Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion

I planted over 200 bulbs today 'reading' via my MP3 player. Fantastic.

Earlier today, I finally finished Lorna Doone; it was a long read even by my standards! I'm hoping to get my review up tonight.

Though I haven't added it to my currently-reading shelf yet, I'm now reading Anatomy of a Love Affair. It's a poetry book, and not the sort of thing I'd normally pick to read on my own; but one of my Goodreads friends (who was enraptured with it) gifted me with a copy of it, and implored me to read it right away. So, in consideration of her generosity, I'm doing just that! It has the virtue of being short, so it should be a fairly quick read.

I'm also reading a review copy of The Tanist's Wife and Other Stories: Stories of Alternative Histories in electronic format; one of the contributors, my friend Andrew Seddon, sent me a free PDF review copy. (Of course, if I like it --and I expect to; I'm a big fan of alternate-world fiction!-- I'll buy a copy once it's available in print form, but it isn't yet.) I could have put this on my "being read intermittently" shelf; but I actually hope to finish it fairly soon.

Finally finished Winter's Tale, by Mark helprin! started in february and took a couple months off. See my books for my review! now I started Life Code, by dr. phil .

I'm reading The Gemini Virus, since I have to keep hearing about ebola, I might as well get some enjoyment out of medical insanity.

LOL! Go, Jackie.

I just finished a reread of an old favorite, A Rose for Ecclesiastes by Roger Zelazny. (Actually, here in the US it's titled "Four For Tomorrow", but GR seems to have a thing for the British title now.) 4 short stories & worthy of 5 stars. My review is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I just read a couple of excellent stories. Crashing Through Mirrors is a short story by Anonymous-9, a GR author I've come to appreciate for her gritty thrillers. My 4 star review is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The big surprise was a YA romance story Boys Don't Ride by Katharina Marcus. Not my typical read at all, but I gave it 5 stars here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm not sure how I stumbled on the last story. It's free for a download here on GR & I've had her book, Eleanor McGraw, a Pony Named Mouse and a Boy Called Fire on my list for a while. I bought it after reading this freebie. Excellent writer. Knows horses. One of the few.

I'm gonna start Speaker for the Dead tonight. One of Eric's friends has been badgering me to read it, I've had it on my shelf for years so I might as well do it now.

I bought Eleanor McGraw, a Pony Named Mouse and a Boy Called Fire & am reading it now. PM'd the author & apparently we're a lot alike. Her daughter's pony pulled a tendon today. Wow. Deja vu. My daughter, Erin, is here to pick up her horse & take him down to Nashville. She & Josh decided they could afford to board him for Erin's sanity.

I just finished Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors by Nicholas Wade. It's a very interesting look at human evolution bringing together anthropology & the human genome project to draw some interesting new conclusions or at least pointing us in other directions. I gave it 4 stars here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This month, I'm taking part in the common read in my Supernatural Fiction Readers group, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (although I had to start late, since I was finishing up some other reading). This particular book wasn't on my to-read shelf until it won the poll in the group; but since the annual October common read was my idea, I feel a duty to support it. I didn't know what to expect from the book, but it actually engaged my interest right away.

I bought the original first edition of "Night Circus," and have never been sorry. It is intriguing. Let me know what you think after reading it, please.

Eleanor McGraw, a Pony Named Mouse and a Boy Called Fire by Katharina Marcus was a wonderful read, another horsey YA romance. Maybe I'm going soft in my dotage, but the emotional rollercoaster was much like I used to get as a kid reading "Black Beauty". Fantastic. I gave it 5 stars here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'll try to remember to post a link to my review here, Nina, when I finish the book. (If I have one of my spells of absent-mindedness, remind me!)

Barb and I have read quite a few of the books in Piers Anthony's humorous-fantasy Xanth series, and I count myself as a fan; but it's been six years or so since we've read one (not since I joined this group!). We've ended this long hiatus by recently starting Roc and a Hard Place as our "car book." This is the 19th book in the series, immediately preceding the last one we read, Yon Ill Wind. (We've read volumes 1-7, 11-13, 15 and 20, but several of these have been read somewhat out of order; reading order has sometimes depended on what flea-market purchases we happened to have in hand, and in my pre-Goodreads days it wasn't always easy to determine what the proper order of series books was.)

I've read quite a few of Anthony's books, including some of the Xanth series. I think I got rid of all except the first 4 when we moved. I always thought the first 3 or 4 were the best. Macroscope might be my favorite, although Neq the Sword is also great. The problem with the latter is it's the second of a trilogy. The first book is pretty good, but the last book was awful.

I generally get series order from FantasticFiction. It's quicker (less info) & I can more easily copy the page into notepad & store the list. Quite often I print them out & stick it in with the books.

