Mars - While you're waiting for Horse - see if you can get Pony?    I really think you'd like it.   Scroll back a few posts and see what Tomereader and I had to say about it.   It's my favorite book, so far this year.   A beautiful, mystical story, with a lot of action and great characters!

Yes, I did look at the Jess Kidd web page, with the photos drawings, etc. Fascinating to see her, and learn about the research involved in the story. Lots of very good reviews of The Night Ship on line.  Most were in agreement with us, that Kidd spent too much time with the shipboard intrigue.  Many readers admitted  skimming through much of those chapters, just like we did. 

Looks like I can get it from my local library. They have both a print and an audio version in the Children's section. Out of the whole county system, they are the only ones that list it. They list plenty of other R.J. Palacio books. The first few paragraphs have me interested already.

I picked up three books at the library on Friday, and all three are going back today.    I had  seen mini-reviews on line, and they all sounded good, but I didn't realize that  they're YA or children's books.  The first chapter of each, told me they would be very good for kids or teens, but not for me.

MarsGal -  Speaking of such things .. . I was surprised that you found Pony, in the children's section of the library?   Definitely not a child's book, IMO.  Maybe a mature teenager?  I'm curious as to how you liked it? 

Marilyne, what were the titles of the 3 YA books you took back to the Library?

Marilyne, I put Pony in my wish list at the library but haven't ordered it yet. Amazon lists it for 5 and 6 grade students. I am trying to remember what I was reading at that age. I loved horse stories and Westerns at that age, so I would say Black Beauty, and The Black Stallion for sure. By the time I got to fifth or sixth grade I was reading some of Max Brand's westerns. My favorite was Alcatraz. Max Brand is the pseudonym of Frederick Schiller Faust who wrote under a whole bunch of names. Did you know he wrote the Dr. Kildare series? I didn't. The Kildare books were written between 1936 and 1944. I remember watching the updated TV version which came much, much later. Faust died of shrapnel wounds in Italy in 1944 while traveling with troops as a correspondent for Harper's Magazine. 

What is puzzling to me is that years ago, I read that the name "Max Brand" was actually used by several different writers. Now, I don't see that anywhere but find that Schiller wrote 500 novels before his death and that they were still being published as late as 2019. I have no idea if any of these books are republished under new titles or have finally hit their copyright expiration, or what. Well, that seems an interesting project for my curiosity if I care to look further. Maybe I misunderstood all those years ago and there weren't a bunch of people writing under the Max Brand name, but actually the other way around given that he used so many different names.

MarsGal . . .  "Max Brand" rang a bell with me, but when I Googled the name, got all sorts of contradicting information?  Some say it was a pseudonym, and others say there was actually a Maximillian Brand, who wrote lots of books?  Kind of reminds me of "Carolyn Keene", the author of the Nancy Drew books and other series books as well. Actually a whole bunch writers wrote the Nancy Drew books, and all used the same name, and created all those stories - others say there was one original author with that actual name?   

I read most of the same horse books that you did as a child. I well remember "The Black Stallion",  "Black Beauty", "My Friend Flicka" and "Thunderhead, Son of Flicka".  I loved "National Velvet", and was crazy about the movie.  I recall finding an obscure book at the library called "Spurs for Antonia", that turned out to be a favorite.

Two Westerns that I liked as an adult, and would recommend are "Lonesome Dove", by Larry McMurtry and "The OxBow Incident". (can't remember the author?  "Oxbow" was made into a great movie in the early 1940's, starring Henry Fonda and Dana Andrews, among others.  It's available on Netflix or Prime I think?  The series adapted from "Dove", is a classic!

I would never put "Pony" in the children's section of the library. The story is way too complex for most kids. I'm sure many children have read it, but would not get the theme, the ending, etc.  Like when I read GWTW when I was about 12.     Yes, I liked it, but didn't fully appreciate the story, the Civil War, the characters, and the vast historical scope of the book,   until I read it again many years later.   As you know, you have to have a certain level of maturity to understand many book, stories and movies.

Tome - The children's books I took back to the library were I'll Give You the Sun, A Monster Calls, and don't remember the name of the third one?

Oh, yes, National Velvet. Forgot about that one. I never read, nor watch the TV series for Flicka.

