What are you reading or what books have you read or heard about? (Part TWELVE) Ongoing general thread. Showing 1,451-1,500 of 2,793

[Nina]

Thank you. Rainy day but I'm alive and isn't that enough reason to celebrate?

[Nina]

Thank you..

[Nina]

It is raining here today but I am alive at ninety and isn't that enough reason to celebrate? And thanks for you kind wishes, Later on I will partake of the bouquet of chocolate covered strawberries that arrived by post from a friend in OR.

[Linda]

Happy Birthday, Nina!
Enjoy.
Cheers!

[Nina]

The Impressionists are my favorites also. I would know less about art if I didn't have a daughter who majored in Art History and she tries to fill me in.

[Linda]

I like chocolate covered strawberries and a glass of wine.

[Nina]

That sounds good, Linda. I'll keep that in mind. Red, I guess.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "It is raining here today but I am alive at ninety and isn't that enough reason to celebrate? And thanks for you kind wishes, Later on I will partake of the bouquet of chocolate covered strawberries..."

What a unique gift. Enjoy!

[Jim]

Just 2 stars, although the subject matter is worthy of 5 stars, Swiped: How to Protect Yourself in a World Full of Scammers, Phishers, and Identity Thieves was very repetitious, but still had a lot of good information. I filled in a few holes in my review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Thanks for posting, Jim.

[Linda]

Nina wrote: "That sounds good, Linda. I'll keep that in mind. Red, I guess."
Yes, red wine and chocolate. Yum.

[Linda]

Jim wrote: "Just 2 stars, although the subject matter is worthy of 5 stars, Swiped: How to Protect Yourself in a World Full of Scammers, Phishers, and Identity Thieves was very repetitious, but..."

I work with seniors and we are always looking for information on how to protect them from scams. I'll check this out.

[Linda]

Have until May 9th to finish "Olive Kitteridge." Interesting book. I'll write my review when done.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Thanks for posting, Linda.

[Nina]

Guess what the birthday "girl" had for dinner last night/chili and hot tomales and chocolate cake and ice cream and chocolate covered strawberry.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

YUM!

[Linda]

I'll skip the hot tomales but bring on the chocolate cake and ice cream and chocolate covered strawberries.

Uh oh. We have no desert in this house. I might have to get a teaspoon of honey to satisfy the craving. :)

[Nina]

I have to say the strawberries were yummy. Large and luscious. I would give you some if only you weren't so far away. I have shared with some neighbors.

[Jim]

It looks as if we'll have a bumper crop of strawberries this year if they ripen properly. The plants are dripping with flowers & little green ones now.

[Linda]

Fresh picked strawberries are devine. My husband and I go to Vermont yearly to pick-your-own. Sometimes a little more pricey than store bought but we enjoy the process of driving to VT, picking fresh strawberries, being out on a farm ...

I envy you Jim!!

[Jim]

We do have a great place, Linda. Strawberries & asparagus love it here, too. Most of my strawberries came from a couple of plants I bought cheap when we first moved here. They've migrated about a front garden under & by the front porch. Half my vege garden was filled with them until a couple of years ago when a warm winter suddenly turned bitter & froze most. They're slowly coming back, though.

I've never seen such a place for asparagus. While we eat it out of the bed I dug, we have volunteers all over the place. One plant is right by my bedroom window. It's thriving among the tightly packed lirope which chokes almost everything else out. We have other plants along the fence lines. I guess the birds poop out the seeds there. They're few & scattered, so we don't usually harvest them. Their shallow roots don't usually support thick stalks, either.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

I love strawberries! Enjoy!

[Nina]

Asparagus doesn't grow well here but did great like you are describing at my mother in law's lake property in WI. I thought it must need a northern climate. But KY definitely isn't north..

[Linda]

Jim wrote: "We do have a great place, Linda. Strawberries & asparagus love it here, too. Most of my strawberries came from a couple of plants I bought cheap when we first moved here. They've migrated about a f..."

Asparagus as well? I could live on strawberries and asparagus. Grilled asparagus with salt and pepper. Maybe a dash of fresh grated parmesan cheese. Or just some good olive oil. A glass of sparkling water. Add a cool summer breeze and a good book.

[Linda]

Linda wrote: "Have until May 9th to finish "Olive Kitteridge." Interesting book. I'll write my review when done."

Well, I thought to myself last night did I write "Olive Kitteridge" for I finished that book last month.

Silly me. I meant "The Thirteenth Tale"

[Linda]

I finished "The Thirteenth Tale."

Main character Margaret Lea is my favorite. Her relationship with her Dad and their love of books and reading gave me a warm feeling. Relationship with her Mom was very sad.

Margaret Lea receives a letter from Vida Winter a famous writer who wants to now tell the truth about herself and Margaret to write her story.

Many parts of the book are a page turner. Some sections I could put the book down and wait again until I had time to read or nothing else to do.

Numerous stories told by Vida. At times hard to keep things straight. Little did I know that the ending would be even harder to keep straight.

Overall interesting. Good writing. At times suspenseful. Confusing though.

I need to re-read the last 50 pages before the book club meeting. Otherwise, I will be looking quite perplexed.

[Jim]

Nina wrote: "Asparagus doesn't grow well here but did great like you are describing at my mother in law's lake property in WI. I thought it must need a northern climate. But KY definitely isn't north.."

