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Library Bookshelf

Started by Marilyne, March 29, 2016, 03:20:53 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

PatH2

I read the first of the Hunger Games, and enjoyed it well enough, but didn't get around to the others.  I'm not sure a prequel would be particularly useful for the series.

Sandy

#1831
Reality vs delusive Fantasy....

Well,  I kinda agree...
I am not much for "The Hunger Games", 
because I can't imagine that ever
happening....
 
I have let myself get heavily
involved in "The Handmaids Tale", 
even though  I can't imagine
that happening to us here in
the USA.... 

So that brings me back to
our politics of the day.... 

I also would never in my life
expected the way things have evolved
politically  in our government
to actually become my reality.
And yet it has!!! 

YIKES!  :knuppel2:
"One just never knows  for sure when
the worm will turn and the unexpected
happens.   
 :'(  :'(  :'(

Sandy
(So maybe I should rethink The Hunger Games...
Ya think?  )
 :tickedoff:
  "It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brains fall out."

― Carl Sagan

FlaJean

YIKES!  My feeling exactly.

MarsGal

Sandy, are you watching the TV series? I haven't seen it. I did read the book and watch the movie. It does present an all too plausible future should the government ever fall (and it will eventually), but it doesn't take into account the possibility/probability of other top world countries coming in and taking over.

The Postman is another in a similar vein. It concentrates on building a communications network between isolated communities, and through that, resistance to the bullies who have carved out their own territories. In that story, however, I think I remember there was a semblance of a government left, but out of communication with much of the country. I have been thinking of reading the book (only saw the movie).

Sandy

I am watching the series
of "The Handmaids Tale",  and will look
up "The Postman" .... It is on Prime but not
free...  cheap enough though if I decide to
stick my big toe in yet another dark
apocalyptic story.

 :crazy2: 
  "It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brains fall out."

― Carl Sagan

Marilyne

I've been anxious to see The Handmaid's Tale, ever since it came out.  It was playing here, on Hulu, which is just about the only channel I don't get.  Now I think Season #1, is finally available on HBO, which I do get, so I may start watching it today.  I read the book many years ago, and was planning to read it again before watching the series, but now I don't want to wait!  There are so many books that I want to read, and so many movies and TV series that I want to see, that I don't know if I will ever catch up!  Sometimes I wish that there weren't so many news books being published all the time.  It didn't used to be that way, but now, no matter how much time a person devotes to reading, you can't possibly read all that you would like.

MarsGal

Sandy, The Postman is not quite so dark and it has an upbeat ending.

MarsGal

I have finished Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles. For some reason, I didn't care for it as much as I liked Circe, but it sure does make me want to reread the Iliad. There are some elements of Homer's epic that I had forgotten or missed, plus, in the appendix the author says that some of the elements of the Achilles myth were not in Homer, but added later. Now I'd like to find out who and when these (including the myth of his heel being his only vulnerable spot) newer elements crept in.

Now I am back to reading The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume 12, edited by Jonathan Strahan. I am never disappointed by the volumes he edits. So far, I am particularly taken by Yoon Ha Lee's "The Chameleon's Gloves" which leaves me wanting to know more about the Kel and in particular, Rehan who is referred to as they/them. The author only minimally describes the Kel culture and does does not describe physical features. Chameleon in the title refers to an ability, not looks.

Marilyne

Quote from: Sandy on June 19, 2019, 10:32:38 AMReality vs delusive Fantasy....
I have let myself get heavily
involved in "The Handmaids Tale", 
even though  I can't imagine
that happening to us here in
the USA.... 
:tickedoff:


Sandy, MarsGal and Jean:  Another dystopian TV series with a similar premise, is The Man in the High Castle. . . a series that's streaming on Amazon Prime.  It takes place in the 1960's, after Nazi Germany and Japan have won World War II.  The East Coast of the US is occupied by the the Nazi's, the West Coast by Japan. The Neutral Zone, is the middle of the country.  The story is about how Americans, are forced to live under rule of the two countries, and those who are active in the underground resistance movement.  Hard to describe, but this series is GOOD!  An idea of what our world would be like, under the rule of another country. 

maryc

I've just finished The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff.  I read a review and went on to find it on HOOPLA.  There are several reviews by Goodreads, some very high numbers and some not so.   I was drawn into the story of the two women trying to survive in Europe during WWII.  At the end of the epilogue it mentions The Lost Girls of Paris by the same author.    It seems as though that book was mentioned here some time ago.  If you did read that one,  I believe you would also enjoy The Orphan's Tale.
   Our library just called to tell me that a book I ordered had come in.  This one is written by a home town man who went to school with our children.   It is Key North by Jeff McBee.  He uses our central school and village as a fictional setting for his story.
Mary C

Marilyne

Maryc - I'm interested in reading The Orphan's Tale, more so than The Lost Girls of Paris.  I started to read Lost Girls, and just couldn't seem to get into it, so probably gave up too soon?  I'll put Orphan's, on my library list, and hope to like it better? 

I've been on a reading hiatus, since finishing, The Goldfinch, and right before that, The Great Alone. Both were excellent stories, and I highly recommend them.  Alone, was an easier read, because there weren't so many characters, to keep track of, and the story was pretty straightforward.  Goldfinch, was more detailed, complicated and "talky",  which I like in a novel. I've read that both books are being made into movies, and I will anxious to see either one! 

I have a few books waiting for me at the library, but I've lost track of what they are, and haven't check the website in a couple of weeks?  I'll be picking them up sometime over the weekend, and will settle down to some serious reading again.

MarsGal

At the moment, I am reading short stories by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller from their Liaden Universe, which I always enjoy. Tomorrow I can pick up book four of the Galaxy's Edge series from the Lending Library. Light reading lately, giving my eyes and brain a break, and to get other things done.

Marilyne

I picked up two books from the library this weekend: 
One is The Lost Girls of Paris, in large print.  I started reading the regular print edition, but I just couldn't get into the story, because the print was too small and light, for my eyes.  I can tell that this will be much better.  The other one is,  Midnight in Chernobyl, by Adam Higginbotham.  I've heard a lot about this non fiction account of what is called, "The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster".  When I finish it, AJ wants to read it, so I'll have to get started on it today.  There is a wait list at the library, so I think we only have it for ten days?

MarsGal - I looked into Senior Learn, this weekend, and see that they will be  doing a short discussion on the memoir, Educated.  I've read a lot of reviews online, and they are all good ones, so I put my name on the wait list at the library.  I hope I get the book in time to follow along with the discussion on SL.

Callie - We haven't heard from you in a while?  Any interesting books that you can recommend?

FlaJean

"Midnight in Chernobyl" sounds interesting.  I'm going to check my library to see if they have it.

CallieOK

Marilyne,Have been reading but prefer to post from PC and haven't had time to do that.
BBL.

Tomereader1

i think all who read "Midnight i Chernobyl" will enjoy it, and be enlightened by it.

FlaJean

My library does have a copy.  I've got it on my list to read when I finished some books I have.

MarsGal

I just downloaded from the library, a book I think I may have already read. Oh well, it will be easy to return if I did. It is River of Stars by Guy Cavriel Kay; I think I may have forgotten to take it off my library wish list. I also put a Jonathan Moore book on hold; it should be ready to pick up soon. In the meantime, The 4th Galaxy's Edge book fairly flew passed my eyes. Now I am reading a SciFi that marginally holds my interest, so I will keep at it even though the characters are not particularly compelling and the narrative seems a bit flat or too precisely worded. It makes the narrating character seem a bit pompous. More Liaden Universe stories wait in the wings, as does Neil deGrasse Tyson's Accessory to War. Has anyone read that one yet?

Marilyne

#1848
MarsGal - I haven't read anything by Neil deGrasse Tyson, but AJ has read some of his books.  I have watched him on TV a number of times.  I'm just a short way into Midnight in Chernobyl, and it's very good so far.  The only thing that I'm having a hard time with is the Russian names!  It's hard to keep all those long complicated names, with the right people.  I remember having the same problem when I read Gorky Park, a number of years ago.   

Tomereader1

the version of the one i read had a great Glossary in the back with all the names and what their jobs were, but wont help us pronounce 'em!


so_P_bubble

How the States Got Their Shapes 
 
How the States Got Their Shapes
Mark Stein

A New York Times bestseller: Discover how Oklahoma got a panhandle, why some parts of Delaware are attached to New Jersey instead of the rest of their state, and more in this book packed with fascinating historical trivia!

Publisher Description
Why does Oklahoma have that panhandle? Did someone make a mistake?

We are so familiar with the map of the United States that our state borders seem as much a part of nature as mountains and rivers.
Even the oddities—the entire state of Maryland(!)—have become so engrained that our map might as well be a giant jigsaw puzzle designed by Divine Providence. But that's where the real mystery begins.
Every edge of the familiar wooden jigsaw pieces of our childhood represents a revealing moment of history and of, well, humans drawing lines in the sand.

How the States Got Their Shapes is the first book to tackle why our state lines are where they are. Here are the stories behind the stories, right down to the tiny northward jog at the eastern end of Tennessee and the teeny-tiny (and little known) parts of Delaware that are not attached to Delaware but to New Jersey.

How the States Got Their Shapes examines:

Why West Virginia has a finger creeping up the side of Pennsylvania
Why Michigan has an upper peninsula that isn't attached to Michigan
Why some Hawaiian islands are not Hawaii
Why Texas and California are so outsized, especially when so many Midwestern states are nearly identical in size
Packed with fun oddities and trivia, this entertaining guide also reveals the major fault lines of American history, from ideological intrigues and religious intolerance to major territorial acquisitions. Adding the fresh lens of local geographic disputes, military skirmishes, and land grabs, Mark Stein shows how the seemingly haphazard puzzle pieces of our nation fit together perfectly.

MarsGal

HI Bubble! I wonder if this is by the guy that narrated a TV series on the same subject a few years back. Very interesting. There was one house, but I forgot which states, that was particularly interesting. It was situated half in one state and half in another. This is not the house in the show, but apparently there are others that cross state lines. This must have been a nightmare for the rightful owner of the property. https://nypost.com/2015/02/22/woman-loses-half-of-her-border-straddling-home-in-property-tax-snafu/

I am reading River of Stars now, and it does not look at all familiar, so I must have been thinking of another book that I read. This is a story set in 12th Century China, at the beginning of the Jin-Song Wars. I cancelled the Jonathan Moore book and put it in my wish list for later.

Marilyne

Bubble - Thanks for recommending How the States Got Their Shapes!  Looks like it will be a fun and informative book, which I plan to order from my library.  The shape of the states, is of those things that we take for granted, here in the US, and never stop to wonder about the why's and wherefores?

Tomereader - I agree with you . . . Midnight in Chernobyl, was a fascinating account of the nuclear explosion and meltdown, at the Chernobyl plant in  Russia.  We all remember when it happened, but I didn't get the full impact at the time, as to what a full scale disaster it was, and how difficult it was to gain control!   I had a hard time with all the Russian names, and finally just decided to read the story, and not try to commit every name to memory. Too many names, and too many complicated situations, to keep them all in place! Although the people involved are all important, you can understand the story by just remembering a few of the most important men and women. 

MarsGal - I haven't looked at Senior Learn, in a long time, but I am planning to follow along with the discussion of the memoir, Educated.  From what Ive read about it online, I can tell that I'll like it.  I've enjoyed most of the memoir style books that I've read over the years unless they are just too far fetched to be believable.  Some, written by men, seem that way to me.  However, all of the ones I've read that are written by women, are very believable.

MarsGal

#1853
I stopped reading River of Stars temporarily to read Marko Kloos latest start of a new series, The Palladium Wars, called Aftershocks. I couldn't put it down, so now I am done and have to wait patiently for the next installment. Aftershocks introduces and follows several characters, primary of which is Aden who has just been released after being a prisoner of war and is now trying to find his way home. He, of course, has issues mostly stemming from not wanting his father to discover he is still alive. Dad is a rich and powerful control freak. Other major characters seem to be, so far, his sister who stuck around and has to deal with dear old dad, a Palladian military officer on duty in Occupied Gretia, Aden's home world, and a Rhodian warship captain. Demonstrators, terrorists, Dad's henchmen, and pirates included. The next installment looks like it is shaping up to include smugglers in the mix.

River of Stars is good, but is slow moving as characters and their lives are introduced. I expect that girl will meet boy at some point. Other characters are slowly being introduced, but I have no idea yet their significance. This story starts somewhere around the beginning of the wars between the Jin Dynasty and Song Dynasty. In history, the Jin rebelled and pushed the Song out of Northern China. They in turn were eventually conquered by the Mongols. I expect I will be looking stuff up, a lot.

CallieOK

#1854
Talk about being OBE !!!!!  The past two weeks have been "one thing after another" and I really hope things have settled down for a while.

My last post said I'd been reading but preferred not to post from my Tablet.  Now I have a new pc and am slowly learning to use it (see comment on "one thing after another"  :o )

Discovered I've read almost all of the books on the "Oklahoma Best Sellers list in Sunday's local paper.
Where The Crawdads Sing"
"Little Fires Everywhere"
"Summer of 69"
"Lilac Girls"
and am currently reading "The Guest List"/
 Have also read "Before We Were Yours" and "A Gentleman In Moscow" that are on the Publishers Weekly List but not on the one from Oklahoma.

 Also reading "Blessings In Disguise" by Dorothea Benton Frank (not on OK Best Sellers list but I like it) and getting ready to read "Pachinko", which will be the selection for my Book Club in September.  I started out way down on the Wait List and figured I'd better read it when it appeared in my Loans or I might not get it again before September.
Was just notified that "Mrs. Oliphant Is Perfectly Fine" has been added to my e-book loans.  I think I've read it but don't remember details so want to read it again.

Love seeing what you're all reading and am putting some things on my "Wish List" for the future....whenever that is!   ;)

Marilyne

#1855
Callie - so good to see your message!  ( You'll have to tell me what OBE means? ???)  I did see your post in B&T, that you're in the process of breaking in a new computer, so that explains why we have't seen you posting in a while. 

Your list of books, read and unread, looks almost exactly like mine!   Some I  have read, others I had to take back to the library because they were due, and one I started, but just couldn't get into . . . that one being  Pachinko!  I'm anxious to find out how you like it?   My dil gave it to me for Christmas, so I wanted to like it, but finally gave up and I don't know what ever happened to it?  I think I gave it to one of my daughters, but not sure?

I checked out,  Where the Crawdads Sing, but it was on a long wait list, so I only had it for one week, and never even opened it!   That was when I was reading The Goldfinch, which took a long time for me to read, so I never got around to "Crawdads" - but I'm back on the wait list again, so should get it soon.  I read both, Lilac Girls, and, Before We Were Yours, and liked them very much.  Right now I'm reading Educated, which is an excellent memoir, IMO.  I know that they're going to discuss it in Senior Learn, so I will be interested in seeing what they have to say.

CallieOK

Marilyne,  OBE is "Overcome By Events".   :)

"Where The Crawdads Sing" was a Book Club discussion last spring. So was "Educated".  We had read/discussed "Hillbilly Elegy" before discussing "Educated" and "....Crawdads".  Maybe I'm cynical but it was "same song-second verse" and I had a bit of a problem understanding how the authors could break away to achieve so much and still insist they had close relationships with their families.

I haven't checked in on "SeniorLearn" in a long time.  Please let me know here when the discussion of "Educated" begins; I'd like to follow it.

MarsGal

I love "OBE", Callie. I might just borrow that sometime in the future (assuming I remember it, hah!)

maryz

The discussion on Educated officially starts 19 July on SeniorLearn.
 This is the website...

http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=5349.0
"When someone you love dies, you never quite get over it.  You just learn how to go on without them. But always keep them safely tucked in your heart."

CallieOK

Thanks, Mary.  I used to be registered there and took part in some discussions.
Several months ago, my username and password were Barred from the site.  Administrators couldn't find a reason. I can get in to read...as anybody can...but can't post. I gave up trying.

Marilyne, I started Pachinko last night.  Think I may skip around to see what happens to Deprived Child  ;) and how it ends. Then  at least I'll know what the discussion is about in September.
I hope they pick a different theme for next season's books.