I downloaded a bunch of free Zane Grey books from iBooks and my husband is enjoying them.  When I was very young I remember we had a collection of those books.  I remember when my mom, dad and I motored twice to Calif. in the early 50s that we stopped at a lot of places I had never heard of at that time---Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, etc.  I wonder if my dad learned about them in those books.

I've never been fond of westerns but think I'll read one and see what they are like.  I did read "Betty Zane", an historical book Zane Grey wrote about his pioneering family, and it was very interesting.  I don't think I would ever have made a pioneering wife.

I'm looking forward to Jacqueline Winspear's new book "The Consequences of Fear" that is due out in another week or so.  She is a very good writer.  I often saw her "Maisie Dobbs" books listed but they never appealed to me until I read the first one, then I was hooked.  They are often listed as mystery genre but I find they are more just good stories with a bit of mystery thrown in as she is a woman investigator.  Definitely not your usual mystery stories.

Well, that is my post for the day.😁

Jean, I read a lot of westerns when I was young, but never read Zane Grey until I saw The Riders of the Purple Sage movie with Ed Harris when it was on TV. I have a few others on my Kindle that I haven't read yet (Betty Zane is one). There was one I started a few years ago and didn't finish. Don't remember which one. I remember, when I was little, my Mom had a friend who was a huge Zane Grey fan.

Right now I am reading a fantasy called Enemy by K. Eason. It is okay, nothing special. Easy read.

I've never read any books by Zane Grey,  but my husband has read and liked them all over the years.  I think it's about time, so I'll order a couple of them the next time I make a library request.

The best Western style novel I've ever read is,  The Ox-Bow Incident,  by Walter Van Tilburg Clark.   I highly recommend it.  One of those stories that lingers in your thoughts, long after you've read it.  It was also made into an Academy Award nominated movie in the early 1940's, starring Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, Anthony Quinn, and other excellent actors from that era.  It lost the Best Picture Award that year, 1943,  to  Casablanca.  It plays on TCM a couple of times a year, and is well worth watching.

Right now I'm waiting on a bunch of books that I ordered from the library.  Two by Marilynne Robinson, and two by Ann Patchett.  Another one is,  The Nightingale,  by Kristin Hannah.   I read it a couple of years ago, but want to read it again before I see the new movie . . . coming soon to Netflix!     

Of the Westerns I read long ago, The Virginian by Owen Wister stands out by a mile. Of the horse stories I read, though not Westerns, Black Beauty and The Black Stallion took top honors.I have some Westerns and Western non-fiction books in my TBR list, including a reread of The Virginian, and recent books about the Chisholm Trail and The Pony Express.

I've been trying to get my head out of so much SciFi and read other venues lately with a little success. Right now I am reading a fantasy called Enemy by K. Eason. Not bad. I think what carry the story more than anything are the author's way of writing the character's dialog and that the characters are likeable or you can empathize with them in their situation.

FlaJean, I wanted to thank you for mentioning Jacqueline Winspear.  I've heard of her but had never tried one of her books. I started with her first, "Maisie Dobbs" and I am enjoying it very much.  Winspear writes well and Maisie's story is intriguing.  I'll read more in the series.

I tried watching "Operation Finale" but it was a little too serious for me right now.  I could have read the story but the visuals affect me too much.  I'm really not much of a fan of movies.

Phyllis, I'm glad you like Maisie Dobbs.  I read most of the series before the pandemic.  I read the last several on "Libby".  I'll probably just buy the latest because who knows when our library system will digitize it.  They have an odd system in the way they digitize books, leaving big gaps in series.

Now reading Embers of War by Gareth W. Powell. This one won a BSFN award several years years ago. It is a novel that follows several people and a decommissioned warship in the aftermath of a war.

Another book by the same title, but non-fiction, is in my wish list que. It is about the origins and events led to the Vietnam War and our involvement in it.

Also reading The Adventures of the Infallible Godahl (1913), by Frederick Irving Anderson. Godahl is a writer of crime mystery novels who gets himself involved in real crime mysteries. He has something of an inflated ego.

MarsGal, Jean and Phyllis -  Good morning to all of you!   Some of the books I ordered finally came in at the library, so I have a nice selection here to choose from.  I started reading Commonwealth, by Ann Patchett, yesterday afternoon.   Like all of her novels, this one caught my interest immediately, so I know I'm going to enjoy the story.   

Does anyone else remember back a number of years, when we all read a book that was written by Patchett's mother?   It was a nice love story, about an older woman who owned a flower shop?  I remember that all of us liked it.  I don't think she ever wrote anything after that?   I'd like to maybe read it again, so I'll look it up later. 