We're more north than you might think. If I look up our area on the USDA hardiness zone, it says 6b, but that's wrong. It's based on averages & the city. Frankfort proper is 500 feet below us with the KY river running through it which helps moderate its temperatures.

I've had too many plants rated for zone 5 that die in the cold since we'll get cold snaps that stick around a few days, just long enough to get in to freeze roots. Asparagus has a deep root after a few years that seems to weather it better than a lot of plants unlike my strawberries which died out save in sheltered areas.

Our average temperature is actually a degree warmer than where I used to live in MD, but there I never had any problem with zone 5 plants since the temperature changes were more moderate. Mom & I compare temperatures all the time & she's often 5 degrees warmer or cooler, depending. Never hits the extremes we get.

It's always tough relying on averages. The year we moved here had an average amount of rainfall, but we had the worst summer drought & wettest winter anyone can remember. It was miserable & about ruined most of the farmers. Fields were stripped of grass & then the rains came & washed them out. They didn't quit until after the next spring.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Linda wrote: "I finished "The Thirteenth Tale." Main character Margaret Lea is my favorite. Her relationship with her Dad and their love of books and reading gave me a warm feeling. Relationship with her Mom w..."

Thanks for your review, Linda.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

It poured here last night. Lots of thunder!

[Mary JL]

Nina: A belated Happy Birthday! Wonderful to make 90! I will dedicate my next piece of chocolate to you,lol!

[Mary JL]

I have started a new science fiction book by Robert L. Sawyer. it isFlashforward. About 74 pages in, and I am enjoying it.

[Nina]

In The Thirteenth Tale I thought the main character should have been Vida as it seemed most of the book pertained to her. Just my opinion. Overall my book club didn't really like the book.

[Nina]

Jim, Have you ever tried drinking Sparkling Apple Cider? It is good from Trader Joe's.

[Nina]

I was a child during the Depression and my mother used to say, "If you father loses his job we'll either end up in the Poor House or picking strawberries in Arkansas." Neither happened as he never lost his job but I also hoped if he did it was the latter choice I was in favor of.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Mary JL wrote: "I have started a new science fiction book by Robert L. Sawyer. it isFlashforward. About 74 pages in, and I am enjoying it."

Thanks for posting, Mary JL.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "I was a child during the Depression and my mother used to say, "If you father loses his job we'll either end up in the Poor House or picking strawberries in Arkansas." Neither happened as he never ..."

Those were hard times.

[Jim]

Nina wrote: "Jim, Have you ever tried drinking Sparkling Apple Cider? It is good from Trader Joe's."

I have. Last time I was in Canada, there was a beer strike there, so I drank sparkling cider instead. It had a similar alcohol content as beer, maybe more. Can't recall well. That was over 35 years ago. I liked it, although it gave me heartburn after a few.

Marg gets a no-alcohol variety in a champagne looking bottle for the holidays. While I can drink it, I don't. Too much of a teaser. Everyone else enjoys it, though.

[Linda]

Mary JL wrote: "I have started a new science fiction book by Robert L. Sawyer. it isFlashforward. About 74 pages in, and I am enjoying it."

I haven't read any science fiction books but do like sci fi movies.

[Linda]

Nina wrote: "In The Thirteenth Tale I thought the main character should have been Vida as it seemed most of the book pertained to her. Just my opinion. Overall my book club didn't really like the book."

Interesting. We'll learn soon enough about the responses from my book club pals. I liked the book but didn't like the ending. Too confusing, need a road map.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

RE: The Thirteenth Tale BY Diane Setterfield

I read this book in 2009 and remember enjoying it. However, I can't remember enough details to add to the discussion here. Below is a link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Nina]

There were so many twists and turns I have forgotten the real ending. For your review Linda do a spoiler alert.

[Linda]

Just read a good review that contained spoiler alerts. Helped me figure out some of the twists and turns.

Even though I'm on Goodreads to read and give reviews, I must say I'm very lax in writing my reviews. Perhaps someday.

[Linda]

Joy H. wrote: "RE: The Thirteenth Tale BY Diane Setterfield

I read this book in 2009 and remember enjoying it. However, I can't remember enough details to add to the discussion here. ..."

I read your review prior to my reading (and selecting) The Thirteenth Tale.

I will put on my list to read again in a few years. The 2nd time around I may actually catch on to the twists and turns and not be confused. Plus I won't be anxious to know what is coming next and slow down with the reading and read from a different perspective.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

I've thought of reading it again. I own a copy of the book.

[Linda]

On NPR website - this book looks interesting:
http://wamc.org/post/i-belonged-nowhe...

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Yes, it does.

[Jim]

Alliance by S.K. Dunstall is the second of his linesman trilogy (so far). It's an SF book in the future where humans are using a strange, incompletely understood technology to travel among the stars. I gave it a 4 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Waylander by David Gemmell is the third in his Drenai saga, but I think it comes first chronologically. A captivating, dark read full of amoral, yet heroic characters. I gave it a 4 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Thanks for posting, Jim.

[Nina]

A quote I like was in the NYT book review of an interview with the British author, Penelope Lively( I used to read her books and really liked them) and this is one of her sayings; "Your books tell you where you've been; they're the story of your own mind. Getting rid of them would be like getting rid of that."

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Interesting quote, Nina. Fortunately, we have Goodreads to keep track of which books we've read.