Library Bookshelf

MarsGal · September 21, 2022, 02:27:24 PM

I am almost done with Dogs of War, just a few pages to go in the epilog. Best I can tell from the author's description, the "dog" is a combination of dog and human (he has hands) genes and lots of hardware infrastructure and computer augmentation. There are some gruesome scenes, but the story is essentially focused on the dog part wanting to follow instructions and please his master and the sudden need to make decisions on his own. The loss of communication with his master forces him to make decisions on his own which involves trying to learn right from wrong, who is trustworthy, who is lying, etc. As the story unfolds, it becomes a fight for freedom from bondage, to make his own decisions, the right to be treated fairly including in courts of law, and all that follows. In other words, it is one of those "uplift" stories that are becoming popular these days. It is also a peek at what future wars may look like when we go beyond using simple robots. Nicely done.

This year Geraldine Brooks came out with a new book, called Horse. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jun/10/horse-by-geraldine-brooks-review-a-confident-novel-of-racing-and-race. I am going to have read it, and March, and Caleb's Crossing as well.

Tomereader1 · September 21, 2022, 04:50:01 PM

Seven husbands? Hmm, maybe ZsaZsa Gabor?

Marilyne · September 23, 2022, 04:13:33 PM

I'm not far enough into Evelyn Hugo yet, to make any guesses as to who the title character might be patterned after? I think it's a compilation of glamorous movie stars from The Golden Age of Hollywood - circa 1930's, 40's and 50's. The interesting part to me, is that the author, Taylor Jenkins Reid, wasn't born until 1983, so she wasn't living during that time frame. Also, none of the legendary stars are still alive, so no first hand interviews. She obviously did plenty of research, and must have watched lots of old movies! So far it's a good story, and I can see why it's a best seller, and why Netflix is making it into either a series or a movie.

MarsGal · September 24, 2022, 07:42:29 AM

One of my holds, Full Dark House, just became available. It is the first of Christopher Fowler's Bryant and May series. Set in London, Bryant and May work for the Peculiar Crime Unit. I am going to start it today. It and Grey Lady (Henry Seton Merriman), which I have neglected for a few weeks, should keep me away from the SciFi for a week or two.

The Grey Lady reminds me a bit of Jane Austen's works but are set during the Victorian Era, including a dominating rich lady, withheld inheritance, young lady of marriageable age, two brothers, one favored the other not, etc. A bit bland, not bad, not great either.

Marilyne · September 25, 2022, 11:58:54 AM

MarsGal, Callie, and anyone else who reads this discussion: Something new and good on the horizon for young people who want a well rounded old-fashioned education, as well as learning basic life skills! The Old's-Cool Academy sounds wonderful to me.
Please read this short article, and tell us what you think?
https://www.oldscoolacademy.com

CallieOK · September 29, 2022, 08:35:07 PM

Marilyne, For many years, I've been an advocate for the "middle level" student - the ones who don't have straight A's, excel in sports, participate in special groups (like choir/band/pep club/etc.) nor are they ones who are "challenged" in some way and given special treatment based on their particular needs/abilities.
They are the ones who just make average grades, want to get a diploma, earn a good living and live independently.

So I think the Olds Cool Academy sounds like a "pie in the sky" idea. You can, if you want to, read/listen to/learn to appreciate classical literature/music/etc. on your own. However, learning a skill that leads to a job doing "practical" work takes concentrated training and this doesn't sound as if that's emphasized that much.

And that's strictly IMHO - I don't intend to criticize anyone who has a different opinion.

Changing subjects How are you coming with "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo"? I'm on "husband #4 and think the author certainly has "worked in" a lot of relationship varieties!!!!

Marilyne · September 29, 2022, 10:34:07 PM

Callie - I think the purpose of Olds Cool Academy, is to provide an education in subjects that are no longer required or even available in most colleges and universities. In other words, a well rounded education.

