Member: strandbooks

Laura, I forgot to ask if you have read one of my favorite Eliot novels, Daniel Deronda. If not, it's a must!

~Deborah

posted by Cariola at 8:04 pm (EST) on Sep 30, 2009

I read your comment in the 1001 books thread. You mentioned that Virginia Wolf is one of your favorite authors. I've been trying to get into her for a while and really dislike her minute attention to detail. Do you have any favorites by her that might be a good starting point? Any insight into her that you can give would be greatly appreciated.

posted by readerbabe1984 at 3:55 pm (EST) on Sep 23, 2009

I tried to get through The Corrections but couldn't. I really hated all of the characters, and I thought that Franzen was trying to be quirky for quirky's sake. I made it through about 100 pages. Then there was all the hoopla about his refusal to appear on Oprah's show AFTER his book had been selected. I'm lukewarm on Oprah, but I think her book club did a good thing by encouraging people to read, and there's no doubt that the authors of the selected books got huge sales and publicity--which I'm sure Franzen wanted. So it really turned me off when he posted that letter implying that as a "serious" writer, he was too highbrow to have lunch with a group of Oprah readers. Not only a snob, but one that made sure he got the perks first!

So . . . don't let me discourage you from reading his book!

posted by Cariola at 11:30 am (EST) on Aug 21, 2009

Very nice library!

posted by BebeDee at 9:24 am (EST) on Jul 11, 2009

Happy Mother's Day, Laura!

posted by Cariola at 2:44 pm (EST) on May 10, 2009

Noticed that you liked The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in reviewing my new novel and posting your comments here (as well as on a few other book-related sites). I thought you might like my novel since it's been compared to that novel by a number of reviewers. I could e-mail you the novel in an e-book format if you'd like. Let me know if you're interested. Here's a link to a summary in case you're interested:

http://christophertusa.com/

Thanks,

Chris

posted by cmtusa at 12:03 pm (EST) on Apr 17, 2009

Not only did I read The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, I also read the comic book version of it and we discussed it for about an hour in my Modern European History course.

posted by SydneySpaniel at 6:31 pm (EST) on Feb 8, 2009

Speaking of friends, I sent you an invitation way, way back, but LT says that it's still awaiting your approval.

posted by Cariola at 2:42 pm (EST) on Jan 5, 2009

Wow, I have a friend. I guess I need to add more books if we only share 10.

posted by SydneySpaniel at 9:21 am (EST) on Jan 4, 2009

Thanks for your reply. Yes I'm finding 'Into the wild' very interesting. I'd recommend reading it if you get the chance. I'm close to finishing it, and I think I'll try and read 'Into thin air' next.

posted by chocky-e at 1:22 am (EST) on Jun 3, 2008

OMG! I thought i would never get to the end of Marie Antoinette. On to a lighter read to give the old brain a break.

posted by laceym19 at 12:03 pm (EST) on Feb 19, 2008

What did you think of On Chesil Beach? I saw your post that you finished it in one sitting,but you didn't comment on the book. I was surprised to like it after some of the reviews I read in advance, but it stayed with me for weeks after I finished it.

posted by Cariola at 2:55 pm (EST) on Nov 19, 2007

:) That's how I tend to think of myself, despite the world's best effort to change it! Thanks for the best wishes on my degree - I'll probably need them before the next 2 1/2 years are done!

posted by StarGazer72 at 1:48 am (EST) on Nov 18, 2007

Great to meet you! Thanks for accepting my friendship. I'm looking forward to checking out your library and I hope you enjoy mine.

posted by lisaunger at 6:58 am (EST) on Nov 12, 2007

I'm swamped with grading and meetings at present, but I did get away recently to see both Edward II and Tamburlaine in DC and to take a group of students to see The Taming of the Shrew. It will be a working (at home) Thanksgiving, but my daughter and I have plans to go to my brother's in Texas for Christmas.

I think you'll enjoy Astonishing Splashes of Colour. I just started The Gathering by Anne Enright and am totally captived.

One of my students (he's from Wales) saw Ian McKellan in King Lear in London and brought me a program. So sorry I didn't get to see it!

posted by Cariola at 10:54 am (EST) on Nov 11, 2007

Oh, and I see Astonishing Splashes of Coloour on your list. What did you think of it?

posted by Cariola at 5:42 pm (EST) on Nov 9, 2007

Hi, Laura. You're right, I've been adding to my library. I may have about 1/3 of the books I have here at home listed now--but there are still a lot of books at work as well. I've also made a habit of adding new books as I get them. A few weeks ago I started using PBS. Initially I thought that the types of books I like to read would just never show up there, but I've gotten about 10 so far.

My Early Review book isn't terribly exciting: The Arthritis Handbook. But it will be useful as I've been in PT for my osteoarthritis after a bad flareup about six weeks ago. I am willing to do whatever I need to to stave off its progress, and there are some good suggestions in the book.

Are you still working on a 1001 Books list?

I recently finished The Accidental, which I think you would enjoy.

