pontalba

Just finished Close to Shore by Michael Capuzzo. It's a true story, telling all sides of the shark attacks of 1916 off the New Jersey, USA shore. At the time, no one believed that a Great White, or any shark for that matter, was a man eater. There was simply no evidence available on a wide spread level that said so, only scattered reports from some sea faring men, or from far off lands that-goodness-knows-what-was-happening-there sort of aura about them. This book covers the entire spate of attacks, tells the human society side, and fascinatingly so, the sharks side of it. Capuzzo has done the research for sure, both on shark habits, and the history of the areas of question. He also tells of the people and their families; the victims lives come across strongly. It was an era of huge transformations, the US wasn't into WWI yet, it was dreaded by all of course. The automobile was coming into fashion, farm life was giving 'way to city life. Everything was in upheaval, changing more rapidly than the eye could follow. Capuzzo captures all of that. His chapters tend to alternate between the human history, and the shark's wanderings. I've learned so much about the why's and wherefore's of sharks...it's an endlessly fascinating subject. Capuzzo cites many instances of shark attacks, from Australia, to the American East Coast. I could go on and on about this story, it's non fiction that reads like a fictional thriller. Highly Recommended.

I've seen GWTW a couple of times, loved it. Bridges of Madison County is one of the few films that have me weeping half of the time watching. We watched that a few months ago, really enjoyable. Hah, yes, light entertainment for sure. I saw it when it first came out...dating myself here. I'd actually like to see it again, don't remember many details at all.

Yes, I read it in March. It was a little difficult to get into for me, but worth it. I appreciated seeing that situation from the other perspective, being able to understand, to some degree at least, the terror many in that situation go through, and see how they see the bureaucratic hoops they are forced to go through, sometimes without any good outcome. I do recommend it, enjoy!

In addition to the David Mitchell book I'm reading I've begun Close to Shore by Michael Capuzzo. A true account of "The terrifying shark attacks of 1916" off the New Jersey [uSA] coast. I've had it on the shelf for several years, even bought it again because I found a nice trade paperback. I'd had it in hardback already, but wanted the paperback so if I wanted to mark in it, I'd feel no guilt.

LOL Good one indeed. But the one I use the most in real life is the one she tells her first husband, , when he asks her if she will think/worry about him when he goes to war. or something verra similar.

Visited Barnes & Noble's 3 for 2 table, and came away with: Agent Zigzag by Ben MacIntyre [A true story of Nazi Espionage Love, and Betrayal]. The Private Patient by P.D. James South of Broad by Pat Conroy Also found a sequel...The Nearest Exit by Olen Steinhauer

We just got home from seeing Inception. What a roller coaster of a ride, err, movie that was!! Has anyone seen it yet? Here is the trailer. http://www.breakingentertainmentnews.com/inception-trailer-watch-itt-online/8886378 AIE: I've seen reviews that dismissed it, and reviews that highly recommended this film. I have to say I certainly fall on the positive side here, it's great! I have to add though that Leonardo Di Caprio seems lately to be playing guilt-ridden husbands/widowers lately.....is this his new trend? There are many similarities between his character in Inception and the character in Shutter Island. Not the film/plot itself, but his angst ridden character. Just an interesting [to me] side note].

Managed a few more pages into The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet, 107 exactly. The first chapter absolutely bowled me over with it's intensity and beauty, but succeeding chapters less so. It's an enjoyable story, and read, but a few things irritate me. Italics are a particular annoyance to me. I don't care for an author telling me which word in a sentence to emphasize, especially when it is quite obvious what the emphasis should be. An author friend of mine has that bad [to me] habit, and I'm always telling her to trust the reader to sense what the emphasis should be, and I'm disappointed that Mitchell doesn't know that.

Scarlett is not in the same class as GWTW, by a long shot. Of course that is only my opinion, and lots of readers may and do differ with me there. Scarlett is more of what I'd call a "bodice ripper" type romance I guess. Not my cuppa. JMO Rhett Butler's People was quite enjoyable though, telling the story from Rhett's side. I liked it.

