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Library Bookshelf

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

Previous topic - Next topic

MarsGal

Looks like Kaucher's books are all out of print, but you can still find them in the used book market.

So far, I like West With the Night very much.

maryc

I'd like to recommend a book that I just finished.    Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris.    Here is a brief summary:
  Inspired by an actual newspaper photograph that stunned the nation, Sold on a Monday is a powerful novel of love, redemption, and the unexpected paths that bring us home. From New York Times bestselling author Kristina McMorris comes another unforgettable novel inspired by a stunning piece of history.
Hope you will enjoy reading it as I did.
Mary C

Tomereader1

Another book, in a similar vein to Sold On Monday, is "Before We Were Yours" by Lisa Wingate.  It is also very good, and deals with a true story, in basically the same time frame as "Sold".  I recommend it.

Marilyne

Mary and Tome - My favorite genre for reading, is fiction, based on a true historical event from the past. So I know I'll like "Sold On a Monday".  "The Ragged Edge of Night", falls into that same category.  Mary, I really enjoyed it, and AJ is reading it now and also likes it. 

Tome, I read "Before We Were Yours", and liked it so much, that I bought a copy for my dil, for her birthday.  She also liked it, and passed it along to her sister.  We talked about it in this discussion about six months ago?  I can't recall who else read it, but I think it was MaryTX and Maryc?  Definitely one of my favorite books this year.

Tomereader1

Marilyne, I had a wee thought that we had at least talked about  "Before..." but wasn't sure.  It is such a pain to go back and back trying to find where you talked about something! But, again, if I didn't say so before, glad you liked "Before We Were YOurs".

maryc

I'm quite certain that I did read Before We Were Yours quite a while ago.    Now after reading the summary to refresh my poor memory,   I think I'll read it again.    These stories about children taken from their parent in hard times are so sad and yet the story that goes along draws you into the book.    My MIL told me long ago that the Visiting Nurse who helped their family during those times offered to adopt my SIL who was the only girl in the family.   Of course Mom C. wouldn't let one of her children go especially her only daughter.  Some of the boys may have given her some second thoughts as they grew into teen years!!! ::)   In later years even before I met my husband the nurse lived in my neighborhood.    She did have an adopted daughter and the girl had a good life with the family.    It is sad that more of those stories didn't have happy endings.
Last evening I started a library  book called The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin.  I started reading kind of late and it seemed a little hard to read but the story is beginning to come into focus.   I'll continue.
Mary C

Marilyne

Unsheltered, a new novel by Barbara Kingsolver: I’m struggling with this book. I want very much to like it, but I’m having a hard time. The first chapter was very good, and I was looking forward to reading more . . .  but then came chapter two, and I started to lose interest.  I read more after that, but I’m not sure if I’ll stick with it or not?

Tome - I know you like Kingsolver, so I’m wondering if you have this on your wait list?  (I waited a long time for it, from the library,). I’m most anxious to know what you think of it, and if you think I should give it more of a chance? 

I believe that those people who know and review books are correct, when they say that every writer has one good book inside of them, and all of those that come after, (or before), the good one, fall short.  I think this is true of Kingsolver. The Poisonwood Bible, is one of my Top Ten favorite books of all time.  It is a story that captured me from the first page, and didn't disappoint as the book moved forward.  However, other novels by her, have been mediocre, or absolutely terrible. (IMO of course). 

So, if I decide to give up on that one, I have Telex From Cuba, waiting for me.  This novel by Rachel Kushner, is another one in my favorite genre . . . recent historical fiction.  It's about an American family in the 1950’s, living in an American colony in Cuba, where they operate a sugar beet plantation for a US based fruit company. It sounds boring, but it’s far from it.  As you can tell, I read it once before, about five years ago.  It’s worth reading again, and I think that most of you will agree with me, if you give it a chance.  it's most likely available on all the E-book sites, for very little. It was published in 2008.

Tomereader1

Marilyne, I will have Kingsolver's latest on my "wait list", but I have several others on that list, plus my book club readings.  I sometimes feel "bogged down" by one or another of the book club selections, and may start reading it, only to throw up my hands and say" do I really care about these people/this story?"  I have to moderate my next mystery club meeting, and it is a Charles Todd book (I know you don't read mysteries much). The series' are written by a man and his mother, who live in the U.S. in separate states (isn't that a hoot?).  Anyway, the book I am doing is one of their Bess Crawford, nurse/amateur sleuth, and focuses on WWI.   I've not read one from this series till now.  The Inspector Ian Rutledge series, I have read a couple of.  We'll see how this one floats!

