Athena Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 That sounds like a complicated book! I'm glad you liked it though . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted May 13, 2015 Author Share Posted May 13, 2015 The Quiet Earth by Craig Harrison, Introduction by Bernard Beckett 5/5"The worst thing we could ever imagine is being alone, until we imagine being with somebody else." Introduction by Bernard Beckett.John Hobson awakens in a motel room to a stopped clock, reading 6:12. Everything is silent, not only silent, but oppressively so. Nothing or no one moves. A ghost town with no ghosts or movement. At least at first (que Twilight Zone music).The narrative screams "unreliable narrator", but is he? What has caused this evident disappearance of mankind, why is Hobson not affected?A classic, by anyone's standard.Highly recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted May 13, 2015 Author Share Posted May 13, 2015 The Carpetbaggers by Harold Robbins 4/5The book is divided into nine sections detailing many different characters that dovetail into a sprawling epic of a story covering 1930-1945. One man, Jonas Cord a fictional rendition of Howard Hughes, brings them all together. Robbins knows all the Hollywood stories, all the rumors of the rich and not so rich, the famous and infamous.His characterizations are detailed, richly empathic and reach to the heart of the matter. The characters range from a Harlow-like actress to a half Kiowa, half white cowboy that has seen Hell and came back from it.Recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 Oooohhh- The Quiet Earth sounds good! Enjoying my Amazon Stick too, btw- thanks for that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 The Quiet Earth sounds great. Added it to my wishlist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 The Quiet Earth sounds just the kind of thing I like! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I have added The Quiet Earth to my wish list too, any book synopsis with 'oppressive' in the description generally catches my attention! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 The Quiet Earth sounds interesting, I might have to look it up. Nice reviews . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted May 15, 2015 Author Share Posted May 15, 2015 (edited) Oooohhh- The Quiet Earth sounds good! Enjoying my Amazon Stick too, btw- thanks for that Glad to hear the Stick is working out. Did you find out if it is usable "out"? The Quiet Earth sounds great. Added it to my wishlist. Ian wrote: The Quiet Earth sounds just the kind of thing I like! I have added The Quiet Earth to my wish list too, any book synopsis with 'oppressive' in the description generally catches my attention! Don't know how I messed up ian's quote..... Glad to hear it. It is very understated, but powerful. LOL, "oppressive"...yes indeed! The Quiet Earth sounds interesting, I might have to look it up. Nice reviews . Thanks, Gaia. Yes, while the DNA science is outdated somewhat I don't think it is horribly out of date. Edited May 15, 2015 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Glad to hear the Stick is working out. Did you find out if it is usable "out"? Oh do you mean if I can take it to different TV's? I can! I supposedly can use it anywhere there is a wireless connection. If you meant downloading shows on my Kindle and watching them without a connection, yes I can do that too! I love Amazon. Gonna take some episodes of Under the Dome with me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted May 16, 2015 Author Share Posted May 16, 2015 That's great! Neat to be able to take something with you! Have you read Under the Dome? I'm wondering about a comparison between the TV version and the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted May 16, 2015 Author Share Posted May 16, 2015 (edited) Bought a few at the monthly Library Sale this morning. The Closers by Michael Connelly The Choirboys by Joseph Wambaugh The Secrets of Harry Bright by Joseph Wambaugh Shiloh by Shelby Foote An Infinity of Mirrors by Richard Condon The Raiders by Harold Robbins Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates Amrita by Banana Yoshimmoto The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King Different Seasons by Stephen King Multivariate Statistical Analysis A Conceptual Introduction by Sam Kash Kachigan The Gregg Reference Manual Tenth Edition by William S Sabin Forgot to post a couple last week...... Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis Follies of God: Tennessee Williams and the Women of the Fog by James Grissom The Door by Magda Szabo Our Mathematical Universe by Max Tegmark Edited May 16, 2015 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Oooohhh- The Quiet Earth sounds good! The Quiet Earth sounds great. Added it to my wishlist. The Quiet Earth sounds just the kind of thing I like! I have added The Quiet Earth to my wish list too, any book synopsis with 'oppressive' in the description generally catches my attention! The Quiet Earth sounds interesting, I might have to look it up. Nice reviews . In case y'all don't see what I said in the Book Activity thread - there is a (somewhat dated, B-Movie-level) film adaptation of this book. I haven't read the book yet, but I really like the film. No idea how similar they are, but I love the story in the film. Have you read Under the Dome? I'm wondering about a comparison between the TV version and the book. I've read Under The Dome, but I haven't seen the tv version. I loved the book, though, so maybe I should give it a watch. Bought a few at the monthly Library Sale this morning. So many new books! I hope you enjoy them. I'm not familiar with any of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted May 17, 2015 Author Share Posted May 17, 2015 Thanks Noll. Some of them are older authors that we happened to spot at the sale. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North 4.5Harry's story, er...stories are told in a nonlinear fashion that will not appeal to everyone. But that method of storytelling only adds to the tension building aspect of the book as a mature Harry tells of his beginnings. Harry is illegitimate, born in 1919 pastoral England to a serving girl who promptly dies in childbirth. He is raised by a family on his biological father's estate, in ignorance of his origins. At least for the first few lives. As recognition of his situation becomes clearer he is helped along by members of the Cronos Club, a group of re-live-rs like himself. They help him understand what is happening to him.This is an interesting twist on the theory of reincarnation. Instead of successive lives, Harry re-lives the same life accumulating knowledge, remembering every detail of his lives, living each life differently. Then a message comes down to him from the future. When he is dying a little girl comes to him with grim news from the future. The world is ending. How can Harry stop it? Can he, in fact, stop it?Spies, gangsters, and mad scientists populate this wonderfully tense story a man's struggle with the life he has been blessed with.....or is it cursed?Recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Yay for new books! I read and liked two short stories by Banana Yoshimoto (I have a book with both of the stories), so I hope you enjoy Amrita. I hope you enjoy all your new books . The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August sounds interesting, great review . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 That's great! Neat to be able to take something with you! Have you read Under the Dome? I'm wondering about a comparison between the TV version and the book. No I haven't read it yet I got to watch the first episode for free awhile ago and at the end was like so when I joined Prime and it's free... I just wonder how sick I will get of BBC News so I can figure out how many to download Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted May 17, 2015 Author Share Posted May 17, 2015 Yay for new books! I read and liked two short stories by Banana Yoshimoto (I have a book with both of the stories), so I hope you enjoy Amrita. I hope you enjoy all your new books . The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August sounds interesting, great review . Thanks, it was! She has another book out, and I'm itching to buy it.... No I haven't read it yet I got to watch the first episode for free awhile ago and at the end was like so when I joined Prime and it's free... I just wonder how sick I will get of BBC News so I can figure out how many to download I haven't seen it on TV yet either, but might pretty soon. We've finished binge watching Fringe and Longmire, soooooo....... I downloaded CBS news and like it pretty well. While I've downloaded the BBC, we haven't watched it much, yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 I haven't seen it on TV yet either, but might pretty soon. We've finished binge watching Fringe and Longmire, soooooo....... I downloaded CBS news and like it pretty well. While I've downloaded the BBC, we haven't watched it much, yet. Ya season 3 is starting soon and I don't think there is any way I can finish a season and 1/2 in a few weeks. Maybe. I don't watch a lot of TV. But I am enjoying it so far. BBC News is fab, it's just, 7 days of it on in the background How was Fringe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted May 17, 2015 Author Share Posted May 17, 2015 Fringe was absolutely fabulous. Alternate/twin universes, monsters, inexplicable happenings, isolation chambers....mad scientist. Great acting. Everyone in it was superb! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 I've never seen Fringe but your description, Kate, makes it sound like I should look it up some time . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted May 17, 2015 Author Share Posted May 17, 2015 I've never seen Fringe but your description, Kate, makes it sound like I should look it up some time . Oh, definitely! It's got great storylines that carry through the entire series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Fringe was absolutely fabulous. Alternate/twin universes, monsters, inexplicable happenings, isolation chambers....mad scientist. Great acting. Everyone in it was superb! I had no idea it was about all that! I might have to check out the first episode and see what its all like! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 No I haven't read it yet I got to watch the first episode for free awhile ago and at the end was like so when I joined Prime and it's free... I just wonder how sick I will get of BBC News so I can figure out how many to download Just wanted to let you know, I am on episode 5 of Under the Dome and its really good. It makes me want to read the book, but I feel like they are covering everything really well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 Just wanted to let you know, I am on episode 5 of Under the Dome and its really good. It makes me want to read the book, but I feel like they are covering everything really well. We have now watched the first season and the first ep of the second season of Under the Dome. Not watching more. I thought the first season was good, although it certainly deviates from the book. Keeping the skeleton of the book, and fleshing it out with "other" stuff. But I didn't like the direction the second season was taking, so I've taken it off our list to watch. If you watch into the second season, let me know how it impresses you. I had no idea it was about all that! I might have to check out the first episode and see what its all like! IMO, Fringe leaves Under the Dome in the dust. They always had a new twist to the stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 I finished Ghost in the Machine by Ed James. It's the first in a detective series about DI Cullen, near Edinburgh, Scotland. The first half was kind of repetitive, but the second half really made up for it, and I'm looking forward to more in the series. I'm about 30% through Patricia Highsmith's The Cry of the Owl. Good, but a bit predictable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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