"Unlike most schools, which are either academic or vocational (or specifically-focused on getting the applicant a job), the Academy will have the students immerse themselves in the Great Books, to be awed and enlightened by the deeply human and valuable perspectives and answers these classics can still bring to their everyday.

Students will also be studying traditional craftsmanship–e.g. woodworking, penmanship, beer-brewing–the thrill of the drill, the quill, and the still, so-to-speak. As well as business etiquette basics, and, although pooh-poohed in today's real-whirled immediacy and relentless pursuit of gratification, so many other simple but enriching life skills like patience, being humble, and truly grateful".

I'm halfway through, "Evelyn Hugo", and I like it! I've settled on one famous star that I think the main character might be patterned after? IMO, it's definitely not Elizabeth Taylor, or Zsa Zsa Gabor.

MarsGal · September 30, 2022, 06:36:46 AM

Sounds nice. It is only a one-year program. I think it would fit into the Liberal Arts category.

MarsGal · October 07, 2022, 02:36:05 PM

Oh, good Marilyne. I am not particularly keen on movie star type books, but I am interested in how you like her writing. Just this morning I added Forever Interrupted to my library wish list. It is also by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The library lists eight of her books; four of them are also in audio book form.

Tomereader1 · October 07, 2022, 08:59:20 PM

Just for fun here's the list of books my f2f book club has on our agenda through February: December - A Christmas Carol; January - All the Light You Cannot See; February - The Night Watchman; Louise Erdrich. We also have two alternates in case the moderators can't be found (LOL); The Anomaly by Herve LeTellerin; or the play "Uncle Vanya" I think The Anomaly sounds like something MarsGal might like.

CallieOK · October 07, 2022, 09:27:07 PM

I finished "Seven Husbands..." but wouldn't recommend it for discussion or book club. Will be interested in Marilyne's comments.

Now reading "The Best Of Everything" by Rona Jaffe. It's about several NYC career girls in the days before Women's Lib and what each had to put up with in the office atmosphere.

Tome, your book club's choices sound interesting. I've heard of "All The Light You Cannot See ".

CallieOK · October 07, 2022, 10:15:48 PM

This is a hugely long post but I copied/pasted what the chairman of my P.E.O. Book Club just sent about the next selections. I'm pretty sure she got the synopses from Good Reads:

OCTOBER: "Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus. Elizabeth Zott does not have "moxie"; she has courage. She is not a "girl boss" or a "lady chemist"; she's a groundbreaker and an expert in abiogenesis ("the theory that life rose from simplistic, non-life forms,") . Not long after Zott converts her kitchen into a lab equipped with beakers, pipettes,and a centrifuge, she gets hoodwinked into hosting a staid television cooking show called "Supper at Six." But she isn't going to smile and read the cue cards. Zott ad-libs her way into a role that suits her, treating the creation of a stew or a casserole as a grand experiment to be undertaken with utmost seriousness. Think molecular gastronomy in an era when canned soup reigned supreme. Baked into each episode is a healthy serving of empowerment, with none of the frill we have come to associate with that term.

NOVEMBER "The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot" by Marianne Cronin Life is short. No-one knows that better than seventeen-year-old Lenni living on the terminal ward. Dodging doctor's orders, she joins an art class where she bumps into fellow patient Margot, a rebel-hearted eighty three year old from the next ward. Their bond is instant as they realize that together they have lived an astonishing one hundred years.
To celebrate their shared century, they decide to paint their life stories: of growing old and staying young, of giving joy, of receiving kindness, of losing love, of finding the person who is everything. As their extraordinary friendship deepens, it becomes vividly clear that life is not done with Lenni and Margot yet.

