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)
I finished Rendezvous with Rama and The Joy Luck Club; I gave both 4 stars. I have a group read of Intensity by Dean Koontz, which I've read already but is one of his better books.
And I've started The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Wow, Jackie, you must be a fast reader, like Jim. I'm still working on _The Sister_ and the Twins book by Wright. You even have time to watch those programs on TV!I'm a very slow reader. When I start getting sleepy while reading (the nodding reflex), I lie down and listen to one of my audio books on CD. Sometimes that puts me to sleep and I wake up fully refreshed and ready to wash the pots in the sink.
The only disadvantage to this method is that, later, I have to search around on the CD to where I fell asleep. But there's a knack to it and the tracks are numbered, thank goodness.
I've never read Koontz (too scary) or Collins. As far as the book, _Hunger Games_, is concerned, that's carrying reality TV a little too far... "annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV."
I live such a sheltered life.
If I'm enjoying a book I make time for it. I'm not working right now so my time is my own and I don't sleep much. I need something to occupy all that time, . I've been hearing how great Hunger Games is so I decided to give it a try. It's coming out in the theater next year so the time is right. And I have a good buddy reader to enjoy the experience with.
Jackie, I know what you mean about enjoying a book. If I'm enjoying a book and it's compelling, then nothing can stop me from reading it!One of these days, I'm going to try a buddy-read with someone who is as slow a reader as I am.
As for sleep... well... here's a quote I saved from a book Jim introduced me to:
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"...in that second I knew that of all pleasures -- a drink of cold water when you are thirsty, liquor when you are not, sex, a cigarette after many days without one -- there is none of them can compare with sleep.
"Sleep is best. ..."
-character, Conrad, in _This Immortal_ by Roger Zelazny, pp. 162-3
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I don't mind not sleeping much, as long as I get enough to get me through the day and if I have good dreams. 4 or 5 hours is all I require, if I can get that, I'm happy.
I see, Jackie. Well, I sleep in drib and drabs. I have to get up in the wee hours to wee. (That's why they call them the "wee hours".) :)At the same time, I also have to let the dog out, into the compound. Sometimes he wakes me for this by rubbing his paw on my arm. Cute.
Glad to hear you have good dreams. Sometimes mine are really weird. Every phase of my life gets jumbled into one strange episode. LOL
Ah, I know the wee hours! I believe you're right in how it got it's name, lol
Annoying, isn't it? Getting up in the middle of the night and wandering around in the dark, bumping into furniture and tripping on the dog's chew-bones. You can't put on a bright light or you wake yourself up and can't get back to sleep again. The Wee Hours... the Can't-See-Hours. :)
LOLI keep a dull night light for just that reason. It only keeps me from stepping on Juneau; if I'm awake for a minute, I'm awake for at least an hour. I can only get a deep sleep around 4 or 5 am. And I get up at 9 everyday.
Jim, Is Mah Jong really like playing Rummy as someone here speculated?
Werner wrote: "Nina, the program did that to me, too. But when that happened, I just clicked on "previous," and then it took me to this page. (It should have gone to this page immediately, but that's probably j..."thanks I'll try that if it happens again.
Mom is reading Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption for her book club. She says it's really good. It's about a guy that was an Olympic runner & then became a tail gunner in WWII. I thought it sounded familiar & found that a few friends of mine here on GR have read & loved it. I vaguely recognized the story from their reviews.
Jim wrote: "Mom is reading Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption for her book club. She says it's really good. It's about a guy that was an Olympic runner & th..."Jim, The story of the young lieutenant's survival in World War II sounds interesting.
I see that the GR description says: "In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in _Seabiscuit_." I enjoyed Hillenbrand's _Seabiscuit_. She writes well.
Tonight, I am starting the sixth volume in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Mary JL, that was one of my favorite of the series.
I've never read any of the Harry Potter series. If I jumped in at that 6th volume, would I be able to follow it without the background of the previous volumes?
Not at all, it's a continuing story. Each book must be read in order. Try the first one, if you like it continue on with the others. It was a really fantastic series and it brought a lot of kids to the joy of reading.
Jackie, I was turned off by the movie version of the first Harry Potter book. I got tired of watching Harry getting out of one jam after another. That was my impression of the plot... just one jam after another.
