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 EIGHT (2012) (ONGOING THREAD for 2012)
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Jackie
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Feb 25, 2012 10:13AM
Me with the notes too! I've got them piled on my desk, then they become part of the 'furniture' and I don't notice them, lol
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Oh, I notice mine! You can't miss them. I keep stuffing them in boxes, but the organized notes stay nice and neat. They're even categorized and it doesn't take any longer than writing on a random scrap of paper, that is if you have the "packet" handy.Below is a short description of my "Packet Method" (of organizing hand-written notes):
The "packet" consists of small loose-leaf pages which are categorized and kept in alphabetical order. The pages are clipped together with a spring-paper-clip. Each category is a separate piece of loose-leaf paper. (I fold each page in half to make the packet smaller and easier to handle. I turn each page over when necessary.) When a page is full, I transfer it to a loose-leaf notebook and insert a new page in the packet. I keep the packet by me at my recliner where I do most of my reading, TV watching, and PC work. When something occurs to me (e.g., ideas, quotes, insights, random info), I jot it down on the appropriate page. Scribbling's OK.
Joy, I actually agree with you in not caring much for short stories with ambiguous endings. That's a trend that's been dominant in "high-brow" literary magazines in the U.S. for about the past 45-50 years (and it's hard to find general fiction short stories published in print form in any other venue). But if you read short stories published outside that particular ghetto (the older ones, for instance, or "genre" fiction) you're not as apt to be baited with ambiguous endings. :-)You have a point about the shortness of a story, compared to a novel, making the experience of the read a short one for the amount of mental effort to appreciate it. Of course, the experience of looking at a sunrise or sunset, or at a bird pausing for a moment on a fencepost before it takes wing again, is also short and fleeting; but you can take from it an impression of beauty that stays with you. Reading a good short story can offer something similar (though, to be sure, it demands more mental effort than just visually appreciating something does).
I like short stories. Roger Zelazny was a master of them & he started out wanting to be a poet. I don't care much for poetry, but can see some similarities. They're both a separate art form from the novel & often require a lot of knowledge on the part of the reader. Some authors are really good at them. Others never write any.
Werner, I'm glad you see my point about short stories. Yes, it's the "'high-brow' literary" stuff that is sometimes hard to appreciate. Perhaps it's like wine; one must cultivate a taste for it. Chacun à son goût.I see your point that a good short story might leave a beautiful lasting impression. For example, O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi. Who can forget that one? I found a blog that summed it up well: "The delight of the Magi story is that Jim and Della have done something kind and thoughtful for each other.".
[Quote is from: http://brooklynmemoriesmostgreen.word... ]
Joy, "The Gift of the Magi" is definitely one of my all-time favorite short stories!
Jim wrote: "... often require a lot of knowledge on the part of the reader. ..."Yes, that's another problem. Without prior knowledge, a reader would find it hard to appreciate certain references made in stories. To me, it sometimes seems rather pretentious to make esoteric references. OTOH, what is "esoteric" to one reader might be familiar to another reader.
Some genres have basic ideas they share. Like if an SF book uses FTL, any SF reader would know they meant Faster Than Light. In some ways it might not be fair to the casual SF reader, but it means that the author can fit a lot more into a few words when some prior information is assumed.
Jim wrote: "Some genres have basic ideas they share. Like if an SF book uses FTL, any SF reader would know they meant Faster Than Light. In some ways it might not be fair to the casual SF reader, but it mean..."When I don't know the meaning of an acronym, I go to the following web page:
http://www.acronymfinder.com/
Here's the page for FTL:
http://www.acronymfinder.com/FTL.html
I would have a hard time finding the meaning of FTL in the long list provided.
Among the many meanings, there are the following:
Far Too Loud
Follow The Leader
Fruit of the Loom
Jackie wrote: "Faster Than Light (spaceship travel)"Well, now I know.
That must be the opposite of STM.
Slower than molasses. NSTM - Nobody's slower than me.
Of course that should be "than I".
