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Domestic Goddess: Pollock Fillets seasoned with Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper, Bush's Best Brown Sugar Hickory Baked Beans, Green Grapes and Chocolate Chip Cookies that my husband prepared.  Sorry about the previous type error with my last post.

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Domestic Goddess: Pollock Fillets seasoned with Mrs. Dash

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Library Bookshelf

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

Previous topic - Next topic

MarsGal

I am about half way through Under Heaven by Guy Gaviel Kay. Like his River of Stars, it is full of poets and poems, introspection, and superstitions, not to mention political conniving and untimely deaths. Women play a larger role in this one, from a sister who is made a princess and given as a bride gift, to Kaylin assassins, to courtesans, to concubines of very high level political advisers. While I can't say I am particularly fond of any one character (except maybe the sister) in this book, I can say that the story is just as compelling as River of Stars.

There are now two SciFi books waiting on me, one is the continuation of one of the two series I am alternating each month, and the other is by Martha Wells called All Systems Red, which is the first of her MurderBot Diaries series.

MarsGal

I finished reading Under Heaven. Both it and River of Stars, while only focusing on a small segment of time in ancient Chinese history, gave me a feeling of time flowing endlessly, diverging, flowing back again, the whirls and eddies and currents, the choices and unexpected events that alter a timeline from where they might have otherwise gone. Kay weaves in a rich mixture of history, myth, legend, superstition and religious ritual, poetry and poets, and descriptions of the land and culture. And, of course, the eternal conflict between bureaucratic and military interests. Some of the characters you meet were based on real people. The characters are somewhat inclined to be philosophical and introspective at times. Each choice you make, big or small, leads you down a path. Which path would you take, and where might it lead? What paths have you taken that were altered by unexpected events?

Now I am reading All Systems Red by Martha Wells. It is an easy read, nothing technical. The story is narrated by a Cyborg who is very sensitive to the slights, prejudice and jokes that are heaped on his kind. This is part of a four novella series. So I'll be done with it soon.

I am already thinking of the next book to read. Maybe I will go back to Ancient China and begin reading The Water Margin, also called Outlaws of the Marsh. Set during the Song Dynasty (same as River of Stars), and is considered one of the greatest works of Classical Chinese literature.

For my listening pleasure, I am now on Praetorian: The Rise and Fall of Rome's Imperial Bodyguard by Guy de la Bedoyere, which I like much better than Carthage Must be Destroyed. The book on Carthage was something of a disappointment except for the last chapter.

Marilyne

Sorry for neglecting this folder for so long. Too much going on here at home, so I put all of my reading and TV watching on hold for the duration!  I have a few books set aside that I haven't finished, but I'll review and catch up  . . .  starting tomorrow.

MarsGal - Good to see your messages here.  I admire you for choosing historical subjects for reading, like ancient China, Rome, et al.  It's wonderful that you have the desire to continue to learn!  I mostly stick to fiction, but I also like non-fiction, like the two books I most recently read called, Midnight in Chernobyl, and The Coddling of the American Mind.  "Chernobyl" is recent history, and "Coddling" is a writers opinion of why the so-called Millennials and their offspring, are so different from other generations.  Most of the historical non-fiction I like, deals with events from the 19th and 20th centuries . . . mostly the Civil War era, through World War II.

I hope we hear from others who often post in this folder?  Did anyone read, The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein?  I really liked that novel, and now anxious to see the movie!  It's just been released, and is playing in theaters here now.

