Greatest global online bookclub in town

I think I was one of the few who wasn’t enamored with the Red Tent.  I read it but thought the author sensationalized the sex part which I found too much.  I think she did this to make the book more “sellable”.  Is that a word?

After reading The Glass Castle I was surprised that the author survived her child hood. As bad as it was she really never complained and you would think this book a downer but it wasn’t.  This is from the Chicago Tribune:  “On the eighth day God was handing out whining privileges.  He came upon Jeannette Walls and said, For you, an unlimited lifetime supply.”  Apparently, Walls declined His kind offer.”  I found this so true of her.

About Faulkner, our family had a reunion over 20 years ago.  We usually pick a book we will all read and discuss. (we are all avid readers).  We chose one of Faulkner’s and I did read The Sound and The Fury.  I found it not easy to read.  I also was the only one in the family who read it.

You’re so right, Jennie; we did read The Red Tent some few years ago and all of us thought it very good.

Congrats to your g’son on his internship.  That should prove really interesting and quite an experience. 

Darlyne, if you think the Glass Castle is what some kids go through, consider reading A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer.  He wrote 3 books, I’m sure to try to purge the hurt and anger he must have felt.  The sequel is The Lost Boy and the final book is A Man Named Dave.  He is a motivational speaker and does much work in the field of fostering children and abuses thereof.  It’s a stunning work.  I wasn’t too sure I wanted to read the 2nd and 3rd but just couldn’t let it drop.  And I’m sure he didn’t write of all the torments to which he was subjected. 

Jo

PS:  Yesterday’s post -

I wrote a post and published it but it went to that great cyber trash in the sky I think.  Oh, I see it – I must have clicked save instead of publish.  Good grief.  I post it today.

At any rate, I thoroughly enjoyed The Red Tent and know that whoever reads it will also.  And to answer Susan’s query, I don’t believe I have ever read Faulkner but don’t be surprised at that.  My college prep courses in high school included English, math, history, glee club, PE and something else I forget what – but no literature classes as such. 

I’m wrapping gifts for here in PA, taking the MD one with me to put under their tree and packing the FL ones.  Gee whiz, going someplace is almost worse than staying home!

I really liked The Red Tent. As I remember, the author qrote it as a doctoral disseration and then it was published as a novel. I’m sure it was authentic to the time.

I’d like to ask a question from you all. In my real life book club, we have usually had one classic each year. Last year it was Macbeth, for instance. This spring, when we were picking books for the coming year, we talked about classics, and I mentioned Faulkner. I was totally surprised when most of the members said they had never read any Faulkner. We picked The Sound and The Fury, and I’m going to facilitate it in February.

The question to you is how many of you have read any Faulkner and if you have what was it you read? Short stories count, too. I was rather appalled that so few people had read him, and I was wondering if that were a universal thing around the country. I will really appreciate your answers.

Susan

 i remember we read that book in 2001 and we all liked it.  it is written by Anita Diamand.

I remember the Red Tent was a monthly book, back when we were in Mesa in our motor home, I got it from the library there but had to return it before I finished it.  Now my next door neighbor liked it and loaned it to me, it is interesting.  So I’m putting The Book Club, by Mary Alice Monroe on hold, no rush with that one.  It does remind me of the Landvik book, Angry Housewives eating Choclates, but I like it, both are in a very feminine tone I suppose, well maybe even the Tent is, but i haven’t read enough of it to know yet. 

 Jacky

I have bridge tonight and in the  early AM I am driving with my daughter to Vermont to fetch her son who is moving out of his dorm.  He has an internship in DC the next semister. (sorry, I just had to get that in,) We will stay overnite and be back sometime Sunday.  I will be trying to read The Glass Castle.  I am over half way through with it and am enjoying it.  This is a true story and I can’t believe how a person can survive a childhood the author had.

Just heard on TV about this “Bookmooch” site. Actually there are several of them. It’s interesting. A system for exchanging books you no longer want for others you do.

http://www.jasongriffey.net/wp/2006/08/07/bookmooch/

Candace

So thankful to hear your daughter is doing well enough to attend a wedding, Joy.

We went to the funeral of a farming friend this afternoon.  80 years old, a strong heart, but died of lung cancer, he smoked for most of his life.  His son has taken over the farm and is a friend of our farming son.  There aren’t many younger farmers left around here, but the farms get bigger, you have to have volume to stay in the business, but the volume of stress increases too. 

I’m reading a Robin Cook book that was free in our library.  Fatal Cure, but my bedtime reading doesn’t allow for very many pages before the words are swirling and I’m asleep. 

