Introductions

[Chrissie]

Angela and Diane, now all three of us are here. Nice!

[Angela M]

Chrissie, couldn’t help but follow you two here !
Yes, nice !

[Nigeyb]

Welcome all of you

[Judy]

Welcome, Chrissie, Diane and Angela. So glad you all found us.

[Bronwyn]

Welcome, all! :)

[Angela M]

Thanks, Nigeyb, Judy and Browyn!

[Jan C]

Diane S ☔ wrote: "I live in Illinois, about 35 miles west of Chicago. Like Chrissie I read alot, many different genres. I work part time at our local library in the Tech services Dept. I have the amazing job of cata..."

Welcome, Diane

[Susan]

Hi Diane, welcome to the group.

[Mary]

Hi! I just joined, and I'm looking forward to being a part of the group. Glad to see it here; thanks to the creator(s) and moderators.

I live in Indiana; I edit scientific papers and write about science and other stuff. I love reading and history and literature. European history has always interested me, particularly earlier periods (Tudor England, the Middle Ages in general, the Enlightenment). Last year when I read Norman Davies's Vanished Kingdoms, I became aware of how little I know about large areas of European history. Just putting some of the vanished kingdoms into context took some catching up.

I've become much more interested in American history recently, and also in 20th century history, in a "how did we get here" sort of way. My ignorance even about the decades I've lived through astounds me. So I'm trying to fill in some gaps, and the idea of having a book or two to read each month with a group sounds like a great way to go about that.

[Susan]

Hi Mary, welcome to the group.

We try to have a good choice of books, so, hopefully, you will find some titles to interest you.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Hi Mary - welcome!

[Nigeyb]

Welcome aboard Mary

[Judy]

Welcome Mary, glad you found the group.

[Jan C]

Mary wrote: "Hi! I just joined, and I'm looking forward to being a part of the group. Glad to see it here; thanks to the creator(s) and moderators.

I live in Indiana; I edit scientific papers and write about s..."

Welcome Mary. I know what you mean about how did we get here - and how can we get out of this. But luckily some of our historians are getting down to the job and putting out some books. Not sure whether some of it is just coincidence or they freaked out in 2016. I picked up Madeleine K. Albright's Fascism: A Warning and learned that it was mainly coincidence that it came out during this time.

Formerly from Illinois, currently residing in North Carolina - culture shock. My sister is a part-time Indianan - snowbird to Florida.

[Mary]

Thanks for the welcome, everyone! Jan C, I think I can understand the culture shock. Re: your sister, I used to visit people from southern Indiana when they were at their winter home in Florida, and it sure looked like a good life.

[Diane S ☔]

Thanks for the welcome. Mary a welcome from another newbie.

[Angelique]

Hi All,

I'm Angelique, a book addict from the Netherlands. This group was recommended to me based on my to-read list, and yes, I have a whole load of 20th century books there (I'm a 20th century girl, born in the sixties), but I find that I tend to grab more modern books, probably because you hear more about them and shops are promoting them. I want to change that, so this group could be perfect for that.

I'm hoping to finish The Grapes of Wrath sometime soon, and I've borrowed I Never Promised You a Rose Garden from the library.

Angelique

[Nigeyb]

Welcome Angelique. My sense is that you will feel right at home here. Looking forward to discussing some books with you soon.

[Nigeyb]

PS - I love the Netherlands

[Susan]

Welcome to the group, Angelique. I was born in the sixties too :)

[Angelique]

Nigeyb wrote: "PS - I love the Netherlands"

But did you actually live there? I've always hated it (too flat and open), but I've recently started hicking, and I'm finally starting to enjoy my own country.

I love England, and yes, I lived there for 7 years, and I still love it.

[Angelique]

Susan wrote: "Welcome to the group, Angelique. I was born in the sixties too :)"

Thanks! So, just curious, what's the average age of this group, do you know? Not that it matters much

I wanted to join a dutch group today as well, untill I checked their introductions and noticed that they were almost all between 15 and 25. Although it could be interesting, but I'm not sure they were really waiting for my opinion.

[Judy]

Welcome, Angelique! I don't know what the average age is, but there are quite a few of us who are also children of the 60s, or earlier (I just slipped into that decade, as I was born in 1960!)

[Nigeyb]

I have never lived in the Netherlands Angelique - just enjoyed a few visits there over the years. One of the things I really love is the way cyclists are so well treated. The flatness is also very enjoyable when cycling.

My guess is that most people here are in their 40s, 50s or 60s. I am 57.

[Hugh]

Welcome Angelique - I was born in the 60s too (1966 so I don't remember the decade very well)

[Angelique]

Nigeyb wrote: "...The flatness is also very enjoyable when cycling."

That's true. But because it's flat, wind has free range, and we have a lot of that.

[Susan]

I was born in 1966 too, Hugh. Great year - the World Cup and Revolver :)

[Angelique]

Hugh wrote: "Welcome Angelique - I was born in the 60s too (1966 so I don't remember the decade very well)"

Thanks. Don't worry, neither can I

[Bronwyn]

I have a feeling I’m the baby, or one of them, born in ‘84. :)

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

My children were born in 1965 and 1967 and one of them is a grandmother.

