# Books! How do you read and what do you read?



## Keesha

Reading is a pleasant past time. There are so many great books to read. 
What are some of your favourite books you have read and what do you use to read them?
perhaps an ireader or a kindle? Or maybe you prefer listening to them. 

These are great for reading with since you can:
-load as many books as you want to
-adjust the letter size
-read at night without needing to turn on a light so you don’t disturb others. 

At at the moment I am reading ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd
which is extraordinarily written. 

What are you reading right now and what great books can you suggest to the rest of us?


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## SifuPhil

I used to have quite an extensive library of "real" books but lost them all in a flood many moons ago.

Since then I've been building my new e-library on my laptop - mainly PDFs but also quite a few epubs and mobis. 

My first consideration in rebuilding was to replace all my martial arts books; as a result I have roughly 500 stored away on my external hard drive (easy to throw in my pocket when the next flood comes).

I'm also gathering my eclectic collection of books such as the _Anarchist's Cookbook_, _Criminal Psychology_, _Freemason's Bluebook_ and the full collection of Conan Doyle's _Sherlock Holmes_. 

That last is an example of the scant fiction that I have - I tend to go more for non-fiction. 

So, I'm currently perusing _Morals and Dogma_ by Albert Pike and _Native American Religions_ by Paula Hartz.


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## IKE

> =SifuPhil; I'm also gathering my eclectic collection of books such as the _Freemason's Bluebook._
> 
> 
> I'm currently perusing _Morals and Dogma_ by Albert Pike






Are you a Mason Phil ?

I've been a Master Mason since Feb. of 1977 and a 32º Scottish Rite Mason since Nov. of 1981.


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## SifuPhil

IKE said:


> Are you a Mason Phil ?
> 
> I've been a Master Mason since Feb. of 1977 and a 32º Scottish Rite Mason since Nov. of 1981.
> 
> View attachment 50495



Unfortunately, no. 

Had a chance many years ago and passed it up.

Now I'm just fascinated by the whole thing.


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## Ruth n Jersey

I prefer biography's but lately there aren't to many I'm interested in reading about so I've been enjoying mysteries, some Danielle Steel books or any thing that strikes my fancy. I love reading on my Kindle and get books sent from our library. The last few weeks I've been reading some books I've had for a long time from before my Kindlle days. I decided to read them and pass them on. I never ever reread a book or keep them.


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## jujube

I'm still a "book" lover.  I need to have the book in my hand.  I have a Kindle that was given to me as a retirement present nine years ago and I've never fired it up.

As for what I read?  I read just about any genre, except for the "Gothic Romances", and I suppose that if I were stuck somewhere and that's all I had to read, I'd read them gratefully.  

I'm having some eye problems and don't read for as long a period of time as I used to, but I still get through 3-4 books a week.  

Does anyone else get books out of the library that they find they're already read and didn't remember the name?  I'll get to page 20 and say, "Oh, heck, this is the one where the woman didn't know she had a twin sister and the twin sister killed the father and tried to pin it on her!!!"    

I also have to get a bunch of books at a time because I may reject a third of them because I just don't like how the author writes.  I just tried one and put it down because, my heavens, the author just LOVES to hear himself write.  His feeling seems to be "why use three descriptive works when twelve will do?" i.e. (and I quote from the book) _"The great snorting and smoking brute that had paused with brusque impatience at the meek little village station and suffered her to take her place in one of its lattermost compartments--her fingertips still retained the impression of hot plush and greasy leather--now stood gasping after its mighty efforts under the high, soot-blackened glass canopy of the throbbing terminus, disgorging on to the platform its complement of dazed and bedraggled travelers and their jumbles of baggage."_ And that's just on the first page......it goes downhill from there.  I love a good turn of phrase, but "_great snorting and smoking brute" and "throbbing terminus_"?

There are some books I can read over and over again.  Every year on my birthday, I read "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" again.  I still have the copy I got for my 10th birthday and it became a tradition.


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## SifuPhil

jujube said:


> I love a good turn of phrase, but "_great snorting and smoking brute" and "throbbing terminus_"?



:lofl:

Sounds more like a bodice-ripper. 

Talk about a run-on sentence!


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## moviequeen1

I've been a life long book reader,as I mentioned in a previous post,keep track of the books I've read over the years.I have no desire to get a Kindle or Nook,prefer to have a paperback or hardcover in my hand.
Keesha,I loved'The Secret Life of Bees' by Sue Monk Kidd,didn't like the movie version'08,book is better.
I like to read memoirs,history,fiction.
I just finished reading'The Underground Railroad' byColson Whitehead,fictional book of the runaway slaves in the South using the railroad to get a better life. The author won the Pulitzer Prize,couldn't put the book down. Another book I read a couple of weeks ago was Jodi Picoult's book'Small Things'.The story is about an African Amercian,nurse,Ruth who is charged with murdering an infant at a local hospital where she works.The boys parents are white supremacists,terrific  but a tad too long.
I've read James Garner's memoir which was fascinating reading,my favorite sportscaster,Dick Enberg who died in Dec '17 wrote his memoir'OhMY"{his famous saying} wonderful book. Sue


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## Granny B.

I'm another book lover, but I still prefer good ol' hardcopy books to online versions.  Nowadays I mostly read before going to sleep.   I read more nonfiction than fiction.  Right now I'm enjoying _The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century_ by Thomas L. Friedman that explains the ways computer technology is making globalization a reality.

I always have several computer books by my desk to help me with my website, on topics such as Javascript, jQuery, CSS, HTML, etc. 

I've become familiar with Smashwords, an online ebook website, since I started publishing books for an 89 yr old client of mine, Mike, who is quite the prolific writer.  This site has many books you can read for free.  If you're interested, here's a link to Mike's books published so far: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CEMikeMarshall


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## Lon

IKE said:


> [QUOTE}=SifuPhil; I'm also gathering my eclectic collection of books such as the _Freemason's Bluebook._
> 
> 
> I'm currently perusing _Morals and Dogma_ by Albert Pike



I was raised to the Third Degree March 1958 and the Thirty Second April 1979




Are you a Mason Phil ?

I've been a Master Mason since Feb. of 1977 and a 32º Scottish Rite Mason since Nov. of 1981.

View attachment 50495[/QUOTE]


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## CindyLouWho

The majority of books I read are non-fiction and prefer the physical book in my hand, paperback and/or hardbound. 

Enjoy fitness, health, food/nutrition, inspirational/motivational books & also, autobiographies & biographies.


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## Falcon

I read anything with words on it.  But my favorites are small  paperbacks  because I do most of my reading  in bed, just before going to sleep.

Every Friday  my local library has a used book  sale.  For a couple of bucks I come home with a whole bag full.

They are  25¢  each.


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## Keesha

SifuPhil said:


> I used to have quite an extensive library of "real" books but lost them all in a flood many moons ago.
> 
> Since then I've been building my new e-library on my laptop - mainly PDFs but also quite a few epubs and mobis.
> 
> My first consideration in rebuilding was to replace all my martial arts books; as a result I have roughly 500 stored away on my external hard drive (easy to throw in my pocket when the next flood comes).
> 
> I'm also gathering my eclectic collection of books such as the _Anarchist's Cookbook_, _Criminal Psychology_, _Freemason's Bluebook_ and the full collection of Conan Doyle's _Sherlock Holmes_.
> 
> That last is an example of the scant fiction that I have - I tend to go more for non-fiction.
> 
> So, I'm currently perusing _Morals and Dogma_ by Albert Pike and _Native American Religions_ by Paula Hartz.



Thanks for your post StifuPhil. You clearly are an avid reader. Your collection sounds wonderful. 
We donated most of our books to our local libraries as ours we getting a bit damp from being in the basement but we kept all our reference books or books from our education and training. 

Trying to  organize all of that certainly takes time and I’m still not there yet.
I enjoy both fiction and non fiction.


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## Keesha

IKE said:


> Are you a Mason Phil ?
> 
> I've been a Master Mason since Feb. of 1977 and a 32º Scottish Rite Mason since Nov. of 1981.
> 
> View attachment 50495


My brother in law is a Mason. My husband was asked to be one but I told him that he can’t. At least that’s what he told me the other day. :lol:


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## SifuPhil

It's always amazed me how THIS - 



... can be condensed down to THIS - 



Of course, you lose certain things in the process ...


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## Keesha

Ruth n Jersey said:


> I prefer biography's but lately there aren't to many I'm interested in reading about so I've been enjoying mysteries, some Danielle Steel books or any thing that strikes my fancy. I love reading on my Kindle and get books sent from our library. The last few weeks I've been reading some books I've had for a long time from before my Kindlle days. I decided to read them and pass them on. I never ever reread a book or keep them.



I enjoy Daniel Steele also but I also like Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown, Robyn Carr, Nicholas Sparks and various good authors. 
Thanks Ruth. I wasn’t as smart as you and kept all my books. It’s only been the last couple of years that I have been donating them


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## Keesha

jujube said:


> I'm still a "book" lover.  I need to have the book in my hand.  I have a Kindle that was given to me as a retirement present nine years ago and I've never fired it up.
> 
> As for what I read?  I read just about any genre, except for the "Gothic Romances", and I suppose that if I were stuck somewhere and that's all I had to read, I'd read them gratefully.
> 
> I'm having some eye problems and don't read for as long a period of time as I used to, but I still get through 3-4 books a week.
> 
> Does anyone else get books out of the library that they find they're already read and didn't remember the name?  I'll get to page 20 and say, "Oh, heck, this is the one where the woman didn't know she had a twin sister and the twin sister killed the father and tried to pin it on her!!!"
> 
> I also have to get a bunch of books at a time because I may reject a third of them because I just don't like how the author writes.  I just tried one and put it down because, my heavens, the author just LOVES to hear himself write.  His feeling seems to be "why use three descriptive works when twelve will do?" i.e. (and I quote from the book) _"The great snorting and smoking brute that had paused with brusque impatience at the meek little village station and suffered her to take her place in one of its lattermost compartments--her fingertips still retained the impression of hot plush and greasy leather--now stood gasping after its mighty efforts under the high, soot-blackened glass canopy of the throbbing terminus, disgorging on to the platform its complement of dazed and bedraggled travelers and their jumbles of baggage."_ And that's just on the first page......it goes downhill from there.  I love a good turn of phrase, but "_great snorting and smoking brute" and "throbbing terminus_"?
> 
> There are some books I can read over and over again.  Every year on my birthday, I read "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" again.  I still have the copy I got for my 10th birthday and it became a tradition.




I can relate to wanting a variety of books to read just in case you don’t like one. My husband will faithfully read books he doesn’t like which I’ve never understood but then again ...... need I go further ?lol
thank you jujube.


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## Keesha

moviequeen1 said:


> I've been a life long book reader,as I mentioned in a previous post,keep track of the books I've read over the years.I have no desire to get a Kindle or Nook,prefer to have a paperback or hardcover in my hand.
> Keesha,I loved'The Secret Life of Bees' by Sue Monk Kidd,didn't like the movie version'08,book is better.
> I like to read memoirs,history,fiction.
> I just finished reading'The Underground Railroad' byColson Whitehead,fictional book of the runaway slaves in the South using the railroad to get a better life. The author won the Pulitzer Prize,couldn't put the book down. Another book I read a couple of weeks ago was Jodi Picoult's book'Small Things'.The story is about an African Amercian,nurse,Ruth who is charged with murdering an infant at a local hospital where she works.The boys parents are white supremacists,terrific  but a tad too long.
> I've read James Garner's memoir which was fascinating reading,my favorite sportscaster,Dick Enberg who died in Dec '17 wrote his memoir'OhMY"{his famous saying} wonderful book. Sue



Oh I didn’t know ‘The secret life of bees’ was made into a movie. There aren’t many movies that live up to the pleasure you get from reading. At least that’s been my experience. Your preferences seem to be towards the classics. 
Thank you for contributing


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## Keesha

Granny B. said:


> I'm another book lover, but I still prefer good ol' hardcopy books to online versions.  Nowadays I mostly read before going to sleep.   I read more nonfiction than fiction.  Right now I'm enjoying _The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century_ by Thomas L. Friedman that explains the ways computer technology is making globalization a reality.
> 
> I always have several computer books by my desk to help me with my website, on topics such as Javascript, jQuery, CSS, HTML, etc.
> 
> I've become familiar with Smashwords, an online ebook website, since I started publishing books for an 89 yr old client of mine, Mike, who is quite the prolific writer.  This site has many books you can read for free.  If you're interested, here's a link to Mike's books published so far: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CEMikeMarshall


Thank you for the link Granny B. I wish I were more technically inclined but I’m learning. 
You sound like a very avid reader.


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## Keesha

CindyLouWho said:


> The majority of books I read are non-fiction and prefer the physical book in my hand, paperback and/or hardbound.
> 
> Enjoy fitness, health, food/nutrition, inspirational/motivational books & also, autobiographies & biographies.


thanks Cindylou,  I also have a lot of books on health and wellness both body / mind. Besides novels it’s probably the majority of my collection. 



Falcon said:


> I read anything with words on it.  But my favorites are small  paperbacks  because I do most of my reading  in bed, just before going to sleep.
> 
> Every Friday  my local library has a used book  sale.  For a couple of bucks I come home with a whole bag full.
> 
> They are  25¢  each.


My parents are the same way.
Thanks Falcon.


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## Gary O'

'How to' books now
some classics

back when;

*Grade school*
Baseball hero stories
Buried myself in them
Willie Mays
The Mick
Joe DiMaggio
Jackie Robinson
Whitey Ford
Roy Campanella
Can’t readily recall the rest
Thing is…was….heroes were heroes
Some, against all odds
I could feel the crack of the bat, watch the ball get smaller and smaller
See Willie make that impossible catch, with ease
Talk about inspiration
No dirt
No scandal
Just amazing feats, on the diamond, and off the field

Those books turned me into an avid reader

High school begat Ian Fleming’s creation
And private eye adventures
Mickey Spillane was a fav

Then

Portnoy’s Complaint.....opened another world for me

I’m still of that world


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## SifuPhil

Ah, Mickey Spillane, he of the hard-boiled school.

I'm in the middle of re-reading Raymond Chadler's oeuvre right now. 

(Like my $5 word?)


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## Gary O'

SifuPhil said:


> (Like my $5 word?)



I usually only have them at finer parties, but yeah


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## SifuPhil

Gary O' said:


> I usually only have them at finer parties, but yeah



This one is a freebie, but this time only.


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## Gary O'

SifuPhil said:


> This one is a freebie, but this time only.


I always thought it was spelt; whore's ovaries

still, nice little sandwiches

learn sumpm new ever day

....are we far enough off topic yet?


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## helenbacque

I've always been a reader and lover of books.  Read hardbacks until arthritis in my hands made it difficult to hold them comfortably so switched to a Kindle.  I buy a few but most of my reading comes from my public library, downloaded through their website using Overdrive and my computer.  

I just finished _JEFFERSON'S DAUGHTERS _about Thomas Jefferson's three daughters - two white and 1 black. Tonight I'll begin _THE TASTER _which is about a young German woman who was sent to work at Hitler's mountain home as an official taster.  He was so afraid of being poisoned that he had all his food tasted prior to being served.  I'm wait listed for _P__OISON, _new book by John Lescroarts.

Fiction authors I like are the Kellermans, Elizabeth George, Michael Connelly, J. A. Jance and others similar.  

I always read myself to sleep at night.


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## moviequeen1

The book I'm reading now is "Killers Of The Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI" by David Gramm.
 This a true story of members of Osage Indian Tribe in the 20's in Oklahoma. When oil was discovered on their land they became rich, then were being killed under mysterious circumstances. This case was taken up by newly created FBI under its young director,J.Edgar Hoover.
This is a terrific book,can't put it down Sue


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## Pappy

I am an avid reader of mysteries on my Amazon Kindle app. Some weeks I can go through 2-3 books. Now that I have my new iPad Pro, it’s so much easier to read with those larger letters.


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## debbie in seattle

I have been an avid reader since childhood.   I have such fond memories of the library in the small town where I grew up.   
Move up to today and I have a Kindle.   While I love holding a book or paperback, it’s so much easier to carry a Kindle around. 
When I’d buy books, what was I to do when done reading?   Certainly can’t keep all the books I’ve read around the house.  
I am an avid reader of Mystery, Thriller and Suspenseful books.   Grisham, Balducci, Flynn and currently CJ Boxx.    
Couldnt imagine my life without books.


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## Colleen

I was raised as an only child (I'm 71) so books were always my friends. There was a small branch library a few blocks away from our house by my elementary school and on Saturdays I'd ride my bike there and spend almost all day reading and looking at books. 

Fast-forward to now and I have collected quite a few books and have several bookcases in the house that are full. When we moved across the country 4 years ago, I donated 30 cartons of books to the library in the town we moved from. My husband is NOT a reader and doesn't understand the obsession I have with books.

I love British mystery writers like M.C. Beaton (Hamish Macbeth series in particular), Anne Perry, etc. My favorite US authors are Preston and Child (Pendergast series) and Lee Child (Reacher series). Once in a while, I'll read something like a historical romance, but not very often. I'm not a fan of most "Best Selling" authors. I find them boring. I don't care for James Patterson very much either.

I do have a Kindle but prefer to have a "real" book in my hands.


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## jujube

I find it very frustrating when the first book in a series is very, very good and then the subsequent volumes read like they were written by someone else, definitely someone without a lot of talent.   Do you think some authors "farm out" the writing of subsequent books?  Otherwise, how could the writing change so much?

I tend to stay away from books that say, "first book of the ________ series".  

One of my favorite "prolific" authors was Maeve Binchy.  Her books were so readable and she kept up the quality through the books.  She didn't really write series books but some characters pop up in more than one book and some stories follow lightly on an earlier book.  

A book I recently re-read was "Prayers for Sale" by Sandra Dallas.  I'm going to search for what else she wrote.


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## Colleen

jujube said:


> I find it very frustrating when the first book in a series is very, very good and then the subsequent volumes read like they were written by someone else, definitely someone without a lot of talent.   Do you think some authors "farm out" the writing of subsequent books?  Otherwise, how could the writing change so much?
> 
> I tend to stay away from books that say, "first book of the ________ series".
> 
> One of my favorite "prolific" authors was Maeve Binchy.  Her books were so readable and she kept up the quality through the books.  She didn't really write series books but some characters pop up in more than one book and some stories follow lightly on an earlier book.
> 
> A book I recently re-read was "Prayers for Sale" by Sandra Dallas.  I'm going to search for what else she wrote.




The Preston/Child (Pendergast) books are not a series per se. They are a story in each book, however, there was a Trilogy (which I did not care for because they were out of the "norm" of their other Pendergast books) which was enjoyed by more people than me. The Lee Child (Reacher) books are not a series either. Each one is a new "adventure".


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## john19485

I have one book out, I didn't write it to make money, I wrote it to take away some of the pain, everyday the pain is still there, at night I'm right back, where it all started, people tell me I should do another book, but , my eyes are bad now, the stars look like christmas trees, for some reason, the only thing I can write about is my life, and I know the facts, would hunt some people still alive today. Just setting here remembering my Grandmother , Where The Blacktop Ended


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## StarSong

I'm also an avid reader, mostly non-fiction these days but good fiction remains a guilty pleasure.  Just finished "The Swans of Fifth Avenue" to rinse my brain after (mostly) slogging through "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn.  The latter is very well written and I have no doubt of its accuracy, but as I told a friend who is convinced that the 9-11 attacks were orchestrated or tacitly approved by the US government: even if true, there are some things about my government and my tribe (Caucasian settlers in the US) that are too difficult for me to deeply explore and process at this point in my life.  Zinn's book is a powerful but painful read. Let's just say that I'm a bit relieved to know that my own family didn't arrive in this country until 1885-1905.    

These days I check out most books from the Overdrive option from my public library.  I donated nearly my entire personal library about fifteen years ago and never looked back.  On the rare occasions when I purchase a book I pass it to a friend or donate it to the library after reading it.  

I look forward to reading some of the titles recommended on this thread.


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## Falcon

SifuPhil said:


> Ah, Mickey Spillane, he of the hard-boiled school.
> 
> I'm in the middle of re-reading Raymond Chadler's oeuvre right now.
> 
> (Like my $5 word?)[/QUOTE
> 
> "Chadler's   is a $5   word  ?


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## john19485

took this out of my home library, will read tonight


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## Keesha

It’s great to donate used books to your local library . Then others get some use out of them and it’s not a fire hazard in your home. I’m all for it. I’ve been so darn busy I haven’t been able to read lately but I will come fall.


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## Happyflowerlady

I enjoy reading, and I will often be reading more than one book at a time. Some books, like books with health or other life information, I read for the purpose of educating myself, and then I also read fiction books just for entertainment. 
I always loved regular books, and when I tried reading on the computer, that was just a pain, because I couldn’t get comfortable in my chair and relax that way. 
Now, I have my iPad Pro , with the external keyboard, and that is what I use as my computer, and I also have my little Kindle, and I use that excluselively for reading books. 
I really like that I can make the print whatever size I need to read it easily, plus, it does not matter what size the book actually is; they are all the same with a Kindle, and it is small and lightweight to carry along if I want to do that. 

I do get some books from the library with Overdrive, but mostly I get them free (or really cheap) on amazon at the Kindle book store. Amazon puts different books on sale or free, and changes every day; so if you are watching for the specials, you can get books for free. 
I also belong to both Bookbub and Book Gorilla, and they do the checking for you and send out an email each day with new books that Amazon has put on special. 
I also get my knitting and craft books that way, and I can either just follow the pattern with the online book, or print out the page if I want to do that.


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## moviequeen1

The books I've read since my last post in April are:
"The Lost City of Z' by David Gramm,true story about British explorer,Percy Fawcett.In 1925,he goes into the Amazon searching for the lost city,never returns
"The Soul of Amercia' by Presidential historian,Jon Mecham which I found fascinating. In our country's history,we have gone thru good&bad times, as citizens and nation have survived,will continue to do so.
The book I'm reading now is "Sinatra:Behind the Legend' by J Randy Tarborrelli,its a wonderful book,learning facts about him I didn't know before. Sue


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## Lon

IKE said:


> Are you a Mason Phil ?
> 
> I've been a Master Mason since Feb. of 1977 and a 32º Scottish Rite Mason since Nov. of 1981.
> 
> View attachment 50495



"So Mote It Be"   I was raised to Third Degree April 1959 ---   32 Degree Scottish Rite June 1979


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## TonyK

I enjoy history, biography, and travel books. My library joined a regional group that enables me to get almost any book I want. They recently got in a lot of rock biographies that I read...Neil Young, The Band, Van Morrison, Pink Floyd, John Fogarty, Bruce Springsteen etc. The Hamilton biography by Chernow was an excellent read. I learned so much about our Founding Fathers and appreciated what the play on Broadway was all about. James Comey's biography was a surprise since it is mainly about his career before he became the FBI Director.

I'm currently reading a book of Tolstoy's short stories which I first read about 30 years ago.


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## john19485

The books I read are mine, just paid $2200 for one, so no I will never donate one of my books, my grandchildren will get them ,  in fact the Liberties burned a lot of their old books, I'm talking pre 1800's copyright , when they first went  digital, (got computers) 





Keesha said:


> It’s great to donate used books to your local library . Then others get some use out of them and it’s not a fire hazard in your home. I’m all for it. I’ve been so darn busy I haven’t been able to read lately but I will come fall.


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## gennie

I read with a Kindle and just finished "Varina" by Charles Frazier, a fictionalized historical novel about Varina who was the wife of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy.   Next will be "Poison" by John Lescroat.  

If anyone is interested in contemporary poetry, I just discovered James Seay.  Love his work.


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## ProsperosDaughter

I read a great deal. 

I use my ipad when a book is available from my library in that format. I purchase many books, only from apple ibooks or KOBO, by my favorite authors. Also GoodReads sends sale emails and if the book sounds interesting I will purchase it in an ebook. 

Presently I am reading “The Whispering Room” by Dean Kootz

Two recently read fiction favorites: 

How to Stop Time” by Matt Haig and 

“Evidence of Things Unseen” by Marianne Wiggins

Recently read non-fiction

“Comfort: A Journey Through Grief” by Ann Hood and
“The Suicide Index: Putting My Fathers Death in Order” by Joan Wickersham


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## StarSong

Happyflowerlady said:


> I do get some books from the library with Overdrive, but mostly I get them free (or really cheap) on amazon at the Kindle book store. Amazon puts different books on sale or free, and changes every day; so if you are watching for the specials, you can get books for free.
> I also belong to both Bookbub and Book Gorilla, and they do the checking for you and send out an email each day with new books that Amazon has put on special.
> I also get my knitting and craft books that way, and I can either just follow the pattern with the online book, or print out the page if I want to do that.



Thanks for the great tip about Bookbub and Book Gorilla!  I'd never heard of these services before.  

So many great books, so little time...


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## Miss Mae

I love books, real books, the kind where you turn the page. Don't have a Kindle or iphone and am not interested in either. However, to help my friends I will read some of their books on my computer as a PDF, but I prefer not to. I still enjoy the library - the one you walk into and walk through the aisles. I also enjoy audio books if the narrator(s) do well. What I mean is no monotone.

Years ago I read many of Agatha Christie's but after a while I found her mystery plots similar and tedious. I grew up on Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden.


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## moviequeen1

HI Miss Mae,welcome aboard,glad you found us
I just finished reading  a fascinating book"Code Girls:the Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of WW2' by Liza Mundy
The Army&Navy recruited college age women from around the country,taught them how to decipher German&Japanese military codes. They worked under a vow of secrecy,couldn't tell friends,family what they were doing Sue in Buffalo,NY


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## Miss Mae

Hi Moviequeen1, I grew up in East TN and went to school with lots of kids whose parents worked in Oak Ridge. Saw documentaries about Oak Ridge during the war and how folks there absolutely kept their secrets. I think many kept them until their dying days.

Nice to meet you.


----------



## Joyful

I've been a lover of books since childhood and to this day my favorite hangout is the library.  Favorite authors are Robert Ludlum, John D. MacDonald, Lee Child, Sandra Brown, Nora Roberts, Linda Howard and Elizabeth George.  One of the best books I have ever read is "The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah...a tale of two sisters in German-occupied, war-torn France during World War II.  A story for everyone.


----------



## hollydolly

Like others I have been a life long reader..I loved books from the time I could read. I was never bought books except the odd comic annual... but I used our school and public library all the time. Saturday afternoons were a joy in the public library with my little ticket in my hand I'd go searching for something new every other week, we could take 3 books out at a time then, and I'd take them home carrying them like they were gold,  loving the smell and the feel of them and my heart pumping with excitement at what was ahead.

As an adult I've always used the public library...until perhaps the last 2 or 3 years. Up to 12 books at a time can be borrowed, for 3 weeks and then that can be extended up to 2 more times...so not for the first time I would find a whole 12 to lug home ( thank goodness for cars and no walking like I did as a child).... 

I read a lot of fiction as a youngster and as a young adult ( no romance or slushy chic-lit)... but mystery and crime, and of course the classics...

All of Conan Doyle all of Christie, but after a few years I tired of fiction..and my choice of reading material to this day is all factual... 

However after 50 years of using the public library I no longer find joy in it. The aisles and aisles of books have been reduced drastically to  just a few that are rarely updated, and have been replaced by dozens of desks filled with computers, and the noise of the clattering of keyboards and the chattering (no more silence)... has driven me and many others away!!

Now I buy new or barely read books from Amazon or  second hand books stores.. ( we're lucky to have a superb old  fashioned book store   just a few miles away)... . I prefer Hardbacks..and now I only read in bed at night before sleep , but I can easily have up to 3 books on the go at any one time. 

I have a kindle, but I only ever use it if I'm away on holiday to save the weight of books in my case... or I'll take it in my bag if I'm attending an appointment where I expect to have a long wait...otherwise the books for me will always be  made of paper.


----------



## Pepper

Joyful, you might also enjoy Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone.  It is hard to believe the same author wrote these great books, but in a totally different way.  Versatile, talented author.


----------



## Pepper

Hooray, Miss Mae, for Nancy Drew & Trixie Belden!


----------



## Miss Mae

Yaayy, thanks, Pepper!


----------



## Joyful

Pepper said:


> Joyful, you might also enjoy Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone.  It is hard to believe the same author wrote these great books, but in a totally different way.  Versatile, talented author.



Thank you, Pepper, I shall look for it at the library on my next visit.


----------



## Pinky

Finished Barack and Michelle Obama books, and now re-reading three Wayson Choy books which I requested for Xmas. We donate our books to the library after we read them, but have a small collection in our antique oak lawyer's bookcase that belonged to my late father-in-law.


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I'm reading now is "Hank and Jim: the 55 yr Friendship of Henry Fonda and James Stewart"by Scott Eyman
This is a terrific book, how they met,became room mates as they were struggling young actors in NYC.,friendship continued through the years until Fonda's death
I knew Fonda was married 5 times,Stewart to his wife Gloria for 45 yrs.
The author talked with family members,friends of both actors who knew them well Sue


----------



## oldman

I just finished reading a book by Edgar Herrall titled, “Out of the Depths.” 

It’s a fantastic true story about the sinking of the U.S. S. Indianapolis during WWII. Edgar was just one of the very few survivors from that sinking. His exploits from being in the water for 4 days while waiting to be rescued are nothing short of amazing. I only hope that if I am ever in a position of danger as he was that I have the same kind of survival skills.

If you are really interested, I posted his short version of the events under the Military section. I promise that if you take the eight or so minutes to watch the YouTube video that you will not be disappointed. A true American hero, Edgar Herrall.


----------



## jerry old

Southern Female Authors;
While the novel or short stories are completely understandable, they also place a nagging feeling that 'I'm missing something.'
Carson Mcculler
Flannery O'Conner
Kate Chopin
These ladies are writing from a closed society, though often not brought to light, it stains the pages, often calling for 'another read'.

There literate is inclusive or a pilgrimage which was imprinted in their early years.  These authors depict grotesque characters and events in their pages;
in part seeking definition of their own lives.

(You want'a explain what the hell your talking about, Mr. Smarty Pants?
Can't, but I know some of their efforts are coded messages to themselves
which their unaware of... I think?)


----------



## Packerjohn

I have been a "book worm" almost all my life.  Having been a school teacher helps.  It goes with the business.  I bought an e-reader a couple of years ago & couldn't figure out how it works so I returned it.  So, I read "real" books that I borrow from our library.  I read mainly biographies & travel books.  Very seldom do I read fiction.  Maybe only 1 or 2 every year at the most.  Right now I am reading "Travel the World on $50 A Day" by Nomadic Matt.  In the last 2 weeks I have read biographies about Ringo Starr of the Beatles & another one about a woman that was married to a member of the Rolling Stones Band for 30 years.


----------



## jerry old

Packerjohn;:
Got one for you,'Flyboys: A True Story of Courage,' James Bradley

A book regarding a facet of WW II, never considered. The why- of this books   obscurity is a mystery.


----------



## jerry old

Walking into the room on post 15, will boost your I Q ten points

The trilogy of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' fat books 600 pages, not my normal taste, but I got hooked.  The character of Lisbeth Salander, pulls you in-
a societal wreck.
The author died, now another author is picking up where book three left
I want to quit reading this series, but I'll probably buy the 4th book.


----------



## Marie5656

*My dream room

*


----------



## Lc jones

Nothing beats the word of God, The Bible of course! I read and study it daily, what a breath of fresh air....


----------



## TravelinMan

I love to read books and now do it exclusively by ebook.  I have library cards from two local libraries so I can often find just the book I want and check it out for free for 3 weeks. 

I read both fiction and non-fiction.  Some of my favorite fiction authors are David Baldacci, Craig Johnson, James Patterson, Michael Connelly and John Grisham.  For non-fiction I like biographies and history.  Last year I read over 60 books.


----------



## Pepper

Marie5656 said:


> *My dream room
> 
> View attachment 80430*


Who dusts?
I guess if you're dreaming, you have a dream maid, too!


----------



## TravelinMan

oldman said:


> I just finished reading a book by Edgar Herrall titled, “Out of the Depths.”



Thanks oldman, I just checked it out of the library.


----------



## Seeker

I read books don't have a reader.

Just finished The Help. I borrowed it from my mothers huge Library.

I had seen the movie and knew the book would be much better and of course it was.


----------



## jerry old

This and that:
correct spelling is horse-de-vores or horse orders, you pici

Micky Spillane was read avidly by all teens.  He and female would be semi-naked or just plain nakie in room, they approach each other.
Then he would start another paragragh. 'The next morning..."

JUJU-pumped into a lady at library with a zipper notebook, the big type you had in school.  To keep track of titles, authors,..."I found I was checking out
books I had read 20 years age, so I started this notebook, it is a great help."

The notebook had well over 100 pages, front and back...

Recommend book, don't know title or the author, but a movie, "Paths of Glory" (freebie on net) is faithful to book.


----------



## Gary O'

This book was a great great read


----------



## jerry old

Gary:
Your ditties you post are better than any book.
How's that publishing going?

Glad to see this thread brought up...


----------



## StarSong

Gary O' said:


> This book was a great great read
> 
> View attachment 87422


I'm lucky enough to have known Mr. Zamperini and had many conversations with him.  This book does a good job of recounting his history and capturing his spirit.  The movie, less so, because it mostly ignored his unshakeable faith.


----------



## Gary O'

jerry r. garner said:


> Gary:
> Your ditties you post are better than any book.
> How's that publishing going?


That's very kind of you, Jerry (hope a lot of folks feel that way)

Going to be wrapping up the manuscript in a few weeks......then off to find a publisher


----------



## RadishRose

Pepper said:


> Hooray, Miss Mae, for Nancy Drew & Trixie Belden!


OMG, Trixie Belden!


----------



## Gary O'

StarSong said:


> I'm lucky enough to have known Mr. Zamperini and had many conversations with him


WHOA!


----------



## Gary O'

Marie5656 said:


> My dream room


We had a wall at the cabin 

winters are for reading a good book


----------



## StarSong

Gary O' said:


> WHOA!


I know, right?


----------



## Marie5656

RadishRose said:


> OMG, Trixie Belden!


I loved Trixie! I think I had all the books in the series


----------



## Pinky

Been reading quite a lot of Tana French mysteries lately. My sister is an avid reader, and passes her books to me .. fortunately, I'm a fan of mysteries. On the other hand, I prefer quirky short stories by authors such as Haruki Murakami and Banana Yoshimoto, who are probably not everyone's cup of tea.


----------



## jerry old

Currently stuck on Grit Lit-if your a redneck you can't escape it.  Of course, real rednecks don't read books, so those familiar with the culture or were raised redneck write about it.
Harry Crews,  was so ashamed of his redneck raising he did not believe he had the ability to write.  He made no attempts till he was past grown.
Rough stories, rough people...


----------



## Gary O'

jerry r. garner said:


> Micky Spillane was read avidly by all teens. He and female would be semi-naked or just plain nakie in room, they approach each other.
> Then he would start another paragragh. 'The next morning..."


I was an avid reader of Spillane...and those paragraphs


----------



## john19485

jerry r. garner said:


> Currently stuck on Grit Lit-if your a redneck you can't escape it.  Of course, real rednecks don't read books, so those familiar with the culture or were raised redneck write about it.
> Harry Crews,  was so ashamed of his redneck raising he did not believe he had the ability to write.  He made no attempts till he was past grown.
> Rough stories, rough people...


----------



## john19485

Jerry, hope you read my book, part of it is about my growing up in my home state of Alabama.


----------



## jerry old

I made a list two weeks ago, of Grit Lit books I can get from Inter-Library  loans and those I'm going to have to buy.
Yours was on list.
The blurb from jacket: "strange, bloody, tragic..."  Oh life in the South, you want to explain to a Yankee how it's done down here?
My stories, while living in Detroit were not believed.

Put you on 'follow' list


----------



## 911

I read mostly non fiction. I have read many books on the Civil War and WWII. I just got “The Forgotten 500”for Christmas, but haven’t started it yet. If you really enjoy true stories about WWII, I think you would really enjoy reading “Ghost Soldiers.”


----------



## john19485

Some of my first wife's kin were still in Vietnam , when we were getting ready to publish the book, one of the reasons I made it Fiction. I would like to encourage anyone to check out my facebook page, check out this page ,   https://www.amazon.com/John-R.-Mizell/e/B00H9ZSWNQ/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0


----------



## Marlene

Keesha said:


> Reading is a pleasant past time. There are so many great books to read.
> What are some of your favourite books you have read and what do you use to read them?
> perhaps an ireader or a kindle? Or maybe you prefer listening to them.
> 
> These are great for reading with since you can:
> -load as many books as you want to
> -adjust the letter size
> -read at night without needing to turn on a light so you don’t disturb others.
> 
> At at the moment I am reading ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd
> which is extraordinarily written.
> 
> What are you reading right now and what great books can you suggest to the rest of us?


that' a great book.  I read it when it first came out and loved it.


----------



## Marlene

I'm a pretty voracious and very eclectic reader.  Here are some I've read recently:


Night of Miracles by Elizabeth Berg
All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin
Everything is F*cked: a book about hope by Mark Manson
The Death of a Hussy by M.C. Beaton
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
The Stoic Challenge: A philosopher’s guide to becoming tougher, calmer, and more resilient by William B. Irvine
Rising Strong: The reckoning.  The rumble.  The revolution by Brene Brown
The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyles


----------



## StarSong

Marlene said:


> I'm a pretty voracious and very eclectic reader.  Here are some I've read recently:
> 
> 
> Night of Miracles by Elizabeth Berg
> All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin
> Everything is F*cked: a book about hope by Mark Manson
> The Death of a Hussy by M.C. Beaton
> Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
> The Stoic Challenge: A philosopher’s guide to becoming tougher, calmer, and more resilient by William B. Irvine
> Rising Strong: The reckoning.  The rumble.  The revolution by Brene Brown
> The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyles



I've never read any of these. Will have to give them a look. Thanks for the recommendation!


----------



## Marlene

StarSong said:


> I've never read any of these. Will have to give them a look. Thanks for the recommendation!


The one by Jo Jo Moyles is very good and is a fictionalized account of the Horseback Librarians of Appalachia (a program started by Eleanor Roosevelt during the depression to get books to folks who had no access to libraries.  Great story that also delves into the situation of mine owners vs. miners of that era.  It is set close to Harlan county KY (which is one county over from where my Mom is from and where I was born, it was of special interest to me).


----------



## JaniceM

Gary O' said:


> That's very kind of you, Jerry (hope a lot of folks feel that way)
> 
> Going to be wrapping up the manuscript in a few weeks......then off to find a publisher


Please update when it's ready!


----------



## JaniceM

john19485 said:


> Jerry, hope you read my book, part of it is about my growing up in my home state of Alabama.
> 
> View attachment 87462


John:  When I came back to the forum after being off a long time, I tried to find you and info about your book.  Couldn't remember the numbers after your name!!  Just now noticed this post, and ordered it through Amazon.  

Gary:  I always keep my word, even though unexpected circumstances can result in long delays.  Have an alert on one site for when your book becomes available, and periodically check Amazon, Alibris, etc. too.


----------



## StarSong

Marlene said:


> The one by Jo Jo Moyles is very good and is a fictionalized account of the Horseback Librarians of Appalachia (a program started by Eleanor Roosevelt during the depression to get books to folks who had no access to libraries.  Great story that also delves into the situation of mine owners vs. miners of that era.  It is set close to Harlan county KY (which is one county over from where my Mom is from and where I was born, it was of special interest to me).


Great book.  Thanks for the recommendation!


----------



## Lewkat

I too, must hold the book I am reading.  I like historical non fiction or current non fiction.  Also am a WWII buff and have  read most of what was mentioned on here of that time.  Currently reading The Splendid and The Vile by Eric Larsen, about Winston Churchill.  Not the usual bio, but an entirely different angle of observation.  Larsen's books are terrific and I've read most.  Have one or two more on my list.  Also reading Secret Empires by Peter Schweitzer.  He delves into political shenanigans from all sides of the coin.  Both books are fascinating reading.


----------



## LindaB

I am a voracious and eclectic reader.
I, of course, love real books but also read a lot on my Kindle for convenience, backlighting and the ability to also synch automatically with an audiobook so that when I am cooking or cleaning I can listen to my book and when I have the opportunity to sit down and read I can pick it up right where the audiobook left off and vice-versa.


----------



## jerry old

If you want to find books about the culture in your area go to your university press.

Your university press (probably different names in different regions) will publish a book that national publishers wouldn't touch-
"It won't sell enough to be economically viable."

Your university press, while concerned about finances, will publish a book which has
limited appeal regarding the cultural values in your area.


----------



## jerry old

Question crying for a thread:
Titles of Books:
1. Does the title of a book result in you pulling it from the shelf?
1a   Title or author-which peaks your interest
2.  Do you believe the title gives you a clue as to the content of the book?
3.  Who determines the title?
4.  List some great titles
5. Trilogies due to first book
6.  Must read authors

Many more, but I'm too sorry to think or list moe


----------



## Treacle

Keesha said:


> My brother in law is a Mason. My husband was asked to be one but I told him that he can’t. At least that’s what he told me the other day. :lol:


Ooh my father (not a nice man) was a Mason and when he passed over he had all these 'things' in his possession. Don't know whether they are the same as what one has in US. Don't really know what they are but to me just weird!!!!! and he has a certificate for the Freedom of the city of London - another bit of weirdness given what he did to mum. Apologies for poor quality photos.


----------



## Keesha

Treacle said:


> Ooh my father (not a nice man) was a Mason and when he passed over he had all these 'things' in his possession. Don't know whether they are the same as what one has in US. Don't really know what they are but to me just weird!!!!! and he has a certificate for the Freedom of the city of London - another bit of weirdness given what he did to mum. Apologies for poor quality photos.


I’ve no idea what they do either. The idea that everything is done in secrecy is the thing I disliked the most. I’m all for transparency. If you’re a group, state what you do? Where and when? Maybe I’ve watched too many murder mysteries but red flags were going off everywhere for me. My man can do just about whatever he wants whenever he wants but this wasn’t one of them.


----------



## LindaB

jerry old said:


> Question crying for a thread:
> Titles of Books:
> 1. Does the title of a book result in you pulling it from the shelf?
> 1a   Title or author-which peaks your interest
> 2.  Do you believe the title gives you a clue as to the content of the book?
> 3.  Who determines the title?
> 4.  List some great titles
> 5. Trilogies due to first book
> 6.  Must read authors
> 
> Many more, but I'm too sorry to think or list moe


I am an eclectic reader. Having said that, I am partial to thrillers, mysteries.
My favorite authors (in no particular order) are:
Harlan Coben, he writes stand alone books but also has one of my favorite series, Myron Bolitar, sports agent.
Dennis LeHane
Linwood Barclay, has several series plus stand alone books
David Baldacci, several series. I particularly like the Amos Decker series
Phillip Margolin writes legal thrillers
Lee Child, Jack Reacher, of course
Michael Connelly,  all Harry Bosch
Some favorite books not related to any of the above:
The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides
Jane Steele, Lindsay Faye
What Alice Forgoy, Lianne Moriarity
The Swans of Fifth Avenue, Melanie Benjamin
The Clifton Chronicles, Jeffrey Archer
So many books, so little time!


----------



## Treacle

Have read:
Graham Greene
Fay Weldon


Gary O' said:


> I was an avid reader of Spillane...and those paragraphs


Was Spillane made into a television series and shown in England. I just know the name Mickey Spillane but don't know where from???
George Orwell
Albert Moravia
Tom Sharpe
Simone De Beauvoir
Satre
John Fowles
Amy Tan and other Chinese writers

and more...... but will look at other's reading list. Always want to find something different. I too want to hold a book in my hand . Kindle is not for me.  ☺


----------



## JaniceM

Treacle said:


> Have read:
> Graham Greene
> Fay Weldon
> 
> Was Spillane made into a television series and shown in England. I just know the name Mickey Spillane but don't know where from???


Brooklyn, New York


----------



## Lakeland living

Yes, like to read. Almost anything including cereal boxes.  Just getting into reading books online , txt pdf and so on.. Some great books are being made available online having been written long ago.  Science Fiction, Adventure. Fantasy  real life, also science advances. Depends on what catches my attention, eye opener on some of those Fantasy books.....


----------



## jerry old

Response to Treacle book list post 100
1.  mickey spillane-  read for sexy parts, sizzled in the fifties

2.  Orwell, read his main two, then had to read them for school

3.  Moravia-no knowledge

4.  Tom Sharpe-read two, then went to book store, bought several-he's not funny
anymore, overdosed I suppose.  Greene's humor and sometimes 'biting situtations'
stay with you.

5.  Beauvoir-no knowledge

6.  satre-do not care for existentialism-read for pleasure, do not lead me astray.
I have enough trouble with reality as it is.

7. John Fowles-The Collector: Roommate had to explain to me-
'No he was not a rapist, he collected things.'
'True, but he raped and killed the girl.'
'Then he was both.
'No he was a collector first.'
He did make you question motives
The Magus: sometimes I lost my way
French Lt's Woman-started it twice -gave up

Fowles and Kazuo Ishiguro have a similar style, but Ishigur says,
'Here read and work.'  I have no idea why a reader would torture oneself, but
there worth it.  The Remains....was an easy read compared to other works.
He won Nobel Prize in 2017, just found about it.

8.  Amy Tan-have two hardbacks in bookcase, have read a few pages of each-good.
'But you have not read them?'
'No.'
'Why'
'Don't know.

We here in the colonies do not like the author putting us through our paces;
we like our  westerns, mountain men and adventure novels simple.
We know life is not that simple and search for literature that challenges us.

I am terrible at names and titles, will have to go pull books from bookcase.

Lot of regionalism in the colonies
our big authors tell the truth, but 'they tell it slant.'*
Faulkner
O'connor
Mcculler
(*Emily Dickinson)


----------



## Gary O'

JaniceM said:


> Gary: I always keep my word, even though unexpected circumstances can result in long delays. Have an alert on one site for when your book becomes available, and periodically check Amazon, Alibris, etc. too.



That's just it
Spring/summer/fall at the cabin are my busy seasons

The manuscript is complete (if I'd ever get done fiddling with it)

Big poser is the publisher
Handling this one a bit gently

Had someone with connections that sorta flaked off
.....OK....OK....I pissed her off
She got impatient with me when I'd delayed things a bit
I had my shingles, and my lady suddenly got a hernia
Something about not staying in touch with her while I was bombing down hwy 97
in the middle of winter at 80mph to the hospital, 
while itching off the sloughing plague like sores on the shingles side of my head

I unloaded on her


----------



## Em in Ohio

Falcon said:


> I read anything with words on it.  But my favorites are small  paperbacks  because I do most of my reading  in bed, just before going to sleep.
> 
> Every Friday  my local library has a used book  sale.  For a couple of bucks I come home with a whole bag full.
> 
> They are  25¢  each.


You sound like me.  I'll read the ingredients on condiment packages if that is all that is available!  Paperback books are my preference, too.  It is hard to cuddle up with a hardbound and hard-edged book!  I buy from the local Goodwill store.


----------



## MarciKS

Keesha said:


> Reading is a pleasant past time. There are so many great books to read.
> What are some of your favourite books you have read and what do you use to read them?
> perhaps an ireader or a kindle? Or maybe you prefer listening to them.
> 
> These are great for reading with since you can:
> -load as many books as you want to
> -adjust the letter size
> -read at night without needing to turn on a light so you don’t disturb others.
> 
> At at the moment I am reading ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd
> which is extraordinarily written.
> 
> What are you reading right now and what great books can you suggest to the rest of us?


that's an excellent book btw keesha.

i haven't graduated from being old school and still having actual books. not sure if i ever will or not. 

i prefer crime or murder mysteries. anything fbi or csi. i like dean koontz. i used to read anne rice.


----------



## Keesha

MarciKS said:


> that's an excellent book btw keesha.
> 
> i haven't graduated from being old school and still having actual books. not sure if i ever will or not.
> 
> i prefer crime or murder mysteries. anything fbi or csi. i like dean koontz. i used to read anne rice.