MarsGal

#1538
I recently started the audio book version of Adrian Goldsworthy's Augustus. I would have preferred print, but I have just about run out of room on my shelves and I couldn't resist the Audible price. Goldsworthy is one of my current favorite historians along with Mary Beard.

Goldsworthy recently wrote Vindolanda which, to my knowledge, is his first attempt at fiction. Vindolanda is a Roman garrison/fort located near Hadrian's Wall. It is on my wish list.

I stopped reading West with the Night, briefly, to read a rather short first of series SciFi by M. R. Forbes called Earth Unknown (Forgotten Earth series). I sometimes wonder how I get sucked into his books, but I do. His characters in both the series I've read (War Eternal was the other) are similar in some aspects. The main characters in both are flawed, framed for a crime they didn't commit, are seeking to right the wrong and save humanity in the meantime. The author makes use of clones in the one and "replicants" in the other. The clones/replicants are crucial to the story both as vehicles used to frame the main characters and for help in fighting against the bad guys.

Now, back to West with the Night. Her vivid description of her youth living in East Africa and the local people and wildlife she interacted with are well worth reading.

Marilyne

I had the pleasure of a nice telephone conversation with maryc, on Saturday night. She and her daughter Debby, are visiting relatives in San Francisco for about a week, before returning home to New York.  The weather has been warm and sunny since they arrived in SF, and it will continue on until the end of the week.  I hope they are having a great time, enjoying all the sights and activities here in the Bay Area.

maryc

Debby and I are back home and it was such a pleasure to speak with Marilyne on the phone.   You are right Marilyne about the traffic in S.F.   We were happy to ride the buses and trolley and leave the driving to the pros!   There is so much to see there.   We were very handy to Golden Gate Park and spent parts of a few days there just exploring.   The vegetation is so different from our colder climate.   We did lots of walking and hill climbing.....I mean serious hills  :D but it was all well worth the effort.  One of the things we did was to find the Tiled Steps and climb to the top.   They are quite interesting as are the succulent gardens all the way up on both sides.   As we came back down from Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill, we met a woman walking up carrying a long loaf of french bread under her arm.   We stopped to chat and learned that she lives up near the top and walks down and back up a couple times a week.   She was friendly and said that sometimes she thinks to call her husband for a ride back up but mostly doesn't do that.  We talked about what it would be like to carry your groceries up those hills to your kitchen.   ::)    Getting back to reality,  there are loads of leaves to be cleared from the lawn.   They have been slow in coming down but did just that while we were gone.   I did a partial job on the back yard today and hope for some dry weather another day to get to the front.   It's always good to come back to your own surroundings!   Meanwhile I've been slowly working my way through The Orchardist.    It's an interesting tale but slow moving for me.
Mary C

Marilyne

Mary - Welcome back home! I'm glad you enjoyed GG Park . . . a person can spend days exploring the beauty of that park.  The deYoung museum is gorgeous, as in the Conservatory of Flowers. I've never visited The Tiled Steps. I remember back when they were being built, and we always intended to go . . . but now, I doubt that we will ever have the chance to see them, as well as lots of other sites that I missed over the years. 
Did you walk across the GG Bridge? :yikes: How about the touristy spots like Lombard Street?  You told me that you had been to Chinatown, so you likely also went to Fisherman's Wharf?  I haven't been there in at least fifteen years or longer, but I hear that it's not a pleasant place to visit anymore? 

