Books Blog - All Comments

re: Sandra Dallas - Unusual story lines

kiya@evpl — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 22:26:00 GMT

One of the fun things about the Dallas books that our book group discovered is a tiny bit of overlap amongst the novels. Nothing major: perhaps a minor character from one book will be seen passing through town in another book. Or a reader with a good memory may figure out that the protagonist in one book is the great-aunt of a character in a different book. Dallas doesn't draw attention to these - they are just little treasures left for an attentive reader to discover.

re: Authors doing good works with their written words

kiya@evpl — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 22:19:29 GMT

Just an update on the Patrick Rothfuss fundraiser. Go here: www.patrickrothfuss.com/.../Heifer%20International.html to read the details on his blog. The last two days, over $16,000 were raised, making the author's total matching donation over $58,000. This money, plus the donations that were made directly to the Heifer page, makes a grand total of $113,466.28. And he's planning something similar for next year!

re: Sandra Dallas - Unusual story lines

kiya@evpl — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:26:11 GMT

I know that after our book group read "Tallgrass," several of the book group members read every other book EVPL owns by this author!

re: Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise - Ruth Reichl

Bufkinite@evpl — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:49:02 GMT

Well, I'm going to have to read this book! The only book I've read by Reichl was "Tender at the Bone," and it was WONDERFUL. Reichl is not only a great cook, she's also a gifted writer.

re: Authors doing good works with their written words

Shh_ImReading@evpl — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:46:12 GMT

There is a band called Rock Bottom Remainders who's members are almost all authors, including, but not limited to, Amy Tan, Dave Barry & Stephen King. They donate the proceeds from their concerts to organizations who work on literacy. I suppose it's not doing good works with their writing, but it's still pretty interesting.

re: Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise - Ruth Reichl

librarianinheels@evpl — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:34:04 GMT

I loved this book! Her other book is also great. It's called "Comfort me with Apples". She has a real gift, I think. My mother has taken Gourmet magazine for years and years - and Ruth Reichl really brought it down to earth when she took over as editor several years ago...she was roundly criticized for it, of course, but i think she is totally cool. Glad you liked it!

re: Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise - Ruth Reichl

E-Dub@evpl — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:45:16 GMT

This book is wonderful and you're right, you don't need to be a foodie at all. I listened to this on CD, read by the author. Great fun.

re: Strong at the Broken Places

bookchick@evpl — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:37:49 GMT

Oh, I am going to have to read this. I found Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom and The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

inspirational for what I think are going to be simillar reasons. Learning how to live by learning how to die.

re: The Oxford Project

wag.mado@evpl — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:42:22 GMT

This really sounds like my kind of book. What a novel idea. Thanks for making me aware of it. I'm getting in line for it -- there are already 2 holds.

Sherman Alexie is One Fine Poet!

Books Blog — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:59:30 GMT

Another post to this blog mentioned Sherman Alexie's book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time

re: Classic Christmas stories

Bufkinite@evpl — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:44:49 GMT

My favorite Christmas story is still George MacDonald's "Gift of the Child Christ" - evans.evpl.org/.../t - a truly Victorian story written back in Victorian times.

My second favorite is "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!" - evans.evpl.org/.../X - and is quite a contrast, being a very funny contemporary story about the Herdmans, a group of tough kids and how they give a fresh face to the old Christmas story.

re: "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder" by Richard Louv

MediaPhile@evpl — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:01:04 GMT

Yes, just the fact that there are so many electronic options is a big factor.

re: "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder" by Richard Louv

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:53:52 GMT

While I did spend a lot of time playing outside when I was a kid, I think it was our generation that started this trend. I spent a lot of time playing Nintendo and our lovely 386 computer.

These days, if I'm without internet or Xbox 360 for a day, I go through withdrawals.

re: "Called Out of Darkness: a Spiritual Confession" by Anne Rice

MediaPhile@evpl — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:00:25 GMT

I'm confused. What do you mean by her son's first three books?

re: What do writers read?

gawell@evpl — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:02:02 GMT

"My Five Most Important Books" (today)

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Stranger In A Strange land by Robert Heinlein

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey