pontalba

It's more in the Holland series.....I've only read one of those, and while the prose is Burke's usual gorgeous prose, I just didn't care for them. I hope to finally finish the Robicheaux series......... Hah! Hah! Not even in the slightest degree. Nah, this is the detritus of several generations of "junque" that my family has managed to collect. I'm the last of the Mohicans, so I'd better clear it up. My Uncle told me 20 years ago that he was sorry to leave me to manage it, but he just couldn't face it. S'ok, I'm doin' it.

Hey Hey...! Going through more boxes in the downstairs storage. /sigh/ Yuck. Most of it is going in the trash so far. God alone knows why it moved up here with us.

We really liked the first season, but the second put me off. It seemed very disjointed. I usually enjoy complicated plot lines, but the time lag between season one and two was too long for the lack of explanation at the beginning of season 2. I was sorry, as I really like Viola Davis. We liked it a lot.

Thanks. I know I will...only read the intro so far on the second one.....I've been sidetracked lately. I picked up The Wall by Jean-Paul Sartre and have read only the first two stories in it, but am enjoying it so far.

EoE is the only Steinbeck that I have managed to finish...by the hardest, and only because I was roped into leading a discussion of it years ago. I disliked it intensely. I've started, I believe, 3 other Steinbecks and put them down in despair. There is something about his writing that is akin to scraping fingernails on a blackboard. I put off starting Wolf Hall as well, but I'm sorry that I did! It was absolutely marvelous! Loved it and the sequel.....wish she'd hurry up and get to the last one. Hated, hated, yes....hated The Crimson Petal and the White. I did read about 200(ish) pages into it, but couldn't bring myself to bother with the rest. Didn't care about the people a bit. Much like Steinbeck, it grated on my nerves. 1Q84 is worth the effort. And it is an effort at times. I'm glad I read it.

We watched about the first 20 minutes of the first episode of Black Mirror. Husband would have continued, he liked it ok, but I couldn't stand it. I think because it was so "graphic novelish". I've tried a couple of graphic novels, and couldn't manage to read them.....just didn't like 'em. We did watch Doctor Foster, all 5 episodes. I've seen reviews that go both ways, but we both liked it a lot. Great performances and character studies. **added in edit** No, it was the second ep of Black Mirror of which I spoke up above.....we finished the first one, and couldn't believe they all could be so gross. I mean really, a pig? Macabre to say the least.

Oh...also just finished Blackhouse by Peter May......loved it, will probably review the trilogy together. Starting the second in it...The Lewis Man.

Ohhhhh! The stoat is so cute! Lovely little critter.

Hey there! Sorry you didn't get along with The Rook. I liked it a lot, and purchased the sequel as soon as it came out.....unread as of yet..... Yet another example........lol All great reviews BB! It's nice to catch up!

The City on the Edge of Forever by Harlan Ellison 3/5 It's difficult to rate this, as the actual story is well done, but the prologue/intro by the author is one long rant. A repetitive rant at that. The City On The Edge of Forever is the classic of classic (original) Star Trek episodes. While Ellison's treatment is excellent, I can understand why Roddenberry felt it necessary to bend the story to the actual characters. Hence his drastic changing of the story. However Ellison's bitterness is more due, I think, to Roddenberry's continuous lying about the reasons he changed the storyline. I cannot and will not blame Ellison for his anger at that deed. Unfortunately, IMO, Ellison tarnishes himself more than Roddenberry in this public display of bitter animosity. He even goes so far as to somewhat belittle those that prefer the final telecast. Which, as I am a fan of The original Star Trek, I feel is far more in line with the characters and overarching storyline. The story/treatment is fairly straightforward, time travel, a love that cannot exist, the choices we make and their fallout. I'd recommend both the treatment and the final televised version. Decide for yourself. Shaker by Scott Frank 2/5 Just can't bring myself to bother to finish, I don't care a fig about any of the characters or what has happened or might happen to them. I did manage a little more than half. While the authors descriptions are most vivid, it is too choppy. His screenwriters experience definitely shows, not to his credit.