December "The Secret Keeper of Jaipur" by Alka Joshi Henna artist Lakshmi arranges for her protégé, Malik, to intern at the Jaipur Palace in this tale rich in character, atmosphere, and lavish storytelling .It's the spring of 1969, and Lakshmi, now married to Dr. Jay Kumar, directs the Healing Garden in Shimla. Malik has finished his private school education. At twenty, he has just met a young woman named Nimmi when he leaves to apprentice at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace. Their latest project: a state-of-the-art cinema.
Malik soon finds that not much has changed as he navigates the Pink City of his childhood. Power and money still move seamlessly among the wealthy class, and favors flow from Jaipur's Royal Palace, but only if certain secrets remain buried. When the cinema's balcony tragically collapses on opening night, blame is placed where it is convenient. But Malik suspects something far darker and sets out to uncover the truth. As a former street child, he always knew to keep his own counsel; it's a lesson that will serve him as he untangles a web of lies.

MarsGal · October 08, 2022, 08:34:57 AM

The Anomaly sounds pretty weird, I listened to a clip. Amazon lists it as a technothriller or psychological thriller. I like the heading one of the reviewers titled its: "Godel, Escher, Bach in a novel". Others titled their review with equally interesting lines. Others were disappointed with the ending.

Here is The Guardian review which only make the book all that much more intriguing.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jan/14/the-anomaly-by-herve-le-tellier-review-high-concept-thrills

I am going to add All the Light We Cannot See to my TBR list, not because it is a WWII story, but because it revolves around a museum gemstone with a curse.

The Night Watchman is a semi-fictional historical novel which touches upon the Federal Government's attempts, in the 1950's, to force the Ojibwe peoples to assimilate into American society. This is of interest to me because it was a cause of the suspicion and distrust of the police and "whites" in general that permeates William Kent Krueger's first Cork O'Connor mystery series, and I assume his following novels. This book won a Pulitzer Prize last year.

It is a good list TomeReader.

MarsGal · October 09, 2022, 06:19:39 PM

Just curious. Has anyone read The Night Ship by Jess Kidd? Could be interesting, maybe. I read a few reviews, but while there was some praise for the book, it seemed somewhat restrained. The book is based on a real event.

Marilyne · October 09, 2022, 07:04:23 PM

MarsGal - I just read a couple of online reviews on The Night Ship, and it sounds like a story that I would like very much. The fact that it's based on a true historical event, makes it all the more fascinating. I plan to check my library, and if they don't have it, will look on Amazon.

MarsGal · October 10, 2022, 09:21:20 AM

Right now I am reading The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. One of his early novels, he originally wrote it for YA readers. Just great for Halloween time, it is a spooky tale of murderous revenge, of friendship, and of family lost and found. I am enjoying it.

Gave up on THe Grey Lady. It just stayed so bland it got boring.

Only three hours to go on Powers and Thrones. It is a great overview of the Middle Ages and one of the very few audio books read by the author I like. Generally, I think authors should stay away from reading their own works. Since Jones is not only a historian, but a well-known TV presenter and journalist he knows how to make his subject come alive.

Marilyne · October 11, 2022, 12:54:09 PM

Callie, and anyone else who has read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

The author, Taylor Jenkins Reid, has become a multi-millionaire, thanks to this novel, and the movie that will soon be released on Netflix. For me, it was just a basic "chick-lit" story, full of farfetched and highly unlikely events. Lots of speculation on who Evelyn was patterned after? I don't believe it was anyone in particular, which is the way Reid planned it. Smart idea, because it keeps everyone talking about the possibilities.

I've read biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs written by, or about, most of the famous women stars from that era. None of their lives are even remotely similar to Evelyn Hugo. Seven husbands for Elizabeth Taylor and Lana Turner, and four for Ava Gardner, Joan Crawford and Marilyn Monroe. Ingrid Bergman and Sophia Loren are the only two big stars I can think of who were not born in the USA? (The fictional Hugo, was born in Cuba).

I like character driven fiction, so for me to enjoy any book or movie, I have to be able to identify or sympathize with at least one of the characters. I didn't latch onto, nor did I even care about, any of the people depicted throughout this entire novel. The only one I even liked, was poor old Harry. I think he was husband #5 or 6?

