julie

Hi Bobbly Thank you for filling me in on the Kindle version of The Stand . That way I'll know a little about why it does that when it happens .

Hi Pontalba That sounds fine. No presssure at all. Go ahead with the books you had on tap then drop me a note when you're ready. I have a gazilllion other books I can read to gill in the gaps . Thank you

Ok since I bought the Stand today, I'll try to remember to come in here to make comments, etc. Hoping maybe someone will come along for the ride at some point . Gonna be a long one, so bring SNACKS .

Karsa Then you COULD restart it since you forgot the beginning ! ( Just joking ~) Michelle Thanks for showing me the thread change. I'll go in there to talk about it .

Vinay I think everyone that is a member in here would say the power of the written word is very important, or we wouldn't all gather here . If it weren't for the storytellers, even of long ago in places that had no "written" stories, they were passed along through the generations by the elders. So I think stories of times past ,whether fiction or nonfiction have the power to affect us and change us. It makes me think outside the box sometimes if I read what another person thinks about a particular subject. It also allows me to be put in their shoes so I can try to understand what it would be like in their position . If I remember A Fine Balance correctly, there were many issues there (if the book follows truth ) ,of racism or maybe it would be more accurate to call it persecution or segregation ., although maybe that wouldn't be the term for it there . I call it SHELVES .It seems there are many religions, many customs and beliefs ,and people are on different shelves because of that. Is the book accurate in that respect ? It's a fascinating country to learn about . I have a Dr from there ,and my favorite x-ray ultrasound lady is also from there. She is the sweetest person I have ever met .I have found from talking to her that your country seems to feel that education is one of the greatest gifts a person can have . It is refreshing to talk to someone like that who feels so very lucky to have come here and both her kids are in college to become doctors,so she is very proud of them . Books show these things, opening a window to worlds unknown but what does that mean when we, sitting thousands of kilometers away, can talk this way? The world becomes smaller every day so what do books have to offer. I think it means were are so lucky to be able to "talk" to each other from so far away and discuss these things so our countries and people learn to understand each other better .

Ok gang I just got The Stand on my Kindle .... could I interest anyone in joining me for a group read or buddy read with it ? Since it's a long one, it'd be good to have some reading partners . :readingtwo:

Karsa You are definitely making it sound even better with each post . Look out Amazon, here I come .......

I wanted to post a followup to the previous book,but had to go look up the name of the book on amazon,since I read it awhile ago . http://www.amazon.co...26798240&sr=1-2 This book was so interesting yet so very sad. It was a bout an asylum they had closed and someone who was helping to clean out the place went into the attic and found the suitcases and boxes that the patients had brought with them. It shows pictures of some of the items, then tells a story about the person who left the item. So VERY sad to see what some of the people had brought with them and left ,with no one ever coming back to claim any of it . Very interesting book if you like snooping into someone's attic to see what they keep there .

Hi Chalie Thanks for the website. I have been on many drugs that contain Serotonin, trying to prevent the migraines from coming. They have all made me really sick -- nausea, feeling very wobbly and just bad all over . Also they tend to leave this contstant taste in my mouth,kind of a cross between baby lotion and vaseiline. Just hideous. Maybe if you try something that is a natural type drug it may not do that. The ones they have ordered for me are anti-seizure and anti-depressant meds . I hated taking them ,because they are scarey when you don't have those diseases, but you are taking drugs for them . I know this sounds really odd, but it seems like my body NEEDS to have a migraine once in awhile, kinda like a pressure relief valve when things get too overwhelming,this releases all the pent up worry,etc. The neurologist gave me a whole page of things which trigger migraines which I never even knew ,so it has also helped somewhat . Definitely hormones would be a factor in them too .

Hi Ruth I'd have to agree with you on the Death Penalty. I haven't read the book you mentioned, but have read others on it ,one which was true and had occurred maybe back in the 1940's or 50's . The warden of this prison had his doubts whether this man on death row was actually guilty ,and had been present during many deaths sentences being carried out,but he somehow felt this guy wasn't guilty,but couldn't find a way to help him or prove it . They of course didn't have DNA and all the modern technology then to be more sure of the guilty parties,so they went through with the execution. At the end of the book, they somehow got the proof that the boy they killed WAS innocent . Sure wish I could remember thee name of that book . After reading that, I feel that if we make ONE mistake like that, we are as bad as the murderers . We are participating in killing innocent people. NOT acceptible. I also do not think that it is a deterrent to a crime in any way ,and we should not have the authority to choose who dies. That isn't our place to say . Living your entire life behind bars like a zoo animal would be a lot worse than laying down, getting an IV and falling asleep permanently. MUCH too easy for them. Make them live, make them stay in jail . Just my 2 cent's .