Yes indeed. I’m a fan of mysteries also but I also like romance too. Nora Roberts comes to mind.
Some writers I like are John Grisham, Michael Connelly , Mary Higgins Clark and Patricia Cornwall; however some of her writings a bit too graphic for me to read. Adventurous books are exciting also.

There’s nothing like getting swept up to another place and  time by a good author. Reading is  certainly one of life’s simple pleasures.


----------



## MarciKS

memoirs of a geisha was wonderful. they cut out most of it for the movie.


----------



## JaniceM

Last night I started reading this book..  written by one of our forum members!


----------



## Pinky

JaniceM said:


> Last night I started reading this book..  written by one of our forum members!
> View attachment 112077


I'm going to search for it through my library!


----------



## JaniceM

Pinky said:


> I'm going to search for it through my library!


It's still available on Amazon...  paperback, and also Kindle if you prefer.


----------



## Pinky

JaniceM said:


> It's still available on Amazon...  paperback, and also Kindle if you prefer.


Thank you, Janice.


----------



## Gaer

"The day after Roswell", Paanjali, Kahil Gibran, Vinnegarroon, Roughin It. The Spiritual brain.

On my list and sitting in front of me to read next are: Meetings with remarkable men, The Seven Story mountain, The Giza Prophesy, and some Jung books.  I must get started.  My soul is hungry!


----------



## Pinky

One of the most compelling autobiographies I've read, is by New Zealander, Marguerite van Geldermalsen -
Married To A Bedouin:

https://marriedtoabedouin.com/


----------



## moviequeen1

I prefer reading paperback books,once in awhile I'll buy a hardcover one
At the moment, I'm reading another Kristin Hannah book"Between Sisters',read 7 of her other books
A  couple weeks ago read'Normal People' by Sally Rooney,,another 'overhyped' book in my opinion,it was ok


----------



## Pinky

One book that I intend reading again, is "The Group" by Mary McCarthy. It was also made into a movie.


----------



## Lewkat

JaniceM said:


> Last night I started reading this book..  written by one of our forum members!
> View attachment 112077


A newly edited version is coming out as John did not do a good job of getting some of the chronology is incorrect.  Excellent reviews on this book, so I shall purchase it.


----------



## JaniceM

Lewkat said:


> A newly edited version is coming out as John did not do a good job of getting some of the chronology is incorrect.  Excellent reviews on this book, so I shall purchase it.


I didn't know that.  Thanks for the info.


----------



## moviequeen1

I finished reading "Between Sisters' a couple days ago,enjoy it bit too long 375 pgs
The next book is"Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty.I know this was made into a HBO series{don't subscribe to HBO} never read any of the author's books before


----------



## StarSong

moviequeen1 said:


> I finished reading "Between Sisters' a couple days ago,enjoy it bit too long 375 pgs
> The next book is"Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty.I know this was made into a HBO series{don't subscribe to HBO} never read any of the author's books before


Love almost everything by Liane Moriarty - just one or two didn't float my boat. _ Big Little Lies_ is excellent, but my favorite is _What Alice Forgot_.


----------



## StarSong

moviequeen1 said:


> A  couple weeks ago read'Normal People' by Sally Rooney,,another 'overhyped' book in my opinion,it was ok


My library often on-line first several page look-sees of many books.  I checked into _Normal People_ a while ago. When I realized the author doesn't use quotation marks, or other special punctuation to indicate when someone is speaking, I decided to pass on it. 

Did you find her writing style distracted you from what the content?


----------



## Damaged Goods

NON-FICTION: Bios of celebs, athletes, and historical figures.  Problem is that I've read 'em all.  I have no interest in today's celebs or anything related to current pop culture, have lost interest in sports especially since they've been politicized, and have read about every other person who interested me.  

So for non-fiction, I guess my favorite genre is true crime such as the novels of Ann Rule.

FICTION: Love me some multi-generational family sagas, the current of which is "The Son" by Philipp Meyer.   Great book.   AMC apparently  ran it as a TV series for a couple of yrs.


----------



## jerry old

Several authors started using dashes  (OR the publishers) in place of quotation marks
in the late 80's & 90;s  I prefer the dashes: i.e.
-You'll get caught.
-Could be


----------



## StarSong

jerry old said:


> Several authors started using dashes  (OR the publishers) in place of quotation marks
> in the late 80's & 90;s  I prefer the dashes: i.e.
> -You'll get caught.
> -Could be


Sally Rooney (Normal People and other works) uses neither.  From that standpoint, she writes like an 8 year old:
Here's a screen shot from the first chapter:


----------



## Pepper

@StarSong 
That's annoying, as well as pretentious.


----------



## jerry old

Sometimes it is difficult enough to determine what the author is saying,
now we have to figure out when the characters are talking?


----------



## StarSong

Pepper said:


> @StarSong
> That's annoying, as well as pretentious.


Needless to say, I didn't bother to borrow the book.


----------



## StarSong

jerry old said:


> Sometimes it is difficult enough to determine what the author is saying,
> now we have to figure out when the characters are talking?


Exactly.


----------



## JaniceM

Lewkat said:


> A newly edited version is coming out as John did not do a good job of getting some of the chronology is incorrect.  Excellent reviews on this book, so I shall purchase it.


I can relate to his viewpoint.  Although I don't know John personally, am only 80 pages into  his book, and from what I've read so far I'm not familiar with the setting to be able to notice if there are any errors, from my own experiences a typo drives me batty but an actual mistake is impossible to overlook.


----------



## JaniceM

jerry old said:


> Sometimes it is difficult enough to determine what the author is saying,
> now we have to figure out when the characters are talking?


From the examples you guys both gave, I'm glad I'm not a fan of fiction-  it'd drive me nuts.


----------



## StarSong

JaniceM said:


> From the examples you guys both gave, I'm glad I'm not a fan of fiction-  it'd drive me nuts.


To be fair, this is the first author I've come across who stylized her writing this way so it's not common in fiction.  

I passed on the book, but apparently many have not because Sally Rooney is a highly lauded, top selling author.


----------



## JaniceM

StarSong said:


> To be fair, this is the first author I've come across who stylized her writing this way so it's not common in fiction.
> 
> I passed on the book, but apparently many have not because Sally Rooney is a highly lauded, top selling author.


I've never heard of her.  It does seem, though, that there's too much emphasis on trends-  what's currently popular.  If you've read _The Heart is a Lonely Hunter _(Carson McCullers), it's a good example- long ago, I "got into it" with an agent who insisted that writing style isn't popular anymore.


----------



## moviequeen1

StarSong said:


> My library often on-line first several page look-sees of many books.  I checked into _Normal People_ a while ago. When I realized the author doesn't use quotation marks, or other special punctuation to indicate when someone is speaking, I decided to pass on it.
> 
> Did you find her writing style distracted you from what the content?


Starsong,her style took me awhile to get use to it was ok. I just  thought the book didn't deserved all the accolades it has received


----------



## asp3

Just finished up Killing Gravity by Corey J White, a science fiction novel in Kindle on my iPad and iPhone.  It was a free book from Tor.com and kept me very interested.  It was a bit more violent than I like overall but the lead character was somewhat enigmatic to me and kept me interested.  I wouldn't recommend it unless I knew the person liked that type of story.


----------



## Don M.

I seldom read any books....to busy with other stuff.  However, there is One book soon to be released, called "Too Much and Not Enough" that I may well want to get and read.  This one could be a "game changer".


----------



## MarciKS

You mean Too Much & Never Enough by Mary Trump?


----------



## Don M.

MarciKS said:


> You mean Too Much & Never Enough by Mary Trump?



Yup...that's the one.  Without violating this forums policy on Politics, I am looking forward to reading this book.  If just half of what has been initially released is true, this book could really have an impact between now and November.


----------



## Barbiegirl

I can't concentrate while reading on a device, so I do it old school: books from the library, plus a few purchases.

John Gardner is one of my very favorite authors. Right now I'm reading Nickel Mountain. I'll confess the actual characters and story don't draw me in like in some of his other works, such as The Sunlight Dialogues, but Gardner's prose is so jaw-droppingly gorgeous that it hardly matters.


----------



## moviequeen1

StarSong said:


> Love almost everything by Liane Moriarty - just one or two didn't float my boat. _ Big Little Lies_ is excellent, but my favorite is _What Alice Forgot_.


Hi Starsong,just couldn't get into"Big Little Lies' gave up after 50 pages Sue


----------



## StarSong

moviequeen1 said:


> Hi Starsong,just couldn't get into"Big Little Lies' gave up after 50 pages Sue


50 pages is a fair trial.  Unless someone I know really well insists it's worth pressing through, I cut bait by that time if I'm not feeling it.


----------



## JaniceM

JaniceM said:


> I can relate to his viewpoint.  Although I don't know John personally, am only 80 pages into  his book, and from what I've read so far I'm not familiar with the setting to be able to notice if there are any errors, from my own experiences a typo drives me batty but an actual mistake is impossible to overlook.


Everyone should read this book!!!!


----------



## Dwight Ward

Up until about twenty years ago I read every day. In my younger years I devoured books -novels, (classic and modern )  science, history, all kinds of books. The my vision deteriorated and I needed glasses to read and it was very uncomfortable for me. Now I watch a lot of movies online and listen to the occasional audiobook. Reading online is uncomfortable to me after a page or two. I don't have television ( can't stand the commercials ) so that's not a resource for me. I did, however, order Mary Trump's book and will read it.


----------



## Dwight Ward

I'll recommend a browser extention for those who, like myself, have difficulty reading online. It's called Read Aloud and it's free. Even though it is free it works flawlessly although having only two voices to choose from.


----------



## Dwight Ward

I take it back about Read Aloud working flawlessly all the time. Sometimes I can't get it to shut up even after I close the webpage in which it's engaged.  You have to close your browser completely to make it stop. It doesn't happen often, though.


----------



## Dwight Ward

Barbiegirl said:


> I can't concentrate while reading on a device, so I do it old school: books from the library, plus a few purchases.
> 
> John Gardner is one of my very favorite authors. Right now I'm reading Nickel Mountain. I'll confess the actual characters and story don't draw me in like in some of his other works, such as The Sunlight Dialogues, but Gardner's prose is so jaw-droppingly gorgeous that it hardly matters.


Check out my post about Read Aloud. I, too, have difficulty reading online.


----------



## Sliverfox

When the stay at home lock down started I had finished my batch of library books.

I had  bunch of  donated  books from friends to wade through.

Son had  told me he would give me an old I pad,, but his state too was locked down.

When we finally did get together recently,, I could not remember the correct password for my computer.
Hence I returned home with out  the Ipad.

Local library is still practicing  whatever rules the state has mandated for  them.
I called to tell them I won't be in anytime soon to renew my card or pick up books.

On the good  side of that,, I'm getting a lot of small projects done!


----------



## asp3

Sliverfox said:


> Local library is still practicing  whatever rules the state has mandated for  them.
> I called to tell them I won't be in anytime soon to renew my card or pick up books.



Hopefully your library will start doing what ours has been doing.  One can request books online and when they're ready you pick them up like you would do getting take out from a restaurant.  I haven't done it yet but I'm thinking about it.


----------



## Sliverfox

To me half the fun of going to the library is looking at the new books,picking one up to read the  fly leaf.
My taste varies in what I want to read.

Our library is already  doing that & may have opened to let limited number of people in.

Even before  the stay at home orders,, I wondered how  the library could keep  books virus free.
Was thinking of  quitting my visits to library.

I chose my health over the pleasure of reading.


----------



## gennie

StarSong said:


> Did you find her writing style distracted you from what the content?


It certainly did me.  Probably a good story there but not worth the effort for me.  Didn't finish it


----------



## gennie

During this virus crisis, I'm especially grateful for my Kindle. I download from local library or Amazon and keep several books ready to begin.

I just finished Philip Caputo's _The Longest Road:  Overland in Search of America, from Key West to the Arctic Ocean.  _

It's been 10 years since he made the trip and about 30 since I drove many of the same highways in my RVing days.  Ahhhhh, memories.  What would we do without them?


----------



## Pinky

Bringing Mulligan Home - Dale Maharidge. 
My brother gave me this book to read, in order to help us to better understand our father, and the after-effects of his war experiences.


----------



## Keesha

Pinky said:


> Bringing Mulligan Home - Dale Maharidge.
> My brother gave me this book to read, in order to help us to better understand our father, and the after-effects of his war experiences.


And did the book help? Do you get along well with your brother now?


----------



## Happyflowerlady

I read for entertainment, so novels are good, mostly crime mystery, or something similar, and historical fiction.  I also read to learn more about any subject that i am interested in, so that can be just about anything that catches my attention. 
I mainly read on my Kindle fire. I like that it is so lightweight and easy to hold, and I can set the size of the words to make it large enough to easily read it. I can’t read regular paperback books anymore, without a lot of eye strain, even with my reading glasses, so the Kiindle helps a whole lot. 
If I am reading something with pictures or diagrams, then I usually use my smaller iPad, because I can enlarge pictures easier with that than with the kindle. 
I read a lot, so I have Kindle Unlimited, which allows me to check out up to 10 books at a time.


----------



## Pinky

Keesha said:


> And did the book help? Do you get along well with your brother now?


My brother and I have always gotten along, and have a strong bond. I had many issues with our father, who was often angry for no known reason, and sometimes physically abused our mother. My brother, being 7 yrs. younger than me, did not witness a lot of what I did. He didn't understand why I couldn't forgive.


----------



## Keesha

Pinky said:


> My brother and I have always gotten along, and have a strong bond. I had many issues with our father, who was often angry for no known reason, and sometimes physically abused our mother. My brother, being 7 yrs. younger than me, did not witness a lot of what I did. He didn't understand why I couldn't forgive.


So I take it that would be a ‘no?’ The book didn’t help. 

I’ve got an older brother that was treated very differently than me so I do get this. I’m still struggling with forgiveness so thanks for mentioning that. Neither one of my parents went to war but my mothers brothers and father did. She lost her mother early due to MS , both brothers were killed in the war and her father was captured for 5 years. I can understand why she had issues. My dad was treated very well and had a good life but suffered badly with OCD! I’m not sure what happened to him. One of these people who would treat strangers with such kindness and his family like $%#€.


----------



## StarSong

Pinky said:


> My brother and I have always gotten along, and have a strong bond. I had many issues with our father, who was often angry for no known reason, and sometimes physically abused our mother. My brother, being 7 yrs. younger than me, did not witness a lot of what I did. He didn't understand why I couldn't forgive.


The kids in my family were born across a span of 14 years and I'm right in the middle.  My closest relationships are with the two sisters at either end of the age range.  We often comment that we were brought up by three different sets of parents.  My oldest sister was raised when my parents' relationship was at its best, I had them at their angriest and most contentious, and my younger sister dealt with parents whose marriage had disintegrated - they were exhausted and left her largely to her own devices.


----------



## Pinky

Keesha said:


> So I take it that would be a ‘no?’ The book didn’t help.


The book helped to a certain degree.


----------



## JaniceM

_Notes of a Native Son- _James Baldwin.  
I bought it a couple of months ago, but had two other books to finish reading first.


----------



## gennie

I read with a Kindle and download most of what I read from the public library.  Currently reading two:  _Little Fires Everywhere_ by Christine Ng and _A Very Stable Genius_ by Phillip Rucker.  Waiting in the wings is _My Lovely Wife _by Samatha Downing.


----------



## gennie

StarSong said:


> The kids in my family were born across a span of 14 years and I'm right in the middle.  My closest relationships are with the two sisters at either end of the age range.  We often comment that we were brought up by three different sets of parents.  My oldest sister was raised when my parents' relationship was at its best, I had them at their angriest and most contentious, and my younger sister dealt with parents whose marriage had disintegrated - they were exhausted and left her largely to her own devices.


I often tell my 13 years younger half-sister that she and I had different mothers (although it was the same person)


----------



## StarSong

gennie said:


> I often tell my 13 years younger half-sister that she and I had different mothers (although it was the same person)


Exactly.


----------



## StarSong

gennie said:


> I read with a Kindle and download most of what I read from the public library.  Currently reading two:  _Little Fires Everywhere_ by Christine Ng and _A Very Stable Genius_ by Phillip Rucker.  Waiting in the wings is _My Lovely Wife _by Samatha Downing.


Love Christine Ng's books.  Haven't read the other two.  Please let us know how you like them.


----------



## Myquest55

SO many books to read - never enough time!!  I have carried my books with me since childhood.  Every time we move, I get rid of boxes and bags of them but still fill bookcases once we get to a new place.  I keep my favorites and some of value.  Currently I have been collecting volumes - as old as I can find them, and new ones, on north Atlantic history, Norse & Netherlands.  In between, and in stressful times (gee, like the last few years) I feel the need to escape to somewhere else for a time.  I have started collecting "cozy mysteries" that take place in Maine.  Just for fun and a quick read.  (I recently lent one to a friend who "doesn't read" and she came back, 2 months later gushing that now she knows why I read them - pure escape and just for fun)

The most recent non-fiction I read was "Original Thinking" by Glen Parry.  It looks like a boring text book but was actually really interesting about getting ourselves back in touch with nature so we can think more clearly and creatively - based on Native American ways.  I found it easy to follow and read - with a few big words thrown in.

My cousin is a flight attendant and posts a list of books she reads, every month here:  _*http://www.amandafromseattle.com/2020/09/august-2020-books-i-read.html *_ Always a fascinating collection!


----------



## moviequeen1

gennie said:


> I read with a Kindle and download most of what I read from the public library.  Currently reading two:  _Little Fires Everywhere_ by Christine Ng and _A Very Stable Genius_ by Phillip Rucker.  Waiting in the wings is _My Lovely Wife _by Samatha Downing.


Hi I read both of those books really enjoyed them.I like Phil Rucker who works at the Washington Post. He and his co author Carol Leoning did a terrific job with the"A Very Stable Genius" The title of the book is what POTUS calls himself


----------



## gennie

moviequeen1 said:


> Hi I read both of those books really enjoyed them.I like Phil Rucker who works at the Washington Post. He and his co author Carol Leoning did a terrific job with the"A Very Stable Genius" The title of the book is what POTUS calls himself


Yes, it seems to tie together a lot of the bits and pieces of happenings that the public has been privy to, a sort of backstory, if you will.


----------



## Lewkat

I am an Eric Larsen fan.  He isn't a prolific writer but he usually writes non-fiction and makes it extremely interesting to read.  I am now into his latest, The Splendid and Vile.  It's an entirely different look at Winston Churchill, his family and those he crossed paths with.  Fascinating stuff.


----------



## SueBee

I'm dedicated to paper books, from the local library which has been doing curbside pickup during covid. My favorites are historical fiction, mystery, but I've been branching out by snagging new releases that just sound interesting.


----------



## sehr alt

Keesha said:


> Reading is a pleasant past time. There are so many great books to read.
> What are some of your favourite books you have read and what do you use to read them?
> perhaps an ireader or a kindle? Or maybe you prefer listening to them.
> 
> These are great for reading with since you can:
> -load as many books as you want to
> -adjust the letter size
> -read at night without needing to turn on a light so you don’t disturb others.
> 
> At at the moment I am reading ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd
> which is extraordinarily written.
> 
> What are you reading right now and what great books can you suggest to the rest of us?


I used to be a bookaholic, but lately I've switched to magazines.


----------



## Keesha

sehr alt said:


> I used to be a bookaholic, but lately I've switched to magazines.


Hey. You’re at least still reading which is a good thing.


----------



## Keesha

SueBee said:


> I'm dedicated to paper books, from the local library which has been doing curbside pickup during covid. My favorites are historical fiction, mystery, but I've been branching out by snagging new releases that just sound interesting.


I also like historical fiction and mysteries, also thrillers and a good  romance.

Welcome to the forum SueBee. I hope you enjoy your stay


----------



## StarSong

Myquest55 said:


> My cousin is a flight attendant and posts a list of books she reads, every month here: _*http://www.amandafromseattle.com/2020/09/august-2020-books-i-read.html *_ Always a fascinating collection!



Thanks for this link! What a great resource!


----------



## moviequeen1

Last week  I finished 'This Tender Land' by William Kent Kreuger
Its the summer of 1932  near the banks of Gilead River in Minnesota 
2 orphan brothers Odie,Albert live at the Lincoln Indian Training school,their best friend,Mose is a mute {he lost his tongue when he was little} They escape with their young friend,Emily after something happens to her mother.They travel the Mississippi river meeting all sorts of people on their way to St Louis.This was a terrific book,I've read other books by the author
The book I'm reading now is'The Elephant Whisperer:MyLife with the Herd in the African Wild" by Lawrence Anthony The author and his wife own 5,000 acres of reserve land  in Zululand,South Africa. He was asked to accept a herd of rogue wild elephants,their last chance for survival.This remarkable story is how the elephants accepted him over the yrs thru good&bad times,he became part of their 'family'.Its a fascinating book I can't put down Sue


----------



## Mr. Ed

I’m not a leisure reader, but I’’m an avid listener of audiobooks. I enjoy authors like Scott Lynch, Deborah Harkness, A. R. Moxon, and Jack Townsend. I favor fantasy adventure, magic/mystery, supernatural romance, adventure stories, political thrillers, spy and espionage.


----------



## Mr. Ed

In the 1980s I read ‘The Lazy Man’s Guide to Enlightenment” helped me through some dark times.


----------



## Keesha

Some of my preferred spiritual reading 

Loving what is by Byron Katie 
Living beyond feelings by Joyce Meyer
Getting into the GAP by Wayne Dyer
You can be happy no matter what by Richard Carlson Ph. D
The wise heart by Jack Kornfield 
Something More - Excavating Your Authentic Self by Sarah Ban Breathnach
The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer
Spiritual Solution by Wayne Dyer
Angels in our Lives 
The Power is within you by Louise Hay &  Love yourself, heal yourself workbook by Louise Hay


----------



## Barbiegirl

I just received The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold. 

The author seeks to shift the focus of the Ripper legend to his victims, and tell these women's true stories as well as put their circumstances in the context of the society they lived in. I'm only into the first chapter but it's very well written and engaging. The author clearly did a ton of research!


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I just finished reading'The Elephant Whisperer' by Lawrence Anthony was a fascinating read,enjoyed it
I like to read historical fiction books,next is'The Flight Girls' by Noelle Salazar,story of the women Airforce Service Pilots Program during WWll.Its the author's 1st novel


----------



## jerry old

Critics
Critics' review are supposed to tell you the contents of the book, what it is about, is it worth reading...
I do not understand why the critics wish to show you how erudite they are?
How long have critics been 'showing off?'
They were  hard at their task of being snide in 1856, when they were panning  'The Whale.'


----------



## StarSong

@moviequeen1
I just put a hold on _Elephant Whisperer_, it should be available in ebook from my library in a couple of weeks.Thanks for the recommendation.


----------



## gennie

I just finished Jodi Picoult's _Book of Two Ways.  _It was a light read but heavy into Egyptology. Interesting story line but switching time periods made it hard to follow unless done in one sitting.

I usually have a couple of books going and alternate between them depending on my mood at the moment.

 For fun I'm now reading _Twenty-Eight Summers_ by Elin Hilderbrand and for education, it's _Unholy _by Sarah Posner.

The first is set on Nantucket Island, a special place I visited once and the second is about recent recent religious trends in America.


----------



## StarSong

I quite like Elin Hiderbrand, too! 

I am avoiding all political books like the plague they are on my sensibilities and emotional well being.


----------



## moviequeen1

A couple days ago I finished Jodi Picoult's "Leaving Time",story of a 13yr old girl,Jenna who tries to find out what happened to her mother,an elephant researcher, Alice who left Jenna when she was 3.Jenna lives with her grandmother.Her parents owned an elephant sanctuary in NH.Jenna hires a psychic,Serenity,one of the original detectives on the case,Virgil.
I enjoyed the book, the ending was a twist I was not expecting


----------



## gennie

StarSong said:


> I quite like Elin Hiderbrand, too!
> 
> I am avoiding all political books like the plague they are on my sensibilities and emotional well being.


I understand completely.  I read them to keep up with what is going on in the world even though I'm more of an observer than a participant at my age.

I also read them in bits and pieces and if I find myself becoming disturbed, I put it away for a while.


----------



## StarSong

gennie said:


> I understand completely.  I read them to keep up with what is going on in the world even though I'm more of an observer than a participant at my age.
> *
> I also read them in bits and pieces and if I find myself becoming disturbed, I put it away for a while.*


It took me forever to try to get through "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn, and still couldn't finish it. 

He upends the fairytale history our schools fed us, and does so with facts, figures, names and dates. I burned with anger and shame while reading it, despite the fact that none of my family emigrated to this country before the 1890s. The disconnect between what we were told and what actually happened is astonishing. 

Books about modern politicians hold no allure for me. Thanks to a free press, these people endlessly reveal themselves every day. 
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you're saying."


----------



## moviequeen1

I'm  reading another historical fiction book'The Beantown Girls' by Jane Healey
Fiona Denning learns her finance Danny is missing in action in Germany,wants to find out what has happened to him She leaves Boston with her 2 BFF"s,Vivian,Dottie,they volunteer to head to Europe become Red Cross Clubmobile girls during the final months of WWII .
Its fascinating,I never knew about this program until now


----------



## moviequeen1

moviequeen1 said:


> I'm  reading another historical fiction book'The Beantown Girls' by Jane Healey
> Fiona Denning learns her finance Danny is missing in action in Germany,wants to find out what has happened to him She leaves Boston with her 2 BFF"s,Vivian,Dottie,they volunteer to head to Europe become Red Cross Clubmobile girls during the final months of WWII .
> Its fascinating,I never knew about this program until now


I finished this book a couple of days ago.WOW,a terrific book couldn't put it down,highly recommend it if you like historical fiction. I shed a few tears along the way Sue


----------



## StarSong

moviequeen1 said:


> I finished this book a couple of days ago.WOW,a terrific book couldn't put it down,highly recommend it if you like historical fiction. I shed a few tears along the way Sue


Thanks for the recommendation.  Our taste in reading material runs along similar lines so I'll put this in my library queue.


----------



## Lewkat

I am reading a different book on Queen Elizabeth II right now.  Not a dry biography but more personal yet professional look at her and the family.  Not so sure I care for these people at all, but the younger generation shows promise.  Still prefer historical tomes whenever I can lay my hands on a good one.  I am also reading The Bully Pulpit which is about Teddy Roosevelt and Howard Taft.  The last Bully Pulpit involved Joe Kennedy, a thoroughly disagreeable character.  Most of that family we can live without.


----------



## moviequeen1

I'm now reading'Night Sins' by Tami Hoag
The story takes place in a small Minnesota town,Deer Lake. A 8 yr old boy has been abducted.Mitch HOlt,local police chief, Megan O'Malley, field agent from Bureau of Crime Apprehension join forces to try&find the boy. This book is really good,trying to figure out before the end who did it.I like intense thrillers,can't put it down


----------



## fancicoffee13

Keesha said:


> Reading is a pleasant past time. There are so many great books to read.
> What are some of your favourite books you have read and what do you use to read them?
> perhaps an ireader or a kindle? Or maybe you prefer listening to them.
> 
> These are great for reading with since you can:
> -load as many books as you want to
> -adjust the letter size
> -read at night without needing to turn on a light so you don’t disturb others.
> 
> At at the moment I am reading ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kid
> which is extraordinarily written.
> 
> What are you reading right now and what great books can you suggest to the rest of us?


I read for pleasure (fiction Miss Jeanette Oke), and political stuff (Sean Hannity), and spiritual (David Jeremiah) books.  So, I do a lot of reading, a little everyday.  I read at my leisure because I have so much going on during the day.


----------



## Pinky

The Last Girl .. Nadia Murad
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/555106/the-last-girl-by-nadia-murad/

The Leavers .. Lisa Ko
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30753987-the-leavers

I prefer non-fiction to fiction, but really enjoyed The Leavers.


----------



## StarSong

Pinky said:


> The Last Girl .. Nadia Murad
> https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/555106/the-last-girl-by-nadia-murad/
> 
> The Leavers .. Lisa Ko
> https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30753987-the-leavers


I don't think I can handle _The Last Girl_, but _The Leavers_ looks interesting.


----------



## Old Dummy

I read a lot; I come from a family of readers. I stick to the old-fashioned paper and ink types. You can drop them and no harm done, no batteries to charge.

_“The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.”_ -- Mark Twain

I'm currently reading *The Coming of the Terror in the French Revolution.*


----------



## Keesha

I’m reading ‘Complex PTSD - From surviving to thriving - A Guide & Map for Recovering from Childhood Trauma.’

This very complex disorder has only been placed in the DSM since 2018 and is a exceptionally well written book for anyone recovering from any type of trauma but is specifically directed towards those dealing with repeated abuse from childhood which can permanently damage the brain.

Finally a book that makes sense of all my questionable disorders. This will be read and re-read so many times. Highly recommended for those needing help.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/1492871842?ref=ppx_pt2_mob_b_prod_image


----------



## gennie

Just began _The Splendid and the Vile _by Erik Lawson.  It's about Britain, Churchill and the WW II era.


----------



## Keesha

Happiness is the way by Wayne Dyer.
“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

“Conflict cannot survive without your participation.”

“You’ll see it when you believe it.”

One of my most inspirational authors. I’ve somehow forgotten he died 5 years ago. His work is the most uplifting of anything I’ve ever read so I’m reading it again cause I’m worth it.

I need some light hearted stuff to balance the heavy stuff. Lol


----------



## Pinky

Having spent my school years in Vancouver, lived in a predominantly Chinese-Canadian neighbourhood and had many CC friends, I am drawn to CC authors.

Just finished this book .. The End of East 
https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/351270040

I am waiting for Midnight at the Dragon Cafe
https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/308013040

.. and China Dog and Other Tales From A Chinese Laundry
https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/368491040


----------



## StarSong

Pinky said:


> Having spent my school years in Vancouver, lived in a predominantly Chinese-Canadian neighbourhood and had many CC friends, I am drawn to CC authors.
> 
> Just finished this book .. The End of East
> https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/351270040
> 
> I am waiting for Midnight at the Dragon Cafe
> https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/308013040
> 
> .. and China Dog and Other Tales From A Chinese Laundry
> https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/368491040


These look great, Pinky!  Thanks for the recommendations.


----------



## moviequeen1

I just finished reading'Where the Crawdads Sing' by Delia Owens,her debut book
I had read/heard mixed reviews about this book.I throughly enjoyed it,some parts I was wiping away tears I had the large print edition,a bit long at 487 pgs but I couldn't put it down
The story is set in Barcley Cove,N.Carolina,a young girl age 6,Kya Clark lives all alone in a cabin after her mother,siblings all leave because of the father,he soon disappears. The townspeople call her'Marsh Girl' because that's where she lives,attends school only 1 day because she doesn't now how to read.A classmate,Tate who she soon learns to trusts, teaches  her how to read which changes her live forever


----------



## john danson

Love reading history or a good novel every night before bed.I was at a goodwill store awhile back and found almost the complete set of Winston Churchill's wartime memoirs (minus one which I picked up on ebay.)Pretty interesting and detailed memoir.I'm on vol. 5 ,"Closing the Ring" now.


----------



## StarSong

moviequeen1 said:


> I just finished reading'Where the Crawdads Sing' by Delia Owens,her debut book
> I had read/heard mixed reviews about this book.I throughly enjoyed it,some parts I was wiping away tears I had the large print edition,a bit long at 487 pgs but I couldn't put it down
> The story is set in Barcley Cove,N.Carolina,a young girl age 6,Kya Clark lives all alone in a cabin after her mother,siblings all leave because of the father,he soon disappears. The townspeople call her'Marsh Girl' because that's where she lives,attends school only 1 day because she doesn't now how to read.A classmate,Tate who she soon learns to trusts, teaches  her how to read which changes her live forever


I liked that one a lot, too! 

Just yesterday I finished reading *"*_The Elephant Whisperer_*."  *What a terrific book - thank you so much for the recommendation, MQ. 

Next up for me is _"Florence Adler Swims Forever."_


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I've just started is'Miller Country' by Anna Quinlan,never have read any of her books before. In the basement of our building is our community library with 6 shelves.One of the residents takes care of it,she has the books in alphabetical order.We have 2 bxs one for donation,other for return,I found the book in this bx


----------



## Happy Joe

Currently, I am working my way through the Doc Savage books by Robeson (a nom de plume covering at least four authors).  These pulps started  in the early 1930s as a monthly magazine. 
...reading these in the order they were published (currently reading; The Secret In the Sky,  originally published in May 1935).

...just a bit of light reading; little to no thought involved...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Savage

I am almost completely converted to E-books now as there is little shelf space left for the real thing.

Enjoy!


----------



## Myquest55

I just read through "Two Old Women" by Velma Wallis - a Native Tale from Alaska.  Was a fairly quick read but a very poignant story about how they survive the winter.

Another recommendation is a film we saw on PBS recently:  "Elizabeth is Missing"  I recommended it to my sister and she loved it!  Glenda Jackson was Excellent!  She plays Maud, a woman on the verge of Alzheimers.  I was fascinated with the way the threads of her memory took clues from the present to solve a mystery in her past.


----------



## jerry old

deleted


----------



## moviequeen1

My close friend, Marcia gave me as a xmas gift 'Crazy Rich Asians' by Kevin Kwan.
I got halfway thru it but I didn't finish it,too long almost 500pgs.This was the author's 1st book,was the basis of the movie version that came out 2 yrs ago
I'm now re-reading a book I first read in 1999,"Naked In Death' by JD Robb aka Nora Roberts
This is the 1st book set in the future 2058 involving Lt Eve Dallas,a homicide cop,her co workers,how she met her husband,Roarke.There are 49 books so far in this wonderful franchise.I've read them all,its fun for me to see how it all started.I usually finish the books in 2 days,get so engrossed with the characters ,storylines.Nora Roberts is a terrific writer in my opinion


----------



## Ronni

moviequeen1 said:


> My close friend, Marcia gave me as a xmas gift 'Crazy Rich Asians' by Kevin Kwan.
> I got halfway thru it but I didn't finish it,too long almost 500pgs.This was the author's 1st book,was the basis of the movie version that came out 2 yrs ago
> I'm now re-reading a book I first read in 1999,"Naked In Death' by JD Robb aka Nora Roberts
> This is the 1st book set in the future 2058 involving Lt Eve Dallas,a homicide cop,her co workers,how she met her husband,Roarke.There are 49 books so far in this wonderful franchise.I've read them all,its fun for me to see how it all started.I usually finish the books in 2 days,get so engrossed with the characters ,storylines.Nora Roberts is a terrific writer in my opinion


This is one of my all time favorite series!!!! I’m in love with Roarke, have a huge crush on Dennis Mira, wish I had a friend like Mavis Freestone, and could run a home as flawlessly as Somerset!


----------



## StarSong

moviequeen1 said:


> My close friend, Marcia gave me as a xmas gift 'Crazy Rich Asians' by Kevin Kwan.
> I got halfway thru it but I didn't finish it,too long almost 500pgs.This was the author's 1st book,was the basis of the movie version that came out 2 yrs ago
> I'm now re-reading a book I first read in 1999,"Naked In Death' by JD Robb aka Nora Roberts
> This is the 1st book set in the future 2058 involving Lt Eve Dallas,a homicide cop,her co workers,how she met her husband,Roarke.There are 49 books so far in this wonderful franchise.I've read them all,its fun for me to see how it all started.I usually finish the books in 2 days,get so engrossed with the characters ,storylines.Nora Roberts is a terrific writer in my opinion





Ronni said:


> This is one of my all time favorite series!!!! I’m in love with Roarke, have a huge crush on Dennis Mira, wish I had a friend like Mavis Freestone, and could run a home as flawlessly as Somerset!


Thanks for the recommendation - I'll check it out!


----------



## Pinky

I've been reading American and Canadian Asian authors lately. The stories resonate with me, considering I am 4th generation Japanese Cdn.

Celeste Ng:  Little Fires Everywhere
Ruth Ozeki: A Tale For The Time Being
Maxine Hong Kingston: The Woman Warrior
Ken Liu: The Paper Menagerie


----------



## StarSong

I just finished James Hilton's _Lost Horizon_ from the early 1930s.  Beautifully written.  It seems written language was more complex in those times.  Am reading _Summer Hours at the Robbers Library_ by Sue Halpern and enjoying it.  Also halfway through Hans Rosling's _How I Learned to Understand the World: A Memoir_. 

@Pinky - I like Celeste Ng's works a lot. I've been able to understand so much more of my my daughter-in-law life as a first generation American (Korean parents).


----------



## moviequeen1

Ronni said:


> This is one of my all time favorite series!!!! I’m in love with Roarke, have a huge crush on Dennis Mira, wish I had a friend like Mavis Freestone, and could run a home as flawlessly as Somerset!


Hi Ronnie,I  like the love/hate relationship between Eve and Sommerset,the development over the years of Eve's partner,"Peabody' the funny clothes she wears that drives Eve crazy,also like'Feeny'


----------



## Keesha

I’ve been reading so many books lately and several at the same time. Currently I’ve started an old book I’ve read before called ‘Something More’ ‘Excavating your Authentic Self’ by Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of Simple Abundance.

This book has creative exercises to do to help discover your authentic self. When I read it the first time I never did the exercises but this time I’m going to. The first exercise is to pick out pictures that speak to your heart and create a personal collage. She’s an excellent writer.

Her Simple  Abundance book is a daybook. Each day there are inspirational quotes and messages to lift your spirit and question your reality.


----------



## moviequeen1

My brother&sister in law gave me this book as Xmas present "Inside of A Dog:What Dogs See, Smell,and Know" by Alexandra Horowitz.It sounds fascinating
I'm a life long dog lover,growing up in our family my brother,sister,we had all sorts of dogs.My brother&his family always have had golden retrievers,their 10yr old dog's name is 'Buster' sweet dog. Our last family dog was also a golden retriever,her name was 'TY'
Sadly I can't have pets in my apt,I have the next best thing,a golden retriever pillow


----------



## IrisSenior

I am currently reading "Shiner" by Amy Jo Burns. It's pretty good and not too long. It has held my interest which seems to wander these days. Ditto for "Intimations" by Zadie Smith. I am going to look at "Wabi Sabi" by Agneta Nyholm Winqvist and it is possible I may buy the book. "On Food and Cooking" by Harold McGee is a huge heavy book full of interesting facts about many different foods and how to cook that I have already ordered it from Amazon.ca. I have read Sarah Ban Breathnach's books but finally got read of them as I could never dedicate myself do doing it. I have requested at my library the book "Inside of a Dog" as I did have a dog a long, long time ago and would love to get another one.


----------



## Sliverfox

What I have read:
DEATH OF MRS.WESTAWAY by Ruth Ware
WRITTEN ON THE WIND by Judith Pella this is the first  book of a series. 
QUAKERTOWN y Lee Martin
THE HOUSE OF TYNEFORD by Natasha Solomans
LATE ONE  NIGHT by Lee Martin
LEFT FOR DEAD by J.A. Jance


----------



## Pinky

Awaiting these library books:
Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens
The Missing Wife - Sheila O'Flanagan
My Sister's Lies - S.D. Robertson
Every Breath - Nicholas Sparks
One I may have to purchase .. The Dressmaker's Gift - Fiona Valpy

If anyone has read any of the above, I'd appreciate any feedback


----------



## Liberty

Adore Preston & Child.  Just got their latest new book (hardcover).  The Scorpion's Tail.


----------



## officerripley

I just finished _A lab of One's Own: One Woman's Personal Journey Through Sexism in Science_ by Rita Colwell, Ph.D. & Sharon Bertsch McGrayne; excellent!


----------



## moviequeen1

Pinky said:


> Awaiting these library books:
> Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens
> The Missing Wife - Sheila O'Flanagan
> My Sister's Lies - S.D. Robertson
> Every Breath - Nicholas Sparks
> One I may have to purchase .. The Dressmaker's Gift - Fiona Valpy
> 
> If anyone has read any of the above, I'd appreciate any feedback


Pinky,I had heard so much about'Where The Crawdads Sing' beforehand,hoping it wasn't another 'over hyped' book.It wasn't, throughly enjoyed it,couldn't put it down,finished it in a couple days.Its the debut novel for the author Sue


----------



## StarSong

Pinky said:


> Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens


I liked this book a lot.  Haven't read the others and am not a fan of Nicholas Sparks.


----------



## Rosemarie

At present I'm reading the books of Frank Joseph on the early history of America. Trouble is, the prices vary so much. I'm browsing through all the sites which sell books and coming up against many different prices for the same books. Funnily enough, Amazon is the most expensive. Ebay is the cheapest but I don't have an account.


----------



## StarSong

Rosemarie said:


> At present I'm reading the books of Frank Joseph on the early history of America. Trouble is, the prices vary so much. I'm browsing through all the sites which sell books and coming up against many different prices for the same books. Funnily enough, Amazon is the most expensive. Ebay is the cheapest but I don't have an account.


It's easy to set up an account with them.


----------



## gennie

I loved Where Crawdads .....  I hope she has another in the works.  

I've read a some of Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rawlings pseudonym) in the Strike series.


----------



## jerry old

(    I hope i haven't posted this before.)
'Where Crawdads Sing' was close to 350 pages long; it held the readers interest, though there were parts that lacking...

I was not pleased with her resolution, as a pinnacle or climax it was insufficient.
A book  over 300 pages deserves more than a two page climax.
I felt cheated.

The book will brake 2 million purchases, so my opinion is in the minority.


----------



## moviequeen1

gennie said:


> I loved Where Crawdads .....  I hope she has another in the works.
> 
> I've read a some of Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rawlings pseudonym) in the Strike series.


Hi Gennie,I've read the 1st 3 books by Robert Galbraith,'Cuckoo's Calling,Silkworm,Career of Evil',enjoyed them Sue


----------



## jerry old

The Stranger 1942

Lillian Bos Ross

(also issued as ‘Zandy’s Bride’ in 1974, movie released with same title
I’ve had this book for a decade, never read it, don’t know why-just didn’t
What a delicious treat to find a book you’ve discarded and find it is fabulous!

Critics Review: "Ross’ novel is more than a pioneer romance. Ross lived on her homestead in the Big Sur area from 1923 until her death in 1959, and her novel has the realism of a documentary. As a character, Zande isn’t sugarcoated; relentlessly honest, he’s true to the mores of the time and his surroundings. He’s chauvinist, racist, brutal and ruthless. But, determined and tough, he’s also faithful to his own strict moral code. Like the feral grizzly bear he battles in the book, Zande is fascinating to watch. Ross’ writing isn’t the typical language of romance novels, either: Her prose is simple and spare. Zande’s rough dialect, for instance…"

The author knows far too much about brutish men-where did she learn how these men thought and acted?


 Goggled author insufficient info. Where did she obtain her info?


----------



## moviequeen1

The book about dogs"Inside of a Dog" by Alexandra Horowitz was interesting but  I didn't finish because it was too detailed.The author is the head of the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College,Columbia Univ
The book I'm reading now is'Promises to Keep' by Joe Biden,always liked him but really didn't know much about him.When he wrote the book,he was O'Bama's Vice President Its an interesting read


----------



## Happy Joe

...Getting tired of the Doc Savage books/pulps (4 years completed so far, at approximately 12 per year = 48) currently reading those first published around 1937... the tone/feel of these books changes over time and is getting darker.

Started reading a bunch of science fiction by C. J. Cherryh.  Just finished; "Rimrunners"; didn't care for it, tough read- sometimes disjointed. Murdering, hiding and fleeing arrest while sleeping, fearing & playing power games with, other characters in the book is not an entertaining plot for me.  I will be more selective of this author's works in the future.
..think I will re-read her Chanur series next (fairly entertaining, if I remember correctly).

Enjoy!


----------



## Pinky

Still waiting for Where the Crawdads Sing .. at the end of a long list.

Recently read:
The Dancing Girls - M.M. Chouinard
The Couple Next Door - Shari Lapena
.. both good - trouble is, I always figure out the ending.

Next in line:
The End Of Her - Shari Lapena
If You Tell - Gregg Olsen


----------



## StarSong

Just read Maya Angelou's, "_I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"_. Great book.


----------



## Pinky

StarSong said:


> Just read Maya Angelou's, "_I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"_. Great book.


I read that many years ago .. could be time for a re-read. Love Maya Angelou.


----------



## Happy Joe

Pinky said:


> Still waiting for Where the Crawdads Sing .. at the end of a long list.


... found it on internet archive (a free online library) .

https://archive.org/details/wherethecrawdadssing

You will need to download adobe digital editions and sign up on line at internet archive; you will be able to check it out for 2 weeks , just like a brick and mortar library.
Enjoy!


----------



## StarSong

Pinky said:


> I read that many years ago .. could be time for a re-read. Love Maya Angelou.


It's one of those books I've meant to read for a long time, but just now got around to it.  So many great works out there!


----------



## fancicoffee13

I like reading political knowledge with a bit of history of course, and then I like reading spiritual books.  


jerry old said:


> The Stranger 1942
> 
> Lillian Bos Ross
> 
> (also issued as ‘Zandy’s Bride’ in 1974, movie released with same title
> I’ve had this book for a decade, never read it, don’t know why-just didn’t
> What a delicious treat to find a book you’ve discarded and find it is fabulous!
> 
> Critics Review: "Ross’ novel is more than a pioneer romance. Ross lived on her homestead in the Big Sur area from 1923 until her death in 1959, and her novel has the realism of a documentary. As a character, Zande isn’t sugarcoated; relentlessly honest, he’s true to the mores of the time and his surroundings. He’s chauvinist, racist, brutal and ruthless. But, determined and tough, he’s also faithful to his own strict moral code. Like the feral grizzly bear he battles in the book, Zande is fascinating to watch. Ross’ writing isn’t the typical language of romance novels, either: Her prose is simple and spare. Zande’s rough dialect, for instance…"
> 
> The author knows far too much about brutish men-where did she learn how these men thought and acted?
> 
> 
> Goggled author insufficient info. Where did she obtain her info?


then


----------



## Pinky

Happy Joe said:


> ... found it on internet archive (a free online library) .
> 
> https://archive.org/details/wherethecrawdadssing
> 
> You will need to download adobe digital editions and sign up on line at internet archive; you will be able to check it out for 2 weeks , just like a brick and mortar library.
> Enjoy!


Thank you!


----------



## Sliverfox

Have been trading books  with couple of ladies during the pandemic.
Most of them were romance novels.

Ordered 4  books from Thrift books.
One of them is by my favorite  author , Nevada Barr,,,BORDERLINE.

Had forgotten  how some  her novels  grab you & hold  you  glued to them.

As to shape of  the books  I received , they are in good shape.
Arrived  in the time frame  I was given.

Biggest  compliant I have is all the ads I'm getting  from Thrift books.


----------



## Irwin

I'm reading Advertisements for Myself by Norman Mailer on OpenLibrary -- mainly to look at his writing style. I made it halfway through The Executioner's Song but got tired of the characters, so I returned it. I need at least one character that I care about in order to get through a book.


----------



## Pinky

I've got 6 books on hold at the library. New authors to me. I scan Amazon and the internet for authors.

The Star Side of Bird Hill - Naomi Jackson
We Cast A Shadow - Maurice Carlos Ruffin
America Street - Ibi Zoboi
A Bright Ray of Darkness - Ethan Hawke
In a House of Lies - Ian Rankin
Hitting a Straight Lick With a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Resistance - Zora Neale Hurston

If anyone has read these books, would love to get feedback.


----------



## officerripley

_Hatemonger _by Jean Guerrero; excellent (frightening but excellent).


----------



## Sliverfox

I should check our  library's  web site,,learn what changes are  going on with taking out books.
Will need a new library card as old one expired last year .

Today's order  didn't,, show up in  our mail box.
 UPS web site   blames the pandemic  for  the slow service.


----------



## StarSong

Am enjoying "The Book of Lost Friends" by Lisa Wingate, who also wrote "Before We Were Yours", which I quite liked.


----------



## Sliverfox

Ordered my favorite  author  from Thrift Books.
Nevada Barr's   BORDERLINE

Anna Pigeon &  husband   take a raft trip down the Rio Grande.
Which turns out  to be more than they expected.