I'm glad you and Debby had a good time, and I'm sure that it was a nice vacation for you both.  You came at just the right time, weather wise, and it's fortunate that you left here when you did.  The thick smoke from the wildfires going on now in the Northern part of the state, has engulfed the entire Bay Area, so it's difficult to breathe, and would have been impossible for you to enjoy all the lovely sights.

maryc

Marilyne,  No we didn't walk across GG bridge but did drive across a couple of times.   It is quite a structure.   We did go to Fisherman's Wharf on our first day there.    We had been to the Health Club with our granddaughter in the morning and she was working in the afternoon so we had lunch with her at the Ferry Building and then took the Streetcar down to the Wharf.    It is very very touristy but we did find the sea lions and a couple of the more noteable spots.   My first impression was that it reminded me of the Clifton Hill area in Niagara Falls, Ontario where the souvenir shops stand elbow to elbow along with the carnival atmosphere.  We did get to Lombard Street.  That was one of our more strenuous walks.    We were on one of the open air sight seeing buses that day and decided to get off on the west side of the crooked part of Lombard St and walk to the top and then down the curvy hill.    I'm sure the bus driver and tour guide laughed when we got off there.   It was several blocks   all up steep hills to the top of the street. :D    Then of course it was downhill from there.   It was worth the effort and we congratulated ourselves on making the climb and recovering.  You are right about the Conservatory of Flowers....beautiful!!!   We planned on going to the California Academy of Science in the park one day with our DIL and grandson but she got sick and couldn't go so we passed on that.  We did however visit the Japanese Tea Garden one morning and that was peaceful and beautiful.    The story of that would be a sad but intersting book.  I'm sure it is on the internet.
Mary C

MarsGal

#1543
Okay, time for an update.

I finished West with the Night. It was well worth reading. Still listening to Augustus, but I have added my very first Agatha Raisin novel courtesy of Amazon's online stream of a small selection of free audio books for Prime members. It is read by none other than Penelope Keith, and it is super to listen to. Huckleberry Finn lost out to it, temporarily, because 1) I read that long ago, and 2) because it is longer. BUT, it is read by Elijah Wood, so I will be getting to it in the future.

We will be starting on Unit III of Latin for Americans on Monday. Yippee, Cicero!

I see my last post went all odd with the upgrade. 

CallieOK

Marking my spot since I had to sign in again and don't see any way to have a list just of Forums in which I've posted.

Currently reading my way through the latest Alexander McCall-Smith's books in various series.  I'm #1 for some books I've been waiting on for a long time.  Wanna bet they'll all show up at once?

Marilyne

#1545
Hi Callie - This new Format is The Pitts, as far as I'm concerned. Nothing we can do about it, so we'll just have to try to learn all over again and "soldier on". ::) Alexander McCall Smith sounds good to me right now. Maybe reading about the #1 Ladies Detective Agency, would put me in a better mood? :-\

MarsGal - Huck Finn, read by Elijah Wood, does sound temping. I'd like to give that a listen also, if I ever figure out how to download audio books on my Kindle or on my phone?

maryc

Well, here we go again.....it's almost like starting over!!   The layout looks nice.   I wonder what brought this about.
       I did go to the library this week and brought home a book titled The Underground River by Martha Conway.  https://www.amazon.com/Underground-River-Novel-Martha-Conway/dp/1501160206    It has been an enjoyable read for the first 100 or so pages.
     I imagine that everyone is getting ready for Thanksgiving. Today I got the apples for pies and will make a batch of crust early this week to avoid the last minute rush.  Did everyone but me know that postage is going up again at the end of January?   I bought some Christmas stamps this week and the clerk advised me that this increase will be five cents, the largest ever. Last time I missed getting more Forever stamps by just a few days.  I won't get stung this time.  :-[
Mary C

Marilyne

#1547
Mary - You and Debby visited San Francisco at just the right time. The wildfires are still burning in the Northern part of the state, and the smoke is drifting down here to the SF Bay Area, and just sitting here and not moving. Gray and ugly, and difficult to breathe. It's been 10 days or more now, and not expected to change until Wednesday. Most schools are closed, football games cancelled, etc. Everyone is wearing face masks, or staying home. We're all complaining a lot, and feeling guilty about it, because of all the thousands of people who are missing, and those who are homeless and suffering, in the town of Paradise. (still burning!)

I have a stack of interesting books here.  I finally finished Telex From Cuba, which is a good novel that explains the rise of Fidel Castro, in Cuba in the late 50's and early 1960's. The fictional story of the American family running the sugar plantation at that time, is based on fact, and is a fascinating story in itself.

I also have Truly, Madly, Guilty, a bestseller by Liane Moriarty.  I liked her last book, Big, Little, Lies, that was made into a good movie starring Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon.  I won't get to this new one for awhile, because I want to read Sold On Monday, first.  Mary, I think you recommended it a while back, or maybe it was Tome or Callie? 

