pontalba

Thanks, Sarah. More MacDonald's were on sale on Amazon, and I purchased about 6 or 7 more. At 1.99 USD, one can't go wrong!

We finally binge watched Outlander a couple of weeks ago. Much better than I thought it would be, and they are very true to the book. As Kell pointed out there are a few changes, but those changes actually are quite good especially one of them.....when Frank thought he heard Claire calling. I checked the e-book version, and they managed 42% of the first book. Yikes, guys!, how many seasons will this run????? From the pictures of the actors I saw way back when it was being cast, I have to say I wasn't impressed. But. Seeing the actors in action on the screen, I have to say they are good and appropriate. I absolutely love the faces of the ones aside from Jamie and Claire. They are just perfectly cast. That's not to say I'm not liking the actors portraying Jamie and Claire, it's just that the others are so authentic to the surroundings that it amazes me.

I love spoilers, they whet the appetite! In fact, I used to read the last few pages of whatever book I was reading. I gave up the habit, but still get the urge sometimes to peek..... Big congratulations, Alexi! Very happy for you. Great reviews. You've made me want to pull White Tiger from the shelf to read....and I will.

I honestly can't remember atm if I've actually bought any Mr. and Mrs. North books.....but I did find some DVDs on sale on Amazon. They are sitting on the table in front of the machine right now. I'll have to search my Library Thing account. Piffle. You're not. And, you're right. I'm definitely a "moody" reader. I'd fully intended to go back to another "present" read after I finished my reread of The Martian. Well, last night I finished, and started something entirely different. Hah, go figure!

Boo! Hiss! That doesn't even make sense. Thanks for posting the article, frankie. Just goes to show, if one person/newspaper/essay expresses an opinion, a dozen more, just as interesting will come out of the woodwork. Column space used up!!

What a lot of books you've been devouring! Good show! Really nice lists, Sarah. I love your thumbnail sketches of the books.

Interesting review, I quite enjoyed Ronson's book. I found it quite approachable. Maybe that is why...

Whether one agrees or disagrees with the articles findings.....what a great run down! http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150310-the-greatest-year-for-books-ever?ocid=global_bbccom_email_11032015_culture

Both very cool. Love the creativity.

Thanks, Gaia.....they're coming faster than I can read them! Thanks, Sari. I will be getting to it, I'm sure. I have already read it in ebook form. Last summer.....I just happened to see a hardback in the consignment store we sometimes frequent. Hadda have it. Here is my review of last July. http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/12437-pontalbas-2014-reading-list/?p=400377

Thanks, Gaia. Sarah, re the Philippa Gregory book.....in a way it's a continuation, or more accurately an offshoot of the White Queen books. It's the story of the last of the Yorks, Margaret Pole. A good part, mostly, takes place in Henry VIII's reign. A few more books....... The Drowning Pool by Ross MacDonald The Death of Caesar by Barry Strauss The Third Reich in History and Memory by Richard J. Evans Refusal by Felix Francis

Watched the first 6 episodes of House of Cards, and just loved it! Also binge watched the first season of Outlander. I'm really impressed that they've stuck so closely to the book. The fairly minor changes they did make did not degrade the story a bit. In fact, one of the changes was really excellent! Have seen the first two seasons of Elementary. We love it, the dynamic between Holmes and this Watson are delicious.

Good reviews, Kay. On a detective streak are we? Clowns are creepy. Period.

Very good reviews, Gaia. I'm glad that you have been able to give most of the books a good rating. When you've read so many, there are bound to be a few duds in the mix. You've been mostly on the plus side, so that's a good thing! I really like that you post the cover art, it's very pretty.

Thanks, Kay. Yeah, well Mantel worked on it so I expect it will be at least somewhat close. heh Somehow I can't see her allowing too much mangling. Dribs and drabs. I'd see something that filled in a hole in our library, and hadda have it! Thanks, Gaia. Funny thing is, I really do like all of them......but there has been too many other things going on, and I don't get as much reading time as before. We're following three TV shows.....The Blacklist, Elementary, and Person of Interest. Another new entry arrived. The Death of Caesar by Barry Strauss, it's supposed to be an in-depth examination of the machinations and politics surrounding Julius Caesar's assassination. Right up my alley!