----------



## Sliverfox

*With all  the snow & cold ,, am reading  A WALK in the WOODS by Bill Bryson.*
I*ts about  hiking the Appalachian trail.

Makes me  forget  that its  snowy cold here in PA.
*


----------



## rcleary171

It I hadn't found a copy of *Ethan Frome* (and it wasn't too thick) I never would have read the author *Edith Wharton*. I was impress with her story telling craft. I then read *The House of Mirth* and enjoyed it. I never would have believed that I would enjoy reading a novel about New York High Society in the late 19th century, but it happened. I'm now into *The Customs of the Country* and I'm experiencing the same quality of writing while being confronted with a protagonist that I loath. I suppose this may be looked upon as an early anti-hero book or a tale of redemption and growing up. However it ends I will finish this and move onto her more famous book *The Age of Innocence*.


----------



## moviequeen1

Sliverfox said:


> *With all  the snow & cold ,, am reading  A WALK in the WOODS by Bill Bryson.*
> I*ts about  hiking the Appalachian trail.
> 
> Makes me  forget  that its  snowy cold here in PA.*


Silverfox,I loved 'A Walk in the Woods', a funny book,at times I felt I was right there when he is describing what he&his friend Steve see on the trail
I saw the movie version in 2015,a major disappointment,not worth seeing.It starred Robert Redford "Bill',Nick Nolte'Steve',Emma Thompson plays Bill's wife in a brief appearance.Redford&Nolte were miscast Sue


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I'm reading now is"Breaking the Code' by Karen Fisher-Alaniz
Karen's father is a member of the'Greatest Generation' never really told his family what he did during WWII.On his 81st birthday,he gives Karen 2 weathered notebooks with more than 400 letters he wrote to his parents. As she is reading them,discovers what secret role he played in the war
I started the book yesterday,what I've read so far is interesting


----------



## JonDouglas

Just finished _A Gentleman From Moscow_ by Amor Towles. This is a very rich, detailed and interesting novel. It was a nice diversion from the adventure/mystery fare I enjoy. My only criticism was that the author went a little "over the top" trying to show off his vocabulary - sort of like adding a little too much spice to an already brilliant dish.


----------



## Sliverfox

@ moviequeen1  is that book you are reading about he Native American code  readers?
I read one  about them which was very good.


----------



## StarSong

Sliverfox said:


> *With all  the snow & cold ,, am reading  A WALK in the WOODS by Bill Bryson.*
> I*ts about  hiking the Appalachian trail.
> 
> Makes me  forget  that its  snowy cold here in PA.*


That's the only book of his that I haven't loved.  Not sure why.

Agree with @moviequeen1 that the movie was dreadful.


----------



## StarSong

JonDouglas said:


> Just finished _A Gentleman From Moscow_ by Amor Towles. This is a very rich, detailed and interesting novel. It was a nice diversion from the adventure/mystery fare I enjoy. My only criticism was that the author went a little "over the top" trying to show off his vocabulary - sort of like adding a little too much spice to an already brilliant dish.


I loved, loved, loved this book.  I thought it was beautifully written.  Also thought his other work, "Rules of Civility" was very good.


----------



## Right Now

Recently I've read two very different books with the same title, "The Return" but different authors.  Nicholas Sparks does his best once again in this moving story, and Rachel Harrison scares the bejesus outta me with her new book.  Both are excellent reads-I had to finish Harrison's book in daylight as it wasn't one to finish alone at night in bed.....with creaks and sounds about.


----------



## Lewkat

Just finishing up, The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, who is in real life, J. K. Rowling of the Henry Potter series.  How, I go through this garbage is beyond me.  No plot, really, just trash, filthy talk throughout.  But, it is a whodunit and I wanted to find out who the bad guy was.  No more of her books and from the language in this book, I can only imagine what a conversation in her home is like.  Into the trash it will go, where it belongs.


----------



## Pepper

So impressed was I by your reviews @StarSong and @JonDouglas that I just asked for, and received instantly from my library the ebook Rules of Civility.  If I hear good stuff about an author I try to start with the first book.

I'll let you know & thanks for your reviews!


----------



## Irwin

I just started _Spain in Our Hearts: Americans in the Spanish Civil War, _about Americans, including Ernest Hemmingway, who tried to help save democracy in Spain during the 1930s.


----------



## Pepper

Just read preface to Rules of Civility.  I really like Amor Towles style.  Thanks, @StarSong & @JonDouglas !

I love this thread!  Thanks,  @Keesha!


----------



## Keesha

Pepper said:


> Just read preface to Rules of Civility.  I really like Amor Towles style.  Thanks, @StarSong & @JonDouglas !
> 
> I love this thread!  Thanks,  @Keesha!


Thank you Pepper.


----------



## oldiebutgoody

I usually stick to old classics (am a former English/Liberal Arts major in college). A few months ago I re-read Melville's *Moby Dick*. Truly one of the greatest novels ever written.  Am so awestruck by it that I can easily write a 30 to 40 page essay on this classic.


----------



## Lewkat

Pepper said:


> Just read preface to Rules of Civility.  I really like Amor Towles style.  Thanks, @StarSong & @JonDouglas !
> 
> I love this thread!  Thanks,  @Keesha!


Amor Towles writes terrific books.


----------



## moviequeen1

Sliverfox said:


> @ moviequeen1  is that book you are reading about he Native American code  readers?
> I read one  about them which was very good.


NO


----------



## Lewkat

Just started Free Country by George Mahood and his friend Ben taking off on their LEJOG journey wearing only a pair of Union Jack boxer shorts.  Promises to be rather hilarious and I can believe that.  Need this after that mess I just finished.


----------



## Sliverfox

@moviequeen1,, sorry I asked.


----------



## Keesha

Now reading ‘wherever you go, there you are by Jon Kabat -Zinn. Mindfulness meditation in everyday life.


----------



## Ken N Tx

@Keesha  lots of familiar Members here...


----------



## rcleary171

Irwin said:


> I'm reading Advertisements for Myself by Norman Mailer on OpenLibrary -- mainly to look at his writing style. I made it halfway through The Executioner's Song but got tired of the characters, so I returned it. I need at least one character that I care about in order to get through a book.


I worked through Mailer's *The Armies of the Night* - his so called non-fiction novel which followed the events leading up to the mob storming of the Pentagon. I was thinking of trying *The Executioner's Song* (I had seen the film many years ago). Maybe I'll try one of her earlier works like *The Naked and the Dead*. Thanks for the heads up.


----------



## moviequeen1

Sliverfox said:


> @moviequeen1,, sorry I asked.


Sliverfox,no need to apologize,sorry if my answer came across as angry.I didn't know there are books about  Native American code breakers.Sue


----------



## moviequeen1

Yesterday,I finished book'Breaking The Code' by Karen Fisher-Alaniz
 This was a terrific book about Karen's father,Murray who was in the Navy during WWII and never spoke about what his secret job was ,keeping it a secret for over 50 yrs
On his 81st birthday without any explanation,gave Karen 2 weathered  notebooks which contained all the letters he wrote to his parents when he was stationed in Hawaii 1944-1945.Karen begins to transcribe the letters,they met every week as she tries to get him to remember certain details
Murray was in Navy intelligence how he helped break Japanese code'Katankana'
Karen and her dad become closer than ever after she helps him


----------



## Sliverfox

That's alright Moviequeen,,must have been a bad day  for me.

Google native code breakers for   another  code book story.


----------



## Feelslikefar

Always enjoy accounts of people who journeyed out the comfort zone.

"Endurance-Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" by Alfred Lansing
"How I Found Livingstone-Travels, Adventures and Discoveries in Central Africa"  by Henry M. Stanley
"The Voyage of the Beagle" by Charles Darwin

To name just a few.


----------



## moviequeen1

The majority of the books I buy are by mail, a catalogue I've used for yrs,Edward R.Hamilton, in Conn.You can get all sorts of books at a discount,gives a brief description of the books
A couple weeks ago I was looking in the 'fiction section' came across a book by author I've never heard of,Karen White
The book I bought is 'The House on Tradd Street'.The story is set in Charleston,SC a local real estate agent Melanie Middleton who loves old houses,secrets about them.She also has the ability to see ghosts.A  client she just met,dies and leaves his historic home,'Tradd St' along with a housekeeper,,dog, ghosts who have stories to tell to her.The stipulation in the man's will is she has to live in the house for a yr.
I started this book a couple days ago,I can't put it down
This is the 1st book ,there are 5 others in this series,I may buy them as well


----------



## rcleary171

moviequeen1 said:


> The majority of the books I buy are by mail, a catalogue I've used for yrs,Edward R.Hamilton, in Conn.You can get all sorts of books at a discount,gives a brief description of the books
> A couple weeks ago I was looking in the 'fiction section' came across a book by author I've never heard of,Karen White
> The book I bought is 'The House on Tradd Street'.The story is set in Charleston,SC a local real estate agent Melanie Middleton who loves old houses,secrets about them.She also has the ability to see ghosts.A  client she just met,dies and leaves his historic home,'Tradd St' along with a housekeeper,,dog, ghosts who have stories to tell to her.The stipulation in the man's will is she has to live in the house for a yr.
> I started this book a couple days ago,I can't put it down
> This is the 1st book ,there are 5 others in this series,I may buy them as well


Sounds like you found a great author and book. I'm surprised this book was filed under SF. I assumed ghost stories would have their own category.


----------



## moviequeen1

In my previous post the book I was reading"The House on Tradd St' by Karen White was terrific,couldn't put it down
The book I'm about to read is'The Lost&Found' by Susan Wiggs The story is about Natalie Harper who inherits a financially strapped bookstore in San Francisco,also becomes caregiver for her grandfather who grew up in the building where the bookstore is located
I've never hear of the author or read any of her other books,this has received good reviews.I always like to read books featuring bookstores


----------



## JimBob1952

I am reading and enjoying Hard Times by Charles Dickens.  I am also reading and not particularly enjoying My Struggle (Book 1) by Karl Ove Knausgaard.


----------



## Pepper

@JimBob1952
Karl Ove Knausgaard.  Never heard of him so looked him up.  My, my he looks like a self-satisfied, arrogant jerk, smug.  That's just looking at his picture, I still know nothing about him or why he is famous.  Also, looks can be deceiving, but I have a feeling I'm right.  Somebody set me straight.


----------



## debrakay

I just finished ready Earth's Last Empire by John Hagee.  It was really an eyeopener!  Now I am off to look for something new to read.


----------



## asp3

I'm currently reading The Spiritual Doorway In The Brain by Dr. Kevin Nelson.

This is a book I've mentioned in a thread about those from our past visiting us when we pass, but I didn't know the name then.   I read the book about 8 years ago and thought it was great then as well.

The book is by a neurologist who was intrigued by on particular patient's near death experience.  He started looking into those who experience near death experiences and tried to see what mechanisms in the brain might cause them.  I'm about 1/4 of the way through and he's exploring and explaining what we know about consciousness and our sense of self.  It's a fascinating book and I'm looking forward to the sections I remember where he explains how various portions of near death experiences can be triggered in those not facing death.


----------



## debrakay

Thank you all for the suggestions.  I just ordered 5 new books from Thriftbooks for less than $25. I would do the local library but the library is closed for covid and it is a little library.  They have to order out for a lot of book requests.


----------



## JimBob1952

Pepper said:


> @JimBob1952
> Karl Ove Knausgaard.  Never heard of him so looked him up.  My, my he looks like a self-satisfied, arrogant jerk, smug.  That's just looking at his picture, I still know nothing about him or why he is famous.  Also, looks can be deceiving, but I have a feeling I'm right.  Somebody set me straight.




Well, that's the impression I got about 60 pages into Book 1.  Mind you this is a six-part "novel" whose hero is named, you guessed it, Karl Ove Knausgaard.  

I'm stalled out so instead I'm reading a book called The Man Eaters of Tsavo.


----------



## terry123

I am reading "The Room Where It Happened " by John Bolton and "tiny beautiful things" by Cheryl Strayed.  Very  different books but I am enjoying them both.


----------



## Keesha

debrakay said:


> Thank you all for the suggestions.  I just ordered 5 new books from Thriftbooks for less than $25. I would do the local library but the library is closed for covid and it is a little library.  They have to order out for a lot of book requests.


You might wish to consider audio books. Most libraries still allow you to download them. It’s not the same as reading a book but sometimes it’s nice listening to a book while you’re doing something else. Not always, but sometimes.


----------



## Marie5656

*I prefer printed books. Never got used to reading on Kindle, or listening to Audio books.   Lately I have resumed my interest in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.  I like that each little story is self contained and I can pick up a book, read a story or three, and not pick it up again for several weeks. Just bought two new ones.  The Magic of Cats and Age is just a Number.  Just got them over the weekend, have not started them yet.*


----------



## Dana

Keesha said:


> Reading is a pleasant past time. There are so many great books to read.
> What are some of your favourite books you have read and what do you use to read them?
> perhaps an ireader or a kindle? Or maybe you prefer listening to them.
> 
> These are great for reading with since you can:
> -load as many books as you want to
> -adjust the letter size
> -read at night without needing to turn on a light so you don’t disturb others.
> 
> At at the moment I am reading ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd
> which is extraordinarily written.
> 
> What are you reading right now and what great books can you suggest to the rest of us?



I started my reading life losing myself in Enid Blyton books...I really wanted to live in the Faraway Tree! Then I graduated to books by Russian writers, starting with Family Happiness by leo tolstoy and White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I am actually one of those strange people who's read War and Peace. 

I love reading and it would take a year and a day to list the titles. I also love books by Australian writer Bryce Courtenay. Right now I'm reading Sanctus by Simon Toyne, a British writer.


----------



## Keesha

I wish I had been more of an adventurous reader as I would have liked Enid Blyton books as a kid but for some reason I was stuck on reading Nancy Drew mysteries or the Hardy boys. Funny enough I really like books about imagination & adventure.

I love Chicken Soup for the Soul. Unfortunately these days I can’t stay focussed on anything.


----------



## terry123

I have a kindle but I prefer the printed version  also.  When I was a kid my mother would drop us off at the library while she grocery shopped.  It was my favorite thing to do during the summer.  Loved going back to school so I could spend time in the library!


----------



## Irwin

Currently reading Christopher Hitchens' HITCH 22. I like his writing style.


----------



## moviequeen1

Marie5656 said:


> *I prefer printed books. Never got used to reading on Kindle, or listening to Audio books.   Lately I have resumed my interest in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.  I like that each little story is self contained and I can pick up a book, read a story or three, and not pick it up again for several weeks. Just bought two new ones.  The Magic of Cats and Age is just a Number.  Just got them over the weekend, have not started them yet.*


Hi Marie,I'm with you,prefer printed books,no desire to read with a Nook or Kindle
Yrs ago,I enjoyed reading the 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' books as well Sue


----------



## debrakay

Keesha said:


> You might wish to consider audio books. Most libraries still allow you to download them. It’s not the same as reading a book but sometimes it’s nice listening to a book while you’re doing something else. Not always, but sometimes.


Thanks Keesha! I have been a "book worm" since a very young age and like to hold the book in my hands.  I have done audio books in the past while driving long distance and also at times when reading the Bible and trying to make notes.


----------



## Lewkat

I was an old tennis fan and I just finished Jimmy Connors Memoir.  Very interesting.  He loved tennis unlike several of the players of old who were bullied by their parents into performing.  Good reading and quite amusing in many spots.


----------



## Pinky

I've started reading Henning Mankel mysteries featuring Kurt Wallander.
Anyone else into Nordic noire?


----------



## IrisSenior

I have requested the first book "Faceless Killers" A Mystery. I will see how it goes as I don't usually read mystery novels. Thanks for the suggestion Pinky.


----------



## SetWave

Two of my favorite authors are Carl Hiaasen and  Stephen King.  Cannot get enough of their excellent writing.
I much prefer holding a book in my hot little hands than scrolling through electronic pages.
Many, many years ago I decided to read classic horror stories on Halloween. Eventually I ran out of good books and had to quit the hobby.
Its difficult finding something worth reading. If it doesn't grab me early on I'm done.
Dare I say I bought a bunch of the orange slime books and was so disgusted I stopped reading. And I do mean Disgusted!


----------



## bowmore

I said the same thing about "real books", until my wife got a Nook. I then realized it could also access the Internet, among other things.
I bought a Kindle Fire, and never looked back. It was a godsend on our 32 day cruise with many sea days. we could sit on our balcony and read in comfort. Also, pre Kindle, I would buy hardcover books, read them once and donate them to the library. They were very expensive, but getting them on the Kindle was much less expensive.
Another thing I like, is being on the mailing list of my favorite authors, so I can preorder their new books.


----------



## Pinky

IrisSenior said:


> I have requested the first book "Faceless Killers" A Mystery. I will see how it goes as I don't usually read mystery novels. Thanks for the suggestion Pinky.


It was the first Henning Menkel novel I read. The one I just finished was "The Fifth Woman". Now I'm hooked and have a long list of his books for the library.

My hubby has read all his books, and watched the Wallander series .. but I don't generally watch a series if I read the books, as I'm often disappointed.

I hope you enjoy "Faceless Killers". Some people find Nordic noir "too dark".


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I'm about to start is "Daisy Fay and The Miracle Man' by Fannie Flagg which is her debut novel, was orginally published as'Coming Attractions'.The story is about Daisy Fay Harper who  lives in Shell Beach,Miss and her time growing up there
I've read a couple other books by Flagg,love her sense of humor,good writer


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _The Hospital: Life, Death and Dollars in a Small American Town_ by Brian Alexander; very good but I think I liked his _Glass House: The 1% Economy and the Shattering of the All-American Town_ even better (both very good though).


----------



## moviequeen1

In my last post,I said I was reading Fannie Flagg's 1st book'Daisy Fay& The Miracle Man'.
I just couldn't get into it,took it downstairs in the basement where we have a community library,there are alot of books to choose from
I've started to read "Moscow Rules" by Daniel Silvia,never read any of his books.I do like to read espionage& intrigue books hopefully this will be worth reading


----------



## Pinky

Just picked up "Where The Crawdad's Sing" by Delia Owens. 
Finished "The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup, this morning. It was excellent, though somewhat gruesome.

Waiting on a long list of Henning Mankel novels. I guess I won't be able to read them in chronological order .. his personal life is a mess ..


----------



## moviequeen1

Pinky said:


> Just picked up "Where The Crawdad's Sing" by Delia Owens.
> Finished "The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup, this morning. It was excellent, though somewhat gruesome.
> 
> Waiting on a long list of Henning Mankel novels. I guess I won't be able to read them in chronological order .. his personal life is a mess ..


Hi Pinky,I'll be interested in what you thought about'Where The Crawdad's Sing' I had heard so much about the book before I bought it.I couldn't put it down Sue


----------



## Pinky

moviequeen1 said:


> Hi Pinky,I'll be interested in what you thought about'Where The Crawdad's Sing' I had heard so much about the book before I bought it.I couldn't put it down Sue


@moviequeen1 
I started it last night, am half-way through and can't put it down!

edit: Just finished it. Must say it is very compelling, and one of the best books I've read. I won't say more in case anyone else here plans to read it.


----------



## Right Now

Strangely, I haven't read "Where the Crawdads Sing" yet.  I am an avid reader, but somehow keep passing this one by.
I have recently read Catherine Ryan  Hyde newest "My Name Is Anton", couldn't put it down.  Went back to the library and just read her "Take Me With You", same emotional read.  I now have a third one to try.  If you enjoy "why people are who they are" reads, try this author.


----------



## officerripley

I absolutely love Catherine Ryan Hyde! Hard to choose a favorite one of hers, they're all so good but one that especially stands out is _Have You Seen Luis Velez?_; wow is it good!


----------



## drifter

I'm reading again Louise Penny's Murder Mysteries.
She's a Canadian writer. I think I've read nine of her
sixteen books so far. Most feature the Chief Inspector
of the Quebec Federal Police. Good stories. I prefer to
read at night in bed, but I sometime any evening when
it's quite and I'm in a comfortable place. I read mostly
on my iPad.


----------



## Serenity4321

I have read self-help, psychology, philosophy books among other books since my twenties and continue to be fascinated by them.
  I just received _The Wheel of Life_ by Elizabeth Kubler Ross..I read_ On Death and Dying_ years ago and am looking forward to this one! She was one incredible lady!!
Also just ordered and received _ Proof of Heaven_ and_ Dying to be Me._
LOL sounds morbid but I am fascinated by NDE and OBEs...I like holding books and enjoy having them around. When I moved from Cal to Fl I decided to give away my extensive library and just read or listen to books ..BIG mistake..I miss my books  .
 So now all I can do is buy the more interesting ones and send blessings to whoever is reading my past collection..


----------



## officerripley

I just discovered a new (well, new to me) author I've fallen in love with: Belinda Bauer, have read 3 of hers so far and really liked them, her characters, plot, and writing are amazing.


----------



## Pinky

Picked up my 6 Henning Mankell books today. Except for one that is not available yet, they will be read in order  I'm a happy camper!


----------



## Sliverfox

Finished reading BONE CANYON by Lee Goldberg.
Good  mystery about   young female  detective,,figuring out story behind  old bones found after a wildfire.


----------



## Irwin

Just finished David Baldacci's A Minute to Midnight. To recuperate, I'm reading some Norman Mailer.


----------



## drifter

Just downloaded number fifteen from Louise Penny, A Better Man, from the Library.


----------



## Pepper

Irwin said:


> Just finished David Baldacci's A Minute to Midnight. To recuperate, I'm reading some Norman Mailer.


I recommend Mailer's The Armies of the Night.  I was there.  Book was pretty accurate as I recall.


----------



## officerripley

Recently finished _Jesus and John Wayne_ by Kristin Kobes Du Mez; excellent. Now reading _In the Name of Humanity: The Secret Deal to End the Holocaust_ by Max Wallace.


----------



## Lewkat

Finished Barbara Neely's, Blanch books, which were excellent and am now reading Billie Letts' books.  These ladies were fantastic authors.


----------



## Sliverfox

Couple of  books I've read this  spring.

THE  COLD VANISH   BY Jon Billnam.
True story of a man's search for his bi-polar son in the northwest.

Good  fiction novel by V.C.Andrews,,,THE UMBRELLA LADY. < book one

Man saves his daughter from their  burning home.
After the funeral of his wife,, they get on train & leave.

At one the stops the father leaves his daughter  coloring while he goes off to get supplies.
He never returns,,instead an old lady comes along  at dusk .
She  talks   the girl into going home with her.

This  novel keeps you wondering.
Sounds like book two will continue the  girl's  life story.


----------



## StarSong

For some reason I haven't gotten alerts about this thread for a couple of months, but then an alert arrived today.  Not sure why - electronic whimsy, I suppose.    

In any case, I've checked out what people are reading and will add some to my list. I just finished "A Woman is No Man" by Etaf Rum. Excellent novel about three generations of Palestinian-American women.


----------



## SetWave

I. Love. Books.
And  now I find myself with so many I need to toss. Hoping to donate them. But, I will miss my many texts from college. As each class ended people sell the books and buy used for the next class. Not me. I keep them and buy brand new.
I. Love. Books.


----------



## officerripley

StarSong said:


> For some reason I haven't gotten alerts about this thread for a couple of months, but then an alert arrived today.  Not sure why - _*electronic whimsy*_, I suppose.
> 
> In any case, I've checked out what people are reading and will add some to my list. I just finished "A Woman is No Man" by Etaf Rum. Excellent novel about three generations of Palestinian-American women.


"Electronic whimsy": I love that, I'm gonna start using that all the time because there just doesn't seem to be any other explanation most of the time with this darn digital stuff, does there?

I agree with Silverfox about _Cold Vanish_; it was great! I just finished _The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking_ by Oliver Burkeman, very good (and much like _Bright-sided: How Positive Thinking is Undermining America_ by Barbara Ehrenreich which I also loved). Now reading _Please See Us_ by Caitlin Mullen: kinda weird since it has a psychic in it which I don't think is real but still very well-written with engaging characters.


----------



## StarSong

SetWave said:


> I. Love. Books.
> And  now I find myself with so many I need to toss. Hoping to donate them. But, I will miss my many texts from college. As each class ended people sell the books and buy used for the next class. Not me. I keep them and buy brand new.
> I. Love. Books.


I used to love buying and owning books.   Then I discovered that they were starting to own me.  Finding shelf room, dusting them, rearranging them, and so forth began to erode my joy.  I donated them all to "Friends of the Library" - a group that resells books and supports the library with the funds earned - and now buy only a book or two a year, and often donate those when I'm finished.  

Electronic books and borrowed library books have become my go-to reading sources.


----------



## Pinky

Trying to read 10 books in 3 weeks .. think I'll have to renew a couple!
Taking a break from Henning Mankell and reading Lars Kepler.


----------



## Pepper

Same problem here @StarSong.  The books own me.  I refuse to buy another book; use library for books & kindle.  It would have to be an incredibly special book for me to clutter up more than I already have.


----------



## JonDouglas

Am just finishing up Neil Peart's _Ghost Rider: Travels On The Healing Road_. When Rush drummer Peart faced the dual tragedy of losing his daughter to an accident and then his wife to cancer, he took to the road on his motorcycle in an attempt to find solace. Having been a rider for some time, Peart instinctively knew what many riders know - riding can heal.


----------



## moviequeen1

My last post,I mentioned I was reading Daniel Silva's book"Moscow Rules',it was ok,I couldn't finished it was too long
I've recently read"Sit,Stay,Speak" by Annie England Noblin,debut novel.Its the story of Addie Andrews who inherits her aunt's house in small town in Eunice,Ark.She plans on staying briefly just to fix it up&sell it, finds an abandoned pit bull puppy names him Felix.The local residents she meets one farmer in particular she likes,terrific book
"The Lost Book of the Grail' by Charlie Lovett,British professor who teaches at fictious university is obsessed with finding the Holy Grail if it actually exists.A young woman from U.S. arrives to digitalize the  cathederal's medieval transcripts.At 1st he doesn't like her,realizes she is just as interested as he is,enjoyed it
I'm now reading'The Book of Longings' by Sue Monk Kidd,set in the 1st century story of Ana,young ambitious girl who secretly writes stories of silenced women,her encounter with 18yr old Jesus changes her life forever


----------



## Keesha

I’m reading “The Girl from Loch Bras D’Or”
 by Margaret MacPhail. It’s really cute and so innocently written.


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _Broken (In the Best Possible Way)_ by Jenny Lawson and _Girls Save the World in This One_ by Ash Parsons; _Broken _was excellent and _Girls _was pretty good.


----------



## cdestroyer

I download epubs from internet (cant mention the site) and read them on my LG rebel 4 smart phone. Into some nora roberts/jd robb at the moment.....


----------



## Sliverfox

While in Michigan,,picked up, NAKED AND MAROONED- one man,one island  by Ed  Stafford.
Man challenges himself to spend  60 days alone on  deserted island.
Was interesting to read  his reactions.

From out local library I picked up,THE CHOCOLATIER., by Jan Moran.

Young woman writes to her  dead husband's parents  to inform them about his   death.
They send her air fare   for she & her son to fly to Italy.

As she spends time with the family she slowly realizes  the man she married  isn't the son of these people.

By time I finished  this book I  wanted a box of chocolates to nibble on.


----------



## jerry old

Sliverfox said:


> By time I finished  this book I  wanted a box of chocolates to nibble on.


----------



## StarSong

Sliverfox said:


> While in Michigan,,picked up, NAKED AND MAROONED- one man,one island  by Ed  Stafford.
> Man challenges himself to spend  60 days alone on  deserted island.
> Was interesting to read  his reactions.
> 
> From out local library I picked up,THE CHOCOLATIER., by Jan Moran.
> 
> Young woman writes to her  dead husband's parents  to inform them about his   death.
> They send her air fare   for she & her son to fly to Italy.
> 
> As she spends time with the family she slowly realizes  the man she married  isn't the son of these people.
> 
> By time I finished  this book I  wanted a box of chocolates to nibble on.


Eek.  Spoiler alert! :-(


----------



## helenbacque

Just finishing Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain.  Great book. 

Wonderful quote from it: "You have to make peace with the past or you can never move into the future."


----------



## dobielvr

I haven't done much reading lately.  But I do enjoy a good romance or biography.
I prefer ppbk books, they're easier to hold in my hand(s).

I've read the Danielle Steele,  Nora Roberts that you've mentioned Keesha.
I also liked, and I can't remember her name...wait, I think it's Jackie Collins.

It may be time for a trip to the library soon, now that they're open.


----------



## jerry old

Waiting for inter-library loan on book, but first need to explain what type of book it is:

Possibly some of you are still vague on what Grit Lit is, so Grit Lit is composed of just folks, folks like these:

"Grit Lit is Southern Gothic on speed and ripe for violence. The characters in these books operate by their own moral code. What is wrong to some is really the only thing they know how to do. Characters are whiskey-swilling gun-carrying bandits. The women are morally bankrupt due to a life that has done them wrong. As for men, they were just born bad. That’s not to say that the genre doesn’t have characters who evoke sympathy or some they may even be worthy of saving. However, nothing is without a price. As the adage goes, there is no such thing as an old outlaw. They are either dead, in jail, or working at the Piggly Wiggly."

"Swamplandia"
Karen Russell
The family member are somewhat like the descriptions above, except baby sister is in love with a ghost.


----------



## Keesha

helenbacque said:


> Wonderful quote from it: "You have to make peace with the past or you can never move into the future."


Yes so very true.


dobielvr said:


> I haven't done much reading lately.  But I do enjoy a good romance or biography.
> I prefer ppbk books, they're easier to hold in my hand(s).
> 
> I've read the Danielle Steele,  Nora Roberts that you've mentioned Keesha.
> I also liked, and I can't remember her name...wait, I think it's Jackie Collins.
> 
> It may be time for a trip to the library soon, now that they're open.


Jackie Collins. Lol. She’s lively.


----------



## Old Dummy

I'm always reading some book, and always have at least one book in the queue -- if I don't I get nervous, lol cuz then I'll have to resort to my library.

Since I was a kid in school I've always liked stories of the sea, true or fiction. I have read "The Perfect Storm" 3-4 times since it was published (it's about the "Halloween Storm" in the north Atlantic in 1991 I think), and I've read the "Endurance" twice -- a true story from 100 years ago of getting stuck at the South Pole.

And there's "The Lobster Chronicles," a true general-interest story about a modern-day woman who lives on one of the Maine islands. I might have read that twice, don't remember.  There are numerous other sea stories but without getting up and looking at my bookshelves, no names come to mind.

Maybe 15 or so years ago I was buying "Sailing" magazine regularly off the newsrack and reading some interesting modern true adventures of being on the high seas in 30-40' sailboats. I remember one story of a couple, with 2-3 kids, who stopped and anchored off an uninhabited island near Iceland. They went ashore in the dingy to look around, and when they came back they found that their sailboat was grounded. Not a good thing. But they got out okay after a while and no harm done -- but there weren't any other human beings anywhere in the area, maybe hundreds of miles. Yikes! Fun to read about, but I wouldn't want to be in that situation.

I don't read much fiction anymore, pretty much NF in the last 15-20 years except for Michael Crichton. I miss his novels.

Currently reading "Around the World in (more than) 80 Days."


----------



## StarSong

Old Dummy said:


> I don't read much fiction anymore, pretty much NF in the last 15-20 years except for Michael Crichton. I miss his novels.


Me, too.  He was gone too soon.


----------



## Keesha

Old Dummy said:


> I'm always reading some book, and always have at least one book in the queue -- if I don't I get nervous, lol cuz then I'll have to resort to my library.
> 
> Since I was a kid in school I've always liked stories of the sea, true or fiction. I have read "The Perfect Storm" 3-4 times since it was published (it's about the "Halloween Storm" in the north Atlantic in 1991 I think), and I've read the "Endurance" twice -- a true story from 100 years ago of getting stuck at the South Pole.
> 
> And there's "The Lobster Chronicles," a true general-interest story about a modern-day woman who lives on one of the Maine islands. I might have read that twice, don't remember.  There are numerous other sea stories but without getting up and looking at my bookshelves, no names come to mind.
> 
> Maybe 15 or so years ago I was buying "Sailing" magazine regularly off the newsrack and reading some interesting modern true adventures of being on the high seas in 30-40' sailboats. I remember one story of a couple, with 2-3 kids, who stopped and anchored off an uninhabited island near Iceland. They went ashore in the dingy to look around, and when they came back they found that their sailboat was grounded. Not a good thing. But they got out okay after a while and no harm done -- but there weren't any other human beings anywhere in the area, maybe hundreds of miles. Yikes! Fun to read about, but I wouldn't want to be in that situation.
> 
> I don't read much fiction anymore, pretty much NF in the last 15-20 years except for Michael Crichton. I miss his novels.
> 
> Currently reading "Around the World in (more than) 80 Days."


That’s a great post. Michael Crichton writes to capture an audience, for sure.


----------



## JimBob1952

Started reading a book called Crusaders, by Dan Jones, about -- you may have guessed this -- the Crusades.  So far, so good.  A reminder, also, that even if we live in messed-up times, at least it's not 1096.


----------



## Pinky

Taking a break from Scandinavian mysteries to read dog stories .. Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote is a re-read. The other 2 by the same author are Pukka, and Pukka's Promise.


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _Blacklands _by Belinda Bauer; fiction about a subject not my usual cup of tea (pedophile/serial killer) but somehow still excellent. Now reading _The City in the Middle of the Night_ by Charlie Jane Anders; also not my usual cuppa but it's okay (it's for a bookclub).


----------



## moviequeen1

Pinky said:


> Taking a break from Scandinavian mysteries to read dog stories .. Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote is a re-read. The other 2 by the same author are Pukka, and Pukka's Promise.


Pinky,I read 'Merle's Door' couple yrs ago throughly enjoyed it,Merle was a very smart dog.I like to read books about dogs since I'm a life long dog lover Sue


----------



## Keesha

Pinky said:


> Taking a break from Scandinavian mysteries to read dog stories .. Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote is a re-read. The other 2 by the same author are Pukka, and Pukka's Promise.


I’m considering reading Merles Door. I’ve read reviews that comment on the end of the dogs life and how sad it is. In your opinion, is the ending hauntingly sad? I’d like to know ahead of time.


----------



## Pinky

Keesha said:


> I’m considering reading Merles Door. I’ve read reviews that comment on the end of the dogs life and how sad it is. In your opinion, is the ending hauntingly sad? I’d like to know ahead of time.


I would have to say that it _is_ hauntingly sad .. but, that is the reality of losing a pet.


----------



## Keesha

Pinky said:


> I would have to say that it _is_ hauntingly sad .. but, that is the reality of losing a pet.


Yes it is. I think I will have to pass on it then. 
Thanks Pinky.


----------



## Tish

Currently reading The other side of the coin - Angela Kelly on my Tablet.


----------



## moviequeen1

Keesha said:


> I’m considering reading Merles Door. I’ve read reviews that comment on the end of the dogs life and how sad it is. In your opinion, is the ending hauntingly sad? I’d like to know ahead of time.


Keesha,its a terrific book,I shed tears.Another book you may be interested in is"Hero Dogs' by Wilma Melville.She is a retired schoolteacher who trained/volunteered to become a canine  search&rescue handler At the time there were only 15 FEMA certified dogs.She and her lab,Murphy on their 1st mission were sent to help in aftermath of Oklahoma City bombing. The book is about she single handledly found an org. that finds,strays,rejects ,rescue dogs{most are labs,golden retreivers} who all become FEMA certified dogs. Its one of the best dog books I've read in a long time.I highly recommend it I did shed tears in some parts of the book Sue aka MQ


----------



## Old Dummy

Another sea adventure story I've read twice is In the Heart of the Sea, a true story from 200 years ago about a ship that was sunk by a whale in the Pacific. 

The survivors took to the lifeboats and eventually turned to cannibalism. I think only 3 of them survived. For me, it was one of those books I couldn't put down.

Being self-employed and funding my own retirement, I've read tons of investment books. It's all worked out well and I've never paid one penny to any "advisors."

I also have a layman's interest in anthropology. One of the more interesting books I've read about it was Sex at Dawn. It may help you understand things about human sexuality that you've pondered all your life, lol.

I also have numerous books on early American history and world political history.


----------



## Sliverfox

*Desperate Creek*  by Alex Kava* is the 5th in this series.

Ryder Creek is a war vet who rescues  dogs  from shelters.
He trains them for search & rescue.

I recommned this  book for all who like dogs & enjoy a mystery.
*


----------



## Keesha

moviequeen1 said:


> Keesha,its a terrific book,I shed tears.Another book you may be interested in is"Hero Dogs' by Wilma Melville.She is a retired schoolteacher who trained/volunteered to become a canine  search&rescue handler At the time there were only 15 FEMA certified dogs.She and her lab,Murphy on their 1st mission were sent to help in aftermath of Oklahoma City bombing. The book is about she single handledly found an org. that finds,strays,rejects ,rescue dogs{most are labs,golden retreivers} who all become FEMA certified dogs. Its one of the best dog books I've read in a long time.I highly recommend it I did shed tears in some parts of the book Sue aka MQ


Thank you Sue! I’m going to look into getting some animal/human ( preferably dog ) relationship bond books. I’ll probably cry a lot but I’m sure it will be worth it. I actually like those types of books that leave an imprint on your mind so you never forget them


----------



## jerry old

Prefer the books listed with a synopsis that tell me whether i would be interested in reading this book.

Got hooked on the Korean War, "The Forgotten War."

Once the United Nations troops approached the Chinese Border, the Chinese Troops intervened.  
There are good documentation of the Marines retreat from the Chosin Reservoir 

The U.S. Army's retreat (on the Western Part of Korea) is murky.
Once a major battle occurs, those involved are supposed to write summaries  the who, why, how... as soon as possible.
Why the U.S. Army failed to document their almost two hundred mile retreat is open to many questions.


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I started reading yesterday is"Wham! George Michael and Me" by Andrew Ridgely.Andrew was the musical partner of George Michaels,how they met,created pop duo'Wham' that was very successful in the '80's.  So far I'm enjoying the book Sue


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _Just Get Home_ by Bridget Foley, very good.


----------



## moviequeen1

I finished Andrew Ridgeley's memoir'Wham,George Michael&Me' enjoyed it
They were BFF"s,met age 13 at school,it was Andrew's idea to form a band
He co wrote with George 'Careless Whisper,Wake Me Up Before you Go Go"


----------



## Pinky

Pukka's Promise by Ted Kerasote is a good book for anyone who is considering getting a dog for the first time. He covers everything from in-breeding to dog food, cancers, and a whole lot more.


----------



## Granny B.

Just finished the first book in a Sci Fi trilogy, "The Three-Body Problem" by Chinese writer Cixin Lui (translated to English). I highly recommend it for fans of Sci Fi, about first contact with an alien species. Got the other two books on order, and I cannot wait to finish the series!


----------



## StarSong

Just read "Fly Away", the sequel to "Firefly Lane" by Kristin Hannah.  Both are excellent.  I quite like her books.


----------



## moviequeen1

StarSong said:


> Just read "Fly Away", the sequel to "Firefly Lane" by Kristin Hannah.  Both are excellent.  I quite like her books.


Starsong,I agree with you,2 of my favorites are Nightingale,The Great Alone. The other books I've read are Between Sisters,On Mystic Lake,Fly Away,Firefly Lane Sue


----------



## cdestroyer

I think I answered this oncet before, epub on smart phone and mystery with the same characters..


----------



## asp3

Just started reading How Stella Learned To Talk by Christina Hunger.  She's the speech therapist who taught her dog how to use a language pad.  I got a physical copy of the book from the library because they don't have the electronic version.


----------



## Pinky

asp3 said:


> Just started reading How Stella Learned To Talk by Christina Hunger.  She's the speech therapist who taught her dog how to use a language pad.  I got a physical copy of the book from the library because they don't have the electronic version.


It's on my library list now!


----------



## Lady

Ive  just finished reading The Windsor Diaries 1940-45


----------



## Sliverfox

Have started going to local library, again.. here are some I've read.

16 Lighthouse  Road  by Debbie MaComber, a love story.

My Name is Anton   by  Catherine Ryan Hyde,,, young man with many issues  from  early age,manages to turn his life around.

Blink of An Eye by Iris Johansen & Roy Johansen,,,  suspense novel.


----------



## Pappy

I read simple little cozi mysteries. A 2-3 hour read and go through them like crazy on my kindle. Even in school, I could concentrate on serious reading. Still can’t to this day. Only the Bible, of which most of it is on audio book.


----------



## cdestroyer

michael connelly detective heironymous bosch, vince flynn exvet mitch rapp, stuart woods holly barker, sue grafton the alphabet series


----------



## asp3

I just finished reading How Stella Learned To Talk by Christina Hunger and it was a very enjoyable, easy read.  If you're at all interested in learning about how a speech pathologist taught her dog to use buttons to "talk" I highly recommend it.  The book includes a lot about how kids pick up language and how kids with differences learn to use communication devices as well.


----------



## Sliverfox

THE  BREAK-UP BOOK CLUB  by Wendy Wax
Starts out slow as  the key people are introduced.
This book is about women, love & marriage.

Good novel for Summer reading.


----------



## asp3

I just started reading "Brat! An 80's Story" by Andrew McCarthy and I'm enjoying it so far.  I really enjoyed the prologue and think the rest of the book will be interesting.


----------



## officerripley

Reading now: _Lab Rats: Tech Gurus, Junk Science, and Management Fads--My Quest to Make Work Less Miserable_ by Dan Lyons.


----------



## Keesha

officerripley said:


> Reading now: _Lab Rats: Tech Gurus, Junk Science, and Management Fads--My Quest to Make Work Less Miserable_ by Dan Lyons.


May I ask you why you picked this book to read?


----------



## officerripley

Keesha said:


> May I ask you why you picked this book to read?


It looked, and was, really interesting.


----------



## mellowyellow

I like true stories, especial memoirs of people who sound interesting.


----------



## officerripley

Am just now starting _The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move_ by Sonia Shah.


----------



## Keesha

officerripley said:


> It looked, and was, really interesting.


Thank you! And did it help make work less miserable ?


----------



## officerripley

Keesha said:


> Thank you! And did it help make work less miserable ?


I'm retired, so it didn't apply; very interesting read, though.


----------



## oldiebutgoody

I read mostly via audio book nowadays as my eyes are too weak to read small print.  My dad's family had a long history of near blindness and I have reached the stage in my life where I need those audio books.  At present, I have just started Arthur C Clarke's "Child Hood End".  David Bowie's song  "Oh You Pretty Things" was influenced by that book.


----------



## officerripley

oldiebutgoody said:


> I read mostly via audio book nowadays as my eyes are too weak to read small print.  My dad's family had a long history of near blindness and I have reached the stage in my life where I need those audio books.  At present, I have just started Arthur C Clarke's "Child Hood End".  David Bowie's song  "Oh You Pretty Things" was influenced by that book.


I love _Childhood's End_! And I didn't know that "Oh You Pretty Things" was influenced by it, cool to know!


----------



## Gaer

Wow!  This thread has been active for a long time!
I'm reading the Bhagavad Gita.


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I've started to read is'The Dutch House' by Ann Patchett,story of a man,Cyril Conroy who buys a lavish estate,the 'Dutch House' at end of WWII in Philadelphia as a surprise for his wife,what happens afterwards.
Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors like the way she writes,have read most of her books


----------



## Sliverfox

Its always interesting to see what everyone reads.

*Finished reading the  6th book of the Seven Sister series,  THE SUN SISTER, by Lucinda Riley.*
It is 637 pages long.
Some  parts are a slow read,, had to put it  down , come back to it.
For those that have read this series  need to read it to tie them together.


----------



## officerripley

Right now I'm reading _Britannia Rules_ by Daphne DuMaurier; she wrote it in 1972 (or thereabouts), takes place in the late 70s, and the story has it that the U.S. takes over the U.K. to "help with the UK's monetary problems, etc." Takes place from the viewpoint of U.K. citizens in Cornwall dealing with the invasion, fascinating.


----------



## Feelslikefar

Just finished the last book in the Bill Hodges Trilogy "End Of Watch" by Stephen King.
The first two, "Mr. Mercedes" and "Finders Keepers", kept my interest enough for me to start the third.
Nice mixture of Crime story and horror that King is known for. 

Found myself cheering for 'Bill Hodges' the way I did for 'Harry Bosch' in Michael Connelly's books.


----------



## Pinky

Nearing the end of Stieg Larsson's "The Girl Who Played With Fire" (sequel to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) .. then on to the 3rd book, "The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest".

I've decided not to watch the first movie, nor the series, as I've heard they don't live up to the books.


----------



## officerripley

Sort of off-topic, but just gotta brag: for once, managed to be first in line on the Library's waiting list, for the next Longmire book, _Daughter of the Morning Star _by Craig Johnson (and also the next Cork O'Connor book, _Lightning Strike_ by Wm. Kent Krueger), can't wait, yay!


----------



## moviequeen1

officerripley said:


> Sort of off-topic, but just gotta brag: for once, managed to be first in line on the Library's waiting list, for the next Longmire book, _Daughter of the Morning Star _by Craig Johnson (and also the next Cork O'Connor book, _Lightning Strike_ by Wm. Kent Krueger), can't wait, yay!


Hi,I've read 5 of Krueger's Cork O'Connor's books which I liked,have you read any of his other books? I especially loved "Ordinary Grace,Tender Land" Sue


----------



## officerripley

moviequeen1 said:


> Hi,I've read 5 of Krueger's Cork O'Connor's books which I liked,have you read any of his other books? I especially loved "Ordinary Grace,Tender Land" Sue


Hi, Sue; actually I tried _Ordinary Grace_ but just couldn't get into it. (I'm sure it was my fault because of what a good writer Krueger is; I should give it another try.)


----------



## moviequeen1

Last night finished reading'The Dutch House' by Ann Patchett which was terrific
The story is about a real estate mogul who buys this lovely house from a Dutch couple for his wife,Elna who  truly hates it.What she does next effects her 2 kids,Maeve,Danny for the rest of their lives.Danny as an adult is the narrator
I've read most of the author's books,I recommend this one


----------



## Sliverfox

A light   summer  BEACH HAVEN  by T.I Lowe.
Recovering   Marine meets   shop keeper  who isn't  the kind of person he expected.

SAVAGES by Shirley Conran.

About   group of  women who escape from terrorists after  seeing heir  husbands  gunned down.
They hide in the jungle, learn to  get along with each  other as they  try to survive till they are rescued.

This one  holds your attention,, till you reach the point of,,"Will they ever  get rescued?"


----------



## StarSong

moviequeen1 said:


> Last night finished reading'The Dutch House' by Ann Patchett which was terrific
> The story is about a real estate mogul who buys this lovely house from a Dutch couple for his wife,Elna who  truly hates it.What she does next effects her 2 kids,Maeve,Danny for the rest of their lives.Danny as an adult is the narrator
> I've read most of the author's books,I recommend this one


Good to know.  Thanks for the recommendation.  
I just finished "Exercised" by Daniel Lieberman.  A deep (dare I say, exhaustive) dive into the science and history of human motion.


----------



## Sylkkiss

Since I discovered I can set my Kindle Fire to speak with an Aussie male accent, I read --listen to--at least 5 to 8 titles at the same time in a week.
Currently reading a John Sanford novel,Twisted Prey; Blood Enemies, (sci-Fi) by Susan R Matthews and a number of Indie authors .


----------



## Lewkat

Came across a couple of older books recently.  One  was the Dining Car which was a pleasant departure from what I usually read and another book on the Churchills.   This one is very gossipy and makes one wonder if Hollywood celebrities didn't take a  page out of the way those older aristocrats and nobles lived was a great plan to follow.  With all the adulterers and divorcees marrying into each other's families, yet remaining good friends for life is amazing.  Winston and Clementine were exceptions to the rule it seems in those days as they were loyal to each other to the end.  Fun reading.


----------



## Keesha

Sylkkiss said:


> Since I discovered I can set my Kindle Fire to speak with an Aussie male accent, I read --listen to--at least 5 to 8 titles at the same time in a week.
> Currently reading a John Sanford novel,Twisted Prey; Blood Enemies, (sci-Fi) by Susan R Matthews and a number of Indie authors .


