I'm smiling at the discussion about using the DVD players.      I have trouble whenever I use ours.    My biggest problem is remembering that I need to set the "source".....AND THEN....after I have watched the DVD,  I forget to reset it and the next time I want to see TV,   I've forgotten and there is no signal for the TV.

My brother and I have a good laugh with each other over the "high tech" stuff like our telephones.    He was an electrician and did TV repair for a living many years ago but times have changed a whole lot!

I started The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and was looking forward to a good story.  I've heard so many good reviews, but I'm having a problem sticking with it.

Light, charming, warm and witty . . . four adjectives to describe The Coincidence of Coconut Cake!  I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book.  I never would have picked it myself, but because my dil gave it to me, and it was here, I felt obligated to read it.  So glad I did! 

This book will be especially enjoyed by all of you ladies who like to cook!  Lots of food descriptions, preparation, and recipes. It made me wish I had the opportunity to sample the large variety of food described throughout the story.   Also, if anyone here is at all familiar with Milwaukee, and the food, restaurants, and lifestyle, you will love this!

The story is about a young woman chef, who is just getting started in the restaurant business, and runs into some roadblocks that sabotage her new business endeavor.  She is very likable, as is her whole staff, and everyone else in the book.  This is pleasant summer reading, and I think most of you will enjoy it!

Marilyne, I am definitely going to look for that book.  I finished Donna Leon's latest book "The Waters of Eternal Youth" about her protagonist Guido Brunetti in Venice.  The occasional references to the meals his professor wife prepares sound delicious.  I hate to cook but enjoy good food and love to look at recipes.

FlaJean - I love that book title, The Waters of Eternal Youth!
The book sounds interesting, so I'll check my library tomorrow and see if they have it?  At the moment I don't have anything new here that I feel like reading, so that sounds like a good start!

I hope you can find "Coconut Cake" . . . I think you'll like it.

Jean, Roberta Pianaro and Donna Leon have a cookbook out called Brunetti's Cookbook which combines both recipes and excerpts from the books plus six original essays. It appears to be a retitling (and probably an re-editing) of A Taste of Venice: At Table with Brunetti which does not appear to be in print any more.

This is the best book I have read in a long time. Could not put it down and so it was 3:30 this morning when I finished it. Do have to say that I was crying for the last hour. (that takes a good story. A British writer. I had not seen her name before but looks like lots of books written by her. I look for LP so maybe that is why I don't see in library. I think this was written in 2013.  No many going to LP anymore.
Called "Me Before You" by Jojo Moyes. Hope I can find more by her.
I think that maybe now a movie out on it. But book as to be the way to go.
Has anyone else now read it?

A sequel of that book entitled After You was released 29 September 2015 through Pamela Dorman Books.

Bubble.  Yes I see that she has written about 30 books. Only 3 in LP.   I wondered if After You tied into the one I just read.  Will have to read in Small print.  I don't see any in the Library to put on my IPad of Tablet either.

I did find the book. "After you" now available at the library to go onto my IPad.  Got a list of people requesting it. 

Marilyne, our county library has the coconut book and I put a hold on the large print.  They have to get it from another branch library.  Looking forward to reading it.  In the meantime I am still reading The Storied Life of A J Fikry.

I've just finished The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, Jean. I couldn't resist finishing it even though our book discussion is only on chapters 4-6(Juming Frog...). What a tribute to small, independent bookstores, their owners and to readers everywhere. Such a gentle, sweet/sad book.

Ismay is into plays. It reminds me that I just saw a news item that the Allenberry Resort Inn and Playhouse is being sold at auction in July. It has been in business, in the same family, for over 70 years and has attracted some big names to its stage, including Jean Stapleton, Norman Fell, John Travolta, Eileen Brennan and Roy Schieder. Allenberry is just down Rt. 15 not too far from here.

FlaJean - Looks like we're doing a sort of virtual book exchange here!   You're reading Fikry, and waiting for Coconut in large print, while I'm finished with Coconut, and waiting for Fikry in large print. (Also coming from a branch in my library system.)   

JeanneP - Me Before You, seems familiar to me?  I think I may have read a review, or maybe someone here read it and recommended it?  I'll plan to get it from my library . . . it sounds good. 

It is 94 out but I need to dress better and head to the library. I notice they have FIKRY on hold for me.  Usually good TV on Sunday but they are still Pledging and so nothing worth seeing on the usual PBS . Need to pick up some DVD and couple books. Then go to the store.
That will be it. Back into cooler clothes.

MarsGal - I just saw your post about the closing of the Allenberry Resort Inn and Playhouse.  So sad, that so many of the summer theaters have closed.  I wonder if it's the expense of funding the productions, or if the public no longer is interested in attending?  Either way, I hate to see the end of that bit of American theater.  I like all of the actors you mentioned, most especially Jean Stapleton and Eileen Brennan. 

I didn't think I would like Fikry but once I got into it I couldn't put it down.  As Marsgal said, it was a gentle sweet/sad story, but it also gave me a few laughs along the way.

Marilyne, for now the Playhouse is still open. But that may change once it is sold. I am sure developers will be vieing for the property as it is prime real estate for development. The auction is set for July 12.

