Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
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ABOUT BOOKS AND READING
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What are U reading these days? (PART SEVEN) (2011) (ONGOING THREAD for 2011)
Thanks, Joy!On the thing of keeping pace, at least roughly, with each other in doing a buddy read, if either or both people involved is used to reading more than one book at a time, a reader who gets too far ahead can switch to (one of) his/her other book(s) to permit the other party to catch up. I'm pretty much a one-book-at-a- time reader myself; but this is a technique that can work for some folks.
Jackie and Werner, like everything else, buddy-reading is something you have to try before you can see if it works for you. I'm sure that if I felt ready, I could manage it but summertime isn't a good time for me to try it. I might try it another time though. Sounds like fun.
Summer is difficult to do 'indoor' things. Winter is when I get more reading, and TV watching, done.
Thanks, Joy! Characterization is one of her strengths as a writer, IMO.
I just finished reading this Visitors: A Novel by Anita Brookner. Brookner is one of my favorite authors. The theme of most of her stories is loneliness. This one is about Mrs. May who learns to deal with being a widow with no real relatives. The book jacket says "Penetrating perceptions about people". That's so true of all Brookner's elegant writing. She is so insightful! I recommend her. In 1984, she won the Booker Prize for Hotel du Lac.
I finished the 4th book of A Song of Ice and Fire series, A Feast for Crows. A lot of people didn't care for this book as much as the others of the series. Understandable, since it took 5 years between the previous book and this one, and it introduced new characters and didn't have any scenes with our most beloved characters. To compound that, it took another 6 years to release the next book which promised our neglected and beloved characters. However, I came to the series late and was able to move from one to the other with minimal waiting time so I can appreciate it better. Even better, I'm going right into the next book, A Dance with Dragons without pause.
I truly cannot say enough good things about this spectacular series. Just know that it jumped to the top of my All Time Favorite Fantasy List. That's impressive in itself. For the Fantasy lover, this is a series not to be missed, it's like no other Fantasy series you've ever read.
Jackie, that must indeed be a wonderful series!George R.R. Martin must be a talented writer.
The GR description says (about the series called "A Song of Ice and Fire"):
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"Few books have captivated the imagination and won the devotion and praise of readers and critics everywhere as has George R. R. Martin’s monumental epic cycle of high fantasy. Now, in A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4) [first published in 2005), Martin delivers the long-awaited fourth book of his landmark series, as a kingdom torn asunder finds itself at last on the brink of peace...only to be launched on an even more terrifying course of destruction.
FROM: [book:A Feast for Crows|13497]
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The following author-page lists the books in the series:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
A Game of Thrones, the first book in the series, was first published in 1996.
PS-Jackie, how many books altogether are in the series called "A Song of Ice and Fire"?I wish the book descriptions would make that clear right off! (or am I missing something?)
Joy, So far there are 5 books, but it's not finished and we have no idea how many books it will take for GRRM to tell this most epic of stories. From my point of view, we're nowhere near the end. Us fans just hope he can finish in a timely fashion; we fear his death, or ours, may come about first.
Often an author will start a series and say it's a trilogy (the magic number in Fantasy) but often three books are not enough to tell the tale.
I've heard that 7 is the plan for this series but I've also read that it can go as high as 10. So to answer your question: I have no idea.
Jackie wrote: "... So far there are 5 books, but it's not finished ..."Thanks, Jackie. It would be nice if they explained that in the descriptions. I'm the kind of person who NEEDS to see the big picture.
Usually I prefer to read a series only after it's completed. Then I know how many books there are, and can read one right after another. But with HBO turning it into a TV series, I had no choice but to start reading before it aired.I'm glad for the journey but I do worry about having to wait so long for the next installment, and about it's eventual completion.
A TV series too! Maybe I'll get to sample it via Netflix... one of these years.
