Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
ABOUT BOOKS AND READING
>
What are U reading these days? (PART EIGHT (2012) (ONGOING THREAD for 2012)
message 501:
by
Werner
(last edited Jun 07, 2012 07:45PM)
(new)
Jun 07, 2012 07:44PM
Barb and I finished the third volume of Christopher Paolini's monumental Inheritance series, Brisingr, yesterday. Happily, we had the fourth and concluding volume, Inheritance, ready at hand, so we started it today!
reply
|
flag
You are gonna love it, I'm sure of it.
Homeland was surprisingly good. Drizzt and his panther friend Guenhwyvar were fantastic, they brought such depth to an otherwise dark and dreary story. I felt the oppression of the location as well as the spirit, heavily, it weighed on me. Enough that I need a break before reading the next in the series. I need so sun right now so I chose The Desert of Souls as my next book, set in 8th century Baghdad, I should have all the sunshine I require.
Jackie wrote: "Homeland was surprisingly good. ... I felt the oppression of the location as well as the spirit, heavily, it weighed on me. Enough that I need a break before reading the next in the series. I need so sun right now so I chose The Desert of Souls as my next book, set in 8th century Baghdad, I should have all the sunshine I require."
YES on the sun!
Here's an interesting review of The Desert of Souls by GR member, Yune:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Excerpt from the review:
==============================================
"I couldn't help liking this one a lot. Somehow Jones took a character who isn't necessarily the brightest, and made him a great storyteller, and for that I give him kudos. ...
... quite likable characters, and a voice that's somehow both plain-speaking and ferffled up with the formal descriptions of someone relating a tale in a culture that respects this activity."
==================================================
Sometimes it's fun reading random GR member reviews.
That's an accurate review so far. I like the book, full of mystery and adventure.
Mystery and adventure is good. Haven't read one like that in a while. I'm still on my historical fiction kick with the Kent Chronicles by John Jakes. It's taking me a long time to get through all the volumes. There are 8 books altogether. Eddie is getting through them faster than I am. :)Guess what is slowing me down! My FunTrivia quizzes. The team I started in 2010 now has 66 active members. Some of the players on my team are so smart. And they're fast readers too. When I compare my quiz time (the time it takes me to finish a quiz) to their quiz time, I realize what a slow reader I am. I always knew I was a slow reader, but this is shocking evidence of how REALLY slow I am. :-(
Everyone reads at their own pace. I find that I'm always doing something else, it's hard to find time to read. I used to manage it just fine. It's the time spent on the computer and watching TV that cuts into my reading time.
Yep, all those things cut into my reading time: computer time, TV time, and also Netflix movie time! Not to mention sitting out on our deck on my new swing. LOL Here's the swing:http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-S...
Gee, it's on a rollback. I could have saved ten dollars! LOL
Nice swing. I'd love to have one of those.When did you buy it, because if it's not too long and you have the receipt, Walmart will honor the sale and reimburse you.
Hmmm,I bought it at Walmart online. All the receipts would be digital.Gad, I'd have to find the instructions that came with the swing. It was delivered straight to our house.
Well, I've tried sending Walmart an email about getting the $10 credit. We'll see what happens. At least they allowed me to reply by email to their purchase-confirmation-email.
BTW, the shipping cost was only $14.95. Not much for a heavy swing like that.
BTW, here's another swing online that I think is even nicer but it's sold out. It was available at Walmart's store in Queensbury last year. Don't know if it's still being sold there.http://www.buy.com/prod/garden-treasu...
I think it's a bit heavier than the other swing. But they both seem sturdy.
The "Garden Treasures" swing can take over 400 pounds whereas the other swing (by "Mainstays") has a limit of 250 pounds. This means that Eddie can't sit on it with me (he slows down the swing anyway). :)
I love swings. They're so relaxing. And you can read while you swing. :)
I hope they honor the store policy. Please let me know, just curious to know. Many stores have separate policies for their online section. I love swings and rocking chairs. I'll probably put my rocking chair in the sun today and read, it's a perfect day, sunny with a cool breeze.
Walmart's hasn't replied yet to my email about the rollback credit on the swing.Both of the swings originally cost $98.00.
Yesterday was a perfect day too, sunny with a wonderful, refreshing breeze. If all the days were like that at Lake George, the place would be over-run with tourists.
Below are my favorite cartoons about tourists (of course, I used to be one myself. Ha!):
Click on the thumbnail.
Click on the thumbnail.
Funny.Yesterday was gorgeous, unfortunately I was stuck in the house with one of Eric's friends who I promised a marathon of GOT anytime. He chose the most beautiful day of the year. At least it's still beautiful today.
HBO TV series, Game of Thrones http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944947/Based on A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R R Martin.
I guess I should have known that, Jackie! I've certainly heard of GOT!I'm just not up on the latest things. At FunTrivia there's a game called "Fantasy Knockout". They assume that everyone knows what that means because everyone is supposed to be familiar with "Fantasy Football".
