Gardener's Group discussion
Overall Reading Goals&Book Chats
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What Did You Just Finish, What Are You Reading Now & What Books Have You Brought Home Recently? (Spoilers Possible)
Me too! I've read all of her novels except the newest one.
As you can see on my long list on "what books have you bought recently" thread, I am still buying books in this arena, Cheryl. There is so much that people aren't even aware of, specially living in the rural states.I had an interesting experience yesterday at the local grocery store in this town of 1500 people I live in. An elderly black man and his grandson came in. My town is all white except two adopted black girls. But the woman I was with (a very gregarious woman) had met this man before. So she started talking to him, as his grandson shopped, and after she left, I continued talking to him. He was a WW2 vet, that is when he met his wife, and had been married 62 years! Anyway, after a while, the grandson returned, handing the man back his cell phone. Then the grandson made a comment, that the old man didn't hear, about using his phone to call Africa. I think the grandson assumed that I was "doing the christian thing talking to the old black man" and was making a snide comment. (The entire family was from Texas originally, not recent immigrants from Africa.) His tone of voice and the way he looked at me was slightly condescending. But his granddad had told me that the grandson had come for a visit, and stayed when he realized his grandparents needed help. So I knew this kid was a good person. So I asked him about job prospects, told him my son's company was hiring, gave him the name and my son's name. I think it took him aback. Anyway, it was a weird conversation with the grandson. I really liked his grandfather, though.
I started a re-read of The Secret Life of Bees for evening bookclub next week and enjoying it as always. (It's another all time favorite).
Jo: TSLOB is one of my favorite books that I won't part with! I've got about 10 of those. Course I'd never part with gardening books or most of my "spiritual" type books (like Broken Open). I love the way she writes. I was in a writing group and the teacher (who knows Sue Kidd) was saying that she found the book to be too slow and was surprised it sold so well. I LOVED the pace. And her prose is so beautiful I didn't care how slow it was. I tried to read the Mermaid Chair but unfortunately haven't made it through it yet. It just doesn't grip me. Did you see the movie TSLOB? Beautifully done and I thought it was very true to the book.
I did see the movie and for me it's very very close to capturing the magic of the novel but not quite! I went out the day it came out on dvd, in a snowstorm to 2 different stores so I could buy it! (Found it at the second store). I was on the verge of tears as I started watching it. Oh that novel is just magic, pure magic for me! I actually finished it for the first time on July 7, 2005, the day of the London terror bombings; such an upsetting day watching the footage live on cable news, brought up much from September 11th. I originally bought Bees in 2003 (?), started it but couldn't get into it for some reason. Starting in late 04 into 05, I made an effort to finished reading books I had at home that I'd left unfinished. I liked Mermaid Chair, the writing, but the direction she took it in just peeved me off! I wanted to scream at the main character and her actions! I didn't like the ending at all.
I thought Dakota Fanning was brilliant in that role! I definitely cried. I took my MIL and my mother who was visiting from San Antonio, TX. We had a little girl's night out. We all walked out with red rimmed eyes. I should have known to bring Kleenex! I'd forgotten how devastating parts of the story were. Yeah, Mermaid Chair is still on my shelf. I will probably end up getting rid of it through PBS.Have you read Rush Home Road? I'm reading it right now and it's very good.
I haven't heard of it but I'll look it up. I loved Dakota! She's an amazing actress. I wanted to see it in the movies and it wasa right here down town but some how I missed it.
Miriam wrote: "As you can see on my long list on "what books have you bought recently" thread, I am still buying books in this arena, Cheryl. There is so much that people aren't even aware of, specially living in..."Your experience is so interesting in light of the book I just read--"Makes Me Wanna Hollar". My town has about 5 black people, an Asian family who run a restaurant and a few Native Americans, so it sounds similar to yours and offers little experience for anyone to gain insight into how people of other races view white people. This book spells it out in no uncertain terms. From what I learned it seems a certain segment of the younger generation of Black Americans expect to be hassled, disrespected, suspected and invisible as far as whites are concerned.
Jo wrote: "I haven't heard of it but I'll look it up. I loved Dakota! She's an amazing actress. I wanted to see it in the movies and it wasa right here down town but some how I missed it."I'm reading an old Graham Greene "The Comedians" which is about the dictatorship in Haiti under Papa Doc and the Tonton Macoute. The book was published in 1966 and what's odd is Papa Doc recently returned to Haiti and some of the inhabitants of the island and welcoming him back.
Just finished "Ender's Game". I don't read much SiFi but this one was pretty good. Now I'm starting "Ahab's Wife" and am feeling myself being pulled in.
