Book Lovers Club

voraciousreader

Minus!  I saw the film, This is Where I Leave You, based on Jonathan Trooper's book of the same name.  The film's screenplay was also written by Trooper, so it retains the books essence and humor on screen.  Bottom line....I loved the film!

MinusTwo

Great VR.  I told my BFF who lives in another town I was going to the film.  She really liked it and I was surprised, but the two ladies she went with were both not excited if not actual "thumbs down".  I'd actually like to see it again!!

voraciousreader

Minus....I'd be curious to know why they didn't find the movie appealing.  What I also found interesting was the choice to cast Jane Fonda as the mother.  Her childhood was as dysfunctional as the family painted in the film...I guess one can say all families are dysfunctional...but what matters is the degree... Trooper, though, does a fantastic job in finding humor in this messy thing that we refer to  life...

brigadoonbenson

Marple - I agree on those too.  Also "A Fine Balance". 

208sandy

I LOVED A Fine Balance!!

glennie19

I have been teased by friends for a long time, for preferring paper books over kindle and other e-books.  So I have to say that i LOVED this article. 

http://mic.com/articles/99408/science-has-great-ne...

MinusTwo

Glennie - GREAT article.  I've immediately forwarded to a bunch of my reading buddies.  How depressing that 3/4 of Americans reported reading ONE book in the past year.  ONLY ONE BOOK.  I can't even imagine it.  I do have a Kindle but I only use it for things like cruises when I don't want to lug along 7 books for 7 days.

kathindc

My book club went to see This is Where I Leave You as it was last month's read.  I wasn't a big fan of the book.  First time I can say that I enjoyed a movie better than the book as I found some of Judd's narratives tedious.  For me, the facial and body language helped.  Too each their own. 

glennie19

minustwo:   I can see where a Kindle would come in handy on a vacation. It's hard to lug around 6-7 books in your suitcase! But I have still resisted (rebel that I am) and save the small trade paperbacks that I find at used books sales for those trips!

It is very sad that some people read so little.  My Mom doesn't read at all,,, I just don't get it. My poor brother has very little time to read with job and disabled child,,, but he keeps his book in the car and reads at traffic stops!! One reason he likes James Patterson, cuz JP writes fairly short chapters and he can usually read one per traffic stop!

M0mmyof3

When I go on vacation I take at least two book depnding on the thickness of them.

brigadoonbenson

The part that bothers me the most about people not reading is that for some reading would be their only chance to see life from another perspective.  All of my life I have benefited from the glimpses that reading has given me into boardrooms, living rooms, bedrooms and hidden rooms of the minds of countless characters.  I have visited distant lands and all the socio-economic classes in those lands.  I have been exposed to more than one view of the history of the same happenings.  One can live in isolation on top of a mountain and travel the world through books.  What a shame so many people miss that opportunity.

I do use a Kindle all the time.  I was a great defender of the book form and still read them but I love the Kindle for its lightness and the fact that I can read in bed and not disturb my husband.  The newer ones are very user friendly.  I had one of the originals and it was distracting to have to push the button to turn a page.  Now, when I pick up a book I find myself sweeping my finger across the page instead of turning it.  It makes me laugh.

Ah, well, no matter what the delivery system, the content is the prize.

ruthbru

Just read Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie and I am not sure what I think about it. The story is about a young Nigerian woman who immigrates to the United States (starts with her youth in Nigeria, goes through her 15 years in America & ends with her back in Nigeria). It tries to cover the corrupt political situation in her native land, daily life for Nigerians, racism in America, her daily life in American, several love affairs in America, the boy she left behind.......so, although parts were very interesting, it went on a little too long, was a little too preachy, had too many loose ends, and a not very satisfying ending for me (one of the main people goes totally out of character for it to end as it did). It was a Book Club book so will make for a good discussion anyway!

Speaking of Kindles.....I was 98% done with the book when an error message came up on the machine, and the book disappeared!!!  That has never happened to me before, and luckily I have Kindle on my phone too & it was still loaded there so I could finish it up! Weird.....

