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Library Bookshelf

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

Previous topic - Next topic

Marilyne

We had company over the weekend, so I didn't get any reading done whatsoever.  As I've gotten older, it's impossible for me to concentrate on more than one thing at a time. ???   No more multi-tasking, under any circumstances . . . Which I was never adept at doing, even when I was young.  ::)

Tome and Callie - I will start with the first or earliest Evanovich book, that they have at my library. I've learned that many of the popular series novels, such as these, are no longer available in hardback, but only in audio.   Last year, many of you recommended the Tony Hillerman, books, and I did get two of the Joe Leaphorn series, at my library.  Only two, in my huge county library system!  Reason being that this system no longer replaces books that are worn, lost, or out of print.  I prefer a real book to my Kindle, so if they no longer have what I want, I cross it off my list, and move on to something different. 

MarsGal - I started reading The Bookshop of Yesterdays, before the weekend, but had to put it aside.  I'll continue on with it today.  So far I like it.   Did you ever read The Man In the High Castle?   We just finished watching the series on Amazon Prime, and liked it a lot.  We were disappointed or confused at the ending, so I would like to read the book, and maybe figure out what happened??   I see there is a wait list at the library now, so I guess others were puzzled by the ending too?    If you haven't seen it, it's streaming on Amazon.  Really a unique story, and very thought provoking.

MarsGal

Marilyne I have neither read the book nor seen the series. I am not fond of Philip K.Dick. I can remember only getting through one of his short stories years ago.

I just borrowedWe, a Russian dystopian SciFi by Yevgeny Zamyatin. I wonder if I will get through it. The second is Slow Horses, the first of the Slough House novel series, by Mick Herron. This series about a department within MI5 which is described as a dumping ground for failed intelligence agents. Apple TV has commissioned a TV series based on it with Gary Oldman starring.

phyllis

I have to agree with MarsGal on Phillip Dick and "The Man in the High Castle".  I watched the first season and never could figure out what was going on so I'm sure if the ending confused you, Marilyne, it wouldn't have made any sense at all to me.  I always enjoyed watching the work of Rufus Sewell but just couldn't accept him in this role.  I liked him much better in "Victoria".

I'm enduring a reading wasteland right now.  I haven't found anything that I can enjoy and most of the so-called good books are on very long waiting lists. 
phyllis
Cary,NC

PatH2

I tried to read The Man in the High Castle tthree times, and always got stuck at about the same place.  Guess it's not for me.  I've liked some of his books, though.

phyllis

#2164
I met a very nice, and well-read, woman at the beauty shop yesterday and we started discussing books.  She loved "Where the Crawdads Sing" and said everyone in her book club did.  I did not, which seemed to surprise her.  When I asked what she was reading now she recommended "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles.  I got the e-book downloaded from my library but haven't started it yet so we will see.  She invited me to join her book club but they meet at night and I just can't go out after dark.
phyllis
Cary,NC

so_P_bubble


A very good book that came to me highly recommended:
Corelli's Mandolin  by Louis de Bernières.  I think you will like the character and it is well written, just a bit hard to get started.

MarsGal

Phyllis, our online discussion group did A Gentleman in Moscow quite a while back. They loved it. I wasn't in the mood for that kind of story so I passed it up.

Bubble, I've had Corelli's Mandolin somewhere on my bookshelf for years but have yet to read it. I did see the movie.

I finished Moonglow Cafe. It had a nice twist to it. Now I am reading Slow Horses by Mick Herron. Part of his Slough House series, it is about a bunch of MI5 operatives who screwed up badly and got shunted off to an obscure division.