Jean - I understand why  Operation Finale was hard for you to watch, when they showed footage from the actual concentration camps. Those pictures are real, and very graphic.    The basic story of Eichmann's capture in Argentina, and ultimate trial in Israel, was fascinating and was based on true facts. Of course, Ben Kingsley was wonderful, in his portrayal of Eichmann.

MarsGal - How did you like Embers of War?  I was never interested in reading true accounts or fictional novels of WWII, or WWI, but as I've grown older, I've been drawn to many of them, as well as lots of the older movies that were produced after the war.   Last night we watched, The Naked and the Dead, made in the 1950's, and adapted from the best seller at that time,  by Norman Mailer.  AJ liked the movie so much, that he is ordering the book.

Phyllis - I plan to also order Maisie Dobbs, when I finish with my recent order from the library.   I remember that you have HBO and I think Netflix?  Please give us a few suggestions for movie or series that you have enjoyed?  I know that nothing new has been produced during the Pandemic, so everything available now is old. . . still, I know there are many good shows that I haven't seen?    It will be nice when new ones start popping up on all channels! 

Marilyne, I don't have the book about the Vietnam War yet. It is, however, in my library wish list.

The one I am reading is the SciFi one, and it is interesting. Most of the characters are dealing with the emotional aftermath of a war which ended after a Hiroshima type attack. The story centers around a former warship converted to search and rescue missions and its' crew. The narrative of each chapter rotates between the different characters (from both sides of the former conflict) as the tale unfolds. So far, they are the ship itself, two of the four person crew, an intelligence agent, and the object of agent's quest who have a voice. Nevertheless, it is not hard to follow and not confusing. There are two more books in this series.

I haven't read any of either Ann Patchett or Jeanne Ray.

Marilyne, I honestly haven't found much of interest to watch.  I've been watching some documentaries mostly.  However, last night I watched "The Imitation Game" with Benedict Cumberbatch.  The story of Alan Turing.  He broke the Nazi code (Enigma) and is credited with shortening the second World War.  And, of course, had much to do with the early foundations of the computer.  It was a very good movie and well acted. If you haven't already seen it I think your husband would enjoy it, too.

And a few nights ago I watched "The Railway Children" and that was a pleasant movie though meant for a more juvenile audience.  I was looking for something with no violence, no foul language, no sex and that movie fulfilled all of that.  It is not a movie that has a great deal of depth to it but I enjoyed it because it was just "pleasant", for a change.

By the way, I have Netflix and Prime and a few other streaming channels but never found much I watched on HBO so I don't subscribe to that now.  I do have Roku and watch that lot.

I have tried two or three times to read Ann Patchett but just can't.   Just don't like her style.  I'm on my third "Mazie Dobbs" by Winspear and enjoying it very much.

Phyllis  -  I agree, The Imitation Game is is an excellent film!  Cumberbatch, was nominated for an Oscar, for Best Actor that year, but I don't remember if he won or not?  He surely did deserve to win. I haven't watched  The Railway Children  yet.  I've noticed it as I scroll through Netflix, but never stopped to read about it.  I assume it's along the same theme as,  The Orphan Train,  and other stories about children who were ether abandoned, or sent across the country by their mothers, in hopes of a better life?  That's a concept that is difficult for me to accept, but I understand that parents become desperate, and have to choose between the lesser of two evils.  Other books in that same genre, are, "Before We Were Yours", and "Sold On a Monday".    Heartbreaking stories, but supposedly based on fact.

Bel Canto,  was the first book I read by Ann Patchett, and I do think it's a hard one to get into.  I started it a number of times, and would give up on it, but then it suddenly "clicked" with me, and I couldn't put it down!  As you probably know, it's based on a true story.  Last year I read her most recent novel, The Dutch House, and I liked it so much that I bought myself a hard cover edition.  I read it again right away, and I know I'll read it, yet again in the future. Every once in a long while, a read a book that I simply must own!

MarsGal  -  thank you for remembering that Ann Patchett's mother's name is Jeanne Ray!  The book that many of of us read and liked here in this folder, is titled  Julia and Romeo.    If I remember correctly, it was a sweet love story, about an older couple.   
Callie  -  I think you might have been one who read it at that time?   

More later about the overwhelming selection of TV channels, movies, series,  and documentaries, that are available out there for us to enjoy . . . or not! 

I read Bel Canto and finished it but it was a struggle.  I assumed the same thing as you did about THE RAILWAY CHILDREN and had a surprise when it wasn' t about that at all.  The time frame is set long before the 2nd world war and the children that were sent away from the danger of the bombings, which I Thought would be the subject.. I repeat...it is a juvenile story but charming.
 