Then the rest of the series is not going to please you any better. Fantasy is not for everyone.
That's what I thought, Jackie.
The reader has to be able to get caught up in the adventure and enjoy it.If I saw Harry as going from one jam to another, I'd hate it too.
It's easy for me to get caught up in the adventure, that's why I love fantasy so much. It's what I'm looking for in my reading and movies.
Jackie, I think your key word is "adventure". Just for the heck of it, I looked up the definition of adventure: "an unusual, exciting and possibly dangerous activity such as a journey or experience, or the excitement produced by such an activity".I guess that when I read fiction, I'm not looking for adventure in plots as much as I'm looking for the dynamics of human relationships and the related psychology behind human behavior and emotions.
For example, after I read and liked Sue Miller's novel, While I Was Gone, I suggested that Eddie might enjoy it. Nope. He said: "Too much psychological stuff". Eddie hit the nail on the head. The psychological contemplation about the characters' behavior is what I like about Miller's writing.
Joy: Much as I'd love to turn you on to either Sf or fantasy, they are not for everyone.Fantasy and Sf imho is an acquired taste--and very few people are neutral. You love it or you hate it. Jackie and I love it!
PS-My post above brought to mind the idea that excitement (in real life, not books) can be addicting. My sister loves the excitement of doing things, going here and there, getting involved in activities. I, on the other hand, am just as happy in a quiet environment where I can spend the day tinkering around the house or doing quiet activities. Not that I can't get caught up in the excitement of social events and going to new places, but I'm usually just as happy not to do those exciting things, or to do them only occasionally.
Mary JL wrote: "Joy: Much as I'd love to turn you on to either Sf or fantasy, they are not for everyone. Fantasy and Sf imho is an acquired taste--and very few people are neutral. You love it or you hate it. Jackie and I love it!"Yes, Mary JL, I can see that. When I was a kid, I LOVED fairy tales. I guess that was as far as I got with fantasy. There was a radio program back in the 1940s called "Let's Pretend". It dramatized fairy tales. I LOVED that program!
Below is a free sample of the actual radio program airing "Beauty & the Beast". It includes the introductory music which made the show so familiar every week.
http://www.oldtimeradiofans.com/templ...
I just downloaded it and am listening to it right now. Nostalgia!
See more "Let's Pretend" Old Radio shows at:
http://www.oldtimeradiofans.com/templ...
"Free Old Time Radio Shows"
They are free MP3 downloads.
I've listened to quite a few OTR programs. Unfortunately, many of them are very poor quality. Lux Soap did some great plays, but my favorite is 'X Minus One'. I think that was done in the 70's along with the 'Ray Bradbury Theater'. I think I have all of both.
Jim, the quality of the "Beauty and the Beast" MP3 was fine. I have some cassettes of old time radio shows. I love "Baby Snooks" and also "The Bickersons".
Jim, I wiki-ed "X Minus One". I had never heard of it; either had Eddie.Wiki says:
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"X Minus One was a half-hour science fiction radio drama series broadcast from April 24, 1955 to January 9, 1958 in various timeslots on NBC."
...
"The program opened with announcer Fred Collins delivering the countdown, leading into the following introduction...:
'Countdown for blastoff... X minus five, four, three, two, X minus one... Fire! [Rocket launch SFX] From the far horizons of the unknown come transcribed tales of new dimensions in time and space. These are stories of the future; adventures in which you'll live in a million could-be years on a thousand may-be worlds.' ..."
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Minus_One
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Hmmm, sounds interesting! Remember Rod Serling on TV ("The Twilight Zone")? I loved that show.
Joy, I have some good quality ones, too. Some are very poor, though. Depends on the shows & where I got them. I probably have a thousand or more.X Minus One was good. They did a lot of SF short stories, most of which I've read.
I do remember the original Twilight Zone & discuss the shows with people on here occasionally. Serling did such a fantastic job with his tiny budget. Reading about him, his writing, & the actors he used is very interesting. The acting was incredible & had quite a few big name actors; Jack Klugman, Lee Marvin & others.
Plus quite a few got their start on his show. I remember when I first saw William Shatner in Star Trek, I recognized him as the crazy man from "The Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", a Twilight Zone episode. I was watching re-runs, even back then, though. The original show was running about the time I was born, but I watched re-runs of it from the time I can remember, which is pretty young. (I occasionally freak Mom out with just how far back & well I remember things.)
