pontalba Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 That is a great story, Julie. And, I do indeed have a new list!! I know a lot of people do that, but my Paternal Grandmother was the last in our family to do so. For one thing, our family plot has perpetual care. Had it from the beginning......almost 100 years ago. My Aunt and Uncle were the last of the close family. And she passed five years ago. Some cousins are around though, we are not close at all. All my Mother's people are in England. Gaia! You are not stopping anything! Jump right in with your stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough 5/5 An absolutely riveting telling of Gaius Marius, a "New Man", who became The First Man in Rome. He is the leader, with a capital L that drove back the Germanic Tribes that threatened to overrun Rome. He was Consul of Rome an unprecedented 7 times. Not told in scholarly tones, it is set forth in up to date vernacular. It calls to the modern reader, and makes the Roman world come alive to us. We hear all the back room political gossip, the undermining of fellow Senators and Generals. We learn of the prejudices and undertones of the aristocracy. The battles are told of in a manner that I can understand easily, and appreciate. We see the reasons why Rome was great, and why she fell. We experience the underbelly of Rome in all it's gritty realism. This is the beginning of a 7 book series that will continue through "the" Julius Caesar, and through Antony and Cleopatra's demise. McCullough's attention to detail is fascinating, her research impeccable. She helps us see what made Rome tick, and it isn't much different from what makes the "modern" governments tick. Fascinating. Highly recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 Dixie City Jam by James Lee Burke 5/5 Vintage Burke. If noir married beautiful prose, and was couched in some of the most beautiful countryside in the world, you'd have James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux detective series.This 7th in the series finds Dave Robicheaux battling both the bad guys and the corrupt police. Everyone seems to be after a sunken Nazi submarine off the Louisiana coast. What does it carry, and why do so many polar opposite types want it? And, why are they all converging on Dave?Robicheaux has to defend his life and his wife's life and sanity in this complicated tale.Recommended Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I have The First Man in Rome on my wishlist, I'm glad you really enjoyed it. Great reviews ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I'm not sure I can explain what attracts me so much about Southern Authors , unless it's the way they go about telling a story. It's almost like listening to your Grandma tell you a story , sitting on her back porch with the crickets in the background and lightning bugs blinking in the dark. Lovely ! My Grandma had stories about escaping from the Ukraine, not a fun thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 All my Mother's people are in England. Have you been able to meet up with them ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Dixie City Jam by James Lee Burke 5/5 Vintage Burke. If noir married beautiful prose, and was couched in some of the most beautiful countryside in the world, you'd have James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux detective series. This 7th in the series finds Dave Robicheaux battling both the bad guys and the corrupt police. Everyone seems to be after a sunken Nazi submarine off the Louisiana coast. What does it carry, and why do so many polar opposite types want it? And, why are they all converging on Dave? Robicheaux has to defend his life and his wife's life and sanity in this complicated tale. Recommended I`ve never read any of his books ; I`ve ` Kindle sampled ` The Neon Rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted June 16, 2014 Author Share Posted June 16, 2014 I have The First Man in Rome on my wishlist, I'm glad you really enjoyed it. Great reviews ! Thanks, Gaia. Lots of times I read other reviews on GoodReads after I've posted my own. I noticed with this book, that many people thought McCullough went off on too many tangents. But I'd counter that argument with the fact that she is necessarily explaining the surrounding people and events that affected how the Roman characters acted. And, really, I like lots of tangents and details. It makes it a more rounded piece, IMO. I'll be glad to read your opinion, when you get to it. Lovely ! My Grandma had stories about escaping from the Ukraine, not a fun thing. Whoa! Right, no fun at all!! I can imagine she is a very strong person. Have you been able to meet up with them ? When I was a child a cousin came over, so yes, but only the one. In doing some genealogy, I've found that parts of one side emigrated all over, The U.S., Canada, New Zealand, etc. I'd like to follow up on that one day. I`ve never read any of his books ; I`ve ` Kindle sampled ` The Neon Rain. Ahh, well. Neon Rain is the first in the series, and like most series it is a bit heavy on explaining, and background stuff. If you can get a sample of the second one, Heaven's Prisoners and read the opening paragraphs, you'll read the most beautiful description of the Gulf of Mexico I've ever seen. We live about 135 miles north of the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico. It's just beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggle not Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Thanks! I've only discovered Faulkner in the last six or seven years. Stupidly, I had a sort of mental block about a Southern authors. No more!! I am about 15% into Flags In The Dust by Faulkner and it has blown me away. Wow, what writing. It is taking me longer though to read it than other books probably because I re-read most of it as I go along. This should really be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 I am about 15% into Flags In The Dust by Faulkner and it has blown me away. Wow, what writing. It is taking me longer though to read it than other books probably because I re-read most of it as I go along. This should really be interesting. Oh, I'm so glad to hear that! And, yes, I know what you mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Whoa! Right, no fun at all!! I can imagine she is a very strong person. She died whilst I was in Primary School, so I didn`t really appreciate things she`d been through ( like getting interrogated by the Gestapo for 12 hours ) . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 (edited) Ahh, well. Neon Rain is the first in the series, and like most series it is a bit heavy on explaining, and background stuff. If you can get a sample of the second one, Heaven's Prisoners and read the opening paragraphs, you'll read the most beautiful description of the Gulf of Mexico I've ever seen. We live about 135 miles north of the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico. It's just beautiful! Thanks - have Kindle Sampled that one too ( there must be a better word than ` Kindle Sampled ` - I suggest Kimpling ). Edited June 27, 2014 by Little Pixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 She died whilst I was in Primary School, so I didn`t really appreciate things she`d been through ( like getting interrogated by the Gestapo for 12 hours ) . Wow Pixie, I'm so sorry to hear that . That's terrible, I'm so sorry for your loss. Thanks - have Kindle Sampled that one too ( there must be a better word than ` Kindle Sampled ` - I suggest Kimpling ). I like that word! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted June 27, 2014 Author Share Posted June 27, 2014 She died whilst I was in Primary School, so I didn`t really appreciate things she`d been through ( like getting interrogated by the Gestapo for 12 hours ) . Good grief! What an unimaginably awful experience. I'm sorry you lost her so early. Thanks - have Kindle Sampled that one too ( there must be a better word than ` Kindle Sampled ` - I suggest Kimpling ). A new word! Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted June 27, 2014 Author Share Posted June 27, 2014 I'm not writing a proper review for Written In My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Mostly because it is very much only a repetitive continuation of her previous books in the series. If you've read them, this is not a lot different. Rehash, IOW. I discovered this series a little more than 20 years ago, by accident, and have followed it since. It is entirely possible I'm tiring of it. This is the 8th in the series. I can't say I'm terribly impressed. Considering readers had a 5 year wait in-between I'd have thought there would be something new. There isn't. Dramatic angst tends to be the unifying theme. It's difficult to enumerate, as that would mean spoilers, and there are a couple of very interesting twists along the way, discoveries made that make the book more interesting. I'm a bit put off by all the procrastinations and postponements that the releasing of this entry of Outlander have gone through. In one of Gabaldon's "explanations", (on her website) she said something about taking the book back, and "making it better". Well, shouldn't that have been done before she sent it to the publishers? I am afraid that she didn't work on it enough, and the book is a bit mish-mash. I really got the impression from her website that Gabaldon has started to believe her own press and it's all gone a bit to her head. If the quality of the books had remained on a more even keel, I wouldn't care about that, And, frankly, I don't care. Much. It's just that little bee buzzing around my head, know what I mean? Recommended, if you are a die hard Outlander fan. I've rated it an ambiguous 3/5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted June 27, 2014 Author Share Posted June 27, 2014 Read another of the Harry Dresden novels. Blood Rites by Jim Butcher. 3/5 Harry Dresden, Chicago's only advertised Wizard has managed to antagonize everyone in the magical world, and has at least three very powerful entities after him. It seems only a matter of time before one of them get him. It's an interesting entry in the Dresden world, Harry's relationships are becoming more and more complex, and one wonders when he will see what is right before his eyes. It's a fun series, and I recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted June 27, 2014 Author Share Posted June 27, 2014 (edited) Ya know, something interesting just happened. Amazon has just notified me that they have shipped my copy of The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith and I'll receive it on Tuesday, July 1st. Only this morning I read an article in the New York Times that said that Amazon was not shipping right away, and were advertising a 2 to 4 week lag time in shipping the book, on account of the dispute with Hachette Publishers. So much for the New York Times. Edited June 27, 2014 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Wow, dontcha love when that happens ? Better to get it early as supposed to rather than late ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Two interesting reviews! It's a shame the Outlander book wasn't as good as you were hoping it would be, especially after the long wait. The Jim Butcher book sounds quite good, I'll buy book one of the series at some point and read it, it sounds like I'd enjoy it. Great reviwes . Ya know, something interesting just happened. Amazon has just notified me that they have shipped my copy of The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith and I'll receive it on Tuesday, July 1st. Only this morning I read an article in the New York Times that said that Amazon was not shipping right away, and were advertising a 2 to 4 week lag time in shipping the book, on account of the dispute with Hachette Publishers. This is awesome news ! I plan to buy the book too once it's out in paperback (although I've yet to read the first one). I hope you get it soon and that you really enjoy it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted June 28, 2014 Author Share Posted June 28, 2014 Wow, dontcha love when that happens ? Better to get it early as supposed to rather than late ! Absolutely! . I couldn't believe it. I wonder if Amazon and Hachette have settled. I saw another book of Hachettes on the Amazon site that was shipping out immediately. Interesting. Two interesting reviews! It's a shame the Outlander book wasn't as good as you were hoping it would be, especially after the long wait. The Jim Butcher book sounds quite good, I'll buy book one of the series at some point and read it, it sounds like I'd enjoy it. Great reviwes . This is awesome news ! I plan to buy the book too once it's out in paperback (although I've yet to read the first one). I hope you get it soon and that you really enjoy it . Thank you, Gaia. If you can, start with the first Butcher, the character build up is interesting. It is called Storm Front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 If you can, start with the first Butcher, the character build up is interesting. It is called Storm Front. I most likely will , it's on my wishlist (though if I see any in the series for cheap, I'll buy it ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted June 28, 2014 Author Share Posted June 28, 2014 I most likely will , it's on my wishlist (though if I see any in the series for cheap, I'll buy it ). LOL...been there, done that! Good show! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 LOL...been there, done that! Good show! Haha, a common thing then . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 (edited) Good grief! What an unimaginably awful experience. I'm sorry you lost her so early. Thanks Gaia and Kate. You know, it could`ve been a whole lot worse - all my family managed to survive stuff like the Camps and the Gulag. Sometimes it`s not just paranoia, people are really out to get you.* Sorry, sometimes a bit of black humour about it all - you`ve got to laugh or you`ll just cry. Edited June 28, 2014 by Little Pixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Ya know, something interesting just happened. Amazon has just notified me that they have shipped my copy of The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith and I'll receive it on Tuesday, July 1st. Only this morning I read an article in the New York Times that said that Amazon was not shipping right away, and were advertising a 2 to 4 week lag time in shipping the book, on account of the dispute with Hachette Publishers. So much for the New York Times. That Amazon employee must`ve failed to read it. Hurray for the book delivery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.