Thanks for the name for Ann Patchett's mom, Jeanne Ray.  I had read "Julia & Romeo" a long time ago.  It was a very sweet book.

Marilyne,  I've read several of Anne Patchett's books but haven't read "Julia and Romeo" by her mother.
 I searched for it but it isn't in e-book.   

Have had problems reading e-books and other things on my Tablet the past few days. #2 son took it home with him yesterday and computer tech dil discovered it had been affected by some sort of issue that hit Android devices all over the country. Took her over an hour last night to figure it out and fix it. 

Wasn't sure I could get to sleep last night without my usual "one more chapter" reading before turning out the light but I managed by pulling a book off my bookshelf.  Don't have a big collection but, once in a while, will re-read some of the choices.

Off on an adventure with sons/grandson this weekend.  Will be the farthest from home I've been in over a year.

Enjoy your weekend, Book Enthusiasts.
 

Callie, both B&N and Amazon have Julie and Romeo in e-book form.

I am really beginning to like the Libby app. Instead of all the nonsense on Overdrive of having to sign into Amazon to complete the loan process, I get to read it in Libby immediately. So now, I have Embers of War in .epub and Elizabeth Bear's Ancestral Nights in Kindle form on Libby. I think I will use Libby for all my library loans from now on. Right now I only have it installed on an old Kindle tablet, but I may just install it on one of my others too.

My library has offered the Libby app for quite a long time and I use it on my Samsung Android tablet.  I have liked it very much from the beginning.  Unfortunately, my Toshiba laptop is too old to install it and I still use Overdrive on it to read eBooks.  However, I've never had a problem with Overdrive.  As long as I can set the font size to my comfort zone I'm happy.

I like Libby and find it very easy to use.  My problem is our local library system.  My son is in a larger library system that uses Libby and he has a much better selection of digital books than we have.  So does it all come down to funding?

I was saddened to learn that novelist and screenwriter,  Larry McMurtry,  has died.  He was born in Archer City, Texas, in 1936, and he died there on March 25th, at age 84.

He is one of my favorite writers, and has been for many years.  I've enjoyed all of his books, and especially love the ones that were made into Academy Award nominated movies.    My favorite is,  The Last Picture Show,  but running a close second, is  Terms of Endearment.  I also liked the book and the miniseries, Lonesome Dove,  and the movie, Hud.  He  wrote the screenplay for many other movies, the most well known being Brokeback Mountain.

All of his novels take place  in Texas, where he lived most of his life. In recent  years, He opened an antiquarian bookstore in Archer City, named "Booked Up", which he ran himself.  He also had a personal library of 30,000 books!   He was married and divorced twice,  and has one son.

I was surprised that there wasn't more about his passing, on the news or online?  He led an extraordinary life, and was good friends with other novelists, like Ken Kesey and Stephen King.  However, I did some research, and found lots of interesting things written about him.  One of his long time woman friends wrote:  "The secret to McMurtry's extraordinary success was his characters. His books and movie adaptations were not plot-driven, they were character driven.  He was fascinated with women. He thought they were one of the great mysteries of the universe. He had no interest in men.  He said, 'If you want to learn about emotion, you have to go to women.'" 
 

Having never read but one Bronte sister novel (Jane Eyre), I have just started The Tenant of Windfell Hall by Jane Bronte. I haven't gotten to the novel itself yet, but the intro is very interesting. The author of the intro said that this book initially sold more books than Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Also, the book seems partly based on Jane's experience tutoring and has something to do with brother Branwell. Apparently something happened while she was tutoring at the same place as Branwell and something happened which greatly disturbed her but never spoke of. I am looking forward to getting into the story itself.

Almost finished listening to a short book authored and read by Michael Pollan called Caffeine: How It Created the Modern World.

It's been a while!!!    I was interested to read here that Jeanne Ray is the mother of Ann Patchett....I never knew!!   Jeanne Rays books were so light and fun to read.   I recently watched a rerun of of movie made from another book that I'd enjoyed earlier called  Big Stone Gap.  A happy ending story by Adriana Trigiani.

    Callie,  If you enjoyed Five French Hens,  I wonder if you have read Joan Medlicott's books about The Ladies of Covington?   Another group of older ladies whose adventures you might like.


   I wonder how many of you are signed up with Good Reads.   I find it a great place to track down something that I've read and for whatever reason want to go back to find title or author.

  I hope that the pressure of the past months is beginning to ease a little for you all as the vaccines are getting around.   I think we will be a lot more cautious in the coming months and years after this experience.

  Happy Eastertime everyone.

Tell me what this " Libby" is . Not heart of it.