I've added the following to my ongoing review of The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver:This book has become very boring. I'm on p. 224, large print. The boy's journals tells about day by day happenings (fictionalized historical events and episodes?) that do not hold my interest. I don't sense a plot. If it keeps up like this, I may not finish this book.
I am a long time fan of Sf author C. J. Cherryh. I finally have found all three volumes of her FIRST trilogy, published in 1976 and regarded by many as a classic in the field.The first book in the trilogy is Gate of Ivrel. followed by Well of Shiuan and then Fires of Azeroth.
Looking forward to this--all three books are fairly short, as was the usual case back in the 1970's.
Mary JL wrote: "I am a long time fan of Sf author C. J. Cherryh. I finally have found all three volumes of her FIRST trilogy, published in 1976 and regarded by many as a classic in the field. The first book in..."Hi Mary JL. I see that the GR author description of C.J. Cherryh says:
"... C.J. Cherryh has won four Hugos and is one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed authors in the science fiction and fantasy field. She is the author of more than forty novels."
That's impressive! Enjoy the books.
I read and liked Cherryh's SF novels Pride of Chanur and Hestia back in the 90s, though I've never gotten around to reviewing them here on Goodreads. And I've had a copy of her fantasy novel Rusalka calling to me from one of my to-read piles for years; I hope to get to it soon.Gate of Ivrel is mentioned in at least one edition of the excellent critical bibliography of SF, The Anatomy of Wonder, which lists and describes the "best" or most important books in the genre's history, with emphasis on the more recent ones. I've always thought it sounded promising, and only refrain from adding it to my to-read shelf because I've got so many already. (Though they say there's always room for one more.... :-) )
I read several of Cherryh's books back in the late 70's to early 80's, but the books were scattered in a couple/few series, so I kind of got off them & then just never got back on. They were pretty good, but not great, as I recall. I found a bunch of them used one time in the 90's, but again, it wasn't all of one series, so I never read them & no one else wanted to, so I got rid of them when we moved. The above highlights one of the coolest things we have today that so many take for granted - the ability to quickly find, list, & acquire books we want. Back then, it was hard to find what books an author had written, much less which ones were in what series, especially if they switched publishers. The libraries often didn't seem to know nor did they share books amongst themselves the way they do now. No quick Internet searches, PaperBackSwap, BookMooch, Abe Books, or Amazon. No GoodReads!
I remember spending years looking for some books to complete series. I am very, very appreciative of how the Internet has made reading so much easier & better. Now I can get most books in a few days or even minutes plus I have a group of friends on GR with similar tastes to let me know if I should bother. Very, very cool.
Jim's comments on what a boon Internet technology has been to book lovers echoes thoughts I've had for a long time --especially, being a librarian, I've seen firsthand how it's absolutely revolutionized interlibrary loan. And of course Goodreads is to reading what the bread is to a sandwich; being able to share thoughts about what you read/have read with interested others is an essential component of the experience, and makes it social instead of solitary and lonely.That points up a paradox: so many people think that computer technology will kill off paper books, but the actual effect has been much more ambiguous, at least in my experience; it's a handmaiden of reading as often or more often than it's a scourge, IMO. And computer technologies like POD may yet prove to be the salvation of the paper book trade, as more and more publishers wise up and embrace them.
I heartily agree with Jim's post. Gr and other sites---one favorite of mine is fantastic fiction---are a lifesaver to find all of a series. since SF and fantasy are loaded with trilogies, it is so nice to get all three books BEFORE you begin.Btw, regarding Cherryh--I had two books of her "Faded Sun" series for about six years! I finally found the missing book--the middle one--late last year so I plan to read that trilogy also.
I try to get all the books to a series if it's a trilogy. I life to read the books close together so I don't forget what happened in earlier books. When they start to run into the higher numbers, I'll read the first one and see if I like it before purchasing the entire series.