I am giving up on A Long Time Until Now by Michael Z. Williamson. A time travel story, it has an interesting storyline: various groups of people transported back in time to the stone ages. The first group is a platoon of US soldiers, and where I am at now, they have just made contact with a group of stone age peoples. What has me stopped is that after five chapters I am still reading about their various potty breaks and habits - at least two such potty breaks per chapter. Excessive to my mind, is really turned me off. When I went back to read customer reviews of the book, I discovered only one person who mentioned it. Several mentioned that it spends way too much time making and breaking camp and not enough developing interaction between the other groups they meet. The other thing that stopped me is that I had thought this was a single, but no, it appears to be the first of a series. At least one customer review complained that the ending was left hanging. Two strikes. I am not waiting for a third. It goes back.

phyllis

I am loving this book..."A Gentleman in Moscow".  It is entirely different from what I expected to read about the time of the Russian revolution.  It is funny, insightful, thoughtful, with charming characters and so very well written.  The best book I have read in a very long time.
phyllis
Cary,NC

Marilyne

#2168
Phyllis - interesting that you met a woman, whose entire book club, really liked Where the Crawdad's Sing.  As I mentioned before, there are countless stories out there about children surviving on their own or with other children, or taking care of an alcoholic father, mother, etc.  If we all look back, I know we can remember many books we've read with that familiar theme . . . starting with Charles Dickens! 

Some I accept and like very much, but others are just too far "over the top" for me . . . "Crawdad's", being one.  I just can't accept the idea that a seven year old could survive and maintain throughout her entire childhood and teen years, totally alone, with no help from anyone. (Except for the kind black family, who helped her by buying shellfish from her, and providing her with some level of compassion).  Other than that, the entire town knew she was there and ignored her.  If this story had taken place 20 years earlier, in 1932, in the depths of the Depression, it would have made some sense, but it started in 1952!  That was modern times!  We all remember 1952, and know that there were rules in place, for abandoned or orphaned children.  Whether she liked it or not, she would have been found and sent to a foster home or orphanage - not left to fend for herself at age seven, with the possibility of starvation, or getting sick and dying.   Of course, then there wouldn't have been an exciting story of survival, against all odds?   Sometimes we have to suspend logic, and just go with flow of the story, which most readers apparently do.  In this case, I didn't. 

Not sure how, The Man in the High Castle, is classified?  Kind of a mix of dystopian, fantasy and Sci-Fi??   The story is based on the premise that the Nazi's and the Japanese, won World War II, and it is now into the 1960's, and Americans are under their rule.  The East Coast belongs to the Nazi's, and the West Coast is ruled by the Japanese.  The middle part of the US, is called The Neutral Zone.   The characters and the stories that are taking place in all three parts if the country are very interesting, I thought.  The underground movement discovers, The Man in the High Castle", who has films depicting an alternate life - where America won the War, and everyone is living the normal life we remember from the 1960's.  That is the beginning of all sorts of intrigue, and "visits"  to the alternate worlds.   

Yes, it was confusing at times, but good watching nonetheless. Lots of really good actors, although not well known?  My favorite characters were Juliana, and John Smith, the two main protagonists.    I also liked John's wife Helen, and Noboku, (sp?) the Japanese Trade Minister.   

I'm not usually a fan of most shows of this type, but for those of us who actually remember World War II, it's a thought provoking story.  Younger generations, probably wouldn't understand it at all.  You have to be old, to remember the Nazi war criminals, (still living in this story), as well as the frightening possibility that our enemies could have won the war. 

MarsGal

Take your pick, Marilyne. The Man in the High Castle is alternate history which is a subgenre that can be put under any of the science, fantasy, historical, or literary genres. These days you will also find it listed as a subgenre of speculative fiction which some writers prefer to call their works.

Okay, I have settled in with reading Slough Horses by Mick Herron. It is about a department of MI5 which houses failed operatives who for one reason or another were not outright fired. It is relatively funny and an enjoyable read.