JeanneP, Libby by Overdrive is a reading app designed especially for smartphones and tablets. https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby/ Scroll down the page to see the video. You will need to use Libby is a library card from a library that supports overdrive. Also, if you are using a Kindle tablet, Amazon does not support Libby, so you need to follow special instructions to install it.

IMO, Libby is easier to use than the regular Overdrive app. The only thing I miss is the wish list that I keep on Overdrive.Also, not all books I want to read are available in Kindle's format. Now, through Libby, I can read books in .epub on my Kindle as well as Kindle formatted books. Also, I don't need to sign in to Amazon to complete a borrow transaction like I do with the regular Overdrive app.

Well, something different for me, I am reading two books, neither of which are SciFi, and went back to listening some more on the non-fiction books I never finished.

In addition to Windfell Hall, I my copy of a tome called The First Man in Rome. It is the first of Colleen McMullough's Masters of Rome series. The .epub book says it is 1,000 pages, the print version is 1,147 pages.

Didn't read a thing yesterday. Amazing!

Good Morning MarsGal, and any other book lovers who look in today.    Nice that you're taking a break from Sci-Fi, and catching up with other books you've neglected.

I'm almost done with Ann Patchett's, Commonwealth.   It's a good family saga, but is very long and detailed, so is taking me longer than usual to finish.  Lots of interesting characters to keep up with.  I have two more library books when I'm done with this . . . the two Marilynne Robinson novels.

The Covid cases have diminished here in Santa Clara County. Very few new infections, so looks like the vaccinations are working to end this miserable plague.   By summer, I think businesses and restaurants will be open for inside service, and people will be returning to watch live sports events!  Schools are still mostly closed, but looks like there is hope for opening soon. 

We've watched lots of TV shows, series and movies, over this past year.  I'm grateful that they're available.   The 24 hour news programming is always there, to see first hand what's going on in the world. Mostly sad and unfortunate events happening every day so far in 2021.  Hard to watch, but I feel like I have to be informed.  We watch a movie or documentary  about every other night, and also keep up with the hockey games and college basketball.   

I finished the second in a row Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear so think I will take a break from her for awhile.  I just downloaded a book by Sue Monk Kidd named, "The Book of Longings" that sounded intriguing so I will start that today after I finish cooking the Easter dinner.  The main character is the wife of Jesus.  We'll see how far I get with it.

Happy Easter to All.

I finely joined Netflix. It's on desktop bot need to put on to. Started watching Franky and Grace. So far watched about 12 hrs and still not ended. Love it. 

Just nothing anymore worth watching on Xfinity. Yet paying to much. My wifi is so slow and Internet also. Going to call them again.

75 deg. Here today and so off out.

Don't know why print so small as I moved it up to  6 now. Keeps going back.

JeanneP -  Good to see that you got Netflix!  There's a large variety of shows and movies to see, which should keep you busy for a long time.  Be sure to put, The Crown, on your list of future series to watch.  I think you'll like that one a lot.  Don't worry about getting your print large enough in here.  We can read the regular size just fine!

Phyllis - The Book of Longings, sounds good. I will definitely order it from my library.    The only Sue Monk Kidd novel that I can remember reading, is The Secret Life of Bees, and I loved it!  I also thought the movie was excellent.  If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. 

I only watched one movie over the weekend - Algiers, from 1942, starring Charles Boyer and Hedy Lamar.  Any of you out there who are old enough, may remember the character, Pepe le Moco, and the famous line, "Take me to the Casbah!"  Neither AJ or I remember seeing the movie, but we both remember that line of dialogue.  Also, in later years, the cartoon character Pepe le Pew, was patterned after Charles Boyer . . . the French lover! 

Now I remember that movie. Oh! Charles Boyer.Did his eyes still excite. Always did me. 
finely gotten it working good on NetFlix. Guess that you have to sign up on each thing you want to watch it on. For me Desktop and one TV in living room. May start screening WILL also as the have all the Masterpiece on. Most I have seen over the year but will enjoy seeing again.

I finally, finally finished the audio book about the Silk Road (which went way broader than that) by Peter Frankopan. He is a 'bit' critical of the British and the US involvement in the Middle East especially since the 70s. And now, just when we become oil independent, the Biden bunch are going to make us oil dependent again until we increase our renewable energy output sufficiently. So, I guess the behind the scene shenanigans will continue. Forgive me for one of my rare political comments.

I laughed myself silly listening to The Adventures of Tom Strange, Interdimentional Insurance Agent. It was written by Larry Correia and narrated perfectly by Adam Baldwin (who played Jane in Firefly). I laughed so hard I thought I would crack a rib.