I do pretty much the same thing, Jackie.I was discussing YA books in another topic & realized another cool thing about GR & the Internet - the way many of the barriers to genres have broken down. I'm not a real fan of labeling things as YA because years ago I'd find that some really good books wouldn't be on the main shelves of the library, but stuck over in the kids section exclusively. I guess books like Black Beauty, The Yearling, To Kill a Mockingbird, & such are YA, but they're also adult books. Some I've read every decade or so & I got more/different things out of them each time.
For instance, I first read The Yearling when I was 12, I think (6th grade?). I REALLY identified with Jody, but when I was older, I identified more with Penny & Ory. There is so much to them, subtext available about them, if you're old enough to understand it. Obviously I wasn't at 12, but at 40 I was.
Now we don't have to deal with index cards or a physical copy of a book. The ability to search by whatever bit of information we have & virtually shelve a book in multiple places has made them more accessible. Of course, we have millions more too, an entirely different can of worms.
Werner wrote [in Message #219]: "... being able to share thoughts about what you read/have read with interested others is an essential component of the experience, and makes it social instead of solitary and lonely. ..."Well said, Werner!
Werner, Jim, Mary JL, and Jackie: I heartily agree with you about all the wonderful advantages which readers have gained since the coming of the Internet! Among the most important, as Werner has pointed out, is being able to "talk" to folks on the Net about our reading experiences (and film experiences). That has added so much to my reading & my film life.
Going out to "real-life", live book group meetings is fun, but having my reading friends as near as my finger-tips (by going online) is such a huge luxury to me.
I only wish I had more time and energy to devote to "talking" online, especially in this group. There are so many things I wish I could say if I only had the time and energy. But with only 24 hours in a day, we just have to do our best and go with what we're willing & able to do. I appreciate the fact that you all try to keep in touch with the group whenever time and energy allow.
Did you see this?!!! PayPal is censoring the books you can purchase!!! OK, I wouldn't buy the books, but it's none of their business what I buy. They're a bank.https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02...
What's a good alternative?
Jim wrote: "Did you see this?!!! PayPal is censoring the books you can purchase!!! OK, I wouldn't buy the books, but it's none of their business what I buy. They're a bank.https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02...
What's a good alternative?"
How about your credit card company?
That works for some places, Joy. Not for eBay, I don't believe.
This is really out of control. I am outraged! This is more than simply using a different card, it's about a financial institution is telling you what you can and cannot buy according to what they deem obscene, which of course is subjective. Who are they to determine what is obscene? It's 'obscenity' now, but what's next? This is a slippery slope. It's a much bigger deal than whipping out another card. If one can censor items, then so can the rest. I resent any interference in personal freedoms and this has me irate even though I don't use PayPal... and now I never will.
Jim, I don't know the alternative since some places only use PayPal. Personally, if my choice as to how to pay are limited, I don't do it. My choice or not at all. All I can say is to stop using PayPal, shut them down by non-use. Make a statement by non-usage, they'll either stop it or some other company will emerge.
I sent them a bug report telling them they're not my mother.
Jim wrote: "That works for some places, Joy. Not for eBay, I don't believe."You're right, Jim. I checked my records. Everything I've purchased through E-Bay was paid for via PayPal. I hadn't really paid attention to that.
Jackie wrote: "This is really out of control. I am outraged! This is more than simply using a different card, it's about a financial institution is telling you what you can and cannot buy according to what they deem obscene ... All I can say is to stop using PayPal, shut them down by non-use. Make a statement by non-usage, they'll either stop it or some other company will emerge."I wonder how many people will stop using PayPal. I don't use it very often, but at E-Bay I guess that's the only way to pay. If people stop using PayPal, E-Bay will suffer too.
Then E-Bay better tell PayPal to knock it off. Or E-Bay should use credit cards or other forms of payment, they're not forced to exclusively use PayPal, that's their choice. If E-Bay cosigns PayPals actions then they should be held accountable and lose business too.
Everyone should write in to both companies & let them know their displeasure. Most will be ignored, but if enough of us do it, they will pay attention.
