Book Nook Cafe discussion

LOL, Julie, i thought it was NF when i began reading your comments. The onboard vampire clued me in. It's fun to follow such muses when reading.

Their Eyes Were Watching God
Zora Neale Hurston
5/5 stars
Janie Crawford is a mixed race daughter whose mother ran off and who was eventually raised by her grandmother. Life is not easy for Janie. She is forced to marry one man, and then eventually runs off with another man. Neither of them had treated her with respect. It was not until she meets the love of her life, Tea Cake that she feels loved. They eventually take off to Florida to make a life for themselves but fate has other plans for Janie. I have never read the Hurston before but I did enjoy this story and would read more of her books. It never won any prizes and did not do well until later in the 1970’s when there was a call for more African American books and literature. T

Good book. I also liked Jonah's Gourd Vine. When i completed it, i thought i preferred it over Eyes but am not sure now. She was quite the talent.

Last year i read a book she worked on in the '30s but didn't attain publication. She wanted the vernacular of the former slave published as is & the powers that be refused. As a result it was only published in 2018. Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo". I liked it too. Rather than folklore fiction, this was part of her efforts as an anthropologist.

The Library of Lost and Found
Phaedra Patrick
4/5 stars
Martha Stewart has had a terrible life. She can't get the job she wants at the library. Her friends all use her as a doormat and she has a terrible relationship with her sister. One day she finds a book that has a very familiar story when she realizes it was a story that she once told. She tracks down the book and gets involved with the bookstore owner who found the book for her. Little by little Martha tracks down the mystery of her published story and in doing so she stands up for herself and meets the mystery author of her published book! I thought this was thoroughly enjoyable. Mystery

This sounds like a good story, Julie. The GR blurb mentions the charms of earlier Patrick books, have you read any others by her? This one, with the book theme, calls to me.

Even though this isn't similar, the title reminded me of a book i read & enjoyed 4 or 5 years ago. Author Michael Popek shared a collection of items found, usually as bookmarks, in library & other books in Forgotten Bookmarks: A Bookseller's Collection of Odd Things Lost Between the Pages. Not only were some of the items surprising but it was also interesting but he also included which books they were discovered in. I added quite a few books to my TBR with that one, i must say.

Adding the Popek book to my list-that is something I know I would read. Patrick has a previous book out and I thought I had read that but it was not on my books read list. She also has a new one out and I would read that too. At the library when people return books, it is mainly just paper book marks that are still in the book.

I am certain i've given away books which have newspaper clippings about the author or the topic. For me it is a sort of filing system but by the time i donated some, the clippings were old & examples of how journalism used to be. IMO, that is.

Thanks for answering my question about earlier Patrick books. Her name is new to me.

Revolutionary Road
Richard Yates
4/5 stars
Set in the 1950’s Frank and April, a young couple with two children, live a dull life. When April discovers a new job opportunity in France for her that enables her to make a great deal of money, she convinces Frank that they should move there and he could watch the kids and look for a career he could enjoy. Unfortunately, April becomes pregnant and her dreams are shattered. Life returns to its normal stagnancy until April makes a shocking decision, changing all of their lives forever. For a book written in 1962, I thought this quite a shocking topic for the author to undertake but I had a hard time putting this down. R

I have downloaded a book on to my IPAD. It will be interesting to see how I will like that. I am so used to reading real books.

Julie wrote: "
Revolutionary Road
Richard Yates
4/5 stars
Set in the 1950’s Frank and April, a young couple with two children, live a dull life...."

I own a copy of RR but have not read it yet. I'm glad to see you gave it a good rating. Thanks !

Julie wrote: "I have downloaded a book on to my IPAD. It will be interesting to see how I will like that. I am so used to reading real books."

It takes a bit getting used to. A nice plus is the ability to adjust font size. Also just tapping the word brings up the definition.

I still prefer a paper book, but right now the ability to get an eBook instantly from the library has been a huge benefit during the shut down.

I liked RR very much. There are times when i read novels that surprise me with notions i thought arose decades later. Several times i appreciated what the characters said for that reason. I liked the film version, as well. Indeed, it was that which led me to the book.

I found this in my son's collection of books and it fit perfectly in my challenge. I probably would never would have read it but since reading material in my house was getting low and it fit into my challenge it worked out. And I really liked the book so it was a plus.

Plus, indeed! When each of my children left for college, they left a pile of books to donate to the Friends of Library sale. But first i went through them. They had some literature i hadn't heard of but, after reading, found very good. It pleased me knowing these were books assigned by their teachers &/or for special credit.

