| Author |
Message |
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, April 03, 2017 - 4:47 pm 
The bit on the boat was allegory, but indeed it was strange.. didn't seem more strange than Life of Pi though.. unless we really think there was a Tiger on that boat or raft or whatever.
Anyway.. I next read, just finished a book whose topic really gets me riled.. brain injury from concussion and the total moral bankruptcy of the NFL in how they aggressively and actively covered up any knowledge and actively set up what was engineered to look like a search for knowledge but was actually a cover up and also complete slander against scientists who had discovered the problem and attempted to document this and warn not just NFL players, but those engaging in football (and that can be extrapolated to any number of other sports and activities.. of course boxing had already been documented) but to those parents of young people who were starting down a path that is likely to lead to increasing numbers of people with brain trauma and very early dementia.
Sorry.. on a soapbox for sure but that is one reason you don't see me over doing football pools.. or enthusing about the super bowl.
Players have free choice (as adults at least) but this coverup was just heinous and the settlement that was reached through mediation meant that the NFL and minions never have to admit anything.. well.. except that many of the families pulled out of the class action suit and will sue on their own. So many ruined lives.
Author is Jeanne Marie Laskas, Author of the GQ article "Game Brain" , the basis of the major motion picture Concussion.
The book is also titled Concussion: Dr Bennet Omalu discovered something he could not ignore. The NFL did not want toe world to hear it. His courage would change everything
Much of the book is about Dr Omalu, his life in Nigeria and in Pittsburgh, where he worked for Dr Cyril Wecht in the morgue there, and then about his discovery in the brain of one ex NFL player who had become demented, homeless, etc before he died, and then finding it in more brains and naively thinking the NFL would be interested in these findings.
Grr.
Next just about to start two books by Neil Abramson, novels, first Unsaid and then Just Life.
Both about the bonds between people and animals.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Monday, April 03, 2017 - 6:04 pm
Every once in a while I stroll through my local library and browse titles of books I've not heard of before. Each library staff member is allowed to highlight a title so that the book he or she loves is put on prominent display with a note that says, "This book is highly recommended by _________" (the library staff member's name).
So I took a chance on The Penny Pinchers Club by Sarah Strohmeyer and published in 2009. I finished it yesterday and was amazed I made it to the end. The writing wasn't bad, but the story itself was very disjointed. And aside form the main character, all the other characters were very sketchily presented. This made it difficult to care about any of them.
So...note to self: Do not heed the suggestions of the library staff!
And, as is my custom, I posted my "review" on Twitter and got a response from Ms. Strohmeyer within a few hours. I thought for sure she'd ignore it. I thought of responding by saying "Thank you for commenting on my negative comment," but I decided not to belabor the point. Still, I was surprised she commented!
______________________________
Sarah Strohmeyer
@sarahstrohmeyer
Awesome. And, wait, it's Monday, too. Weeeeee!!!! Not sure others feel the same about this book I wrote 10 years ago but to each his own!
Ric Munoz @munoz_ric
I hate giving negative reviews because I love books so much, but #ThePennyPinchersClub by @sarahstrohmeyer was not impressive at all. 2/10
4:12 AM - 3 Apr 2017
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, April 03, 2017 - 6:49 pm
At least not THAT particular employee's recommendations!!
At least you are a fast reader!
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Tuesday, April 04, 2017 - 8:20 am
Once upon a time I managed bookstores and we had a very popular employee recommends program. People would often return wanting to speak with whoever recommended the book they read, get more suggestions and try other employee recommended books. It was great fun. I still miss many things about working in the bookstore. I don't recall any negative comments about the choices but I would imagine not everyone liked every suggestion.
I did not care for A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell. I am fatigued by the recent rash of this sort of book. Characters with few or no redeeming qualities ala Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train. I suppose the book meandered down a path or two one might not expect but it left me feeling annoyed rather than captivated or impressed. If a person enjoyed Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train this may be a good choice. To be fair, I didn't read much of Gone Girl as I knew how the story would play out from the beginning and read the first half of The Girl on the Train and then back skimmed the rest. I just got bored with that book.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, April 04, 2017 - 10:41 am
Barnes & Noble had a shelf like that and I would give those books a look, but I do know my own likes and dislikes as well.
I also am not a fan of books or tv where all is about unpleasant, evil or stupid characters (or smart, who are evil).
Non fiction about real people may pull me in, but the unpleasant ones are not usually being celebrated.
This book I started.. The narrator is a vet who has just died. She loves animals but worries that she will be hated by animals she has helped to die.. having the same questions as all have with pets.. should I let nature take its course, did I end things too soon or too late..
So she is afraid to move on right away.. She is also watching over her bewildered husband and her horses and dogs.
One of the people quoted as loving the book was Temple Grandin, which is a good endorsement in my book.
Liking it so far.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, April 04, 2017 - 7:25 pm
Well, having read more, Temple Grandin would be commenting due to all the animals in this book and a bit with Asperger's..
This woman is watching her husband, the other get in her practice and a friend who was working on communication with a bonobo.