I've never liked the new Twilight Zones. Unfortunately, they seem to rely on glitz instead of acting. A couple of episodes I've seen, "Nightmare on Maple Street" & "Eye of the Beholder" were redone & just had nothing like the originals' impact. The acting just wasn't up to the same standard.
Mary JL wrote: You love it or you hate it. Jackie and I love it!Don't forget Jim.
Joy wrote: I'm looking for the dynamics of human relationships and the related psychology behind human behavior and emotions.
In SF/F, we get relationships and often the psychology behind it, only in an escapist adventurous setting. Without the escapist setting, I'd find it dull.
Joy also wrote: I, on the other hand, am just as happy in a quiet environment
This is where we agree. I have a neighbor who's an adrenaline junkie, sky-diving, 4 wheeling, etc., not for me. I like my escapism on the page or the screen. I prefer to stay at home, and if not pushed hard, I'd never leave the house. I like it here with all my little projects. Ironically, when I finally do venture out in a social setting, I have a really good time. But I still love coming home to the quiet.
Jim wrote: I've never liked the new Twilight Zones.
Agreed. They never captured the essence of the originals. The original series was outstanding and I too only watched it in re-runs but loved every episode. My favorite: Burgess Meredith in Time Enough at Last, a true horror story for a booklover.
Joy wrote:When I was a kid, I LOVED fairy tales
I still do.
And speaking of Fairy Tales, have any of you seen the promos for ABC's Once Upon A Time? It looks magnificient. This is the one show I'm truly excited about this season.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15__iA...
The premiere date is Sunday Oct 23rd on ABC for those that are interested.
"Time Enough At Last" is certainly one of the better ones, but there are so many that it's hard to pick just one. I have them all, but don't have the 3 hour special about Rod Serling. I'd like to get that & watch it again at some point. He was an amazing man. Apparently he wrote some of my favorite episodes in just hours the night before filming! Incredible.
A major talent, for sure.I chose TEAL as my favorite because it resonates in me, the total horror at what happens cut me deep. I'll never forget it, and in fact, it spawned my only psuedo-phobia.
I was a true Let's Pretend fan. Every Saturday morning I was glued to the radio. Thanks for the link. i thought it was long gone.
Jim wrote: "... Plus quite a few got their start on his show. I remember when I first saw William Shatner in Star Trek, I recognized him as the crazy man from "The Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", a Twilight Zone episode. ..."I love it when I spot a famous performer in one of his/her first bit parts. In fact, the other night I saw John Wayne in a bit part in an old TCM movie. He was so young.
I just checked Wayne's filmography. Seems he made a movie in 1933 which was called "The Three Musketeers". He played a character called Lt. Tom Wayne.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024663/
That seems to be a popular title for movies even though they were nothing like the original story. There's even "Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers" (Video 2004)!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371823/
Jackie wrote: "... And speaking of Fairy Tales, have any of you seen the promos for ABC's Once Upon A Time? It looks magnificient. This is the one show I'm truly excited about this season. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15__iA... The premiere date is Sunday Oct 23rd on ABC for those that are interested."Jackie, below is a description of the show which I found at a forum:
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"Once Upon A Time is about a female bail bondsman who meets up with her child she gave up for adoption 10 years ago, as they travel to a New England town called Storybrooke, Maine. It stars fairy tale characters who were taken from stories and trapped here after Snow White's Evil Stepmother destroyed her Happily Ever After."
FROM: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?...
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Unusual approach.
Wiki says: "This town is actually a parallel world in which fairy tale characters look like normal people and don't remember their true identities or anything about their true lives." FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_Upo...
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Jackie said: "...Ironically, when I finally do venture out in a social setting, I have a really good time. But I still love coming home to the quiet...
Jackie, It's the same with me. "Home Sweet Home".
"There's a place where you can march to the beat of your own drummer... because it's home." -from a Drexel Heritage magazine ad
Nina wrote: "I was a true Let's Pretend fan. Every Saturday morning I was glued to the radio. Thanks for the link. i thought it was long gone."Nina, nowadays we can find ANYTHING on the Net!
Yes, "Let's Pretend" aired on Saturdays. I remember that too. I remember scrubbing the floor while I listened.