I now have the library large print version of The Storied Life of R.J Fikry.  Just opened it and started reading yesterday, and really liking it for the second time!  It's interesting, as to how much one forgets about a book! I remember the basic story, and yet I had forgotten the details, and the personalities of some of the characters.  I can already tell that it will be an enjoyable weekend read. 

I also have another large print book, that I'll read next. A Spool of Blue Thread, by Anne Tyler. She is not one of my favorite authors, but I have liked some of her books.  The best, IMO, is The Accidental Tourist - great story and wonderful movie. I read a few of her books after that one, but I don't remember the titles?  However, I've been meaning to give her another look, so decided on this new best seller, "Blue Thread".  I'm looking forward to it.

I am reading "The Storied life of RJ Fikry. So far not finding much of a story in it. Must be about half way through. Maybe something happens in the 2nd half.
After it I will read "The Invention of Wings"  Sue Monk Kidd. only other of her books I have read was "The Secret life of Bees.. The I of Wings is about Early 19th Cent. Slave time in Charlston NC... Bit of a change

Marilyne, I guess I misspoke about Allenberry Playhouse still being open. It is not. My sister has a friend who volunteers at most of the regional playhouses, Allenberry was one of them. So the website was never updated.

I picked up The Coincidence of Coconut Cake a couple of days ago but was in the middle of reading a book set in the late 1800s,  The Laws of Murder by Charles Finch.  Now I'm starting the Coconut book but not far enough along to know if I like it.

FlaJean - Don't be expecting Great Literature, from The Coincidence of Coconut Cake. Nothing there that's in line for winning a Pulitzer!   Just light summer reading.  A good example of "Chick Lit". 

Marilyne, I finished the "Coconut" book and enjoyed it.  My husband went to bed early as he was not feeling well, and I stayed up late to finish it.  I would love to have a slice of that cake but only if someone else makes it. 

I really loved reading The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, for the second time.  For me, a good book becomes even better, when you read it again.  I notice details in the story that I missed at the first reading, and always get to know and like the characters even more than I already did.

I love Gabrielle Zevin's writing style.  She brings all the quirky characters to life with her delightful dialogue.  I haven't looked yet, but I'm hoping she's written more books?   

Well maybe I should just read the book again in a few months.  I just could not see anything happening in it. Him finding that baby and raising her. Nothing interesting in meeting the Sales lady. Took 2 pages on the book that was stolen and then even though worth million it was just forgotten.  The mystery was told about it at the end. Nothing exciting there. Then he quickly died.  Maybe I read to many Mystery books and books on family affairs type thing. I am just starting "A spool of Blue thread" By Anne Tyler. It seems to be a messed up family type story.

Glad that others are enjoying reading it though.  I will try another Zevin's Book and so what I think about it.  Has she written many?

JeanneP - Regarding Fikry . . . the baby was left in the bookstore on purpose, by the mother!  He and the "sales lady", got married!  I'm sorry you didn't like the book, but we all have different tastes in literature, art, music and movies.     

Marilyn.  Now I did finish the Book. It was worth doing that.  Now didn't the baby also have his SIL husband as its father. (No one aware of it ). I sort of read into it someplace that it was that way. Like I say, will try again later. I have a few books on my list to do that.

         MaryC is here, just lurking around the corner!    I've been reading the posts but using the Kindle and I don't seem to have the capability to reply from that device.    By the time I get around to sitting down at my computer,   I've forgotten what I wanted to say.      We are doing ok.   Al seems  stable right now, though he is  weak and rests a lot.      Our refrigerator had a bad spell and when we had the service man here he added  refrigerant but said that there was no guarantee how long it would last.    He thought that to repair it would  be too costly soooooo we had to decide on what to buy from where.   I did make the purchase online from Sears and it was delivered yesterday.  Never a dull moment.    I would like to have some sort of birthday celebration for Al's 90th   in August.   Getting our family all together in one place at a convenient time for everyone is  proving to be a monumental task. 

I have been reading but right now I can only tell you the most recent thing.       That was one of Jodi Picoult's books called The Storyteller.    If you can't take the details of the Holocaust,   I wouldn't recommend it.    They story is interesting but there is a lot of time spent on those days.   OH,  I just remembered the book before that.   It was another by Catherine Ryan Hyde called  When I Found You.  That was one that I would really recommend.   Her writing never disappoints.    Today I read about Anderson Cooper's  book  The Rainbow Comes and Goes.    He is a favorite journalist of mine so I ordered it from the library.   We'll see how that goes.

I wrote this in response to the comments in the Cooking forum and then realized my comments were all about reading,  so I moved it over here.

Maryc, it is good to hear from you.  My son uses a Kindle and goes on the Internet.  So maybe there is a way you can post from your Kindle.  I usually post from my iPad and rarely bother posting from my computer anymore.  It is so easy to just sit in my swivel rocker and "rock and read or write".   It is making me lazy but at age 80 I deserve a little lazy time.

I also like Anderson Cooper and that sounds like an interesting book.  I'll check my library for it.

maryc - Good to see you back!  I'm glad Al is feeling better, and that you're all getting ready to celebrate his upcoming birthday.  I know how hard it is to get the family all together for any event . . . especially those illusive grandchildren!

I thought about you this past weekend, while reading the new book by Anne Tyler, A Spool of Blue Thread.  It's an excellent family story, that I think you'll really like. I plan to write more about it later this afternoon.