Keeping me reading.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Thursday, April 06, 2017 - 1:34 pm
I am loving this book, Unsaid and so pleased that I already had it when I got Just Life on sale.
Since the boy with Asperger's isn't the main character, but the book evolves into issues surrounding language and what makes a sensient being.. I think Dr Grandin was commenting on those aspects of the book in her quote.
I have a quarter of this book left and the next one.. And! John Elder Robinson has a book on sale for today on Kindle,cos I snapped that up. be different: Adventures of a Free-Range Aspergian, with practical advice for Aspergians, Misfits, Families & Teachers.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Thursday, April 06, 2017 - 8:57 pm
I finished Unsaid.. so sad I'm done with it but I couldn't stop reading it. Really good book.
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Heckagirl631
Member
09-08-2010
| Friday, April 07, 2017 - 8:01 pm
"The Lost Sisterhood" by Anne Fortier was quite interesting. Deals with the Amazons and a bit of Trojan history. Also has modern day and the parallels between them.
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Tresbien
Member
08-26-2002
| Monday, April 10, 2017 - 1:49 pm
Thanks, Ric, for the suggestion of Barclay's Broken Promise, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm a sucker for twisty turny plots! I'm looking forward to the next two volumes of the trilogy.
Nothing I was looking for was available, so I took my library's recommendation of Judy Blume's adult novel In The Unlikely Event. Having not read her before, and thinking she only wrote children's books, I was surprised by this title. She's very good at drawing her characters so you feel like you know them right away. I can already see why she's so highly regarded.}
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, April 10, 2017 - 3:27 pm
I finished Just Life which had some twists and turns and kept me up all night reading. Some really broken characters who bond around a dog shelter being threatened in several ways.
I am anticipating the John Elder Robinson book (his brother is Augustin Burroughs) but will wait a bit.
Starting a new memoir Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help and Acceptance in Our Fight Aginst Alzheimer's by B Smith and Dan Gaby.
B Smith was the first black face on the cover of Mademoiselle also had covers of Essence and Ebony. She was a Wilhelmina model. She represented major brands like Crest, Pillsbury and Betty Crocker. She had her own restaurant in NY Theatre Districtg, written books on entertaining, appeared on many shows like GMA and had her own shoe, B. Smith with Style. Then a national magazine too.
She and her husband had two other restaurants as well.
Husband and co author is Dan Gasby.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Wednesday, April 12, 2017 - 4:10 pm
Tresbien! Wonderful news -- it warms the heart of my cockles to know you liked Broken Promise. 
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Thursday, April 13, 2017 - 10:21 am
Yea! Finally 2 books in a row that I enjoyed reading.
The Mother's Promise by Sally Hepworth. The story of a mother and daughter who live a rather close and quiet life. The daughter suffers from crippling social anxiety and the mother becomes very ill. The mothers illness brings a nurse and social worker into the lives each of them having problems of their own. It has some very predictable bits but most of the characters were likeable or had redeeming qualities for a nice change.
On Turpentine Lane, Hurrah!! Finally a new book from Elinor Lipman. I enjoyed it, a quick sweet read. Faith Frankel buys a sweet little bungalow. What may have happened with the previous owners? A little romance, some family drama... a pleasant read.
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Thursday, April 13, 2017 - 10:46 am
I posted about my irritation with editing errors in the General Discussion thread. Lucky me I found a beauty on page 289 of On Turpentine Lane. A person who is not one of the 6 people in the room, who in fact was not mentioned in the book makes a toast.
"L'chaim right?" her husband asked.
What! No husband in attendance. The chapter includes a sister and brother with their boyfriend and girlfriend, the brothers friend and the friends mother. That's all. Grr.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, April 14, 2017 - 12:42 am
Before I Forget isn't a typical Alzheimer's memoir, though it is truly tragic. But the husband, while covering what was going on in 2013-14, and B Smith also had chapters of her view on it.. they closed down restaurants.. his daughter managed one for awhile..
Anyway he went to several doctors before they found the right one for them.
He put off getting help in caregiving, but finally did find someone right.
She was right away wanting to contribute to Alzheimer's research and to be public about it and they are, despite some criticism.
He has continued to work very hard to maintain her lifestyle line and even add to it items that can raise funds for research.
And they both would speak to help raise awareness, especially in the African American community where there is a disproportionate percent of diabetes, hypertension and Alsheimers.. He's worked with researchers to get African Americans (and all.. Americans) to participate in clinical trials.
The kicker is.. and I've heard this from local experts too, that finally they have a way to diagnose Alzheimer's changes while a person is living.. PET Scan.. and guess what? Medicare has pretty much stopped paying for them.. this has affected cancer patients too.
But with a PET someone can see early that they may have changes starting and work on diet and exercise and other things. OR they may find they do NOT have any changes.
That slso would mean that they could do trials and not be doing the trial of people who don't have changes in the brain, just normal aging.
So this book covered some really relevant areas IMO.