Jacky Jones

It is indeed wonderful.  I had an appt with the heart doctor who is satisfied enough with my history since I’ve been here that he is opting to have my regular medical doctor follow my progress and send me back to their offices when it’s needed.  That is quite reassuring.

I’m glad to hear all this about stents; hopefully I won’t even have to get that done.  I’ll cross my fingers.

Jo

I talked to my friend after I wrote the last post, and it turns out he didn’t have the medicated ones after all. He does have to take the medications, although today he had a follow-up appointment and the doctor reduced the aspirin to one baby asprin, and added a cholesterol reducing drug.

When I read the Times article, I thought it was scary too, but my friend would have been dead some years ago without modern medicine, so I guess he’s still better off than he used to be.

When I think back over the things I’ve had wrong that have been fixed by modern medicine, I’m very grateful. Someday, I’ll have something they can’t fix, but since I’m 82 already, I’m ahead too.

Susan

At your suggestion, Susan, I went to the Seattle Times website and read the very scary write-up re:stents.  Thanks for the tip.

JOY

Susan: Thanks for explaining the reason the doc did not do the third stent at the same time as the first two.  He did put her on a number of meds —-Plavix, Topral, Crestor, nitroglycerin, a whole aspirin a day (not the 81 mg. that I take).

JOY

I’m back. We really did have snow, about six inches and I couldn’t get out of the house. The power went out last Monday about two in the morning, and finally came on after about eight hours. Then my phone went out! The phone company told me they had run a test, and they thought it was my internal wiring, but I was sure that was wrong. I won’t go into all my problems with them, but on Thursday night, after they had lied to me twice about when they would come, I threw a fit and told them I wanted to speak to the manager higher than the one I was talking to. They said he would call, but he never did. However, by noon the next day, the phone was fixed and it wasn’t my interior problem at all. I do have a cell phone, but still…..

About the heart stents – Joy, the reason they didn’t do both at the same time is that the dye they use is toxic to the kidneys, and they only work on the heart for a certain length of time before they quit. I know this, because my dear friend and traveling companion had stents a month apart, the first in the kidney arteries and the next in the heart arteries. I was with him, and the doctor showed his daughter and me the before and after angiograms. There is still a little blocked artery, but the doctor said he didn’t have time to put a stent in it right then. Since it’s so little, I don’t know if it will ever be done.

This morning there was an article in our paper about the medicated stents having blood clots. I’m sure you can find it online. Our paper is the Seattle Times, and if you go to the site, you can probably find the article. It’s important to take the medicines the doctor prescribes. I was with my friend when the doctor told him in no uncertain terms to be sure to take the medications, or his stents would block up again. I am sure he will do it! He’s already had a bypass, and he says he will never have another one. Of course, he’s a lot older than your daughter.

Hope this helps.

Susan

 

 

Ian Pembroke, an amateur jockey has been estranged from his wealthy father for three years when he gets a call for help from him.  His Father has been married three times and there are nine step siblings in the family. Naturally a murder is involved but what I really enjoyed in this story was the way Ian and his father traipsed all  over the world with no worry about expenses.  They did much traveling to keep the father safe from some one trying to murder him also.  A family member was suspect.  The racing world was involved but this times more of the horse ownership business.  I listened to this book on CD.

She must be feeling okay since she insists on going to a very big wedding tomorrow night in New Orleans.  She had made all plans for going and says she is going.  I would vote against that but “who am I?”—–only a mother.

JOY

Thanks to all for your good wishes for my daughter (and me) w/her heart problem!  Miggs, read down to my first post as to what was done.  Jacky, yes it is very hard when your child has a problem.  Evidently stents have a much quicker recuperation time than when I had balloons followed by by-pass.

JOY

I so hope and pray your daughter is doing well, Joy.  My mother had several stent procedures, did well and was in her 80′s.

But, how difficult it is to see our kids ailing!  And glad you’re back, Jo.  I was in St Paul after Thanksgiving, helping youngest family with kids, clothes washing and a little cleaning.  The 7 hour drive back was very peaceful.  We have XM radio, and I listened to BBC, its interesting hearing overseas news angles.  They also have 40′s and 50′s music, which is me.

 Jacky Jones

Joy, how did the heart cath for your daughter go?  I’ve been thinking about you and hope all is well.

Miggs

My wishes for good luck for your daughter.  Like the others, I have no clue as to why the drs wouldn’t do all but perhaps it doesn’t need it as someone mentioned.  Maybe one of our nurse friends would venture a possibility.  At any rate, she will be in our thoughts, as will you.

Jo