cars. After all, there were 32,719 deaths in 2013!!! Far too many. It's an epidemic!!!
Horrible, but let's look at the historical figures. There were 33,186 deaths in 1950. What? Yes, there were actually more deaths in 1950 than in 2013. Now the first figure doesn't seem like we have a sudden epidemic on our hands, does it?
Now, let's look at those figures in relative terms. It breaks out to 10.3/100,000 people in 2013 & 21.8/100,000 people in 1950. By population, we're twice as safe today! Instead of an epidemic of increasing horror, we're actually safer? That's not what the news led us to believe at all!!!
If we looked at it by the number of vehicles per household or number of miles traveled, the numbers would be even better. We have about 3 times as many cars per person & we drive about 3 times as much as we used to, yet we have less than half the chance of a fatality. That's actually a wonderful trend! Sure, it's still too many if one of our loved ones is killed, but it's not something to panic about as a society & it's not what the news led us to believe.
Horror sells & the news packages everything & anything they can to sell. The bad part is most people believe them. They often have little choice since they're bombarded with bad information constantly & don't have time to step back to research much, if any of it, properly.
Have any of you out there read, "Brooklyn?" I have mixed feelings about this story but can't say too much unless it's a spoiler alert.
... And none of what I just posted tells the whole story. It's a LOT more complicated. There are a lot more miles of road, most of which are paved, which wasn't the case in 1950. We didn't even have the Interstates then. We're also driving a lot faster, but our vehicles handle far better, too. Cars are a lot safer overall in an accident & with all the safety features in them. As big & heavy as the old cars were, the passengers didn't fare nearly as well in a collision.It's complicated & too easy to jump to conclusions based on incomplete data. That's where Gawande shines. He doesn't get into everything in great detail, but he does a great job presenting different considerations.
Jen wrote: "Jim - I'm only about 15-20 pages into The Black Echo, but I'm liking it so far!"Hi Jen, glad you're enjoying that mystery!
Jim wrote: "... Horror sells & the news packages everything & anything they can to sell. The bad part is most people believe them. They often have little choice since they're bombarded with bad information constantly & don't have time to step back to research much, if any of it, properly."Jim, I'm glad to hear that things aren't as bad as the news media would have us think.
Nina wrote: "Have any of you out there read, "Brooklyn?" I have mixed feelings about this story but can't say too much unless it's a spoiler alert."Nina, yes, I read the book, _Brooklyn_. Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I also saw the movie. I feel that the ending of the book was different from the ending of the movie, at least there is some abiguity there. But I haven't found anyone who agrees with me.
(view spoiler)
Thanks, Joy! I'm also reading Ross Poldark, which has been a nice read so far. I'm finally also up to book 8 of the Wheel of Time series, The Path of Daggers. I'm listening to the series, and that's probably what's getting me through. I'm sticking with it because after Robert Jordan passed away, Brandon Sanderson finished the series. Some characters already had notes/outlines on what was to happen to them, but other characters (and one of my favorites) had no notes at all... so I'm looking forward to seeing what Brandon did for them. : )
Jen wrote: "Jim - I'm only about 15-20 pages into The Black Echo, but I'm liking it so far!"I missed this. Super! I'm loving the whole universe. It only gets better. I'm reading The Narrows now & wow.
Jen wrote: "... I'm finally also up to book 8 of the Wheel of Time series, The Path of Daggers. I'm listen..."My wife is a real fan of the series & liked the way Sanderson finished it, if that's any help.
Jim - I LOOOOOOVED the first three books in the series, and I've enjoyed 4-8. It has slowed down a bit, but I hear that it picks back up. Several people have told me that Sanderson did a great job of finishing it up. I'm looking forward to finishing! My plan is to read 1-2 books in the series a year, though I've read as many as 3 in a year. I'm taking it easy so that I don't burn out. : )
Jen wrote: "Thanks, Joy! I'm also reading Ross Poldark, which has been a nice read so far. I'm finally also up to book 8 of the Wheel of Time series, The Path of Daggers. I'm listen..."Jen, the name Poldark sounded familiar. Seems I wrote a review a while ago. I didn't read the books but I think I saw one of the movies mentioned in my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Can't remember much about it. It was back in 2010.
