Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
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ABOUT BOOKS AND READING
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What are you reading these days? (Part ELEVEN (2015) ongoing thread for 2015
DQ = Don Quixote. Eric has Netflix so when I watch it, it's his viewing history that I see. I only use it when the movie I want to see is not on my channels or On Demand.
Jackie wrote: "DQ = Don Quixote. ..."Oh gee, how could have missed seeing that? :)
You're in good company, I miss stuff all the time.
Started a new book,American Elsewhere.It is looking like something Stephen King might have written---but it starts very slowly. It is keeping my interest---but I do not think Joy would like anymore than Stephen King.
Hoping to cath up on a few reviews soon.
Hi Mary JL. It's good to hear from you. I know how good a feeling it is to find a book which keeps your interest. I'm still engrossed in Original Story By by Arthur Laurents. It's full of behind-the-scenes information, e.g., the difficulties of putting a show on Broadway. I'll never take "West Side Story" for granted now that I know how hard it was to finally make a success out of it.
While I'm waiting to start a March common read in another group, I've started on a short story collection spun off from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series, How I Survived My Summer Vacation. It's been years since I watched any episodes of the series; but back in the 90s, when I had more time for TV, I caught quite a few of them when the series was in syndication. (Although I still haven't seen the great majority of them.) These stories are set between the show's first and second seasons (so they're not adaptations of actual episodes).
Speaking of short stories, they made a whole movie out of one short story. Wiki says: "'The Last Time I Saw Paris'" is a 1954 romantic drama made. It is loosely based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story 'Babylon Revisited.'" I streamed the movie yesterday.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047162/?...
It starred Elizabeth Taylor & Van Johnson. I thought it dragged a bit in the middle.
Nina (of this group) and I have had a great discussion of All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Much of our discussion is at another thread (in this group) which can be found at:https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
It's the "What Are You Doing Today" topic.
I wanted to mention it here for several reasons. First of all, this is the correct topic for it. Also, I'd like to thank Nina for recommending the book to me and mentioning it in this group. I've enjoyed discussing the book with Nina, mostly at the link above. Nina mentioned the book at that topic in January and we're still talking about it in February! LOL Nina is a wonderful person to discuss books with!
In my review of the book, I've included some of the comments I made at the above-linked thread. As my friends in this group already know, my review is at:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I just finished Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande & can't recommend it highly enough. It's a situation we're only going to face ourselves, not to mention with our friends, family, & even co-workers. It's a tough subject, but he handles it very, very well. I'd give it 6 stars if I could, but here's my 5 star review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This month, my Fans of British Writers group is doing a common read of The Dark Horse by Rumer Godden (1907-1998), so I'm taking part in that. I expect it to be quick read, since it's relatively short.Barb picked up the Darksword trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman last summer at a yard sale. (Of course, I'd heard of this writing duo; but I've never read any of their work.) We just started on the first volume, Forging the Darksword, as our current "car book."
Thanks for posting, Werner. I'm reading Memories Are Made of This in which Deana Martin relates her memories of her father, Dean Martin. I never realized he was in so many movies and was praised for his acting in serious films. I always remember him as a singer and part of the Rat Pack with Frank Sinatra.
I'm reading The First Book of Lost Swords: Woundhealer's Story, The Casual Vacancy and still working my way through Don Quixote.
Jackie wrote: "I'm reading The First Book of Lost Swords: Woundhealer's Story, The Casual Vacancy and still working my way through Don Quixote."Don Quixote! Jackie, you are ambitious!
Jackie wrote: "It's taking a long time, lol"That's OK. Are you enjoying it?
Jackie wrote: "Not a much as I would like."At least you're expanding your horizons.
Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show is a collection of speculative (fantasy, SF, or somewhere in between) stories with a lot of range from the magazine of the same name. It features a lot of very good authors as well as 4 Ender universe stories by Card. Very well read, too. I gave it 4 stars:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Werner wrote: "This month, my Fans of British Writers group is doing a common read of The Dark Horse by Rumer Godden (1907-1998), so I'm taking part in that. I expect it to be quick read, since it's ..."Werner, if you like Rumer Godden, try reaing her memoir, "A House with Four Rooms." It is illuminating.
Joy H. wrote: "Nina (of this group) and I have had a great discussion of All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Much of our discussion is at another thread (in this group) wh..."Joy H. wrote: "Nina (of this group) and I have had a great discussion of All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Much of our discussion is at another thread (in this group) wh..."
Joy H. wrote: "Thanks for posting, Werner. I'm reading Memories Are Made of This in which Deana Martin relates her memories of her father, Dean Martin. I never realized he was in so many movies an..."Joy, didn't you love to hear Deam Martim sing those Italian songs. "That's Amore," was my favorite.
