Book Nook Cafe discussion

John, i'm a fan of reading about living in cold places, so i'm adding this book to my list. It appears some readers who commented here on GR had mixed feelings, given the family part. I think i could tolerate that if it gave me some good traveling descriptions.

Since then, I've read Greenland and part of Canada, neither of which was memoir. Flipping through the rest at random, I got no real memoir at all, just some historical background. If anything, the book might seem a bit "superficial" I suppose, but for me that easily beats getting bogged down!

Agreed. I've been reading To The Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey, a novel about a real-life discovery trek along the Wolverine River in Alaska in 1885. I think it was the first US discovery attempt. While it includes personal stuff of less interest to me, i'm liking the descriptions of the river in different stages as it thaws. I've got to return it in 4 days, so am trying to carve time for it, as it is good.

I suppose one thing i appreciate about writing on those frigid parts is that the authors strive to explain the physical aspects of the ice, water & surroundings. This is especially true when, as in this case, the explorers are living on the ice. Great observations.

Hello Everyone

I like buying books but I don’t like spending much, so I enjoy finding price deals on ebooks and on paper backs alike.
If you wish you could visit my blog, I review books and I mention whether it was a hard copy or a digital edition that I bought.

https://anopenbookbyaneta.wordpress.com

All the best
Aneta

Aneta, i like the way you've played with your "star" system. Looks fun.

madrano wrote: "Aneta, i like the way you've played with your "star" system. Looks fun."

Thank you, it makes me smile to ;-)

Library book (print copy): The Hummingbird

First in series featuring a Finnish detective of Serbian origin, Anna. A bit confusingly, her first language seems to be Hungarian (from being raised there as a young child). Her new partner as the series opens is quite the sexist bigot, but she stands up to him.

John, i'll be interested in reading your thoughts on this after your conclusion. Given that the detective has two nationalities in her background, there could be some interesting developments in this one.

It was explained in the part I read just now that she is from the Hungarian minority region of (what is now) Serbia. I'll post more when I'm done.

Thanks, John. I look forward to it.

I bought The Gene: An Intimate History, knowing it will be interesting but a challenging and slow read. Love science books though!!

Since it isn't in the public domain yet, thankfully The Pearl is available through my local library for the buddy here. Whew!! Snatched it up!

Lisa Ann ✿ wrote: "I bought The Gene: An Intimate History, knowing it will be interesting but a challenging and slow read. Love science books though!!

Since it isn't in the public domain yet, thankf..."

I will interested in your thoughts on The Gene. A friend read his other book, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer a bit too hard to understand.

I heard the author on Book TV discussing The Gene and I thought it sounding fascinating.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?409826-...

Thanks for the link to the video, Alias. Much appreciated! I just bookmarked it on my kindle.

Also, I agree that The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer is a tough book to get through. I had personal reasons for wanting to read it and some background in science, so maybe that helped me a little.

John wrote: "Started a (print copy) library book I got today Sixty Degrees North: Around the World in Search of Home, author's travels at the latitude. Shetland in Scotland was more memoir than ..."

Bumping this to report that I finished it today. Not bad writing, and not overloaded with memoir. My issue was that I didn't get a unifying "theme" for the discrete locations.

Thanks for the update, John. It'll be worth a whirl.

I've just ordered these from Amazon earlier today:

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Walking Disaster
The Good Girlfriend's Guide to Getting Even

I am about ready to start reading a book about the French Resistance during WWII. It looks interesting and the cover notes say that "the myths of the French Resistance will be laid to rest". We shall see.

The Resistance: The French Fight Against the Nazis by Matthew Cobb

Well . . . seen references to the book, never saw the famous film, si decided to download Charlie and the Chocolate Factory from the library. Very good narration, but slow start.

Jill wrote: "I am about ready to start reading a book about the French Resistance during WWII. It looks interesting and the cover notes say that "the myths of the French Resistance will be laid to rest". We sha..."

Jill, I just read a fact in my current read Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Liliesabout the French and WWI that I never heard of before.

They tried to create a camouflage fake town so that that the Germans would bomb that and not the real Paris. One reason they mention it was they used so much paint that Monet had some difficulty getting paints for his art. I can't believe I never heard about something so wild like this. Fascinating !

Here is a one article that I found about it online.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/world...

