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)
I have just started Nevil Shute's "On The Beach". Very well written so far.
Mary JL wrote: "I have just started Nevil Shute's "On The Beach". Very well written so far."Thanks, Mary JL. An Amazon review refers to the book, On the Beach, as "the most evocative novel on the aftermath of a nuclear war...".
The GR description says: "On the Beach was the first American-made film publicly shown in the Soviet Union, and may have influenced American public opinion towards support of the atmospheric test ban treaty."
Yes, Joy. It is a gripping and serious book--and all does not end happily ever after. There hae been 57 editions of this book--it deserves its classic status.
I never read On the Beach, but saw the movie when it came out way back when.Along that same vein is Alas Babylon (Pat Frank, 1959), set in Florida after a nuclear attack on the United States. I have read it a few times and my granddaughter read it in 9th Grade English class. Alas Babylon was also a TV movie, airring on Playhouse 90 around 1960.
Thanks, Katherine,Here are the links to those movies:
"On the Beach" (1959):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053137/
"The residents of Australia after a global nuclear war must come to terms with the fact that all life will be destroyed in a matter of months." -IMDb
The book: On the Beach by Nevil Shute
Playhouse 90: "Alas, Babylon" (TV episode 1960):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053581/
The book: Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
"The explosive bestselling classic about a small town spared the destruction of nuclear holocaust." -GR description
Jackie wrote: "Almost finished with Tuck. Also reading Locked Doors: A Thriller by Blake Crouch"Jackie, one of the GR members, Ashley, said (about _Locked Doors_): "...this had to be one of the most suspenseful and scary books I have ever read."
Certainly sounds like a thriller! :)
I expect it will be exactly as Ashley says. It's the sequel to Desert Places, the most violent and disturbing book I've ever read. The author is really good, excellent pacing, masterful suspense. A fantastic debut novel by all accounts.
Mary JL wrote: "I have just started Nevil Shute's "On The Beach". Very well written so far."I've read quite a few post-apocalyptic novels & rate "On the Beach" as one of the best, along with "Alas, Babylon". They were both written just before I was born, but read & fit well today.
Last night, I started on Norah Lofts' Gad's Hall. It's a common read this month over in one of my other Goodreads groups, Supernatural Fiction Readers.
I guess I forgot, I've been reading The Name of the Wind and I'm completely enthralled. An excellent debut novel from an excellent author.
Hi Jackie. I checked out the GR page for _The Name of the Wind_. The following, from a GR review by Min, was fun to read:==========================================================
"Hmmm. Where should I begin? Reading Rothfuss' book is a bit like being very hungry while waiting for a slow, slow cooked meal or thick stew. It smells delicious and tempting while cooking ... you really really want to take a bite. However, despite your rabid hunger, you wait. Patiently stewing. Oh sure there is some excitement thrown in, maybe a sauce boils up and you nearly burn yourself. But for the most part it is the making of the meal that is important - you can wait to eat. The reward of a well prepared meal will be worth it in the end."
FROM: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
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That's a pretty good review. It is like that. I'm savoring it. For a debut novel this author really knows how to write, how to draw you in and keep you interested. I'm fully enjoy it. Even his acknowledgment page was unique and very well done, I knew I was going to like him right away.
I just finsihed watching, "The Loss of the Teardrop Diamond." It was moving, but what Tennesee Williams novel isn't? Or perhaps it was a short story. I liked watching it for the characters involved but wouldn't like to get through it again. Sad. nina
Nina, I remember watching that one. Jackie had recommended it. I felt the same about it as you do."The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond" (2008):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0896031/
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The-L...
I just finished Fall of Giants by Ken Follett. It's the first of three historical novels that trace the lives of five men, German, Russian, American, Welsh and English, as they live through the events the 20th century. All five men have great storylines. I can't wait for the next installment. Four Stars plus from me.I am now starting Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner for a change of pace.
I just finished reading, "In The Sanctuary of Outcasts," by Neil White. It is a memoir of a man who goes to prison for bank fraud. It is not an ordinary prison; it is connected to a leper colony. How this, until now, very very rich man goes through the eighteen month's sentence is very interesting. I had to skip over a lot of bad language but I will say his characters come to life; both good and bad. A different type story, all in all. nina
Thanks, Katherine and Nina for your comments. Below are the GR links:Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy #1)
Fly Away Home (2010) *
"...a novel about a family of women who seek refuge in an old beach house."
In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: A Memoir
*PS - Don't confuse the book with the movie:
"Fly Away Home" (1996)
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Fly-A...
"When 13-year-old Amy Alden (Anna Paquin) adopts a flock of orphaned Canada geese, she sets out to teach them survival skills."
See my "PS" in above message #970.
I started a 3 in one volume Trilogy by Alan Dean Foster called "The Taken Trilogy". The three volumes, originally published seperately are : Lost and Found; The Light Years Beneath my Feet and the Candle of Distant Earth.Btw, there is a mispelling on the Gr entry---it says "Triology". Anyway I can fix that?