It's a tough series, Joy, lots of bad things happening. A lot of subtle things going on too, one must pay attention at all times. It's in a medieval setting complete with swords and other sharp and scary weaponry, full of political intrigue, backstabbing, murder and general mayhem.It's awesome. lol
oi !or, as on GR poster put it ===> ::shudder::
I've begun reading The Lake Shore Limited (2010) by Sue Miller.A short while ago I read Sue Miller's The Senator's Wife (2008) and enjoyed it. (I just reread my own review of it and I liked what I wrote... if I do say so myself!) It's at:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
It's true that Sue Miller's style includes step by step descriptions of the characters' actions, but somehow that adds a measure of interest and suspense. She knows how to do it without being boring.
Another aspect of her style is the way she introduces characters very gradually. Sometimes she'll just bring him/her into the story by mentioning his/her name in a sentence. I usually tend to think I missed something but then I realize that she will get to the explanation in her own good time.
One thing Miller does is make me pay attention!
As I said in my other review (mentioned above), I think it's best not to know too much about the story before one dives in. It seems to be more fun to allow the story to unravel slowly.
BTW, I'm using Eddie's laptop while mine is being repaired. He may not get his laptop back!!!
Right now, I'm just dipping into the book Masterpieces of Fantasy and Wonder, as I get occasional opportunities to read. Right now, Barb and I both are very much occupied with an extended family crisis that will keep us pretty busy for the next several weeks. So both my reading time and my online time will be more limited than it usually is for the duration, alas!
Can you think of another of Sue Miller's book titles? I think I read something by her but have forgotten what it was.
Werner: My thoughts are with you about the family crisis. Please keep in touch when you can.Nina: Here is a link to Sue Miller's Goodread's profile.
You'll be able to see a list of her book titles there:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Now I remember, it was "The Good Mother," that I once read.
Finishing up a few short mysteries. I just finished A Fine and Bitter Snow #12 in the Kate Shugak mystery series.Now, I am reading #1 of Grif Stockleys 'Gideon Page' mysteries, Expert Testimony.
Good going, Mary JL. I finished The Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller. Good story by a good writer. I have to update my GR review soon.Meanwhile, I've started The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee. This is her first book and I'm liking her writing style. She seems to provides more exposition than Miller. So it's easier reading, clearer somehow... so far.
Nina wrote: "Now I remember, it was "The Good Mother," that I once read."Nina, I plan to read The Good Mother when I finish reading _The Piano Teacher_.
I think I would like, "The Piano Teacher."
I finished reading The Piano Teacher today. I have mixed feelings about it. After a simple beginning, the story got complicated. At times there were too many characters to keep track of. Then there were time shifts to deal with. Finally the story started to take shape. I found parts of it very compelling, but I also found myself constantly wondering in which direction the story was going. I must say that it did keep me reading. Unfortunately the ending seemed flat. I would have preferred a different ending, an ending which might have given the reader more satisfaction. If I had liked the ending more, I would have given the book 4 stars instead of 3.
PS-About _The Piano Teacher_ (which I commented on in Message #526 above), the following review by GR member, Jeff Neuman, gives a different slant on the book:http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I agree with his review as to the worth of the story. I find that Jeff always writes intelligent reviews. So please don't let my previous comments stop you from reading this book.
A few days ago, I started reading The Good Mother by Sue Miller. So far, so good.I see posts in the Movie section here. I'll be reading them tomorrow. I'm too tired tonight.
Read, The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen. Little did I know there is a new tv series "Rizzoli and Isles" based on the book series. Suspense, homicide detectives and forensics, Egyptian artifacts, preserved mummies, setting in museum. At one point briefly mentioned Adirondack bogs (and a few others). Glad it was briefly because one of my favorite birding spots is Ferd's Bog. Didn't want that tainted.
Good, fast moving book which kept my interest.
Anyone have a Kindle? If so, did you adjust from going to an actual book to a flat screen without too much trouble?
We probably should have a separate thread for ereaders. I have a Sony & some definite opinions on the various, but I think they're as personal as your toothbrush.
Just finished a volunteer training class. So being in the mood for a quick fun science fiction tale I have startedThe Knights of the Black Earth: A Mag Force 7 Novel. Some light, escapist fun is on tap for this holiday weekend.
