Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
ABOUT BOOKS AND READING
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What are U reading these days? (PART SIX) (2010)
Mary JL, that's a good way to sample the writing styles of the authors.
Yes, if feel if I liked their style in a short story, then I may look for some of their novels.(Like I need more on my TBR pile....)
Finished Desert Places, just as good the second time around. It wasn't as disturbing to me this time. Maybe because I knew what was going to happen and I had a few years to get over the disturbing aspects of this novel. Hopefully I'll have the sequel in hand within a couple of weeks so I can continue with Blake Crouch's rivetting tale.I decided to start one of the books I got at the library sale shelf last week, Falcons of Narabedla by Marion Zimmer Bradley, mainly because it's short, 150 pages. I have my copy of Tuck waiting to be opened. As soon as I hear that Werner has his copy in hand, I'll start it. We had a lot of fun with the last two books and being current with each other had a lot to do with it.
Sounds like fun, Jackie, ... reading a book along with somebody else and discussing it by email, almost chapter by chapter. Allows for a lot of good conversation. It's even better than an in-person book group which meets only once a month! :)
It sure is!It's been the best reading experience of my life. Either I read alone and have no one to discuss it with or I have to wait for Anthony to finish and that can be months later as he doesn't read like I do. By that time, I've forgotten all the details or the points I wanted to talk about. The discussion is just as exciting as the read.
Jackie, it's been a great reading experience for me, too, for the same reason! This is my first "buddy read," but hopefully not my last!By now, you may have gotten my message noting that my copy of Tuck came in today, and I'll start it tomorrow. So, that also tells you all in the group what I'm going to be reading for the next couple of weeks or so!
I read a whole book today waiting for Margaret to get her surgery done. It was A Drink Before the War by Dennis Lehane. It was good. I'm looking forward to the next.The doctor said her gall bladder was like a bag full of rocks - normally they're a droopy bag with a bit of gravel when he takes them out, so he thinks this will make a huge difference in her digestion & health. Cross your fingers!
The animals & I are surviving, but we all want Marg well soon. Cutter tried to spit his bute back out on me after fighting to get him to even take it. Topaz & Blue are sure I shorted them on their rations. The goats didn't want to go into their pen & the dogs were just wild, especially our new one, Lily. She doesn't seem to know her name yet. She's an English Pointer that my daughter's boyfriend rescued & we wound up with. She's 6 months old & is a bed hog.
Fingers and toes crossed for Marg. See how there's anarchy when The Boss is away, LOL
It's not anarchy, Jackie. It's just 'not right'. I don't have 'the touch'. Oh well, she's supposed to be pretty much better in a week or so. I sure hope so. Cutter & I may come to blows if she isn't.
Jim, I hope Marg will recover quickly, not only for her sake, but for the sake of all the animals... and YOU TOO! :) Give Marg our best wishes.
Sounds like all the critters know when the boss is missing and they have decided to gang up on you. They want her back and are trying their best to get the message to you and so far it isn't working. But, I will say a special prayer to St. Francis tonight for them to get her back where she belongs super quick. And I thought I was the only one who reads books when the loved one is in surgery. Helps doesn't it. Hang in there. nina
One of our nieces (by marriage) was hospitalized for a bad case of gallstones recently, so I can relate to what Marg is going through! My prayers and good wishes are with her, too. (And Nina's advice above to "hang in there" took the words right out of my mouth. :-) )
Thanks all. It seems like she's recovering fast - I hear her feeding the dogs right now & she looks a lot better. Yay! I'll still have to do the horses & goats, but this is great.The horses won't be happy until she's back on her feet, though. I plan on going back to work tomorrow & I leave too early to feed them in the morning this time of year. We're on the far end of the Eastern time zone, so it doesn't get light until 7:30 or so. I leave for work by 5am, so they're not interested in food yet. Well, there is still plenty of grass, even if it is all brown (still no rain - we've had none in 7 weeks now) but that's why we don't have more. It let's us get through times like this without beating up the fields too badly or having to feed hay.
We always take books to the hospital, Nina. Nothing makes the time pass better. I actually brought two yesterday & was glad I did. I read one & got a couple of chapters into the second. There was nothing for me to do for 5 of the 6 hours, except sit & wait. I'd go nuts otherwise.
Jim, I'm glad to hear that Marg is on the mend. Hope she'll be back to normal soon.Wish I could send you some of the rain we've been having lately. Last week it poured for days. It's raining again today. The dogs hate to go out in the rain and that can be a problem. We were babysitting our son's German Shepherd mix and she would put her nose out the door, see the rain, and then turn around and go back into the house. At least she was good about waiting, but our little Maltese is apt to go on the rug if he can't go out. That's when I start to worry.
Great news Jim. Happy to hear Marg is getting better.7 weeks is a long time with no rain. I hope you get some soon. We've got plenty here, I wish I could send it your way.
Joy, Did you ever try those puppy weewee pads? There's pheromones or something on them so dogs go on the pad and not on the rug. You can use it only when it's raining. And they're absorbant too.
