Greatest global online bookclub in town

I took apples from our prolific tree to our next door neighbor and she jsut got a book by Jody Picoult called the Pact, which I had not heard of.  She is going to let me know if she likes it, or not.  She reads a lot and fast, said she’d read 5 books in the last few days. 

Jacky Jones

Have a nice visit Jo.  I got home this afternoon and actually had to put on a sweater as it felt cold.  Thats a far cry from what it has been.  I suspect we will just get some rain in the next few days.  I had a great visit with Julie but it is good to be home.

I hope tomorrow, Sept. 1, is the same.  Temp was in the low 70s today with a great breeze besides.  And tomorrow I drive down to MD to visit with #1 son and his wife for a few days.  I plan to come back home on Tuesday, weather permitting.  I hope all you East Coasters stay cool and dry and don’t have to swim anywhere.  Have a lovely weekend and stay safe.

Jo

We have had the most beautiful day here today - temp started at 67° and never got any higher than 74° with nice and low humidity.  I had my slider open all day.  It is heavenly.  I hope MD is as nice.

Jo, I forgot about this great author.   I read both the books you mentioned and probably “speed read” them too, although my speed reading isn’t very fast.  We’ve had perfect sunny days lately here in NW MN, but they are talking rain and change for the weekend.  Maybe the fringes of the hurricaine.

I’m reading Duel, the story of Churchill and Hitler, one that our oldest grandaugher, a history, religion major gave me last year.  Kind of fits with the theme of Team of Rivals and reminds me that our land has had troubles in the past too.

Enjoy our “laborless” Labor Day all.  Jacky

Hi Darlyne - We’re supposed to get some evidence of Ernesto’s path also !!!  To tell the truth, I think I’d rather pass but apparently it has lost some of its bite.  ‘S OK with me!!!!!  Enjoy your visit! 

I’m driving down to MDon Friday to spend a few days with #1 son and wife; daugthter is off to college.  I’m taking a book but I’m not sure how much reading OR  computer time I’ll have, so everybody have a safe and sane Labor Day. 

I am keeping very busy at Julie’s and am not doing a lot of reading.  We are waiting for Earnesto although I think I will be home by the time that storm affects this area.  It is a little hot here.  I spend very little time outside.  This is Darlyne

Taylor Caldwell’s novelized story of St. Paul, GREAT LION OF GOD.  She was a wordy writer but oh so good.  Her word descriptions of feelings, sights, sounds draws you right in.  I also have the companion piece, DEAR AND GLORIOUS PHYSICIAN, the novelized story of St. Luke.

I highly recommend them both…and don’t worry about speed reading through some of her long paragraphs!  I did that the first time I read these two wonderful tales myself.

 

Jo

I did hear about those 3 assassinations, Jacky, but I never do remember until I hear about them again.  I would definitely fail that history question.

I got to the end of Team of Rivals, and the sad ending.  I never learned in school history, or maybe I just forgot, that Booth planned three assinaations, he was going to shoot Lincoln and did, of course, but “the powerfully built Lewis Powell, was to assigned to kill secretary of state, Seward, and a carraige maker, George Atzeroch was to shoot the vice president in his suite in the Kirkwood Hotel.

 We know how it went with Lincoln and the theater, but Seward was recovering from a near fatal carraige accident nine days earlier.  Two soldiers were staying with him and a house full of others, mostly family. Around 10 pm, Powell came to the door saying he had medicine for Mr Steward.  He pushed in, tried to shot a son who was at his father’s bedroom door, the gun misfired, but he knocked the son out, got into the room and stabbed Steward, his daughter screamed and brought in more help and Powell bolted out the door and fled through the city streets.

Powell again survived, though stabbed in the neck.

The guy who was to do in Johnson, got cold feet, didn’t want to be part of the killing. 

Ironically, Booth thought he was doing the south a favor, and actually Lincoln wanted only for the nation to be united again, with no strings. 

Now I can read something less real, although I’m sure that history is in the eye of the beholder to some extent.

Jacky Jones

We know you will cope very well - just get a good night’s sleep and it’ll work!  Have fun.