Well, I had never heard of "Fantasy Football" so I had no idea that "Fantasy Knockout" was a game where you predict the winners of an elimination contest between quiz-takers. The quiz game itself is called the FunTrivia "Knockout Game" and the prediction-game is "Fantasy Knockout".
Anyway, that shows how behind the times I am. I posted my opinion at the FunTrivia Feedback Forum, saying that the title "Fantasy Knockout" was misleading and unclear. I was blown away by all the members who already knew what "Fantasy Knockout" meant. (sigh) The thread at the Forum is here:
http://www.funtrivia.com/forums/ubbth...
Now, of course, they've all gone off on a tangent.
Try to explain things to a committee! Forget it! LOL
“If you want to kill any idea in the world, get a committee working on it.”
-Charles F. Kettering
It's true that when we're familiar with something, we assume everyone else is.
Never assume. :) (You know the rest of the saying.) :)
Jackie, they are giving me credit for the rollback! Thank you for the suggestion. You saved me $10.70! They usually won't do that after 7 days but they are making a one-time exception in my case. Thanks again!
That is excellent news! I'm glad you saved the money. I didn't know about the 7 day limit, it's good to know for future reference. TY
The trick is to find out about the rollback! I only learned about it because I was telling you about the swing and I went to the website to find the link to post for you. Funny how that worked out.
It is funny how things happen like that.
Desert of Souls was very good. I'm glad I bought it and read it. Next up, Partials by Dan Wells. Eric's friend Josh works are Barnes and Noble, he liked it and lent it to me. I like it so far.
Recently I've been listening to audio CDs which I haven't had time to mention here. Among them were a couple of works by Ernest Hemingway.See my reviews at the links below:
A Moveable Feast: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
The Short Stories, vol 2: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Jackie wrote: "Desert of Souls was very good. I'm glad I bought it and read it. Next up, Partials by Dan Wells. Eric's friend Josh works are Barnes and Noble, he liked it and lent it to me. I like it so far."Jackie, our posts crossed... again. LOL
I don't know much about the books you mentioned. I see from the genres listed at the GR page that Partials is categorized as: "Science Fiction > Dystopia" and "Apocalyptic > Post Apocalyptic". Don't you get depressed reading this stuff?
No, not at all. It's not real. I think reading real life tragedy is far more depressing. I like reading how it comes to the brink of disaster, there's so many possibilities; and most especially how the human spirit always triumphs in the end. Believe it or not, these books are all about hope and what we can achieve if we work together.
This evening, I started a re-read of James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans, which I previously read as a seven-year-old kid. We have a discussion thread for this book in this group; and as I commented there a couple of years ago, some aspects of it were probably over my head back in 1959, and I need to reread it before I can comment about them intelligently. So, I'm finally getting around to that, in time for it to count towards a classics challenge in another group!
The book is set in my area. Right down the block from my house is Fort William Henry. I read it ages ago, long before I moved here and I've forgotten a lot of it too. Have fun with it.
Thanks, Jackie; I do expect to enjoy it! Yes, I learned from the thread I mentioned above that the events are set in your and Joy's stamping grounds. I'll have a much better idea of the geographical setting this time than I did on the first read; then, I vaguely thought the events took place somewhere out in western New York, in the neighborhood of the Great Lakes (which I visualized as "the frontier").
This area is rife with history. You can walk by the lake and there's plaques denoting what took place there. The fort is still there; I went on a tour once, it was interesting.
Jackie, I can see why your area gets a lot of tourists, what with both the history and the beautiful scenery!
There's better places to get the same scenery and history, without the trashy touristy stores. Lake Placid outshines Lake George in every way. Saratoga is beautiful too. All of upstate NY is beautiful. Our whole country is beautiful.
I've never been to New York state, though Barb visited up there once, years before we got married, and Rebekah has been in New York City with Tony on one of their U.S. trips. But I'll get to "visit" it through the magic portal of Cooper's novel!
That's how I do all my travelling these days. Not that I traveled much at any time. I find reading-travel is the best kind and inexpensive too!
I just finished Warhost of Vastmark. Wow, what a ride. Janny is a seriously good writer & this series is just mind blowing, if you're into epic fantasy. My review is here:http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I have the first three of this series, I plan on getting to it sooner rather than later.
I think you'll like them, Jackie. There are 3 arcs to the series & Janny is working on the very last book now, I think. You can see more here:http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/w/j...
Marg & I have both read several other books of hers. Marg is working on the Cycle of Fire trilogy now. We both liked most of her other books, too. To Ride Hell's Chasm is a favorite because it stars horses & is really well done. Janny is one of the few fantasy authors that really knows horses.
Jackie wrote: "No, not at all. It's not real. I think reading real life tragedy is far more depressing. I like reading how it comes to the brink of disaster, there's so many possibilities; and most especially how the human spirit always triumphs in the end. Believe it or not, these books are all about hope and what we can achieve if we work together. "That's an interesting point of view, Jackie.