CallieOK · October 11, 2022, 04:46:26 PM

Marilyne, Very well put! I completely agree with you re: "Seven Husbands..."

MarsGal · October 12, 2022, 07:26:53 AM

Thanks for the review, Marilyne.

I finished The Midnight Palace last evening. It was a good story, not great but a solid good for sure. It kept me reading, so my eyes were getting a little fuzzy around the edges until I finished it. Now I am reading another SciFi from one of my favorite author's, Marko Kloos. I am only into Chapter Two so far. It seems a bit lackluster so far.

Also, I spent a little time yesterday doing a little cleaning out some books I downloaded years ago and hadn't taken a look at before. Yea! More space. My poor Kindle doesn't hold but about 4Gig worth of books and it is getting long in the tooth (seven years old), so I have been considering getting an upgrade with lots more storage space. Some nice prices today yet, but I just don't want to spend more money until I recuperate a bit from the kitchen remodel expenses. I've also been drooling over getting new laptop, but that too I am trying to hold off on.

MarsGal · October 14, 2022, 08:33:22 AM

What I am reading now is Proof by Dick Francis. He was a British steeplechase jockey with over 350 wins who used his knowledge of horses and racing as a venue for his novels, many of which were stand alones. He seems to have led and interesting life which included becoming jockey to Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. I've bookmarked his autobiography on Internet Archive to read. Wikipedia has an interesting bio of him and in it it states that a British TV and film production company has optioned the rights for his works. So, if you like horses and horse racing, you might want to keep and eye out. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Francis

Just started the Great Courses lecture series, Masters of War: History's Greatest Strategic Thinkers. It isn't what I had planned on listening to next, but since it becomes unavailable at the end of the month I need listen to in next. So far, it is a most interesting history and comes with an outline and suggested reading which of course had me off looking for some of those books. Like I need more to read, but there I go.

Marilyne · October 17, 2022, 04:16:05 PM

Good afternoon to all of our books reader friends. Would be great if those who are looking in, would join us in comments or recommendations? Same applies to TV shows or movies. Let us know if you see anything worth watching?

MarsGal - Back a long time ago, I read quite a number of books by Dick Francis. One of my neighborhood friends and I used to share books, and he was her favorite author at the time. Her maiden name was Francis, and her twin brother was Dick. NOT the well known author of course, but because their names were the same, she enjoyed reading his books. Then she passed them on to me, and
I liked them as well. Now I can't remember a single title!

I've started a couple of novels in recent weeks, but can't seem to get interested in any of them. I have the book The Night Ship, on order at the library. I already have a feeling I'm going to like it, so looking forward to it .

MarsGal · October 17, 2022, 05:52:25 PM

I thought that title was familiar. I added The Night Ship to my library wish list a few days ago.

Well, the only thing Masters of War was doing for me was to put me to sleep, so I sent it back to the library and am now listening to The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson. What fun listening to it.

Marilyne · October 28, 2022, 04:37:50 AM

Wide awake tonight at 1:15, so decided to read for awhile, but that didn't work out very well. My eyes are pretty much useless at this late hour, so I'll just say a quick "hello" to my Library Bookshelf friends instead.

Out of curiosity I looked back approximately one year ago, here in the discussion. This week in 2021, looked very much like it does now in 2022. The same members posting. Jean is the only one who is no longer with us.

Callie recommended, "The Sheltering Rain", by JoJo Moyes. MarsGal was reading, "The Echo Maker", and I was raving about, "Today a Woman Went Mad in the Supermarket".

Jean posted an interesting message:
"Still reading about life in the middle to the late 1800s. Oh, how life has changed since those days, but people haven't changed that much in my opinion. There are still decent and caring people and selfish and mean people. That dynamic never seems to change."

phyllis · October 28, 2022, 10:13:42 AM

I miss Jean. She and I had similar reading preferences.