My town, island really, is nothing like your towns. Its primarily black, people from all over the Caribbean including Haitians, with about 2,000 whites on it. Its a generally wealthy island (other than me, booksellers don't get rich!) There are a lot of mixed race marriages here and some, like my own produce white children (my son is a green-eyed blonde), tourists do remark on it when they see my husband with a blonde child, and there are white children adopted by black families. I like living in a mix.
Petra, I definitely miss the mix living here in Iowa. I loved when I was going to Washington DC a lot for my work. Just seeing different face colors and features, different mannerisms, different clothing was so wonderful after the decades I have spent in bland Idaho and Iowa. I am not a conformist, love diversity, and yet have ended up in some of the most conformist places in the US (mormon Idaho and Amish/ Mennonite Wellman Iowa, near the Amana society!). I have a hard time fitting in since I am so open minded compared to others here, even ones who try to be open minded.
The Amish and Mennonites have always interested me. I've read several Amish books, most recently Plain Secrets: An Outsider among the Amish and Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home recently. Are they as fascinating in real life?
The Amish are very reclusive. They will rarely converse with non-Amish, even when spoken to. They just look at you like you aren't quite human when you try to start a conversation. Part of how sects survive- by not interacting with those of differing opinions. Although if they did converse with me, they would find that for 13 years I lived a life very close to theirs, while living in Idaho. I did have a fascinating day one 4th of July. A man about my age dressed "plain" was watching the parade in front of my house. So I offered him a cup of coffee when I got a refill. We started chatting, turns out he has Bipolar Disorder and an alcohol problem, and was shunned a lot of his life due to lack of understanding. When his illnesses were under control, he was accepted (not welcomed) back, but when either flared, he was again forced out. So he was more communicative (especially since I am also Bipolar and work as an advocate for mental health change). We had a very nice, pretty deep conversation, and I hoped I had made a new friend. But never heard from him again. Oh well.
How interesting! I watched a documentary (and read the book) Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish and the kids seemed to adapt to our lifestyle very easily and very fast. It amazed me that most of them chose to give it up and become confirmed Amish.
The choice to choose our lifestyle is to be completely ostracized by all family and friends that they have ever known. Few people of any group will make that choice. One is either totally "in" or totally "out" of Amish society. The only exception is interactions with storekeepers, doctors, people that can provide something they cannot access within the community. I did just read a book about a female Mennonite doctor who treated the Amish in Pennsylvania. A large part of why she was accepted and included was that she was willing to assist in home births, whereas most Amish can only hope for a midwife to assist. As you can see, I am intrigued too, and read what I can get my hands on.
Petra X wrote: "My town, island really, is nothing like your towns. Its primarily black, people from all over the Caribbean including Haitians, with about 2,000 whites on it. Its a generally wealthy island (other ..."This sounds like a fascinating place to live. Everyone around me is pretty much the same.
Miriam wrote: "The Amish are very reclusive. They will rarely converse with non-Amish, even when spoken to. They just look at you like you aren't quite human when you try to start a conversation. Part of how sect..."This is just the kind of thing I find so interesting. I would just love for people to accept others as they are. My grandkids are in confirmation classes at our church. They recently had a Muslum speaker who explained many things about their beliefs and answered questions from the kids. The kids were fascinated. They understood that although there are differences in many ways we are all the same.
Petra X wrote: "How interesting! I watched a documentary (and read the book) Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish and the kids seemed to adapt to our lifestyle very easily and very fast. It amazed m..."I saw something similar a few years ago and I was surprised as well. I guess we want others to think our way is best.
Miriam wrote: "The choice to choose our lifestyle is to be completely ostracized by all family and friends that they have ever known. Few people of any group will make that choice. One is either totally "in" or t..."I would love the name of that book.
I don't know about fascinating. I just like living in a place where it never gets cold or too hot.
Cheryl, I will get the title of that book. It was from the local library, and I don't remember exactly what it was (hard to do when one reads as voraciously as I do). Studying anthropology and behavioral sciences as I have all my life, I have learned that there are so many commonalities among people, just different ways of expressing them. Even wanting "our" way to be seen as the best way is one of the commonalities. Most religions have the same basic moral codes, just different stories to explain them. And of course, there are differences in the cultures, like whether it is a "sin" to cut one's hair, not cover one's head or cover one's head, wear skirts or pants (in China, a woman wearing a dress is viewed as a wanton woman, the exact opposite of most European/American/Mideastern beliefs, but you can understand it if you think about it. A woman is much more available sexually in a dress- just pull up the hem. That is why the wearing of Bloomers was so controversial here in the US- it made the wives LESS available because the skirts had to be pulled up, then the bloomers pulled down! Men saw it as restricting their marital "rights".) It is all just so interesting, there is always more to learn.
