Lumo

Congratulations Virginia, that sounds fantastic.

This is inspired by July's goodreads newsletter on books where simple events can be life changing or, as author Anna Quindlen put it "the ways in which small events in our lives can combine to create unexpected results." It's a genre I have not read too much of previously. Does anyone else like books with these themes? I am going to try and sample of the two books below, however, while the genre does seem to appeal to me, those two books do not immediately grab my attention. Every Last One by Anna Quindlen Mary Beth Latham has built her life around her family, around caring for her three teenage children and preserving the rituals of their daily life. When one of her sons becomes depressed, Mary Beth focuses on him, only to be blindsided by a shocking act of violence. What happens afterward is a testament to the power of a woman’s love and determination, and to the invisible lines of hope and healing that connect one human being to another. Ultimately, as rendered in Anna Quindlen’s mesmerizing prose, Every Last One is a novel about facing every last one of the things we fear the most, about finding ways to navigate a road we never intended to travel. The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler From the inimitable Anne Tyler, a rich and compelling novel about a mismatched marriage—and its consequences, spanning three generations. They seemed like the perfect couple—young, good-looking, made for each other. The moment Pauline, a stranger to the Polish Eastern Avenue neighborhood of Baltimore (though she lived only twenty minutes away), walked into his mother’s grocery store, Michael was smitten. And in the heat of World War II fervor, they are propelled into a hasty wedding. But they never should have married. Pauline, impulsive, impractical, tumbles hit-or-miss through life; Michael, plodding, cautious, judgmental, proceeds deliberately. While other young marrieds, equally ignorant at the start, seemed to grow more seasoned, Pauline and Michael remain amateurs. In time their foolish quarrels take their toll. Even when they find themselves, almost thirty years later, loving, instant parents to a little grandson named Pagan, whom they rescue from Haight-Ashbury, they still cannot bridge their deep-rooted differences. Flighty Pauline clings to the notion that the rifts can always be patched. To the unyielding Michael, they become unbearable. From the sound of the cash register in the old grocery to the counterculture jargon of the sixties, from the miniskirts to the multilayered apparel of later years, Anne Tyler captures the evocative nuances of everyday life during these decades with such telling precision that every page brings smiles of recognition. Throughout, as each of the competing voices bears witness, we are drawn ever more fully into the complex entanglements of family life in this wise, embracing, and deeply perceptive novel.

Welcome to the forum MrCat

R.E.M. Fables of the Reconstruction Not sure what to make of it yet

Sorry to dig up and old thread. Yesterday I figured out how to get a third monitor running (using the graphics card for two and onbard graphics for one). Not sure if I will keep it like this but for now it is pretty fun. The third monitor (the smallest) was a freebie that was going to waste.

Yes, that was incredible. A great match (and I don't normally like football)

I think this is for people who are using their devices at night - sitting at a computer or using a phone in bed.

I really like audiobooks in some situations - for example aeroplanes, I simply cannot read for any length of time on a plane, but I have spent many a 10 hour or so flight listening to a book for 9 hours of it. However, around the house or in bed, I find I cannot concentrate if listening to an audiobook and my mind wanders very quickly. I would count the books I have listened to as 'read' - some of them were epic (being listened to over several flights) and thoroughly enjoyable.

That's a good question. Some of the publicity I read about the blue light reduction did claim blue light may be linked to cataracts. However, these reports seemed to be based on the similarity between blue light and UV light (which it seems does lead to cataracts) rather than a clear finding from blue light itself. It could well be that there is a more thorough analysis that I missed.

Just downloaded spotify and am giving it a go

I've read a few reports of mobile phone manufacturers making a setting whereby a user can remove the blue light from their screen. The idea being that the intense blue which makes screens look clear and bright messes with our eyes and brains by signalling that it is bright day, which can cause difficulty sleeping if used at night, and general eye strain (or even eye damage) if stared at for long periods during the day. I recently got some new monitors and they have an 'eye saver' mode. I tried it and yes, the screen looks considerably more yellow/warm and a bit dimmer, it does not make the screen look good from a distance, but wow, is it easier to read text when eye saver mode is on. I find myself using it more and more during the day when I am staring at the screen for long periods, mainly for text work, and so am no too concerned if the colours are completely correct. My eyes feel more relaxed and comfortable. Does anyone else use this?

I am not sure if I will make it trough Mark Twain's The Innocents Abroad. The first few chapters were great, but now it really comes and goes and bits of it are a real struggle.

I like reading psychology-related books. Some that I have found particularly interesting are: Listening to Prozac by Peter D. Kramer - Written by the psychiatrist Peter Kramer it's a insightful look at some key questions raised during his experiences treating depression. I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can by Barbara Gordon - a memoir of Valium addiction in the 1970s or so. A good insight from the perspective of a patient caught up in the era. Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages Guy Deutscher - A great look at the way language shapes what we see (or not).

30c and humid. It's meant to be like this until a storm on saturday.

Yes, after finishing one book, if I enjoyed it, I usually spend some time digesting it before jumping back into another, otherwise I feel k wouldn't fully appreciate it. If I'd didn't like the book, I go straight into another.

The new season of Orange is the new Black - but so far it is not too appealing

I have listened to both Ten Days in a Mad-House and Around the World in Seventy-Two Days on librivox/podiobooks. Both were very interesting and I am glad I read/istened to them.

This morning it was -21.5C on my balcony. That's the lowest I have seen that thermometer (it's in a pretty sheltered place). I put on two pairs of gloves before getting my my bike ;-)

This morning was cold, and it's meant to get colder over the weekend:

Do you get yours Virginia? Do you like them? I'm getting more and more used to mine. There are still times when I reach for the 'normal' glasses, but in general I am pleased with them :-)

I read this book a few years ago and also thought it was fantastic. Excellent charter portrayals and, yes, an intriguing plot. It would probably be on my list of top 10 favourite books (if I actually had a list).

A lot of people around me are ill. I take vitamic C, zinc and try and wash my hands as often as possible. I also had the flu shot this year (there seems to be a big difference between how many people in the US get the shot compared to how many in Europe). I think I might have mentioned this last year - a drop of whisky at night when feeling the beginning of an illness ;-)

39F and the sky is nothing but cloud. Some snow still on the ground

Coffee is my most regular drink, make a couple cups of this every day. But I also really enjoy tea.

Well they arrived. I'm still making my mind up about them - I can't decide if I can see everything with them, or see nothing. Close up is great, as is distance, but I am still getting used to moving my head to get the mid range bang in focus, I'm used to seeing my while monitor at once, not one small part of it. I'll persevere and see if the movements needed become natural, or unbearable :-)