Wait! 
What?
You have a kindle who reads you stories in an Aussie male accent?
Oh yes. That does sound rather nice. 
Thanks for being such a successful enabler. Lol!


----------



## Sylkkiss

Keesha said:


> Wait!
> What?
> You have a kindle who reads you stories in an Aussie male accent?
> Oh yes. That does sound rather nice.
> Thanks for being such a successful enabler. Lol!


Yeah. It's the text-to-speech tab embedded in ebooks. To get the language with various English accents, you go into settings and pick the one you want. No additional cost. Love it.


----------



## Keesha

Sylkkiss said:


> Yeah. It's the text-to-speech tab embedded in ebooks. To get the language with various English accents, you go into settings and pick the one you want. No additional cost. Love it.


I had no idea this was even available. While I enjoy reading, I think it would be nice to be read to once in a while. 
Thank you.


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear_ by Kate Moore; excellent! Now I'm reading _Being a Dad is Weird: Lessons in Fatherhood from My Family to Yours_ by Ben Falcone (married to Melissa McCarthy, acts, writes scripts and directs, incl. some of her movies).


----------



## Joe Smith

Nicholas Sparks


----------



## moviequeen1

I'm now reading the latest installment of the police book series# 51 'Shadows in Death' by JD Robb aka Nora Roberts.
These books are set  in the year 2058 featuring the same characters, Lt Eve Dallas,her husband,"Roarke' who is a multi- millionaire,Eve's police partner'Peabody' among others
I started reading them in '99,got hooked have read all the books,its like reading'Law&Order' in the future,like  Roberts writing


----------



## Liberty

Love the Lincoln Child Preston Douglas books...we have every one of them in our library...both of us are in the process of re-reading them right now.


----------



## StarSong

Just finished "The Vanishing Half" by Brit Bennett.  Set mostly in Louisiana from 1968 forward, the main characters are female identical twins who are considered Black by their hometown (and themselves) but can pass for White elsewhere.  It's more about family connections and how we identity ourselves than race itself.  

I can certainly recommend it.


----------



## Colleen

Liberty said:


> Love the Lincoln Child Preston Douglas books...we have every one of them in our library...both of us are in the process of re-reading them right now.


I've been a huge fan of theirs from the beginning (Relic) of the Pendergast series. However...I felt like they ran out of ideas and the last 6 books have been a big disappointment. They seem to have changed Pendy too much and his "romance" with Constance was downright boring and not in line with his personality. I've given up on the series, unfortunately. I loved the beginning of the series when it was a mystery and creepy and Pendergast was a mystery himself and a unique character. I've moved on.


----------



## Liberty

Colleen said:


> I've been a huge fan of theirs from the beginning (Relic) of the Pendergast series. However...I felt like they ran out of ideas and the last 6 books have been a big disappointment. They seem to have changed Pendy too much and his "romance" with Constance was downright boring and not in line with his personality. I've given up on the series, unfortunately. I loved the beginning of the series when it was a mystery and creepy and Pendergast was a mystery himself and a unique character. I've moved on.


Have you read their latest "The Scorpian's Tale"?

Personally, don't have a fixation on Pendergast...like him, but not over whelmingly.
Always like a good book with a good plot, period.

So what have you "moved on to" now?


----------



## Sliverfox

*THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah*

This novel is about from riches to rags.
Well to do young  woman marries the farmer's  son who  got her in the family way.
Takes place  before &  during the  'dust bowl & the Great Depression' .

How she & her 2 children survive after  her husband  leaves them  to find a better life in Cal.
She later takes her children to  find   him . 
Realizes that  it would be impossible to find  him  in the hundreds of   poor people who are  in Cal. looking  for  work.

Story is based upon   research of that  time in   our history.

Another must read of  that time period is,,Whose Names Are Unknown  by Sanora Babb.


----------



## CinnamonSugar

Sylkkiss said:


> Yeah. It's the text-to-speech tab embedded in ebooks. To get the language with various English accents, you go into settings and pick the one you want. No additional cost. Love it.


I’d listen to Colin Firth read a grocery list, if *his* voice was available !!


----------



## StarSong

CinnamonSugar said:


> I’d listen to Colin Firth read a grocery list, if *his* voice was available !!


Me, too.  Also Morgan Freeman.  If I had a trillion dollars I'd hire Mr. Freeman to read me a bedtime story every night...


----------



## asp3

I just finished “Everything I Ever Wanted” by Kathy Valentine (bassist for The Go-Go’s) and I loved it.  I’f you’re interested to in the journey of one woman to being part of the first all woman band to have a number 1 album and beyond I highly recommend it.


----------



## jerry old

War Trash
Ha Jin
(The author joined the Red Army at age 13, during the Cultural Revolution which means he was one of the teens who
terrorized the population-can't find anything on what he actually did)

The book War Trash is a fictionalized account of the Korean Communist, Chinese and North Koreans, *in POW camps.*
Far to many factual events for this to be a fiction book.

The communist wanted control of their troops in POW Camps, so, they instructed Communist Commissars to become
captured whereby they could *threaten and control* the behavior of the communist troops in the POW camps.

Though fiction the events he describes are true
Commissars, "Take me, take me"

More on book later, it was most interesting.


----------



## StarSong

Just completed "The Dutch House" by Ann Patchett.  Liked it a lot.  Right now I'm reading "Maybe You Should Talk to Someone" by Lori Gottlieb.


----------



## maxine

I read everything from cereal boxes to science.  In between:  from cute and light hearted (Cat Who and Miss Julia) to history and historic fiction., biographies, murder mysteries. science - some of which I understand, some not -  scifi but not monsters with three eyes and claws.  I want my sciti in the realm of possibility now or in the future.  "Moving Mars"   Edward Rutherfurd's stories of varioous cities and countries.  A lot of wonderful history in his books.

 For the light "read once" books that I will pass on to friends,  I buy paperback. For books I will keep, hardback.  Recently I had a book clearance to make room for who knows what.  Over the years,  I keep saying don't ever give away anything.  You might want it some day.  Yet I give away and then, yes, want it some day.  I want my books back.  Not so much the fiction. I seldom read a fiction book twice.  There is always something nwee coming along.  At least I kept my poetry books, my reference books.

I carry a small spiral notebook in my purse - the kind you can fold back.  Each page a different author and keep a running list or what I have read.  That way I won't buy something I have already read.  Confession:  I've still done it a few times.

Have you ever been reading a series and suddenly get news that the author has passed away?  One on my list right at the climax of the series. :-(

Enough from me.


----------



## Pepper

maxine said:


> Have you ever been reading a series and suddenly get news that the author has passed away?  One on my list right at the climax of the series. :-(


Do you mean Sue Grafton?  I couldn't believe she died right before 'Z' !!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Colleen

Liberty said:


> Have you read their latest "The Scorpian's Tale"?
> 
> Personally, don't have a fixation on Pendergast...like him, but not over whelmingly.
> Always like a good book with a good plot, period.
> 
> So what have you "moved on to" now?


No, I haven't read Scorpion's Tail. I'm not a big fan of Nora Kelly. I listened to Old Bones on Youtube and it didn't seem to keep my interest. I tried reading it first, but DNF it.

I honestly haven't been able to find anything that holds my interest. I've read different genre's (except romance) and have even tried reading science fiction, which is not something I enjoy. My husband and I love the movie The Martian by Andy Weir so when his book, Project Hail Mary was recommended, I got about half way through it and couldn't go any further.

I normally like mystery (not true crime or bloody, gory stories) stories and tried reading Elly Griffiths but lost interest in them. I found, years ago, a series that I just loved. It was the Hamish Macbeth series by M.C. Beaton. I have the whole series and I've re-read them several times. I also read the Patrick Taylor series about a couple country doctors in Ireland. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield was very good and so was The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, which took place during WWII. Currently, I'm re-reading The Cat Who....series by Lillian Jackson Braun.


----------



## StarSong

Colleen said:


> so was The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah,


You might want to look into some of Kristin Hannah's other works.  I've found her books to be consistently good.


----------



## Colleen

StarSong said:


> You might want to look into some of Kristin Hannah's other works.  I've found her books to be consistently good.


I also found Across the Winding River by Aimie Runyan very enjoyable. It's a historical time-travel book, which is a genre I had never read before, but it was very good. I'd like to read The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah but I'm too cheap to buy it....haha. I'll have to check my library.


----------



## Liberty

Colleen...do you like P.D. James and her "Adam Dalgliesh" character?


----------



## moviequeen1

StarSong said:


> Just completed "The Dutch House" by Ann Patchett.  Liked it a lot.  Right now I'm reading "Maybe You Should Talk to Someone" by Lori Gottlieb.


Starsong,glad you enjoyed The Dutch House',she is one of my favorite authors Sue


----------



## moviequeen1

maxine said:


> I read everything from cereal boxes to science.  In between:  from cute and light hearted (Cat Who and Miss Julia) to history and historic fiction., biographies, murder mysteries. science - some of which I understand, some not -  scifi but not monsters with three eyes and claws.  I want my sciti in the realm of possibility now or in the future.  "Moving Mars"   Edward Rutherfurd's stories of varioous cities and countries.  A lot of wonderful history in his books.
> 
> For the light "read once" books that I will pass on to friends,  I buy paperback. For books I will keep, hardback.  Recently I had a book clearance to make room for who knows what.  Over the years,  I keep saying don't ever give away anything.  You might want it some day.  Yet I give away and then, yes, want it some day.  I want my books back.  Not so much the fiction. I seldom read a fiction book twice.  There is always something nwee coming along.  At least I kept my poetry books, my reference books.
> 
> I carry a small spiral notebook in my purse - the kind you can fold back.  Each page a different author and keep a running list or what I have read.  That way I won't buy something I have already read.  Confession:  I've still done it a few times.
> 
> Have you ever been reading a series and suddenly get news that the author has passed away?  One on my list right at the climax of the series. :-(
> 
> Enough from me.


Hi Maxine,I've kept a book journal of the books I've read since 2000,make notations if I liked or didn't finished a book  Sue


----------



## StarSong

Colleen said:


> I also found Across the Winding River by Aimie Runyan very enjoyable. It's a historical time-travel book, which is a genre I had never read before, but it was very good. I'd like to read The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah but I'm too cheap to buy it....haha. I'll have to check my library.


I get everything from the library!  

Will check out Across the Winding River - thanks for the recommendation.


----------



## StarSong

moviequeen1 said:


> Hi Maxine,I've kept a book journal of the books I've read since 2000,make notations if I liked or didn't finished a book  Sue


What a GREAT IDEA!!!


----------



## Pinky

Still reading Nordic mysteries ..

The Ice Princess - Camilla Lackberg
Jar City - Arnaldur Indrioasan
Bad Intentions - Karin Fossum
The Glass Devil -Helene Tursten

Going back to Henning Mankell, non-Wallander books.


----------



## Colleen

Liberty said:


> Colleen...do you like P.D. James and her "Adam Dalgliesh" character?


No. I do like Anne Perry, though, and her Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series. I'm more drawn to British author's rather than American author's.


----------



## Jennina

Hi. I'm not a voracious book reader but when I do read one, I tend to gravitate towards nonfiction (Psychology, Marketing, Philosophy, Health, etc) I prefer print cos i can scribble on the margins with my wooden pencil  but ebooks are more convenient..   I use audio books to revisit books I've read before. 

The book that changed my life as a teen was "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl. I reread the book in my early 40s and I had a different take on the book. The book taught me how to give meaning to pain which later  helped me when my parents passed away.   Frankl, a concentration camp survivor who faced the prospect of death everyday  also wrote that "the last of the human freedoms is to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances." . 

The last book that I read was The Fear Bubble which taught me that fear is a time and a place.


----------



## Liberty

Colleen said:


> No. I do like Anne Perry, though, and her Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series. I'm more drawn to British author's rather than American author's.


I like Anne Perry, too.  Bet she has a staff of "reference" diggers.


----------



## Cameron

Reading seems a bit of an addiction for me.  And i sometimes think one of the big reasons I retired was to be able to read more.

Right now working on:
Sharon Kay Penman's historical fiction
Paris 1919 by Margaret Macmillian on the versaille treaty after ww1
Succesful Aging by daniel Levitt a neurologist

Lots of mysteries to read, mostly english.   quite enjoy the PJ Burley books set in cornwall but still missing a few.  robert goddard

always picking up a book randomly now and again to read while reading other books .   I think i have (inherited ) largest collection of american civil war books in canada which i am working my way through.   To read next a book on fredrick douglass


----------



## Liberty

So many books, so little time.

Has anyone red the million copy best seller "Polar Vortex" by Matthew Mather?

I've got it and it really looks like an outstanding mystery involving a flight disappearance over the North Pole - no distress calls, vanishing into thin air.


----------



## helenbacque

I've just begun John Boehner's "On the House, A Washington Memoir".


----------



## dobielvr

Liberty said:


> So many books, so little time.
> 
> Has anyone red the million copy best seller "Polar Vortex" by Matthew Mather?
> 
> I've got it and it really looks like an outstanding mystery involving a flight disappearance over the North Pole - no distress calls, vanishing into thin air.


I'd love to read something like that!
Is it in paperback?  Is it new?

My library is now open, so may be I can find it there.


----------



## Colleen

Liberty said:


> So many books, so little time.
> 
> Has anyone red the million copy best seller "Polar Vortex" by Matthew Mather?
> 
> I've got it and it really looks like an outstanding mystery involving a flight disappearance over the North Pole - no distress calls, vanishing into thin air.


I'll have to check this one out...thanks


----------



## Colleen

dobielvr said:


> I'd love to read something like that!
> Is it in paperback?  Is it new?
> 
> My library is now open, so may be I can find it there.


If you're a Prime member on Amazon, it's free to read. I just got it


----------



## dobielvr

Colleen said:


> If you're a Prime member on Amazon, it's free to read. I just got it


I'm not a member of Amazon at all.  I'll try the library.
Thx.


----------



## officerripley

Colleen said:


> If you're a Prime member on Amazon, it's free to read. I just got it


Me too, yay! Can;t wait to read it; looks like it'll be a "cool" read, which is nice in our 100+F temps!


----------



## Liberty

dobielvr said:


> I'd love to read something like that!
> Is it in paperback?  Is it new?
> 
> My library is now open, so may be I can find it there.


Its in one of those what I call "half paperback" versions.  Don't think it comes in a smaller one, as this is a nice sized book. Some publishers only publish this "half kind of paperback" version in place of both hardcover and smaller paperback versions I think.  Its a nice looking book with 
good  decent sized type.


----------



## Liberty

I'm reading "The Hideaway, by Lauren K. Denton.  
Its about a gal that has an antiques shop in New Orleans (NOLA, as we call it) and finds out 
she's in her grandmothers will. She's inherited the house and she goes to the town to see "The Hideaway and discovers a box her grandmother "MAGs" left in the attic with clues to a life Sara never imagined for her grandmother. 

Its a good Southern "sit on the porch with a glass of tea" summer mystery.


----------



## Sliverfox

Presently working my way though a Dean Koontz novel.
T*he Other Emily*

Man's  supposedly dead   lady love reappears in his  life.
Twists & turns makes him wonder ,,is she for real or a clone?


----------



## jerry old

Liberty said:


> Its a good Southern "sit on the porch with a glass of tea" summer mystery.


oh yea. those are the best


----------



## moviequeen1

Sliverfox said:


> Presently working my way though a Dean Koontz novel.
> T*he Other Emily*
> 
> Man's  supposedly dead   lady love reappears in his  life.
> Twists & turns makes him wonder ,,is she for real or a clone?


Hi Silverfox,I haven't read any of his books.I did read his wonderful book  about his beloved golden retriever"Trixie". The name is'Trixie:memoir of a devoted dog',being a life long dog lover .Our family's last dog  was a golden retriever.My brother has always had them as well Sue


----------



## Liberty

Don't you just love it when you discover a new author you enjoy?  Its like finding a wonderful 
new friend.  If you're like me, you're always on the lookout for the next new adventure!


----------



## J-Kat

I have loved to read since my childhood.  Mainly mysteries but I also enjoy a well written "story".  Reading on my Kindle is my preference.  Favorite authors/characters are Lee Child (Jack Reacher series), John Sandford (the Prey books), James Patterson (Women's Murder Club series), James Lee Burke (Dave Robicheaux series) and John Grisham.   I'm currently reading "West With Giraffes" by Lynda Rutledge. It's set during the dust bowl days and tells the adventures of a young man who is hired to drive a truck carrying two giraffes from NYC to the San Diego Zoo.  The young man, the older man who hired him and a young lady who is following them to document the trek for "Life Magazine" all seem to have some kind of secret event in their recent past that has put them on this journey.  And yes, Liberty, I do love finding new authors.  I recently discovered Paulette Jiles (News of the World) whose writing I quite enjoy.


----------



## toffee

love a good twist in a story  used to read a lot once until hubby needed more care time '
but iam also  magazine fan too....


----------



## Pinky

Just finished reading Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. Not my usual type of book, but I enjoyed it.
Now reading the last of the Henning Mankell books that I've missed.


----------



## Remy

I'm reading Nomadland. I want to see the movie also. I hope I don't end up "in a van down by the river." SNL skit quote.

I finished The Help. I wasn't going to read it but found a like new copy at the thrift store. It was better than I thought it would be.


----------



## Keesha

I’m currently reading a book called ‘Until the End’ by Christopher Pike. It’s almost 900 pages and is a thriller. It’s an easy read which is the style I prefer.


----------



## Keesha

Remy said:


> I'm reading Nomadland. I want to see the movie also. I hope I don't end up "in a van down by the river." SNL skit quote.
> 
> I finished The Help. I wasn't going to read it but found a like new copy at the thrift store. It was better than I thought it would be.


Did you happen to watch the movie ‘The Help’ and if you did, does the book follow the same story line or were there any obvious differences, in your opinion?


----------



## Remy

Keesha said:


> Did you happen to watch the movie ‘The Help’ and if you did, does the book follow the same story line or were there any obvious differences, in your opinion?


There were differences such as Skeeter not knowing Constantine had a daughter. Constantine had sadly sent her daughter away up north because she was so light skinned.

Also a number of things were different with Celia and how her husband found out about the miscarriages and Minny.

Also the scene in the movie where Skeeter's mother sends Hilly off her porch wasn't in the book really. And a number of other things were different. The pie scene went down about the same.

I know this author got criticism for being white and that Skeeter was the white savior. I always thought the white people acted like jerks and the maids were the ones who shined. Also at the end the author stated one of the reasons she wrote the book was that their own family maid had died when the author was 16. And she wished she had asked her more questions and got to know her more. But at 16 it's understandable that she didn't.


----------



## Keesha

What an awesome answer. 
I also thought the white folks acted like jerks. 
The movie was so good. The acting was great.

It was such an excellent story that while watching it I thought it might even be better as a book, if that’s possible.

You explained all the exceptionally well. 
Thank you.


----------



## moviequeen1

Remy said:


> I'm reading Nomadland. I want to see the movie also. I hope I don't end up "in a van down by the river." SNL skit quote.
> 
> I finished The Help. I wasn't going to read it but found a like new copy at the thrift store. It was better than I thought it would be.


HI Remy, I enjoyed reading 'The Help' couple yrs ago,I recommend the movie version{2011} with terrific with all star  cast Viola Davis,Emma Stone,Jessica Chastain,Octavia Spencer,Sissy Spacek,Cecily Tyson,Bryce Dallas Howard Nomadland is the next book on my reading list once I get through the one I'm reading now Sue


----------



## Keesha

Agree , the movie is great with an all star cast.


----------



## Remy

Your welcome @Keesha 

@moviequeen1 I agree, the acting was excellent. I loved Viola Davis' character. I find though that people often remark how beautiful she is and I agree, she is. But I really like Octavia Spencer. I think she is equally as attractive. She was just made very plain for the movie but she played Minny so very, very well.


----------



## moviequeen1

Remy said:


> Your welcome @Keesha
> 
> @moviequeen1 I agree, the acting was excellent. I loved Viola Davis' character. I find though that people often remark how beautiful she is and I agree, she is. But I really like Octavia Spencer. I think she is equally as attractive. She was just made very plain for the movie but she played Minny so very, very well.


I like Octavia Spencer as well,talented actress,she won Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance as 'Minny'


----------



## terry123

Right now I am reading "Talking to Strangers" by Malcolm Gladwell.  Enjoyed Oprah's interview with him about the book the other day where he talked about the book and how he came to write it.


----------



## Sliverfox

*the Engineer's wife *by Tracey Enerson Wood,, is about the wife of the engineer who  build the Brooklyn bridge.
It is the fictional account  of a wife's  involvement  with the building  of  the Brooklyn bridge.

I had read David McCullough's The Great Bridge:The Epic Story of the building of  the Brooklyn Bridge.
Which had more detail about the graft, money  problems that went on behind the scenes.


----------



## Cameron

The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the brooklyn bridge is I think the one McCullough I have yet to read.  Great writer and researcher.   Read his Panama canal book a few times and thoroughly enjoyed the wright brothers book


----------



## Liberty

Reading "Cabinet of Curiosities"...somehow I'd missed in the the book lineage of Douglas & Child - excellent book.


----------



## Granny B.

terry123 said:


> Right now I am reading "Talking to Strangers" by Malcolm Gladwell.  Enjoyed Oprah's interview with him about the book the other day where he talked about the book and how he came to write it.


Thanks for this. I have read some of Malcolm Gladwell's writings and find them enjoyable. I'll look this one up. Unfortunately, I did not find his book "David and Goliath" interesting enough to finish, too much talk about sports.


----------



## Granny B.

Just did some book ordering, 3 for a friend's b'day and 1 for me.

While Justice Sleeps - (fiction) by Stacey Abrams
Camino Island - (fiction) by John Grisham
Billion Dollar Whale - (history/true crime) by Bradley Hope & Tom Wright
Project Hail Mary - (sci-fi) by Andy Weir (wrote "The Martian")


----------



## Pinky

Just finished Arnaldur Indridason's "The Draining Lake", "Arctic Chill" and "Hypothermia".

Waiting for 6 Kate Atkinson books from the library. After that, Ian Rankin and Ann Cleaves.


----------



## Cameron

Looking at buying some of Karen Armstrong's book.   A catholic nun who left the order and seems to live a more spiritual christian life than with the prior dogma.   I'm not really religious but fascinated by the various religions.   Makes a nice break from reading fictions
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Armstrong#Books


----------



## moviequeen1

Cameron said:


> The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the brooklyn bridge is I think the one McCullough I have yet to read.  Great writer and researcher.   Read his Panama canal book a few times and thoroughly enjoyed the wright brothers book


HI Cameron,David Mc Cullough is my #1 favorite historian,read all of his books. I have a few favorites,'John Adams,The Wright Brothers,The Pioneers,The American Spirit.He has a great voice he could read the telephone book,make it sound interesting  LOL! Sue


----------



## Cameron

moviequeen1 said:


> HI Cameron,David Mc Cullough is my #1 favorite historian,read all of his books. I have a few favorites,'John Adams,The Wright Brothers,The Pioneers,The American Spirit.He has a great voice he could read the telephone book,make it sound interesting  LOL! Sue


Interesting, I've never heard him speak !   But sure do enjoy his books.  Margaret McMillan has written some great historical books and I quite enjoy Ian Toll's trilogy on the Pacific war. Reading some books on Byzantium, turkish empire , history of christianity and why the major religions all formed around the same time .   More i read the less I seem to know. cheers


----------



## moviequeen1

Last night, started to read 'Nomadland: Surviving America in the 21st Century" by Jessica Bruder
I'm always curious what happens when people have to change their lives,some become 'nomads'.
The recent winner of Academy Award Best Picture, is based on Bruder's book.I haven't seen the movie,don't plan to


----------



## StarSong

moviequeen1 said:


> Last night, started to read 'Nomadland: Surviving America in the 21st Century" by Jessica Bruder
> I'm always curious what happens when people have to change their lives,some become 'nomads'.
> The recent winner of Academy Award Best Picture, is based on Bruder's book.I haven't seen the movie,don't plan to


The movie is good, though it sure pretties up the book's description of working at an Amazon warehouse and other "workamper" jobs.  
As with most 2 hour movies, a lot was left out or condensed, and several characters stories were combined.  

I read the book both before and after seeing the movie.


----------



## helenbacque

Jon Meacham's _Soul of America.  _Downloaded to my Kindle from local library.  He is my favorite 'serious' author.


----------



## moviequeen1

helenbacque said:


> Jon Meacham's _Soul of America.  _Downloaded to my Kindle from local library.  He is my favorite 'serious' author.


Hi Helen,Jon Mecham is another favorite historian,read most of his books
"Souls of America' is a terrific book,really enjoyed it The one he co-wrote with country star Tim McGraw'Songs of America' was disappointing,didn't like
BTW.,Mecham co-wrote Pres Biden's Inauguration Address,as I was reading it,certain paragraphs were definitely written by him Sue


----------



## Rainee

Sylkkiss said:


> Since I discovered I can set my Kindle Fire to speak with an Aussie male accent, I read --listen to--at least 5 to 8 titles at the same time in a week.
> Currently reading a John Sanford novel,Twisted Prey; Blood Enemies, (sci-Fi) by Susan R Matthews and a number of Indie authors .


Kindle books easier to obtain online when I lock down


----------



## helenbacque

moviequeen1 said:


> Hi Helen,Jon Mecham is another favorite historian,read most of his books
> "Souls of America' is a terrific book,really enjoyed it The one he co-wrote with country star Tim McGraw'Songs of America' was disappointing,didn't like
> BTW.,Mecham co-wrote Pres Biden's Inauguration Address,as I was reading it,certain paragraphs were definitely written by him Sue


I've also read a lot of his work and enjoy his U Tube clips as well.  He is a quick wit especially when he appears on some of the late night shows.  He's often funnier than the host.


----------



## Ruby Rose

Keesha said:


> Reading is a pleasant past time. There are so many great books to read.
> What are some of your favourite books you have read and what do you use to read them?
> perhaps an ireader or a kindle? Or maybe you prefer listening to them.
> 
> These are great for reading with since you can:
> -load as many books as you want to
> -adjust the letter size
> -read at night without needing to turn on a light so you don’t disturb others.
> 
> At at the moment I am reading ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd
> which is extraordinarily written.
> 
> What are you reading right now and what great books can you suggest to the rest of us?


I am presently reading Victoria & Abdul by Shrabani Basu...the true story of the Queen's closest confidant. I find this book very enlightening.


----------



## Ruby Rose

Keesha said:


> Reading is a pleasant past time. There are so many great books to read.
> What are some of your favourite books you have read and what do you use to read them?
> perhaps an ireader or a kindle? Or maybe you prefer listening to them.
> 
> These are great for reading with since you can:
> -load as many books as you want to
> -adjust the letter size
> -read at night without needing to turn on a light so you don’t disturb others.
> 
> At at the moment I am reading ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd
> which is extraordinarily written.
> 
> What are you reading right now and what great books can you suggest to the rest of us?


I have been an ardent reader for many years...all kinds. Must admit I pretty well have books in every room of the house as well as in my purse.


----------



## officerripley

Reading _The Steel Seraglio_ by Mike Carey, Linda Carey, and Louise Carey.


----------



## officerripley

With the exception of those who have responded to this thread, there aren't a whole lot of readers here on SF, are there?


----------



## Cameron

Ruby Rose said:


> I have been an ardent reader for many years...all kinds. Must admit I pretty well have books in every room of the house as well as in my purse.


If I had a purse there would be a book in it !  usually keep one in the truck just in case.  Often take one when out with the puppy.  Always to a medical appointment.   My dad said on his second date with mom he arrived at their house and all five of them looked up from their books to say hello, then heads back down to the books


----------



## moviequeen1

Last night,finished reading'Nomadland:Surviving America In The Twenty-First Century' by Jessica Bruder which I found very interesting.,wonderful book The recent movie is based on the book
Jessica spent 3 yrs going on the road interviewing a few 'nomads' learning how their lives had changed,how they became 'nomads'
I didn't see the movie, those of you who did,a couple people had cameo appearances in the movie, Linda,Bob,Charlene


----------



## StarSong

moviequeen1 said:


> Last night,finished reading'Nomadland:Surviving America In The Twenty-First Century' by Jessica Bruder which I found very interesting.,wonderful book The recent movie is based on the book
> Jessica spent 3 yrs going on the road interviewing a few 'nomads' learning how their lives had changed,how they became 'nomads'
> I didn't see the movie, those of you who did,a couple people had cameo appearances in the movie, Linda,Bob,Charlene


I read that twice, once when it first came out, then a few months after seeing the movie.  Excellent both times. 
The movie is well worth watching, BTW.  I think I checked it out of the library.


----------



## StarSong

officerripley said:


> With the exception of those who have responded to this thread, there aren't a whole lot of readers here on SF, are there?


What makes you say that?


----------



## Pinky

I'm reading Kate Atkinson books, but find her writing a bit challenging. So far, into a 2nd book, but don't know if I will continue with the other 5. Anyone else familiar with her writing?


----------



## feywon

officerripley said:


> With the exception of those who have responded to this thread, there aren't a whole lot of readers here on SF, are there?


Maybe some too busy reading to respond?  And some of the these threads are 2-3 yrs long which makes a lot to wade thru if you want be responsive to other posters.


----------



## StarSong

Pinky said:


> I'm reading Kate Atkinson books, but find her writing a bit challenging. So far, into a 2nd book, but don't know if I will continue with the other 5. Anyone else familiar with her writing?


Never heard of her.  Which of her works have you read?


----------



## feywon

i had to severely curtail my reading in the early part of this century.  An eye disease made it extremely fatiguing, but i still read some non fiction (Science, autobiographies/memoirs of people who interested me) and poetry--it was generally easy on the eyes because  not overwhelming amount of words on each page.  Had surgeries in 2014 but both eyes not really fit and up to intensive reading till about mid-2015. In the meantime i'd learned to get a lot of science and history info i sought from documentaries on streaming TV. But i have moved back into reading more again.  In last few months read memoirs by Trevor Noah and Jim Carrey, the latter devolves into a sci-fi fantasy peopled with 'real' and well known names.  He covered his A**  by titling it 'Memoirs and Misinformation' and quipping about it:  "None of this is real and all of it is true." 
Past weekend i sent daughter a list of potential book gifts for my birthday all non-fiction.  i pick up fiction from time to time but if it doesn't grab me in first chapter or so i won't continue to invest time.


----------



## officerripley

feywon said:


> i had to severely curtail my reading in the early part of this century.  An eye disease made it extremely fatiguing, but i still read some non fiction (Science, autobiographies/memoirs of people who interested me) and poetry--it was generally easy on the eyes because  not overwhelming amount of words on each page.  Had surgeries in 2014 but both eyes not really fit and up to intensive reading till about mid-2015. In the meantime i'd learned to get a lot of science and history info i sought from documentaries on streaming TV. But i have moved back into reading more again.  In last few months read memoirs by Trevor Noah and Jim Carrey, the latter devolves into a sci-fi fantasy peopled with 'real' and well known names.  He covered his A**  by titling it 'Memoirs and Misinformation' and quipping about it:  "None of this is real and all of it is true."
> Past weekend i sent daughter a list of potential book gifts for my birthday all non-fiction.  i pick up fiction from time to time but if it doesn't grab me in first chapter or so i won't continue to invest time.


I really enjoyed Noah's memoir, _Born a Crime_, a great read.


----------



## StarSong

feywon said:


> Maybe some too busy reading to respond?  And some of the these threads are 2-3 yrs long which makes a lot to wade thru if you want be responsive to other posters.


Not all SF members read or contribute to the Entertainment section.  I didn't at first.  

@feywon, how did you like Jim Carey's memoirs?  I greatly enjoyed Trevor Noah's eye-opening _Born a Crime. _


----------



## StarSong

officerripley said:


> I really enjoyed Noah's memoir, _Born a Crime_, a great read.


LOL - we were thinking the same thing at the same time!


----------



## Pinky

StarSong said:


> Never heard of her.  Which of her works have you read?


When Will There Be Good News
One Good Turn
Behind The Scenes at the Museum .. only got through a couple of chapters.

She's British, and very "wordy". Maybe I got too accustomed to Nordic mystery writers.


----------



## Pinky

feywon said:


> i had to severely curtail my reading in the early part of this century.  An eye disease made it extremely fatiguing, but i still read some non fiction (Science, autobiographies/memoirs of people who interested me) and poetry--it was generally easy on the eyes because  not overwhelming amount of words on each page.  Had surgeries in 2014 but both eyes not really fit and up to intensive reading till about mid-2015. In the meantime i'd learned to get a lot of science and history info i sought from documentaries on streaming TV. But i have moved back into reading more again.  In last few months read memoirs by Trevor Noah and Jim Carrey, the latter devolves into a sci-fi fantasy peopled with 'real' and well known names.  He covered his A**  by titling it 'Memoirs and Misinformation' and quipping about it:  "None of this is real and all of it is true."
> Past weekend i sent daughter a list of potential book gifts for my birthday all non-fiction.  i pick up fiction from time to time but if it doesn't grab me in first chapter or so i won't continue to invest time.


These are going on my "Read" list!


----------



## officerripley

Currently reading _Descendants of Power_ by P.N. Shafa, a dystopian, cli-fi novel, very good so far.


----------



## StarSong

Liberty said:


> I'm reading "The Hideaway, by Lauren K. Denton.
> Its about a gal that has an antiques shop in New Orleans (NOLA, as we call it) and finds out
> she's in her grandmothers will. She's inherited the house and she goes to the town to see "The Hideaway and discovers a box her grandmother "MAGs" left in the attic with clues to a life Sara never imagined for her grandmother.
> 
> Its a good Southern "sit on the porch with a glass of tea" summer mystery.


Just downloaded this ebook, thanks for the recommendation.  

The two books I read this past week "Orphan Train" (Christina Baker Kline) and "The Crooked Branch" (Jeanine Cummins) were excellent. I cut bait on "The Other Black Girl" (Zakiya Dalila Harris) after about 75 pages. Just couldn't get into it and life is too short...

Am currently reading "The Outside Boy" (Jeanine Cummins).


----------



## feywon

Pinky said:


> These are going on my "Read" list!


As much as i like Carrey, Trevor Noah's, 'Born a Crime' is the better of the two IMO.  He does these little factual pages about laws and social realities in S. Africa before each personal stories chapters. Like so many of the best comedians, he's really quite brilliant.  A clear tho 'out of box' thinker.


----------



## feywon

StarSong said:


> Not all SF members read or contribute to the Entertainment section.  I didn't at first.
> 
> @feywon, how did you like Jim Carey's memoirs?  I greatly enjoyed Trevor Noah's eye-opening _Born a Crime. _


While i think Trevor Noah's is the better read. Carrey's is good, if you don't lose patience with surreal scenarios (tho having heard him on talk shows--i had a clue what he was going for).  The last few years had him doing some thinking about personal identity, facts/truth...and there are these little snippets that hark back to his family and childhood.


----------



## oldiebutgoody

officerripley said:


> With the exception of those who have responded to this thread, there aren't a whole lot of readers here on SF, are there?




You know what they say, old age is a bᵢtch on wheels.

I used to take weekly trips to the library and read all sorts of stuff. Was a member of two books clubs, one for American History, the other for American Literature. Both clubs now inactive.  I would still do a great deal of reading if only my weak eyes permitted it but they do not. In fact, I had to buy a magnifying glass to see small print on labels or pharmaceuticals.   While I do use audio books they can get rather tiring very quickly.  Would, if at all possible, go back to reading good books and lots of them!


----------



## oldiebutgoody

moviequeen1 said:


> Last night,finished reading'Nomadland:Surviving America In The Twenty-First Century' by Jessica Bruder which I found very interesting.,wonderful book The recent movie is based on the book
> Jessica spent 3 yrs going on the road interviewing a few 'nomads' learning how their lives had changed,how they became 'nomads'
> I didn't see the movie, those of you who did,a couple people had cameo appearances in the movie, Linda,Bob,Charlene





Haven't read that book but will put it on my _to do_ list.  

Did you read Wm Least Heat Moon's *Blue Highways* ?










I think you would like it.


----------



## JustBonee

oldiebutgoody said:


> You know what they say, old age is a bᵢtch on wheels.
> 
> I used to take weekly trips to the library and read all sorts of stuff. Was a member of two books clubs, one for American History, the other for American Literature. Both clubs now inactive.  I would still do a great deal of reading if only my weak eyes permitted it but they do not. In fact, I had to buy a magnifying glass to see small print on labels or pharmaceuticals.   While I do use audio books they can get rather tiring very quickly.  Would, if at all possible, go back to reading good books and lots of them!



Same here..  My eyesight is getting in the way of me enjoying books like I used to  ....  my Kindle has large print,  but I don't get it out much these days.


----------



## feywon

oldiebutgoody said:


> You know what they say, old age is a bᵢtch on wheels.
> 
> I used to take weekly trips to the library and read all sorts of stuff. Was a member of two books clubs, one for American History, the other for American Literature. Both clubs now inactive.  I would still do a great deal of reading if only my weak eyes permitted it but they do not. In fact, I had to buy a magnifying glass to see small print on labels or pharmaceuticals.   While I do use audio books they can get rather tiring very quickly.  Would, if at all possible, go back to reading good books and lots of them!


i can empathize, until i had my corneal implants (Cataracts in each removed when they did the implants) It took too much out of me to read the way i had most of my life. (Two or three books in progress at all times--often reading non-fiction works related to themes in a fiction, or two differing viewpoints on a historical event or scientific theory).


----------



## oldiebutgoody

my latest reading:











In my now defunct American History Book Club we read about ten books on Lincoln, maybe 5 on Teddy Roosevelt,  6 on the Revolutionary War, and about 5 on the Gilded Age. One of our members was an Australian professor of American history in his home town.  Each of us could easily qualify for a B.A. on the subject of American History.

By the way, it has been proven that more books have been written about Honest Abe than any other historical figure except for Jesus Christ.  It never ceases to amaze me how much documentation exists about his life and the incredible impact he had on the USA.


----------



## StarSong

oldiebutgoody said:


> my latest reading:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In my now defunct American History Book Club we read about ten books on Lincoln, maybe 5 on Teddy Roosevelt,  6 on the Revolutionary War, and about 5 on the Gilded Age. One of our members was an Australian professor of American history in his home town.  Each of us could easily qualify for a B.A. on the subject of American History.
> 
> By the way, it has been proven that more books have been written about Honest Abe than any other historical figure except for Jesus Christ.  It never ceases to amaze me how much documentation exists about his life and the incredible impact he had on the USA.


Did you read _Lincoln's Last Trial _by Dan Abrams? (I generally don't care for Abrams' works but this was highly recommended to me and I found it especially good.)

I'll check into _Lincoln's Battle With God_, thanks. It looks interesting.


----------



## officerripley

Just downloaded the ebook from our library, _The Sweetness of Water_ by Nathan Harris; can't wait to read it!


----------



## moviequeen1

StarSong said:


> Just downloaded this ebook, thanks for the recommendation.
> 
> The two books I read this past week "Orphan Train" (Christina Baker Kline) and "The Crooked Branch" (Jeanine Cummins) were excellent. I cut bait on "The Other Black Girl" (Zakiya Dalila Harris) after about 75 pages. Just couldn't get into it and life is too short...
> 
> Am currently reading "The Outside Boy" (Jeanine Cummins).


Hi Starsong,I read 'Orphan Train' a couple years ago,loved it Sue


----------



## Ruby Rose

Pinky said:


> I'm reading Kate Atkinson books, but find her writing a bit challenging. So far, into a 2nd book, but don't know if I will continue with the other 5. Anyone else familiar with her writing?


I have read books written by Kate Atkinson and have enjoyed same. But for some reason, these days I am hooked on epics...thick books with a 'ship' in it. Presently in the living-room, I am reading  Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh a dynasty based in 1880s during the Opium Wars which is really holding my interest as so very visual.
I am usually engrossed in two or three books at the same time. The other book with a 'ship' in it is Sphinx - a secret for a thousand years by T.S. Learner...also very visual. In the bedroom, I am reading 'I See You' by Clare Mackintosh. As Ruth Ware (a favourite author of mine) so aptly put it...'a deliciously creepy tale of urban paranoia'. Reading books of all kinds is my passion!


----------



## Ruby Rose

officerripley said:


> With the exception of those who have responded to this thread, there aren't a whole lot of readers here on SF, are there?


I beg to differ as I feel there are many readers on SF. I must comment on this International Bestseller book that I finished the other day. It is called 'The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules by Catharina Ingelmas-Sundberg. I loved it all and want to join the 'gang'.


----------



## officerripley

Ruby Rose said:


> I beg to differ as I feel there are many readers on SF. I must comment on this International Bestseller book that I finished the other day. It is called 'The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules by Catharina Ingelmas-Sundberg. I loved it all and want to join the 'gang'.


Then I guess there aren't many readers that find what I read/post about interesting.


----------



## Colleen

Liberty said:


> Reading "Cabinet of Curiosities"...somehow I'd missed in the the book lineage of Douglas & Child - excellent book.
> View attachment 173471


I was a huge fan of Preston & Child Pendergast series until they changed the stories from mystery and creepy to romance and ridiculousness. This was one of my favorites


----------



## oldiebutgoody

StarSong said:


> Did you read _Lincoln's Last Trial _by Dan Abrams?




Yes I did and do recommend it for your _to do_ list.  Amazon readers gave it a 4.5 rating (5 star scale) with Barnes & Noble a 4.2 so it defo is worth reading.


----------



## Colleen

Pinky said:


> I'm reading Kate Atkinson books, but find her writing a bit challenging. So far, into a 2nd book, but don't know if I will continue with the other 5. Anyone else familiar with her writing?


Couldn't get into her books or style of writing.


----------



## Cameron

Found a new author I'm enjoying Luke McCillon.  Historical fiction during WW2 .   Set aside William Manchester's triology on Winston Churchill to re read after 20 odd years.

Come across the terms Aphantasia and Hyperphantasia.  the former being the inability to picture in your mind what you are reading ie the story.  Hyperphantasia seems to be when reading you visualize the story or book to the point you feel that its real and actually an obersver in the story watching the scene.  I figure i am hyperphantasia


----------



## officerripley

I guess I must have _Anti_phantasia, I can't picture anything (other than letters or numbers) in my mind, not even colors (except for a dark reddish brown which is the inside of my closed eyelids probably). I can look at a pic of a beautiful green meadow with beautiful red wildflowers, for instance; but as soon as I close my eyes and try to picture it in my mind, all I get is that dark reddish brown. I wonder if it goes along with my being born without the creative gene.


----------



## Sliverfox

Thank you , StarSong for mention the ORPHAN TRAIN  by Christina Baker  Kline ,, enjoyed it.

Just finished reading *Runner *by Tracy Clark  a good mystery about  homeless children .
Cassandra Raines  private investor  get call from mother of  missing daughter.
Hires  Raines to find  her.
Raines  realizes there is human trafficking  ring  going on.


----------



## CinnamonSugar

Just started Michael Crichton’s “”Dragon Teeth”. Set in the late 1800’s about a paleontology expedition out west, Crichton manages to weave his exciting story telling style with Mark Twain-esque humor and wit.


----------



## StarSong

oldiebutgoody said:


> Yes I did and do recommend it for your _to do_ list.  Amazon readers gave it a 4.5 rating (5 star scale) with Barnes & Noble a 4.2 so it defo is worth reading.


I've read it.  That's why I asked.


----------



## moviequeen1

Liberty,thanks for your recommendation on book"The Hideaway' by Lauren K. Denton,bought it on Amazon,always looking for new authors Sue


----------



## moviequeen1

Last night I finished reading "The Hideaway' by Lauren K. Denton, the author's 1st book
A terrific book recommended by Liberty{read her post about what the book is about} I could not put this down,took me 3 days to finish,loved it! Sue


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _Once There were Wolves_ by Charlotte McConaghy; excellent, couldn't put it down! Now reading _Hairpin Bridge_ by Taylor Adams.


----------



## feywon

Cameron said:


> Found a new author I'm enjoying Luke McCillon.  Historical fiction during WW2 .   Set aside William Manchester's triology on Winston Churchill to re read after 20 odd years.
> 
> Come across the terms Aphantasia and Hyperphantasia.  the former being the inability to picture in your mind what you are reading ie the story.  Hyperphantasia seems to be when reading you visualize the story or book to the point you feel that its real and actually an obersver in the story watching the scene.  I figure i am hyperphantasia


That's me too--hyperphantasia.  My kids too.  At about age 8 on of my boys came to me puzzled because a conversation he had with a kid at school made him realize not everyone has a movie running in their heads as they read.  
Earlier the same year while pregnant with my daughter, i had to be more selective about my reading once they were asleep because things popped up in there dreams directly referring to what i'd been reading. (We had a habit of talking about dreams well into their teens.)


----------



## StarSong

moviequeen1 said:


> Last night I finished reading "The Hideaway' by Lauren K. Denton, the author's 1st book
> A terrific book recommended by Liberty{read her post about what the book is about} I could not put this down,took me 3 days to finish,loved it! Sue


I'm about halfway through"The Hideaway" through after @Liberty's recommendation.  Agree that it's hard to put down!


----------



## Liberty

StarSong said:


> I'm about halfway through"The Hideaway" through after @Liberty's recommendation.  Agree that it's hard to put down!


Glad you liked it. Hope she writes more, huh.  I'm 3/4 the way through "The Cabinet of Curiosities" - Preston & Child.
An old NYC building is demolished and a mystery ensures from there.  It involves and old mansion on Riverside Drive with an archeologist, a reporter and the author's most loved character "Pendergast"...we have all their books and this one is fabulous.


----------



## Liberty

Just wondered...does anyone here read Maeve Binchy?  Know she has passed away...loved her Irish hometown novels.  Always seem to lose one with I have stay over company, lol.  Lots of literary friends, of course.  Keep John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley under lock and key though - that book needs to be revisited periodically.


----------



## moviequeen1

Liberty said:


> Just wondered...does anyone here read Maeve Binchy?  Know she has passed away...loved her Irish hometown novels.  Always seem to lose one with I have stay over company, lol.  Lots of literary friends, of course.  Keep John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley under lock and key though - that book needs to be revisited periodically.


Hi Liberty,I read 2 of Binchy's books "A Circle of Friends', 'A Walk in Winter'. I've read couple other of her books,can't remember which ones LOL! Sue


----------



## StarSong

Liberty said:


> Just wondered...does anyone here read Maeve Binchy?  Know she has passed away...loved her Irish hometown novels.  Always seem to lose one with I have stay over company, lol.  Lots of literary friends, of course.  Keep John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley under lock and key though - that book needs to be revisited periodically.





moviequeen1 said:


> Hi Liberty,I read 2 of Binchy's books "A Circle of Friends', 'A Walk in Winter'. I've read couple other of her books,can't remember which ones LOL! Sue


I've read several of Binchy's books but she somehow slipped from the front of my mind.  Thanks to your reminder I just checked out "The Glass Lake" ebook from my library.


----------



## Liberty

Are there any Jenny Colgan fans here?  Here's a quiz question - what was the Puffin's name?...lol.

Loved these books for summer reading. Think this was the first one I read -

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0...17145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0062371223


----------



## Remy

I'm reading "Killers of the Flower Moon. The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI." By David Grann. So far it's really interesting.

I actually had this in my Amazon cart and then found a good copy at the Goodwill. My new go to place for books.


----------



## moviequeen1

Remy said:


> I'm reading "Killers of the Flower Moon. The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI." By David Grann. So far it's really interesting.
> 
> I actually had this in my Amazon cart and then found a good copy at the Goodwill. My new go to place for books.


Hi Remy, I read this book last yr,found it fascinating,enjoyed it Sue


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _Hairpin Bridge_ by Taylor Adams; well done but the violent scenes were too long and drawn out, IMO, not my cuppa tea.


----------



## Remy

moviequeen1 said:


> Hi Remy, I read this book last yr,found it fascinating,enjoyed it Sue


Thank you. So far it is with some historical points also. Such as how the Osage people got pushed of their land (of coarse) and ended up in this land with the oil underground.