Cheryl, I will get the title of that book. It was from the local library, and I don't remember exactly what it was (hard to do when one reads as voraciously as I do). Studying anthropology and behavioral sciences as I have all my life, I have learned that there are so many commonalities among people, just different ways of expressing them. Even wanting "our" way to be seen as the best way is one of the commonalities. Most religions have the same basic moral codes, just different stories to explain them. And of course, there are differences in the cultures, like whether it is a "sin" to cut one's hair, not cover one's head or cover one's head, wear skirts or pants (in China, a woman wearing a dress is viewed as a wanton woman, the exact opposite of most European/American/Mideastern beliefs, but you can understand it if you think about it. A woman is much more available sexually in a dress- just pull up the hem. That is why the wearing of Bloomers was so controversial here in the US- it made the wives LESS available because the skirts had to be pulled up, then the bloomers pulled down! Men saw it as restricting their marital "rights".) It is all just so interesting, there is always more to learn.
I just realized why I love this site so much. I can say "I read a book" and talk about it, and no one's eyes glaze over and I don't get looks like, "know-it-all"!
I just finished A Mind of its Own: How Your Brain Distorts and Deceives and HIGHLY recommend it to everyone. It is about how one's own brain distorts "reality" to 1) protect us emotionally and 2) to make life easier. The most fascinating chapter to me was "the Bigoted Brain" which shows how, in an effort to minimize conscious effort, the brain reinforces stereotypes (schema) but also shows how to overcome that tendency.
Miriam wrote: "I just realized why I love this site so much. I can say "I read a book" and talk about it, and no one's eyes glaze over and I don't get looks like, "know-it-all"!"LOL. I also love how we can all have very different tastes in what we read and no one thinks we're strange if we haven't read the latest best seller.
Just finished "Ahab's Wife". Learned more than I ever wanted to know about whaleing in the 1800s, but it was a good book, although the lyrical style of writing made the action drag at times.
Cheryl S. wrote: "Miriam wrote: "I just realized why I love this site so much. I can say "I read a book" and talk about it, and no one's eyes glaze over and I don't get looks like, "know-it-all"!"LOL. I also love how we can all have very different tastes in what we read and no one thinks we're strange if we haven't read the latest best seller. "
Yes!
Just finished Still Alice, still reading Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, picked-up Bloodroot and By the Time You Read This.
Cheryl, Yes! It is refreshing to see the books others read, and has given me a "to get" list for my local library.Terri, I loved Dewey, and know the town very well. I visited there a lot with my job as advocate for the Medicaid mental health clients in Iowa. I always stayed in the renovated hotel downtown rather than the new ones at the edge of town. It is mentioned in the book. Picked up some small antiques in a shop there.
I just finished three books my sister handed down to me. Two by Nelson DeMille- a new author to me. He had interesting characters and plots. Night Fall The Gate House Also Walter Mosley, another new author, The Long Fall. He has a series with this new character. I don't think I will look for this series, but if my sister gives me another, I will probably read it. Do like how he stresses the diversity and intermarriages in New York.
Terri,I had to add the other three books to my "to read" list. Not quite sure about the "by the time you read this". It may hit too close to home. I was 12 when my dad died, but 8 when my folks divorced. I am now reading some of his sermons (he was an Episcopal minister). I am finding that I wish he had left me a manual- there is much in his sermons that would have helped me in my life. The concepts of competition (I am not competitive, have not really understood this concept very well) and enemies (also not part of my way of thinking) and the urge to defeat versus destroy enemies. There were some people with whom his knowledge would have helped me to understand. So may not read that one. I will have to see when I get it.
Currently reading "The Day the World Came to Town 9/11 In Gander, Newfoundland". Terrific recounting of the incredible gernerosity and caring the people of Gander gave to the passengers of the 35 flights from all over the world who were forced to land at their airport on that horrible day. This is the choice for my Memoir Book Club this month although it is not strictly a memoir. I'm very glad we chose it and it makes you want to travel to Gander and hug everyone you see.
Miriam wrote: "Cheryl, Yes! It is refreshing to see the books others read, and has given me a "to get" list for my local library.Terri, I loved Dewey, and know the town very well. I visited there a lot with m..."
If you are going to read another Nelson DeMille I would suggest "The General's Daughter".
Miriam wrote: "Terri,I had to add the other three books to my "to read" list. Not quite sure about the "by the time you read this". It may hit too close to home. I was 12 when my dad died, but 8 when my folks d..."
I'm sorry to hear that Miriam, that must have left a lot of scars on your heart. My father was also a minister, and died after having Alzheimer's for seven years--so "Still Alice" was hard for me to read. How wonderful that you have your father's sermon's to read! Your comments made me realize that all parents should probably write a "journal" or letters to their children telling them the important things they learn in life.
I'll let you know what I think of that book after I finish it.