M0mmyof3

Gonna a read a book that I got over a year ago and haven't read yet.

voraciousreader

Mommy...What is the name of the book?

voraciousreader

BTW....I can never get rid of my addiction to "364" books....true crimes.  Had to put toothpicks on my eyelids last night as I was reading, Murder in the Stacks.  It is about a murder of a lovely young female Penn State student that occurred back in 1969 at the school's main library.

M0mmyof3

I believe its called "The Glitter and the Gold" its written by the granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt.

sandra4611

Brigadoon, what a thoughtful post. I really enjoyed your perfect description of how reading takes you on wonderful adventures.

Mommyof2, ha, ha...you are going to read a book you bought last year. I bet all of us have those. I have two 6' bookcases just for books I own but haven't read yet. I just keep getting sidetracked with other book recommendations. I also admit to having a romance with any library. Love, love, love wandering up and down aisles, imagining all those books quietly speaking to me. I always go home with at least one souvenir.

 

 

M0mmyof3

Been meaning to get to that book but I keep forgetting about it!

voraciousreader

mommy...I must read that book too!  Not long ago, I visited the Vanderbilt "cottage" in Newport and was touched by the painting of her....

M0mmyof3

Voracious, there is actually two homes that belonged to the Vanderbilt family in Newport. The Marble House and The Breakers. Marble house was built by Willam K. Vanderbilt for Alva who later divorced him to marry another notable of Newport high society. I've been in the Vanderbilt mansion in Hyde Park, NY and Biltmore down in Asheville, NC and Marble House, but never been in the Breakers yet and I spent most of my life in Newport.

MinusTwo

Sandra - so glad to see you alert & posting and home from surgery.  Hope recovery continues and results are just what you expected.

voraciousreader

Mommy....do you have any idea how many Vanderbilt mansions there are AND have been???!!! We even have one here on Long Island!  Yikes!!!! There are so many of them!  And we have to thank them for Grand Central Terminal and Park Avenue.  And how many people have a street named for them in Manhattan??!!! Most people don't realize as they pass into Grand Central, they walk past Vanderbilt Way....But Conseula....what a lady....and Newport??!!! How lucky of you to live there!  What a beautiful town!!! I'm jealous!

Jelson

Marple -I  just googled sky burial! ick! and then tried Sky Burial book and found one by Xue Xinran , is this the book to which you refer? it sounds fascinating. My knowledge of current Tibet history is through Eliot Pattison's novels. I am certainly going to look for Sky Burial. 

Just finished Hector and the Search for Happiness by Francois Lelord. The book is about a young psychiatrist who is frustrated by the difficulties he encounters trying to help his patients. He travels around the world in search of the meaning of happiness. It is short, sweet, simple, funny and thought-provoking. I really enjoyed it.

MinusTwo

Checking in about Gone Girl.  I usually read 5-7 books a week.  Just haven't been able to engage & read more than a few pages a day on this book.  Now I've started "part 2" it's going a bit faster.  Still... I've only stayed with it to find out what all the controversy is about - pro vs con.

MinusTwo

Anybody read  Barbara Ehrenreich: Bright-sided How positive thinking is undermining America ?  Glennie was talking about it on another thread.  Sounds like I should find it.

M0mmyof3

I know voracious. The only thing I hated about Newport is that the economy there is mostly tourism. We used to have a bumper sticker for Newport that read "Wecome to Newport, Now go Home", I always said that they should have added, "but leave your money!"   lol  Most people that live there know from May to after Labor Day to avoid Downtown Newport if they can, because its wall to wall tourists!

glennie19

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6452749-bright-sided?ac=1

 

Minustwo:  Here's a link to the book on Goodreads.  Not sure if my review will pop up or not, but I'm Glennie over there too.  I found the book really interesting and would recommend it.

sandra4611

I thought Gone Girl was a total waste of time. No one in my book club liked it either. The characters turned out to be contemptible.

M0mmyof3

Well I am not reading "The Glitter and the Gold". So far I haven't gotten really far into the book but I am fascinated by her story.

MinusTwo

Finished Gone Girl.  Thumbs down.  Would not recommend.

Glennie - thanks for the link.  I liked her book Nickel & Dimed and will look forward to this one.