I have actually completed three more books, The Girl With a Clock for a Heart by Peter Swanson 4/5 Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki by Haruki Murakami 4/5 Iron House by John Hart 3.5/5 Sarah, I don't remember if you've already read CTT, but you definitely should!

I thought I'd catch up on our purchases listings. Here are the newest arrivals. The Skeleton Road by Val McDermind The Wild Trees by Richard Preston The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon Self Comes to Mind: Constructing the Conscious Mind by Antonio Damasio Killers of the King: The Men Who Dared to Execute Charles I by Charles Spencer Lamentations by C.J. Sansom Wolf Hall & Bring Up the Bodies: The Stage Adaptation by Hilary Mantel, Mike Poulton (Adapter) The Autobiography of Malcom X by Malcolm X, Alex Haley Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch (a HB, I only had the kindle copy before) The Perfect King: The Life of Edward III, Father of the English Nation by Ian Mortimer Rain on the Dead by Jack Higgins The King's Curse by Phillippa Gregory

Not snowed in, in fact not one flake has fallen within many miles of here. We are, thankfully, out of the severe weather range. Too far South. /phew/ But we have had too many nights of way below freezing weather. Down in the 20'sF. For the centigrade'ers out there, 32F is freezing. And now, starting tonight, we'll have rain for 4 days, forecast anyhow. But I'm not complaining! When I see the video of all that snow up there, it just horrifies me. All is find over here, we've been streaming a bunch of free stuff from Amazon (Prime), and some DVDs we already had. I've got 4 books going atm, can't seem to settle on any one of them for too long. One of them is Fortune's Favorites by Colleen McCullough....it's third in her Masters of Rome series. I'd started it last year, and put it down about a third of the way through. I was just Rome'd out at the time. But the sections covering Sulla were absolutely fascinating. Her knowledge and research just shines! Frankie, I saw your notation on the new Rosie book over yonder in my notifications from GR. As mentioned, I'm so glad the sequel is as good as the first. I'll have to get to it. Sarah, I loved Scheherazade as well. I loved the uncertainty and open ended-ness of it. I guess neither of us has been online that much lately. But right now I'm looking out of the window seeing a beautiful blue sky with some fluffy white clouds and looking forward to some warm and dry weather today. And going across the lake to see a live production of Suddenly Last Summer.

Fresh arrivals from Amazon. World Order by Henry Kissinger My Life in Court by Louis Nizer The Carpet Makers by Andreas Eschbach None Shall Look Back by Caroline Gordon The Hunting Gun by Yasushi Inoue American Sniper by Chris Kyle w/ Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice

Yesterday and today are absolutely Spring-Like! Is this really February???

I finally have read Shirley Jackson's The Lottery. Such an ordinary little tale........until the end. But I do have to admit that I did suspect something along those lines. But still............ !!!! http://sites.middlebury.edu/individualandthesociety/files/2010/09/jackson_lottery.pdf

The price finally lessened by about 40% on the Swedish Wallander Season 3!! Yays!! We've been watching, and it is absolutely terrific. Krister Henriksson is absolutely on target and accurate as the troubled Kurt Wallander. We have also recently re-watched some of the UK Wallander with Kenneth Branagh, and while they are well done I don't find Branagh's Wallander as compelling, or accurate to the novel Kurt Wallander. I think at least one of the main differences is that Branagh emotes, he fails to be as stoic as Wallander is in the novels.

Do you feel it was worth it?

I didn't see the above link before.....what a beautiful little seal! You're right, it's wonderful that there are at least some people trying to save them. I found this absolutely amazing video this morning. http://www.theguardian.com/news/video/2015/feb/09/volunteers-first-manned-mission-mars-video It's only a little over 10 minutes. So worth watching.