[Susan]

I don't want to be a grandmother for a long while, Elizabeth - mind you, two of my children are still at school, so hopefully not :)

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Susan wrote: "I don't want to be a grandmother for a long while, Elizabeth - mind you, two of my children are still at school, so hopefully not :)"

I had my children young (too young, actually) and my daughter similarly so. But my granddaughter waited until she was nearly 32, for her first, and reportedly their only child.

[Angelique]

My son's are 20 and 19. Both are still at school. I want to have grandkids I told them that one of them should give me a granddaughter. But not just yet. Let them enjoy their youth without any worries

[Jan C]

I'm 68 (for a few more months)

[Ian]

Hi Angelique - and welcome.

1962 - a year of real vintage!!

Bronwyn - no need for you to be concerned about being the youngest as I am constantly reminded at home that ‘ you men, never grow up’ ...or am I just being a ‘big baby’? :)

[Lady Clementina]

1983

[Angelique]

@Ian, Thank you!

Oh dear! I didn't mean to get so personal immediately. It's just that they say that age don't matter, but I don't think I agree to that. When I read a book when I was 20, I got totally different things out of it then I get now that I'm 51.

Therefore I think a discussion about a book with a young adult will be totally different then when I'm talking to someone my age, or someone way older. I like a group discussion to have representatives of all age groups. So please, do not feel bad when you are from a different decade :-)

[Lady Clementina]

Angelique wrote: "@Ian, Thank you!

Oh dear! I didn't mean to get so personal immediately. It's just that they say that age don't matter, but I don't think I agree to that. When I read a book when I was 20, I got to..."

One also gets to see things from different pov's in a mixed group.

[Ian]

Angelique wrote: "@Ian, Thank you!

Oh dear! I didn't mean to get so personal immediately. It's just that they say that age don't matter, but I don't think I agree to that. When I read a book when I was 20, I got to..."

Absolutely.

Sad thing for me though was that I didn’t really get into seriously reading books for entertainment until about 15 years ago as I spent available leisure time being glued to watching tv instead - especially sports action. How bad is that? Glad to say that I have rebalance things and seen the error of my ways ...better late than never, eh? :)

[Susan]

That's interesting, Ian. I have been a bookworm all my life, but what made you start to read seriously again?

[Ian]

Remember that The Da Vinci Code was a big thing at the time and after reading that then, as reading goes, one thing led to another etc, etc. Also found that I had more spare time and so just learnt to switched the tv off more to fit in the reading....bit like Pavlov!

[Susan]

That's so great, Ian. People are often a little snobbish about bestsellers, but you can be grabbed by that title everyone is talking about, can't you?

[Ian]

The book, not so much the actual story, made me stop think about other issues (like books tend to do) that I had not really considered in any great detail eg. Art - The Last Supper by Da Vinci. Obviously this leads to finding out more about art in general and taking a keener interest. Anyway, even if the whole story was just based upon a piece of conspiracy theory it certainly opened my eyes for me to other things in life....such as reading more books.

[Susan]

I shall look upon the novel more fondly now, Ian. I haven't read it, but I do think that some authors, such as J K Rowling, are often criticised, but think how many children she has made readers?

[Nigeyb]

A heartwarming tale Ian - thanks

[Ian]

Absolutely right, Susan. Less computers - more books, for the youngsters.

No problem, Nigeyb- you are most welcome. Can almost hear you now “Awwwww!’ Lol- :)

[Angelique]

Susan wrote: "I shall look upon the novel more fondly now, Ian. I haven't read it, but I do think that some authors, such as J K Rowling, are often criticised, but think how many children she has made readers?"

JK Rowling is the only one who managed to get my eldest to actually finish a book. He is severely dislectic, but he loved Harry Potter so much that he kept on struggling through the first 1,5 books (after that he discovered audiobooks). It took him over a year to finish the first one.

[Susan]

Angelique wrote: "Susan wrote: "I shall look upon the novel more fondly now, Ian. I haven't read it, but I do think that some authors, such as J K Rowling, are often criticised, but think how many children she has m..."

Hurrah! So good to hear, Angelique - especially from someone who is doing a course in Literacy Support for Dyslexia :)

[Robin P]

Hi, I am Robin, from Madison, Wisconsin. I have been an avid reader since age 4, which is a while since I turned 67 yesterday. I am one of the moderators on the classics group, Readers Review, and I see Candace is also here. Besides classics, I enjoy literary fiction, mysteries, fantasy, historical romance, history, women's studies - a bit of everything except horror. About 40% of the 100 books I read in a year are audio. I love paper books but audio lets me "read" while driving, walking, washing dishes etc.

I have 2 grown children but grandchildren don't seem to be in the cards. I enjoy needlecraft and word games and am a regular public speaker with Toastmasters.

I don't think I can keep up with your regular reads because of my commitment to other groups and trying to read down the hundreds of books I own that I said I would read in retirement (and new ones keep coming out!) but I will chime in if it's something I know.

I want to commend you for the level of discussion in your group. So many groups on GR have "discussions" that consist of "I liked it" or "I didn't finish it" and that's all.

[Jan C]

Welcome Robin. I was originally from the Chicago area and am now in western North Carolina. Yes, I thought I'd been reading much more once I retired. I suppose I am. I am buying faster than I can read. So I'm still surrounded by beaucoup books.