If you know where to write in, let me know, I'll do it, although I doubt it would mean anything since I don't use either. But I could use the opportunity to tell EBay why I don't use them and it's strictly because they only use PayPal. I will pay how I choose and that's it. No one tells me what to use, how to pay, etc. I'm the buyer, what I say goes, or I don't buy. I can always go elsewhere for purchases.
Jim wrote: "Everyone should write in to both companies & let them know their displeasure. Most will be ignored, but if enough of us do it, they will pay attention."Jim, I doubt if most people would take the trouble to do that. If they're not affected, they don't care.
In fact, I wonder how many people are aware of PayPal's new policy. Was it on the news or in the headlines?
I saw it in a newsletter I get that handles security & IT stuff, I think. I posted about it on Facebook, although none of my friends ever seem to pay attention to those posts.
I don't pay much attention to my Facebook or Twitter pages. The only time I look at them is if I get a specific email notification from Facebook saying someone specifically posted to me or at my pics.Twitter just rolls by with messages which I never look at. I wonder who reads all those posted Twitter messages! It's probably only the people who are paid to do it at the celebrity Twitter sites for publicity purposes.
Unlike Facebook, Twitter never notifies members of messages which concern them.
I've thrown in the towel and stopped reading The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. After reading 250 pages (of 762 total pages in large print), I've decided I wasn't enjoying it enough to spend more time on it. There was no strong plot to draw me along. There were too many inconsequential goings-on. Also, too much of the reading dealt with political philosophies. After a while the book failed to interest me.Looking for a short summary, I found the following at a blog online:
===================================================
"It is written as a kind of faux memoir/biography through journal entries, letters, newspaper articles and various narrators who knew the protagonist, Harrison Shepard. Although Shepard is a fictional character that Kingsolver has created, his life is interwoven with a number of real historical events, places and people. Shepard works as a cook to Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo [in their Mexican household], befriending the artists and eventually transporting Kahlo’s works to a US museum around the time of WWII. He works as a typist for Lev Trotsky, one of the leaders of the Bolshevik revolution. Shepard eventually makes a name for himself by authoring several success novels and drawing the attention of Hollywood and the US government during the time of the Red Scare."
FROM: http://foodcomablog.com/2011/06/book-...
===================================================
I also found the following in a newspaper review:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The novel takes a good while to get going, and it demands a reader's full attention as Kingsolver gallops through history. She gives a bristling, colorful glimpse of American life as the country dealt with the Great Depression, World War II and communist witch hunts."
FROM: http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/re...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On to the next book!
I'm still on The Machine Crusade, I haven't been able to read much. It's crazy how much I've forgotten in only 10 years since the last time I read it.
PS - Shelfari.com has a feature which I always find amusing. It's a section called: "Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis".For example, at the page about _The Lacuna_, it reads as follows with 4 "ridiculous" synopses:
====================================================
- H Shepherd befriends Frida Kahlo, escapes Trotsky's assasination, endures WW II, and outsmarts McCarthy's Red Scare
- A man of two countries works for Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo and Leo Trotsky as a cook/secretary and becomes a writer
- Dear Diary: Military school dropout bums around Mexico then proves he is an American at heart.
- Meet ALL the famous historical Mexicans.
FROM: http://www.shelfari.com/books/5502128...
====================================================
Jackie wrote: "I'm still on The Machine Crusade, I haven't been able to read much. It's crazy how much I've forgotten in only 10 years since the last time I read it."About not remembering what we've read, it's discouraging because when we forget, it's as if we never read it. The only encouraging thought is that, if our memory is jogged a bit, sometimes things do come back slowly.
The other side of that coin is that when it's something I enjoyed the first time, I'm sure to like it the second time too. So I'm getting two for the price of one, so to speak,
Jackie wrote: "The other side of that coin is that when it's something I enjoyed the first time, I'm sure to like it the second time too. So I'm getting two for the price of one, so to speak, "But, hypothetically speaking, suppose you liked it when you were younger but after you've matured you've changed. In that case, you might not enjoy it as much as you did before. (I'm not referring to your current, specific case, just talking in general.)