My top 5 Twilight Zones (original) --"To Serve Man"
-- "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" (so releveant today)
-- "Time Enough at last"
-- "The Hitchhiker"
-- " Little Girl Lost"
and one hour-long from 1963---The 30,000 Foot Grave"---scared me as a teen and still scares me today.
All very good ones, Arnie. "Escape Clause" always tickled me, but deals-with-the-devil are great. I read a short story where a guy on death row gave the Devil his imagination in return for not being executed. He couldn't be executed until he'd finished his last meal, so they commuted his sentence to 'life'. All he did was continue to eat beans. He had no thought for anything else.
I always thought "The Lonely" was a great one, too. I watched it when I was little & still feel just as sad for the man.
Anyone who doesn't remember a particular title can go here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...
Not only do you get a quick synopsis to trigger your memory, but most stories have links with a more in-depth article. I had to because "Little Girl Lost" & "Nightmare as a Child" had gotten mixed up in my head.
Wow! There are so many fantastic ones. Just looking through that list at some of the stars & authors is cool. Thanks, Mr. Sterling!
Joy, it seems you and I have some similiar background experiences to share. I had to dust the railings(that is what my mother called baseboards) before I could sit in my little wicker rocking chair and listen to Let's Pretend.
Does anyone of you know The Hunger Games were banned in certain locations?
It's the first of October, so of course I'm starting A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny. I'll be reading one chapter a day, as usual. I expect I'll find a couple more 'facts' buried in the lunatic scavenger hunt. I usually do, although I've read it many times.
I'll have to check in at RZ Group and see what new goodies you find this year. Thanks for reminding me.
Yeah Jim---choosing just six is hard---there were rarely bad ones. Was "The Lonely" the one with Jack Warden---or was it James Whitmore? Or neither?
Nina wrote: Does anyone of you know The Hunger Games were banned in certain locations? No, I didn't. Do you know what locations, Nina?
Banned books are a huge issue with me. Freedom of speech implies freedom of reading and writing. Who the hell is anyone to decide what another should read? They need to get over themselves and mind their own business.
I also cannot figure out what's to ban in The Hunger Games. It's utterly predictable YA fantasy.
I finished it and and I'm moving on the next in the series, Catching Fire. But only because I already have the rest of the series.
Arnieh wrote: "Yeah Jim---choosing just six is hard---there were rarely bad ones. Was "The Lonely" the one with Jack Warden---or was it James Whitmore? Or neither?"
Jack Warden & the robot on the prison planet. No, there weren't many that I didn't want to watch a 2d or 3d time.
I don't know where the Hunger Games books are banned. I read about it in a column in our newspaper. The writer was complaining bitterly about several of the books on the list. I agreed with her. Stupid, stupid.
Arnieh wrote: "My top 5 Twilight Zones (original) --"To Serve Man"
-- "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" (so releveant today)
-- "Time Enough at last"
-- "The Hitchhiker"
-- "..."
Hello Arnieh. Welcome our group.
We do have another member named "Arnie", but I assume you are a different Arnie.
Nina wrote: "I don't know where the Hunger Games books are banned. I read about it in a column in our newspaper. The writer was complaining bitterly about several of the books on the list. I agreed with her. St..."I've googled for articles about the banning of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. However, I can't find an article which tells specifically who banned it.
Below are some of the web pages I found but, as far as I can see, they don't answer the question: Who banned it?
http://taholtorf.wordpress.com/2011/0...
http://www.care2.com/causes/banned-bo...
http://thehob.org/2010/10/new-hampshi...
At the above link it says:
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According to Greg Kwasnik of NewHamshire.com, Tracy LaSalle of Goffstown claims that her eleven year old daughter began having nightmares after reading The Hunger Games with her seventh grade class. She was highly disturbed over the graphic content and the overall theme of the story. She went on to call the book inappropriate for any student and deemed it as “filth.”
LaSalle told the school board:
“Twenty-four children are pitted in a life-or-death struggle with each other. The reason? entertainment. That’s sick. You guys don’t want Columbine, but you are putting forth material that will totally desensitize the children to murdering other children.”
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Well, my idea is don't put it in school libraries but if it is in a public library couldn't the mother step in and not allow the child to read it?
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Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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That's happened twice to me. Glad I'm not the only one.