JeanneP

Reading a book that I just got of the shelf . Love it. "The Girl who came home" by Hazel gaynor. Never heard of her. Ireland and the Titanic crossing and lives before and after.
I am just getting back into reading. finding Internet boring anymore along with TV. Peoples Phones have taken then over. Nothing better than books.
JeanneP

maryc

Marilyne,  Good to see you back  "among us".  I was ready to send a search party out.  Hope everything is ok with you and yours. 
  I just finished WOMEN ROWING NORTH.  It had lots of good thoughts but seemed to be slow reading for me.    I'm still working my way through OLD GRACEFULLY.  I like to stop and ponder and have been marking my book for future reference.  Guess I did the same with Women Rowing North.    I did  pick up another book by Ivan Doig,  THE WHISTLING SEASON.  I've started it and have a feeling that I read it before but will have to go a little deeper to find out.  Maybe I started and didn't finish.  I do like his writing style. 
    Wonder how CallieOK is enjoying FINDING DOROTHY?
  MarsGal,  You are way ambitious in reading all that ancient history.  My brother, age 93 just loves that kind of story as he is interested in that era. He relates all of that to me in our daily phone conversations and so I get some of it second hand.  :)  I've never gotten really into it but rather like more recent history and of our own country.  I'm sure it's a lazy mind but that's where I am!! :-[
Mary C

Marilyne

Although all my company has gone home, and my husband is feeling better, I still haven't returned to my regular reading routine.  I have two books checked out from the library, but haven't started either one of them yet . . .  The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, by Lisa See, and Home for Erring and Outcast Girls, by Julie Kibler.  The latter, I've had for over a week, so I'm going to start reading it over the weekend.

Maryc - I'm interested in reading The Whistling Season, and will definitely put it on my library request list.  I've read a couple of books by Ivan Doig, that I've liked a lot, although I can't think of the name of them at the moment?  ::)  ::)  I'm pretty sure that "Whistling" is not one of them, but I may be surprised! ha!  How nice that you talk to your brother every day.  I always enjoyed my phone conversations with my brother, and miss them so much.   He usually managed to made me laugh, and could change my mood from unhappy to happy.  We didn't talk every day, but when we did, it was always an upbeat conversation.  He was a "glass half full" person, and looked on the bright side of any issue, whereas I tend to dwell on the dark side.

JeanneP - good to see you here also.  Your book, The Girl Who Came Home, sounds good.  Any story dealing with the Titanic, is always very good and usually dramatic and exciting. 

So, it's now after 4:00 PM here, so time to start thinking about what to fix for dinner?  I think tonight will be leftover cold chicken, potatoes and a veggie or salad of some sort.  Not very creative, but too hot to think about cooking.

JeanneP

The memory keepers daughter by Kim Edwards. I just finished it . Another one hated to come to the end.
Just about given up now on computers, television gone back to reading books and sendin long letters hand written. People seem to be so taken up with Facebook. Texting. I give up. Even families have gotten hooked.
Going to send out a few emails to old addresses and see what happens.
JeanneP

MarsGal

Time to update my current reading. I finished listening to Praetorian and wish I had gotten the book. The book has a bunch of photos and lots of Appendices and Notes that are not included on the audio book. I didn't mind that so much with Carthage Must be Destroyed because I have already have several print books on the Punic Wars. I have not decided on which book to tackle next in audio format.

Just started reading The Water Margin (aka: The Romance of the Three Kingdoms). At 771 pages long, it is going to take a while. It looks like it is set
during the Han Dynasty (2nd Imperial Dynasty 206-220AD)and the Three Kingdoms period (220-280AD). Other than that, I am reading a SciFi short story.

My typing assistant has arrived. After neglecting his duties for several weeks, he seems to be interested in laying on the computer keyboard again.

I have rearranged my "media" room a little and still have some books to put back on shelves or purge.

MarsGal

#1898
Mighty quiet here this last week.

I just can't stay away from ancient history. My latest listen is The War that Killed Achilles by Caroline Alexander. I am enjoying it but she is not convincing when she says in her intro that the book is about Homer's take on war. Oh, she does make a few comments about how Homer shows the futility of war, etc. but for the most part it seems more a character analysis, and a synopsis of actions taken and how various characters reacted to those actions. Actually, the NYT Book Review pretty much sums up what I am thinking, as I listen to the book. Nicely done, but nothing new. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/books/review/Coates-t.html

Romance of the Three kingdoms is going well, except that all the different characters and their several names and titles used by many of them are confusing. I do recognize the actions that Guy Gavriel Kay used in his novels. Other than the confusion of names, the novel itself is easy to read, if a bit choppy at times. Most of the descriptions in the novel are limited to words and actions of the characters. It does not dwell on descriptions of gardens, clothing, social graces, etc. So, for example, you read that someone is gifted with fine clothing, but there isn't any description of the clothing. Very little is said of the battles or fights except for the opening engagements, which appear to be mostly between individuals (champions) before the main battle begins, and how maybe long the battles lasted before the adversaries break off.