I got on the Internet Archive (archive.org) & downloaded a bunch of Old Time Radio shows for free. (It's easiest if you use Utorrent to get them.) Listened to a few while spinning up some Malamute fur.
- The Mel Blanc Show was pretty awful.
- Luke Slaughter of Tombstone was OK. I listened to 2 episodes of that.
- I had high hopes for The Black Museum, narrated by Orson Welles. It sucked. I gave it 2 episodes.
- I hope "The Saint" with Vincent Price isn't as big a disappointment.
- I couldn't find any 2000X (still in copyright?) but they do have some Dimension X, I think. Haven't gotten any yet.
-I found a show called Vanishing Point that I have high hopes for.
- "The Clock" was supposed to be a sort of Twilight Zone radio program, but the resemblance seems distant. Not bad, though. I've only listened to one, so far.
- I listened to the "Slide", a SF BBC play in 7 parts. It started out well, but was kind of dumb. I gave it 2 stars. The acting was good.

The big catch was every episode of "X Minus 1" & "Sci-fi Radio" which are plays made of short stories. There aren't many of the latter, but the former had a good long run from 55 - 57, I think. Even made a come back in the early 70's briefly. I've been collecting them for years, but never got them all.

One of the last shows in 1957 is by Fredrick Pohl who wrote "Target One". I mention this because Harlan Ellison sued for getting his name on "Terminator" due to the whole time travel thing which he wrote 2 scripts for in season 2. The first was "Soldier" & the second was a cyborg in "Demon With a Glass Hand" (played by Robert Culp). What kills me is that Pohl, in "Target One" had a guy travel back to 1900 to kill Einstein before he could publish his work & thus prevent an atomic war in the 1960's. That seems a bit more to the point than either of Ellison's shows. Of course, there are rumors that Cameron said he was influenced by one of those shows while no one seems to remember Pohl's story except a few SF geeks. (Yes, I have a trivial mind.)
;)

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the Dimension X, X Minus 1, or SF ones, Michael. As you point out, they're all stories by masters. Many (most?) are short stories that have appeared in many anthologies with "Best" in the title. Yes, it is solitary, but Marg is off at a riding lesson, so there is no one else around, anyway. (I didn't find any 2000Plus on there, another favorite)

I just got my socks knocked off by Doha 12 by Lance Charnes. If you like spy thriller with a lot of action, yet very realistic (it could be happening now) then this book is for you. One of the main characters is quite an action heroine.

Here's my 5 star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Jim. if you ever desire to change jobs you could work for a newspaper or magazine as a reviewer. You always intrigue me with your opinions. Yes, enough to try it/library here I come.

Thanks, Nina. I hope you like it & can find it. I got it as a Kindle book.

Lance is one of my Goodreads friends, and I bought a (print) copy of this book earlier this year (as well as a copy of his second novel, South). I'm really looking forward to reading both of these eventually --though with my backlog of books, it'll probably be a while before I can get to them.

Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris was well read, short, & to the point. I only gave it 4 stars because it wasn't properly titled. Oh, it was in the form of a letter, but I doubt any Christian would read it, unfortunately. My review is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Just ordered, "Unbroken" on Kindle. Heard rave reviews. Have any of you out there read it. No joy in Mudville today as the Royals lost it last night. But, they were brave warriors and the city still loves them.

Later today, I expect to start reading The Four Loves, by C. S. Lewis. He's a favorite author of mine, and the book is a common read this month in my Christian Goodreaders group.

Nina, you were interested in my reaction to The Night Circus. Here's the link to my review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/1082507680 .

I finished Speaker for the Dead, second of the Ender series. It is so different than the original Ender, and so much better.

I'm also reading Doctor Who: The Doctor - His Lives and Times. It's a great book that can be read in short bursts, it comprises letters, journals, trial records, secret government files and the occasional bit of tabloid journalism as told by the Doctor's friends, by his enemies, and by the man himself.

I plan to start reading Elantris by Brandon Sanderson sometime today. He's an author I've been wanting to read for a while, and he's highly recommended.

I wish I could have invited C.S.Lewis to dinner. such an interesting person and well liked/loved by his stepson.

Nina wrote: "I wish I could have invited C. S. Lewis to dinner...."" Nina, if you ever get a chance to watch the movie Shadowlands (www.imdb.com/title/tt0108101 ) I'd recommend it highly to you. Anthony Hopkins does a wonderful job of bringing Lewis to life.

Earlier this fall, I won a copy of Ghosts: A Natural History: 500 Years of Searching for Proof in a Goodreads giveaway. When I win books in these giveaways, I try to make them as much of a priority for reading and reviewing as I can, so I've started this one now.

I finished Elantris, an outstanding debut novel by Brandon Sanderson. Now I see why so many people like his work.

A friend lent me Gone Girl, I wanted to read it before I see the movie. So far so good.