Not on kindle, but if I ever get this printer/scanner working I can post pics here.

This put me off as well. But, in spite of that I thought it was a good story. I'll be glad to see the film when it comes to Netflix. Funny thing is, there is a film with the same name https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Train-Henry-Ian-Cusick/dp/B00V3VTNY4/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1477157456&sr=1-1&keywords=the+girl+on+the+train with Henry Ian Cusick, Nicki Aycox. A bizarre sort of story told in three different time frames. It didn't really grab me till about halfway through. Then.....excellent! fyi

We just finished watching Goliath, with Billy Bob Thornton and William Hurt. So. Very. Excellent. Corporate greed, slippery lawyers, murder, illegal activities galore. Lots of cussing, if you can't stand to hear the "F" word, don't watch it. But the acting is phenomenal, the characters have a wonderful depth and depiction. Some real shockers. This is an 8 part series, as far as I know only this one season. It's produced by Amazon, we saw it with our Amazon Prime account for "free".

Thanks, guys. Its really fun and interesting going through some of the stuff. It can take me hours to go through a box of papers and "stuff". Last night I went through about 3/4ths of a medium sized box of papers. Great letters, some dating back to the early 1800's. But the really neat thing I found was some Confederate money. Just folded up in an envelope. Of course it's worthless now, but just the idea that it was printed during that War (1861-1865). To know that my great-great-great grand parents handled it. Old love letters, pictures. And about 4 dozen boxes of picture slides dating back to the 1950's. I do have a viewer, so at some point we'll be going through them. Anyhow, some reading has been going on. I've gotten about half way through Shaker by Scott Frank. Not sure I'll finish it though. The author is good, to a point, but his screenwriting background is not doing him any favors in this novel. I'm finding it disjointed and not terribly interesting. The characters are not given much depth, and I just plain don't care much what happens to them. Frank has adapted novels to film....Get shorty, Heaven's Prisoners, the latter a James Lee Burke novel that I've read and am a fan. Also he adapted a Lawrence Block book to film.....quite successfully....I've read that book and seen the film. Also have read the author's intro and the treatment of the Star Trek classic The City On the Edge of Forever. Harlan Ellison is a gifted science fiction writer, but the intro is an invective against Gene Roddenberry. Now, I know that unfair things happen in Hollywood and sometimes credit is not given where it is due, but the depth of Ellison's anger is just painful to read. I mostly don't blame him for venting his spleen against the whole Star Trek universe and Gene Roddenberry in particular, but wow. Just wow. He does have the paperwork to back his version of events, I have to say. The whole thing is just so bitter. His bitterness even extends to fans that prefer the final version that was put on TV of the piece. He says they ruined it and if fans prefer it to the original written version, his version......well, we just are blind and almost stupid. Sorry, I prefer the final screen version. Color me stupid. Not.

Hmmm, sorry to hear the original Japanese film was a no-go. Ratz! I've always wondered about it, thinking that someday I'd see it.......wait a mo...do you mean the Japanese one or the first American version.....?? Thanks! I'm making good progress. I'm making one room a sort of walk-in closet/storage area. I didn't realize how many purses I have! Oi. But I'm bringing two more bags to Good Will (like a charity shop) later today. And I have put out many bags of junk/trash/unusable stuff. There is a huge antique armoire in the room, and to move it it needs to be taken apart.....I just want it on the other side of the room I'm emptying, but it's way too big and heavy to move whole. It's about 9 feet high and at least 6 feet wide, very plain mahogany wood. But the really cool thing about it (to me) is the patch on the door. There was a Civil War bullet hole there at one time. It belonged to my Great-great grandmother. NO! I love it! I knew, of course, he was at Cornell, but not that she coincided! Thanks for that lovely piece of info! I have one of (about her) her books, not that one though.