The audio book I am listening to is a fantasy, but, as it turns out, is even more funny. The Red Queen's War (book one of a series) by Mark Lawrence follows a prince, too far down the line of succession to count as he gets into various scrapes. He describes himself as a liar, a cheat and a coward. It has me laughing out loud. The reader, Tim Gerard Reynolds, is very good at changing voices. Reynolds primarily focuses on fantasy novels. I put him right up there with Grover Gardner, Paul Woodson, R.C. Bray, and Ray Porter as my top five audio book voices.

maryc

In my library browsing the other day I came across another book by Ivan Doig.  This title caught my attention.  It is Dancing at the Rascal Fair.  It was written back in 1987 and is the story of two young Scotsmen who came to America and on to Montana in the late 1800's.  It is a large book and written in small type.  I wondered if I could handle that but it started off so well that I'm sure that I'll get through it.  You don't have to read far to learn about the title.
Mary C

so_P_bubble

Any one read The World Is My Home
By James A. Michener ? It sounds interesting.

"Michener's own life makes one of his most engaging tales" (Entertainment Weekly): In this New York Times bestseller, a Pulitzer Prize–winning author shares his own extraordinary story. "The Michener saga is as full of twists as any of his monumental works" (Chicago Tribune).

CallieOK

Bubble,  I thought I'd read all of Michener's books but had never heard of this one.  It isn't available in e-book from my library but was on a list of books I could recommend.  So I did.    If/when they ever purchase the e-book, I'll be first on the list to get it.

I'm currently trying to catch up on the Janet Evanovich "Stephanie Plum" series.  Learned recently that the most recent one is "Twisted Twenty Six" - and I thought she had stopped the numerical series with "Takedown Twenty".  Easy reads since the plot is always similar.  :)

The March Book Club discussion is "The Guest Book" by Sarah Blake (NOT the "chick flick" with the same title by Marybeth Whalen!). I'm the discussion leader so purchased a copy and am trying to re-read it and take notes.  Feel like I'm back in an English Lit class - which I never did well in because I never quite "get" metaphors and other author devices.  ;)  I've also found some info on the author and some critical reviews on line that I hope to use.

PatH2

Maryc, we read Dancing at the Rascal Fair a long time ago on our sister site.  You won't be disappointed.

maryc

Good morning Pat,  So far this is another of I.Doig's great stories.  Did you also read the earlier books by him?  I read This House of Sky and The Whistling Season, both winners IMHO.  ::)
Mary C

FlaJean

I put "A Gentleman in Moscow" on hold but noticed the same author, Amor Towles also had written "Rules of Civility".  That digital book was available so will read that while waiting for A Gentleman in Moscow.

Marilyne

MarsGal - I really liked, The Bookshop of Yesterdays.  One of those books that I've been thinking about it a lot since I finished it.  That's usually a sign that it was a good book for me, and that I won't soon forget it.  There were few problems, like the fact that it did drag in parts, and it had a predictable storyline, (concerning Miranda's father). I agree with you, that the author definitely had trouble ending the story in a timely manner.  She spent way too much time, and too much detail, explaining why each of the major characters did what they did, over the years, and why things turned out as they did.     In spite of that lengthy explanatory ending, I liked it, and would recommend it to anyone who likes a unique type of family story. 

maryc - I read, Dancing at the Rascal Fair, at least 20 years ago. At that time, the author, Ivan Doig, meant nothing to me, but the story made an impression on me, and I do remember liking it a lot.   I think "Rascal", must have been one of his first books?   I wasn't until last year so when I read, The Whistling Season, Bus to Wisdom, and,  This House of Sky, that I saw "Rascal" was also written by Doig.   There are lots more books by him, and now that you've reminded me how much I like his style and his stories, I'll check the library, and see what else they have?

I'm also interested in, A Gentleman in Moscow, so will see if they have that one, as well as Rules of Civility.

phyllis

Flajean and Marilynne, I hope you enjoy "A Gentleman in Moscow" as much as I am.  Happy reading!  I would like to read this author's "The Rules of Civility", too, and hope I can find a digital copy when I am ready.
phyllis
Cary,NC

FlaJean

#2178
I read the "Rules of Civility" (which was his first book) but I didn't really care for or understand the characters so didn't enjoy the story.  I have "A Gentleman in Moscow" on digital hold and I'm looking forward to see how I feel about this second book.  Charles Belfoure wrote "The Paris Architect" which I liked so well I have read it several times.  His two other books I didn't care for at all.  The characters in a story make all the difference to me in the way I feel about a book.  That is probably not the way you are supposed to judge a book.