Well, Frankie and Karsa You may have convinced me to go ahead and get The Stand for my Kindle . I have heard so many people say it is in their all time favorite list,so it has to be good . I'll probably cave in and buy it today . Laura You and me both, I keep finding more and more freebies .I'm not even as careful about choosing those ,since they are free. I do tend to weed out a few, but keep clicking away at the BUY sign .

Poppy You are SO funny ! Doggone. I wish you lived down the street. I'd come to your house every day just so you'd make me laugh . My husband is a good guy ,he never growls. Maybe once in a great while he makes a little bit of a low grumble ,but I am used to it . He MAY remember his trip out in the rain ,then he settles back down quickly . I probably do that a lot more than he does . I can sometimes be a CRANKY old bear . I bet you don't look anything like your good old Bimbo bear. That name reminds me a of brand of BREAD they sell here :Bimbo Bread ,AND it has a bear on the plastic wrap ! Maybe your Bimbo has hit it big in the advertising world and you didnt even know it . I think ALL the Beatles were lovely ! I was 5 when they first were here on the Ed Sullivan show and remember watching all the teen girls screaming their lungs out .

Broadmoor Revealed was a Kindle book about an insane asylum over in England ,told during the beginning years of it ,and mainly telling the history of some of the patients who lived there and some of the men who were in charge . They had chapters on the escapes attempted ,some successful and the person never seen again,but most were captured very quickly . It was an interesting book . I'd give it a 3. It might have gotten higher marks if it would have been more detailed about the men's lives, the patient's lives and why they ended up there ,maybe telling more about their lives before being placed there ,etc . It did go into this a little with each one,but it only seemed to brush the surface. Ok,though ! On to the next ..................

Hi Vinay Yes, I see what you mean . The saying here is What Doesn't Kill Us Makes Us Stronger . Not exactly a pleasant way of putting it, but I find that the best way to learn a lesson is the hard way. If Life is always easy and wonderful then we really don't have to WORK at it and TRY harder to become a better person. So maybe in a way, we need to study the things that happen to us that are difficult and it makes us think more about how we can make them better . I think sometimes that all the unhappy events in my life have made me try harder to be more understanding of others and try to see other people's viewpoints instead of just wandering through life with blinders on . I'll be watching for your comments when you have the time to post .

Poppy I read your post about your teddy bear to my husband and he said to tell you I left HIM out in the rain one night and he has also lost his growl . He is such a CARD . ( and a little bit of a smartmouth,but he learned that from ME . He used to be such a well-mannered fellow. I forgot about my teddy bear,that my dad got me on my first birthday, almost 53 years ago. My bear is missing an eyeball, his tongue is half yanked out and he has no more MUSCLES in his neck,so his head just kinda rolls from side to side . He's in my tub with my other treasures . Funny, I never thought how many MALFUNCTIONS me and my bear have in common. This old age isn't good for bears OR their ownders . NOTE : I still have muscles in my neck, though . Which Beatle has a birthday coming up ???

Thanks Laura I'm anxiously watching for the mailman tomorrow. Not sure if it will be here that soon,since today was MLK day,no mail,so we will see if it arrives tomorrow. I pity our poor mailman. He reminds me of PeeWee Herman ,so if I go out there charging him like a bull this week waiting for a package, he may just RUN through the yard and TOSS the package on his way through . I will definitely give you a good report on it and how all the gadgets work. I may need my husband to teach me how to do some of the stuff. The Kindle I have now is really easy to use, but this one has lots more bells and whistles,so it may be a little more challenging to learn. Can't wait to find out !

Chalie Yes, I just recently got to go to a neurologist for the first time and I feel really hopeful that he will help me. He has also suffered migraines his whole life,so it kinda helps if he has them and knows what it feels like . He has ordered me a new med which works well. It doesn't totally eliminate the migraine ,but hits it hard enough that I can manage . It does make me very sleepy and unable to drive when taking it,so that is a problem, but I'd much rather feel like that,than to have those killer headaches . What type supplements are you taking, if you don't mind me asking ? My new doc has asked me to start taking some different vitamin/herbal type things too,but so far I haven't taken any . I'm on a lot of medication,which all have side effects, so I try to keep it down as much as possible and not take any more than necessary . Hope you start feeling better .