----------



## StarSong

officerripley said:


> Just finished _Hairpin Bridge_ by Taylor Adams; well done but the violent scenes were too long and drawn out, IMO, not my cuppa tea.


Thanks for the warning.  I'll avoid this one.  I'm not a fan of violence in books, movies, tv shows or real life.


----------



## officerripley

StarSong said:


> Thanks for the warning.  I'll avoid this one.  I'm not a fan of violence in books, movies, tv shows or real life.


You're welcome!   I can handle violence sometimes but in this book, it just seemed as if the violent scenes were belabored, they went on and on and...


----------



## officerripley

I just finished _The Husbands_ by Chandler Baker. If I say what I thought about it, it'd be a spoiler, so if interested, feel free to PM me.


----------



## carouselsilver

jujube said:


> There are some books I can read over and over again.  Every year on my birthday, I read "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" again.  I still have the copy I got for my 10th birthday and it became a tradition.


I love "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." My mother bought my first copy when I was about fourteen years old. I prefer print books to electronic devices because they are easier on my eyes. I love reading some books over and over as well, such as "Jane Eyre," and I have recently finished reading "The Winter of our Discontent." I have time to read the classics now, and am really enjoying them!


----------



## Remy

@carouselsilver I read a tree grows in brooklyn many years ago. I don't think I read much of the classics. I only read printed books. Not sure if I'll ever go to a e-reader.


----------



## Sliverfox

*Unfinished Business *by J.A.Jance.
Enjoyed this  novel  featuring Ali Reynolds & the cyber company  she & her husband  operate.
They help  clear one of their former employees  of a murder charge.

*the last night in london  *by Karen White
This one is  set between present day &  before the second world war.
Its a slow read,, guess my old brain is slower adjusting to different scenes?

*Runner *by Tracy Clark, set in the winter of  Chicago  looking  for a homeless girl.
Her mother is  recovering addict who hires a former  homicide cop to locate her daughter.
I picked this book as it won the Sue Grafton memorial award.


----------



## carouselsilver

Also just finished "Elsewhere" by Dean Koontz. A great read!


----------



## Sliverfox

*BONE RATTLE by *Marc Cameron.
Think this the first time I've read any books by this author.
Setting in  Alaska , lots of corruption *, *shady dealings, to hold  your interest.


----------



## officerripley

officerripley said:


> I guess I must have _Anti_phantasia, I can't picture anything (other than letters or numbers) in my mind, not even colors (except for a dark reddish brown which is the inside of my closed eyelids probably). I can look at a pic of a beautiful green meadow with beautiful red wildflowers, for instance; but as soon as I close my eyes and try to picture it in my mind, all I get is that dark reddish brown. I wonder if it goes along with my being born without the creative gene.


Just found out that it's called aphantasia. It was discovered about 6 years ago and they think that only about 1 percent of the population have it. I stumbled on this while wandering around inside YouTube today: 






Now back to the topic, lol: currently I'm reading Holdout by Jeffrey Kluger, about halfway through, very good so far.


----------



## Shero

I am really enjoying the “The Answer is: “ by Alex Trebek (late host of Jeopardy). After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019, Trebek reflects on his life and shares his thoughts on a range of topics, including marriage, parenthood, education, success and spirituality. A genius in my opinion.


----------



## Colleen

Liberty said:


> Glad you liked it. Hope she writes more, huh.  I'm 3/4 the way through "The Cabinet of Curiosities" - Preston & Child.
> An old NYC building is demolished and a mystery ensures from there.  It involves and old mansion on Riverside Drive with an archeologist, a reporter and the author's most loved character "Pendergast"...we have all their books and this one is fabulous.


CofC...one of my favorites  Would like to see the author's go back to this story line. I think they got off track in their newer books and I became disinterested. They changed Pendy too much to suit me. Maybe they ran out of ideas.


----------



## fatboy

mainly non fiction.history , science,geology and lots of outdoor adventure.books from library and e- books


----------



## moviequeen1

Last weekend,finished"The Exiles' by Christina Baker Klein,historical book set in 1840's Australia main characters are 3 women,,hardships they endure
Mattina- young aborgional girl taken from her home to work at governor's mansion in Van Diemens Island,a penal colony
Evangeline- naive,young governess working for wealthy English family,seduced by son,sent to overcrowded jail,then to prisoner ship bound for Van Deimen's
Hazel-a skilled midwife/herbalist,meets Evangeline on ship
I enjoyed the book,was fascinating.The author wrote another wonderful,historical book I read a couple yr's ago'The Orphan Train',enjoyed that as well


----------



## carouselsilver

moviequeen1 said:


> Last weekend,finished"The Exiles' by Christina Baker Klein,historical book set in 1840's Australia main characters are 3 women,,hardships they endure
> Mattina- young aborgional girl taken from her home to work at governor's mansion in Van Diemens Island,a penal colony
> Evangeline- naive,young governess working for wealthy English family,seduced by son,sent to overcrowded jail,then to prisoner ship bound for Van Deimen's
> Hazel-a skilled midwife/herbalist,meets Evangeline on ship
> I enjoyed the book,was fascinating.The author wrote another wonderful,historical book I read a couple yr's ago'The Orphan Train',enjoyed that as well


I enjoyed "Orphan Train" as well!


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I'm about to start is "Faults,Not All Forgiven' by Orion Gregory
Its about a 24 yr old struggling pro tennis player,Sydney Livingstone who is playing in a tournament hoping to advance in her career 
It interested me because I used to play tennis on a weekly basis back in the late 80's early 90's.The book is crime/mystery,have never heard of the author Sue


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _The Music of Bees_ by Eileen Garvin; excellent.


----------



## StarSong

Reading this right now.  First few pages were a little slow when the author detailed why he started looking into this subject, but it got a lot better pretty quickly.  Fascinating explanation of how grocery and convenience stores came into being.


----------



## Jackie23

I read mostly non-fiction ....just started "Saving Sadie" about a woman that adopted a handicapped dog.

https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Sadie...one=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocin


----------



## WheatenLover

StarSong said:


> Reading this right now.  First few pages were a little slow when the author detailed why he started looking into this subject, but it got a lot better pretty quickly.  Fascinating explanation of how grocery and convenience stores came into being.
> 
> View attachment 184047


I read that book. Good thing I don't like fish, because I will never eat it again after reading about it later in the book.


----------



## WheatenLover

Jackie23 said:


> I read mostly non-fiction ....just started "Saving Sadie" about a woman that adopted a handicapped dog.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Sadie...one=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocin


There is a great book called Wonder Dogs, by Maureen Maurer, about service dogs. I couldn't put it down for very long, because I enjoyed it so much.


----------



## WheatenLover

I just finished Red Death, by Alan Jacobson. It's a thriller/police procedural -- a series. The protagonist is an FBI agent. The antagonist is a serial  killer. The cause of death is not bloody or gory. Alan Jacobson of one of my many favorite authors. Also, even though it's part of the series, this book can be read as a standalone.

I use a Kindle to read. I have one for fiction and one for nonfiction. I prefer instructional books to be regular books, so I can flip back and forth through the pages. 

What is odd to me is that even though my daughter got her first Kindle many years ago, she now won't read anything except regular books. And she is young, so that's the reason for my surprise. I can have a book in my  Calibre ebook management program, and she will still buy the regular book. That seems like a waste of money to me.


----------



## WheatenLover

double post


----------



## senior chef

I am a huge fan of Wilbur Smith.  His historical fiction novel "River God" is my all time favorite. Story takes place in ancient Egypt circa 1,800 B.C.


----------



## StarSong

WheatenLover said:


> I read that book. Good thing I don't like fish, because I will never eat it again after reading about it later in the book.


Some of the beginning (talking about the Whole Foods fish counter) was pently off-putting, too.  Made me extra glad I eat a plant based diet!


----------



## jerry old

feywon said:


> Post 501,





feywon said:


> That's me too--hyperphantasia.  My kids too.  At about age 8 on of my boys came to me puzzled because a conversation he had with a kid at school made him realize not everyone has a movie running in their heads as they read.


Yes, I'm a Walter Mitty, never occurred to me that others that read are not *afflicted or blessed* with hyperphantasia.
I had never heard of the term until you posted it.

Question, how come it does not work on textbooks?


----------



## WheatenLover

StarSong said:


> Some of the beginning (talking about the Whole Foods fish counter) was pently off-putting, too.  Made me extra glad I eat a plant based diet!


It sure was. I told my daughter about that so she wouldn't buy fish at the grocery store. It was disgusting to read about. Plus, I read in the NYT some years ago that a lot of fish we buy is not the type of fish it is sold as. Especially red snapper, but I only remember that because my mother loved it when we were kids. She only ate it because it was right off that boat at a restaurant in Destin, FL.

I was at Walmart reading frozen fish packaging before Covid. On front of the package, it said the fish was from Alaskan waters. On back of the package it said it was processed in Thailand. I didn't buy it because it seemed odd to me to catch a fish in US waters and then go all the way to Thailand to process it. Now that I've read that book, there is no way I'd buy fish processed in Thailand.

I'm glad I don't like fish. Lobster and crabs have to be right off the boat, which was easy to get when I lived in New England.


----------



## carouselsilver

I am about to read "The Grapes of Wrath." Hardcover, used copy.


----------



## StarSong

carouselsilver said:


> I am about to read "The Grapes of Wrath." Hardcover, used copy.


I reread that a few years ago.  Great book!


----------



## jerry old

I don't know where to rank the 'Grapes of Wrath,' somewhere in the top ten.
Perhaps we should not try to rank books, there great ones and not so great ones.
Your opinion is as good as the English Lit folk.
The great ones of your life, were great to you-that is all you need.


----------



## Judycat

I got my 2022 Medicare Guidebook in the mail the other day. What a depressing piece of literature that is.


----------



## StarSong

jerry old said:


> I don't know where to rank the 'Grapes of Wrath,' somewhere in the top ten.
> Perhaps we should not try to rank books, there great ones and not so great ones.


Didn't know we were ranking them on this thread.  

I prefer to not rank books, music, movies, art, foods, people, experiences, etc., unless it's within a limited field, e.g., ranking how well I like books X, Y and Z.


----------



## Sliverfox

@Judycat,, you are braver than I am,, haven't even opened mine.


----------



## Liberty

Love Steinbeck's "Travels with Charley"...it brings tears to my eyes.  Like reading poetry in prose.


----------



## Judycat

Sliverfox said:


> @Judycat,, you are braver than I am,, haven't even opened mine.


You aren't missing much. They never tell you what you really want to know.


----------



## charry

I read books , I can’t get on with reading on computers .....
I like anything really.........not funny books tho !!


----------



## Paco Dennis

I have read several books online at :

Welcome to Project Gutenberg​
Project Gutenberg is a library of over 60,000 free eBooks​https://www.gutenberg.org/


----------



## StarSong

Judycat said:


> I got my 2022 Medicare Guidebook in the mail the other day. What a depressing piece of literature that is.





Sliverfox said:


> @Judycat,, you are braver than I am,, haven't even opened mine.





Judycat said:


> You aren't missing much. They never tell you what you really want to know.


I don't even bother.  Whatever it is, it is.  
I'm going to avoid medical care because co-pays have risen. Why torture myself


----------



## StarSong

I've been going down the rabbit hole of learning about the possibility of a nuclear detonated EMP (eltromagnetic pulse).  First read "Lights Out" by Ted Koppel (non fiction explanation), as recommended by @AnnieA on another SF thread.  Based on a mention in that book, I next read "One Second After" by John Matherson (an EMP post apocalyptic novel).  He eventually turned it into part one of a trilogy, and I'm now into the second book, "One Year After".  

Lots of food for thought in these books, particularly in the context of life over the past 18 months in the highly industrialized world, i.e., supply chain interruptions, hoarding, empty shelves, shortages in parts for repairs, crowded hospitals, ratcheting fuel prices, and so forth. Between those conditions and the extraordinary political divides, tempers are flaring and centuries-old rules of civility are being ignored. 

These are a worthwhile read...


----------



## officerripley

StarSong said:


> I've been going down the rabbit hole of learning about the possibility of a nuclear detonated EMP (eltromagnetic pulse).  First read "Lights Out" by Ted Koppel (non fiction explanation), as recommended by @AnnieA on another SF thread.  Based on a mention in that book, I next read "One Second After" by John Matherson (an EMP post apocalyptic novel).  He eventually turned it into part one of a trilogy, and I'm now into the second book, "One Year After".
> 
> Lots of food for thought in these books, particularly in the context of life over the past 18 months in the highly industrialized world, i.e., supply chain interruptions, hoarding, empty shelves, shortages in parts for repairs, crowded hospitals, ratcheting fuel prices, and so forth. Between those conditions and the extraordinary political divides, tempers are flaring and centuries-old rules of civility are being ignored.
> 
> These are a worthwhile read...


It's indeed scary and like you said looking at the past 18 months, unfortunately too possible. I'd rather see food fights kept to the school cafeterias where they belong.


----------



## CinnamonSugar

Finished “Brother and Sister”. By Joanne Trollope.  One of her better ones.  Realistic, well-handled conflict and resolution


----------



## jerry old

CinnamonSugar said:


> Finished “Brother and Sister”. By Joanne Trollope.  One of her better ones.  Realistic, well-handled conflict and resolution


Oh, a book on union-management meetings 
(forgive me, it's my mind, )


----------



## Sliverfox

T*he Clergyman's Wife *by Molly Greeley*.
About a respectable wife of a vicar,, who sees  her  duties by rote.
Makes the acquaintance of  local farmer,, realizes  the difference  between him & her husband.*
Brings to mind  how much our values of love & marriage have changed. 

T*he New Iberia Blues *by James Lee Burke
Another  Dave Robicheaux  novel.
Seems  his  novels start off with murders ,, than sort of  stray off course.


----------



## gamboolman

StarSong said:


> I've been going down the rabbit hole of learning about the possibility of a nuclear detonated EMP (eltromagnetic pulse).  First read "Lights Out" by Ted Koppel (non fiction explanation), as recommended by @AnnieA on another SF thread.  Based on a mention in that book, I next read "One Second After" by John Matherson (an EMP post apocalyptic novel).  He eventually turned it into part one of a trilogy, and I'm now into the second book, "One Year After".
> 
> Lots of food for thought in these books, particularly in the context of life over the past 18 months in the highly industrialized world, i.e., supply chain interruptions, hoarding, empty shelves, shortages in parts for repairs, crowded hospitals, ratcheting fuel prices, and so forth. Between those conditions and the extraordinary political divides, tempers are flaring and centuries-old rules of civility are being ignored.
> 
> These are a worthwhile read...


StarSong,

Those are all good books for sure.

You might consider the following 2 X books - as they are similar :

1)  Going Home by Angry American

2)  Unintended Consequences by  John Ross


----------



## jerry old

If you like just plain old pulp that is very good: Stuart M. Kaminsky is my very, very favorite.
17 novels about A Russian Detective-he has to find the bad guys while hampered by the KGB and not offend any high ranking communist
The cast of his fellow detectives is very good-great    writer in his genre
I've read all twice, the good ones three, maybe 4 times in the last thirty years.


----------



## terry123

Reading "Peril" right now.  Will not say more as it gets into politics.  Very interesting!!!


----------



## moviequeen1

terry123 said:


> Reading "Peril" right now.  Will not say more as it gets into politics.  Very interesting!!!


Terry, is this the book by Washington Post reporters,Bob Woodward,&Robert Costa? Sue


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _This is Chance! The Shaking of an All-American City, A Voice that Held it Together_ by Jon Mooallem; about Genie Chance, a radio/TV announcer at at station in Anchorage, Alaska who was on the air hours after the 1964 earthquake; fascinating!


----------



## Pinky

I'm reading the last of Ian Rankin's "Rebus" books .. now moving onto author Peter James. I love detective series.


----------



## terry123

moviequeen1 said:


> Terry, is this the book by Washington Post reporters,Bob Woodward,&Robert Costa? Sue


Yes it is!


----------



## CinnamonSugar

Just discovered the author Elizabeth Berg and her lovely, gentle stories   I’ve read “Open House” and then when I found our library had quite a few of her titles, I went back and started with the original, “The Story of Arthur Truluv”.  Looking forward to reading more


----------



## WheatenLover

CinnamonSugar said:


> Just discovered the author Elizabeth Berg and her lovely, gentle stories   I’ve read “Open House” and then when I found our library had quite a few of her titles, I went back and started with the original, “The Story of Arthur Truluv”.  Looking forward to reading more


There are two sequels to _The Story of Arthur Truluv. _The first is _Night of Miracles_, and second is _The Confession Club_. I loved all three of them. Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorite authors.


----------



## Sliverfox

Just finished reading BLIND TIGER  by Susan Brown.

Based on bootleggers  who operated  around  Glen Rose Texas, during prohibition.
Its a good fiction story.


----------



## moviequeen1

I really enjoyed"The Story of Arthur Truluv' finished it in 2 days


----------



## caroln

I envy all of you that read so many books.  Most of my reading these days is on forums such as this.  For the past few years my attention level has dropped alarmingly, to the point where I can't even stay focused on a long magazine article.  I used to read incessantly when I was younger and now I tend to just skim through anything longer than a paragraph.  One would think that possibly my mental capabilities are slipping, but other than this reading affliction, I seem unimpaired!


----------



## StarSong

gamboolman said:


> StarSong,
> 
> Those are all good books for sure.
> 
> You might consider the following 2 X books - as they are similar :
> 
> 1)  Going Home by Angry American
> 
> 2)  Unintended Consequences by  John Ross


Thanks for the recommendations.  After reading the group I referred to in post #549 (some of which I mistakenly said were written by John Matherson.  The author is William R. Forstchen and the protagonist is John Matherson), I read one more book by Forstchen, _48 hours_. It's about a gigantic solar flare that would cause massive extinctions across the globe. 

I read these over the course of 4-6 weeks, resting my psyche with lighter fare in between. 

Seemingly unrelated, last week I was looking at my back-up pantry and realized it's recently become excessive.  Took a full inventory.  Eek!  The stress of early pandemic shortages and these apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic books is showing up as food anxiety.  My stash has grown well beyond a reasonable level (for a non-survivalist).  DH & I could literally live for months from the pantry alone.  I haven't yet had the courage to inventory the freezers, but it's on my list of things to do.  

Anyone else having this issue from this type of reading material?


----------



## Pinky

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51791252-the-vanishing-half


----------



## StarSong

Pinky said:


> The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
> https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51791252-the-vanishing-half


Ooh!  I liked that one, too!


----------



## CinnamonSugar

WheatenLover said:


> There are two sequels to _The Story of Arthur Truluv. _The first is _Night of Miracles_, and second is _The Confession Club_. I loved all three of them. Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorite authors.


I’m in the middle of “Night of Miracles” right now . I’ll look for “Confession club” next.  Thanks for the info !


----------



## David777

I regularly read a broad range of non-fiction science especially natural sciences and technology both from books and from web sources.  As an adult, never make time to read fiction much like over decades have allowed little time watching TV shows though understand why both can be entertaining. Just so little time. My career required reading ridiculous amounts of technology however am glad as a retired senior that I no longer have to do so thus recently tossed several dozen heavy books into the trash. 

Have bought fair numbers of used books cheaply on amazon but the below is a new book I recently bought and read in about 4 days.   I will highly recommend it for seniors as our often failing memories are on many of our minds.  It covers summaries of current brain memory science research at a level anyone can comprehend with a fair amount of forgetful humor:

*Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting *by Lisa Genova

A bit off topic but will briefly mention in this Internet era if one is into educating oneself, there are often better ways than taking classes or reading books by using online E-learning, especially videos on Youtube.  For complex science and technology subjects there is a significant advantage because complementary video graphics can often better represent concepts than mere words.   And then there are free online lectures by world class university lecturers.  The following example is a listing of 25 lectures on *Human Behavioral Biology* by Stanford professor Robert Saploski all free online.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL848F2368C90DDC3D

As an introduction, anyone will be entertained by lecture #14 on the Limbic System about human emotions:






The below is an example of a highly recommended used college introductory astronomy textbook that was over $100 new in 2006 that I bought used on amazon a decade ago for about $10 and read most at that time that I have currently been re-reading many chapters of this week. Of course that is the nature absorbing science by repeatedly re-reading.  Many mid level science textbooks quickly drop in price as colleges tend to replace them with current newest books.   As a textbook, its large pages 590 pages long, are full of awesome color explanatory photos of the universe including many from the Hubbel Space Telescope with many charts and diagrams and though now a wee dated, newer updates to theory can readily be found online.

*Voyages to the Stars and Galaxies* (third edition) by Andrew Fraknoi

Tomorrow will be a non-reading day, my birthday, as I drive up to San Francisco's touristy north shore for a day of fun.


----------



## drifter

jerry old said:


> If you like just plain old pulp that is very good: Stuart M. Kaminsky is my very, very favorite.
> 17 novels about A Russian Detective-he has to find the bad guys while hampered by the KGB and not offend any high ranking communist
> The cast of his fellow detectives is very good-great    writer in his genre
> I've read all twice, the good ones three, maybe 4 times in the last thirty years.


I have made note of this author. Thanks, Jerry.


----------



## drifter

Pinky said:


> I'm reading the last of Ian Rankin's "Rebus" books .. now moving onto author Peter James. I love detective series.


Thank you kindly. I like detective stories, too.


----------



## palides2021

David777 said:


> I regularly read a broad range of non-fiction science especially natural sciences and technology both from books and from web sources.  As an adult, never make time to read fiction much like over decades have allowed little time watching TV shows though understand why both can be entertaining. Just so little time. My career required reading ridiculous amounts of technology however am glad as a retired senior that I no longer have to do so thus recently tossed several dozen heavy books into the trash.
> 
> Have bought fair numbers of used books cheaply on amazon but the below is a new book I recently bought and read in about 4 days.   I will highly recommend it for seniors as our often failing memories are on many of our minds.  It covers summaries of current brain memory science research at a level anyone can comprehend with a fair amount of forgetful humor:
> 
> *Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting *by Lisa Genova
> 
> A bit off topic but will briefly mention in this Internet era if one is into educating oneself, there are often better ways than taking classes or reading books by using online E-learning, especially videos on Youtube.  For complex science and technology subjects there is a significant advantage because complementary video graphics can often better represent concepts than mere words.   And then there are free online lectures by world class university lecturers.  The following example is a listing of 25 lectures on *Human Behavioral Biology* by Stanford professor Robert Saploski all free online.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL848F2368C90DDC3D
> 
> As an introduction, anyone will be entertained by lecture #14 on the Limbic System about human emotions:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The below is an example of a highly recommended used college introductory astronomy textbook that was over $100 new in 2006 that I bought used on amazon a decade ago for about $10 and read most at that time that I have currently been re-reading many chapters of this week. Of course that is the nature absorbing science by repeatedly re-reading.  Many mid level science textbooks quickly drop in price as colleges tend to replace them with current newest books.   As a textbook, its large pages 590 pages long, are full of awesome color explanatory photos of the universe including many from the Hubbel Space Telescope with many charts and diagrams and though now a wee dated, newer updates to theory can readily be found online.
> 
> *Voyages to the Stars and Galaxies* (third edition) by Andrew Fraknoi
> 
> Tomorrow will be a non-reading day, my birthday, as I drive up to San Francisco's touristy north shore for a day of fun.


All interesting books, David777! I also read technical books and use the Youtube videos a lot for learning. I've also used Coursera.org which is a learning platform.

Regarding your phrase "the complementary video graphics can often represent concepts better than mere words," don't underestimate the power of words. Actually, it's been written about that reading uses more of our brain than watching a video. With reading, we have to visualize everything. We have to do all the work. We also fill in where there are gaps. Whereas in watching videos, it's been done for us. Think about it. Just wanted to pass that on.

Also, Happy Birthday (for tomorrow) and enjoy your day!


----------



## palides2021

I have recently read lots of books for my classes, but for my own reading, I like to learn as I read. It's been awhile since I read fiction, though.

I recently finished reading "The Art of Surveillance Capitalism" by Shoshona Runoff. It's a huge book but has a lot of material about technology and how we are losing our privacy without even being aware of it. She's done her homework. I loved it!

Another one that I recently read was by Thomas Sowell called "Discrimination and Disparities" and I love his philosophy and the way he writes.


----------



## mellowyellow

In Tasmania’s “Black War” of 1823–31, Tongerlongeter led a stunning resistance campaign against invading British soldiers and colonists. Leader of the Oyster Bay nation, he inspired dread throughout the island’s southeast. Convicts refused to work alone or unarmed, terrified settlers abandoned their farms, the economy faltered and the government seemed powerless to suppress the violence……https://theconversation.com/friday-...ghter-we-should-remember-as-a-war-hero-165308


----------



## officerripley

StarSong said:


> Thanks for the recommendations.  After reading the group I referred to in post #549 (some of which I mistakenly said were written by John Matherson.  The author is William R. Forstchen and the protagonist is John Matherson), I read one more book by Forstchen, _48 hours_. It's about a gigantic solar flare that would cause massive extinctions across the globe.
> 
> I read these over the course of 4-6 weeks, resting my psyche with lighter fare in between.
> 
> Seemingly unrelated, last week I was looking at my back-up pantry and realized it's recently become excessive.  Took a full inventory.  Eek!  The stress of early pandemic shortages and these apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic books is showing up as food anxiety.  My stash has grown well beyond a reasonable level (for a non-survivalist).  DH & I could literally live for months from the pantry alone.  I haven't yet had the courage to inventory the freezers, but it's on my list of things to do.
> 
> _*Anyone else having this issue from this type of reading material?*_


Yeah, pretty much. In fact, I've discovered that any book whose cover picture has a gun or any other kind of weapon on it is not my cuppa tea at all.


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I started yesterday is'A Single Thread' by Tracy Chevalier
The story is set in 1930's in England, Violet Speedwell has lost her father, adored older brother,fiance to WWI.She lives for awhile with her widowed mother ,her younger brother,Tom until he gets married. Violet finds a job in Winchester near the famed cathedral.One day during lunch break,she notices the group of women who embroider the kneelers at the church for the congregation,goes to her 1st meeting. This begins a new chapter in her life
I can not put this book down Sue


----------



## oldiebutgoody

currently reading *Reign of Terror* by Spencer Ackerman


https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622555/reign-of-terror-by-spencer-ackerman/


An incredible book with much important truths about Bush's warmongering.  Recently, Colin Powell died and many (including people in SF) gave him  a free pass as if he was completely innocent with regard to those imperialist  wars.  Sorry folks, he wasn't.


----------



## WheatenLover

I just read _E.R. Nurses_, by James Patterson. It is a nonfiction book which contains the experiences of about 60 E.R. nurses. Only a few of the stories had anything to do with Covid. Very interesting. I could not be an E.R. nurse.


----------



## mrstime

terry123 said:


> Reading "Peril" right now.  Will not say more as it gets into politics.  Very interesting!!!


Same here, very interesting indeed!


----------



## Sliverfox

T*he Life We Bury *by Allen Eskens
College student interviews a dying  Vietnam veteran who also is a convicted murderer  for a writing assignment.
A good book  for all that like  mysteries.


----------



## moviequeen1

Last night I finished'A Single Thread' by Tracy Chevalier ,a terrific book,I recommend it. Its as good as another book I've read of hers' The Girl with a Pearl Earring" Sue


----------



## Liberty

Usually love a good mystery..with that said, just ordered "Fresh Water for Flowers 
by Valerie Perrin.   When someone tells me its one of their top 5 favorite novels of all time, it peeks my interest!


----------



## officerripley

oldiebutgoody said:


> currently reading *Reign of Terror* by Spencer Ackerman
> 
> 
> https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622555/reign-of-terror-by-spencer-ackerman/
> 
> 
> An incredible book with much important truths about Bush's warmongering.  Recently, Colin Powell died and many (including people in SF) gave him  a free pass as if he was completely innocent with regard to those imperialist  wars.  Sorry folks, he wasn't.


I just finished that; you're right, it's an incredible book, I'm going to look for more by this writer.


----------



## Sliverfox

Needed some light reading after  The Life We Bury.

T*he Royals Next Door * by Karina Halle,is an entertaining  novel about the royal couple  seeking a 'normal life'   in a small island community.

Makes you think of  the real  royal couple that seems to be often  in  the news..


----------



## moviequeen1

I've started reading today 'The Woman Who Stole Vermeer" by Anthony Amore
This is true story of about a British heiress, Rose Dugdale who gave up her wealthy lifestyle,became the mastermind behind a major art theft at the Russborough House in Ireland in 1974 She&her gang of theives stole prized paintings one by Johannes Vermeer"Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid'
I always like to read about art thefts,history behind  who was involved,why they did it


----------



## palides2021

WheatenLover said:


> I just read _E.R. Nurses_, by James Patterson. It is a nonfiction book which contains the experiences of about 60 E.R. nurses. Only a few of the stories had anything to do with Covid. Very interesting. I could not be an E.R. nurse.


I can sympathize with you! As an EKG tech in my younger years, I had to do ER shift, and I was only 19 years old. I had nightmares after seeing car accident victims, mothers and children, in the ER, etc. So I changed my dream of becoming a nurse/doctor to something less violent.


----------



## Liberty

Just  got a book called The Final Flight.  Its about two women who meet and want to disappear, so they change identities.  They both are taking different flights  and one of the flights crashes.  Now what.  Seems like a good read.


----------



## StarSong

moviequeen1 said:


> The book I started yesterday is'A Single Thread' by Tracy Chevalier
> The story is set in 1930's in England, Violet Speedwell has lost her father, adored older brother,fiance to WWI.She lives for awhile with her widowed mother ,her younger brother,Tom until he gets married. Violet finds a job in Winchester near the famed cathedral.One day during lunch break,she notices the group of women who embroider the kneelers at the church for the congregation,goes to her 1st meeting. This begins a new chapter in her life
> I can not put this book down Sue


Just downloaded the ebook from my library.  Thanks for the recommendation!


----------



## Jackie23

I'm just finishing this one.....I'll give it 3 stars,
its interesting enough that I stayed with it.

Kennedy Heirs

https://www.amazon.com/Kennedy-Heir...t=&hvlocphy=9026863&hvtargid=pla-789459240364


----------



## fuzzybuddy

I'm dyslexic. Reading a chore for me. Some light 180 page book, most could read in a night, takes me about a week to read. But my last book, "Be My Baby", by Ronnie Spector, was of course about Phil Spector, the 1960s music producer, and murderer. Most people have moral lapses, but they are essential normal. Phil was a slime bag,  a total rip off artist, but he could come up with #1 hit songs. He used/abused the talent, who sang his songs, They could have had spectacular careers, like Cher and Sonny Bono, a Spector protégée, who broke free of Phil.. A good book about the business of 60s music.


----------



## moviequeen1

This afternoon I finished'The Women who Stole Vermeer' by Anthony M. Amore
He is the director of security&chief investigator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Mass
I enjoyed the book, but how Rose Dugdale transformed into a radical for the Irish cause was too detailed,I skimmed over some of those pages Sue


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _The Last House on Needless Street_ by Catriona Ward; very good, does deal with childhood trauma so some parts may be hard for some.


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I'm about to read is'Becoming Mrs. Lewis" by Patti Callahan,a historic novel. Its the true story of the friendship between poet/writer Joy Davidman  and writer CS Lewis who fell in love& married. I know some facts about the couple,saw the movie' Shadowlands' '93 starring Anthony Hopkins, Debra Winger. I like reading historical books Sue


----------



## jerry old

moviequeen1 said:


> The book I'm about to read is'Becoming Mrs. Lewis" by Patti Callahan,a historic novel. Its the true story of the friendship between poet/writer Joy Davidman  and writer CS Lewis who fell in love& married. I know some facts about the couple,saw the movie' Shadowlands' '93 starring Anthony Hopkins, Debra Winger. I like reading historical books Sue


That was a 'peculiar' marriage, relationship...I've not read the novel, only articles of a few pages.  I hope the author offers a more
complete explanation.


----------



## Pinky

Detective mysteries .. specifically Nordic and British. I've been told about an Italian series recently. Nearing the end of the Peter James novels, but think I will read his books unrelated to detective Roy Grace since I enjoy his writing so much.


----------



## Sliverfox

I've started the 7th book of  the Seven Sisters series,,THE MISSING SISTER,, by Lucinda Riley.

Did not want to put it down last night.


----------



## moviequeen1

I just finished reading"Becoming Mrs Lewis" by Patti Callahan,historic fiction based on the true story of poet/writer Joy Davidman and  CS Lewis
This was a terrific book gives the reader a better insight of this unique love story between this couple. I couldn't put it down,I recommend it Sue


----------



## Sliverfox

Took me   a week to read THE MISSING SISTER by Lucinda Riley

The remaining  sisters think they have found  the 'missing sister'.
Only to learn that   the mother & daughter share the same name.

The mother returns to Ireland  to see her estranged family.
While  there she learns  she was adopted.

 Very good novel that touches on Ireland's Irish war of Independence.


----------



## funsearcher!

The Warmth of Other Suns--Isabel Wilkerson  The story of the Great Migration in the US from1915 until approx. 1970  Follows Southern blacks as they make their new lives in Northern cities and California


----------



## Nosy Bee-54

Major Labels by Kelefa Sanneh
A history of popular music in 7 genres: Rock, R&B, Country, Punk, Hip Hop, Dance and Pop.

_Edited To Add: Recently finished reading:_

Can We Talk About Israel? A Guide for the Curious, Confused and Conflicted
by Daniel Sokatch

It answers a lot of questions that people have about the perpetual conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis. Very readable and informative.


----------



## Liberty

If you love a good mystery - highly recommend  The Last Flight, by Julie Clark...its fabulous - couldn't bear to put it down, from start to end!


----------



## Smiley Holly

If you like romance books. Give Nicholas Sparks of The Notebook fame another chance with this book called The Wish.  It is a very good read.


----------



## oldiebutgoody

reading Dickens' "Bleak House" by audio book


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I started yesterday is"The Evening and The Morning' by Ken Follett, the prequel to his terrific book'Pillars of The Earth',{read twice}which is about the construction of a Gothic English cathedral in 1200 .This book is set in England  during the Middle Ages ,years 997-1007. Its  long 993 pgs,so far I can't put it down. I've read his other books''World Without End','A Column of Fire' which I enjoyed Sue


----------



## dobielvr

I'm wanting to read "The Stranger in the Lifeboat" by Mitch Albom.

Their yacht explodes, and survivors are in the lifeboat, calling out to God, and this guy  shows up floating in the ocean nearby responding to their  cries for God.  They bring him on board.........

I updated my library card yesterday so I can be put on the waiting list.


----------



## Colleen

Liberty said:


> If you love a good mystery - highly recommend  The Last Flight, by Julie Clark...its fabulous - couldn't bear to put it down, from start to end!


Thank you...I just ordered this


----------



## Liberty

Colleen said:


> Thank you...I just ordered this


You are quite welcome and know you will really enjoy it!
Gotta see what else this gal has penned...lol.


----------



## officerripley

Right now am reading _Weird Earth: Debunking Strange Ideas About our Planet_ by Donald R. Prothero; very good.


----------



## moviequeen1

Yesterday afternoon,finished reading " The Evening and The Morning' by Ken Follett which is the prequel to his terrific book'Pillars of The Earth'. I started to like it but after reading 500 pgs I grew tired of it,not as good as Pillars,also too long at 931 pgs


----------



## Jackie23

Honeymoon with a Killer....the murder of Bruce Cleland....True Crime


----------



## WheatenLover

Autopsy, by Patricia Cornwall. It's the Kay Scarpetta novel published this year.


----------



## Sliverfox

*TAILSPIN* by Sandra Brown.
This was not an airplane  war type  book,, that I thought I picked up.

Its about a pilot who flies  whatever freight, where ever the customer wants it.
He is  flying an unknown  package  to a doctor.

There is a dead line  for the package,  both airports are   grounded  due to dense  fog.
He still attempts to meet the dead line.

This  is a good  novel that keeps you guessing through the whole story.


----------



## Nosy Bee-54

Just finished American Made by Farah Stockman.

It's about what happens to people when their manufacturing jobs move overseas. The
author shadowed 3 people who worked for a factory in Indiana.


----------



## feywon

Looking forward to reading two books i was gifted by my Daughter for Christmas.  
One, 'Blink' by Malcolm Gladwell, had been on my list in August for potential presents. i had heard of Gladwell but this year i discovered some YouTube talks, interviews with him and i like the WAY he thinks and meta thinks not just 'what' he thinks. She got a different one then but referred to the list come December. So now i have this one of his.

The other is 'What If?" by Randall Munroe, creator of the xkcd website. On both the site and in this book he gives "Serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions.'. Having studied physics and been a roboticist for NASA, i'm of the opinion that if something wasn't in his area of expertise he can be relied upon to find the info needed to formulate a sensible answer. Tho he also gives some pretty snarky, tho usually still scientifically sound, answers.

i spent about hour with this book yesterday, as you can imagine some of the questions he gets make him wonder if he should contact authorities--but they are usually submitted by 'Anonymous'. Some of these appear in a recurring feature,12 instances with sometimes 2 or 3 question/answer sets each that are quick reads cause the answers often involve his stick figure from xkcd site: "Weird (and Worrying) questions from the What If? Inbox.

Here's a link to the website so you can check it out:
https://xkcd.com/


----------



## Sliverfox

VOICE OF THE EAGLE  by Linda Lay Shuler.
Picked this book up a the  Goodwill Store,,its  number 2 of  a series.


This is   well written  novel about an Anasazi woman , Kwani, called She Who Remembers.
That is a spiritual guide to the Anasazi ,in what is now New Mexico.
Was a slow read but enjoyable.

Hope to  get the next  book,, Time Circle Quartet.
Will check local library  or  any store selling used books.


----------



## Lewkat

Since I like historical novels involving real people, I am presently reading An American Princess about Teddy Roosevelt's oldest daughter, Alice Roosevelt Longworth.  She was a piece of work.


----------



## Feelslikefar

*Fossil men: the quest for the oldest skeleton and the origins of humankind *- Kermit Pattison

Another in a long list of science books I find myself reading more and more.

This book is about the team that discovered 'Ardi', a skeleton older than the famous 'Lucy'.
Describes what things might have been like back in the period also.
Not too dry, I enjoyed the authors writing style.

Next up,  *Billy Summer*  by Stephen King. A friend recommended it since I read a lot of King's stuff.


----------



## Sliverfox

Library doesn't have the next book to Voice of the Eagle,,,Thrift Books  does!
Hope to make a 'to do  reading 'list & order  several books.


----------



## WheatenLover

This week, I read:
_A Valley Secret_, by Anna Jacobs, 
_Maeve Binchy_, by Piers Dudgeon (biography)
_When Breath Becomes Air_, by Paul Kalanithi
Currently reading _The Smartest Kids in the World_, by Amanda Ripley and _Year of Wonders: The Plague_, by Geraldine Brook (fiction).


----------



## StarSong

WheatenLover said:


> _When Breath Becomes Air_, by Paul Kalanithi


An excellent book!  Read it a while back.


----------



## moviequeen1

WheatenLover said:


> This week, I read:
> _A Valley Secret_, by Anna Jacobs,
> _Maeve Binchy_, by Piers Dudgeon (biography)
> _When Breath Becomes Air_, by Paul Kalanithi
> Currently reading _The Smartest Kids in the World_, by Amanda Ripley and _Year of Wonders: The Plague_, by Geraldine Brook (fiction).


I read "Years of Wonder' by Geraldine Brook couple yrs ago, good book Sue


----------



## moviequeen1

My close friend,Marcia gave me this book as xmas present,'State of Terror' co written by Louise Penny&Hillary Clinton
The new occupant of the White House,Pres Williams surprises everybody when he chose a political enemy as his Sec of State,Ellen Adams,they don't like/ trust each other,never a good sign.A few weeks after he's sworn in multiple terrorist bombings occur in Europe,its up to her to figure out why its happened ,who is behind it.
I started reading it yesterday afternoon,already on pg 170,so far so good. Its 486 pgs.I don't know if this is their 1st  book writing together Sue


----------



## IFortuna

Keesha said:


> Reading is a pleasant past time. There are so many great books to read.
> What are some of your favourite books you have read and what do you use to read them?
> perhaps an ireader or a kindle? Or maybe you prefer listening to them.
> 
> These are great for reading with since you can:
> -load as many books as you want to
> -adjust the letter size
> -read at night without needing to turn on a light so you don’t disturb others.
> 
> At at the moment I am reading ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd
> which is extraordinarily written.
> 
> What are you reading right now and what great books can you suggest to the rest of us?


The only book I read anymore is the bible,  I recommend it highly.  Otherwise, I am reading academic papers and trying to make heads or tails out of them.  I am in over my head people!


----------



## IFortuna

IKE said:


> Are you a Mason Phil ?
> 
> I've been a Master Mason since Feb. of 1977 and a 32º Scottish Rite Mason since Nov. of 1981.





IKE said:


>


Oh what bait this is!  I made a video about the Freemasons and I am not done yet. The voice is Lily AI.  

You tube insists certain videos be labeled not suitable for children under 18. This video is very benign.


----------



## Pepper

IFortuna said:


> I am reading academic papers and trying to make heads or tails out of them.  I am in over my head people!


Any particular field of study?  I hope you're getting enjoyment from this.


----------



## Nosy Bee-54

Continuing with non-fiction, I finished the following last night.

Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel About the American Obsession by Studs Terkel.

About the author:

Studs Terkel (1912 -2008) was the author of eleven books of oral history, including _Hope Dies Last, Working,_ and the Pulitzer Prize winning _"The Good War." _He is best remembered for his oral histories of common Americans and as a host of a long running show in Chicago.


----------



## moviequeen1

Last night,I finished 'State of Terror' co written by Louise Penny/Hillary Clinton  it was good, my one complaint it was too long at 459 pgs. Hillary is a better writer than her husband. I tried to read the book he co wrote with author James Patterson 'The President is Missing" lasted 150 pgs, it was boring


----------



## john19485

I*'ve been so busy pushing my book, Where The Blacktop Ends, had a lot of people to come visit me all the time, I read copyrighed 1700-1900's they tend to suit me most , have a small collection, my friend Forest Gump died two years ago, miss him, a lot of my author friend have died now'
https://www.amazon.com/John-R.-Mizell/e/B00H9ZSWNQ?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000


----------



## WheatenLover

I read and enjoyed _Bye Bye Baby_ (Ace Atkins - A Spencer novel/Robert B Parker), _One Step Too Far_ (Lisa Gardner), _Deck the Halls_ (Donna Ball), _Pieces of Her_ (Karin Slaughter).

I also enjoyed this nonfiction book:  _Hype_: A Doctor's Guide to Medical Myths, Exaggerated Claims, and Bad Advice, and How to Tell What's Real and What's Not (Nina Shapiro, MD).


----------



## Lavinia

I'm currently reading about the Middle East and the Roman Empire....how different factions conquered the area...then in turn were conquered by new invaders. It seems that history just keeps going round in circles.
I prefer to read actual books, but I also read on a 'Kindle' because there are books available on the internet which I can't get in the shops.


----------



## officerripley

Recently finished _Anthem_ by Noah Hawley. Didn't like it as much as his _Before the Fall_ (which I absolutely loved) but still did like _Anthem_ quite a bit (4 out of 5). _Anthem_ is kind of hog wild but it's my kind of hog wild. A couple of quotes (among many) that I like from _Anthem_:

"…[F]eelings are not facts, and the desire to belong, to _be_ something, doesn’t make that dream come true."

"What is history if not a mass grave filled with the bodies of followers of Special Men? Maybe averageness and blandness is what we need right now. Anonymity. Follow the words, not the person."


----------



## Bellbird

I have just finished reading 'Green Dolphin' by Elizabeth Goudge.
A historical drama based on fact about 2 sisters from Guernsey, in the Channel Islands who find themselves in love with the same man, he joins the English navy and sets sail across the seas, and lands in New Zealand where he makes his life and one of the sisters finds herself joining him in the hope of making her life with him. 
What intrigued me to read it was I have their surnames in my ancestry, from Guernsey,  and some of them did make their home in New Zealand, what a discovery that would be if they were tied up with these young people.


----------



## Snow74

After my experience with cardiac arrest,I seemed to have lost my ability to concentrate…so I decided to go with Audible…I sit back and listen..it makes it easier than storing books or going to the library..right now I am venturing into The Akashic Records..


----------



## Pinky

I've read every book that Brit, Peter James wrote .. so, now I've ordered books by Canadian-Asian authors from the library.

Japanese-Cdn. Terry Watada and Grace Eiko Thomson
Vietnamese/Japanese-Cdn. Yasuko Thanh
Vietnamese-Cdn. Madeleine Thien
Chinese-Cdn. Ann Y.K. Choi, Jen Sook Fong Lee and Ann Hui


----------



## officerripley

Bellbird said:


> I have just finished reading 'Green Dolphin' by Elizabeth Goudge.
> A historical drama based on fact about 2 sisters from Guernsey, in the Channel Islands who find themselves in love with the same man, he joins the English navy and sets sail across the seas, and lands in New Zealand where he makes his life and one of the sisters finds herself joining him in the hope of making her life with him.
> What intrigued me to read it was I have their surnames in my ancestry, from Guernsey,  and some of them did make their home in New Zealand, what a discovery that would be if they were tied up with these young people.


I read and loved that book (along with a lot of her others) years ago! (I never saw the movie so don't know if it was as good.) I even wrote a fan letter to Ms. Goudge way back in the 70s I think and she wrote me the nicest letter back.


----------



## Bellbird

Yes, I contacted her some time ago telling her of my possible connection , she was tickled pink that I probably was related to them. I am going to check out other books that she has written.


----------



## mellowyellow

Love Liane Moriaty who wrote Big Little Lies, am currently reading everything she ever wrote.


----------



## Feelslikefar

'Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body' - Neil Shubin

Interesting look on how our bodies were shaped by years of evolution.
Guess there is a PBS special with the same name, will check it out.


----------



## Trila

Right now, I'm reading a book from a series called "The Destroyer".  Would you believe that I was a freshman in high school when I read the first one?!  I'm on book #131....and I still love this series!

They actually made a movie from the first book, staring Fred Ward.


----------



## Leann

My reading tastes are all over the board. On my Kindle right now I have several political/historical books, a few classics including The Brothers Karamazov (which I'm currently reading), about 6 or 8 dramas/mysteries, a few books about investing and 2 or 3 spiritual books. I read about 4 books per month.


----------



## Leann

Colleen said:


> No, I haven't read Scorpion's Tail. I'm not a big fan of Nora Kelly. I listened to Old Bones on Youtube and it didn't seem to keep my interest. I tried reading it first, but DNF it.
> 
> I honestly haven't been able to find anything that holds my interest. I've read different genre's (except romance) and have even tried reading science fiction, which is not something I enjoy. My husband and I love the movie The Martian by Andy Weir so when his book, Project Hail Mary was recommended, I got about half way through it and couldn't go any further.
> 
> I normally like mystery (not true crime or bloody, gory stories) stories and tried reading Elly Griffiths but lost interest in them. I found, years ago, a series that I just loved. It was the Hamish Macbeth series by M.C. Beaton. I have the whole series and I've re-read them several times. I also read the Patrick Taylor series about a couple country doctors in Ireland. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield was very good and so was The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, which took place during WWII. Currently, I'm re-reading The Cat Who....series by Lillian Jackson Braun.


Love MC Beaton. She was an excellent writer and has left a large library of her works for us to enjoy.


----------



## CinnamonSugar

Just finished “Dancing in a Distant Place” by Isla Dewar.  Kind of the Scottish equivalent of Britain’s “Miss Read” but a little more modern.  I enjoyed it.


----------



## officerripley

CinnamonSugar said:


> Just finished “Dancing in a Distant Place” by Isla Dewar.  Kind of the Scottish equivalent of Britain’s “Miss Read” but a little more modern.  I enjoyed it.


Thanks for posting this, Cinnamon; I loved the Miss Read books so much so will definitely check this out.