. It is, thanks. I haven't been online that much lately. I'm up to my ears in a clean out of a junk room. Bags and bags of throwaway, and more bags going to Good Will. Back at ya, Bron! I rarely go on facebook, and not as much online lately ^^^^^^^. I believe Steve McQueen gave me my love of chase scenes. The Mustang scene in Bullitt and the motorcycle scene in The Great Escape. Wow!!

I saw this piece on this on CBSN. Wonderful!

Thanks guys, he is lots better. Have follow up appointment in a week or so. Internet prob fixed! Anna, I've seen the reviews of the new 7. I'm just not interested. The original American version can't be beaten IMO. Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen (the King of Cool), Robert Vaughn, Eli Wallace......Charlie Bronson. All icons for me...my generation I'd wager. Nah...can't mess with perfection.

Yes! Several series, two of which I have. The Joe Grey (talking, detecting cat) series by Shirley Rousseau Murphy https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_17?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=shirley+rousseau+murphy+joe+grey+series&sprefix=Shirley+Rousseau+%2Caps%2C185 Cat on the Edge being the first. and Lilian Jackson Braun https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_12?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=lilian+jackson+braun+cat+who+series&sprefix=Lilian+Jacks%2Cstripbooks%2C201&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Alilian+jackson+braun+cat+who+series Cat Who series. They degenerated somewhat towards the end, but for old times sake I bought them anyhow. For a taste, there is a book of short stories by her called The Cat Who Had 14 Tales https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Who-Tales-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B000OCXJB6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475338512&sr=1-1&keywords=lilian+jackson+braun+14+tales Wow. Just wow. and that's not the latest figure, I see! Neat alarm clock! I really enjoyed The Girl on the Train, trying to make up my mind to see the film. It looks good too. OMG! Glad to see that she's better. Have you found out what happened? Do you think someone did that to her??

Thanks. Yeah, I've been more off line than on lately. One thing after the other. Husband had a brief hospital stay, but is doing much better now. Internet problems...connecting. That seems to be fixed for now. /fingers crossed/ The Long Surrender is non-fiction, but the writing style is very flowing and easily digested. Slightly repetitive, but most like this are to some extent. I love the way the book gets into personalities and how they meld, or not as the case may be. Hiya!

I haven't been reading much, at least not as much as I'd like. Only finished two books in September, Special Deliverance by Clifford D. Simak 3/5 Way Station by Clifford D. Simak 2.5/5 And sorry to say not terribly impressed with either of them. I know he is considered to be "classic", and ahead of his time, but his dry approach is just not very appealing to me. Right now I'm reading The Long Surrender by Burke Davis. It covers the drawn out surrender of the South in the American Civil War. Its on kindle and I'm about 30% through it. I've also picked up Woman With Birthmark by Hakan Nesser. It's the next on in the Van Veeteren detective stories. About halfway through that one.

In a sense, yes. VV is solving two cases in this entry. This is a case of a convicted murderer is murdered upon his release from prison. But is he guilty? So the previous case is 25 years old, and the recent only very recent.

Whoops, somehow I forgot...../brain freeze/ I rated it 3/5. The content was interesting, but I felt that English drew it out too much. Way too much. lol Yeah, Francis (the son) just doesn't seem to have the knack of truly personalizing his characters. They remain a little cardboard. Thanks, I really enjoy that series.

I read about the Hay-on-Wye festival years ago, if we ever make it to your side, we'll definitely be there! There are lots around this country, we make it to the one in New Orleans (it benefits the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra) every year, and have travelled to Washington, D.C. for the State Department fair a couple of times.

When someone is in school, I think all their energies have to be directed there. To get through it, successfully, isn't an easy task, and many kudos to you for finishing, and doing so well! Video games, and TV have their place, but to concentrate on books is, I think, more rewarding. Plus one can go at whatever pace is comfortable. Your reading pace is amazing, and I'm happy that you enjoy it so much.