Mary JL wrote: "I started a 3 in one volume Trilogy by Alan Dean Foster called "The Taken Trilogy". The three volumes, originally published seperately are : Lost and Found; The Light Years Beneath my Feet and th..."Lost and Found: A Novel (Taken Trilogy #1) (2004)
The Light-years Beneath My Feet (Taken Trilogy #2) (2005)
The Candle of Distant Earth (Taken Trilogy #3) (2006)
FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:
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"Alien abductions are fast becoming an SF cliché, but bestseller Foster (Dirge) puts a fresh spin on the theme in the wacky first book of a new comic SF series about Marcus Walker, a Chicago commodities broker, and George, a talking dog. Both fall victim to the seven-foot Vilenjji, who roam outer space and snatch specimens from various backward planets to sell as novelty pets to wealthy clients. Marc and George are the only Earth samples in the vast traveling zoo en route to an undisclosed alien marketplace. The other oxygen-breathing sentients—caged in enclosures that imaginatively echo the places where they were captured—can communicate with each other and their captors, due to implants that have been softwired into their brains. Much mayhem ensues as Marc and the streetwise mutt decide to attempt an escape with fellow zoo allies ... "
from: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345...
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Sounds very different! :)
Joy: I doubt you would enjoy it as you do not care for science fiction. It is okay but although I am a fan of Foster, most of his books rate a 3 star rating from me.He's is a competent writer, but lacks that little extra something in his writing to get 4 stars from me.
I do plan on finishing it--however, I doubt I will keep it--unless it improves pretty soon!
I finished The Name of the Wind, gave it a rare 5 star rating. Rothfuss is an excellent author and tells Kvothe's story in a way that has me hungering for more. Now...if he could only finish the series, I'd be happy. It's the one drawback of reading series...waiting for the next one is interminable.I really want a standalone novel right now. I'm starting A Night in the Lonesome October momentarily; I'm in the mood for something different and I can always count on Roger Zelazny to be unique. Horror, humor, scifi, fantasy all rolled into one. Yes, it's exactly what I want at the moment.
I just finished skimming through "A Night in the Lonesome October" again with another group that I'm in. A lunatic scavenger hunt! It's great. As you read it, you might want to check out the spoiler topic in the Zelazny group. I think we did a pretty good job of figuring out most of his allusions last year. I looked back there this year because I couldn't remember them all.http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...
I didn't want to look at the thread yet, but I know it's there. Can hardly wait to get to be far enough to join in.
Jackie wrote: "I finished The Name of the Wind, gave it a rare 5 star rating. Rothfuss is an excellent author and tells Kvothe's story in a way that has me hungering for more. Now...if he could on..."Jackie, below is an excerpt GR description of the book you mentioned, The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicle #1) (2000) by Patrick Rothfuss:
=========================================================
"So begins the tale of Kvothe - from his childhood in a troupe of traveling players to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-riddled city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a difficult and dangerous school of magic. In these pages you will come to know Kvothe as a notorious magician, an accomplished thief, a masterful musician, and an infamous assassin. But THE NAME OF THE WIND is so much more - for the story it tells reveals the truth behind Kvothe's legend."
==========================================================
It does sound like quite an adventure!
Mary JL: I wish I DID like Science Fiction. It would open up a whole new world of reading for me.Jim: Zelazny's allusions/references (in his stories) are one of the things which made it hard for me to appreciate his writing. Too arcane for me. :)
I'm about finished reading Esther William's dishy autobiography, The Million Dollar Mermaid: An Autobiography (1999). It's hard to believe what she said about Jeff Chandler. IMDb's page on Chandler says:
==========================================================
"His former lover Esther Williams, in her tell-all 1999 biography, put Chandler back in the headlines after asserting that he was a cross-dresser. ... Esther later admitted privately that this had no basis in fact, and was made up simply to bolster interest in the book."
FROM: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001996/bio
==========================================================
Mary JL, re your message #972 above, I corrected that typo in the Goodreads record just now.
Thanks, Werner. I was hoping you would. :)
You're welcome, Joy! I'm not as active as some Goodreads librarians are in that role, but I try to do my bit occasionally. :-)
Yes, Werner, I add my thanks as well!
I'm a few days into The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay, an author I've heard of but never had the opportunity to read. I found this book at the library books sale in Oct and Fantasy Aficionados is reading it as a group read. It's a trilogy but I only have the first book. At least it's all published and it's just a matter of me getting the rest of it.I have to say, I really like the book and the way Kay writes. Most of the time I forget I'm reading a story, that's how vivid it is in my mind. That's the kind of experience I live for.
Jackie, the editorial and customer reviews of this book at Amazon make it sound very tempting indeed!"The Summer Tree" (1984) (The Fionavar Tapestry, Book 1)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451...
One of the customer reviews says: "Do yourself a favor and indulge in every one of Mr. Kay's fabulous fantasies! This is just the book to start with!"