----------



## Snow74

I have stopped reading..instead,I get real comfy and listen to a good book…used to have a supper library and had to leave it all behind ,so now I purchase the Audio books..if I have to ever exit..easy to lug…


----------



## Chris P Bacon

*Barry Goldberg* is a favorite author of mine.
I use my Kindle for reading most often.


----------



## Sliverfox

Let the Drum Speak  by Linda Lay Shuler  was the  third book in  a series of  native American stories.

I thought it would have the  2 main characters  traveling on with their trading adventures.

It took a turn with the male  leaving  the  woman & child behind at a village while he  traveled & traded.

Although this is a fiction  novel it  is based on  history.

The vision that Antelope sees  does happen later when  the Spanish invade  the Indian territory.


----------



## moviequeen1

I've started reading a fascinating book'Where Are They Buried,How Did They Die' by Tod Benoit
He has complied a list of well known people,gives a short bio of the person and directions where you can visit their final resting places. He has sports figures,TV/movie actors/authors/music icons 
I'm enjoying it


----------



## helenbacque

I'm reading a Kathy Reich.  One in the Temperance Brennan (TV's _Bones) _series.  Kindle


----------



## Mizmo

just finished 'Find You First'  by Linwood Barclay


----------



## Pinky

I try to read authors of different ethnicities. Right now, I'm reading Asian authors.


----------



## JimBob1952

I read less and less fiction each year.  I'm currently reading Rationality by Stephen Pinker (a bit boring) and Dreams of El Dorado by H.W. Brands, which is a history of the American West.  It's well-written but it covers too much familiar ground.  I took a historical novel out of the library which is entitled The Travels of Jamie McPheeters, about a boy going West in 1849 with his ne'er do well father.  It looks pretty good, I'm looking forward to getting into it.


----------



## palides2021

Reading Tony Robbins' _Life Force_ which is about precision medicine and longevity. It just came out. There's a page in there where they showed how they grew an actual ear from cells. They are growing organs now. Fascinating.


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _The 9.9 Percent: The New Aristocracy That Is Entrenching Inequality and Warping Our Culture_ by Matthew Stewart; what a great book! Here's one of my favorite quotes (among many) from it:

"Real progress is not, for the most part, a story about what humans have done with their gadgets. It is mostly a story about what they have been able to do in collaboration with one another. The measure of progress is not to be found in the domination of human beings over nature but in the relations of human beings to other human beings. The beginning of all progress lies in the recognition of human equality, and its practical foundation is justice."


----------



## moviequeen1

helenbacque said:


> I'm reading a Kathy Reich.  One in the Temperance Brennan (TV's _Bones) _series.  Kindle


Hi Helen I've read almost all of her books,like the way she writes. The one I recently finished was 'A Conspiracy of Bones' terrific Sue


----------



## helenbacque

@moviequeen1,  I just finished "The Bone Code," a new one.  Technical stuff sort of over my head but good story line well written.  Touches on viruses and and the frailties of vaccines so don't go there if you're in Covid overload or susceptible to conspiracy theories.


----------



## Feelslikefar

Lately I've been reading several books dealing with Human Migration.
I have often wondered why people would leave a known place and strike out for the unknown.
Was it purely economics? Cultural pressure? Mix in a little 'what's on the other side of the hill?'

Our library has a lot of books on the subject, from early man to present day.

A list of a few that I've read that were very good at trying to explain the WHY.

_Atlas of a lost world: travels in ice age America_ - Craig Childs

_Sea People: the puzzle of Polynesia_ - Christina Thompson

_The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World_ - Lincoln Paine

_The Great Departure: Mass migration from Eastern Europe and the making of the free world_ - Tara Zahra

Dry at times, but I managed to get through them and picked up some gems of knowledge.
All I can ask for in a book.


----------



## Sliverfox

*Three Sisters  by Heather Morris*

This  a true story of  3 sisters who survive Auschwitz.
Live to make it to Israel.

If any have read ,The Tattooist of Auschwitz or Cilka's Journey,, you will enjoy this book.


----------



## Lavinia

officerripley said:


> Thanks for posting this, Cinnamon; I loved the Miss Read books so much so will definitely check this out.


I'm another lover of the Miss Read books....I think I have all of them.


----------



## Lavinia

Feelslikefar said:


> Lately I've been reading several books dealing with Human Migration.
> I have often wondered why people would leave a known place and strike out for the unknown.
> Was it purely economics? Cultural pressure? Mix in a little 'what's on the other side of the hill?'
> 
> Our library has a lot of books on the subject, from early man to present day.
> 
> A list of a few that I've read that were very good at trying to explain the WHY.
> 
> _Atlas of a lost world: travels in ice age America_ - Craig Childs
> 
> _Sea People: the puzzle of Polynesia_ - Christina Thompson
> 
> _The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World_ - Lincoln Paine
> 
> _The Great Departure: Mass migration from Eastern Europe and the making of the free world_ - Tara Zahra
> 
> Dry at times, but I managed to get through them and picked up some gems of knowledge.
> All I can ask for in a book.


I think it's just human curiosity that makes us want to see what is over that hill or at the other side of that ocean. I find it intriguing that there seems to be no record of Japanese and Chinese explorers.  The Vikings and the Phoenicians seem to have been the most curious.


----------



## Jackie23

Horses Don't Fly

In a firsthand account of the air war over France during World War I, American cowboy-turned-ace-pilot Frederick Libby describes his enlistment in Canada's Royal Flying Corps and his daring exploits in the air over enemy lines. Reprint. 

True Story.....Highly recommend


----------



## moviequeen1

helenbacque said:


> @moviequeen1,  I just finished "The Bone Code," a new one.  Technical stuff sort of over my head but good story line well written.  Touches on viruses and and the frailties of vaccines so don't go there if you're in Covid overload or susceptible to conspiracy theories.


Hi Helen thanks for this, I usually wait until the book comes out in paperback Sue aka MQ


----------



## Pepper

Feelslikefar said:


> Lately I've been reading several books dealing with Human Migration.
> I have often wondered why people would leave a known place and strike out for the unknown.
> *Was it purely economics? Cultural pressure? Mix in a little 'what's on the other side of the hill?'*


Wars, as in, "If you stay we're going to kill you!  Better not see you anywhere around here anymore!"


----------



## helenbacque

moviequeen1 said:


> Hi Helen thanks for this, I usually wait until the book comes out in paperback Sue aka MQ


Hey, Sue.  I wish I could still read 'real' books but arthritis makes even paperbacks hard to hold.  I read with a kindle downloading my books from the local library and am in a queue for her more recent one.  It's a long line so it'll be a while. 

  Happy reading!   "So many books, so little time."


----------



## Sliverfox

C*amino Winds by John Grisham*
A hurricane makes landfall on Camino Island.
After its  is over 3 friends find one of their friends dead*.*
At first it appears a large branch  hit him.

Looking  closer it appears he was murdered.
Lots of twist & turns  in this  novel keep you guessing.

Near the end  lots of  substance abuse & or shady  doings in nursing home  come to light*.
Does make you wonder  about how safe  / regulated  'care homes ' are.*


----------



## Snow74

I have gone the lazy route…I have Audible…I lean back and let someone read for me..right now I am into The Akashic Records..


----------



## Sliverfox

*Lost in Paris by Elizabeth Thompson*

Estranged mother & daughter are bought  back together to settle grandmother's estate.
They are surprised to learn after all these years that  there is an apartment in Paris that  the grandmother owned.


----------



## Pinky

Starting to read Graham Hurley's British detective stories. Book one, still developing main character.
Hope they are as enjoyable as the Peter James books.


----------



## officerripley

I'm reading _The Lonely Century: How to Restore Human Connection in a World That's Pulling Apart _by Noreena Hertz; it's pretty good so far but I'm wondering if it's going to finish up like all or most of these books: long on why this has happened but short on what to do about it. I've even noticed that the books, like this one, that specifically have "How" in the title even, never seem to really say how (or don't have a realistic solution); maybe because it can be such a hard thing to fix.


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I started yesterday is 'The Last Romantics' by Tara Conklin
Its about the Skinner family who live in fictious town of Bexley, CT. The 4 siblings, Caroline, Rene,Joe,Fiona,{narrator of book} the sudden death of their dad age 34,how they&their mother cope as they grow up and leave home. I'm enjoying it


----------



## Sliverfox

*Run Rose Run*   Dolly Parton & James Patterson team up to write a suspense mystery.

A young  girl  running  from an abusive  father.
She hopes to  get a few of  her songs  heard in Nashville.

I wasn't  disappointed in this  novel,, hope  others enjoy it as  much as I did.


----------



## Pinky

The Wife Upstairs - Rachel Hawkins .. different.
Before She Disappeared - Lisa Gardner .. yet to be read.
Quiet In Her Bones - Nalini Singh .. yet to be read.

The Punch - Noah Hawley .. about two grown brothers.
Before The Fall - Noah Hawley .. current read.

I don't like to disclose too much about the stories, as you can see.


----------



## officerripley

Pinky said:


> The Wife Upstairs - Rachel Hawkins .. different.
> Before She Disappeared - Lisa Gardner .. yet to be read.
> Quiet In Her Bones - Nalini Singh .. yet to be read.
> 
> The Punch - Noah Hawley .. about two grown brothers.
> Before The Fall - Noah Hawley .. current read.
> 
> I don't like to disclose too much about the stories, as you can see.


I hear they plan to make a movie of _Before the Fall_; the only info. I can find on it just says "in development." I wonder if Hawley will be the one writing the screenplay, he's done other screenplays.


----------



## Pepper

Just finished The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen.  Not one of her Rizzoli & Isles, but a mystery and romance with a ghost off the coast of Maine.


----------



## Pinky

officerripley said:


> I hear they plan to make a movie of _Before the Fall_; the only info. I can find on it just says "in development." I wonder if Hawley will be the one writing the screenplay, he's done other screenplays.


I've read that he's writing the screenplay for Before the Fall.


----------



## officerripley

Pinky said:


> I've read that he's writing the screenplay for Before the Fall.


Cool, can't wait for the movie, I sure liked the book.


----------



## Jackie23

In the middle of...

On All Fronts: The Education of a Journalist
by Clarissa Ward

....mildly interesting


----------



## officerripley

Currently reading _A Natural History of the Future: What the Laws of Biology Tell Us About the Destiny of the Human Species_ by Rob Dunn; I love this quote from it:

"When we try to control nature, we often come to imagine ourselves as outside nature. We speak of ourselves as if we were no longer animals, as if we were a species alone, disconnected from the rest of life, and subject to different rules. This a mistake. We are both part of and intimately dependent on nature. The law of dependence states that all species depend on other species. And we, as humans, are probably dependent on more species than any other species ever to exist. Meanwhile, just because we depend on other species does not mean nature depends on us. Long after we go extinct, the rules of life will continue. Indeed, the worst assaults we carry out on the world around us nonetheless favor some species. What is remarkable about the big story of life is the extent to which it is ultimately independent of us."


----------



## StarSong

@officerripley, I'm going to have to order this book from my library.  Sounds fascinating!


----------



## ronaldj

finished Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Mucker this morning now onto some Zane Grey.


----------



## officerripley

StarSong said:


> @officerripley, I'm going to have to order this book from my library.  Sounds fascinating!


Most of it is fascinating; there are some kinda dry parts: urbanization and parasite-spread statistics but overall I'm enjoying it.


----------



## ElCastor

SifuPhil said:


> It's always amazed me how THIS -
> 
> View attachment 50541
> 
> ... can be condensed down to THIS -
> 
> View attachment 50542
> 
> Of course, you lose certain things in the process ...


Thought provoking post. This may shock some, but I wonder what the purpose and the future of the library has become. A nearby town has set aside more than an acre for a new library, and construction looks about to begin, but I ask myself, who will read those endless shelves of books? I read every night, but I honestly can't remember when I read the last paper book. Perhaps we need state or national digital libraries, but that raises the question of how authors and publishers will be reimbursed. Complicated question, but we may as well accept that the world is changing, and get on with it.


----------



## MountainRa

Sometimes I have to change up the genre of book I’m reading. Sorta like how after you’ve eaten a lot of sweet stuff you have to eat a dill pickle. When that happens I usually look for science fiction or dystopian.

right now I’m reading The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird (2021). Another plague overtakes planet scenario but thought provoking in a different way. The emphasis is on societal changes and not technology.

  It is a page turner, little hard to keep characters straight, scary and distressing at times. Especially since we’re just coming out of a pandemic.


----------



## MountainRa

ElCastor said:


> Thought provoking post. This may shock some, but I wonder what the purpose and the future of the library has become. A nearby town has set aside more than an acre for a new library, and construction looks about to begin, but I ask myself, who will read those endless shelves of books? I read every night, but I honestly can't remember when I read the last paper book. Perhaps we need state or national digital libraries, but that raises the question of how authors and publishers will be reimbursed. Complicated question, but we may as well accept that the world is changing, and get on with it.


When libraries and paper books no longer exist I don’t want to be living on the planet Earth.


----------



## ElCastor

MountainRa said:


> When libraries and paper books no longer exist I don’t want to be living on the planet Earth.


Don't worry, you won't be. (-8


----------



## officerripley

ElCastor said:


> Thought provoking post. This may shock some, but I wonder what the purpose and the future of the library has become. A nearby town has set aside more than an acre for a new library, and construction looks about to begin, but I ask myself, who will read those endless shelves of books? I read every night, but I honestly can't remember when I read the last paper book. Perhaps we need state or national digital libraries, but that raises the question of how authors and publishers will be reimbursed. Complicated question, but we may as well accept that the world is changing, and get on with it.


I still read paper books, I'm reading one right now. I do have a kindle and also read books on it and my laptop but I still read (and love!) paper books. I also love walking around in the library and bookstores; I could browse there for hours.


----------



## officerripley

*(c) David Sipress*


----------



## IrisSenior

I will never give up my paper and hardcover books!
I will never give up my library!
I will always browse books in a bookstore and when there are church and yard sales; I will be there to see if there are any books.
I did use an e-reader when I worked but now it is gathering dust in the desk draw...oh, maybe I will try and sell it at a yard sale!


----------



## CinnamonSugar

Pinky said:


> Starting to read Graham Hurley's British detective stories. Book one, still developing main character.
> Hope they are as enjoyable as the Peter James books.


I will put those on my reading list, @Pinky!   Now, if our little poh-dunk library carries them…


----------



## CinnamonSugar

I just finished a very satisfying read, “The French Girl” by Lexie Elliott.   Part mystery, part psychological thriller (?). Kind of hard to pin down but a page-turner, none-the-less


----------



## Gary O'

Books! How do you read and what do you read?​
Been getting into this one


----------



## john19485

Just trying to finish up an audio file on my book, has been hard to do, I had a small peice of a bullet, that came in pass my helmet into my eye , they did not remove it because my other wounds were so bad at the time, in 1981 I had it removed but it had gone to the back of the eye, gave me glaucoma, five operation's later , I have trouble seeing close up, so its hard to write, cv19 just about killed book sells for some of us, because we could not do book signings, have not made up my mind to release the audio file of my book yet. Sorry if not on topic, just blowing off some steam.


----------



## helenbacque

Just began a re-read of Chesapeake by James A. Michener


----------



## StarSong

ElCastor said:


> Thought provoking post. This may shock some, but I wonder what the purpose and the future of the library has become. A nearby town has set aside more than an acre for a new library, and construction looks about to begin, but I ask myself, who will read those endless shelves of books? I read every night, but I honestly can't remember when I read the last paper book. Perhaps we need state or national digital libraries, but that raises the question of how authors and publishers will be reimbursed. Complicated question, but we may as well accept that the world is changing, and get on with it.


Library buildings have evolved into far more than book storehouses and lending machines.  Next time you're walking past a library, drop in and see what's going on in there.  Sounds like you'll be surprised.   

I enjoy both paper and ebooks, and am deeply grateful to live where there's a large, thriving public library system. 

Authors and publishers are well compensated for ebook checkouts. In fact, it's more costly to libraries to lend ebooks than physical books. The checkout lifespan of a physical book is limited only by its condition. Ebooks, which are licensed rather than purchased from publishers or clearing houses (e.g.,Amazon and Overdrive) and can be lent out only a specified number of times.


----------



## Sliverfox

*Fear No Evil* by James Patterson.
This is an Alex Cross  thriller.

Been awhile since I'd read one  Patterson's Alex Cross novels.
This one  is  full of action.


----------



## helenbacque

StarSong said:


> Library buildings have evolved into far more than book storehouses and lending machines.  Next time you're walking past a library, drop in and see what's going on in there.  Sounds like you'll be surprised.
> 
> I enjoy both paper and ebooks, and am deeply grateful to live where there's a large, thriving public library system.
> 
> Authors and publishers are well compensated for ebook checkouts. In fact, it's more costly to libraries to lend ebooks than physical books. The checkout lifespan of a physical book is limited only by its condition. Ebooks, which are licensed rather than purchased from publishers or clearing houses (e.g.,Amazon and Overdrive) and can be lent out only a specified number of times.


Which maybe explains why my library only acquires 1 or 2 copies of some new books which makes the wait list very long for popular authors.  I read with a Kindle and use Overdrive app.


----------



## Pinky

Our library branches are multi-functional .. used for ESL classes, meetings, study areas, computer use, rooms for pre-school story-time (pre-Covid). 

My latest reads are by author Lisa Gardner. I tend to read everything by one author, then move on to the next author .. and on, and on.


----------



## ElCastor

moviequeen1 said:


> I've been a life long book reader,as I mentioned in a previous post,keep track of the books I've read over the years.I have no desire to get a Kindle or Nook,prefer to have a paperback or hardcover in my hand.
> Keesha,I loved'The Secret Life of Bees' by Sue Monk Kidd,didn't like the movie version'08,book is better.
> I like to read memoirs,history,fiction.
> I just finished reading'The Underground Railroad' byColson Whitehead,fictional book of the runaway slaves in the South using the railroad to get a better life. The author won the Pulitzer Prize,couldn't put the book down. Another book I read a couple of weeks ago was Jodi Picoult's book'Small Things'.The story is about an African Amercian,nurse,Ruth who is charged with murdering an infant at a local hospital where she works.The boys parents are white supremacists,terrific  but a tad too long.
> I've read James Garner's memoir which was fascinating reading,my favorite sportscaster,Dick Enberg who died in Dec '17 wrote his memoir'OhMY"{his famous saying} wonderful book. Sue


Some advantages of a Kindle over paper ...
* Much lighter and easier to handle than a heavy hardback or a too easy to close paperback.
* The print can be any size and style you wish.
* The backlight is easily adjustable to whatever is most comfortable for your eyes.
* No need to use a reading lamp in bed -- one that might keep your significant other awake.
* No need to use a book mark, just close the cover and the page is saved -- even if it slips out of your hand.
* If you want to finish a chapter before sleep, the books tells you how long it will take.
* Books can be downloaded for free from a wide variety of sources, including libraries. No need to travel to pickup or return.


----------



## StarSong

Pinky said:


> Our library branches are multi-functional .. used for ESL classes, meetings, study areas, computer use, rooms for pre-school story-time (pre-Covid).


Public libraries offer an astonishing array of online and in-person educational and connection opportunities.  
https://lapl.org/whats-on/calendar


----------



## helenbacque

I once had a young man (who was marrying into my family) proudly proclaim that he had never checked out a book at the public library.  When his family wanted to read a book, they BOUGHT it.  That was years ago and he is still a p.....


----------



## AnnieA

Just started re-reading John le Carre's George Smiley series since we're back to Cold War posturing.


----------



## officerripley

I was in a bookclub with some of the wealthy members the same way. As one of them said to me once, "You checked our selection for this month out of the LIBRARY?! I didn't even know we had a library here! My goodness! Who runs it?"


----------



## Timewise 60+

I did limited readying most of my life until I started college.  My freshman year I had an American History professor, Dr. Snodgrass, who taught history using no texts.  100% lecture!  At the time, he was doing research on the American Civil War.  He spent several Summers in Washington D. C. researching history and/ the people who participated in the American Civil War.  Going to his class was like setting an hour and listening to the best storyteller I have ever heard.  Everyone in that class was 'spellbound' during his lectures.  It was impossible to take good notes, as you could not listen and write notes.  Recording his lectures was not allowed, but he told us that those who listened, would not forget.   I got an A in that class, and I still remember most of the detail of his stories about Generals and their transgressions both in battle and in the field.  And that was over 50 years ago!

Ever since that time, I have become an avid reader of history.  Primarily Civil War and World War II.   I will mention a few of my favorite books...

Newt Gingrich is one of my favorite writers of history.   His books,* Gettysburg and *_*Valley Forge*_ are two I enjoyed the most.

For WW II -
I have to mention _*Thunder Below *_by Admiral Eugene Fluckey is an exciting story based on the actual exploits of an American Submarine in the Pacific. 

_*Citizen Soldiers: The US Army From The Normandy Beaches To The Bulge To The Surrender Of Germany* _by Steven Ambrose

I have long believed that by looking back we can get a view of life that helps us go forward.


----------



## dobielvr

I still prefer paperbacks.  They're easier to manage in my hands while reading.
I'll either buy them, or hit the library for books.

In fact, I have one on hold that I'm waiting for from the library.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, my library is being remodeled right now...so the wait for this book is a little bit longer.
I had to use another library and so did everyone else!


----------



## officerripley

Recently finished _The Maid_ by Nita Prose (pretty good but not as good as I was expecting; oh well); _The Violence_ by Delilah Dawson (very good but boy, there are some violent parts); _Diablo Mesa_ by Preston & Child, very good; _Mercy Street_ by Jennifer Haigh, excellent!; and am now reading _The Lamplighters _by Emma Stonex.


----------



## JonSR77

800 Free eBooks for iPad, Kindle & Other Devices

https://www.openculture.com/free_ebooks​


----------



## JonSR77

for history buffs...


"Island at the Center of the World" - book by Russell Shorto

history of early NYC, Dutch NYC. In the 1970's, about 70,000 pages of documents were found in Albany, from early NYC. They were in a much older version of Dutch and weren't translated until about 15 years ago or so. And the researcher wrote this book about early NYC based on those documents.

Russel Shorto gives a lecture on Dutch-American relations and history at the Lewisboro Library, October 25th 2015.


----------



## Pepper

JonSR77 said:


> 800 Free eBooks for iPad, Kindle & Other Devices​​https://www.openculture.com/free_ebooks​


Thanks!  Been wanting to read Hesse' Siddhartha again on kindle, now I will.


----------



## Feelslikefar

Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself—While the Rest of Us Die.
By Garrett M. Graff.

An interesting summary of how our government made plans from the end of the second World War to present time.
He presents a timeline of former Presidents and how they thought and reacted during the nuclear build-up.

We came so close, so many times, to total destruction of our planet.
Many facts I knew while in the USAF and the many years I spent in the Strategic Air Command, but he ties it all together.
It hit me hard, now that I'm older, to see what could have happened.

"Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." - J. Robert Oppenheimer
(Quoting the Bhagavad-Gita after witnessing the first nuclear explosion.)


----------



## JonSR77

Feelslikefar said:


> Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself—While the Rest of Us Die.
> By Garrett M. Graff.
> 
> An interesting summary of how our government made plans from the end of the second World War to present time.
> He presents a timeline of former Presidents and how they thought and reacted during the nuclear build-up.
> 
> We came so close, so many times, to total destruction of our planet.
> Many facts I knew while in the USAF and the many years I spent in the Strategic Air Command, but he ties it all together.
> It hit me hard, now that I'm older, to see what could have happened.
> 
> "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." - J. Robert Oppenheimer
> (Quoting the Bhagavad-Gita after witnessing the first nuclear explosion.)



Oppenheimer quoted Krishna's phrase correctly, but the meaning is completely different. All it really means is that God is life and God is death also. And that life is short and we are not supposed to waste our time, but use our life to be good people. It is not related to world destruction at all. "Destroyer of worlds" is better translated as "destroyer of realms."  And by realms, meaning the vast long history of human beings who have died.  That "realm" is "endless," and death is the end of all people...so don't waste your time with limited things.

The two Hindu Yogis that I know of, who commented about nuclear war, directly said that God is infinitely powerful and no matter what the intentions of mankind, God will not allow the world to be destroyed. One student protested saying that all that has to happen is that one person, press one button. The Yogi answered..."you don't understand. God completely controls every single emotion and every single thought that people have. And if he chooses, he will simply not allow the person at that button, to even have the thought to push it, no matter what command some human in the military commands him to engage." (paraphrasing)...

My understanding is that this has already happened 2 or 3 times in history.  Once, during the Cuban Missile crisis, when a Soviet commander received a false command to launch.  And despite orders, refused to do so.  And again, I think in the 80s, when some high flying cranes (who fly OVER the Himalayas) triggered an alert.  And again, the Soviet officer, even though he was supposed to launch, refused to do so.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Saved_the_World#:~:text=The Man Who Saved the World is a 2013 feature,from leading to nuclear holocaust.

"On 26 September 1983, the computers in the Serpukhov-15 bunker outside Moscow, which housed the command centre of the Soviet early warning satellite system, twice reported that U.S. intercontinental ballistic missiles were heading toward the Soviet Union. Stanislav Petrov, who was duty officer that night, suspected that the system was malfunctioning and managed to convince his superiors of the same thing. He argued that if the U.S. was going to attack pre-emptively it would do so with more than just five missiles, and that it was best to wait for ground radar confirmation before launching a counter-attack."


----------



## Feelslikefar

I knew of some situations, that now are now declassified, where there were many times that we or 'they' could have
launched a First Strike.
The buildup of the arms race was something that most people knew nothing about during this period.

Why this book's timeline was such an eye opener for me.

I quoted Oppenheimer only to show that, as a part of a larger plan, you can sometimes have some personal misgivings.
It's a personal thing with me, something that I have to deal with.


----------



## JonSR77

Feelslikefar said:


> I knew of some situations, that now are now declassified, where there were many times that we or 'they' could have
> launched a First Strike.
> The buildup of the arms race was something that most people knew nothing about during this period.
> 
> Why this book's timeline was such an eye opener for me.
> 
> I quoted Oppenheimer only to show that, as a part of a larger plan, you can sometimes have some personal misgivings.
> It's a personal thing with me, something that I have to deal with.



My Dad and step-father both served in WWII. And I have a good friend who was a combat Marine in Vietnam.

Have enormous respect for the vet.

Thank you for your service.


----------



## SeniorBen

I'm also reading a book about WWII.

*Watching Darkness Fall: FDR, His Ambassadors, and the Rise of Adolf Hitler*
David McKean's Watching Darkness Fall recounts the rise of the Third Reich in Germany and the road to war from the perspective of four American diplomats in Europe who witnessed it firsthand: Joseph Kennedy, William Dodd, Breckinridge Long, and William Bullitt, who all served in key Western European capitals―London, Berlin, Rome, Paris, and Moscow―in the years prior to World War II. In many ways they were America’s first line of defense and they often communicated with the president directly, as Roosevelt's eyes and ears on the ground. Unfortunately, most of them underestimated the power and resolve of Adolf Hitler and Germany’s Third Reich.


----------



## Timewise 60+

SeniorBen said:


> I'm also reading a book about WWII.
> 
> *Watching Darkness Fall: FDR, His Ambassadors, and the Rise of Adolf Hitler*
> David McKean's Watching Darkness Fall recounts the rise of the Third Reich in Germany and the road to war from the perspective of four American diplomats in Europe who witnessed it firsthand: Joseph Kennedy, William Dodd, Breckinridge Long, and William Bullitt, who all served in key Western European capitals―London, Berlin, Rome, Paris, and Moscow―in the years prior to World War II. In many ways they were America’s first line of defense and they often communicated with the president directly, as Roosevelt's eyes and ears on the ground. Unfortunately, most of them underestimated the power and resolve of Adolf Hitler and Germany’s Third Reich.


SeniorBen...sounds like a good read.  I will check it out, thanks for sharing!


----------



## Remy

@Feelslikefar I'm going to pass on that one, but I believe the title of that book.


----------



## Silent Rose

I enjoy reading and if a title of a book catches my eye, I will immediately go to the back cover and read the synopsis of the book. If that catches my attention I will give it a shot no matter what genre the book is. I have read anything from the classics, to romance, to horror. 

I do like to either have the book on a tablet or the actual book. No books being read to me because that would do me no go as I am deaf.


----------



## JonSR77

Silent Rose said:


> I enjoy reading and if a title of a book catches my eye, I will immediately go to the back cover and read the synopsis of the book. If that catches my attention I will give it a shot no matter what genre the book is. I have read anything from the classics, to romance, to horror.
> 
> I do like to either have the book on a tablet or the actual book. No books being read to me because that would do me no go as I am deaf.


I have not had much contact with the hearing impaired community, but I had been a radio reader for the blind.  There was a radio station around here for the blind.  And we used to read the daily newspapers and weekly magazines over the air.  This was before the internet.


----------



## JonSR77

David McCullough - "The Wright Brothers"

Excellent book. I actually did it as an audio book, with David McCullough as the actual reader.

Had no real idea of who the Wright Brothers were. Absolutely fascinating people, fascinating family.

There is a You Tube video of David McCullough and Ken Burns discussing the Wright Brothers..






wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wright_Brothers_(book)


----------



## Silent Rose

JonSR77 said:


> I have not had much contact with the hearing impaired community, but I had been a radio reader for the blind.  There was a radio station around here for the blind.  And we used to read the daily newspapers and weekly magazines over the air.  This was before the internet.


That is such a wonderful thing to provide for others.


----------



## JonSR77

Silent Rose said:


> That is such a wonderful thing to provide for others.


thank you.


----------



## Silent Rose

JonSR77 said:


> thank you.  I enjoyed doing it.  We had a history teacher in high school, Mrs. Deusinger.  She was about 163 years old.  She was involved with the visually impaired community.  She would give her students extra credit if we did some reading for the blind.  Almost all of us did it.  She was a wonderful teacher and a wonderful person.  Sure, I guess we wanted the extra credit, but I think most of us would have done it anyway.
> 
> So, I liked it so much, that after high school, I started reading with E.I.E.S. of NJ. I enjoyed it very much. Also, a couple of people on the staff were just very very very funny. That has no connection to the work, but that certainly made the experience even more enjoyable.


Having a teacher that inspires students is so important. They are the ones that we never forget. I went to a school for the deaf and then Gallaudet University which is primarily a university for deaf students. I had so many influences in my schooling because outside of school I didn't associate much with others especially before I started attending Gallaudet.


----------



## JonSR77

Silent Rose said:


> Having a teacher that inspires students is so important.


I have heard of Gallaudet.  Highly regarded.


----------



## Silent Rose

JonSR77 said:


> I have heard of Gallaudet.  Highly regarded.  I have also heard of a theater company of hearing impaired performers.  I forget if that was associated with that university.


At least on the east coast Gallaudet is the premiere university for the deaf and hearing impaired. The theater arts program at Gallaudet is a very strong and popular program as is the dance company.


----------



## JonSR77

I have some profound problems with my ears.


----------



## Silent Rose

Tinnitus unfortunately there really is not a cure for that. There are several reasons one could have Tinnitus from something as simple as a blockage from ear wax to repeat exposure to extreme loud noise. There are also treatments that say can cure it that are very costly and the bottom line cure for it is not covered by insurance so the cost is out of pocket, but it does not work. Like I said there is no cure for it.

As for Vertigo, it sounds like you might need Epley Maneuver performed on you by a Certified Physical Therapist or Doctor to rid of what is like tiny crystal like pieces that loosen in your ear canal and start to float around. This can start what is called paroxysmal positional vertigo which is what is the spinning feeling you get. If this is not treated it can just keep happening over and over again. The treatment is pretty simple as it is a positional body flip that the therapist/doctor does with you that rids the canal of these crystal like pieces. This is what it sounds like you may have. Now I am definitely not a Doctor so don't take this as a given.


----------



## JonSR77

Silent Rose said:


> Tinnitus unfortunately there really is not a cure for that.


thanks for the info


----------



## Timewise 60+

You guys seem to have stolen this book thread...
You have an important topic, perhaps you could start a thread about Hearing Problem....

Now back to the Books....


----------



## dobielvr

Well, I actually enjoyed their written conversation...and learned a couple of things!

Now, about the book.
I picked up a book I had put on hold, yesterday.  It's called "Stranger In A Lifeboat"..by Mitch Albom.

There are these people that end up in  a lifeboat on the ocean.  And, they're all praying and asking for God's assistance.
So, this guy shows up floating in the ocean...responding to their pleas for help from God.  They bring him on board....


----------



## StarSong

JonSR77 said:


> I have some profound problems with my ears.  I have tinnitus.  But that has gotten better over the years. * But I still have profound vertigo.  It is not intermittent spells of vertigo.  It is constant.*
> 
> Very disconcerting. And limits what I can do.


That must be terrible.  I'm so sorry you're dealing with this.


----------



## JonSR77

Timewise 60+ said:


> You guys seem to have stolen this book thread...
> You have an important topic, perhaps you could start a thread about Hearing Problem....
> 
> Now back to the Books....


sorry, no problem


----------



## JonSR77

5 Must-Read Books with Deaf Characters...

https://literarytreats.com/2017/06/24/5-books-with-deaf-characters-or-about-deaf-history/


----------



## Della

JonSR77 said:


> David McCullough - "The Wright Brothers"


I loved that book so much.  Aside from their world changing invention, they were such wonderful people.  I loved the part where one of the men who lived around Kitty Hawk said they were the hardest working boys he'd ever seen -- and they were!  They would work for months on a new attempted aircraft, launch it, watch it fail, and immediately start talking about what went wrong, how to fix it and start the next one.

When the  pandemic lock down started and someone I knew was worried about his son's education, I told him about the year Wilbur spent, out of high school due to being bashed in the mouth with a hockey stick, just sitting with his sick mother, reading and studying about flight.  If he hadn't had that much uninterrupted time to think we might all still be grounded.

[My favorite book about the hearing impaired is, "In This sign" by Joanne Greenberg.]


----------



## Autumn72

Hayley Mills
Thought it was a dvd.


----------



## Autumn72

Funny Gary


----------



## Marie5656

*I always read paper/hard bound books. Never got into reading on Kindle. I have a book shelf filled with books, and many more in my closet.
I like suspense, mostly. Jonathan Kellerman is a favorite...his core character is Alex Delaware, a retired child psychologist who works missing kid cases with the PD. Good books.  *


----------



## Sliverfox

*Nothing to Lose* by J. A. Jance

Been  some time since I've read   a novel featuring J.P. Beaumont as the main   detective.
He is hired to find a missing person, whose last known address was in Alaska.

He gets involved with more than just a missing person in  his search.

This mystery has  bits of humor  while keeping the reader  guessing.


----------



## SeniorBen

How Civil Wars Start, by Barbara Walter

She warns that the U.S. is on the verge of civil war.


----------



## moviequeen1

JonSR77 said:


> David McCullough - "The Wright Brothers"
> 
> Excellent book. I actually did it as an audio book, with David McCullough as the actual reader.
> 
> Had no real idea of who the Wright Brothers were. Absolutely fascinating people, fascinating family.
> 
> There is a You Tube video of David McCullough and Ken Burns discussing the Wright Brothers..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> wikipedia:
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wright_Brothers_(book)


Hi, I also enjoyed this book,found it fascinating. I'm a McCullough fan,he's one of my favorite historians. I've read all of his books, he has such a great voice, he could read the telephone book and make it sound interesting LOL! Sue


----------



## officerripley

SeniorBen said:


> How Civil Wars Start, by Barbara Walter
> 
> She warns that the U.S. is on the verge of civil war.


I'll have to check that one out; there's another on the same subject that I also want to read: _The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future_ by Stephen Marche.


----------



## SeniorBen

officerripley said:


> I'll have to check that one out; there's another on the same subject that I also want to read: _The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future_ by Stephen Marche.


I've only just gotten into it. So far, it's good... well written and researched. She was on the PBS NewsHour last week and that's how I found out about her and her book. I'll have to check out Stephen Marche's book.


----------



## Timewise 60+

SeniorBen said:


> How Civil Wars Start, by Barbara Walter
> 
> She warns that the U.S. is on the verge of civil war.


 And pray tell me what qualifies her to tell us about Civil Wars?  Did she study them while in jail?


----------



## Pepper

Timewise 60+ said:


> And pray tell me what qualifies her to tell us about Civil Wars?  Did she study them while in jail?


"Barbara F. Walter is an American political scientist. She is known for her work on bargaining theory and political violence, especially the outbreak and resolution of civil war, and the logic of terrorist violence. Since 2012, she has been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations."  
Wikipedia

What the heck are you talking about Timewise?  When was she in jail?


----------



## SeniorBen

Pepper said:


> "Barbara F. Walter is an American political scientist. She is known for her work on bargaining theory and political violence, especially the outbreak and resolution of civil war, and the logic of terrorist violence. Since 2012, she has been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations."
> Wikipedia
> 
> What the heck are you talking about Timewise?  When was she in jail?


----------



## officerripley

Pepper said:


> "Barbara F. Walter is an American political scientist. She is known for her work on bargaining theory and political violence, especially the outbreak and resolution of civil war, and the logic of terrorist violence. Since 2012, she has been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations."
> Wikipedia
> 
> What the heck are you talking about Timewise?  When was she in jail?


I'm wondering too. Maybe Timewise meant Barbara Walter*S* the journalist? But even so, to my knowledge, Walter*S* was never in jail, just interviewed some people in jail. So:


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I started yesterday is 'These Precious Days Essays' by one of my favorite authors, Ann Patchett .I've read most of her books,the last one was 'The Dutch House' which was terrific
In this book,she writes on all sorts of personal thoughts on family, friendships,writing.
One thing I did know about her, she is co -owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville,Tenn


----------



## Timewise 60+

Ok, ok, sorry!  I am not a troll, only an old guy who had a 'brain fart'!  Hope none of you ever get to this point.  The person I was remembering was Martha Stewart who did serve time in prison.   Sorry for the error, I will do research next time...


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _The Diamond Eye_ by Kate Quinn; excellent!


----------



## moviequeen1

Yesterday, finished reading Ann Patchett's new book 'These Precious Days' essays on life, friendship,family.Another terrific book
In one chapter, she details how she got to know Tom Hank's assistant ,Sooki the unexpected but beautiful friendship that evolved between them
 I highly recommend this book Sue


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _One Two Three_ by Laurie Frankel; what a great book! Here's my favorite quote from it:

"It is not enough to be loved by your mother. It is a good start, and you wouldn't want to do without, and it helps, but it is not enough. You need also the love of your community, the love of friends and admirers, the love of strangers who don't know you but still wish you well, the love that comes from passion and from commitment and from someone who will never, never betray you and not just because they're related to you. You need more love. We all need more love."
~~from _One Two Three_ by Laurie Frankel


----------



## Sliverfox

*The Horsewoman  by James Patterson* *and Mike Lupica*


Mother and daughter  prepare  for the Olympics.
Its a  good read if you like horses.
For some one not knowledgeable  about horses,,this book should have  had horse  terms  explained.

Heads up for fans of James Patterson,,he will have about about himself ,, coming out in June of this year.


----------



## Sliverfox

*sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris. *

Time frame is the 1930s, depression era.
A reporter traveling about sees  a sign made out of an  old board. ' 2 children for sale'
He takes a picture of  it..
By mistake  that photo is damaged & he has to stage the picture with 2 different children.
That photo ends up in the newspaper , that he works for.

Donations  flow in for the children.
He delivers them at night hoping  he isn't seen.

One trip reviles that the family no longer lives there.

His life & his  friend's lives get tangled with trying find  out what happened to the children.


----------



## officerripley

SeniorBen said:


> How Civil Wars Start, by Barbara Walter
> 
> She warns that the U.S. is on the verge of civil war.


Just finished this; very good. Next I plan to read _The Next Civil War: Dispatches From the American Future_ by Stephen Marche; I hear it's also good.


----------



## SeniorBen

I'm currently reading (via audiobook)

A History of the Human Brain: From the Sea Sponge to CRISPR, How Our Brain Evolved, by Bret Stetka

Fascinating!


----------



## Timewise 60+

I love World War II history.  I am reading a book now that chronical details about what life was like on the first month of that war in the United States... The book is titled "December 1941" written by Craig Shirley.  It is fascinating, my parents were 14.   

My father had been held back one year in grade school and he turned 18 on January 3, 1945.   He was in battle in Europe within 90 days.


----------



## Sliverfox

*The Pioneers *by David McCullough

Once I got into  reading about  Ohio's history,, enjoyed this book.
Makes me want to travel to Marietta, Ohio  to   see the  rivers & historical buildings.

*Is there anyone from Marietta , Ohio , on Senior Forums?*


----------



## Pepper

I am reading a "surprisingly" great novel by Jake Tapper titled The Hellfire Club.  It is set in Washington D.C. during the Joseph McCarthy reign of terror.

I shouldn't be surprised.  I really like Jake as a journalist & interviewer.  It really is a fun read.

eta
surprisingly very good, though not in the category of great.


----------



## SeniorBen

Wildland: The Making of America's Fury, by Evan Osnos 

It's interesting but at the same time, extremely depressing. We're living in some dark times.


----------



## jerry old

love western where the principels are very, very peculiar people-hard to find


----------



## moviequeen1

Sliverfox said:


> *The Pioneers *by David McCullough
> 
> Once I got into  reading about  Ohio's history,, enjoyed this book.
> Makes me want to travel to Marietta, Ohio  to   see the  rivers & historical buildings.
> 
> *Is there anyone from Marietta , Ohio , on Senior Forums?*


Hi Silverfox, I enjoyed this book,David McCullough is one of my favorite historians,read most of hs books.he could read telephone book&make it sound interesting,great voice LOL! Sue


----------



## officerripley

Recently finished _The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap_ by Stephanie Coontz; the book's about 20 years old but still excellent.


----------



## WheatenLover

I will bring us down to earth. I'm reading James Patterson's latest book ... something about a Black Widow.  (I always thought a black widow was a wife who killed a succession of husbands, but I guess not ... just a succession of men will do). Next I intend to read his 22nd installment of The Women's Murder Club series. I have a few books that feature vigilantes as the protagonist, and I hope they are good. It's easier to find books about vigilantes hunted by law enforcement.

I will get back to weighty nonfiction soon, though. I have a several books about the Great Depression in the US, Japanese internment, the Alexander Technique for handling back pain and balance (probably among other things), and many books about the human brain.

I'm going to have to go back to my former ways of reading at least one nonfiction book a week. Lately I've been reading mostly thrillers, and I need to bring balance back into my life ... like throw in some hobbies and learning about subject areas that interest me.

When I die, what I will miss most, besides people, animals, and nature, will be books.


----------



## officerripley

A wonderful book tuned in to things going on currently: _Take My Hand_ by Dolen Perkins-Valdez; excellent!


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I'm about to start is"Becoming Dr Seuss:Theodor Geisel&The Making of an American Imagination by Brian Jay Jones
I know who Geisel was but I'm always interested how  he became famous
The last book I read by Jones was  terrific  on Jim Henson which I found fascinating


----------



## Liberty

Love Mysteries.  Recently got a mailer with a free read of 2 chapters of a wonderful mystery series about a librarian that takes a job at a marvelous mansion near "lighthouse point".  She lives in a cottage in the garden. 

 Its like this company is going back to the old days - I'm sending back the card that says I'll accept this book (for introductory price of $1.99 (S & H)  and get 4 others in this series over the next few months.  Love it.


----------



## SeniorBen

I just started How Language Began by Daniel Everett.


----------



## moviequeen1

I finished the book about Dr Seuss, I posted on Mon it was okay but too long at 430 pgs


----------



## Leann

I like historical fiction and mysteries. I have a Kindle because it is easier to tote around, especially when I travel, and I have it loaded with many books. I'm not a big fan of audiobooks. It all depends on the narrator/reader.


----------



## Feelslikefar

"Crisis in the Red Zone: The Story of the Deadliest Ebola Outbreak in History, and of the Outbreaks to Come" - Richard Preston

Was suggested to me by a friend who was with me on a deployment to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo ) in 1988.
We were discussing the Ebola outbreaks in 1976 and how we were fearful that might happen again while we were there.

This book was an eye opener about this level 4 virus.


----------



## SeniorBen

Leann said:


> I like historical fiction and mysteries. I have a Kindle because it is easier to tote around, especially when I travel, and I have it loaded with many books. I'm not a big fan of audiobooks. It all depends on the narrator/reader.


It's true what you said about audiobook readers. The book I'm listening to right now about language is read by a guy with kind of a whiney voice, which is taking all the enjoyment out of it. Steven King narrated some of his audiobooks and it just doesn't work (for me). There are a few other writers whose writing I love but can't stand to listen to them read their writings.


----------



## Liberty

SeniorBen said:


> It's true what you said about audiobook readers. The book I'm listening to right now about language is read by a guy with kind of a whiney voice, which is taking all the enjoyment out of it. Steven King narrated some of his audiobooks and it just doesn't work (for me). There are a few other writers whose writing I love but can't stand to listen to them read their writings.


My mother was legally blind and received audio books from the Lighthouse/State.  It was incredible the difference between these books and the ones you buy...her books were so superior in quality and the narration made such a difference in listening.


----------



## officerripley

_Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas_ by Jennifer Raff; very good.


----------



## helenbacque

Just finished "The Four Winds" by Kristen Hannah and starting "White Oleander" by Janet Fitch


----------



## Pinky

Having gone though a series of books by Lisa Gardner, I am now going through books by Lisa Unger. They are murder mysteries.

I just started "My Sister The Serial Killer" by Oyinkan Braithwaite.


----------



## Sliverfox

*Out of the Rain  *by V.C.Andrews, Whhen I picked this book up, didn't realize it  was the  follow up book to* The Umbrella Lady.*

Thirteen year old is  determined to reunite with her father*.*
He wants her to lie to his new  wife & their daughter*,, *that he is her uncle.


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _The Ursulina_ by Brian Freeman, wow so good! I'd never read anything by him before but will definitely read more by him.


----------



## JonSR77

Sliverfox said:


> *The Pioneers *by David McCullough
> 
> Once I got into  reading about  Ohio's history,, enjoyed this book.
> Makes me want to travel to Marietta, Ohio  to   see the  rivers & historical buildings.
> 
> *Is there anyone from Marietta , Ohio , on Senior Forums?*


I love David McCullough.  Read his books on The Wright Brothers and President Truman.

I am not from Marietta, OH, but I went to college with a man who was.  Good baseball player!


----------



## JonSR77

1,000 Free Audio Books: Download Great Books for Free

https://www.openculture.com/freeaudiobooks​


----------



## JonSR77

Bartleby - Large Collection of Free Books Online...

https://www.bartleby.com/authors/


----------



## JonSR77

20 Free Online Libraries...

https://www.epubor.com/20-best-free-online-libraries.html


----------



## CinnamonSugar

Just finished “Members Only” by Sameer Pandya.   Fiction but very thought-provoking.  I would love to discuss this book with others who’ve read it.  Anyone?


----------



## JonSR77

CinnamonSugar said:


> Just finished “Members Only” by Sameer Pandya.   Fiction but very thought-provoking.  I would love to discuss this book with others who’ve read it.  Anyone?



off topic re books, by re your name "Cinnamon Sugar," I just found an early American recipe that calls for cinnamon sugar. I posted it over in the Recipes thread...


Early American Cooking - Sand Tarts
·
What comes to mind when you hear ‘sand tarts?’ I bet it’s not a cookie. Sand tarts were delectable treats back in the 1800s. They were regularly made by Rebecca Sampey at Mount Washington Tavern near Fort Necessity, (one of the busiest stops along the National Pike,) and right here at Albert Gallatin’s home, Friendship Hill. They resembled a sugar cookie and were sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Easy to make, fun to bake, and even more fun to eat, sand tarts are still made today. With variations such as a walnut on top or ground up and added in the dough, sand tarts can be a classic hit with a modern twist for any gathering – though they are still perfect as is! The recipe is as follows:


Ingredients - ½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 ¾ sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
Directions - 1.) Preheat oven to 350°.
2.) Mix butter and sugar till fluffy.
3.) Add remaining ingredients. Mix well.
4.) Refrigerate overnight.
5.) Roll out on a floured surface and cut with a round cookie cutter.
6.) Sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
7.) Bake on greased cookie sheets at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Carei, Joe, and Ben Moyer. “Sand Tarts.” Grub to Gourmet, Uniontown, PA, National Road Heritage Corridor, 2018, pp. 77 – 78.