The Widow
Fiona Barton
4/5 stars
Glen and Jean are a childless couple living a solitary life but Glen has a terrible secret and Jean knows about it but stays silent. However, when a child goes missing, everything in their lives blows up. This is an interesting tale of secrets and the consequences it has on this couple. This has gotten mixed reviews but I really enjoyed the twists and turns of this tale. Two-word titles starting with "the"

How nice that it turned out to be worthwhile. I see this is the first in a series. Do you think you'll read further?

Once again, clever title.

madrano wrote: "How nice that it turned out to be worthwhile. I see this is the first in a series. Do you think you'll read further?

Once again, clever title."

I don't know if I will read another of hers since I have so many books on my to read list but I did enjoy it. This is the first book I have read on my iPad and though I prefer books over electronics, I would read more on it.

As i mentioned elsewhere on this board, i've been going through my book boxes in our storage unit, creating a nice donation box for Friends of the Library. My husband found The Book of Air and Shadows, picked it up and said, "I think i'll read a paper book next." And he is knee deep in the Michael Gruber thriller.

On the other hand, and i never would have guessed this 5 years ago, almost all the books i've read this year were eBooks! I still like my hardbacks but the convenience of looking up words immediately is a large PLUS.

madrano wrote: I still like my hardbacks but the convenience of looking up words immediately is a large PLUS...."

It certainly is convenient. However, for me, I don't retain the new definition in my aging brain when I just tap and continue on in my eBook. If I make the effort to actually look the word up and sometimes even write it down in my notebook there is a least some hope of my retaining it.

I can't argue with that, Alias. At least as far as definitions go. However, when i like from an eBook text to a "definition" from Wiki, with a sentence or two about an unfamiliar point, i tend to retain this (such as the Blue People from my Horse Librarian book). And, embarrassed to report, i do not always follow up when reading a paper book on looking for info. I remember you are quite good at following through on that, as is Dan. Heck, sometimes i'll mention something from my reading that he'll look up. Handy, i must say.

madrano wrote: "as is Dan. Heck, sometimes i'll mention something from my reading that he'll look up. Handy, i must say...."

:) Now that is the way to do it !

Isn't it? Heaven forbid he figures out my ploy!

Scorsese by Ebert
Roger Ebert
3/5 stars
This was an unusual book. It is not a linear biography of Scorsese, in fact it is not a true biography at all but a look at his life amid his film work. There are 6 discussions/chapters in this non-fiction work - 1) Beginning, 2) Achieving, 3) Establishing, 4) Reflecting,(which is an interview with Ebert) 5) Venturing and 6) Masterpieces. I think the book is interesting and I learned a lot about Scorsese’s filmmaking but the problem I have with the book was that there was a lot of repetition in the book and a rehashing of the movie plots that have been gone over in previous chapters. However, if you are a big film fan or Scorsese fan, I will think you will like this book. S

The 6 chapter discussions are a fine idea. I'm personally not a big enough fan of either film or Scorsese to delve into it. Still, that approach is a good way to learn about a person, imo.

I read this book because it was in my son's possession and who is a big film fan but I still think I would like to read a true biography of him. I did google bios on him and there is a lot of books on him. However, I will stick to my challenge and go on with that. Too many books, too little time!

Amen to that, Julie!

To the Lighthouse
Virginia Woolf
3.5/5 stars
This is a semiautobiographical book of the author and her family set in three time periods. Woolf relates the feelings, events and emotions of her childhood when they stayed at their summer home near the lighthouse. The second section relates the events of WWI and what happened to the family during that time period and the last section is ten years later and recalls the memories of returning to their summer home and their trip to the lighthouse. I have never read Woolf but enjoyed this book and her writing. T

Julie wrote: "
To the Lighthouse
Virginia Woolf
3.5/5 stars
This is a semiautobiographical book of the author and her family set in three time period..."

I've had To The Lighthouse on my TBR list for a long time. I'm glad to see you enjoyed it.

I've only read her Mrs. Dalloway Then did a follow-up read with The Hours by Michael Cunningham Both which I enjoyed.

I remember liking one section better than the other two but darned if i can now recall which ones. Her writing is thoughtful and evokes the past nicely. Mrs. Dalloway was sterling, imo.

I don't remember every reading anything by her before. This book was on my son's bookshelf and it fit into my challenge otherwise I might not have read it.

Orlando is probably my favorite novel by her. It's one i read only after seeing the unusual film based on it. Different.

You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington
Alexis Coe
3.5/5 stars
This is a very interesting short biography of Washington geared to those who don’t want to read some of the tomes on him. The author writes about his childhood, marriage to Martha, his war service and his time as president and afterwards. The author intersperses the book with odd facts and topics which include the diseases he survived, the lies told about him, the animals he raised and much more. I really enjoyed this book! Political Book

This sounds like a clever idea for those who want to know a president. It sounds ripe for a series, although there are some Presidents who would be rather boring. So, maybe not.

