If you want to take an adventure with a deeply dysfunctional family, narrated by a young girl, you might try “The Glass Castle”, by Jeanette Walls. This is a NYT best seller and I am fascinated.
Jerry
The nearest Library has no available copies and I am on the waiting list, so I will be unable to comment. Spring is just around the corner and you can see the trees beginning to bud.
Loop Group by Larry McMurtry
I picked up this CD because I did like McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove and Terms of Endearment
This is a funny yet sobering road trip novel reminiscent of Thelma and Louise… (This from the book jacket).
Maggie runs a group that dubs voices for movies. She has three pushy daughters and gets her kicks with her far older Sicilian lover who also happens to be her psychiatrist. Her best friend since childhood goes in for younger men. The women are getting past their prime and decide to have one great adventure and they decide to drive to Texas to visit Maggie’s elderly aunt who has a million chickens among other things. On their trip across Texas they keep bumping into one zany character after another. The characters are believable and it is very easy to get caught up in their world.
There is sex talk but no descriptive graphic sex.
I would recommend this book on Cd for something light to listen to or read. I don’t think it is up to the author’s earlier books but it is OK. The reader was CJ Critt and I thought very good.
I saw an ad for a Joyce Meyers conference here in Scottsdale, so my husband and I arrived at this huge church almost two hours early, and barely found seats in the balcony. Over a 1000 folks saw her on tv outside. I’ve been watching her on TV back in Oslo, and have been impressed by her down to earth approach to life and faith. She has written over 70 books, I’m reading Battlefield of the Mind, but left it at home by my treadmill. She was abused by her father as a child, married way too young to get out of the home, had a child, divorced and met her present handsome, Christian husband, Dave. Joined his church, started leading Bible Studies and the rest is history. The theme of this conference was, Are we busy or fruitful? We only went to one of the 4 sessions but I still remember a lot of what she said.
Jacky
Phyllis Greene writes on February 24th, 2006 at 3:44 pm e :
I have just finished a very thought-provoking but very easy-to-read book that seems to be a classic, and is taught in middle school and that is my in-town book clubs next month ROM; it is The Giver by Lois Lowery. It is a tale of a designed, metaphorical (I guess you could call it) community in which one person holds all memories and the rest of the inhabitants live a very proscribed life. It should mke for a lively discussion.
A book review given on any but a ROM selection should go into Book Reviews in General, please.
When I look for a good book for a ROM selection, I will be coming into this category. Looking through all the posts in BB&B would be a thankless job since this is where all our miscellaneous chats go. Searching through all the AOL posts for suggestions was another even more thankless task; subjects never got changed and trying to find a particular post was like looking for that proverbial needle.
Please please please, folks - when you write about a book you have read, click on BOOK REVIEWS IN GENERAL and UNclick BB&B. We don’t need duplicate posts, either.
OK? Please?
I have just finished reading A Million Little Pieces. My daughter read it several months ago (before all the fuss), and gave it to me and I just got around to reading it. There is no doubt that James Frey is a powerful writer. He does not always write complete sentences, his conversations are not enclosed in the usual quotation marks, etc. However, somehow, you get the points and they are potent. Whatever falsehoods are included, they nevertheless set the mood. The language, of course, includes the four letter words - but that is how some of the younger generation express themselves.
I think that every older (even some younger) teen should read this work. Perhaps they would think twice before being tempted to abuse drugs or alcohol, or both, after experiencing this story. The descriptions of his experiences in the sanatorium are vivid, and disturbing. I am sure he must have embellished some incidents, but the book ends on an upward note.
I just started The Namesake, which has been highly recommended. So far (just a few chapters) it is interesting. Will post more about it when I finish it.
A Superior Death by Nevada Barr
I have become a fan of Nevada Barr. Her books are formula tic but I like them once in a while. Actually I listen to them on tape.
Anna Pigeon is a park ranger and gets into all kinds of harrowing situations while solving murders that happen at National Parks. This one takes place on Lake Superior. When reading these, you get a great picture of the locale and I enjoy that. I have read about Anna getting caught up in a forest fire, at a Marti Gras in NY, some place South besides NO among other parks. They are an easy read (listen) when you need a break from deeper stuff.
Have any of you mystery people read her?
I read part of this earlier and forgot that yesterday was the 15th. Here is my comment about February’s ROM.
My Fathers’ House by Steven V. Roberts
This is a story of a town, a time, and a boy who would grow up to become a New York Times correspondent, television and radio personality, and best selling author.
For some reason I just couldn’t keep interested in this book. It was about a remarkable family and the town an interesting place but I guess I have read too many things like it or it was just me. I got half way through and just gave up. It didn’t help that I have a pile of books I really want to get into.
Several years ago, Nancy E. Turner published a wonderful book based on her grandmother’s diaries. The book was called “These Is My Words” and is one of my very favorite books of all times. This is a book that I re-read at least once a year.
The author has published a sequel, still based on the diaries of her grandmother. This one is called “Sarah’s Quilt”. I have ordered it from Amazon.com because I know that if it is even half as good as the first book that I will want to keep it for my own library.
I have already talked with Jo about it and plan to send it on to her to read after I have finished it. If anyone else would like it read it, I would be happy to send it around.