PatH2

"That is probably not the way you are supposed to judge a book."

It's a fine way to judge some books.  You're going to be living inside the heads of the characters, and if you can't stand them, it's no fun.

FlaJean

Phillis, I read "The Gentleman in Moscow" and thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was a little slow in the beginning but after he met the little girl Nina, the story really held my interest from that point forward.  My husband also read it.  I didn't think it would be his type of story but he also enjoyed it and we had a couple of good discussions about it.

phyllis

#2181
Flajean, I hoped you would like it.  I finished yesterday, too, and was sorry to do so.  I slowed my reading as much as I could as I got near the end.  I loved the tie-in to the movie  "Casablanca" at the ending.  I'll start on "Rules of Civility" soon but not sure if I'll enjoy it as much.  But, I shouldn't pre-judge.  I'll keep an open mind.  I might find that I like it just as much.....maybe.   <grin>
phyllis
Cary,NC

Marilyne

Phyllis & Jean - A Gentleman In Moscow, was waiting for me at the library yesterday. It's in large print, so will be a comfortable read for me.  I'll start reading this afternoon, and I'm looking forward to it.  The other book I had on hold, is called The Light We Lost, by Jill Santopolo.  I don't remember where I saw it recommended, but it sounded good so I'll see how it goes.

MarsGal

Tom Hanks is a co-producer and stars in a movie version of News of the World which will release the end of December. There aren't any trailers yet, but I did find this video of the author talking about the book and her inspiration for it.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Agp-0DObUo It is the kind of thing that seems a natural fit for Hanks. I am very much looking forward to it.

Marilyne

MarsGal- Thanks for the update on News of the World.  I've been following the progress of the movie, on IMDB, and I agree that it sounds like a winner. The minute I heard that Tom Hanks had purchased the rights to the story, I knew it would be a good movie, and that he would be perfect as "The Captain".  I didn't recognize the name of the young actress who is playing Johanna, the young girl.

I'm about half way through, A Gentleman in Moscow, and enjoying every minute of it!  What a good story it is!  More on my thoughts, when I finish.

JeanneP

My Library found the Gentlemen in Moscow for me but print to small. They have now found one in LP at a out of town library. Will get it next week. Can't wait to read it. Sound so good.
JeanneP

Marilyne

A Gentleman in Moscow: I very much enjoyed this book!  So different, and so full of style, charm, and likable characters. The dialogue was a pleasure to read.  I'll always remember Count Rostov, as one of my favorite fictional characters, of all time.   

It surely did give me a different perspective on the aftermath of the Russian/Bolshevik Revolution!  So well written with precise descriptions.  I have a clear picture in my head of the rooms in the Hotel Metropol, the Boyarsky dining room, and especially the attic room, where Rostov lived, for most of the remainder of his life.  Highly recommended for those who like to read historical fiction. 

JeanneP

I am hoping they can find me that book in large print. Sounds so good.
JeanneP

phyllis

I am so pleased that all of you share my opinion of "The Gentleman In Moscow".  A casual meeting of a woman at my hair salon led us all to a nice reading experience.  I am grateful she was kind enough to share her enjoyment of her book club's current read.  I would have liked to have known a Count Rostov and all of his friends.  I just received "Rules of Civility" by the same author.  I am not expecting the same level of enjoyment as I did with "The Gentleman...." but hope that it will be good when I finally get started on it.
phyllis
Cary,NC

Tomereader1

The "level of enjoyment" will be different, but you will enjoy it.  I know i did, and the real "rules of civility" in the back of the book are wonderful.