Joy, thanks for the compliment but I could say the same for you. I love reading your inputs on various books I've read even if I don;'t always think the same way about them. That's what makes it interesting. It seems appropriate here to repeat a quote I have posted before this. "I read so I can live more then one life in more than one place," Anne Tyler.
I'll keep A House With Four Rooms in mind, Nina; thanks! (I see that's actually the second volume of her memoirs.) The Dark Horse is the first book by Godden that I've read (Barb and I actually read it together as a Reader's Digest Condensed Book back in 1981 --the horse-racing theme was up Barb's alley-- but I hadn't read it in unabridged form until now), but I'm enjoying it very much, and would definitely be open to reading more of her work.
Nina, thanks for the quote by Anne Tyler. So true.I'm still reading the Dean Martin book. I'm also reading An Unlikely Suitor by Nancy Moser. It's a sweet story of romance and is also historical fiction, taking place around 1895. It's easy reading but I find that there's enough plot to keep my interest. The characters are well-fleshed out via their inner thoughts as well as their actions. Part of the theme deals with the effects of the class system in which the wealthy aren't expected to mix with the commoners. Of course, that's an old story but it's told quite well in this novel. In this story, the "commoners" are seamtresses and the rich folks vacation in Newport, Rhode Island.
I just finished Madness in Solidar: The Ninth Book of the Imager Portfolio. As usual, Modesitt did a great job on this fantasy & series. I gave it 4 stars in my review here:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just want to mention that I appreciate the fact that we can put "private notes" in our GR reviews so that they are available only to ourselves. There often are thoughts I want to make note of but I don't wish to share.
I like that feature too. I use it for book series, so I can remember the high points of the previous books. I finally finished Don Quixote. Some parts made me laugh, others made me sad. I must confess, it's the first time I skimmed over parts, I just wanted the book to end!
Funny, but I don't use the private notes. Don't know why. Maybe it's my ingrained idea that I never put anything on the Net that I don't consider public.
Congrats on finishing Don Quixote, Jackie! Skimming is more and more OK with me these days. There's a certain skill to skimming.As for the "private notes" in GR book reviews, I feel I can write more informally when I'm writing for myself. I don't write anything that's scurrilous. lol An example would be reminding myself of things that only I would be interested in.
PS-Below is an example of the private notes I wrote when I read No Regrets: The Life of Edith Piaf. In my private notes I wrote:========================================================
"Uncle Henry loved the beautiful song, 'La Vie En Rose'. Edith Piaf wrote the French lyrics."
========================================================
I just finished listening to Because I Said So! : The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids by Jeopardy! winner Ken Jennings who also read it. It was great! 5 stars. I reviewed it here:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sounds interesting, Jim. I might try to get the audio at our library, along with the others you mention in your review.
I think you'll like it, Joy. It was very interesting. For instance, the idea that sitting too close to a TV could hurt you actually was true at one point. GE manufactured one model of TV briefly that put out a horribly high concentration of xrays, but it was a short-lived danger. It was more interesting to hear how many incorrect facts became part of our society's knowledge. For instance, while vitamin A is necessary for good eye sight, eating a lot of carrots won't give you better eye sight. Many think that because the British said so during WWII. In reality, that was just a cover story they used to keep the Nazi's from discovering plane mounted radar units.
Other 'facts' have been known to be false for decades or even centuries, but are still kept alive in parental lore. Sometimes these are beneficial. 'Early to bed, early to rise...' might not be scientifically true, but a few hours of down time at night does keep parents from strangling the little monsters.
;)
Jim wrote: "...For instance, while vitamin A is necessary for good eye sight, eating a lot of carrots won't give you better eye sight. Many think that because the British said so during WWII. In reality, that was just a cover story they used to keep the Nazi's from discovering plane mounted radar units. ..."What's the reasoning there? I don't see the connection.
Lack of vitamin A shows first by night blindness & can eventually leave a person completely blind. Getting better night vision by eating carrots was well enough known in common lore & had been proven by science. The British fighters were kicking Nazi butt in the planes during night fights. The Brits said it was because they fed their pilots a lot of carrots, so they had better vision. They made a big ad campaign out of it, no doubt delighting carrot growers every where.Of course, it wasn't true. More than your daily needs doesn't make you see better, less just hurts your vision. It kept the Nazis from finding out about the planes being equipped with radar for quite a while since it seemed like a possible answer. Unfortunately, a lot of people still believe that the more carrots you eat, the better your vision gets.
I see. Thank for explaining, Jim.