Mary and Tome - Thanksgiving will be sad day for both of you this year. I'm glad that you both have loving and supportive daughters, who will be there with you over the Holidays.

CallieOK

Marilyne, must have been Tome who recommended "Sold On Monday". I've read the other two and will look for it
.
Am just about through reading all of Georgia Bockoven "Beach" books and don't have any others waiting. 
I had decided to work backwards from the most current one on a list of Danielle Steele books so may borrow another one of hers until something I have on Hold comes in.
However, I've noticed I'm #1 for several books on my Holds.  Wanna bet they all show up at once about the time I start the D.S. book?

Marilyne

Callie, your mention of D.Steele, reminds me that I recorded a Hallmark Christmas movie, titled Debbie Macomber's Trading Christmas, that I might watch this afternoon. I usually like her stories, and I especially like her adult coloring books! :D

Did you ever get Crazy Rich Asians? If so, what did you think of it?

maryc

I did recommend Sold on Monday.   It was a good read with a few side plots to add interest.  The Underground River is going well.  There is a little tension added just now as the main character gets involved in the Abolitionist movement.
      We were lucky to have our trip to S.F. over just as the fires began.   I feel so badly for the large number of people who have lost homes, family members and everything in these fires.   And to think of the large number of people still missing.   I would hope that many have escaped to some place where they aren't able to communicate but that is probably wishful thinking.  I spoke to a woman last week who had lived near Paradise, CA and said that her former home is gone as well as those of some friends from there.   That kind of brought it close to home.
Mary C

Marilyne

Good morning to all book lovers. :)
I hope you all spent a pleasant Thanksgiving, with family or friends?  Ours was quiet, but nice.  All grown-ups now . . . no children or babies.  I mentioned in another folder, about how I miss the old days of the Children's Table, for holiday meals. I loved it when I was a child, and my brother and I and our cousins, had a table all to ourselves! My kids liked it also, and insisted on continuing with the Children's Table, up through their teens!

It's very quiet here today, and I will stay put, because I dislike going anywhere on Black Friday.  We have plenty of leftover food, and lots of good books to read and movies for me to watch.  I didn't open a book over the past couple of days, so I still have "Sold on Monday", and "Big, Little, Lies", here to read.  I intend to have a relaxing day, and I hope you all do too!  :thumbup:

CallieOK

Sure enough....before I had time to even open the Danielle Steel book, 3 of my Holds were automatically checked out to me!
I could stop the automatic checkout but it's so handy.
I moved the DS book to the wish list so I won't have to hunt for it.  Not putting anything else on Hold until I catch up.

Had a lovely Thanksgiving day with #2 son/dil and her family.  Just 8 of us as other son and family were with her large family.  They were "local" but too far for me to also go there and be home before dark.

Found 3 tv specials to watch last night and my Oklahoma Sooners have a football game tonight.  Don't think I've ever known of a college game on a Friday night.

Granddaughter coming for lunch tomorrow so I may have another Hold checked out before I find time to read.  :o

MarsGal

I had a lovely meal with my sister, BIL, and three good friends on Thursday. I even made room for a piece of German Chocolate Cake.

Now that I have finished Nomad, the first of Matthew Mather's New Earth series, I am casting about for another Ebook read until I can borrow the next of the New Earth series. For the most part, I enjoyed the book. The author went to great pains to get the science right, both the astronomical and the climate and geological changes wrought by the devastating encounter of the solar system with the Nomad object. He even has a YouTube video showing our solar system, the Nomad object and its' trajectory, and finally the changes in the planetary orbits. I won't tell you what they think the object is; that would spoil part of the fun. The only problem I had with the story was that several of the women showed not a lot of common sense in a few places. All in all, it is a good mix (well balanced?) of science and romance, with some adventure and criminal activity mixed in. 

It must be a book break week, since I haven't listened to more Augustus for a few days, and have only just read a few paragraphs into a book which is on our Latin class reading list of background material. I am also having a hard time getting revved up to work on the Latin for Monday's class.

Marilyne

MarsGal - I'll see if my library has Nomad.  I'm looking for something different for a change, as I can't seem to get interested in any of the three books I have here to read. All stories seem to have a familiar ring to them lately . . . like I already read them at some time in the past?  I probably did! ::) My memory is not what it used to be.