I keep forgetting to get back to the Bulgarian history I was reading months ago. Part of that is because I had to send the ILL book back before finishing. I have an online copy bookmarked, but I (and my back) dislike reading long online articles and books that I can't download to read offline on my tablet.

Marilyne

MarsGal - I haven't deserted you!   Thank you for continuing to post messages, even though no one has responded in the past couple of days.  As I said before, I admire you for sticking with the ancient history.  I'm sure I haven't given it a fair chance, but I still have a long list of books to read here at home, as well as a others to be ordered from the library.

Maryc - Thanks for the recommendation for,  The Whistling Season,  by Ivan Doig.  I'm almost finished with it, and enjoying every page.  I like Doig's writing style and dialogue - easy reading and a good story.   His novels kind of remind me of Elizabeth Berg.  Always interesting and likable characters.

I saw a recommendation online, for James Patterson's, NON-fiction true account of the Jeffrey Epstein story,  Filthy Rich.  Embarrassed to say, I couldn't resist . . . I checked it out from the library. :-[   Patterson wrote this book a couple of years ago,  before Epstein's latest arrest and subsequent suicide. The incredible part, is that this behavior had been going on for years and years, and everyone, (meaning lawyers, celebrities, politicians, etc.), knew about it.  It will infuriate anyone to read this true story, and makes you lose even more faith in the rich and famous.  Money buys power!!  It really is an embarrassing expose of our criminal court system, and those who are in charge.  The most amazing thing of all . . . no one knows where Epstein's money came from?  He was a multi-billionaire, who lived in the biggest and most expensive house in NYC, and owned other mansions in other states, plus yachts, airplanes, and a private island?  Needless to say, it's a fascinating book.

MarsGal

#1900
I do like Ivan Doig's writing, so I will be looking into The Whistling Season.

As for Patterson's book. I remember seeing something about it a while back, but forgot about it.
Patterson is an interesting guy. I wonder if he will eventually write a memoir.

A break from SciFi, I have also started The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson. I doubt I will finish it though. It is a supernatural horror story. I am not into horror. H. P. Lovecraft credited Hodgson's writings as an influence on his own writing. I couldn't get through Lovecraft's writing either. Come to think of it, although I've seen the old movie, I couldn't finish Frankenstein either. Although I saw several Dracula movies, when I was young and have the book, I've never read it.

maryc

JeanneP,  Glad to hear you found The Memory Keeper's Daughter and liked it so well.   I read it some time ago but now think I will reread it.
   Marilyne and Marsgal,  I did really like The Whistling Season and it had a few little surprises that made it more interesting.  The very rural atmosphere of the family home and school community was a comfortable setting.  If you haven't already read This House of Sky by Ivan Doig,  I think you would like that too.  
   Debby and I went to one of our favorite second hand stores yesterday and I picked up a book of short stories by Robert Fulgrum....It was on Fire When I Lay Down on It.   This is a rerun and as you have heard me say,  I'm not into buying books.   I just thought I'd read through it and pass it on to one of the local book shelves.   It's light and quick reading that will bring a smile.
  I have just purchased an e-book called Elderhood by Louise Aronson.   It seems that the Baby Boomers have spurred an interest in growing older and what the possibilities of these extra years that many people of other times did not live to "enjoy?".   Jane Fonda and others have some very good TED TALKS on youtube.com on the subject.   My husband was fortunate to live to age 91 in relatively good health right up until his last couple of years.   I consider myself to be very healthy and ponder what it is I should be doing to leave things better when my time does come.  It's an interesting topic.
Mary C

maryz

All of Ivan Doig's books are good.  Another writer with series and stand-alones is Ferrol Sams - mostly a Southern writer.
"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."