It's interesting to see the varied tastes in reading here.As for ereaders, I'm not one of them. Yes, a thread for opinions about ereaders would be a good idea. I'll keep it in mind for a future thread.
I'd like to try "The Piano Teacher." My curiousity is aroused but now I'm into "The Outlander," not a new book but has anyone out there read it? A big 800 pages.
No one has mentioned the weather today. There are no hurricanes or earthquakes to contend with here but one hundred degrees day after day for four days now isn't fun. I am looking forward to the first snowfall.
Nina wrote: "I'd like to try "The Piano Teacher." My curiousity is aroused but now I'm into "The Outlander," not a new book but has anyone out there read it? A big 800 pages."Is the following the book you're reading now, Nina:
The Outlander by Gil Adamson
There's also: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.
Nina also wrote: "I am looking forward to the first snowfall."
PS-About snow, I used to enjoy it, but these days, when I think of all the disadvantages, I have mixed feelings.
Nina wrote: "I am looking forward to the first snowfall."My son Eric is moving to Buffalo NY in a couple of days, he'll have all the snow he can handle. NY State has the top 3 rated US cities for annual snowfall; Buffalo is 3rd.
I finished my epic A Song of Ice and Fire series and was not disappointed. Well, what's been pusblished so far, that is.
As much as I loved it, I need something different. While my shelves are chock full of fantasy, I know that any epic fantasy I choose at this moment will suffer by comparison. Instead, I chose Troy by Adèle Geras, a retelling of an ancient classic that never gets old or stale to me.
Jackie, I never thought about the seige of Troy as a novel, but I can see from the GR description of the book that there's a lot there to be mined for a novel. A line from the descriptions says: "Inside the walled city, food is becoming scarce and the death toll is rising." That alone can lead to a compelling story. The point of view is interesting: "told through the eyes of the women of Troy".One can see "inside the book" and read excerpts at:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152...
PS-Good luck to Eric in Buffalo, Jackie.
The best novel of Troy I read was Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Firebrand, told mostly from Cassandra's POV. She was a sister to Hector and Paris with the gift of prophecy yet cursed to never be believed. It was a unique way of telling a male dominated story from the perspective of women. I didn't realize this one was to be from the perspective of the women of Troy. I hope it can stack up to MZB.
Thank you, Joy, I will pass that on to Eric.
Jackie, it should be fun for you to compare the different POV's. I love making those kinds of comparisons... IF I can remember what I've read or seen. There's the rub!
Since I mostly forget everything else, it amazes me how much I remember from books I've read. Of course they have to be good.
Joy H. wrote: "It's interesting to see the varied tastes in reading here.As for ereaders, I'm not one of them. Yes, a thread for opinions about ereaders would be a good idea. I'll keep it in mind for a future t..."
My husband surprised me yesterday with a Kindle. He purchased a cover - a little bit like holding a book. I'll let you know how successful I am in downloading a book. In the meantime, I'm still reading from actual books.
My "Outlander" book is by Diana Gabalon. So far, so good. Troy, does sound interesting.I guess we all know the story; still...We have been watching, "The Strauss Family," on Netflix. Fascinating. I recommend it.
I am so looking forward to getting into "Outlander," as the setting so far is in Scotland and I have visited there so many times. One of my very favorite places in my world.
I've never been there (though my oldest daughter and her husband have), but I'd love to see it someday!
Me too. Maybe we can all go together and get a group rate, lol
It'd have to be a pretty cheap group rate for me, I'm afraid. (Maybe y'all could just smuggle me in your luggage? I do have to breathe, but I suppose I could skip eating and drinking for awhile... :-) ) Well, at least we can read good books set in Scotland, and "visit" it that way.
Damn, I wanted to be one smuggled, lolSame here, it's an expensive trip. Maybe one day, Werner. We can still dream.
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Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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It's more than just scheduling one, it's keeping up with the other person so you can maintain a discussion without giving spoilers.
I was lucky with Werner, we read at similar paces and neither was too far ahead of the other. It made for long and interesting discussions.