Thanks for the title, Julie. I will pass this on.

My library doesn't have the eBook. It's still a relatively new book so maybe at some point they will. They do have a paper copy but libraries are closed in NYC. I see there ate 60 holds and 15 copies when they do finally open.

So, I've put the title in my TBR notebook. Thanks for the heads-up. It sounds like a fun interesting take on Washington.

I can only imagine the waiting lists on some books once the libraries open!

The Third Man
Graham Greene
3.5/5 stars
Rollo Martin (aka Buck Dexter) writes Westerns. Post WWII, his friend Harry Lime invites him to Vienna where he gets swept up in a murder mystery when he finds out his friend Harry is dead. Martin seeks to find out what happened to his friend and gets swept up in the criminal investigation. This was originally first written as film treatment and the book was written afterwards. The movie became a classic starring Orson Welles. A Book Set In A Global City (Vienna)

I didn't realize it was originally designed for film. Interesting. I remember the film and liking it.

madrano wrote: "I didn't realize it was originally designed for film. Interesting. I remember the film and liking it."

I have been trying to get a copy to re-watch but our library doesn't have it and we don't have inter-library loan for now due to the virus. We can only get books from only our library.

I didn't realize users can get videos (audio tapes, either, for that matter) via inter-library loans. At least that can be in your future, Julie.

Memento Mori
Muriel Spark
3.5/5 stars
“Memento Mori” is a term for an artistic or symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death which follows the characters in this dark humoristic story. Set in the 1950’s England, a well-known author has been getting telephone messages that she is going to die. This upsets her circle of friends but she is calm about the matter though secrets about her and family are soon exposed as each of them faces their mortality when they get the same call. 1959

I thought that was a curious novel, Julie. It actually motivated me to (finally) read Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, which i liked less than the first. I ended up reading two others not long after. Ultimately i never felt they stood out above other books i've read but the ideas were often intriguing. I don't think any were better than the one you mention above.

The first novel by her that i read, incidentally, was loosely based on the Watergate saga, The Abbess of Crewe. I think it was popular because the public was ripe for it. :-)

madrano wrote: "I thought that was a curious novel, Julie. It actually motivated me to (finally) read Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, which i liked less than the first. I ended up reading two ..."

Doing the challenges, I read authors and books I would never normally pick out so it is always nice when you find someone you would read again!

Nice point. It again illustrates a surprise aspect of your DL.

Julie wrote: "Doing the challenges, I read authors and books I would never normally pick out so it is always nice when you find someone you would read again!*."

We all are benefiting from your eclectic challenge, Julie. I always look forward to posts.

Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests
Tom Shales
3.5/5 stars
This book is definitely for fans of the show and goes over each season (up till 2014) and includes all the members, writers, producers and Loren Michaels talking about their roles on the phenomenon of SNL and how it affected them.
This book was the updated version for their 40th Season in 2014 (originally published in 2004). I am not sure if it has been updated since then but it would be interesting to read about the changes to the program due to the coronavirus. I enjoyed this so much but be warned it is over 700 pages. L

Wow, that's quite a long book but i suppose we are in that era of never getting enough about entertainment info. I still remember the thrill of seeing those first episodes & feeling hopeful. Was the book a fast read, Julie? It seems as though it would be.

And Tom Shales writing it is interesting. He's written about TV for decades now.

My son owned the book so I was in no hurry to read it. So I read it about 15 minutes everyday but it was very interesting. I was also reading another book at the same time that was due back at the library so I spent more time with that!

I hear ya! I'll bet you are glad to have a library book to read again, too.

madrano wrote: "I hear ya! I'll bet you are glad to have a library book to read again, too."

Yes, it is nice to have some library books to read. However, I just heard from the library I work from that we might not progress in June to having patrons in the library. They are not sure if they can keep patrons social distancing in the library and how to control how many people can come in. Right now you can only order items from our library and pick them up from the front door.

West of Eden: An American Place
Jean Stein
3/5 stars
Jean Stein’s book covers five unusual true stories of Los Angeles, particularly focusing on Hollywood by using the interviews of the actual relatives and players of Hollywood that have shaped Los Angeles history for good or for bad. Stein covers the stories of the Dohenys, the Warner Brothers family, real estate heiress Jane Garland, actress Jennifer Jones, and her own family. I am mixed about this book, some of it I raced through and then others parts seemed to drag on forever. I knew that Hollywood was a free for all but never knew, especially in its early history, that everything was up for grabs in terms of morality. Historical Fiction or History

After reading this book, I was looking into the author and found out that she committed suicide in 2017. What a shame! https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/...