Juneau hates the rain also. He won't go out, he tries to turn back but I block him and make him go out. I have to go down the stairs with him and then push him out into the rain. It's ridiculous. He'll hold it for a very long time; that's worrisome too because it can't be healthy.
Yes, Jackie, I tried those pads. They didn't work. I still have most of them in the package, unused. I think it was too late to train Romeo to use the pads. I even tried doggie diapers. They didn't stay on him long.
That's not good. I wouldn't imagine the diapers would stay on. There must be a way to get Romeo to wee where you want him to. I'll have a look around and if I come up with anything I'll let you know.
Thanks, Jackie. I try to let him out regularly during the day and night. That usually keeps him from doing anything inside.
I mean for the rainy days. I know Romeo is well behaved sweet little boy.
Yes, most of the time Romeo is a good boy, very sweet. But, yes, rainy days and deep snow can be a problem for him (and me!) So do let me know if you have any solutions. Thanks.
Jim, Tell Marg that I asked St. Francis to stand in for her. He might not be physically able to feed the animals but he is surely on top of assuring them you will be back in shape soon. Remember he can talk to the animals. nina
Joy, a favor: I wrote down in a hurry yesterday your movie, Netfix recommendation for two of them and now I can't read my own writing. The first I think was, "Has Anybody Seen My Gal?" and the second one all I got was, "A Very Special...Please tell me the last word. Thanks, nina
Nina, the second movie was "A Very Special Favor". They're both on the same Netflix DVD.
I am reading my first comic book in about 65 yearsWelcome to Lovecraft (Locke & Key, Vol. 1)
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32...
I liked books by Joe Hill, and this was the last one the library had that I hadn't read. When it arrived I found it was a "graphic novel". Fancy little hard cover with a ribbon for a book mark. I also discovered Joe Hill is Steven King's kid. Seems like a comic book is harder to read for me now than a regular book. Jury is still out but I think I'll only give it 2 stars.
Earl wrote: "... Seems like a comic book is harder to read for me now than a regular book. ..."I can understand that, Earl. You can't scan the lines in a comic as easily as you can in a book.
Earl wrote: Seems like a comic book is harder to read for me now than a regular book.I thought it was just me! I've been a huge comicbook fan since I was a child. But the past three or four years, I've lost interest and I don't know why. I have a Shannara graphic novel on my shelf for years and seem to have no intention of ever picking it up. Yet I have X-Men in novel form and will choose that first. What's up with that?
I never scan so that's not it with me. I always read each and every word; I think I'm afraid I'll miss something, LOL
Jackie, I used the word "scan" in the sense that our eyes run along the lines smoothly, not so much as quickly, as in the sense of the the word "skim".
I understand. I'd probably do that if I was really hating a book and just wanted it over. I should really try to apply that more often, as we all know, there's plenty of crappy books out there, LOL
I'm not much on comic books, either. Everyone makes a big fuss about Neil Gaiman's stuff. It's OK, but that's it, as far as I'm concerned. Funny, because I used to love Creepy, Eerie, Vamperella & Heavy Metal years ago. They're all horror comics.
I remember Vamperella and Heavy Metal. They were great then. I find my tastes change too. So maybe that's why I don't care to read Graphic Novels or comicbooks anymore. Dean Koontz did a GN for his Odd Thomas series. While I'm a huge fan of Odd Thomas, I wasn't happy with the newest installment of OT being in a graphic novel format and didn't even get it. I'd decided to just pass on it altogether.
Finished Falcons of Narabedla last night. I have guests til Monday, so Werner and I decided to hold off on Tuck as I won't have much reading time. Once we get going, it's difficult to put down and I don't want to get cranky at my guests for interupting my reading. Yes, I can get quite snippy when interupted. We have some activities planned such as going out to dinner, the library book sale and whatever else comes up. But now that I've finished Falcons, what can I read that's fast and easy and I won't mind putting down? How about a graphic novel? LOL It fits the requirements. Since we just discussed them, one GN in particular has been on my mind, Dark Wraith of Shannara. I love the Shannara series by Terry Brooks so had to have this one. It's been sitting in my bookcase and I've pretty all but forgotten it. I might as well do it now.
And here's the one thing that is really irking me already: it graphics are in black & white. I mean, if you're going to do a GN, color graphics are totally in order. If I'm going to get a short story, then entertain me with fantastic pictures.
Well, in any case, it'll be really quick, LOL
Jackie, the name, Terry Brooks, rang a bell with me. So I checked my GR reading list Now I remember that I've read two of his books:Magic Kingdom for Sale--Sold (Magic Kingdom of Landover, #1) (1986)
Magic Kingdom for Sale--Sold
The Black Unicorn (Magic Kingdom of Landover #2) (1987)
The Black Unicorn
See my reviews at:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Some of my comments were:
"Terry Brooks has created a very likable character in Ben Holiday, who sets out against great odds to become King of Landover."
"I enjoyed reading this book of fantasy. It kept me reading. It was easy to follow and the fantasy characters were fun to read about. There's suspense and some humor. This is a wonderfully imaginative book to cozy-up and relax with for easy entertainment."
"Surprisingly, I picked up some lessons for life from this book. There's a sub-text in which the author demonstrates, through his main character, Ben Holiday, how to overcome fear and how to maintain determination in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Interesting how a simple story like this can deliver such huge lessons subtly and effectively (without preaching), thanks to the skill of its author."
(About book #2): "It was fun to read, not as compelling as some other books I've read, but fun to read just the same. I took it a little at a time because at times the plot seemed to be a bit slow. So I'd close the book and go onto another book until I was ready to relax again with this gentle fantasy. It's a friendly read. I'd call it "gentle suspense". I enjoyed all the characters as well as Brooks' easy style, dotted with little sparks of humor."
The first one was the best, as is often the case with series. The Shannara series has some really good ones and a few not-so-good ones.
I felt the same way about the Landover series. I got 4 or 5 books into it & quit, though. "Magic Kingdom" was by far the best.I read the first Shannara book & felt it was such a rip off of The Lord of the Rings, that I never read any more for years. Later, I read some short stories or something, but by then the series was so complex & had so much history that I never got into it.
I think now that my first impression was unfortunate, but understandable. Several others had written similar books & for some reason I wound up reading several in a row. Probably all I could get from the book mobile back then.
Oh, I did read some other books by Brooks. His 'Word & Void' series started out good. For some reason I never got the 2d, but got the 3d & read it. I was kind of lost, but remember liking it. I don't think I ever got around to reading it in order though.
Finished my short stories--review coming soon.I have now started "No Laughing Matter" by Dorothy Simpson. It is a novel in her Inspector Luke Thanet series.
Jim mentioned The Lord of the Rings. I got well into the first book of the trilogy (The Fellowship of the Ring) years ago and then started floundering. At first I was wrapped up in it, but as it went on, there were just too many characters and the different episodes kept going on and on without giving me any real satifaction. So I threw in the towel.I just realized that I haven't entered the book on any of my GR shelves. I'll do that right now.
I did enjoy Tolkein's _The Hobbit_ (The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again), but that was a much simpler book and a sweeter one.
Mary JL wrote: "... I have now started "No Laughing Matter" by Dorothy Simpson. ... "Mary JL, it looks as if Simpson wrote quite a few books in that series. GR says that No Laughing Matter is "The 12th crime novel featuring the Kent policemen, Inspector Thanet and Sergeant Lineham."
I wish I could get into a good mystery. Either they're too complicated or they have characters or a style which doesn't appeal to me. It's always been hard for me to find mystery books which appeal to me. There have been some.
Jim,I felt the same way about the first Shannara, but midway through the book they come into their own and Brooks finds his own voice, his own story. The next two, Elfstones and Wishsong are the best of them all; they really stuck with me.
I read The Word and The Void series too. Brooks winds up bridging the two series together with the Genesis of Shannara trilogy and it was awesome!
Voyage and High Druid trilogies were so-so. I wouldn't recommend them unless you are Shannara crazy and crave more.
I finished Dark Wraith of Shannara. I liked the story even though it was super short because it had to do with the Wishsong, and the Wishsong holds a special place in my heart.
Back to Tuck with Werner this weekend.
I went to the library book sale and got 5 out of the last 6 Darkover novels I needed to complete the series. A few books from my list: an Ender novel, a Foundation novel, can't even remember what else. I got about 20 more books to add to my already crammed shelves. It was a good day.
Glad to hear you found some books you wanted, Jackie. Enjoy your books.
I had my to-read books in a semblance of order on the bookshelf at the end of my bed stacked high. I woke up to a crash last night as half of them hit the floor. Pixie was sleeping on my pillow, so Amber had shifted down to the middle of the bed & that pushed Lily down to having just the lower third of the bed (my feet get hung over the edge due to heat). Apparently that wasn't enough room for Lilly, the English Pointer. She stretched & my books are now completely disordered. That's what I get for sleeping with so many sweet, young things at my age.
;-)
You're so funny! At least you're not too upset by it.
They weren't that well ordered, Jackie. I find it weirder that I can comfortably sleep in the middle of a puppy pile. Occasionally my pillow wakes me up because she is getting squished or I get hot because the covers are panting & hairy, but other than that, I barely notice them.
LOL - Jim, it sounds as if your to-read books have gone to the dogs. :)
A quote: "No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self chosen ignorance." Confusious Now if you don't feel you have time to read, Jim, don't blame your dogs they were only trying to help. nina
Barb and I finished reading Eragon yesterday, and were both very pleased with it. (I gave it 5 stars in my Goodreads review.) So, we're continuing with the series by going on to the second volume, Eldest. You could say that it's our "organically-powered audio book" ( :-) ) for listening to while riding in the car.
Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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It is a short story collection where all the authors are female mystery writers--Sue Grafton, Nancy Pickard, Sara Paretsky and many others.
So far, out of four stories, I have one really good; one fairly good and two very average.