The Lonesome Dove series is in my library wish list. I may actually get to it eventually. I have 54 books in my online library wish list. It is constantly on loan. Right now there is an eight week wait for it, and it is #48. The larger the number, the longer it has been on my list.

I haven't done any reading at all this past week, except for the newspaper every morning.  I noticed in the today's paper that quite a few well known older entertainers and one politician,  are celebrating their birthday today, March 31.

The two oldest: Richard Chamberlain,  star of the TV series, "The Thorn Birds",  as well as the show, "Dr. Kildare", turns 89 today.
Shirley Jones, star of the 1950's musicals  "Oklahoma" and "Carousel", as well as the TV series The Partridge Family, also turns 89.  Both born in 1934.

Herb Alpert, Big Band trumpet player and recording artist - "The Tijuana Brass", is 88 today.  Born in 1935. 

Movie actor Christopher Walken,  turns 80, today.  Comedian Gabe Kaplan, is 79.  Former VP Al Gore turns 76, and Rhea Perlman, is 75. 

This morning I downloaded Horse, two weeks earlier than expected. So far, I have read the first chapter.

Lonesome Dove is now in my hold list, seven weeks wait time. I don't think that book is ever without a wait list.

I mostly read the first of a Rick Partlow SF book, which turns out I read before. Since the thing was just published this year, I thought it was a new story, a continuation of another character introduced earlier in his Drop Trooper universe. But no, he reissued the book with a slightly different name and maybe a few editorial changes, and, with no indication that it was a reissued/updated version. It is a good thing I just borrowed the book and hadn't bought it. I will not be rereading the other two.

I am trying out listening to audiobooks on my computer rather than on my tablet, especially the Great Courses ones. Those often have pdfs to consult so it will be easier to look at here than on my tablet. This one is The Other 1492: Ferdinand, Isabella and the Making of an Empire.

Alrighty, then! No one has been in here for a while. Since I posted last, I have finished reading Horse. I really liked it, but after a day or two, I decided that it was less about the actual horse, but rather a study in what changed (or not) in attitudes regarding others different than ourselves, The book covers the time period before and maybe a decade after the Civil War and modern day, The story of the racehorse and those who cared for, trained, mistreated, bought and sold him and his trainer/groom. The treatment of slaves was there, but somewhat muted. The attitudes toward blacks and the wealthy were a bit stronger because that was, I decided, the point of the book - how we still carry prejudices against "others". Attitudes learned from family and friends even though many of us never experienced the things we've been told. For me it was not only a good read, but a thought provoking one.

I am back to listening to Blue Earth Remembered by Alastair Reynolds. It is the first of three in a family space saga. The family is of Nigerian origins who have become wealthy and influential in business. BTW, one of the main characters in Horse is a black grad student born in Lagos.

The new book I downloaded from the online library is called A Rising Man by Abir Mukhergee. This is the first of his Wyndham and Banerjee crime novels (five so far) set in India shortly after WWI. Other than that I have been weeding out more SciFi novels that I downloaded eons ago and only just got around to looking at them. I pitched at least three of them within the last few days. This latest one looks like it might last a little longer than the others.

My closest Library Branch was having their Book Sale, with the first day for Members Only (Library Friends).  I usually always go, but lately haven't found anything I really wanted. But, with "usually", I normally don't make it on the first day.  Good thing I did today.  Got 4 books, $5.00; one hardback, three of the large sized paperbacks.  Got everything home and discovered I have a brand new copy of one of the books, which is "The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek". Rest of the list:  The Silent Patient (mystery), The Rose Code (which has been highly recommended both on-line and in person friends; and "The Dutch House" by Ann Patchett (one of my favorite authors).  I see myself getting bogged down here very shortly, as I now have the above, to add to two books I'm currently reading on my Kindle, two books I need to be reading for my 2 book clubs, and three books I have gotten into, but flitting back and forth from each one, like a hummingbird at a flower!  Here's to my eyes holding out!

Joanne - I've been meaning to comment on your selection of books from the Library Sale.  I remember getting, The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek, from the library sometime last year.  The story didn't grab me, and my mind kept wandering, so I gave up on it. 
My favorite one of your purchases is, The Dutch House.    I loved that story, and all of the characters!  Ann Patchett's best book so far, IMO.  Be sure to let us know how you liked it?

