Constant Reader discussion
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Notes from Zoom Conversation
Thanks for keeping track and posting these, Jane! Several of the things that were mentioned are now on my never-ending TBR list.
Thank you, Jane! This will work much better than my little post-it notes.
Tx Jane, lovely to see you all again, and some new to me faces to put to names here
It was great to finally meet you, Sheila, after years of reading your posts. I really enjoyed hearing about what your quarantine life is like "across the pond".
I totally forgot about the call even though it was on my calendar. I'll join next time. Thanks for the list, Jane.
Tx Lynn I might add that at least I don’t have short hair anymore and have to be concerned about getting it cut.
Thanks so much for the list, Jane. On the call, we were talking about the Palestinian actress in THE LEMON TREE - Hiam Abbass. She is terrific. I remember seeing her in the film THE VISITOR, where she played the mother of an illegal Syrian immigrant.
I also realized that she plays the mother in the Hulu series, RAMY, a dramedy about a young Egyptian American who sincerely wants to be a good Muslim, but is struggling. The writer and main character, Ramy Youssef, is a comedian. Lots of funny moments, but also some very poignant scenes. Hiam Abbass is wonderful. This series isn't for everyone, but I like it.
We have The Syrian Bride on a dvd through the mail from Netflix that we are going to watch tonight. It is directed by the same man who did The Lemon Tree and Hiam Abbass is in it as well.I've been wanting to see Ramy but we don't get Hulu.
I didn’t know about her so I looked up her Wikipedia entry. Interesting, accomplished woman. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiam_Ab...
Update: The Syrian Bride is must see. Also, if you can get the dvd , there is a great interview with Hiam Abbass and a good featurette about the making of the film on the special features.
I seem to be gradually getting back to reading. I just started Yoko Ogawa’s The Housekeeper and the Professor which Tessa mentioned
Sorry I missed the call. Jane, at a previous call you mentioned Spiral on Netflix. Is that The Spiral, a movie?
Mary Anne, I think Jane and I both talked about Spiral. It is a French police and legal TV series.I saw it on Hulu. The French name is Engrenages. I was attracted to it because two of the main actors in A French Village (one of my all time favorites) also appear in this show.We watched the first series. The acting is excellent, but we passed on the following season because the show is very dark- brutal murders, and justice is rarely served. Maybe it's too realistic - the higher ups usually get by with their crimes.
Jane, if you saw multiple seasons of this series, I would be interested in your take.
Barb, when I checked out THE SYRIAN BRIDE, I realized that we had also seen it when we used to get Netflix DVDs. You're right. It's very good.
Ann D wrote: "Mary Anne, I think Jane and I both talked about Spiral. It is a French police and legal TV series.I saw it on Hulu. The French name is Engrenages. I was attracted to it because two of the main acto..."Yes, we watched all of the seasons of Spiral on Netflix, and we both liked it. Tom often bails on mysteries, but he liked this one. The violence didn't bother me. It is quite interesting to see the differences in the justice system in France.
Yes,I noticed some major differences. It looks like they have an investigative type of "judge," and then three judges decide the case. Is that right?After your input, I think we'll give it another try. I need to take breaks after some of the more graphic legal shows. I did really like the characters and their interplay with each other
I just went looking for Spiral. Found it on Amazon Prime.
If you like Spiral you might also like The Bureau
My sister dropped by. At first I thought she was going to be in and out so I left Zoom running. Once I saw she wanted to visit a bit I logged out; sorry I didn't say goodbye.So after she left I started trying to see if John Tyler (U.S. President 1841-1845) still has living grandchildren. It was noticed and sort of became a deal a few years back ( "After we shared this fact on Twitter in 2012, Dan Amira interviewed Harrison Tyler for New York Magazine. Lyon Tyler spoke to the Daughters of the American Revolution a while back. They were profiled by The Times of London. And Snopes is also in on the fact."
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2012/...)
Anyway, best I can tell, both grandsons are still living; Lyon is 96 and Harrison is 92. Their grandfather, John Tyler, was born in 1790.
Just fyi.
Notes from Zoom conversation, July 2. We discussed mystery writers. The following writers were recommended. If they write series, I just listed the first one in the series.Sarah Stewart Taylor, O' Artful Death
Julia Spencer Fleming,In the Bleak Midwinter
featuring Clare Fergusson an Episcopal priest, Book 1
Susan Hill , Simon Serrailler Series (I'm listing all of these for my own benefit. I've read some, but want to read the rest)
The Various Haunts of Men (2004)
The Pure in Heart (2005)
The Risk of Darkness (2006)
The Vows of Silence (2008)
The Shadows in the Street (2010)
The Betrayal of Trust (2011)
A Question of Identity (2012)
A Breach of Security (2014)
The Soul of Discretion (2015)
Hero (2016)
Old Haunts (2018)
The Comforts of Home (2018)
The Benefit of Hindsight
Susan Hill, ghost story, The Man in the Picture
Deborah Crombie
A Share in Death: A Mystery Introducing Superintendent Dunkan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James (Duncan Kincaid / Gemma James Book 1)
Elly Griffiths, The Crossing Places (Ruth Galloway Series Book 1)
Bruce Alexander, Blind Justice (Sir John Fielding Series. Book 1)
Liz Moore, Long Bright River: A Novel
I'm so sorry I missed the zoom meeting. My daughter had a last minute appointment with an ophthalmologist to get clearance for another surgery to try to save her remaining eye. n She is blind but she sees some light in this eye which helps keep her knowing night from day. I'll try to be on the next call.