I'll be darned. I have read lots about WWI and that is a new fact for me. That was one well kept secret. I knew that in WWII, the British built several camouflage military installations to fool the Nazis, especially right before D-Day but didn't know that the French had done it in the Great War. Thank you so much for that great link.

You're welcome.

Suzanne wrote: "I've just ordered these from Amazon earlier today:

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Walking Disaster
[book:The..."

Enjoy your Harry Potter reading!!

I bought Out of the Dust for Karen Hesse. It is a YA historical fiction novel but the style of writing is what sets it apart from other books on the subject. Word of warning, do not go to the authors website prior to finishing the book, as there are spoilers on the homepage.

It sounds as though someone should write a book about fake towns, military sites and other such attempts. This is fascinating!

Lisa Ann, i hope you enjoy Hesse's book as much as i did. When i read it i was aware it was in verse but didn't know it was about the Dust Bowl. My mom lived in Oklahoma during those years but she never talked about it, so i don't know how big a nuisance it was to her family. This book offered many good images about the times. Enjoy!

madrano wrote: "It sounds as though someone should write a book about fake towns, military sites and other such attempts. This is fascinating!

Lisa Ann, i hope you enjoy Hesse's book as much as i did. When i rea..."

Thanks, Deb. I probably should have held off and posted under the "What Have You Read" topic. I bought the kindle version a few days ago and already finished it. I really enjoyed the writing style and the fictional account sometimes fooled me into thinking it was non-fiction. A dark subject but enjoyable read!

That must have been a tough time for your mom to go through. I couldn't imagine the hardships, let alone having to clean up massive amounts of dust. (This is coming from a bit of a neat freak!) Maybe your mom just wanted to mentally forget about that time period and leave it in the past.

A friend in my dance class gave me a book that she finished and enjoyed.

Dancing Through It: My Journey in the Ballet by Jenifer Ringer

“A glimpse into the fragile psyche of a dancer.” —The Washington Post

Jenifer Ringer, a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, was thrust into the headlines after her weight was commented on by a New York Times critic, and her response ignited a public dialogue about dance and weight.

Ballet aficionados and aspiring performers of all ages will want to join Ringer behind the scenes as she shares her journey from student to star and candidly discusses both her struggle with an eating disorder and the media storm that erupted after the Times review. An unusually upbeat account of life on the stage, Dancing Through It is also a coming-of-age story and an inspiring memoir of faith and of triumph over the body issues that torment all too many women and men.

Lisa Ann ✿ wrote: "I bought The Gene: An Intimate History, knowing it will be interesting but a challenging and slow read. Love science books though!! ..."

I hope to read this one soon, too, Lisa Ann ("soon" = within the next six or so months).

Alias, I found The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer a straight forward book, except for one chapter which got into the nitty-gritty gene level of cancer. The author has a wonderful way of writing clearly.

John wrote: "Well . . . seen references to the book, never saw the famous film, si decided to download Charlie and the Chocolate Factory from the library. Very good narration, but slow start."

John, if you're going to watch the movie, watch the Gene Wilder rendition. It's magical (but I'm a big Gene Wilder fan).
I've never read the book. Looking forward to your thoughts.

Bought Our Revolution: A Future to Believe in a few months ago, and finally got around to finishing it. I highly recommend it for those who are interested in learning about the serious issues facing modern America. My review can be found here.

Tanima wrote: "

Bought Our Revolution: A Future to Believe in a few months ago, and finally got around to finishing it. I highly recomme..."

My neighbor read it and liked it a lot.

Thanks for mentioning Our Revolution, Tanima. I just added it to my list.

Lisa Ann ✿ wrote: "Maybe your mom just wanted to mentally forget about that time period and leave it in the past...."

This could be, Lisa Ann. As the oldest child she may have had more responsibility in the household. The family ranched & farmed and both parents were out of the household all day. Good point.

Tanima, thank you for the good review about the Sanders book.

John, i liked the Roald Dahl book. For me it was even better than the Gene Wilder movie although, to be fair, i read it with Wilder's version in mind. I hope you enjoy it. There was a follow up, Charlie And The Great Glass Elevator which was a let down, imo.

I ended up disliking Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, but understand why others do.

Tanima wrote: "

Bought Our Revolution: A Future to Believe in a few months ago, and finally got around to finishing it. I highly recomme..."

Thank you for that review, Tamina. To-read for sure. Not to get political here but real quick, I think without Debbie Wasserman-Schultz's unethical meddling Bernie woulda won.