I started a book over the weekend that I know I'm going to enjoy.  The Paper Palace, by Miranda Cowley Heller.  "Chick Lit" for sure, but so far, I like the main characters.  Lots of mother/daughter interaction, that I can relate to, to a certain extent.  My personality and lifestyle is not the same as the mother in the story, and neither of my daughters are like the main character who tell the story.  However there are certain familiar female traits there, that many of us have to some degree?  Or not . . . I'm only a couple of chapters into it.         

I love books about books and book people. There are only a few I haven't liked. I just acquired one the other day that will probably take a while for me to get to. It is a novel called The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis. Has anyone read it yet?

I also picked up a copy of the Oxford Companion to Classical Literature. I got it at a real good price, plus I had a couple of accumulated discounts to apply to it. 

Oh nuts! I thought The Last Thing He Told Me was going to be a movie. It turns out it is a TV series on Apple+. I read two reviews of it. They both thoroughly panned the show. I liked the book, but don't think it is TV series material. A movie would have been better, I think.

Marilyne, one day in the beauty shop, I saw a lady reading "the Paper Palace", she was roughly my age.  I asked her how she liked it.  Accompanied by an eye-roll, she said "nope, not doing a thing for me".  I said, I guess I'll pass, and she said that would probably be best!

Marilyne, I posted this over in Senior Learn in response to Ginny's asking what "tomes" I'm reading.

Ginny, and all!  What "tomes" am I reading, ha ha ha.  Wouldn't call them tomes exactly, but I'm deep into far more books than I should be.  I'll make an effort to list them:

I went to see that awesome movie, "The Lost King", and have delved deep into checking out books from my library on this particular occurrence (digging for and finding the bones of Richard III); so I have "Digging for Richard III;
"Looking for Richard" (DVD - Al Pacino as R III); another one on order, but haven't picked up yet.  Now, for other stuff:  "The Art of Blessing the Day" - Poems with a Jewish Theme by Marge Piercy; "The Night Watchman" by Louise Erdrich (I should have finished this for Book Club, but extenuating circumstances prevented); "I Have Some Questions for You" by Rebecca Makkai (now half-way through), and one trashy piece of memoir/essays, which shall go unnamed, haven't finished that one and don't really intend to.
There you have it in a nutshell (pretty large nut, I'd say)!  I'm really, truly anticipating and WAITING on "Horse", but I'm way down the list of requests.  You may now return to your reading!

Tome - Looks like you're reading mostly worthwhile or historical books?   "The Night Watchman", by Erdrich sounds like one that I would like.  I may go to the library over the weekend, so hope to see it there. I usually like your book club selections . . .  "Pony" was wonderful.   
I'm still struggling through "The Paper Palace".  I have the same opinion as the woman you saw reading it at the beauty shop! Eye-roll  here too.     The only reason I'm sticking with it, is because my daughter gave it to me, and keeps asking me what I think of various characters.   

I see it is time for an update.

Currently reading the second of Christopher Fowler's Bryant and May series called The Water Room. This case involves lots of rain and the underground water channels, creeks, sewers and such that flow underneath London, and, of course, strange deaths.

Blue Earth Remembered is getting more difficult to get through without falling asleep on it. Not that it is boring, but more like very wordy and slow moving as the main characters try to follow clues to solve a mystery. Every action seems to come with lots of discussion or thought as the story moves forward.

Also, I am slowly getting through The Other 1492: Ferdinand, Isabella and the Making of an Empire.
I keep forgetting to listen to it while I am up here on the computer.

I finished A Rising Man by Abir Mukhergee and started the second in the series. However, I decided not to continue with the series. For a former Scotland Yard detective, the main character was pretty clueless. I liked his side-kick better.

Meanwhile, I've been spending more time with house and yardwork as the weather improves.

Not much of interest to report today, but I am, finally, almost through Blue Earth Remembered. It has become more interesting in the last third of the book. Finally some action, and I am not falling asleep on it. About three hours to go.

I just finished rereading three series books written by Rick Partlow. For some reason he saw fit to reissue them without mention that they were new editions of ones I already read. A number of people complained about that. Too bad I don't have the originals to compare. But there are things in them that I don't remember from the originals, so I guess it was worth it. New next in this series is not out yet. I don't know if it is a rewrite of the original, or an extension. I am now starting Book 12 of his Dropship Trooper series. Another one is due to release in July. He also has a new series, Psi Wars, upcoming. Most of Partlow's books are set in the same universe and time-frame; they just follow different characters in the same wars and aftermath.