Another great read from William Boyd, Restless tells the story of two women, mother and daughter. Eva Delectorskaya, a Russian emigree living in Paris, 1939 is drawn into the world of espionage and her life is never her own again. Clever intertwining of the duo's story lines keeps the reader on their toes wondering just what will be the outcome. Both are very much a product of their time, and we vividly see the war years and then the '70's of the daughter brought to life. Recommended. 5/5

Just finished Restless by William Boyd, and thoroughly enjoyed it, what a roller coaster! I have to read as many of his books as I am able now. We couldn't resist purchasing David Mitchell's The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet tonight. I've read the first chapter already, and phew! Terrific!

Managed a few more pages in Restless by Boyd last night, but fell asleep. Phooey. Stopped at one of our local libraries and bought The Difference Between Woman and Men by Bret Lott...it's a collection of stories. The Summons and The Pelican Brief by John Grisham All hardbacks for 2.25 USD

The Women. The new version with Meg Ryan. ennh. The 1939 version with Rosalind Russell was far superior.

Oh, keep them please! It's true, there is more value, even with a slightly damaged dust jacket. Besides, I always love to remember the cover art of a book. When I buy a hardback from Amazon Marketplace, I never buy one that is missing a dust jacket. I'll buy one that is minimally damaged though. You can scotch tape them on the inside, very carefully to align the sides on the front. Makes it look better.

We watched The Interpreter with Nichole Kidman tonight. I'd wanted to see it ever since it came out. It was even better than I thought it would be.

Managed 144 pages into Restless by William Boyd. Great plot, same sort of to and fro time wise as my recently finished The Blue Afternoon.

Oh wow! I'd love to see it on a big screen! We just watched Whiteout...murder at the South Pole. Good, but scary.

I agree, on a certain esoteric level I would too, but as you say, on a practical level.....I dunno!

I don't really remember the last time I read a book in one sitting. I'd bought The Last Thing I Remember on a whim at B&N only reading the synopsis on the back, not noticing it was considered "juvenile" fiction. That discouraged me a bit when I did notice at home, but the plot sounded so interesting, I thought I'd start it. Figuring I could always put it down and trade it at the 2nd hand book store. heh Although it is in a rather simple prose style, and the characters are somewhat prototypes, the story carries the reader along, we care about what happens to this hapless, helpless 17 year old boy who wakes up tied to a chair with duct tape at his wrists and ankles, beaten and burned and generally in miserable shape. The last thing he remembers is going to bed in his own room, in his parent's house thinking about a girl he'd finally had the nerve to ask out. Then he wakes up to...this torturous existence, hearing men casually ordering his murder outside the room he is tied up in. This kid is someone that any parent would be proud to have raised. As we slowly learn where and why he is where he is, at least as much as this first in a series of, I think, three books tells, we see a kid that has had a fairly calm existence and uses his faith in the rightness and fairness of life to plow through seemingly insurmountable odds.

I'll have to look for Any Human Heart the next time we go to the book store. We first visited the second hand store, then passed by Barnes & Noble as the 2nd didn't have the author OH was looking for, and while he found his in B&N, I forgot to look for anymore Boyds.

Funny you should say...but although I am definitely one that looks for the best looking, most pristine copy, my OH is not so particular. If he wants a book at the Library Sale, and the only copy is rather manhandled, it doesn't bother him a bit. And, oddly enough, once we get them/it home.....it doesn't matter to me either.

LOL Michelle, my OH has bought House of Leaves.../sigh/ I've only glanced through, but don't think I'll be picking it up anytime soon.

I've read all three, and the second is better, faster moving, more Lisbeth than the first. I'm thinking I'll read Restless next. I finished The Last Thing I Remember last night, read it in one sitting. In spite of it being a "juvenile" fiction story, it held my interest. I had to know what happened, and wouldn't you know it...it's the first of a trilogy.....

I really only meant to look for more books by William Boyd. Really. And we were successful. Snagged both Brazzaville Beach and Restless by him. Ummmm. But there was that new Jeffrey Archer, A Prisoner of Birth on sale at Barnes & Noble, just calling my name. Then, on the sale table I saw The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan. I don't know how that will turn out, I just noticed it is labeled in teeny, tiny print, Juvenile Fiction...but with a synopsis like this.... How could I pass that up?

I've managed to collect two more of Boyd's today from the second hand book shop. Brazzaville Beach and Restless. Both look good.