Callie - I'm sure you're enjoying your lunch today with your granddaughter.  Is this g-daughter Ellen, who now lives in NYC?  If it's not too late, be sure to tell her that I'm looking forward to seeing her in Mrs. Maisel,  As I said above - not much reading going on here. Mostly just sitting in front of the TV, scrolling, and watching whatever looks good.

Since my daughter Shelley, and Gr-daughter Claire left yesterday, I've been taking it easy, and resting up from Thanksgiving.  They decorated the Christmas tree for us, before they left, so that was a big help. I don't think we've ever had our tree all finished, with lights twinkling, this early in the season.

CallieOK

Marilyne,  No, this is granddaughter Emily (Ellen's sister) who is studying for her Chiropractic Doctorate near Kansas City.  She has come and gone - on her way back to K.C., thank goodness. It's about a 4 1/2 hour drive - quite of bit of it in flat, open country.  Blizzard conditions are predicted for K.C. area tomorrow.  Don't know when her roomie expects to be back but it's much better for Em to be by herself in a cozy warm apartment than by herself in a car on a snowy highway. I did send sandwiches and cookies with her...just in case.

I planned to put away Fall/Thanksgiving decorations today but after staying up to "help"  ;)  my Sooners barely beat West Virginia,  I'll probably read and snooze.

One of the newly arrived books is "A Thousand Voices" by Lisa Wingate.  It's about a young woman of Choctaw heritage who was adopted into a white family and is searching for her biological ancestors.  It's set in the part of Oklahoma in which I grew up and I'm enjoying seeing familiar place names - as well as the Choctaw history the author has accurately worked into the story.

Sandy

Good Saturday Afternoon. 

I also like Danielle Steel books
to listen to when I go to bed
at night.    I set my timer to 1 hour so I
don't miss much if I fall asleep.  When
I wake up for my night time stroll I
set the timer again and go on listening.
Sandy
  "It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brains fall out."

― Carl Sagan

JeanneP

Callie. That sounds like a book I would enjoy. Will check library
JeanneP

maryc

Last evening I had a good post ready and lost it.   I shut the computer down and went to bed. :(
I wanted to comment on some of the posts here.   CallieOK,   I like the sounds of the Lisa Wingate book and will look for it soon.   I've enjoyed her writing.
     I do recommend The Underground River.  I took it back to the library today but it was too early to get inside to look for another  book, possibly the Wingate one mentioned here.
     Just finished one that I borrowed from Debby's library.   It was a Karen Kingsbury book called Between Sundays.   A predictable little story though had a good message about the plight of foster children when they reach the age of 18 if they have not been adopted by that time.  Also it was good timing as the story was set in San Francisco and mentioned several places that we had just visited recently.  Otherwise those places would not have meant much to me.   Today I picked up another at a little bookshelf in the local Diner we like to go to.   From what I've read already it is a newer publishing of an older story.  Actually it is Book 1 of a series but I'll see how the story goes.   Again it is a California story about a family who followed the Gold Rush.   This is another favorite subject for me.  I'm posting this before I lose it again.   :D
Mary C

Marilyne

I haven't done much reading the past couple of weeks. I was blaming it on Thanksgiving, but that was over almost a week ago, so I can't use that excuse any longer. I think I need a new, comfortable chair, but that's not going to be happening any time soon!  In the meantime, I'll try to "plump" up my old chair, with pillows and a back cushion!  It's raining today, which always puts me in a reading mood, so that should help me get started again.

Callie - your Lisa Wingate book, A Thousand Voices, sounds good. I really liked her latest book, Before We Were Yours.  It would be high on my list of favorite books that I read in 2018.  I have one of her early novels here to read - Good Hope Road.

Maryc - I still have Sold On Monday, sitting here waiting for me.  I haven't opened it yet.  The Underground River, also sounds good, but I'm going to have to read the books I have here, before checking out any others.   What's the name of the book about the California Gold Rush?  I'd like to add that one to my list.

Sandy - good to see you posting here.  I think it was MarsGal, who said that she also listens to audio books, when she can't sleep at night. Sounds like a great idea.  I'm such a poor sleeper, and I know that listening to a story would be very relaxing for me.  I used to listen to overnight talk radio, but those programs are no longer available.