Marilyne

MaryZ - Good to see you posting here in Library Bookshelf.  I've been watching for a message from you in BB, as to how you're doing since your surgery?  I hope okay, and that you'll begin to quickly get your strength back.  The only other Ivan Doig novel that I've read, besides The Whistling Season, is Last Bus to Wisdom, which I found out was his final book before his death in 2015.  There are lots of others, so I'll have a whole bunch to enjoy over Fall and winter!   Let us know what you've been reading, or listening to?  Also, please join us in the Television folder, with some suggestions for viewing.  You've probably had a lot of time  for watching TV in the past few weeks.

Maryc - I plan to look into Ted Talks, on YouTube.  Sounds interesting.  Jane Fonda usually has lots to say, so I'd like to hear her take on growing older?  She was born in 1937, so is turning 82 this Fall!  She looks 52, thanks to an abundance of cosmetic surgeries!  ::)

MarsGal - The Patterson book on Epstein, was very well researched and fascinating reading.  It's distasteful and sad, to read about the things that that man got away with over his lifetime - with help from lots of high profile lawyers, judges, politicians, and an endless supply of money. Wow, Prince Andrew, is certainly a "piece of work", as the saying goes.  I doubt we will be hearing anything more about him in the future.  I feel sorry for his two adult daughters.

JeanneP - I'm leaving you a message in the TV folder.

MarsGal

#1904
Arghhhh! Arghhh! triple Arghhhh!


I had a nice big post this morning on my laptop almost ready to post. Well, I lost it. Tried again and didn't get as far before I lost that one too, so I quit for a while. Now I am on my Linux machine and a keyboard I can get along with. Soooooo, now for my reading update report.

My last Audible listen was The War that Killed Achilles by Caroline Alexander. I enjoyed that very much. Now I am listening to Simon Winchester's The Professor and the Madman which is about the making of the Oxford English Dictionary. The early chapters are mostly about the "madman" who turns out to be an American veteran of the Civil War.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms is about half way done. I will have to renew it in a day or two. Meanwhile, I finished Martha Wells' Artificial Condition which is the second of her Murderbot series. It is a short and fast read. It doesn't have a lot of scientific/technical detail. The main character seems to have himself hooked of TV shows, which, it turns out, occasionally help the SecUnit interact with humans and enhanced humans. He does not consider himself human although he has human components. The closest thing I would say he resembles is a Cyborg, although Wells does not use that term.

Yesterday, being the 1st, was my download day for freebies from my Amazon Prime. From the Lending Library I downloaded the next of the Galaxy's Edge series I am in the middle of, and two from the First Reads section. The two I selected are of particular interest. One is Jan Stocklassa's The Man who Played with Fire which is about Stieg Larrson's (The Girl Who series) investigation into the assassination, in 1986, of Olof Palme who was Prime Minister of Sweden at the time. This is the first of Stocklassa's books translated into English. Stocklassa is a journalist who generally writes about international affairs.

The second is Patricia Cornwell's Quantum. This one is listed as a thriller. What is super interesting about this one is that it includes animation and videos embedded in the book. I remember reading something about that, probably in Publisher's Weekly, so I want to see how it does. Some of the Fire tablets and the apps for iOS and Android can take advantage of the feature.

maryc

Marsgal,I sympathize with you and your frustration about the disappearing posts. :(    I've had that happen and either didn't have time or gumption to go back and rewrite my thoughts again.I admire your ambition in reading.
   I'm giving up on the latest Ivan Doig book that I brought from the library.  I so enjoyed The Whistling Season and can't seem to get my head around this one in modern times.  Partly I think I'm too distracted to shift gears.   There is a lot going on with getting things done in the house and the garden for fall and the basement cleanout continues slowly but surely. 
MaryZ,  Sorry that I didn't catch on to your surgery.  Hope all is going well for you.
FlaJean,  It seems as though I haven't seen you posting here for a while.  R YOU OK? 
R YOU OK is the name of a program run by our local police department.   They have a auto telephone system that calls you phone number at a certain time each day.  If you don't answer, a call goes out to your contact number to check on your welfare.   This system may be across the country as well.   I don't know but I think it has value for persons living alone.
Mary C

FlaJean

MaryC, I do read the posts but very seldom post because I mostly read mysteries and that doesn't seem to be a popular genre in this folder.