I am in a slump. I have a hard time finding a book that sounds interesting but when I get it I find that my mind just won't stay with it. I've been trying audio books since I have my new blue tooth hearing aid but if the narrator's voice irritates me I lose interest very quickly. So far, the only narrator's voice that doesn't grate on me is Penelope Keith reading an Agatha Raisin mystery. Of course, now that she is dead there won't be any more of her reading.

MarsGal · October 28, 2022, 01:06:33 PM

Phyliss, I know what you mean about the narrators. Since you like Penelope Keith, she also read the Agatha Raisin series.

Listening to samples helps, but not always, to find narrators I like. The ones I like most consistently include Tim Gerard Reynolds, Derick Perkins, Stephen Frye, and Grover Gardner. Narrators I like very much but are a little less consistent or maybe a little too consistent with their voice style, IMO, include Ray Porter, Scott Brick and R. C. Bray. Porter is a little too consistently snarky, Brick is a little too smooth for some readings, and Bray is really good at hard living types like post-apocalyptic or rough war scenes. I've been picking up a few full-cast audiobooks. My latest acquisition is the Poirot stories read by the original cast. They are great. They remind me of the old radio shows I listened to as a youngster.

phyllis · October 28, 2022, 03:23:41 PM

Thanks for those suggestions, MarsGal.
I am glad to learn about the Poirot series...he was a favorite of mine, too.
I am going to check the library to see if they have something to borrow.

CallieOK · October 28, 2022, 04:04:00 PM

This has been a couple of weeks with "one thing right after another". All pleasant but tiring. I haven't read anything worth recommending but did finish the Cliffehaven series by Ellie Dean. By the final book (the
18th!!!), things were getting repetitive but it was nice to "let down" by reading something I didn't have to think about.

I don't post on the SeniorLearn site but do read the posts. Someone there recommended the Agatha Raisin books by M.C. Beaton. I did a search and discovered that author has written other series and have put the Poor Relations and Six Sisters series on my Wish List. Poor Relations is apparently about some "titled" English people who have lost all their money, meet in a park and decide to open a hotel. I read the sample of the first one and it looks like fun.

More "catching up" desk work to do. TTYL

MarsGal · November 05, 2022, 01:59:44 PM

I haven't gotten much reading done lately. There are still a few episodes of Bill Bryson's The Road to Little Dribbling to listen to.

Just yesterday I started a SciFi "The Breaker of Empires" trilogy by Richard Baker. It has an interesting beginning. The story follows a prince who was sent from his home world to military academy and do military service in a local alliance group. His father is looking for him to gain knowledge and experience in a much more modern military venue that back on his home world with a thought to become independent of the alliance. The settlers of this home world are apparently of Kashmiri descent. So far so good.

MarsGal · November 15, 2022, 06:00:12 AM

I am still on the "Breaker of Empires" series by Richard Baker. It remains pretty interesting. However, each book is fairly lengthy, so I am still only part way through book number two. This time the protagonist is more then 10 years into military service, still encountering prejudice and bigotry, some of it attempts to derail his rise through the ranks.

My current audio book is a translation of Julius Caesar's The Civil Wars. Caesar was an exceptionally good writer. In his accounts of his military campaigns, he uses the third person voice to relate his experiences which makes him seem less biased and more objective about his campaigns and decisions.

Marilyne · November 15, 2022, 10:57:09 AM

Good Morning Marsgal, and anyone else looking in today. Mars, looks like you're keeping up with your reading (listening), and the rest of us aren't. I waited for weeks to get The Night Ship, from the library, and when it finally came in the print was so small that I couldn't deal with it at all. I took it back and reordered the Large print. Might as well forget regular sized print from here on out.
I'm thinking of ordering a new Kindle for a Christmas present for myself? My old one now belongs to my husband. He started using it during the early months of the pandemic, and now uses it exclusively! That's going on three years, and I've forgotten how to use it, so might as well start from scratch with a new one.

Hope all of you book lovers are doing well, and looking forward to Thanksgiving? Tell us about any special plans. Ordering food, cooking the dinner yourself, or going out to a restaurant?

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