----------



## Feelslikefar

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams - Stephen King

A collection of short stories I finally got around to reading 
( listening to it really, on eaudiobook from my library ).

Typical King stories, fast paced, some with a twist you don't see coming.

Worth a read/listen if you are a King fan.


----------



## David777

Currently am reading(half way through, The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology by Ray Kurzweil a 2005 best seller about AI.  A couple months ago read his 2012 How to Create Mind.  Some amazing advances in neuroscience.


----------



## Pepper

I didn't like my selections from my local library, so I perused my own bookshelf.  My father saved most of my books from college because he was proud of me--blush.  I found Hermann Hesse Beneath the Wheel, with Hesse probing one of his favorite subjects:  Youth and how to be educated despite the fact we live in a conformist, bourgeois society.  Still true.  Anyway, the fantastic find is that this printing for the book was 1969 AND it cost me a whopping $1.95!


----------



## Sliverfox

*One  Step Too Far  *by Lisa Gardner*.*
A young man goes missing in the wilds of Wyoming.
Still missing after 5 years his father gathers together  his son's friends . pair if skilled woodmen  to find his  remains.

Odd things happen as they get closer to where they think he might have been*.*

I couldn't stop reading it  after I got  to the middle of  this novel.


----------



## Lavinia

WheatenLover said:


> I will bring us down to earth. I'm reading James Patterson's latest book ... something about a Black Widow.  (I always thought a black widow was a wife who killed a succession of husbands, but I guess not ... just a succession of men will do). Next I intend to read his 22nd installment of The Women's Murder Club series. I have a few books that feature vigilantes as the protagonist, and I hope they are good. It's easier to find books about vigilantes hunted by law enforcement.
> 
> I will get back to weighty nonfiction soon, though. I have a several books about the Great Depression in the US, Japanese internment, the Alexander Technique for handling back pain and balance (probably among other things), and many books about the human brain.
> 
> I'm going to have to go back to my former ways of reading at least one nonfiction book a week. Lately I've been reading mostly thrillers, and I need to bring balance back into my life ... like throw in some hobbies and learning about subject areas that interest me.
> 
> When I die, what I will miss most, besides people, animals, and nature, will be books.


I'm also enjoying James Patterson. I first came across one of his stories on the google free samples, and then bought the book. Someone in this town is also a fan of his, as I have been able to buy a whole pile of his books in one of the charity shops.


----------



## Pinky

Sliverfox said:


> *One  Step Too Far  *by Lisa Gardner*.*
> A young man goes missing in the wilds of Wyoming.
> Still missing after 5 years his father gathers together  his son's friends . pair if skilled woodmen  to find his  remains.
> 
> Odd things happen as they get closer to where they think he might have been*.*
> 
> I couldn't stop reading it  after I got  to the middle of  this novel.


@Sliverfox  .. I love the Tessa Leoni series by Lisa Gardner. She's one author whose books I can't put down once I start reading.


----------



## Sliverfox

@Pinky,, I'll have check the library for more of her books.


----------



## Pinky

Sliverfox said:


> @Pinky,, I'll have check the library for more of her books.


If you really get into the Lisa Gardner series, read them in chronological order @Sliverfox


----------



## Pepper

My bargain book bonanza, Beneath the Wheel, came apart while I was reading it.  Most pages are no longer attached to the spine.  I got into it though, so I'm reading it anyway.  Not in the wind.


----------



## dobielvr

Sliverfox said:


> *One  Step Too Far  *by Lisa Gardner*.*
> A young man goes missing in the wilds of Wyoming.
> Still missing after 5 years his father gathers together  his son's friends . pair if skilled woodmen  to find his  remains.
> 
> Odd things happen as they get closer to where they think he might have been*.*
> 
> I couldn't stop reading it  after I got  to the middle of  this novel.


Sounds good!


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _Red Clocks_ by Leni Zumas; excellent! (Hope it's not prophetic.  )


----------



## moviequeen1

I started this book this afternoon, can't put it down:
'My Girls,a Lifetime with Carrie and Debbie" memoir by Todd Fisher,son of actress Debbie Reynolds, actor Eddie Fisher, really interesting It doesn't seem possible they have been gone 6 yrs, died a day apart from each other I knew Debbie's 3rd husband, Harry Karl was a jerk he nearly put  her into bankruptcy


----------



## moviequeen1

Yesterday,I finished Todd Fisher's memoir'My Girls' about growing up with nis mother, Debbie Reynold, sister, Carrie Fisher. It was good in the beginning, after awhile it became boring. It was ok but too long


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I'm reading is' Women In White Coats' by Olivia Campbell 
Its the story of 3 Victorian women, Elizabeth Blackwell,Garrett Anderson, Sophia Jex-Blake who  became 1st women doctors, changed how women receive health care
 I'm always fascinated reading these type of books,people I've never heard of before Sue


----------



## Pepper

Started reading Hermann Hesse's _Gertrude.  _It also cost me $1.95 in 1969 or '70.  It is also falling apart.  Still breathing in _Beneath the Wheel.  _Odd getting caught up in this world after so many years.


----------



## Pinky

Now reading Lisa Unger .. just as good as Lisa Gardner - can't put the book down.


----------



## JonSR77

Etgar Keret - Short Stories from Israeli writer...

This is from a short movie based on one of his stories:


What about me? by Etgar Keret & Shira Geffen






You Tube has a bunch of clips of him reading in English. He does have a reasonably strong accent, but maybe folks can understand his English?

I know he's published a number of books of his short stories (in English)


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _The Cartographers_ by Peng Shepherd; really wanted to like this book since I love maps but I was kind of disappointed, it was just okay IMO.


----------



## JonSR77

Books by Michael Connelly...

The author of the "Bosch" books and "The Lincoln Lawyer"

Wiki:

*"Michael Joseph Connelly* (born July 21, 1956) is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. Connelly is the bestselling author of 31 novels and one work of non-fiction, with over 74 million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into 40 languages. His first novel, _The Black Echo_, won the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly's 1997 novel, _Blood Work_. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of Connelly's novel _The Lincoln Lawyer_ starred Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. Connelly was the President of the Mystery Writers of America from 2003 to 2004."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Connelly


Laurie's mom has read the Bosch books.  We haven't, but we have liked the TV show adaptation of Bosch and the movie and TV adaptation of "The Lincoln Lawyer."


----------



## WheatenLover

I am nearly finished with _Jackpot: How the Super-Rich Really Live - and How Their Wealth Harms Us All_, by Michael Mechanic.

I think it is a really good, informative, and well-written book. It has held my interest, and I learned some things I didn't know. I managed not to seethe at the information I didn't like, which is good for my stress level.


----------



## WheatenLover

On the fiction side, I recently finished the following books, which I wholeheartedly recommend:

_Aunt Dimity and the Enchanted Cottage_ (Nancy Atherton, cozy)
_The Key to Murder _(Lynn Bohart; Old Maids of Mercer Island cozy)
_Robert B. Parker's Revenge Tour _(Mike Lupica)
_Trapped in Christmas River_ (Meg Muldoon; cozy)
_The Book Share_ (Phaedra Patrick, fiction - love this author!)
_22 Seconds_ (James Patterson)

I also read: 

_Meet Marvin: Technically Not a Killer_, by Jason Marshall. Kind of a weird book. Good old Marvin is a vigilante.

_Something Missing_, by Matthew Dicks. Another kind of weird book, this one about a burglar with an interesting twist.

By "kind of weird", I mean not my usual fare, which is mystery/thrillers. I don't even know if I recommend them. Will I read subsequent books that carry on the stories? Probably, but not all the way through if I don't like them. This time I read the entire books because I wanted to see where the story went.


----------



## Wontactmyage

I currently  am also reading
 Problems of Conduct by Durant Drake. It was written in 1914. 
Part 1 evolution of morality. 
Part 2 the theory of morality. 
Part 3 personal morality. 
Part 4 public morality
With sub chapters in each section. 
So far could have been written in todays time.


----------



## officerripley

_The Prospect_ by Kevin Brennan; excellent, I want a well-made movie of this and I want it now!


----------



## Wontactmyage

officerripley said:


> _The Prospect_ by Kevin Brennan; excellent, I want a well-made movie of this and I want it now!


I’ll look into it.


----------



## moviequeen1

In my previous post mentioned I was reading 'Women In White Coats' by Olivia Campbell
The book is about 3 Victorian Age women who through perservance became  women doctors  The ladies are:
Elizabeth Blackwell- 1st U.S. woman to receive her medical degree
Elizabeth' Lizzie' Garrett,Sophia Jex Black They all created their own medical schools for women
I enjoyed it in the beginning but  halfway through it became boring, too much info,book was too long at 309 pgs


----------



## CinnamonSugar

I’d definitely need extra pages


----------



## feywon

i have an issue with the wording of this meme, because i do think that there is a difference between true 'collectors' of books, whose mindset probably isn't that different from other collectors in viewing them as monetary investments and people like me who have built varied home libraries over course of our lives. We actually have read the books, at least to get specific facts from some others for enjoyment, and to stimulate thought.  But its not that far off.  Tho my books fairly organized and i can usually find what i want when i want to cite a passage in a discussion or just refresh my memory, this is a possibility


----------



## moviequeen1

feywon said:


> i have an issue with the wording of this meme, because i do think that there is a difference between true 'collectors' of books, whose mindset probably isn't that different from other collectors in viewing them as monetary investments and people like me who have built varied home libraries over course of our lives. We actually have read the books, at least to get specific facts from some others for enjoyment, and to stimulate thought.  But its not that far off.  Tho my books fairly organized and i can usually find what i want when i want to cite a passage in a discussion or just refresh my memory, this is a possibility
> 
> View attachment 224400


In my bookcase, all the books I've kept are in alphabetical order by author.If I have  more than 1 book by any author/the 1st book they ever wrote it goes in front  Sue


----------



## moviequeen1

An author I've liked for yrs is Tami Hoag her books are crime thrillers, well written
 The book I'm reading now is'Dark Horse' ,story is set in Palm Beach,Fla 'horse community', main character is ex narcotic cop, Elena  Estes who has been hired by 12 yr old girl, Molly to find her missing 18 yr old sister,Erin I started this Tues evening, its long 557 pgs,can't put it down, I'm halfway through it
In the author's notes, I didn't know she has been a competitive equestrian since '99, has blended her two loves in this book Sue


----------



## Colleen

I'm not a Stephen King fan, but I've had 11/22/63 sitting on the shelf for a long time and recently picked it up when nothing seemed to hold my interest for very long. Ever feel that way??

I love time-travel books but haven't found very many that seem plausible and then they get boring and I lose interest and put it down and never finish it. Not 11/22/63! I was a senior in high school when JFK was assassinated and it affected me a great deal. I still cry when I watch anything on it.

Anyway...I'm hooked...for now...on 11/22/63 and I'll see if Mr. King can hold my interest all the way through this tome of a book.


----------



## Sliverfox

Ask Again, Yes, by Mary Beth Keane.

What happens behind the closed  doors of two  police men.
Young  love ,parental  discord,  a shooting ,  keeps you  interested in this novel.


----------



## WheatenLover

Hayley Camille has written a series of 20 short stories/novellas, called _Avon Callling!_ or _Lady Vigilante_ series. It is about a 1940s housewife and Avon saleslady during WW2, who by night is often a vigilante. She has special attributes (not magical) that allow her to be a successful vigilante.

This crime series is very interesting ... it has won awards, and I got hooked on it. The books are available for free on Kindle Unlimited. If you get them there, you should borrow the two box sets (series 1-10) and series (11-20)... just in case you get hooked, too.

From the author's website ( https://www.hayleycamille.com/podcast/ ):

"1943, at the height of WW2.

A lone vigilante is on a revenge mission to take down the New York City mob. I’m talking blood, guts, bullets and gritty crime. Dark alleys and heroin addicts, extortion and murder. Violence. Prostitutes. Gangsters. _Nasty stuff. _

*Someone needs to clean up the streets. *

The big boss of organized crime has a new hobby – stealing military cargo off Uncle Sam. A series of heists have been going down, hitting transport trucks bound for the shipping dock, carrying weapons and wake-up pills for the boys on the front. There’s a trail of dead soldiers and missing cargo. The cops don’t know who is behind it. But they’re trying. 

Only one person knows what’s really going on. Our vigilante, of course.

*Trained assassin. Secret identity. Killer moves. But our vigilante anti-hero is everything you don’t expect."*

The podcast link has a podcast of book one.


----------



## Em in Ohio

A Dog's Purpose by Bruce Cameron - a paperback read while sitting on the toilet lid, accompanying my crated dog during her post-spay restrictions.  It helped me remain calm and loving during her 24 hour non-stop crying.


----------



## moviequeen1

Em in Ohio said:


> A Dog's Purpose by Bruce Cameron - a paperback read while sitting on the toilet lid, accompanying my crated dog during her post-spay restrictions.  It helped me remain calm and loving during her 24 hour non-stop crying.


I'm a life long dog lover, read this book&saw the movie shed many tears Sue


----------



## moviequeen1

In my previous post,mentioned I was reading Tami Hoag's book' Dark Horse' finished it last night,terrifc with twists&turns.It was a quick read for me 3 days  though it was 557pgs long
My close friend,Marcia suggested the book I'm about to read "Quite a Year For the Plums' by Bailey White I've never heard of the author.She read me a paragraph from the book,sounded like a combination of what Fannie Flagg&Garrsion Keillor would write. I like 'quirky' funny characters Sue


----------



## StarSong

I'm halfway through "The Ministry for the Future".  Not an easy read, but an important one.  It's on the highly recommended book lists of Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Ezra Klein and others whose intelligence and intellectual curiosity I admire.         

_*"The Ministry for the Future*_* is a masterpiece of the imagination, using fictional eyewitness accounts to tell the story of how climate change will affect us all. Its setting is not a desolate, postapocalyptic world, but a future that is almost upon us. Chosen by Barack Obama as one of his favorite books of the year, this extraordinary novel from visionary science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson will change the way you think about the climate crisis.

   "One hopes that this book is read widely—that Robinson’s audience, already large, grows by an order of magnitude. Because the point of his books is to fire the imagination."―New York Review of Books
*


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _The Change_ by Kirsten Miller; IDK, it wasn't as good as I was hoping it'd be, for one thing, I figured out whodunnit on Page 186, oh, well, on to the next book.


----------



## SeniorBen

Currently reading *The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh* by Candace Fleming. It's pretty interesting. I just passed the point where Lindbergh flew to Paris (1927), became a millionaire, and got married (1929). Next, I guess, will be the kidnapping of his child. And then his support of the Nazis. Plus, he had a secret family in Europe. So much for his wholesome image!


----------



## Della

I just finished "All He Ever Wanted," by Anita Shreve, for the second time.  I like all her books but that one is my favorite.

Now I'm reading, "The Music of Bees," The three main characters, grieving widow, homeless socially awkward 24 year old young man, and paraplegic  19 year-old boy, are all damaged but work together with the bees and make new lives for themselves. I'm loving it.


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _Sleepwalk _by Dan Chaon, very good, 4 out of 5 stars; and_ American Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears_ by Farah Stockman, excellent, 5 out of 5!


----------



## Wontactmyage

officerripley said:


> _ American Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears_ by Farah Stockman, excellent, 5 out of 5!


Just downloaded this from my library.


----------



## Pepper

Recently finished Hermann Hesse 'Gertrude.'  He writes so lyrically.  It's not his plots that get me, sometimes that's pretty transparent, but his language is filled with color, light and is downright ethereal.  Find him soothing to the soul, like a meditation.


----------



## moviequeen1

I n my previous post I mentioned I was starting to read book'Quite a year of PLums' by Bailey Light
A disappointment, I didn't find it funny put it down a couple times went back to it, I gave up after 100pgs. I put in downstairs in our community library


----------



## Colleen

I didn't read The Martian, but it's one of our favorite movies, starring Matt Damon, so I decided to read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, who wrote The Martian.

I got hooked at the beginning but by the time I was 2/3 of the way through, I couldn't finish. It became ridiculous and so "technical" that I lost interest. It's been raved about but I just couldn't waste any more time on it. Ever feel that way about a book?? I wonder what I'm missing..hmmmmmm   .


----------



## WheatenLover

Colleen said:


> I didn't read The Martian, but it's one of our favorite movies, starring Matt Damon, so I decided to read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, who wrote The Martian.
> 
> I got hooked at the beginning but by the time I was 2/3 of the way through, I couldn't finish. It became ridiculous and so "technical" that I lost interest. It's been raved about but I just couldn't waste any more time on it. Ever feel that way about a book?? I wonder what I'm missing..hmmmmmm   .


_The Martian_ is my favorite book of all time, and it's one I only read after being harassed by 4 people in my family for years.

I started _Project Hail Mary_, but put it down after a couple of chapters. I thought maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it. I'll try it again someday.


----------



## moviequeen1

WheatenLover said:


> _The Martian_ is my favorite book of all time, and it's one I only read after being harassed by 4 people in my family for years.
> 
> I started _Project Hail Mary_, but put it down after a couple of chapters. I thought maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it. I'll try it again someday.


Did you know Andy Weir wrote the screenplay for 'The Martian', loved his book& the movie Sue


----------



## Pinky

Have been going through mysteries by Lisa Unger and Lisa Gardner .. both equally good in their genres. Now, moving on to Lisa Jackson.

Odd how they are all named Lisa


----------



## Right Now

I try to read books only at night in bed before going to sleep.  I used to read many more books than I do now, but chastised myself for sitting for hours in the afternoon reading, not moving about.  I just finished "The Last Thing He Told Me" by Laura Dave.  It was a good read, characters real and evolving, some mystery, some love, family relationships, all leaving me hooked until the very end.
Well worth the read.

I am more a fiction reader.  Often, the new nonfictions leave me bored halfway through.  The authors tend to say seven different ways the same event....  I also won't spend more time on any book if it hasn't hooked me a quarter of the way through.  There are so many others to try.


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I'm reading now The Boys of Winter' by Wayne Coffey,the story about the U.S. men's hockey team how they were picked by their coach,Herb Brooks.They pulled off the biggest upset in Olympic  history  at the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake PLacid,NY defeating Russians ,then winning gold medal against Finland. The author interviewed all the players, coaches etc. He wrote in 2005
Its fascinating reading what the country was going thru at the time e.g Iran hostage crisis, the Cold War
I found the book in our community library which is in the basement in our building Sue


----------



## Right Now

Pinky said:


> Have been going through mysteries by Lisa Unger and Lisa Gardner .. both equally good in their genres. Now, moving on to Lisa Jackson.
> 
> Odd how they are all named Lisa


Pinky, the above authors are good at their craft.  
I am an avid follower of Mary Kay Andrews and her books.  They are wonderful light books to enjoy, and give me a chuckle at her deliverance of life's daily missteps!


----------



## WheatenLover

moviequeen1 said:


> Did you know Andy Weir wrote the screenplay for 'The Martian', loved his book& the movie Sue


No, I'm pretty sure I didn't know that.


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _Decimate _by Christopher Rice; hoo boy, didn't care for it at all, what a mish-mash.


----------



## Wontactmyage

With so much talk about God and religion I thought the books of CS Lewis would be of interest. CS Lewis was an atheist for most of his life. At late in his life he had a conversion. As a child I was read _*“The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe”. *I still read it today and many more of his books._


----------



## john19485

Party is over


----------



## moviequeen1

I finished reading' The Boys of Winter by Wayne Coffey about the 1980 men's hockey team
 The author gave bios of each player,described how coach, Herb Brooks picked each player. A detailed summary of the semi final game against the Russians,the gold medal game against Finland
13 out of the 20 players went on to play in the NHL,all retired now. Sadly Brooks died in 2003,2 players, Bob Suter died in 2014 of heart attack, Mark Pavelich died last yr
I really enjoyed the book Sue


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened_ by Bill McKibben; very good.


----------



## Patricia

For a long time, I mostly read at the bookstore where I took my dad. He spent a lot of time at the bookstore. I read online too.


----------



## J-Kat

Colleen said:


> I'm not a Stephen King fan, but I've had 11/22/63 sitting on the shelf for a long time and recently picked it up when nothing seemed to hold my interest for very long. Ever feel that way??
> 
> I love time-travel books but haven't found very many that seem plausible and then they get boring and I lose interest and put it down and never finish it. Not 11/22/63! I was a senior in high school when JFK was assassinated and it affected me a great deal. I still cry when I watch anything on it.
> 
> Anyway...I'm hooked...for now...on 11/22/63 and I'll see if Mr. King can hold my interest all the way through this tome of a book.


Re Stephen King, 11/22/63 is one of my favorite SK books.  Perhaps because there is more emotion than fear in the story.  I also really enjoyed reading Mr. Mercedes (3 in the series) and most recently Billy Summers for much the same reason.  The Outsider is another SK book that features time travel you might like.


----------



## Pinky

Just finished one of the Lisa Miscione books I ordered from the library .. only to find that she is Lisa Unger, whom I've been reading lately


----------



## Wontactmyage

Just finished _Sleepwalk _by Dan Chaon, very good, 4 out of 5 stars; and_ American Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears_ by Farah Stockman, excellent, 5 out of 5!
Just finished American Made. Still digesting it. I liked three fourths of the book. The ending not so sure about.


----------



## Sliverfox

*The River at Night *by Erica Ferencik

Picked this up at a yard sale & could  hardly put it  down.

Four women, who take trips together plan on a rafting excursion in Maine.
Their group is one of the first to  try out this  river.
The guide is young ,, thinks he  has all the skills needed to guide them  down  the river.

What happens  to the    women will  keep you  wondering ,,'what next ?'


----------



## dseag2

I typically read on a bench by the lake, but it has been too hot.  I now go to Starbucks.  For the first year of retirement, I was reading self-improvement books.  These days, I like completely escapist entertainment because the real-world news is so negative, so I am reading a salacious Jennifer Hilliard thriller.  Nothing deep.


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _Hide _by Kiersten White; it was excellent!


----------



## WheatenLover

I just read Barbara Ross's latest Maine Clambake book, _Muddled Through_. It is a cozy mystery, and IMO, the best she has ever written. It was published today.

I got the book free from Netgalley. https://www.netgalley.com/

I signed up for free as a reviewer. It is legit. The publishers have to approve you to read one of their books. I download books to my Kindle Fire, using its email address. Books that have been archived are not available. I searched by publisher to find books I wanted to read. Not every publisher ... the ones I recognized as publishing books I've read. 

You can also read the books online, or have it sent to your computer and read it on there.

In exchange for the free book(s), you have to write reviews of the books you request (and receive). Not all requests are approved. Naturally, given my book hog nature, I now have about 20 books to read and review. Most are from favorite authors of mine. A few, I got interested in and requested. 

The publisher's look at the reviews you post, allegedly, to determine whether they want you to review their books. Nonetheless, I got a lot of free books when I had no reviews. I've written one review, on _Muddled Through_, and it upped my game. Instead of keeping it short and sweet (this was a great book, 5 stars), I actually thought about what I was going to say, and read some top reviewers book reviews on Amazon. The first draft, let's just say it was on it's way to becoming a book, too. I pared it down, of course. My discussion of the plot was otherwise going to end up being an outline of the book. 

Surprising to me, I actually enjoyed writing the review. I was so glad to read the book before it was published, and grateful for the opportunity, that I wanted to do a good job.


----------



## StarSong

While waiting for my book club books to arrive at my local library, I read _Apples Never Fall _by Liane Moriarty and quite liked it. She's one of my favorite authors.


----------



## Jackie23

Disloyal: A Memoir....Michael Cohen


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _We Had a Little Real Estate Problem: The Unheralded Story of Native Americans & Comedy_ by Kliph Nesteroff; very good.


----------



## Pepper

Looks fascinating @officerripley!


----------



## Liberty

Love a good mystery.  Reading "Lies I Tell"...this is the just out second book from the writer of "The Last Flight" which was a fantastic mystery...her name is Julie Clark for anyone that might be interested. 

Don't you just love it when you discover a "new" writer???


----------



## john19485

Liberty said:


> Love a good mystery.  Reading "Lies I Tell"...this is the just out second book from the writer of "The Last Flight" which was a fantastic mystery...her name is Julie Clark for anyone that might be interested.
> 
> Don't you just love it when you discover a "new" writer???


There are several of us that are writers, on this forum, we need everyone's support.


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I finished yesterday is' The Lost Jewels' by Kirsty Manning
Its historical fiction about the Cheapside Hoard of 1912 famous cache of jewels where they were found in London
 The main character,Kate Kirby is a jewelry historian  goes to London to search family lore how they got some of the jewels. Its told in flashback with Kate's great- grandmother Esther' Essie' Murphy her life living there
I really enjoyed the book, never heard of Cheapside Hoard jewels


----------



## Della

WheatenLover said:


> I signed up for free as a reviewer. It is legit.


That's fascinating seeing how you did it and that you enjoyed it.  I've written over a hundred reviews for Amazon books but they're just short and sweet -- a way for me to keep track of what writers I like and the ones I don't.  I find I'm most eloquent when I either love or hate it, the 3 star reviews are as meh as the books.

One thing I love having Amazon for is when I'm about 30 pages into a book and wondering whether to give it up or not.  If it gets good reviews and people say something like "It starts slow but then really takes off,"  I'll keep going.

Right now I've started reading, "Snow Falling on Cedars."  The writing and the descriptions of the little fishing village and the falling snow  is just beautiful, so beautiful it's been putting me right to sleep.


----------



## Pinky

Della said:


> That's fascinating seeing how you did it and that you enjoyed it.  I've written over a hundred reviews for Amazon books but they're just short and sweet -- a way for me to keep track of what writers I like and the ones I don't.  I find I'm most eloquent when I either love or hate it, the 3 star reviews are as meh as the books.
> 
> One thing I love having Amazon for is when I'm about 30 pages into a book and wondering whether to give it up or not.  If it gets good reviews and people say something like "It starts slow but then really takes off,"  I'll keep going.
> 
> Right now I've started reading, "Snow Falling on Cedars."  The writing and the descriptions of the little fishing village and the falling snow  is just beautiful, so beautiful it's been putting me right to sleep.


My brother worked on the film "Snow Falling on Cedars" .. I wouldn't recommend you watch it, if the book is putting you to sleep


----------



## WheatenLover

Della said:


> Right now I've started reading, "Snow Falling on Cedars."  The writing and the descriptions of the little fishing village and the falling snow  is just beautiful, so beautiful it's been putting me right to sleep.


I love that book!


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I'm about to read  is 'You Don't Own Me: The Life&Times of Lesley Gore' by Trevor Tolliver
I loved her music back in the 60's hit singles ,Judy's Turn To Cry, Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows, 'You Don't Own Me' As I grew older, my music preferences changed
I did find out years later she was gay, but nothing else about her life,how she started Sue


----------



## Liberty

This book is wonderful!



https://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Water-...ocphy=1026847&hvtargid=pla-994972496578&psc=1


----------



## StarSong

Liberty said:


> This book is wonderful!
> 
> View attachment 227645
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Water-Flowers-Valérie-Perrin/dp/1609456769/ref=asc_df_1609456769/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=475857388704&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15804437139315696618&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1026847&hvtargid=pla-994972496578&psc=1


Oooh!  Good to know.  I'll add it to my (long) list.


----------



## helenbacque

"Ladyparts:  A Memoir" by Deborah Copaken

Owner's manual for women plus struggle by a single, older woman for justice, recognition and equality in today's America.  Author of "Shutterbabe" as well as the inspiration for TV series "Emily in Paris"


----------



## officerripley

Just finished David Sedaris' _Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls_; it was published 9 years ago, don't know how I missed it, very good.


----------



## Pinky

Just finished a book my brother sent me, by Dean Goodine, titled "They Don't Pay Me To Say No".
It is about his decades of experience working in the movie business as a Property Master. 

Dean is a Canadian, who started out in the business, in Alberta. He now lives and works in B.C.
My brother, also a props man. He worked with Dean most recently on "See" (Apple), starring Jason Momoa.
His name (Max) is mentioned in the chapter on "See". 

These guys work tirelessly behind the scenes. They deserve awards, but are rarely acknowledged.


----------



## WheatenLover

I just finished _Long Way Home_, by Lynn Austin. It is a Christian historical novel. I'm not a Christian, but that has never stopped me from reading a good book. The story is set in WW2 and its aftermath. It is told from the point of view of two teen girls, one  American in New York state, and one Jewish in Berlin. The story is riveting, and the girls become women over time (of course). 

The book is beautifully written, as I find all of the many Lynn Austin books I've read to be. 

I don't want to give away the plot by saying more. 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59448271-long-way-home


----------



## Patricia

john19485 said:


> There are several of us that are writers, on this forum, we need everyone's support.


For whatever reason, what I read must be true, or purportedly true.


----------



## Della

WheatenLover said:


> The book is beautifully written, as I find all of the many Lynn Austin books I've read to be.


I read "Wonderland Creek" years ago and was so charmed by her funny protagonist. I'll have to look out for,  "Long Way Home!"


----------



## helenbacque

"The Salt Path" by Raynor Winn.  True story of a middle-age couple, broke and homeless , who backpacked along the southwestern coast of England.


----------



## john19485

Patricia said:


> For whatever reason, what I read must be true, or purportedly true.


I do not understand ,what you are implying.


----------



## Patricia

john19485 said:


> I do not understand ,what you are implying.


I'm not implying anything. Once I told my mother I could only read what is true, or supposedly true, and she said my dad was the same. I don't know why.


----------



## Patricia

john19485 said:


> I do not understand ,what you are implying.


John, maybe I'm not good at using my imagination in that respect.


----------



## SeniorBen

Currently reading *Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America*, by Kurt Andersen.


----------



## Wontactmyage

SeniorBen said:


> Currently reading *Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America*, by Kurt Andersen.


Put this one on my check list at the library.


----------



## Sliverfox

Blindsighted  by Karin Slaughter   A good mystery / who done it.


----------



## Pinky

Patricia said:


> For whatever reason, what I read must be true, or purportedly true.


I used to be the same, and only read non-fiction for many years.


----------



## Nosy Bee-54

Just finished _Chasing History by Carl Bernstein_. Now reading_ Just As I Am by Cicely Tyson_. Books of contrast especially due to skin color. I'm only four chapters in but the latter can be depressing at times. Never felt that way about the former because society put no roadblocks in his path to success or even basic everyday living. Both accomplished individuals but the latter had substantial hardships simply due to society's bigotry and racism.


----------



## officerripley

SeniorBen said:


> Currently reading *Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America*, by Kurt Andersen.


I read that, really good.


----------



## officerripley

Read _The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future_ by Stephen Marche; excellent! My favorite, among many, quote from it:

"Americans worship ancestors whose lives were spent overthrowing ancestor worship; they pointlessly adhere to a tradition whose achievement was the overthrow of pointless traditions. Jefferson himself believed it was the 'solemn opportunity' of every generation to update the constitution 'every nineteen or twenty years.' …There is no way to govern rationally when your foundational document is effectively dead and you worship it anyway. The United States, if it is to survive, requires a new Constitutional Convention."


----------



## CinnamonSugar

Very much enjoyed these two books recently …



the first a time travel book with a twist and the second a well-written story with engaging characters and a realistic medical situation (nothing gory)

this one…

Was ok… the book equivalent of a Hallmark romance movie


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _The Fervor_ by Alma Katsu; very good.


----------



## SeniorBen

officerripley said:


> Read _The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future_ by Stephen Marche; excellent! My favorite, among many, quote from it:
> 
> "Americans worship ancestors whose lives were spent overthrowing ancestor worship; they pointlessly adhere to a tradition whose achievement was the overthrow of pointless traditions. Jefferson himself believed it was the 'solemn opportunity' of every generation to update the constitution 'every nineteen or twenty years.' …There is no way to govern rationally when your foundational document is effectively dead and you worship it anyway. The United States, if it is to survive, requires a new Constitutional Convention."


I don't agree that the Constitution is dead. It's just that too many people have lost all respect for our Constitution and it seems that there are no consequences for violating it. There doesn't seem to be any punishment for violating the rules laid out by our Founding Fathers. A former leader commenting after violating multiple provisions asked, "What are they gonna do?", like a Mafia Don. And that says it all right there.


----------



## Pepper

SeniorBen said:


> A former leader commenting after violating multiple provisions asked, "What are they gonna do?", like a Mafia Don. And that says it all right there.


It's from that old NYC motto:  So Sue Me.


----------



## officerripley

Any readers here of the Mrs. 'harris books? They're coming out with a movie of _Mrs. 'arris Goes to Paris_. I've never read any of the books and our library doesn't have a copy. The Kindle version is $8+ and Amazon wants about $200 for a paperback ! I might be able to find it cheaper on eBay but wonder if the book is that good?


----------



## Remy

officerripley said:


> Any readers here of the Mrs. 'harris books? They're coming out with a movie of _Mrs. 'arris Goes to Paris_. I've never read any of the books and our library doesn't have a copy. The Kindle version is $8+ and Amazon wants about $200 for a paperback ! I might be able to find it cheaper on eBay but wonder if the book is that good?


Have never heard of this series. Looks like a book is just republished on Amazon $16.20.
Amazon.com: Mrs Harris Goes to Paris & Mrs Harris Goes to New York: 9781639730834: Gallico, Paul: Books

Don't get me started on the resellers. Yes, I get they have a right to buy and sell. But I'm seeing them everywhere. They also buy books to sell online. I see them checking their phones. I think they want to know if the book is out of print and something people can't get new. Last time I was at PAWS a guy had a bunch of books. 

I'm wondering if all the Tony Hillerman books will come back into print with Dark Winds on AMC?


----------



## Pink Biz




----------



## Remy

Sliverfox said:


> Blindsighted  by Karin Slaughter   A good mystery / who done it.


Are these gory?

I'm a bit hooked on some of those cozy mysteries. No gore.


----------



## CinnamonSugar

I


officerripley said:


> Any readers here of the Mrs. 'harris books? They're coming out with a movie of _Mrs. 'arris Goes to Paris_. I've never read any of the books and our library doesn't have a copy. The Kindle version is $8+ and Amazon wants about $200 for a paperback ! I might be able to find it cheaper on eBay but wonder if the book is that good?


 read the book on which the up-coming movie is based many years ago.. it was a cute story but certainly not worth the $$ they are asking for for a used book!


----------



## officerripley

Remy said:


> I'm wondering if all the Tony Hillerman books will come back into print with Dark Winds on AMC?


I bet they will.


----------



## DebraMae

Remy said:


> Have never heard of this series. Looks like a book is just republished on Amazon $16.20.
> Amazon.com: Mrs Harris Goes to Paris & Mrs Harris Goes to New York: 9781639730834: Gallico, Paul: Books
> 
> Don't get me started on the resellers. Yes, I get they have a right to buy and sell. But I'm seeing them everywhere. They also buy books to sell online. I see them checking their phones. I think they want to know if the book is out of print and something people can't get new. Last time I was at PAWS a guy had a bunch of books.
> 
> I'm wondering if all the Tony Hillerman books will come back into print with Dark Winds on AMC?


I am reading the Anne Hillerman books in order and about to start Stargazer.  I am enjoying her books.  Leaphorn and Chee are still around an Manuelito has become the prominent character.  I am enjoying Dark Winds too!


----------



## Della

Pink Biz said:


> View attachment 229389


I check yes to everything but the tattoo, reading at the stoplight, and highlighting passages.  I haven't messaged a writer, but I have handwritten letters to authors (and got handwritten letters back!) 

 I would add "cut classes in college to read." I remember reading "Boys and Girls Together" while I should have been in class.


----------



## helenbacque

Points in post 882:  I've done all but two - no tattoos and never called in sick to read.

Anyone who has lived around waterways would add 'waited for the bridge to close' and 'waited for the ferry.'


----------



## Sliverfox

Daddy's Gone A Hunting by Mary Higgins Clark

An early morning  explosion , fire  destroy the family furniture factory
For unknown reason's  the owner's  daughter & one of  the employees are  injured in the explosion.

Guess I should shop yard sales  for   mystery novels.


----------



## Sliverfox

Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza
Murder likes to put  his  victims in icy water.


----------



## CinnamonSugar

this was such a gentle, sweet (but not saccharine) story!  Cat lovers will especially enjoy


----------



## Wontactmyage

SeniorBen said:


> Currently reading *Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America*, by Kurt Andersen.


Oh my dear lord!! I decided to get this in an audio book and WOW! I’m still listening and I think I will go back and get the book to re-read as it is so interesting. So sad to know most of this happened during my lifetime.


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I finished yesterday was "Still Waters' by Tami Hoag
Its set in Still Creek, Minnesota local businessman is murdered Sheriff Dane Jantzen tries to figure out who did it. A new resident in town, Elizabeth Stuart divorced mother with teenage son, some of the residents think she had something to do with the murder
This was good, I've read a couple of her other books,like the way she writes Sue


----------



## Nosy Bee-54

officerripley said:


> Just finished _The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened_ by Bill McKibben; very good.


I learned a lot from this memoir so thanks for the suggestion. Finished it two days ago. A very good read. 

Just started _Empire of Pain_ by Patrick Radden Keefe about the Sackler dynasty built on Valium and OxyContin.


----------



## SeniorBen

Currently reading... The Saboteur: The Aristocrat Who Became France's Most Daring Anti-Nazi Commando

The story of Robert de La Rochefoucauld


----------



## Wontactmyage

SeniorBen said:


> Currently reading *Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America*, by Kurt Andersen.


Ok I’ve finished this book. Uummm… “we will own nothing and we will be happy… ???


----------



## Tish

Revenge -  Tom Bower
Brilliant read, as usual, his investigative skills are remarkable.


----------



## SeniorBen

Wontactmyage said:


> Ok I’ve finished this book. Uummm… “we will own nothing and we will be happy… ???


I didn't make it to the end. Is that what he said?


----------



## Wontactmyage

SeniorBen said:


> I didn't make it to the end. Is that what he said?


Yes and no but after a few innuendos about AI, no jobs, automation and the a few rich will own everything and our poor government being yanked around by their … needs to step up and tax the Richie riches so all the millionaires will pay everyone a flat pay check via the government. So… yes that’s basically what he said.
I was so interested in the beginning because he was going through our generation and the changes that happened. Sad the way he ended it.


----------



## Myquest55

I am currently 2/3rds through a great book my sister recommended for us seniors:  *The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83-1/4 Years Old. *  There are no chapters, it is written as a daily diary by an man living in Assisted Living in The Netherlands.  It is funny, poignant, and he tells it like he sees it but is valiantly trying to stay positive!  Some of his descriptions are hilarious and he tells a good story.  He and 5 friends start a new club - The  "Old But Not Dead Club" to get them out of the house and enjoy themselves.  He is a wonderful role model!  There are two more books in the series - him at 85 yrs old and again at 90 yrs, plus an outlier, short novel, Two Men and a Baby.

Has anyone else read these?


----------



## officerripley

Finished _Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris_ and _Mrs. Harris Goes to New York_ by Paul Gallico (thanks again, You-Know-Who!), nice, cozy, feel-good reads.


----------



## SeniorBen

Wontactmyage said:


> Yes and no but after a few innuendos about AI, no jobs, automation and the a few rich will own everything and our poor government being yanked around by their … needs to step up and tax the Richie riches so all the millionaires will pay everyone a flat pay check via the government. So… yes that’s basically what he said.
> I was so interested in the beginning because he was going through our generation and the changes that happened. Sad the way he ended it.


Yeah, it's easy to describe the problem, which is what the first 3/4 of the book consisted of. But then he tried to forecast how the economy will change and what the world will look like in 20 or 30 years... I think that's what he was doing. I've since read another book so my memory is a bit hazy on what _Evil Geniuses_ predicted. Oh, I think it was that robots will take all the jobs and people won't have to work, so they can just sit around and write novels and think up great inventions.

I lost interest when the author started fantasizing about the utopian society to be. I'm a realist. That might be how things are going to be in 100 years, but it won't be any time in the near future. I think things are going to get much worse before they get better.


----------



## Gaer

"_Unfit for Command_" by John O'Neill and Jerome Corsi


----------



## officerripley

I finished _The Library at the Edge of the World_ by Felicity Hayes-McCoy; pretty good.


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I'm reading is 'The Last Mona Lisa' by Jonathan Santlofer historical fiction based on a true story
In 1911,a museum worker,Vincent Peruggia steals the Mona Lisa from the Louvre for 2yrs
 The main character in the book, Luke Perrione,is great grandson of Vincent,an artist/ art history prof. He goes to Italy to do research/ find  Vincent's journal


----------



## Colleen

The Oceanography of the Moon by Glendy Vanderah was a free Amazon July book so I downloaded it to my Kindle. I didn't start reading until a couple nights ago and I can't put it down. Excellent!


----------



## moviequeen1

In my previous post I mentioned the book I was reading' The Last Mona Lisa' I finished it last night.
A historic fiction book based on true story. It was really good, fast paced


----------



## Sliverfox

The Shop on Royal Street  by Karen White.

Young  woman sets about trying to restore a  rundown house in New Orleans.
She feels it is haunted as strange things  happen.

A  good light mystery for Summer reading.


----------



## officerripley

_The Signal Moon_ by Kate Quinn; pretty good, fast read, a novella.


----------



## StarSong

moviequeen1 said:


> In my previous post I mentioned the book I was reading' The Last Mona Lisa' I finished it last night.
> A historic fiction book based on true story. It was really good, fast paced


I'm slogging through Natalie Jenner's _Bloomsbury Girls_ because it's on my book club list (I'm new to this club). After a time it became obvious that this is largely a sequel to _The Jane Austin Society_. If I'd realized that earlier I'd have read that one first.


----------



## Wontactmyage

Currently reading- non fiction “Dynamic Aging” (simple exercises for whole body mobility) by Katy Bowman.


----------



## mrstime

At the moment I am reading 
"Indian" in the Cabinet: Speaking Truth to Power​Book by Jody Wilson-Raybould


----------



## moviequeen1

Sliverfox said:


> The Shop on Royal Street  by Karen White.
> 
> Young  woman sets about trying to restore a  rundown house in New Orleans.
> She feels it is haunted as strange things  happen.
> 
> A  good light mystery for Summer reading.


----------



## moviequeen1

Hi, Silverfox I've read 3 of Karen White's books:
 House on Tradd St
Guest on South Battery
The Christmas Spirits
I enjoyed them haven't read the 4th book in this series. Sue


----------



## moviequeen1

Last night, started reading' Four Winds' by Kristan Hannah
I've read 8 of her books, my 2 favorites are The Nightingale, Great Alone


----------



## StarSong

moviequeen1 said:


> Last night, started reading' Four Winds' by Kristan Hannah
> I've read 8 of her books, my 2 favorites are The Nightingale, Great Alone


I loved that and have also read a lot of her books.  _The Great Alone_ is my favorite.


----------



## officerripley

_What Child is This_ by Rhys Bowen; London, World War 2; very good.


----------



## WheatenLover

I just finished _Look Both Ways_, by Linwood Barclay. It is about what happens on an island with only electric, self-driven cars, when they run amok. This is a thriller. I liked it.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59830391-look-both-ways


----------



## CinnamonSugar

“ The Dearly Beloved” by Cara Wall

Thoughtful and thought-provoking story of two very different couples and how they came together first as co-workers then as friends.   Well done


----------



## Sliverfox

*Dark Horse* by Gregg Hurwitz ,, an Orphan X novel*.*
This is the first time I've read anything by  this  author.

The main person has OCD,  tries to keep it under control.
He is called  out to  get a  drug  dealers daughter back  from another drug dealer.

It does have some blood & guts in it.


----------



## Sliverfox

Has anyone read these books?

The Incomparable Dolly ,  about Mrs James Madison

The President's Lady , about Rachel Jackson

The Trail , Mary Todd  Lincoln


----------



## SeniorBen

Currently reading *Eichmann in Jerusalem: A report on the Banality of Evil*, by Hannah Arendt. It's pretty interesting and relevant considering all that's going on in the world.


----------



## moviequeen1

Last night I finished 'Four Winds' by Kristin Hannah,story is set in 1934 during the Great Depression. The main character, Elsa is disowned by her family because she gets pregnant goes&lives with her husband's family in Texas, problems/ struggles they go through. Elsa& her 2 young kids, Leorda,Anthony decide to head to Calif for a better way of life, find jobs
This was a terrific book just a bit too long 450 pgs Sue


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I started last night is ""Up All Night,Ted Turner,CNN&The Birth of 24-Hour News' by Lisa Napoli. The book is about how CNN was started{1980} changed the way we watched news from 3 networks to now 24/7,constant breaking news. The author started her career as a  unpaid teenage intern during the 2nd yr of CNN's  at the NYC bureau


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _What Moves the Dead_ by T. Kingfisher; it's a slightly alternative-history, retelling of _The Fall of the House of Usher_; really good, I'll be looking for more by this author.


----------



## mrstime

I just bought The Room Where It Happened by John Bolton, got it at a yard sale and the woman charged me the most I have ever paid for a used book but I had to have it! I'm reading another book at the moment but soon I will get to the Bolton book.


----------



## Remy

Sliverfox said:


> The Shop on Royal Street  by Karen White.
> 
> Young  woman sets about trying to restore a  rundown house in New Orleans.
> She feels it is haunted as strange things  happen.
> 
> A  good light mystery for Summer reading.


Looks like it's only available in hard back and large print. Sounds interesting though. I'll look for the author in the thrift store. I'm kind of hooked on these cozy mysteries.


----------



## Remy

Writing down books and authors to keep in my purse when I go thrifting.


----------



## Remy

Amazon.com: The Tell Tail Heart: A Cat Cafe Mystery (Cat Cafe Mystery Series, 3): 9781250072085: Conte, Cate: Books

Taking a break from 'A Country Store Mystery' series and decided to start this cozy mystery I found at the thrift store. Good so far. I hope I don't want to buy the whole series like I did with the Country Store series.

Tried to switch to something nonfiction, more serious, but need to keep with escape books right now.


----------



## moviequeen1

moviequeen1 said:


> The book I started last night is ""Up All Night,Ted Turner,CNN&The Birth of 24-Hour News' by Lisa Napoli. The book is about how CNN was started{1980} changed the way we watched news from 3 networks to now 24/7,constant breaking news. The author started her career as a  unpaid teenage intern during the 2nd yr of CNN's  at the NYC bureau


Sad to say I just could not get into this book,didn't think the author was a good writer, gave up after 100 pgs


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I'm reading is'The Alibi Man' by Tami Hoag, a sequel to 'Dark Horse' In both books has the same character, ex cop Elena Estes  She now makes a living training horses in ultra wealthy Palm Beach,Fla horse community  In this book she tries to find the person responsible for killing her friend, Irina who worked at the same place Elena does. I've read most of Hoag's books, like these thrillers


----------



## Sliverfox

THE ROCK HOLE by Reavis Z.Wortham

Set in Texas  during the  60s.
Ten year old grandson  come to live with his grandparents,in rural Center Springs TX.

Life there is still rough & tumble with with strife between the white folks & the Negros.
At a  time when  things  are changing  in the bigger cities,, this   little  community is stuck in the  'old ways.'

A good read  that reminds  you that have things  really changed?


----------



## Geezer Garage

The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier. The only thing I've picked up in quite a while that has held my attention.


----------



## feywon

Currently have two non-fiction books going.  

The Mismeasurement of Crime is a slender volume, the material very 'dry' but of some interest to me because i have been reminding people online for years that stats can be distorted and aren't even always accurate, particularly crime ones. Once i get out of the 'history' part of it, it might be less dry. 

The other, Still Just a Geek, is over 400 pages and heavily annotated because that was the whole point of an editor's proposal to the author, Wil Wheaton. My daughter gifted me the book for my birthday this year. She know i admire the author for candor and his ability to learn and grow, be open about his mental health issues and incredibly supportive of others with mental health issues. He's an entertaining writer too.