I have read several books lately that are considered mysteries but are really just good stories.  I had read "The Paris Architect" several years ago but recently read it again because I liked it so well.  It is set in Paris in World War II.  The author, Charles Belfoure, recently published a new book "The Fallen Architect" which is set in Great Britain.  This is also a good story of an architect who was jailed after a balcony failed in a new building he designed.  Both of these books have good endings.  I no longer read sad or depressing books or books I don't like.  If I don't like a book I just put it down.  I used to suffer through and finish the book.

Mary, I miss the garden forum and Nat who used to be so interested in orchids.  There just aren't enough members now to keep, something like that going.  But I see you are still active in your yard.  Our yard in our new home is very small but we do have a few pretty flowers and bushes.

MarsGal

Jean, I keep downloading mysteries, but something else always sneaks in ahead. I did pick up and almost started the first of Tony Dunbar's Tubby Dubonnet series. Tubby is, if I remember correctly, a lawyer, and the setting is New Orleans.

Valtermar

#1908
My first post here at Library Bookshelf, invited by MarsGal.

(You did invite me, MarsGal, didn't you? :) ).

So much to write, so... where do I start? May be with how I read these days... Well, I do prefer using an ebook reader. Nowadays it is the Kindle, from Amazon, but I started with the Rocket-eBook in 2000. Then I changed to the Palm pilot, used it for many years, changed to iPod touch and then to the Kindle. None is easier than the Kindle to get a book ASAP. Once in a while I do read paper books. Pocket books used to be my preferred ones before the e-readers. Because I like to read SciFi books and they are hard to get in Portuguese, I accustomed myself to read them in English. So, for the last 20 years, 99 percent of the fiction books I read are in English. Read some in German, Spanish and, course, some in Portuguese as well.. I am not capable of fully understanding German, but it helps in learning the language, though.

maryc

Welcome Valtemar!  Nice to see a new name here.
FlaJean,  Happy to see your smiling face.😊👏. 
 Yes I miss the gardening forum.  I had never had an orchids but our grandson gave me a plant in bloom about three years ago on Mother's Day.  It finished blooming then and again about a year later.  I about decided that it wasn't going to bloom again.  All at once a blossom shoot started to appear.  It has now been blooming since July and doesn't show signs of fading.  There are eight blossoms on the stem.
Mary C

FlaJean

Welcome, Valtemar!

Maryc,  I did give orchids a try, but didn't have much luck.

Marilyne

Valtemar - Good to see you posting here!  Most of our readers here prefer Kindles, iPads or other types of e-readers.  I have a Kindle, but I still love a real "old fashioned" hard cover book.  I usually order them from the library  whenever possible. If not possible, then I use my Kindle.  So,  you're a science fiction fan?  You and MarsGal, will have a lot in common!  I prefer historical fiction, but I like reading all genre's of fiction, and non-fiction as well.  What are some of your favorite books? 

so_P_bubble

FlaJean I too like a good mystery/thriller. Patricia Cornwell, P.D.James and Mary Higgins-Clark are my favorites with Elizabeth George.

But the best for me is still S-f!
I read mostly on my I-Pad, (or Kindle if I am in a waiting room for long) but I would prefer real books when I have a choice or the budget!

MarsGal

Bubble, the Patricia Cornwell I picked up a few days ago for my Kindle will be my first for her. I won't get to it until later this month, but am anxious to see how the new animation/video features in the book at work.