Petra wrote: " Lisa Ann ✿ wrote: "I bought The Gene: An Intimate History, knowing it will be interesting but a challenging and slow read. Love science books though!! ..."

"
Petra,

It is indeed a slow read but I think immensely rewarding.

Larry

Today I picked up from the library
If Kennedy Lived: The First and Second Terms of President John F. Kennedy: An Alternate History---Jeff Greenfield

It's my next library group read. I'll be reading it starting in in the beginning of March if anyone is interested in reading it with me.


From one of the country’s most brilliant political commentators, the bestselling author of Then Everything Changed, an extraordinary, thought-provoking look at Kennedy’s presidency—after November 22, 1963.

November 22, 1963: JFK does not die. What would happen to his life, his presidency, his country, his world?

In Then Everything Changed, Jeff Greenfield created an "utterly compelling" (Joe Klein), "riveting" (The New York Times), "eye-opening"” (Peggy Noonan), "captivating" (Doris Kearns Goodwin) exploration of three modern alternate histories, "with the kind of political insight and imagination only he possesses" (David Gregory). Based on memoirs, histories, oral histories, fresh reporting, and his own knowledge of the players, the book looked at the tiny hinges of history—and the extraordinary changes that would have resulted if they had gone another way.

Now he presents his most compelling narrative of all about the historical event that has riveted us for fifty years. What if Kennedy were not killed that fateful day? What would the 1964 campaign have looked like? Would changes have been made to the ticket? How would Kennedy, in his second term, have approached Vietnam, civil rights, the Cold War? With Hoover as an enemy, would his indiscreet private life finally have become public? Would his health issues have become so severe as to literally cripple his presidency? And what small turns of fate in the days and years before Dallas might have kept him from ever reaching the White House in the first place?

As with Then Everything Changed, the answers Greenfield provides and the scenarios he develops are startlingly realistic, rich in detail, shocking in their projections, but always deeply, remarkably plausible. It is a tour de force of American political history.
Hardcover, 272 pages

What a concept...and not too long. Hmmmm.

Let me know if you are interested in a Buddy Read. I have to have the book read by March 23rd.

Alias Reader wrote: "Today I picked up from the library
If Kennedy Lived: The First and Second Terms of President John F. Kennedy: An Alternate History---Jeff Greenfield

It's my next li..."

This sounds like an interesting idea :)

Barbara, I am not usually into alternative history. However, my friend, who is also in the library group, read it and said it would be a good discussion book. She enjoyed it.

The JFK alt-history book would probably be a good one because many of us are from those years, unlike Civil War or WWI alt-history novels.

I just got these on my Kindle:

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
November 9 by Colleen Hoover
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Too Late by Colleen Hoover
Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram
End of Days by Susan Ee
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Can You Keep A Secret? by Sophie Kinsella
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Jaci wrote: "I just got these on my Kindle:

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han


Cute take on the hit song.

Willie Nelson, Julio Iglesias - To All The Girls I've Loved Before
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVq0O...

Alias Reader wrote: "Jaci wrote: "I just got these on my Kindle:

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han


Cute take on the hit song.

Willie Nelson, Julio Iglesias - To All The Girls I've Loved Before
https:/..."

I had no idea that was a song! So cool. I'll listen to it :)

Quite a list of books, Jaci. Enjoy.

I'm reading The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin by Masha Gessen. I saw the author on tv this week and wanted to read more about Putin, so the two came together for me. I'm not far into it but what i've read is chilling. Getting him into office seems remarkably easy.

madrano wrote: "

I'm reading The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin by Masha Gessen. I saw the author on tv this week and wan..."

That sounds interesting. I put it on my library to read shelf. I see it's popular and there are a lot of holds and the library seems to be processing new copies.

Thanks for mentioning it.

I'm listening to Traveling with Ghosts: A Memoir, which promises to be an interesting story once we had past the tragedy at the beginning.

I just purchased Alice at Barnes and Noble. From Amazon I bought Other Worlds Than These. And from the library I'm currently reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog, My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me: Forty New Fairy Tales, From the Dust Returned, and The Masked City.

Megan, I LOVED The Elegance of the Hedgehog. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

John wrote: "I'm listening to Traveling with Ghosts: A Memoir, which promises to be an interesting story once we had past the tragedy at the beginning."

I see the reviews are quite good for the book.