Back in 2004 Wheaton wrote a memoir, Just a Geek. A publisher he sent a fiction work of his to, declined that work but suggested he revisit the memoir. He did. Now 50 years old (tho this volume published last year--so about 15-17 yrs since writing the original) he was appalled at the self he revealed. He's not the same man now. He's always been hard on himself, but now he's better able to see how he's grown as a human being. 

i just reached a page where are 2 sentences from original and the rest of the page is annotations revealing how he feels about his statements now. i suspect any of us who have gone back and read old journals/diaries or even old social media posts can empathize. 

But for me, with the interest in self-awareness i have, it resonates deeply. i am reminded of how a dear friend sent me a package of all my letters to her from a 10 year period, that happened to include the years i knew my first husband. She sent these some months after his death. It took days to read them all--but a clear pattern emerged: i would get healthier during our estrangements, retain some of it when first reconciled then begin a slide back into chronic depression. It was a big help to me on several levels.


----------



## Nosy Bee-54

Just finished another non-fiction book.  This one was by Robert P. Jones called White Too Long. The author is the CEO of Public Religion Research Institute. He was brought up in the Christian church and has a Masters in Divinity. The book is meticulously researched and provides quantitative evidence on how white supremacy has become embedded in American Christianity. I found it compelling throughout. A learning experience seeing what many would prefer to ignore, be defensive about or attempt to keep hidden.


----------



## NorthernLight

I used to read lots of nonfiction and how-to (anything!), but now I just read myself to sleep with mystery novels.

All day I look up one thing after another on the Internet (down the ol' rabbit hole). But that doesn't seem like "reading" somehow.


----------



## officerripley

Nosy Bee-54 said:


> Just finished another non-fiction book.  This one was by Robert P. Jones called White Too Long. The author is the CEO of Public Religion Research Institute. He was brought up in the Christian church and has a Masters in Divinity. The book is meticulously researched and provides quantitative evidence on how white supremacy has become embedded in American Christianity. I found it compelling throughout. A learning experience seeing what many would prefer to ignore, be defensive about or attempt to keep hidden.


I read that one too; very good.


----------



## dseag2

When I was working, I read Time and The Economist magazines on planes.  That kept me up to date with what was happening in the world.  When I retired a little over 2 years ago, I read self-improvement books to ensure I would make the most of the rest of my life.  Now, I just read trashy thrillers from artists like Jennifer Hillier and Lisa Jackson.  I go to Starbucks after the gym and read them.  I'm sure I'm the only one there reading an actual book.

I get enough of what's happening in the world and politics these days by just turning on the TV.  I watch various shows like those hosted by John Oliver, Bill Maher and Trevor Noah.  They have substance, but I often find some of the content depressing.  I want to remain aware and don't want to hide my head in the sand, but often I just need to escape into fiction.


----------



## -Oy-

I tend to stick to Fantasy Fiction / Sci-Fi.

Currently on Book 9 of 10 from Adrian Tchaikovski's "Shadows of the Apt" series


----------



## Wontactmyage

I’ve just downloaded “Faithfully Different” by Natasha Crain. She is on FB (Natasha Crain) if you want to dip your toes in her thought process.


----------



## SeniorBen

Currently reading *American Dialogue: the Founders and Us*, by Joseph Ellis.

It's about how our Founders' intentions have gotten misinterpreted and twisted to fit contemporary ideologies.

Joseph John-Michael Ellis III is an American historian whose work focuses on the lives and times of the founders of the United States of America.


----------



## Wontactmyage

SeniorBen said:


> Currently reading *American Dialogue: the Founders and Us*, by Joseph Ellis.
> 
> It's about how our Founders' intentions have gotten misinterpreted and twisted to fit contemporary ideologies.
> 
> Joseph John-Michael Ellis III is an American historian whose work focuses on the lives and times of the founders of the United States of America.


I have checked out “The Skeptics Guide to American History” might be a thread to the book you are reading.


----------



## palides2021

I like to read all kinds of books. When I was studying for my PhD, had to read a lot of nonfiction on leadership, the change process,  literature, etc and filled a bookshelf with these books. Now that I'm done with that program, starting to read health books (always a favorite topic). Now am reading _The Longevity Code_, by Dr. Kris Verburgh. I've had it on my little stand next to my bed for a few months now, and been reading it on and off. Finally spent more time on it. It has a lot of useful information that ties into the research being done on longevity. Very useful to know.


----------



## CinnamonSugar

I made the mistake of reading Amor Towles’ 2nd novel “ A Gentleman in Moscow” first and did not finish.  But now that I’ve read and enjoyed his debut novel…



I will probably go back and re-read it, understanding his style of storytelling more fully.


----------



## JaniceM

I have very little time to read, so I'm still going through one little by little:  _What Comes Naturally:  Miscegenation Law and the Making of Race in America.  _I'm totally stunned that people could be so outrageously ignorant- and I can't say 'in the past,' either, because there are those that have the same viewpoint these days.


----------



## Remy

JaniceM said:


> I have very little time to read, so I'm still going through one little by little:  _What Comes Naturally:  Miscegenation Law and the Making of Race in America.  _I'm totally stunned that people could be so outrageously ignorant- and I can't say 'in the past,' either, because there are those that have the same viewpoint these days.


I looked this book up on Amazon and it seems like something I'd be interested in. But it's out of print. I'll look for a thrift copy but the re-sellers are out looking for out of print books also.


----------



## JaniceM

Remy said:


> I looked this book up on Amazon and it seems like something I'd be interested in. But it's out of print. I'll look for a thrift copy but the re-sellers are out looking for out of print books also.


It's currently on Thriftbooks.com for $10.09.  
Thriftbooks did increase prices in recent years.  But I think it's still free shipping if you spend $10, I'm not sure.


----------



## moviequeen1

The Tami Hoag book I mentioned in my last post' The Alibi Man' was terrific,didn't figure it out until almost the end
The book I'm reading now is'What To Do When Someone Dies' by Nicci French
The story centers on Ellie Falkner who's life has been changed forever. Her husband, Greg killed in a car  crash, police find a woman in the passenger side, Ellie has no idea who she is.She doesn't want to believe he was having an affair, so she begins to find out what really happened
 I never heard of the author, a wife/ husband suspense writers Nicci Germand her husband Sean French


----------



## Della

CinnamonSugar said:


> I made the mistake of reading Amor Towles’ 2nd novel “ A Gentleman in Moscow” first and did not finish.  But now that I’ve read and enjoyed his debut novel…
> 
> View attachment 236185
> 
> I will probably go back and re-read it, understanding his style of storytelling more fully.


I thought "Rules of Civility" was one of the best books I ever read, so "A Gentleman In Moscow" had a hard act to follow and I was a bit disappointed, although I did like it and finish it.  Now I'm waiting for the "The Lincoln Highway," to come to the library in large print.


----------



## Remy

Batter Off Dead (A Country Store Mystery Book 10) - Kindle edition by Day, Maddie. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Batter off Dead. Last available in the Country Store Mystery series, until the next one comes out early next year. Hooked on this series.


----------



## SeniorBen

*The Cause* by Joseph Ellis

Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Joseph J. Ellis offers an epic account of the origins and clashing ideologies of America’s revolutionary era, recovering a war more brutal, and more disorienting, than any in our history, save perhaps the Civil War.


----------



## officerripley

_Finished Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States_ by Bill Bryson; very good, fascinating. Also finished _Where the Sky Begins_ by Rhys Bowen, also very good, a nice cozy (but not too cozy   ) read for a change. (Still don't know what the title has to do with the story, though, lol.)


----------



## Della

Bill Bryson can make anything interesting and funny.


----------



## DebraMae




----------



## moviequeen1

Della said:


> Bill Bryson can make anything interesting and funny.


Hi Della, I've read a couple of Bryson's books 'A Walk in the Woods', which is funny.The movie version was  disappointing with Robert Redford, Emma Thompson,Nick Nolte.{miscast in my opinion} Bill's  very funny memoir'The Life&Times of the Thunderbolt Kid' ,I'm a Stranger Here by Myself', Sue


----------



## moviequeen1

This afternoon finished 'What To Do When Someone Dies' by Nicci French,in my previous post I gave the storyline
There were alot of twists&turns in the story was surprised who the killer was. I enjoyed the book


----------



## Della

I discovered Nicci French in the library last year because she was next to Tana French.  I love them both now. 

 My first Nicci French was the "House of Corrections" A young woman is arrested for murder and must find the real killer from behind bars.


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _E.R. Nurses: Walk My Rounds with Me_ by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann; excellent!


----------



## CinnamonSugar

officerripley said:


> Just finished _E.R. Nurses: Walk My Rounds with Me_ by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann; excellent!


ER nurses are a whole different breed (in the good sense)— you are either ‘wired’ for ER work or you are not.  

so the author is James Patterson, like the one that writes the thrillers?  Is it fiction or non-fiction?


----------



## officerripley

CinnamonSugar said:


> ER nurses are a whole different breed (in the good sense)— you are either ‘wired’ for ER work or you are not.
> 
> so the author is James Patterson, like the one that writes the thrillers?  Is it fiction or non-fiction?


I think it's the same James Patterson who writes the thrillers but this one is non-fiction; some parts are not light/pleasant (so not for kids maybe) but overall an excellent read, highly recommend it.


----------



## Pepper

My library, around the next corner, has been closed for weeks and will remain closed at least as long as it is hot & requires AC which they don't have.  I don't buy books anymore, so I'm dependent on that library.  I'm sad without a book to read.  Since I like best to read outside, downloading from the library to my kindle isn't the best option.


----------



## Sliverfox

The Woman in Red by Diana Giovinazzo
An epic life story of Anita Garibaldi .
Forced into a marriage she didn't want,,  runs of with  Brazilian   resistance  leader Giuseppe Garibaldi.

The time frame is 1839 as the revolutions start in  southern Brazil.
An interesting  book to read.


----------



## NorthernLight

Pepper said:


> My library, around the next corner, has been closed for weeks and will remain closed at least as long as it is hot & requires AC which they don't have.  I don't buy books anymore, so I'm dependent on that library.  I'm sad without a book to read.  Since I like best to read outside, downloading from the library to my kindle isn't the best option.


I make sure to stock up on a few cheap/free second-hand books, just in case I can't get to the library, or the library is closed for some reason. I've read myself to sleep since childhood. Can't be without a book!

My language partner recommended a book in Spanish. It was too hard to get a print copy, so I decided to get it on Audible.

Audible seems very expensive to me, as you can only get one book *of your choosing* per month. (You can get other books from their "curated" list -- no thanks.) 

Anyway, then I couldn't figure out when to listen, as I don't like things playing in the background while driving, doing housework, etc. Eventually I tried listening to the audio book during the boring, repetitive part of my exercise routine. That seems to be working okay.


----------



## Pepper

I can't buy any more books @NorthernLight because I have no more room for them and I can't seem to throw them out.  That's why I rely on the library.  In winter, when too cold to read outdoors, my kindle is great!  Especially during the pandemic when the physical libraries were all closed.


----------



## moviequeen1

I haven't been to our local library in yrs.
In the basement in my building we have our own library with a slew of books. One of the residents is in charge of it,has sections for fiction/non fiction,books are in alphabetical order by author There is a box for donated book/returned ones
I buy my books at Target,get a book catalogue'Edward R.Hamilton' in Conn where I can get them in paperback/hard cover at discounted prices{been using it for yrs}. I also get books with Amazon Prime When I finished reading I give them to my friend, Mary then she passes them on to 3 other residents


----------



## SeniorBen

NorthernLight said:


> I make sure to stock up on a few cheap/free second-hand books, just in case I can't get to the library, or the library is closed for some reason. I've read myself to sleep since childhood. Can't be without a book!
> 
> My language partner recommended a book in Spanish. It was too hard to get a print copy, so I decided to get it on Audible.
> 
> Audible seems very expensive to me, as you can only get one book *of your choosing* per month. (You can get other books from their "curated" list -- no thanks.)
> 
> Anyway, then I couldn't figure out when to listen, as I don't like things playing in the background while driving, doing housework, etc. Eventually I tried listening to the audio book during the boring, repetitive part of my exercise routine. That seems to be working okay.


Yeah, I tried Audible and like you said, you only get one premium book per month, so I cancelled after the free trial was over. I think they have subscriptions where you can get more premium books, but it costs more. I just check out audiobooks from the library. They have a pretty good selection.


----------



## Pepper

I don't have the patience to listen to audio books.  Reading soothes my mind.


----------



## SeniorBen

Pepper said:


> I don't have the patience to listen to audio books.  Reading soothes my mind.


I listen to audiobooks while I'm doing chores or working out. It makes mundane tasks much more enjoyable.


----------



## CinnamonSugar

I had audible books for a while but cancelled... just didn't listen to it enough or couldn't get through the books I bought.  (Middlemarch was brilliant but just such a behemoth, I couldn't finish)


----------



## Wontactmyage

I 


Pepper said:


> My library, around the next corner, has been closed for weeks and will remain closed at least as long as it is hot & requires AC which they don't have.  I don't buy books anymore, so I'm dependent on that library.  I'm sad without a book to read.  Since I like best to read outside, downloading from the library to my kindle isn't the best option.


I check out (download) books from our library using their app. I can get audio or read them. It’s great. They also have a option that they will get books from other libraries too. Yea


----------



## Right Now

I just finished "The End Of Us" by Colleen Hoover.  Fantastic read, with interesting personalities.  I would highly recommend this one!


----------



## Hollow

Oh I'm glad I found this little bit of the forum. I love books and reading - I prefer "proper" books rather than digital. I just can't concentrate or absorb the story when its on a screen, for some reason.

Anyway, currently I am reading "The Peacekeeper" by H.L Blanchard.


----------



## Right Now

Hollow said:


> Oh I'm glad I found this little bit of the forum. I love books and reading - I prefer "proper" books rather than digital. I just can't concentrate or absorb the story when its on a screen, for some reason.
> 
> Anyway, currently I am reading "The Peacekeeper" by H.L Blanchard.


I agree, Hollow.  Holding a real book and reading page by page makes me feel like I am attached to the story.  I don't read digital books, either.  No substance to them.


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _Map Addict_ by Mike Parker; very good.


----------



## Sliverfox

Finished JAMES PATTERSON  by James Patterson.

It was an interesting read.
Some of his  thoughts  do  wake  you up.


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _It Happened Here_ by Richard Dresser; not everyone's cuppa but I thought it was very good.


----------



## Right Now

I just finished _The Lost Ticket_ by Freya Sampson and highly recommend it to others.  A delightful fiction read located in London, and the bus stops make you believe you have revisited these locations.  The characters are also highly likeable.


----------



## helenbacque

_"Profiles in Ignorance_" by Andy Borowitz


----------



## Remy

Neither Wolf nor Dog 25th Anniversary Edition: On Forgotten Roads with an Indian Elder: Nerburn, Kent, Plant, Robert: 9781608686384: Amazon.com: Books
Just finished the above book yesterday. Glad it was a thrift store copy. Literally one of the worst book I've ever read. It had some decent information. Anyone with any compassion would know the horrors done to the native people. But this author was literally treated like garbage on every page. Some reviews say it was fiction. I don't know.  It's will go to our PAWS thrift for another victim. 

Reading a thrifted cozy mystery. The story and writing are decent, but it's one of the 'magical' type ones and not really my thing.


----------



## Remy

Right Now said:


> I just finished _The Lost Ticket_ by Freya Sampson and highly recommend it to others.  A delightful fiction read located in London, and the bus stops make you believe you have revisited these locations.  The characters are also highly likeable.


This sounds like something I'd like. Thank you.


----------



## CinnamonSugar

I just finished _The Lost Ticket_ by Freya Sampson and highly recommend it to others.  A delightful fiction read located in London, and the bus stops make you believe you have revisited these locations.  The characters are also highly likeable.
I’ve added this to my reading list—thanks!


----------



## Pinky

Going through Nick Petrie's series of "Peter Ash" books. When I find an author I like, I tend to read everything they've ever written.


----------



## Remy

Pepper said:


> I can't buy any more books @NorthernLight because I have no more room for them and I can't seem to throw them out.  That's why I rely on the library.  In winter, when too cold to read outdoors, my kindle is great!  Especially during the pandemic when the physical libraries were all closed.


Can't they be donated to the library or a thrift store. I see you live in NYC so you may not be able to get things to thrift stores.


----------



## officerripley

helenbacque said:


> _"Profiles in Ignorance_" by Andy Borowitz


I have this on my wish list. Did you like it? (I like the one book of his I did read.)


----------



## helenbacque

officerripley said:


> I have this on my wish list. Did you like it? (I like the one book of his I did read.)


I'm only about 60 pages in and am enjoying it so far.  He is never boring.  My Kindle is backlit and is fully charged so will probably get a lot read done while waiting the storm out.


----------



## officerripley

helenbacque said:


> I'm only about 60 pages in and am enjoying it so far.  He is never boring.  My Kindle is backlit and is fully charged so will probably get a lot read done while waiting the storm out.


Ooh that's right, you're in Florida; you take care and keep us posted if possible, quite a storm.


----------



## Sliverfox

GRACE UNDER FIRE by Julie Garwood.

Grace Isabel Mac Kenna, travels to Boston to attend a close friend's parent's anniversary.
All her plans  are  shaken up when a wounded man stumbles on her  while she had been sight seeing in Boston.

A good mystery with touch of humor  in places plus a  love affair.


----------



## ElCastor

I do all my reading on a Kindle. Some non-fiction, but largely fiction. Pretty much always in bed. When I start to get drowsy I pack it in. Read 16 of the Lee Child Reachers, and then moved on. Also enjoyed most of Brian Kilmeade's history work. GoodReads is a useful site, as are Amazon's reviews.


----------



## Sliverfox

Just  finished ,,,COLD COLD BONES  by Kathy Reichs
Its a mystery within a mystery  that will  hold your attention,,keep you guessing.

Temperance Brennan's  forensic past   comes back to  haunt her.


----------



## NorthernLight

I used to like that series, except for her stupid love life.


----------



## moviequeen1

Sliverfox said:


> Just  finished ,,,COLD COLD BONES  by Kathy Reichs
> Its a mystery within a mystery  that will  hold your attention,,keep you guessing.
> 
> Temperance Brennan's  forensic past   comes back to  haunt her.


I love Kathy Reich's books read most of them,not for the squeamish,liked the TV show' Bones' based on her life.I think she's a better writer than Patrica Cornwell Sue


----------



## charry

i love reading , but find i only have time to read ,when sat in the garden ...which is not very often now...
but i will try any book and will know if im gonna be interested after the first few pages 
i do like the Harlem Coben books tho 
happy reading guys ...


----------



## Pinky

Sadly, I have finished reading all of Nick Petrie's "Peter Ash" series books. 
Am now awaiting Benjamin Black's "Quirke Mysteries" from the library.


----------



## NorthernLight

I get mystery novels from the library. I avoid mysteries that seem heavy on romance or family issues, and anything that mentions Washington.

Then, without removing the book from the shelf, from I check the top for evidence of excessive yellowing or browning, because I find white paper easier to read from.


I open each remaining candidate to check that the type is legible. (Generally speaking, this means big enough.) Books with hard-to-read type get put in the to-be-reshelved pile.


I usually get about 6 books, and leave 8 or 10 behind for the staff to reshelf.


----------



## Sliverfox

THE GIRL from GUERNICA  by Karen Robards

Bombing of Guernica  tears apart   a small village in Spain.
Sets the pace  for   book that is  hard to put  down.
Based on happenings during WW.2.


----------



## Pinky

I decided to try Benjamin Black's "Quirke" mysteries .. am almost all the way through the first book. 
However, his use of racial slurs (the "N" word) has turned me off. 

Therefore, I will move on to David Baldacci, also a mystery/crime writer.


----------



## DaveA

charry said:


> i love reading , but find i only have time to read ,when sat in the garden ...which is not very often now...
> but i will try any book and will know if im gonna be interested after the first few pages
> i do like the Harlem Coben books tho
> happy reading guys ...


Just finished Harlen Coben's, "Don't Let Go".


----------



## charry

DaveA said:


> Just finished Harlen Coben's, "Don't Let Go".


Read it !! All his are good !


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I started reading yesterday is"A Line to Kill' by Anthony Horowitz
The story is about a retired detective,Daniel Hawthorne& his side kick/author,Horowitz who are invited to a  exclusive literary festival on tiny island of Alderney. The other invited guests are all authors who are hiding something
I've never read any of this author's books before, am enjoying this book


----------



## officerripley

_Our Missing Hearts_ by Celeste Ng; very good; hoping it's not too prophetic but some of it already is, sigh.


----------



## SeniorBen

I just finished _They Want to Kill Americans : The Militias, Terrorists, and Deranged Ideology of the Trump Insurgency,_ by Malcolm Nance.

It's mainly about the QAnon cult. Fascinating stuff, if you're into that kind of thing.


----------



## RandomName

Author John Cheever.

A collection of short stories. Cheever writes about love, money, infidelity, and honor.  The stories take place in America, 1940's ish.  Everyone is always getting tipsy on booze.

There always seems to be a moral to the story.  

Usually it's a wealthy couple whose husband commutes to the city. 

Reminds me of John Updike. But I like Cheever better.


----------



## moviequeen1

I finished reading 'A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz very entertaining mystery 'who done it'
I had never read any book by this author before, I like the way he writes


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _Bully Market: My Story of Money and Misogyny at Goldman Sachs_ by Jamie Fiore Higgins; excellent!


----------



## Sliverfox

LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI  by Rinker Buck,,, An epic American Adventure.

The author of this book   takes on  the journey  down to the Mississippi in an  hand  built  flatboat.
His life on the river  includes  stories of  the first travelers  using the  river .

Guess I enojyed it  because at one time  our  sons   talked about   canoeing  from Warren PA to Pittsburgh PA.


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I'm reading now is from another favorite author,Tami Hoag' who writes terrific mystery/thrillers
"The Boy' is about the murder of a 7yr old boy, KJ  in Louisana The husband/wife team of detective, Nick Fourcade,Annie Broussard are on the case trying to find out what happen.
I started the book 2 days ago,its long 603 pgs am half way through,can't put it down


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires_ by Douglas Rushkoff; excellent!


----------



## Right Now

As a Nicholas Sparks reader, I look forward to his new books.  Just out, _Dreamland_, I have just finished it.  Very disappointed, as it is a drudge to get through.  Nothing like his other reads.  I closed the book and couldn't wait to return it to the library.


----------



## bowmore

I have a Kindle, actually the third one I have owned. I have a number of favorite authors
Cap Daniels
Mark Nolan
Don Rich
J C Ryan
Douglas Pratt
Todd Borg
Hope Callaghan
Alec Peche
Wayne Stinett


----------



## Right Now

@bowmore , I don't use a Kindle.  I like the paper book in my hand, feels comforting to me. I tried Kindle a couple of times but it just wasn't the same.   ETA-I'm a former librarian.  This may have something to do with my preferences.


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _Why We Did It_ by Tim Miller; excellent!


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America's First Paramedics_ by Kevin Hazzard; an excellent book, the story really is incredible and unlike some fiction which can be kind of dry, this reads like a great novel, highly recommended!
​


----------



## officerripley

Recently finished _Trigger Points: Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America_ by Mark Follman; another excellent read.


----------



## Sliverfox

TREASURE STATE By C.J.Box   a good  mystery.
Private investigator  tracks another missing person only to find her  self   in trouble.

GIRL WHO  SURVIVED by Lisa Jackson

Girl who   was hidden away by her  sister,  to keep  her  safe.
Comes  out of where  she was hidden to discover  her  family  stabbed to death.
The memories of it  follows her into adult hood.


----------



## WheatenLover

I read _The Chancellor_, by Kati Marton.  It is a fascinating biography of Angela Merkel. I could not put it down!

There were a lot of reasons I liked the book so much, some of them personal to me. My mother was raised in East Germany, my relatives still live there, and I am familiar with what life was like under the Russians. Plus, I remember my visit to Leipzig in 1965. Even though I was only 8 years old I remember the  men with guns, being cautioned mightily about not speaking English outside my Oma's house. This visit was an unusual. The Red Cross was ready at the border in case my mother was arrested, so we would be returned to our father, who was stationed in Ramstein.

Otherwise, I learned a lot of things I didn't know, not only about Merkel's career, but also about the times in which she lived and worked. Overall, Merkel is a fascinating person, living through fascinating times.


----------



## MarkD

Well I finally took the big step of buying a Kindle Paperwhite.  We live in a 110 year old warehouse in which my wife does her artwork and we make our home.  The downside is the poor archival conditions for  storing books.  Beyond that I’m just tired of having them around.  I’m resolved is to get almost all my reading material through the library.  With my post retirement conversion to fiction the library has been he way to go.  

Before that my three favorite nonfiction books were:

Guns, Germs and Steel
The Righteous Mind
The Master and His Emissary 

So about a year ago the author of the last book, Iain McGilchrist, came out with a new book, The Matter with Things, in two volumes totaling 1500 pages. 
But with my increasingly painful and weak arthritic hands I knew I’d never be able to hold it up to read in bed.  So I got the Kindle.

I’m loving the Kindle and think Iain’s new book is even better than the last. But when the thirst for more fiction arises and it will, I will look to get it on Kindle too.

Some books novels I’ve read and liked a lot:

All The Light We Cannot See
Cider House Rules
The World According To Garp
A Prayer For Owen Meany
Sea of Poppies and other books in series
A Thousand Splendid Suns 
The Kite Runner
An Unnecessary Woman
A Gentleman In Moscow
Cutting For Stone

Those jump to mind first but there are others I liked that I dot recall now.  I also liked the Robert Pirsig novels,
lots by Anne Tyler, some Elizabeth Strout 
and some Tom Robbins.


----------



## DebraMae

Am reading an old one, If Mountains Die, by John Nichols.


----------



## Della

MarkD said:


> Well I finally took the big step of buying a Kindle Paperwhite.  We live in a 110 year old warehouse in which my wife does her artwork and we make our home.  The downside is the poor archival conditions for  storing books.  Beyond that I’m just tired of having them around.  I’m resolved is to get almost all my reading material through the library.  With my post retirement conversion to fiction the library has been he way to go.
> 
> Before that my three favorite nonfiction books were:
> 
> Guns, Germs and Steel
> The Righteous Mind
> The Master and His Emissary
> 
> So about a year ago the author of the last book, Iain McGilchrist, came out with a new book, The Matter with Things, in two volumes totaling 1500 pages.
> But with my increasingly painful and weak arthritic hands I knew I’d never be able to hold it up to read in bed.  So I got the Kindle.
> 
> I’m loving the Kindle and think Iain’s new book is even better than the last. But when the thirst for more fiction arises and it will, I will look to get it on Kindle too.
> 
> Some books novels I’ve read and liked a lot:
> 
> All The Light We Cannot See
> Cider House Rules
> The World According To Garp
> A Prayer For Owen Meany
> Sea of Poppies and other books in series
> A Thousand Splendid Suns
> The Kite Runner
> An Unnecessary Woman
> A Gentleman In Moscow
> Cutting For Stone
> 
> Those jump to mind first but there are others I liked that I dot recall now.  I also liked the Robert Pirsig novels,
> lots by Anne Tyler, some Elizabeth Strout
> and some Tom Robbins.


Great list Mark!  I think I've read and enjoyed most of those,  I liked "A Gentleman in Moscow" but was a little disappointed because I had thought his "Rules of Civility," was one of the best books I ever read. 
 Anne Tyler is one of my very favorites.


----------



## Nemo2

IKE said:


> Are you a Mason Phil ?
> 
> I've been a Master Mason since Feb. of 1977 and a 32º Scottish Rite Mason since Nov. of 1981.
> 
> View attachment 50495


My Maternal grandparents.......looooong since gone:


----------



## MarkD

Della said:


> Great list Mark!  I think I've read and enjoyed most of those,  I liked "A Gentleman in Moscow" but was a little disappointed because I had thought his "Rules of Civility," was one of the best books I ever read.
> Anne Tyler is one of my very favorites.


Thanks for the tip.  Rules of Civility shall be next.   I’ve been needing a good novel.

Oh and I agree A Gentleman in Moscow is probably the weakest book on the list. A good adventure but no real depth.  Like The Count of Monte Cristo but less over the top.


----------



## -Oy-

A couple of years ago I discovered Joe Abercrombie and read everything. He's got a new one out as the last in one of his series. The Wisdom of Crowds. I'm a quarter of the way through and loving it. On the iPhone Kindle App


----------



## -Oy-

moviequeen1 said:


> I finished reading 'A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz very entertaining mystery 'who done it'
> I had never read any book by this author before, I like the way he writes



I met and photographed him quite a few years ago for - erm - something - so many photo shoots so many years 

Seemed like a nice chap.


----------



## -Oy-

Pink Biz said:


> View attachment 229389


Hahahaa - 18!


----------



## Pinky

A few favourite authors:

Nick Petrie
David Baldacci
Robert Crais
Lisa Unger
Lisa Gardner
Thomas Mogford
Peter James


----------



## moviequeen1

Yesterday started reading 'Night Music' by Jo Jo Moyes,story of Isabelle Delancy  a classically trained violinist married with 2 kids leading comfortable life in London. Her husband suddenly dies leaving her with alot of debt. She and her  kids, Kitty,Thierry move to a run down house in English countryside she inherited from a distant relative.  I'm enjoying it have read a  couple of the author's other books


----------



## Nemo2

Here are just a few of the books/authors we've enjoyed over the past few.....

Author:  Jose Rodrigues Dos Santos   "The Einstein Enigma"

Arturo Perez-Reverte    "The Nautical Chart"...(and numerous others)

Gary Barwin     "Yiddish for Pirates"

Sam Llewllyn    "The Shadow in the Sands"

James Brabazon  "My Friend the Mercenary"

Mishka Ben-David   "Duet in Beirut"

Alan Furst

and so on and so on....


----------



## MarkD

Della said:


> Does anyone else get books out of the library that they find they're already read and didn't remember the name? I'll get to page 20 and say, "Oh, heck, this is the one where the woman didn't know she had a twin sister and the twin sister killed the father and tried to pin it on her!!!"



Oh hell, @jujube, I couldn’t tell you how this happened but I had started to write a couple replies in another thread and they plopped themselves down here with the one I quoted from you.  Sorry about that to you and to Della too.  @Della, I had started to write something to tell you I was starting a new thread for posting quotes from our current reading .. and I still might but I decided to go another way with this one that I read earlier this year.


----------



## helenbacque

John Grisham's collection of short stories "Sparring Partners" on a Kindle.


----------



## Nemo2

A couple/few more, (1,000 yet to come):

Jamal Mahjoub (also writes as Parker Bilal  -  "The Golden Scales)

David Downing

Jo Nesbo

Olen Steinhauer

Arnaldur Indriðason

Philip Kerr


----------



## fancicoffee13

Keesha said:


> Reading is a pleasant past time. There are so many great books to read.
> What are some of your favourite books you have read and what do you use to read them?
> perhaps an ireader or a kindle? Or maybe you prefer listening to them.
> 
> These are great for reading with since you can:
> -load as many books as you want to
> -adjust the letter size
> -read at night without needing to turn on a light so you don’t disturb others.
> 
> At at the moment I am reading ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd
> which is extraordinarily written.
> 
> What are you reading right now and what great books can you suggest to the rest of us?


I read books by Christian authors, political authors, comedians-Irma Bombeck for one.  I love some cookbook authors.


----------



## fancicoffee13

Keesha said:


> Reading is a pleasant past time. There are so many great books to read.
> What are some of your favourite books you have read and what do you use to read them?
> perhaps an ireader or a kindle? Or maybe you prefer listening to them.
> 
> These are great for reading with since you can:
> -load as many books as you want to
> -adjust the letter size
> -read at night without needing to turn on a light so you don’t disturb others.
> 
> At at the moment I am reading ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd
> which is extraordinarily written.
> 
> What are you reading right now and what great books can you suggest to the rest of us?


And you are right.  It is a means of escape and read a good book, if I don't like what's on tv and don't need to be anywhere.  Even while in a doctor's office, take a good book.


----------



## Buckeye

I have an ancient copy of _The Complete Short Stories of W. Somerset Maugham _that I am ready to start on for the 3rd? 4th? time.  It's a 2 volume set and will keep me occupied all winter.


----------



## Della

Sounds like a great project, Buckeye!  I've never read Maugham, but, "Of Human Bondage," is one of my favorite movies, so I should try the source.


----------



## Gaer

Reading "The God Equation" by Michio Kaku
and I like the chapter on time travel.
It shows the constant change and movement 
in physics and quantum mechanics.
but, 
the theories are based on the Big Bang theory
and the new James Webb images have proven
that's a fallacy.  It's already outdated.


----------



## helenbacque

Just finished "Any Given Tuesday" by Lis Smith, a political insider who tells us way more than most of us want to know about why we vote the way we do.  Quick read and interesting in a gossipy way.  Does not paint a pretty picture about either party.


----------



## CinnamonSugar

Another great cozy Charles Lenox mystery by Charles Finch,,, this one, “The Vanishing Man”


----------



## Pepper

CinnamonSugar said:


> Another great cozy Charles Lenox mystery by Charles Finch,,, this one, “The Vanishing Man”


So this author gives his leading man his own first name?  I find that interesting.


----------



## CinnamonSugar

Pepper said:


> So this author gives his leading man his own first name?  I find that interesting.


Yes, @Pepper   but the stories are set in Victorian England, so I guess it was a pretty common name


----------



## Pepper

CinnamonSugar said:


> Yes, @Pepper   but the stories are set in Victorian England, so I guess it was a pretty common name


Could have named him Thomas or..........or...........or


----------



## moviequeen1

Della said:


> Sounds like a great project, Buckeye!  I've never read Maugham, but, "Of Human Bondage," is one of my favorite movies, so I should try the source.


Hi Della, may I suggest you write down in a journal the books you have read over the years.I've been doing so since 2000 Sue aka MQ


----------



## Supernatural

Keesha said:


> Reading is a pleasant past time. There are so many great books to read.
> What are some of your favourite books you have read and what do you use to read them?
> perhaps an ireader or a kindle? Or maybe you prefer listening to them.
> 
> These are great for reading with since you can:
> -load as many books as you want to
> -adjust the letter size
> -read at night without needing to turn on a light so you don’t disturb others.
> 
> At at the moment I am reading ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd
> which is extraordinarily written.
> 
> What are you reading right now and what great books can you suggest to the rest of us?


Back in my working days, lunch time and on payday, I went to brick/mortar shop, my favourite, and got about 10 books (one for every day of the week). Came back to office, ate lunch and devoured one book.

After I took my first 6 months pregnancy leave, I went to local book shops or visited the library. Then health took turn for worst after daughter was born. Working now from home, I read during lunch time again and either in the bath or bed.

I still have three libraries full of books BUT we're now into the digital age. My own writings are eBooks only and the rest acquired are read on my tablet or phone. I've two Android apps one audio and one which looks as if you're turning the pages. Funky!

Currently, reading news online, my writings are on hold so is my book reading days. I can't use the bath, it's showers only, can't bring a book in the shower lol! Sad as it may sound, sorry, but the last books I've read were the four eBooks of my first series. As I was getting ready to post them on my webstore and received distressed phone call from daughter saying that my husband and her father had died...


----------



## NorthernLight

Della said:


> Sounds like a great project, Buckeye!  I've never read Maugham, but, "Of Human Bondage," is one of my favorite movies, so I should try the source.


Yes, W. Somerset Maugham was a wonderful writer. In my opinion!


----------



## NorthernLight

I'm not a big audiobook fan. After a lifetime of reading books a certain way, I just couldn't get into it. Also, membership on Audible.com was too expensive.

However, my library doesn't have a very good selection. And some books are only available as audiobooks, or are cheaper as audiobooks. I found the Audiobooks.com doesn't require a membership.

I'm currently listening to _The Skeptics' Guide_ _to the Future_ on Audiobooks.com. Not quite what I was expecting. Some interesting topics and tidbits. I listen while exercising, as a change from my usual workout playlists.

I read in bed, for hours. When I eventually feel my brain shutting down, I turn out the light and go to sleep.

I've never been a book owner/collector, but I do have a small stash of secondhand books for when I can't get to the library. Currently reading _The Water Museum_ by Luis Alberto Urrea. I thought it would be one of those mystifying South American tomes, but it's short stories set in the USA, about Chicanos and others. Pretty good.

I actually prefer short stories. Too bad there are so few around nowadays.


----------



## moviequeen1

Last night, I finished 'Night Music' by Jo JO Moyes, great book couldn't put it down,took me 2 days


----------



## charry

i can only read in the summer when im sat in the garden 
and i like Harlem Coben and sidney sheldon


----------



## NorthernLight

charry said:


> i can only read in the summer when im sat in the garden
> and i like Harlem Coben and sidney sheldon


That's interesting. In the summer I see ads, etc., for "summer reads." I could never figure out what summer had to do with reading. (I read in bed.)


----------



## StarSong

NorthernLight said:


> That's interesting. In the summer I see ads, etc., for "summer reads." I could never figure out what summer had to do with reading. (I read in bed.)


"Summer reads" AKA "beach reads" are typically light novels that many read while on vacation.


----------



## charry

NorthernLight said:


> That's interesting. In the summer I see ads, etc., for "summer reads." I could never figure out what summer had to do with reading. (I read in bed.)


I don’t get  time now to read indoors , and I need to sleep when I can ,( as I’m up and down with hubby most of the night )…I’m his carer ………..
But as hubby loves the sunshine , i get peace for a few hours to read lol ….


----------



## NorthernLight

Thank you, @charry  and @StarSong  ! You've clarified something I've long wondered about.


----------



## Meanderer




----------



## Nemo2

Currently reading _The German Girl_ by Armando Lucas Correa.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29430755-the-german-girl


----------



## Nemo2

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35069.Facing_the_Congo

_Facing the Congo  _by Jeffrey Tayler


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _The Huntress_ by Kate Quinn, excellent!


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _Laboratories of Autocracy: A Wake-Up Call from Behind the Lines_ by David Pepper; very good.


----------



## officerripley

Recently finished _The Destructionists_ by Dana Milbank; excellent, 5 out of 5 stars.


----------



## Nemo2

Currently reading this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Conformity-Conflict-Readings-Cultural-Anthropology/dp/0205234100

Enjoying the perspectives of different anthropologists in a variety of locales.


----------



## moviequeen1

The book I'm reading now is' The Silent Patient' by Alex Michaelides- his debut novel
Alice Berenson , a painter kills her photographer husband, Gabriel,.She has never spoken a word since the killing,is now in a psych unit at a London hospital  Her criminal psychotherapist, Theo tries to get to speak
I started this book 2 days ago,can't put it down,


----------



## moviequeen1

Last night, finished reading debut novel'The Silent Patient' by Alex Michaelides,wonderful book, never expected the surprising twist highly recommend it


----------



## Nemo2

Having been inspired by the 'Childhood Books' thread, and having a 1971 copy complete with analyses laying around:
https://www.abebooks.com/9780393099775/Alice-Wonderland-Norton-Critical-Editions-0393099776/plp

I`ve got two other books on the go, but I can skip from one to the other.  Also, having stayed at the now razed _Gogarth Abbey Hotel_ in Llandudno, Wales in 1983..(where Alice`s parents once hung out), I`m on a roll..(as Humpty Dumpty might have said...or was it Tweedledee?)


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _Miss Marley: A Christmas Ghost Story - A Prequel to Dickens' A Christmas Carol_ by Vanessa Lafaye; not my usual cuppa tea but I really enjoyed it; it's 99 cents right now for Kindle.


----------



## Jackie23

Tell me a Story.......about Pat and Cassandra Conroy
Best book I've read in a long time.


----------



## J-Kat

About finished with The Invisible Life of Addie Larue.  It’s been good enough for me to keep reading but not good enough that I can resist skimming quite a lot.


----------



## CinnamonSugar

It’s not difficult to guess about when this book (I bought at 2nd-hand book store) was published!


----------



## Right Now




----------



## Sawfish

Reading is a cheap vacation, when fiction or non-fiction.

The price is right...


----------



## officerripley

Just finished _The Light Pirate_ by Lily Brooks-Dalton, a heartbreakingly beautiful book, couldn't put it down!


----------



## Sliverfox

Inter library loan   came  through with  2 books  by  Reavis Wortham.

BURROWS   and THE RIGHT SIDE of WRONG.

Both  are set in  the mid 1960's,, takes place in a small town in Texas  where every one  knows every one.

BURROWS  is about a  some one  murdering  folks ,, taking their heads  with him.

Right Side of Wrong ,, is about  drugs  moving in to the small  town.

Both are  good mysteries.


----------



## Remy

CinnamonSugar said:


> It’s not difficult to guess about when this book (I bought at 2nd-hand book store) was published!
> 
> View attachment 260335


That's an old one! I see all the resellers at the thrift store looking for books. They must have some app on their phones scanning bar codes to look the book up, see if it's currently available or out of publication. Have to compete with resellers for everything these days.  Of course this book would never have a bar code but I'll be a reseller could have bought it.


----------



## Sawfish

How many here use an e-reader or tablet to do most of their reading?


----------



## CinnamonSugar

Sawfish said:


> How many here use an e-reader or tablet to do most of their reading?


Not me…. I like the flap sound as the page turns


----------



## Sawfish

CinnamonSugar said:


> Not me…. I like the flap sound as the page turns


Have you tried an ereader?

The reason I ask is that what you're saying is exactly what I was saying 5 years ago.

I can even remember the situation in which I sat there telling the person who had asked me, that part of what I liked was actually holding the book and turning the pages.

But, you know, after a fairly short while I found myself ordering books from the library that I already owned, were on my bookshelf  five steps away, and that I had read repeatedly over the years (like Raymond Chandler stuff, e.g.) so that I could read them on a cheap ereader that I bought.

A real big piece is that I go to a gym and the ereader is a lot easier to use for stationary bikes. But another is that the print contrast is by nature much better than on anything except a high-end hard cover, and you can control contrast, print size and font, if you want.

There are downsides, but I find myself with the ereader all the time.


----------



## perChance

Sawfish said:


> How many here use an e-reader or tablet to do most of their reading?


I prefer books but my eyes prefer ereaders.


----------



## David777

Over the holidays completed reading Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin a 2008 book.  One of the most important science books I've read and well crafted by a gifted communicator.  Brings together considerable information in biology and paleontology fields in very readable presentations that have been heretofore difficult for others to piece together from more esoteric research papers.   Used cost me on Amazon just $6.  He has a newer 2020 book Some Assembly Required: Decoding Four Billion Years of Life, from Ancient Fossils to DNA, I will also order used.  Anyone that is uncertain given manipulative media misinformation, if we humans evolved along with other Earth mammals can put those notions to rest by reading this book.  For instance a favorite of some misguided science fiction enthusiasts with comic book level science educations that suspect we homo sapiens are aliens from other worlds.

The above noted, this person speculates we humans were at some pre-history point possibly genetically bred by an advanced extraterrestrial race from earlier homo ape like species.  That would be a logical project for advanced aliens and is supported by various ideas that have spawned ancient aliens books.  In Genesis my own speculation is that is probably why between Adam and Noah humans lived for many centuries because they had been genetically enhanced from normal human stock.  Simply lengthening telomeres via lab DNA change would be significant. That flies in the face of anthropocentric religious narratives that demanded Adam was the first human.  But then even the Bible, that is full of scripture making inerrancy nonsense, directly conflicts with that interpretation.  The "land of Nod" was not a place horses nodded their heads, nor was "whoever" referring to dogs.

_Gen 4:13 Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is too great to endure!   Gen 4:14 “Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and I will be hidden from Your face, and I will be a wanderer and a drifter on the earth, and *whoever* finds me will kill me.”  Gen 4:15 So the LORD said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him seven times as much.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one finding him would kill him.  Gen 4:16 Then Cain left the presence of the LORD, and settled in the* land of Nod*, east of Eden._


----------



## Jackie23

Jackie23 said:


> Tell me a Story.......about Pat and Cassandra Conroy
> Best book I've read in a long time.


....still reading this one, a book has to be well written to make me cry or laugh out loud, this one does, I'll be reading more of her books and also her late husband's.


----------



## NorthernLight

Sawfish said:


> How many here use an e-reader or tablet to do most of their reading?


Not me. When I was an editor, I found that I "saw" more when the pages were printed out.

Also, I spend all day on my phone. And I read in bed; I have done so all my life. So it's nice to turn off the phone and pick up a book at the end of the day.


----------



## Trish

Before this year, I never seemed to have time to read but, having had to rest a bit, I have begun reading and rediscovered how relaxing it is.  I don't like romantic fiction or sentimental stories and I hate spotting spelling errors or obvious bad grammar.


----------



## Jaiden

I usually listen to audiobooks - it frees me up to do mindless tasks at the same time, folding laundry, brushing the dogs, etc.

I like mysteries, lately I've been reading a lot of British mysteries by Louise Penney, Joy Ellis, Sally Rigby.  I like Patricia Cornwell and J D Robb.  Recently, my son-in-law introduced me to something called Lit RPG fiction - it's hard to explain, sort of like a video game translated into a story.  I'm reading through a series called He Who Fights With Monsters, it's really interesting.

I'm also reading the old Anne of Green Gables series with my granddaughter...


----------



## Sawfish

NorthernLight said:


> Not me. When I was an editor, I found that I "saw" more when the pages were printed out.
> 
> Also, I spend all day on my phone. And I read in bed; I have done so all my life. So it's nice to turn off the phone and pick up a book at the end of the day.


What's a "phone"?

;^)


----------



## Sawfish

perChance said:


> I prefer books but my eyes prefer ereaders.


Very well put!

If I could afford high quality hard bound, with a good contrast between page and print, that would be great--except at the gym.


----------



## DebraMae

Didn't know where else to put this.


----------



## NorthernLight

Sawfish said:


> What's a "phone"?
> 
> ;^)


I can use Kindle on my phone, so I thought it counted as an e-reader!


----------



## officerripley

DebraMae said:


> Didn't know where else to put this.
> 
> View attachment 260784


It goes here perfectly, IMO!


----------



## Sawfish

NorthernLight said:


> I can use Kindle on my phone, so I thought it counted as an e-reader!


My wife does the same!


----------



## Gaer

Well, I'm now reading and studying everything I can about Vedic science.
This is a 9000 year old wisdom  that just "fits" with me, about cosmic consciousness,
 God realization and pure devotion; how this meshes with quantum physics and 
can bring one to full potentiality.


----------



## Right Now

After reading It Ends with Us, written by Colleen Hoover, I thought about the story for months.  I have just finished It Starts With Us, by Hoover.  Loved it, would highly recommend it.  And yes, the titles seem reversed but this is how the two books should be read, as they were written.


----------



## Sliverfox

RECKONING by Catherine Coulter.

I think this is one of her best books!
Two   great mystery stories melted together.


----------



## StarSong

Right Now said:


> After reading It Ends with Us, written by Colleen Hoover, I thought about the story for months.  I have just finished It Starts With Us, by Hoover.  Loved it, would highly recommend it.  And yes, the titles seem reversed but this is how the two books should be read, as they were written.


Agreed these are both very good and that they should be not only read in the order written, but one after another.  (I read each when they were first published and had to go to the internet for a synopsis of _It Ends With Us _to remember where it left off because it had been a couple of years.)


----------



## dobielvr

I haven't done any book reading in a long time, and I miss it.
What's nice is that the libraries now offer 'large print' lol when requesting a book.

Listening to a book on any device, I just can't do that.  My mind would wander so much, I'd miss everything!


----------



## StarSong

dobielvr said:


> I haven't done any book reading in a long time, and I miss it.
> What's nice is that the libraries now offer 'large print' lol when requesting a book.
> 
> Listening to a book on any device, I just can't do that.  My mind would wander so much, I'd miss everything!


I can't do audio books either.  I'm a visual rather than auditory learner.


----------



## officerripley

dobielvr said:


> Listening to a book on any device, I just can't do that. My mind would wander so much, I'd miss everything!


Same here.


----------