I guess I started with the right one!
Yes, I guess so! :) I "looked inside" the book at the Amazon link and read the first few paragraphs in the first chapter. Already I can see that the comment on the back of the book jacket is accurate. It says: "...a highly literate, lovingly detailed work of fantasy."
I just finished reading the historical novel, Shanghai Girls (2009) by Lisa See, which our local library's discussion group is reading for December. The book kept me reading right to the end. The writing style is straight-forward and absorbing. Many of the scenes were taken from actual events which the author researched from many different sources, including her own family's history. She is Chinese-American and one-eighth Chinese.In an article in Time Magazine, author Lisa See says:
==========================================================
"The Chinese side of my family in Los Angeles numbers close to 400, with only a handful that look like me. It's been 130 years since my great-great-grandfather left China, and we've become educated, changed our way of dress and lost our Cantonese. But there's a deep core that connects to our peasant ancestors."
FROM: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/art...
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From the GR book description:
===========================================================
"At its heart, Shanghai Girls is a story of sisters: Pearl and May are inseparable best friends who share hopes, dreams, and a deep connection, but like sisters everywhere they also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. ... Along the way they face terrible sacrifices, make impossible choices, and confront a devastating, life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel hold fast to who they are–Shanghai girls."
FROM: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59...
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I just started Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane. It's a sequel to Gone Baby Gone with the characters twelve years older. I love this author's writing style: Mystic River, Shutter Island and Gone Baby Gone. Each of these has been made into a movie that stay very true to those three books.
I've seen all three movies and they were all good. It's almost unheard of that a movie stay close to the original book, I'm so pleased to know it can be done!I'm halfway through an Advanced Copy of The Jaguar Prophecies by Phyllis Gunderson, given to me by a goodread friend who won it in a giveaway. It's a pretty good novel about the convergence of 2012 prophecies all across the globe. The author gives a lot of information while weaving a good tale. It's a good novel for someone interested in the subject but who has little or no prior knowledge of 2012. For me, there's nothing new to learn, which is why it's important that it has a good story also.
My Fionavar Tapestry arrived today, 5 days earlier than expected. So I'll be starting the sequel to The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire, tomorrow or more likely the next day. Tomorrow I'll be quite busy with cooking. Which reminds me, Happy Thanksgiving to those celebrating it.
Last night, I started Death of a Citizen (1960), by Donald Hamilton; I'm expecting it to be a quick read, which I want right now --I can get it finished before I start my BIG, thick airport/airplane book for next month's expected travel. :-) This one is the first novel in the author's noir-style spy-action Matt Helm series, about a character who works as an assassin for a shadowy U.S. government security agency. It was recommended to me by our own Jim MacLachlan. (So if I don't like it, I can blame him. :-) )
What with being busy with other commitments, I am still on the Taken Trilogy I started on November 9th!!I want to find out what happens so I am plugging away to finish but the pacing is irregular. some chapters whizz by and then we have some slow, dragging passages.
Adequate SF; but Foster has done many better books.
Well, I finished Death of a Citizen a few days ago, and my three-star rating means I did like it; so Jim, you get thanks instead of blame. :-) Teasing aside, you'd get appreciative thanks even if I'd given it one star --I like checking out new (to me) writers that I haven't read, or read much!Right now, I'm reading At Chrighton Abbey and Other Horror Stories by Mary Elizabeth Braddon, which has set in my to-read pile(s) for several years. In the meantime, I read two of the five stories in other anthologies, so I figure it'll also be a quick read.
Apologies to my Goodreads friends (who get my updates) for all the repetitious posts on what I'm reading! Several groups I belong to have threads like this, so every time I start a new book, you poor folks probably feel bombarded with it. :-(
Glad you liked it, Werner. Hamilton is a favorite of mine.I'm reading Sharpe's Tiger right now, but it is slow going. I'm still sick & certainly tired of it. Hopefully this bug will leave me alone shortly. It's been wearing me out that I haven't done anything but work & sleep.
Thanks, Werner. I'm sick & tired of being sick & tired. I have to do a load of hay again this weekend, too. It about killed me last time.
Werner, it's always good to hear from you.Jim, sorry to hear that you're still under the weather. We've been resting up after a busy Thanksgiving weekend. It's no fun feeling tired. Hope you recover soon.
Thanks, Joy. Hope you had a great time with the family. We did with the bit of ours that could make it.
Feel better, Jim. I know how you like to be active and I imagine sitting still is driving you crazy. But rest up anyway, because a body at rest is healing itself.
Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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Eragon (Inheritance #1) (2003)
Eldest (Inheritance #2) (2005)
The GR description says: "The story is solidly in the tradition (some might say derivative) of the classic heroic quest fantasy, with the predictable cast of dwarves, elves, and dragons—but also including some imaginatively creepy creatures of evil."
GR says that the author "was only seventeen when the first volume was published in 2003."
The books have won many awards.