Judith
I just cancelled my AOL account. Even though I was paying what went up to over $6.00 a month that was expensive when all I usually used it for was the calander. I did like their calander and told the guy I would buy the calandar program if it were offered. He said it was if I kept my account. He offered another month free but that meant I would have to make another call and I didn’t want to do that. I did mean to write to the list on the senior net mail that I should be deleted from the list but thought I would have a day or two but I was wrong. So Jo, would you let the AOL people know for me and my e-mail address is darlynecrum@verizon.net.
Thanks.
Wickett’s Remedy†by Myla Goldberg
This novel takes place around South Boston in the early part of the twentieth century, and is about Lydia, an Irish American shopgirl. Lydia is happily married but her life is completely turned around when her husband a former medical student, creates a mail order patent medicine called Wicketts Remedy. Soon after, however, Henry succumbs to the infamous Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918 and Lydia’s life is irrevocably changed.
Meanwhile, a parallel narrative explores the world of QD soda, the illegitimate offspring of Wickett’s remedy, stolen away by Henry Wickett’s one time business partner, Quentin Driscott, who transforms it into a soft drink empire.
A chorus of other voices offer a running commentary from the book’s margins.
The book is an easy read, with believable characters and situations, but not as enjoyable as an earlier book that I read by the same author. I found the skipping around from time period to time period, distracting.
We have a surplus of snow if anyone wants some.
It sounds to me as though you did indeed sign off rather than just closing the window.
Send Jenny another email - click on contact webmaster at the bottom of the page - and tell you what happened and she can send you another password. You can then go into that item on the sidebar where it says to change your password and make it something other than what she sends.
Might I suggest a small spiral notebook of some sort to keep these kinds of things in. I have joined several things, esp in the early days, which I no longer belong to and have lined out those items in my notebook. But it is handy as I don’t always want to use my family/friends password for the business one.
It’s great that you can post - don’t let that stop you from doing so. Jenny isn’t quite so busy so it should be fairly soon for you to get a new password.
Jo
I know that some of you know Laura Fox, PurpleGram in AOL. We received word this morning that she passed away yesterday of cancer. She knew she had it a couple of months ago, because she’d fallen several times and when she had some tests, it was found that she had a couple of metastasized cancers in her brain. They were treated with radiation, but then she had some other problems, probably due to a reduced immune system, so she went into the hospital, fully expecting to return home, but it was not to be. The original cancer was in her lungs and not from the breast cancer she was treated for seven years ago.
She had asked that nothing be said in the SN forums, because she was expecting to come back and wanted to post about it herself.
She will be missed.
Susan
She Got Up Off the Couch turned out to be a fine book, and I’m looking forward to reading the other memoir by the author, Haven Kimmel. This book caught my attention because of the title; I wonder if my children will write a book about me with a title like that someday?
The author’s mother did indeed get up off the couch, and went to college after raising three children, against the passive resistance of her husband. There’s something I find very intriguing about adult events reported through the perspective of a child. In this case, it’s even more of a sideways look than in To Kill a Mockingbird. Sometimes I am a little dense when it comes to realizing what it is that I’m reading, so it took a little bit to realize what a good story was going on just beyond the awareness of the young girl telling the tale.
I highly recommend this book, and would be interested to hear what other people think of it. I’m looking forward to reading the first book by the author, A Girl Named Zippy.
I did read one of her books but can’t remember what it was about and the name of it but I did like it. Her last name attracted me because my home town had a family named Landvik, but as far as I know I couldn’t find a connection except her books take place in small towns in Mn. I see that my library does have a couple of her books on tape and others so they will be my next read–or listen. I think she has a new one out and it is one of the book clubs read. Our Library has a table of various book club choices books.
Jacky, we had a travel trailer and we pulled it with a large red pickup. We really enjoyed tooling around the country in it and were sad when Dar lost his eye sight and I didn’t want to do the backing up and hook ups by myself. I did drive and pull the trailer, mostly through the cities because he would navigate and I was very bad at that. I couldn’t back it up though if that were necessary. It rather spoiled me. I liked having my own bed when traveling.
Once Upon A Town
I recently completed this book (on tape, listened while walking) and enjoyed it. It makes one think of the differences between ww2 and the present middle eastern debacle, and how information is disseminated. It also reminded me of the inherent goodness of midwesterners. I was charmed by it!
This entry was posted by Gretchen on Monday, February 6th, 2006 at 12:20 pm.
The blog didn’t like me at ALL today - tossed me out completely and wouldn’t let me get back is as PA Jo so I’m now Jo PA.
Sigh.
Aren’t computers fun!
I recently completed this book (on tape, listened while walking) and enjoyed it. It makes one think of the differences between ww2 and the present middle eastern debacle, and how information is disseminated. It also reminded me of the inherent goodness of midwesterners. I was charmed by it!
Since I am probably the only one in the world not watching the super bowl and no one is posting I will post my boring experience from yeasterday. It did involve books as it happened on the way to the library.
On my walk to the library I noticed a rather obese older man using a tiny scooter, scooting along on the sidewalk. He wasn’t too adept. However when I looked further I saw a little boy on the same type of scooter really zipping along. It made me feel good to see the Grampa trying to keep up. I thought, “more power to himâ€. You never know what you will encounter here on the way to the library. It makes life interesting—or I am easily amused.
Okay, y’all! Just cuz you’re writing emails doesn’t mean you don’t need to write in here!
I have nothing new to read so I’m reading the Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell tales again. The author is Laurie R. King. They are certainly entertaining and the author’s language seems to be to be of the period (1910s/1920s) with the British spelling of certain words, labour, flavour, etc.
C’mon now, don’t be bashful!