I replaced the two books I picked up last week and found out that I had read them with two new Picoult books that I carefully researched and know that I haven’t read them. (Hows that for a sentence?) I am going on a bus trip for lunch and a play in PA tomorrow so have to be ready for my week with Julie.  I leave earlyThursday  morning and will be gone all day on  the bus trip.  I will leave early Friday morning also. 
  This is almost too much activity for me but I will overcome.

Ah so! - I didn’t realize you were referring to the blog post.  I thought maybe you were reading the book online and having trouble with the print size.  Sorry. 

Jo,

When I wrote about “American Theocracy”, the print here was very, very small.  However, when I hit ‘publish’, the type was normal size.  I did go to view and changed the font to medium instead of small.  Thanks for that information.

Judith

Judith, are you reading this online ?????  I am a bit confused about the printing being small and you don’t know how to change it!  Try going into VIEW (top of the window) and clicking on font etc - maybe that will help. 

Thanks Joy; she may have made it OK as she posted today that she had gotten into the blog and now needs to find the time to post!

I am reading “American Theocracy” by Kevin Phillips.  The cover also says, “The peril and politics of radical religion, oil, and borrowed money in the 21st century.”

 This is a very interesting book.  I am enjoying it very much and highly recommend it.

When I checked it out from the library, I told the librarian, “This book will probably make me very angry.”  She said, “Be sure to channel your anger appropriately.”

But actually, I haven’t been so angry and fascinated by the book.

 (As I type this, the printing is very, very small.  I hope it doesn’t publish that small.  I don’t know how to enlarge it.)

Judith

Jo———–Sharon (Tabover) in Books(AOL) needs help in getting in the GGOBIT blog. I told her you are THE ONE to steer her right.

JOY

 

After swimming this morning I made a trip to the library:I drove this time.  I picked up a new Jodi Picoult book, The Tenth Circle and the latest Ann Tyler book.  I have heard that Ann Tyler has written better books but thought I would try it anyway.  I was in a hurry and needed something for the train ride next week to Julies.  I also got three more books on tapes, mysteries,  I found they are great for train riding.   I am not leaving until next Friday though so may have to make another trip to the library.  My library doesn’t have the book you read Wede but maybe when i have more time I will request it.  We can make suggestions of books we would like them to purchase.

Now I have to dust a little.

Never mind Phyllis, I found David Maine to be the author of this book and have ordered a used copy thru Amazon.

Jerry

I meant Picoult

I am going to that part of PA next Thursday for a lunch and a play.  The lunch will be great and the drive pleasurable.  It is a Senior bus trip.

I finished this book today and really couldn’t put it down.  I have read about four of Picoult’s books and do think that Plain Truth is the best so far but the others are good IMHO.

This is a story of a woman whose Mother left her when she was five years old and she was raised by her father. Because she never knew why her mother left she doubted that she could be a good mother to her child.  She has few memories of her mother.  She marries medical student and supports him until he becomes a heart transplant surgeon.  When her baby is three months old she leaves as her mother did and does find her mother.  There is much more to this story and it is a page turner.  There are graphic descriptions of heart transplant surgery and other medical procedures that may bother some.  I found them interesting.  It doesn’t help the relationship with her educated husband that he comes from an upper crust old money family and she doesn’t even have a HS diploma.  It causes  problems when they have to mingle with the other Dr.s.

 

It is well worth the drive there and really, it would be easy to spend several days.  We didn’t have the delicious food this time, but I have had it.  We had a buggy ride this time altho it was a buggy for a group rather than the buggy people are most familiar with.  They were all really busy.  I hope they give those horses a good ration of oats and other good stuff!

 

Jo

What an enjoyable trip, Jo.

I was up there about 10 years ago and loved it.  Talk about stepping back in time!  Did you eat a home-style dinner at one of the restaurants?  Delicious food.  I still want to read Plain Truth, but haven’t been able to get a hold of it.  I am in the process of reading Jodi Picoult’s novel “Mercy” - dealing with mercy killing.  Not too crazy about this one.  I liked “Salem Falls” though.

Phyllis, who wrote “Fallen”? Or is it “The Fallen”?

Jerry