The online library loan books have not fared too well. Currently, I have Umberto Eco's Prague Cemetery. If the author's goal was to make the described characters out to be thoroughly disgusting individuals, he has succeeded. They (and by extension their occupation, gender, age, race, etc.) are brutally portrayed, emphasizing every character flaw imaginable. Downright vicious. This is not my idea of a good, enjoyable read. It is about to get sent back to the library.

In my hold list, and I expect it soon, is Enemy of All Mankind by Steven Johnson. It is about the pirate, Henry Every. He sailed the Atlantic and Indian Oceans in the mid-1690's. He was 40 when he disappeared having been last seen in Ireland in 1696.

Dreary and damp again this morning.   It doesn't look like Spring outside, but is supposed to warm up over the upcoming weekend.  I'm looking forward to some cheerful sunshine. 

Hello to MarsGal, Tome, and Callie, and all other readers, who might be looking in?  I haven't been doing much reading in recent weeks.  Too hard on the eyes, and also hard to sit on any of the chairs here. They used to be comfortable, and now they aren't? 🤔
I did pick up a book at the library a few days ago that I had ordered in large print, and was shocked to see the size of it!  It's 2.5 inches thick, and about 10 inches in length.  Very heavy and hard to hold, but I'll pile a few pillows on my lap for support, and give it a try.

Tome, I think you recommended it here?  The Rose Code, by Kate Quinn.  I also checked out another novel that looks good,  The Last Green Valley,  by Mark Sullivan.  I've read other books written by him - most of them take place during WWII. 

Has anyone seen any movies or television shows to recommend?   If so, post them here.   My DVR is full of things I've recorded, but none sound  good to me right now.       
       

Sorry to hear that you are not very comfortable lately on top of your ongoing eye problems.

Right now I am more than halfway through listening to Lois MacMaster Bujold's last of the Vorkosigan saga, Gentleman Jolie and the Red Queen. It isn't particularly interesting, but I persevere because it is, after all, the last of a very good series.

More interesting is George Bruce's Burma Wars: 1824-1886. This is a first of series about the British wars of conquest and exclusive trading treaties in the Bengal and Burma areas. The other two books in the series cover the Afghan Wars (book 2) and the Sikh Wars (Book 3).

I'm not much of a reader, or a good reader - but today I got the urge to read a couple of short stories that I liked years ago - no doubt when I was still in school. For whatever reason they must have made their mark.  --- I still like them.

The Deacon's Masterpiece
"The Wonderful "One-Hoss-Shay"
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/45280/45280-h/45280-h.htm

THE COMMUTATION CHOPHOUSE 
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/51957/51957-h/51957-h.htm#link2H_4_0006 

Rammel, the only Christopher Morley I ever read were his novels, Parnassus on Wheels and it's sequel, The Haunted Bookshop. While I enjoyed both of them very much and planned to read more of his works, I never got around to it. You remember those "round tuits" don't you? I still have a lot of them taking up space on my bookshelves among other places.

MarsGal --- Read the ones I posted. They're short, and fun. Shouldn't take a "reader" very long.

Yes, those Round Tuits --- Don't we all have some of those 

Rick -  Thanks for the recommendation and link to the Christopher Morley short stories!     I clicked on,  The Commutation Chophouse - 100 meals for $10! 
I enjoyed every line . . .  the story it self, but especially the witty dialogue/conversation between the two men.

""They seem to have spilled some beans," I said, peering through the dusky aperture. "There's a truck delivering food or something at the back door. They've tipped over a can, I think."
"Spilled some beans?" he said, with his first sign of real interest. "That sounds symbolic. Let me have a look."
 
I have it bookmarked, and hope to eventually read all of the stories!

Those were two items forced upon us by some crazy old English Teacher. At this late stage of life I must say that she probably knew very well what she was doing. If it made me interested, she won the whole class - as I was not the best of students. I had a similar Math teacher - Miss Kelly - At the time I didn't think anyone liked her, but she had a way to teach the unteachable. I'm sure that deep in us we knew she was good. ---- Kids will be kids.