Oh yes, Valtermar, I could not pass up a chance to converse with another SciFi reader. I am sorry to hear that not many are translated into Portuguese. Are there any Portuguese SciFi writers? Some of my favorite SciFi writers are John Scalzi, Hugh Howey, Marco Kloos, Daniel H. Wilson, Jack Campbell, and Jack McDevitt. Currently I am reading the Galaxy's Edge series by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole, and Craig Alanson's Expeditionary Force series. I also have an interest in Chinese SciFi. And, although I am not a gamer, I have read many of the HALO books.

MarsGal

Valtermar, I am a big fan of Project Gutenberg. http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page They are dedicated to making available books that are no longer copyrighted. Out of curiosity, I checked their listing of books in Portuguese. http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/languages/pt

Valtermar

Maryc and FlaJean, thank you for the welcome messages.

Marilyne, I do have favorite genres but I can't say I have favorite books, except that some do seem special. I am a fan of the late Isaac Asimov. Some of his books I read three, four, even five times already. As for genres, I also like detective and adventure stories. In that regards, some of Asimov's books were both SciFi and detective stories, like Caves of Steel, for instance.

MarsGal, I can remember just one Brazilian SciFi writer. I read his book but didn't like it much. It is possible there are others I am not aware of.

Isn't it interesting that you have mentioned these many SciFi writers and I do not think I have read any of their books? I take it as a clue there are a lot of them, which I think it is a good thing.

Among the SciFi writers I enjoyed reading are A.C. Crispin, Alan Dean Foster, Anne MacCaffrey, Arthur C. Clarke, Ben Bova, Bruce Sterling, David Brin, Douglas E. Richards, Elizabeth Moon, Greg Bear, James P. Hogan, James White, Jeffrey A. Carver, John David Krygelski, Joshua Dalzelle, Jules Verne, Lois McMaster Bujold, M. C. A. Hogarth, Michael Crichton, Orson Scott Card, Richard K. Morgan, Richard Phillips, Robert A. Heinlein, Robert Harris, Robert J. Sawyer, Sharon Lee, Stephen Baxter, Vernor Vinge and William Shatner.

so_P_bubble

And what about Aldriss, Benford, Bradley, Brin, O. Butler, C.J. Cherryh, H. Harrison, R. Sawyer, S.S. Tepper, J. Pournelle, F. Herbert?

Valtermar

#1917
Hi, Bubble! I started reading White Mars, from Brian Aldiss, some years ago, but didn't like the story and the writing style...

By Gregory Benford I read Foundation's Fear and The Martian Race, which I liked, and Against Infinity, which I didn't like. He does have a good number of books and I keep some of them in mind for future reading...

By Bradley you mean? Bradley Denton or Marion Zimmer Bradley or...?

David Brin and Robert Sawyer are on the list and I remember I read Sawyer's book Factoring Humanity last March, after you suggested his name to me. Other of his books I read are Illegal Alien, Starplex and The Terminal Experiment.

From C. J. Cherryh, that I can remember, I read Visible Light SS, a collection of short stories, which I liked.

Can't remember if I read any of Harry Harrison , Jerry Pournelle, Octavia Butler and Sherry Tepper books...

I read, tried reading in fact, one of Frank Herbert books. I found he liked his characters to have very very long monologues. I didn't find it enjoyable. But I liked the film Duna, inspired in his books, both the old and the new film versions.

Anyone that you would specially recommend?

Valtermar

Hi, Marilyne!

I wonder if you read Stephen Baxter trilogy Destiny's Children, and specially the first book, Coalescent. In this book Baxter tells the story of Regina, starting in the ancient Rome empire, with a historical perspective.

There is also Len Deighton's Series Bernard Samson, starting with Winter, the first book, with a good perspective of the life in Austria and Germany before and during the World War (not a SciFi fiction, though).

Valtermar

Hi, MarsGal!
Thank you for the suggestion of Gutenberg project, and the list of books in Portuguese.

As to the authors John Scalzi and Hugh Howey, any book from them that you would specially recommend, for a start?