Hi Vinay I think that is a wonderful question . In my own life, I'll have to agree with you regarding books we were assigned in school. I always loved to read,so it was one of the best classes for me, but many of the assigned books seemed boring back then,and I wondered why we had to read such boring things when there are so many more interesting books to read . I guess maybe it's age for one thing, because if I'd go back now and read the same books, I'm sure I'd get much more out of them and understandd why they were assigned to us . As far as life lessons and learning from books ? I think I learn something from every book I read. Some more than others, depending on the topic. I actually tend to lean towards books that some people would think are depressing or not "happy" type stories .I think I can learn a lot more by reading those that have some type of a serious issue in it, whether it is a big issue like War, or Terrorism, Death, etc . Or maybe just a serious family drama in which people are having a serious life altering event in their own family and wondering how they will deal with it and get through it . I also find books fascinating that have a child growing up in a really broken family ,and to see how they are able to overcome that, and whether they are able to become a better person than their role models in life were ,or whether they end up going down the same path and repeating the mistakes that they had already lived through . So, because I live in a family that is also "broken" ,it helps me to read these books,even if they might be fiction, or if they might only have a little piece of what I have witnessed. It helps me compare that to my life ,and maybe learn about how someone else dealt with the same thing . As far as big issues like wars and people persecuting each other unfairly due to different beliefs, I'd like to think that we can learn from those stories and become better people and not repeat the same things ,but sadly, to some degree anyhow ,those lessons are hard to learn and may take generations until people are able to see the error in our ways from long ago . I really can't comment a lot on how things are in other countries since I have never lived elsewhere,but in our country for example, I can look at a huge problem that has been going on before and during my lifetime,which has been racism . When I was born ,things were very bad, people were treated so unfairly .It breaks your heart to see how one race of people treats another, due to nothing other than how they look in the mirror . I have seen that improve a lot in the past 50 years ,but is it cured ? Absolutely not . I think other races have many more opportunities than they had 50 years ago, but I think there are some areas in which it is really still pretty lopsided . In our justice system, we are all to have a fair trial if we are accused of a crime, but I think that is biased ,not only by race,but finances . If you are wealthy,then you can buy the best lawyer and get defended by someone with lots of experience and maybe stand a good chance of getting off or having a reduced sentence at the most. If you are poor, from a bad area and unable to provide your own lawyer,they appoint you one, but you don't always get someone who will have their heart in the case and try with everything they've got to save you . I'm sure there are exceptions to this, but for the most part, court appointed attorneys really just come in,do their job, go home,and do it all again the next day,just for a paycheck . I think when it comes to job opportunities, things are better now,but not as equal as they should be . I think when it comes to people in general, it depends on AGE . People my age probably remember the race riots, back of the bus, drink out of different water fountains, no eating in our restaurants,etc .. It breaks my heart to see how people were treated in my lifetime . I have no experience firsthand with any of this other than seeing it on tv or in books . I do think that each generation improves though. There are still some people my age that are racists to some extent . I think people my kid's age are less so,and more open to associating and being close friends with people out of their "circle" . I think my grandkids are even better than that. They don't even seem to SEE color,they SEE people ,which is wonderful to me . So,to answer your question ,just for me personally , I think I learn by EVERY book I read. I think I use each thing I learn like I am building a jigsaw puzzle,and each book gives me one more piece for my puzzle . It is helping me to see a whole picture . The only book I can remember reading regarding your country that REALLY impacted me greatly ,was A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry . It was probably one of the BEST books I have ever read,but it got so difficult to digest ,I had to lay it down at times and walk away from it for a bit . Some of the things about life during that time was so very difficult . I must say your country is so fascinating .It seems to have so many "layers" that need peeled back to understand it completely . I really hope that your country can continue to improve as time goes on,and become more fair ,so that you are able to discuss anything without censoreship. We should all have that right . Sometimes these things take time, education ,and teaching the younger generation that things CAN improve .Maybe that's what can happen there . I certainly hope so .

Good job, Chrissy It looks like your MOJO has found you again .

Hi Chalie Sounds like you are making some good deals to trade 2 books for 2 books, that way you aren't going overboard, right ? I've heard good things about Claussen's Pier but havent read it . So sorry to hear about your migraine. Those things are AWFUL . Had them my whole life .

Keep up the good work Karsa ! You guys are all talking so much about The Stand, you'll be convincing me to get it myself one of these days . As slow as I am lately to complete a book,it might be the only other book I could complete this year !

Frankie It definitely sounds like you have lots of good ideas for how to compile extra hoards of books from several other methods. I'll have to keep them all in mind .

Miss Poppy I have all the cards I got from our wedding shower 35 plus years ago, a dish towel that all my co-workers signed for me at my wedding shower from work . I have a babydoll quilt (totally worn out ) that my mom's friend made me when I was 5 . I have an old boyfriend's picture he wrote me in senior year , my old girl scout sash with all my badges still attached and my old nurse's hat that everyone signed when we graduated school . So I'm a sentimental old person myself about certain items . I'm not a hoarder and hate clutter,but I keep all this in a big tupperware tub in the closet. It'll be passed along to my grandson when I go DOWNSTAIRS to my final resting place.

Well, Karsa I guess we could share it too . I'll play nice and share with others .

Wow Pickle You are doing great ! You are leaving me in the dust ... you must be a very speedy reader ! I used to be, but I have slowed down with age I guess .