Juliene Lloyd is a Goodreads author who belongs to a group I happen to moderate (long story!), Girls and Guns. She recently offered a review copy of her debut novel, Operation Angelica to group members who wanted one, and I took her up on the offer. I've been eager to read it, both because I try to give high priority to review copies I receive and because I find the premise intriguing; and I was finally able to start on it yesterday. It should be a quick read!

Heritage of Cyador by L.E. Modesitt Jr. was another excellent addition to his Recluce series. The series spans a lot of time & while I'd suggest reading Cyador's Heirs first (which introduces this main character & bit of the world) there's no need to read the entire series. My 4 star review is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Gone Girl, not worthy of the hype. Most things never live up to the hype anyway. The best thing about GG is it mentions The Martian Chronicles. It reminded me I haven't read it in decades so I dusted it off and jumped right in, guaranteed superior read.

While I'm certainly not finished with it, I've decided to mark By Hand & Eye as read. Walker & Toplin are well known woodworkers & they tried to fit a lot into this slim volume - a bit too much. It was quite frustrating at times, but I think my designs will be far better for getting through & continuing to work with it. I gave it 4 stars here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Werner wrote [in message 526]:"Nina, if you ever get a chance to watch the movie Shadowlands (www.imdb.com/title/tt0108101 ) I'd recommend it highly to you. Anthony Hopkins does a wonderful job of bringing Lewis to life.

Yes, I agree. "Shadowlands" is high on my list of favorite movies. Or am I confusing it with "84 Charing Cross Road"?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090570/?...

The plots sound similar and Hopkins starred in both of them. Hmmmm.

Of course, my FAVORITE movie, starring Anthony Hopkins as a butler, is "The Remains of the Day".
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107943/?...

PS-In case anyone is interested, below are the links to the Wiki pages about the movies indicated:

"84 Charing Cross Road" (film): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/84_Chari...

"Shadowlands" (film): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadowla...

I just finished listening to The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. While it sounded interesting & started out well, it quickly became obvious that the author was extremely biased, so I only gave it 2 stars. I wish I could have given it a better rating, but I detest poor science.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Jim, you can't win 'em all. :)

Reading Icebound

Jackie wrote: "Reading Icebound"

A Koontz thriller, eh?

I'm currently sampling Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption via an Amazon ebook in my new Kindle Cloud Reader. This is an experiment on my part.

PS-Laura Hillenbrand who wrote _Unbroken_ also wrote Seabiscuit: An American Legend. _Unbroken_ seems to be a very exciting book. A good one for me to tackle as I return to the reading world.

PPS-I can buy Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption for my Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader for $2.99. I think I'll go for it.

BTW, Amazon couldn't install the Kindle app in my computer. They claim it's not compatible with my computer which is a Dell Vostro 7, I think. So I have to use the Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader instead.

PPPS
The ad for UNBROKEN says: "#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE"

Release Date in USA: 25 December 2014
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1809398/?...

The film opened in Australia on 11/17/14 (Sydney) (premiere.)

FILM REVIEW:
"Unbroken, the last of the Oscar films to be screened, is being rolled out today [12/2/14] with royal glory at the opulent Metropolitan Club off Fifth Avenue, where a lunch feting the film, the cast and the director, Her Royal Highness Angelina Jolie, was being held.

"Anticipation for the film, which tells of the grueling survival story of Olympian and World War II veteran Louis Zamperini, has been building since the Governors Awards last year, when Mr. Zamperini, who has since died, was given a standing ovation. And, with no clear front-runner in this year’s Oscar race, Unbroken has long been at or near the top of prognosticators’ lists of contenders."
FROM: http://carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com...

See book reviews of Unbroken at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/15/boo...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/boo...

I want to see the movie, thanks for all the info Joy!

You're welcome, Jackie.
I noticed that someone tweeted:
"UNBROKEN is, if nothing else, utterly exhausting."
See the quote at:
http://carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com... - (halfway down the page)

The trailer alone is a thriller! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1809398/?...
Hope I can survive the movie! :)

The book is full of so many historic details. Laura Hillenbrand really did her research. I'm still reading it in the Amazon Kindle Cloud. I'm giving a paperback copy to each of my sons for Christmas.

Here is Zamperini's Wiki page. He died at the age of 97.
What a life he led! The ultimate survivor!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Za...

I just finished reading Cruises with Kathleen by Donald Hamilton. It's about his sailboat, the Kathleen, & was just super. I'm not a sailor, but I love his practical approach to problems & no-nonsense writing. I gave it 5 stars here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Jim, last year, on your recommendation, I gave my son Cruises with Kathleen for Christmas.

Has he mentioned reading it? I was amazed at how readable it was, especially since I'm not a sailor nor particularly interested in the subject.

I'll ask him when he comes for Christmas.

Jim, Eddie read Cruises with Kathleen before we gave it to our son. Eddie said it was a good read.

Show Eddie my review, please. I'd be interested in what he thinks.