How are the job, the city, the DH, and the pup?

posted by Cariola at 5:40 pm (EST) on Nov 9, 2007

Ah, a schipperke does make more sense than a lab--I wondered about the lack of tail. For me, it was the ears and head shape that gave away the chow-ness. She looks very friendly.

posted by wunderkind at 5:50 pm (EST) on Oct 18, 2007

In lieu of the usual "I like your library" comment, I'll say this instead: I like your dog. Is he/she a chow-lab mix?

posted by wunderkind at 3:58 pm (EST) on Oct 18, 2007

Change it right now - and hope that the publisher hasn't already addressed your package! Change it here: http://www.librarything.com/er/signup

posted by ablachly at 7:55 pm (EST) on Oct 17, 2007

Classes started on Monday--but a strike is still very possible, since we haven't yet voted on the new contract. It's a mess. Apparently the negotiators tentatively agreed to terms, then called the state negotiator to ask for some changes. They were assured that the changes would be made, but now the state is saying no, they will only go by what was signed initially. So now the union is recommending that we reject the contract because of mistakes THEY made in negotiating. They should have known better, because last time they were told that some things would be worked on in the final language, and they weren't. We will probably vote around the end of the month.

I would kill to see Ian McKellan in King Lear, which is coming to your town.

Are you enjoying Dickens? My big confession as an English prof is that I never finished a Dickens novel, although I started several.

posted by Cariola at 10:25 pm (EST) on Sep 3, 2007

What?! Damnit.. I wish I would have known!! What a fantastic book! You should really read it as soon as you get a chance...

posted by goldiebear at 10:52 am (EST) on Jul 25, 2007

Hi! You would love volunteering! My center is a volunteer run center and I am ALWAYS looking for volunteers.. let me know if you really interested and we can exhcange e-mail addresses.

As for bookstore.. it's hard to say. I seem to be really lucky at finding books at thrift stores lately, especially ARC Value Village.. it's my favorite one!

posted by goldiebear at 2:05 pm (EST) on Jul 23, 2007

I wouldn't mind at all! In fact, I would be honored. It's amazing that we share so many read books! If you ever have any recommendations, I would love hear them. Thanks for visiting!

posted by SweetbriarPoet at 4:22 pm (EST) on Jul 20, 2007

Oh, go ahead! You can always start with "easy" stuff like The Hours and Mrs. Dalloway, and work up to something more complicated. Besides, I'll bet it gets more interesting as you get deeper into the comparison!

posted by margad at 8:33 pm (EST) on Jul 8, 2007

I read The Hours (unabridged audio) before seeing the film; I cannot express my frustration/disgust at how the film depicts Lewis as "an old friend" when the backstory in the book makes it clear he's a helluva lot more than that! Also, I'm halfway through listening to Kingsolver reading her own Animal, Vegetable, Mineral on audio; she's coming across as a combination of cutesy/preachy often. I suspect the print version would have been much easier to take.

posted by Seajack at 2:24 pm (EST) on Jul 8, 2007

Laura, I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying The Impressionist! (I haven't been on here for awhile--obsessed with the pending strike--so you may have finished it by now.) You are right, Kunzru's imagery is amazing. I have to say, that book surprised me more than anything I've read in years; it made me wonder how people can enjoy the popular series that are so formulaic. Plus it had me thinking all the time.

posted by Cariola at 11:33 am (EST) on Jul 4, 2007

I haven't read Mrs. Dalloway - thanks for the suggestion. I'm in the midst of Twenty-Eight Artists and Two Saints by Joan Acocella. I quote/summarized one chapter on LibraryThing and hope to summarize several. Acocella gets inside the artist/author and their work. Liking very much. Linda

posted by lgaikwad at 7:35 am (EST) on Jun 27, 2007

As you could tell, I too fell in love with "Their Eyes Were Watching God." I often collect my favorite quotes as my most effective synopsis of a book. Have you read Kate Chopin? A friend suggested her to me after hearing my excitement about "Their Eyes Were Watching God," and I liked her very much. We have 40 books in common, and they are some of my favorites. Thanks for your note! Linda

posted by lgaikwad at 8:19 pm (EST) on Jun 26, 2007

Laura, I hope you love The Impressionist as much as I do. It's a really unusual book, and some people seem to be bothered by some of the rather kinky sexual stuff in the first part. But I've never read anything quite like it. One of the topics I focus on in both research and teaching is identity, and this book questions every possible angle--race, class, gender, educational level, nationality, occupation, associations, appearance, self-perception, the perceptions of others, etc. It's a wonderful book, at times horrific, but at other times very, very funny.

This site is great. I can read about the kinds of books that I like. I was so tired of scrolling through posts about books I'd never even think of reading. I feel kind of guilty backing out of the old thread, but time is just too precious these days. I will drop in now and then, I'm sure. And we are scheduled for TBR lists in a few weeks.

posted by Cariola at 12:00 pm (EST) on Jun 21, 2007

Laura, you're right, this site is great. I belong to Book Browse, which has some different features, but it is more limited as to the books you can enter on your list. I've been browsing some of the groups, and it's wonderful to find people who enjoy the same books. Thanks again!

posted by Cariola at 7:19 pm (EST) on Jun 18, 2007

Hi, Laura! Thanks for posting this website--I've been playing around with it all day.

~Deborah/Cariola

posted by Cariola at 9:25 pm (EST) on Jun 17, 2007

Thank you for the recommendation! If you don't mind, what did you discover that almost killed your love for The Age of Innocence? I've heard negative things about Edith Wharton in the past, but I do my best not to let that color my judgment of her writing.

posted by littlebookworm at 6:39 am (EST) on Jun 8, 2007

Thanks for getting back to me about the book. I may add it to my bookmooch request list.

posted by cestovatela at 8:21 pm (EST) on Jun 4, 2007

Hi! I wandered in here from the What Are You Reading Now group and browsed your catalogue. I was wondering if you could tell me what you thought of Shizuko's Daughter? I have a little project to read Japanese fiction and I'm trying to find some female authors to add to my reading list.

posted by cestovatela at 9:19 am (EST) on Jun 4, 2007