Hi Joy - I'm planning to watch the movie or show (whichever it is) once I've finished book three. I've been told that the first series (or movie?) covers the first three books. :) Book 1 is pretty good.
Jen, maybe one of these days, I'll go back to see more of the films. I'm swamped right now. My eyes are bigger than my brain. LOL Sometimes I hear about good items and borrow them from the library. Then I have no time to read them or watch them. Things keep coming up in life and sometimes it's too much to keep up with. Well... better that than being bored! LOL
I totally understand! My to read, to listen, and to watch lists are SO HUGE! That should be my full time job....
Joy I watched the movie, "Brooklyn," tonight and wish I had just seen it and not read the book. The movie was not depressing and it began where the book should have begun but I did miss the Ireland boy being rude to Ellies as that gave it more character and a lot was left out but over all it was a good movie and much better ending. This was one of those rare times when the movie was better than the book. Just my opinion.
Nina wrote: "Joy I watched the movie, "Brooklyn," tonight and wish I had just seen it and not read the book. The movie was not depressing and it began where the book should have begun but I did miss the Ireland..."Nina, it was a good story. Unfortunately, I tend to forget the details very quickly. So it's hard to comment. My only complaint is that the ending of the book and the ending of the movie didn't seem the same, as I said in my review.
The Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in the CIA by Antonio J. Mendez was really interesting both from a historical perspective & to me as spy-thriller reader. I gave it 4 stars here:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Jim wrote: "The Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in the CIA by Antonio J. Mendez was really interesting both from a historical perspective & to me as spy-thriller reader. I gave..."Thanks for posting, Jim.
We watched "The Martian," last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Very much held our interest,
Nina wrote: "We watched "The Martian," last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Very much held our interest,"Hmm, perhaps I'll try it. We'll see. :)
Today, for the first time after buying my Kindle Fire Tablet, I downloaded a free Kindle book which was offered to me via an email from Amazon. The book is: Journey's End by Renee Ryan.It sounded like a light read. So I downloaded it as an experiment. I can access the Kindle book from both my laptop and from my Fire Tablet. Actually, it's easier to read from my laptop because the screen is bigger and I'm more comfortable with my laptop. I still haven't gotten used to my Fire Tablet. In fact, I haven't used it very much.
A movie that stood it's test of time/"Lili," staring Leslie Caron and Mel Ferrar. Lovely song and great acting. Perfect as I watched it again after viewing it the first time in 1953.
Nina wrote: "A movie that stood it's test of time/"Lili," staring Leslie Caron and Mel Ferrar. Lovely song and great acting. Perfect as I watched it again after viewing it the first time in 1953."Thanks for the reminder, Nina. Leslie Caron is precious in that movie.
Like Rex Harrison who nobody else could have played his part in "My Fair Lady," like him. Or Julie Andrews in "Sound of Music," all just right and sometimes I don't think it works out after I have read a book and then watched a movie. I didn't read, "The Martian," but the actor in the movie couldn't have been beat.
Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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Jim wrote: "I belong to Ravelry, a site for knitting & crocheting. There are groups there that are similar to here. One that I'm in has a topic where we keep updating our reading for the year. Here's my list: ..."
OH MY GOODNESS, JIM! It will take time for me to digest all that! LOL Thanks for posting. I'll save the link to your posts. I have a DIGITAL TO READ list. :)
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
MESSAGES #549 AND #550.
It helps me to save this sort of thing so that I don't lose it entirely. "Saving" gives me peace of mind. :) It's knowing I have it if I want to go back to it. Otherwise I get over-whelmed trying to remember too much . Does that make any sense? :)
Does that make me a digital pack-rat? LOL