Very positive!
Werner wrote: "This evening, I started a re-read of James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans, which I previously read as a seven-year-old kid. We have a discussion thread for this book in this group; and..."I never read The Last of the Mohicans.
I should at least see the movie! :)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104691/
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The...
It's been on my Netflix queue for streaming. Now I shall make a point of watching it.
Although Jackie mentioned the downside of Lake George, there are lots of wonderful areas to enjoy, despite the downside. I think the upsides outweigh the downsides. :) The scenery alone is gorgeous. Tourists can enjoy some of the views from Beach Road in Lake George Village. Beach Road is where the tourist cruises start. I recommend them.
Werner, of particular interest in our area is "Cooper's Cave" in our Glens Falls area:http://www.sgfny.com/Coopers-Cave.htm
Excerpt:
==============================================
"WHERE FICTION MEETS HISTORY!
"The Village of South Glens Falls & the City of Glens Falls invite you to visit COOPER'S CAVE on the Hudson River.
"In 1825 after returning from exploring the Adirondacks and inspired by "these dark and silent caves" in the heart of the Hudson River, James Fenimore Cooper took pen in hand to write his most famous and beloved novel, The Last of the Mohicans.
"Nestled under the Cooper's Cave bridge, which connects the Village of South Glens Falls and the City of Glens Falls, sits a viewing platform adjacent to the cave, with information on James Fenimore Cooper; and the Mohican Tribe.
"As you look into the site that offered protection to the characters in the tale, you can imaging how it inspired Cooper to write this classic American novel of love and adventure."
=================================================
The website shows pictures of the cave. We've been there and it's a sight to see. You can understand what a great hiding place it could be.
Jim wrote: "... To Ride Hell's Chasm is a favorite because it stars horses & is really well done. Janny is one of the few fantasy authors that really knows horses. ..."Yes, Jim recommended To Ride Hell's Chasm to me.
It was an exciting read, brilliantly written.
Lake George is great...when the tourists go home, lolI do love it in the winter, it's so quiet. The snowscapes are lovely, all our trees in white blankets. And the leaves changing in the Fall, can't beat that kind of beauty.
I once went to Cooper's Cave, Joy. It was when I first moved up here, I don't remember too much about it.
Yes, Jackie, Lake George is at its best in the off-season but I do enjoy the boating during the summer.
Being on the lake is great, I have to agree with you. I don't do it often but it's a good time every time.
Joy, thanks for the information and links! I'm fresh from reading the cave scene in the book; I'd guessed, from Cooper's footnotes, that it was a real place. It would be pretty cool to actually be able to see it (and would help a reader to better visualize the layout of it).I've seen about the first half hour of the Daniel Day-Lewis movie version; if that's a consistent sample (and the reviews I've read suggest that it is) trust me, it won't tell you much about the book except the title and the names of the main characters. :-) There's also an older movie version I didn't think much of, in terms of faithfulness to the book. But the Masterpiece Theater miniseries adaptation, done I think in the 90s, was very good! (If I get time today or tomorrow, I'll try to hunt up a link for that one.)
Werner wrote: "... I've seen about the first half hour of the Daniel Day-Lewis movie version; if that's a consistent sample (and the reviews I've read suggest that it is) trust me, it won't tell you much about the book except the title and the names of the main characters. :-) There's also an older movie version I didn't think much of, in terms of faithfulness to the book. But the Masterpiece Theater miniseries adaptation, done I think in the 90s, was very good! ..."Werner, is the following 1971 version the one you think is very good? I can get it via a Netflix DVD.
"The Last of the Mohicans" (1971) - TV Mini-Series
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066678/
"The Last of the Mohicans" - (Masterpiece Theatre: The Last of the Mohicans) 1971
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_L...
"An American scout escorts the daughters of a British army colonel across the New York wilderness to a distant fort, with the help of two Mohicans purported to be the last of their race. David Maloney directs this "Masterpiece Theatre" miniseries."
Cast: John Abineri, Andrew Crawford, Michael Cullen, Joanna David, Prentis Hancock, Kenneth Ives, David Leland, Hilary Minster, George Pravda, Richard Warwick
Yes, Joy, that's the one! I'm not sure now if I saw all eight episodes, though. I do remember that I liked the ones I saw, and considered them faithful to the book.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
Books mentioned in this topic
My Favorite Comedies in Music (other topics)My Favorite Intermissions: Lives of the Musical Greats and Other Facts You Never Knew You Were Missing (other topics)
Timebends: A Life (other topics)
My Name Is Mary Sutter (other topics)
Pomp and Circumstance (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Arthur Miller (other topics)Victor Borge (other topics)
Robin Oliveira (other topics)
Michael J. Sullivan (other topics)
M.H. Clark (other topics)
More...