I am planning on dropping my Kindle Unlimited. They are jacking up the price up $2.00 a month. Well, there go most of the SciFi books I have been reading. And this comes not too long after the Free Library of Philadelphia dropped its legacy Overdrive app for, as far as I am concerned, the less Me friendly Libby app. It looks like they also rearranged their website, so I have to get that now too. While I haven't tried it, I assume that my local library is forced to follow on by switching to Libby since they were also using Overdrive.

Yesterday I finished listening to Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen. Next up is a non-fiction titled The War of the Three Gods by Peter Crawford.

Now I can get back to reading all the books I have bought and neglected. I started the audiobook version of The War of the Three Gods. So far, it has not really caught my interest, so I am putting it aside for now. Instead, I am beginning On a Steel Breeze by Alastair Reynolds. It is the second in the Poseidon's Children series. It and the last of the trilogy are narrated by Adjoa Andoh.

In dropping my Kindle Unlimited subscription, I discovered that Amazon added features to their Prime Reading which I get with my Prime account. The only real difference between the two that I can see is that the free read book selection is more limited. It no longer states that you can only borrow one book a month or at a time. Huh! Glad I discovered that. I feel somewhat liberated now. All my owned books that have been neglected now have a chance. In fact, I just finished a SciFi and am browsing for another. Too bad I couldn't resist another year of Audible.

Rammel, I took an interest in the illustrations in The Wonderful "One Horse-Shay" I was curious to discover if the illustrator, Thomas McIlvaine, used charcoal, ink and or watercolor. It is a bit hard to tell with the b/w, less than ideal reproduction quality shown. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to me much on the net about McIlvaine except that I noted he was born in Philadelphia, PA.

In spite of the cold, I have not managed a lot of reading. But now, I am into a SciFi I have had sitting in my eReader for a while. Code of Conduct by Christine Smith is a well written book of political intrigue. The main character is a fugitive military officer who is accused of murder and treason. After a bad accident no one knew if she was dead or alive, and she is trying to keep it that way. No such luck. She is, in this first of series, tapped to use her skills to discover whether the deaths of the family of a politician she once knew were truly accidental or, in fact, murder. Meanwhile, political rivals are hatching various plots to discredit him, as well as take control over governmental and treaty rights regarding trade and immigration. 

MarsGal -  Sounds like you're giving yourself a rest today.  No more mowing and yard work, until the cold is gone!   Hope you're feeling better, and will take it easy today.

Younger daughter thinks that I gave up on,  "The Paper Palace", too soon, and insists that I give it another try.  So I'm going to finish it . . .  no matter that it's one of those unbelievable "chick lit" stories.  The situations facing the main character and her family, are too extreme  for me, but I plan to stick with it.   I hope to get through it today, as I do have a couple of library books here that I would rather read.

Callie -  We haven't heard from you in a long while?   Let us know what you've been reading, and also any good recommendations for TV watching?   I'm ready for a good movie, or a good series like "Succession".    Both daughters liked the movie version of,  "Where the Crawdad's Bloom".    I was not as crazy about the book as most people were, so I haven't watched the Netflix movie.   I probably will eventually.

After looking like it was never going to end, my cold, all of a sudden, did. Hurray!

The lawn is just now looking like it needs some attention. Thanks to the dry weather these last 10 days or so it has been very slow to grow. Not so the darn weeds. Some rain is predicted for Saturday, so maybe I will mow afterwards. It will be much cooler Saturday and Sunday. Today they predict over 90^oF.

Meanwhile I have been doing some reading and have been going through my e-pile of TBRs and purging some I decided I will not read after all. Also, I cancelled my Kindle Unlimited subscription since they have decided to jack the price up.

So, what have I got lined up to read now? I am reading yet another SciFi. This one started out as a military crime investigation that after following the trail of stolen equipment brought to light a conspiracy of traitorous collusion among military members to facilitate an invasion from a neighboring empire. On a Steel Breeze is a slow listen. So far it has not grabbed my interest much. It seems to be picking up a little now. I read a little more of The Anarchy by William Dalrymple, the long-neglected story of the fall of the Mogul Empire and the rise of the British East India Company. The George Bruce book I was reading earlier about the Burma Wars was of the same era, but it disappeared when I cancelled Unlimited. At the top of my cue in the other Kindle tablet is Backyard Starship, first of series by J. N. Chaney and Terry Maggert. Then there is a Great Courses audio I am part way through but haven't gotten back to yet.