Gina, I am very sorry to hear about your daughter's health troubles. That must be so difficult. Feel free to join us on Zoom whenever it works out for you.
Oh, Gina. That’s so difficult. I’m sorry.
Gina, we used to talk about sending Constant Reader healing thoughts to our members in need. We should start that practice again for you and your daughter. I will be definitely be sending them.
Gina, my most positive thoughts speeding through the ether towards you and your daughter. I, too, am sorry to have missed the most recent zoom chat. As hard as it is to believe, I actually developed a last minute schedule conflict - which I’ve been thinking I might not have again for a very long time - so in a way it was actually refreshing.
One of my favorite mystery/page turner writers is Harlan Coben. I've read everything he's written! Especially enjoyable is the series with Myron Bolitar.
I’m not zooming with you but I’ve been following the post-Zoom conversations.I love the mystery list - thanks for posting it.
Gina, hoping for the best possible results for your daughter.
Thinking of you and your daughter, Gina.
Oh, Gina ... sending healing thoughts your way.
We had a great Zoom conversation yesterday. It all started when we began discussing MRS. AMERICA which is about Phyllis Schlafly, but it is also about the feminist movement. We had a lot to say about women's rights. As Maya Angelou said when she was asked if she was a feminist, "Why wouldn't I be on my own side?"
These Zoom meetings are among my favorite things that came about during the pandemic.
Books and TV series that came up in our last Zoom meetingLolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner. This is our September discussion book for Classics Corner. It's about an independent “spinster” who turns to witchcraft - “surprisingly funny”
The Long Call (The Two Rivers Series Book 1) by mystery writer Ann Cleeves
Ann Cleves is also the author of the very popular Shetland mysteries.
Several people mentioned that they liked the Shetland TV series. Currently, seasons 1,3,4,5 are streaming on Amazon Prime. Britbox is streaming series 1,2,3,4,5.
The State Counsellor: Further Adventures of Fandorin originally written in Russian by author Boris Akunin. Set in late 19th century Russia. Part of a popular mystery series about Russian police investigator, Erast Fandorin. An intricate plot involving terrorists as well as morally questionable authorities. Lots of action and twists. I've read a couple if these, not in order.
Caroline: Little House, Revisited by author:Sarah Miller|17490]
The Little House on the Prarie stories told from the mother’s point of view.
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction The true story of life on the frontier and Laura’s writing collaboration with her daughter Rose.
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Thanks, Ann. I’m glad you’re taking notes.
Thank you from me too, Ann! I scribble on scrap paper near the computer and then forget to look at it. Love having it here.
It's always good to talk to you all, and I really appreciate the efforts to report details of the book talk afterward because I never manage to take notes!
Correction: The TV series SHETLAND is currently available only on BRITBOX. Apparently, you can subscribe to BRITBOX through AMAZON, and you must do that first in order to see SHETLAND there.I might temporarily subscribe to subscribe to BRITBOX later, but I won't go though AMAZON.
Has anyone else tried BRITBOX?
I love both Acorn and Britbox. My only regret is that their selections are limited and new stuff is not often added. I think Shetland reruns are showing up on pbs right now.
Thanks for the input on Britbox. I'm sure I'll give it a try at some point. I have a yearly subscription to Acorn but i float between the other servces.
I did a one-week free trial of BritBox on Amazon Prime when I wanted to watch the early seasons of Death in Paradise with my grandson.
Hi, I have been reading the notes but have not been on Zoom. I have been ill for the past year. Shetland is not on the two PBS Stations I have here in PA, nor on the three I get at our beach house in DE from DE & NJ
Also healing thoughts to your daughter Gina. It must be so difficult for both of you.
Linda, welcome from another PA resident. I live in Pittsburgh and our PBS station also doesn’t have Shetland.
Thanks for everyone's good wishes for my daughter.
Linda,I am sorry to hear that you have been ill. We hope to hear more from you in the future!
I can't remember who said that Shetland had been on PBS, but I know it hasn't been on Nebraska Public Television. The PBS stations across the country don't follow the same schedules.It's also possible that someone had it mixed up with another show.
I also don't remember where we saw the first 3 seasons of Shetland. It's been a couple of years ago. I think it was either Netflix of Acorn. Shetland is not there now. I hope to catch the final two seasons on Britbox, where it currently has a home. I think more and more shows will end up there because of its connection to BBC and ITV - but who knows. The world of streaming is constantly changing.
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Films - DA 5 BLOODS - Spike Lee's new film that is streaming on Netflix. THE LEMON TREE - available on Netflix as a disc.
Books-
THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE by Erica Larson - about Churchill
TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD - a novel by Eowyn Ivy
WORK SONG by Ivan Doig
10% HAPPIER by Dan Harris - a book about meditation and relieving stress
FULL CATASTROPHE LIVING by Jon Kabatt-Zinn - another book about relieving stress
WOLF HALL trilogy by Hilary Mantel
NO GREAT MISCHIEF a novel by Alistair MacLeod
STRANGE WEATHER IN TOKYO a novel by Hiromi Kawakami
HOUSE ON ENDLESS WATERS a novel by Emuna Elon
THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR historical novel by Susan Meissner
App for relieving stress - Calm