That's happened to me. Usually with books that are mediocre to begin with, nothing I really loved. And even with books that loved then and love now, I'm still seeing other things, having more life experience I can relate to characters I didn't relate to before, or at least understand where they're coming from. Some books are worthy re-reads, I don't keep too many for this purpose but the ones I have kept are good choices for me, as I get something different out of them with each re-read.
Jackie, you may be right in that respect. I'm thinking of a book I remember fondly. It was such a touching story. I'm wondering how it would seem if I read it again. Perhaps I would see even more in it than I did before. The book was Till Morning Comes (1983) by Han Suyin (who was a physician).
Click on thumbnail.A member review from LibraryThing says:
======================================================
"This is a gritty and highly detailed novel of the Second World War in China. The Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-Shek has become corrupt and oppressive, sending flocks of patriotic Chinese to the Communist side. Han Suyin vividly describes the teeming poverty of China."
FROM: http://www.librarything.com/work/138918
=======================================================
Too bad I gave the book away. :-(
About its author, Han Suyin, Wiki says:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Her novel, A Many-Splendoured Thing, the story of a married British foreign correspondent Mark Elliot who falls in love with a Eurasian doctor, was made into a film called "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing". This also inspired a popular song."
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Suyin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the other hand, I doubt that if I read The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand again, I would like it as much as I did a long time ago. Fairly recently, I came across 10 pages of handwritten quotes I had copied from the book back then. Very few of them resonate with me now.
It's really great that you make notes, because then you can see the changes and how different you feel now about things that seemed important then. We are ever changing, but few of us have such tangible things to record and compare. I have to rely on my memory, and it's not a reliable source of info, lol
Jackie, I enjoy looking back over my notes. Most of the time I don't remember ever copying or writing them. Sometimes I'm amazed at what I've written, especially when I look back at some of my reviews. And you're right, it's nice to have tangible records, even if they're digital. :)BTW, I'm compelled to copy quotes and things. I can't NOT do it. Strange, eh? :)
No, it's not strange, people exhibit all kinds of behavior and this is harmless.
So true."By necessity, by proclivity, and by delight, we all quote." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
"An inveterate quote plucker is what I have become."
-Elaine Partnow (1941-) The Quotable Woman, From Eve To 1799 [1985], "Preface"
"Collecting quotations is an insidious, even embarrassing habit, like ragpicking or hoarding rocks or trying on other people's laundry. I got into it originally while trying to break an addiction to candy. I kicked candy and now seem to be stuck with quotations, which are attacking my brain instead of my teeth." -Robert Byrne
"I quote others only in order the better to express myself." - Michel de Montaigne.
"I have found collecting quotations a delightful activity that sensitizes me to all I read and hear, gives comfort when life wobbles, and gives an opportunity to minister to one's fellows."
-R. Daniel Watkins (Describing his reasons for compiling An Encyclopedia of Compelling Quotations: Over 10,000 Quotations from Over 3200 Individuals [2001])
I always have a quotation for everything--it saves original thinking. -Dorothy L. Sayers
Here's something I wrote on a newsgroup in 2008:
"Quotations get me through life. They're almost like tranquilizers for me, since they usually express ideas which I agree with. It's always comforting to find that someone else has felt the same way I do... is on the same "wave length", so to speak. Many of the quotations in my collection have offered good advice for living. They help me endure the adversities of life." -Joy H.
Yesterday, I finished reading Unequal Protection and posted a review. As promised, here's the link: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... . I gave it only three stars because of flawed presentation, but I think the basic message of the book is sounder and more important than that rating implies.Now, I've started Point of Honour by Madeleine E. Robins. This is one I gave my oldest daughter for Christmas a couple of years ago; but knowing that it had been on my to-read list for ages, after she read and liked it she offered to loan it to me. I probably won't mail it back until around Christmas, but I've got some other planned reading I need to get in between now and then as well, so I thought I might as well give it priority.
I just finished 2 books today, one audio mystery, Night Passage & one on my ereader, Spin an SF novel. They were both pretty good.
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