Cheryl: Is that the same story as the movie "The General's Daughter" with John Travolta? I saw the movie several years ago and thought it was a pretty good story.
Terri, my uncle, my dad's brother, died of an AZ type dementia. It was so hard to watch him go- I cannot imagine what it would be like with a dad. So sorry to hear that you went through that. What denomination was your dad? Are you sure no one in the family has his sermons? My grandmother had my dad's. No one knew she had kept them.
Finished another book my sister had given me- a commercial novel. The type I read very quickly and then forget. I had read this one before, suspected it, but didn't remember the ending so reread it. It even had an Iowa City reference, and I didn't remember much of it. Interesting, though. Rough Country
Miriam: My dad was a Nazarene minister. Very strict protestant religion. I'll ask my mom about the sermons--she's still alive and kicking at 84 and sharp as a tack. :)
The area I have run across the most Nazarenes are in Idaho and also Texas/ Oklahoma. Where are you from?
I'm from California. We lived in several small towns: Lake Isabella, Hughson, and Sonoma. I went to high school in Sonoma, Jr. High in Hughson and elementary in Lake Isabella. They do have a college in Idaho--or used to, don't know if it's there anymore. My eldest sister went there and than transferred to their college in Point Loma, California. (A BEAUTIFUL campus!). My parents are originally from Evansville, Indiana. They became Christians after they moved to S. California in the late 50's. I was born in 1958. My father became a minister when I was 10.
My mother and father moved to San Antonio, Texas to be near my sister after my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. My mother still lives there and attends the Nazarene church every Sunday.
There are lots of Nazarene churches in California, including the Santa Clarita Valley where I live today.
Terri, I thought you were about my age. I was born in 1958 too.I remember the Nazarene college, but not its name. Wasn't it in Nampa? I was 30 miles south of Nampa in a town, Melba, of 200 people for 13 miserable years. Lovely country, just not a good place for me.
My parents were from the Chicago area and Iowa City. My dad got sent to Sioux City Iowa, Memphis TN (where I was born) and then Nashville TN. After my folks divorced, my mom moved us back to Iowa City, then the Chicago area. I have since lived in Oklahoma City, Dallas, Idaho, and am now back in the Iowa City area. Only been to CA once, to visit my sister when she was there briefly after college (before she went to England for five years). Oh, and for their wedding, in the mountains above Fresno. His family had a ranch up there. Great hiking!
Yes, Nampa. I love your description..."13 miserable years." I'm sorry that it was miserable for you, but it just hit me funny, can't explain why. I guess I have a twisted sense of humor.
Terri, that is why I say it that way. My humor doesn't often come through in typing. When I gave presentations, I always got a chuckle with that phrase. With my lost job I gave presentations to teach about mental health issues, so often talked of my experiences both working in the field and having one.
Oh, good, I took it the way you intended it. :)
Terri wrote: "Cheryl: Is that the same story as the movie "The General's Daughter" with John Travolta? I saw the movie several years ago and thought it was a pretty good story."Yes, it was made into a movie. I thought they did a pretty good job of staying with the book.
Terri wrote: "I'm from California. We lived in several small towns: Lake Isabella, Hughson, and Sonoma. I went to high school in Sonoma, Jr. High in Hughson and elementary in Lake Isabella. They do have a co..."This is so interesting, I have never heard of the Nazarenes before.
It's interesting to me to hear all the different places you have lived. My grandchildren are the 6th generation of my family to grow up here. I guess as a family we aren't very adventurous, but maybe the grandkids will be the ones to spread their wings. My grandson thinks he's going to play hockey all over the world---we'll see how that goes!! LOL
My dream as a child was to live in one place and stay there. I hated moving from school to school, always being the new kid. But now I have so many places in my memories that it's kind of neat. I've lived in S. Calif., central California and N. Calif. so I got a taste of many different regions and climates. You wouldn't think one state could have such a HUGE range of climates--but it does. That's why there are gardening books just for S. California vs. ones for N. Calif. You can't grow the same stuff. Perhaps it's that way in other states too and I'm just not aware of it. I know in Texas there are dry and dusty towns (ever been to Luckenbach, Texas?) and in the Hill Country there is lush greenery and even green rivers. What about where you live?
Gardener's Group
Books mentioned in this topic
The Hare With Amber Eyes: A Family's Century of Art and Loss (other topics)The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health (other topics)
White Beech: The Rainforest Years (other topics)
Orchids of Britain and Ireland (other topics)
A Garden with House Attached (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
D.E. Stevenson (other topics)Margaret George (other topics)
Bernd Heinrich (other topics)
Adriana Trigiani (other topics)
Konrad Lorenz (other topics)
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Where the Heart Is
5 of 5 stars (re-read)."
Love Billie Letts.