Having finished The Dark Horse, I wasn't sure I'd have time to read another whole book between now and the beginning of April, when Jackie and I have been tentatively planning to do a buddy read. To fill in the time, I've started reading in a short story anthology, The Vampire Hunters' Casebook, one of many edited by the late Peter Haining (d. 2007). I'd previously enjoyed his Mummy: Stories of the Living Corpse.
Thanks for posting here, Werner.Enjoy your buddy read. Jackie's an interesting person to discuss books with. So are you!
Werner, do you like all of Rumer Godden's books;if so read her memoir, "The House with Four Rooms."
Thanks, Joy! Yes, Jackie's a wonderful reading buddy.Another Haining anthology I've read and enjoyed, but forgot to mention above, is Great Irish Tales of Horror: A Treasury of Fear. I know you probably wouldn't care much for either collection, Joy; but any group members who are fans of that sort of thing might. :-)
Nina, The Dark Horse is (so far) the only one of Godden's books I've read. But I did really like it (I gave it five stars), and would be open to other books by her. Thanks for the recommendation; I'll keep The House With Four Rooms in mind!
Interview of the author of "The Girl on the Train," Paula Hawkins in our morning paper today. It is # l on NYT Best Seller List last week. I expected it to be quite different and although it's a page turner I didn't like it. Have any of you read it?
Haven't read it, Nina, but I saw it at the top of the NYT Bestseller list today. http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-b...PS-Why didn't you like it?
ABOUT THE WORDS "HONOR BRIGHT":I've been reading The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier. The name of the main character is a Quaker girl named "Honor Bright". Up to now I had never heard that name before. By coincidence, today, while streaming a 1948 film called "So This is New York", I came across a racehorse who also has the name "Honor Bright". This aroused my curiosity. After much searching online, I found the following:
1. In an article online entitled "Tracy Chevalier's Novel on Ohio's Underground Railroad", [ http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles... ] Chevalier states: "All of my characters are made up. Honor Bright started with her name ..." (However, Chevalier doesn't say where she got the idea for the name, "Honor Bright". )
2. At Wiki, I learned that "Honor Bright" is a 5-piece pop punk band from Syracuse, New York. The band's Wiki page says: "The name Honor Bright comes from the short story "Rocking Horse Winner" by DH Lawrence. It's English slang for being honest."
3. There is a 1950 film, "The Rocking Horse Winner" adapted from Lawrence's story. The film is a fantasy about a young boy who can pick winners in horse races with complete accuracy.
THE BAND - WIKI LINK: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor_Br...
THE SHORT STORY - WIKI LINK: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rock...
THE FILM - WIKI LINK: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rock...
THE FILM: IMDb LINK: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042898/?...
4. At various online dictionaries, I learned that "Honour Bright" is a British exclamation pledging honour. It's the same as saying "upon my honor". (e.g., "I did sweep the floor, honor bright.")
Honor bright! = An assurance of truth or fidelity. [Colloq.]
The various dictionaries are linked below:
http://dictionary.reference.com/brows...
http://www.freedictionary.org/?Query=...
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Hono...
"The Last Runaway," sounds like a book I'd like to read. I really loved, "The Girl With the Pearl Earing," by the same author. And someone once told me my great grandfather had an underground railway.
Nina, I think you'd enjoy The Last Runaway. Here's my review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Interesting about your great grandfather!
I finished The Casual Vacancy. While it was well written there is nothing I can recommend about it. It was too realistic, the nasty things people do and say about each other. I've got enough reality. If JKR ever comes back to the fantasty genre I'll be waiting, otherwise we must part ways here. I had originally planned on watching the upcoming TV series based on the book but now I have no desire to see it.
Jackie, I notice that many of the GR shelves for The Casual Vacancy are labeled "abandoned", "not finished", or words to that effect. So you're not alone in your opinion. See the shelves for the book here: https://www.goodreads.com/work/shelve...
My oldest daughter and her husband (who were ardent Hary Potter fans) started reading The Casual Vacancy a few years ago, but either didn't finish it or finished it but really disliked it --I forget which. Either way, they both found it a major disappointment! Based on their feedback, I've never been interested in trying it.
Werner try "Greengage Summmer," by Rumer Godden sometime if you like anything with a French setting.
Thanks, Nina! I've marked that one as "to-read," along with Black Narcissus, which we have here in the BC library.
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It's so easy to forget because our brains are constantly bombarded with so much information these days. One of the reasons I like Netflix is that I can see which movies I've watched because they keep a history list and also because I can see the number of stars I've assigned to a movie. Amazon Prime movies don't provide that information.