Local experts here stress that by eating right, exercising, working to stay sharp, someone can put off the drastic changes for perhaps 10 years.. and for regular onste Alzheimers that can mean not needing care until really quite old and maybe you will never need too much help.. as opposed to years and years needed that almost no one can afford.. and with baby boomers.. there is a lack of facilitis.. and many areas have no support groups.
Anyway, I finished it.
I did search online and can see that he is posting a lot on Facebook currently and also that she has worsened.. lost much more memory.. super sad.
=== I'm starting8 Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us From Missles to the Moon to Mars, by Nathalia Holt. This goes back to the 40s and JPL.
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Kappy
Member
06-28-2002
| Friday, April 14, 2017 - 5:30 pm
Finished up two books this past week. The first was The Accident by Linwood Barclay. It was okay but I didn't really enjoy it like I have his others.
The second book was Good as Gone where I couldn't help but think they purposely made the Title as close to Gone Girl as they could. I also felt like part of the story was ripped off from the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smith. It's a decent suspense book in that you wonder 'is she or isn't she' but I quickly tired of it as the long descriptive sentences kept growing and repeating as if the author couldn't turn the book in until it was at least 200 pages long. It does have a good ending but overall was just so so.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Saturday, April 15, 2017 - 11:47 am
I'm relieved you didn't dislike The Accident, Kappy.
Yesterday I finished The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen, which he wrote in 2015 and subsequently received the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Though there are sections that go on a bit too long, the overall story is really, really written (it was his first published novel).
Told in a first-person narrator style, it follows the life of a man who is a mole within the South Vietnamese army and flees to Southern California just as Saigon is falling in 1975. The story is quite complex, but it held my interest because of all the predicaments the narrator-mole experiences after he settles into life in America. Though it felt like a workout to read at times (because he packs in so much information), I'm glad I did because of the superior quality of the writing.
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Saturday, April 15, 2017 - 1:10 pm
Did you like The Accident, Uncle Ricky? I haven't read it yet.
I just finished reading Fear the Worst. I thought it was a great story.
Spoiler
Click below to view spoiler | | The ending was hard to take though. |
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Saturday, April 15, 2017 - 2:39 pm
I did like The Accident, yes! But then I have never disliked any of his books, so I'm extremely biased. In other news, The Accident is the first of his books to be officially adapted into a film or TV series. Last fall, it was filmed for a TV series to be shown in France. (Harlan Coben fans will recall the first book of his to be adapted was also in France, the great film thriller, "Tell No One.") I think it's just a matter of time before more of Barclay's books are adapted as well.
I think Fear The Worst is one of his very best and I agree completely with the observation you noted in the spoiler box. It's one of his ongoing, major strengths: how he is able to keep his grip on the reader's attention from the very beginning to the very end!
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Saturday, April 15, 2017 - 6:41 pm
I spent the afternoon reading a somewhat obscure novella by Joyce Carol Oates, Beasts, which she wrote in 2001. I love stories about people who are obsessed with other people and this one is mini-doozy. The payoff at the end was especially satisfying because the good character was able to give the bad characters exactly what they deserved!
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Kappy
Member
06-28-2002
| Sunday, April 16, 2017 - 9:24 am
Let me preface by saying I have read EIGHT Linwood Barclay novels since Uncle Ricky first suggested him, lol! Most I have given at least 4 out of 5 stars to.
The Accident was the first where I dropped it down to 3. It is very well written. I remember thinking as I started it that I was growing weary of hearing stories of people who resort to certain things all while using the excuse of the economy. I feared from the start that it would affect how I enjoyed the book and it did. But the writing is very good! I could see where they could make a one-time series from it like they did with Big Little Lies.
I really enjoyed Fear the Worst. I felt for the main character right from the beginning and not knowing if his ex was good or bad added to the suspense. There were various forms of resolutions at the end that I thought were well done.
Heck, I think everyone of Barclay's books would make a good movie.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Monday, April 17, 2017 - 1:20 pm
That's wonderful, Kappy! And I totally agree that each one of his books is 100% adaptable. We, sadly, have to wait until November 7 for the release of his next book, Parting Shot. 
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, April 17, 2017 - 5:15 pm
Well he certainly has a heck of a cool name!!
I finished the book about the women who were computers (and then programmed actual computers and some became engineers) at JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Cal Tech in Pasadena, CA).. from the very beginnings. Along with reading Operation Paperclip and the book that spowned the movie about the African American women computers on the East Coast.. I know much more about the early and later space program.
And I do now understand why my first real job (before I returned to Berkeley and finished my degree) was called Technical Computer. We even had one of those hunky Friden calculators that we used sometimes!
ANd so.. I'm going to dive into the second memoir by John Elder Robinson.. which I expect to enjoy just as much as his first.
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Tuesday, April 18, 2017 - 7:10 am
My Dad found one of those amazing mechanical calculators at his work and brought it home for me when I was a kid. I loved that thing. I read the manual cover to cover and I even learned how to do square roots with it. It would hammer away for a couple of minutes calculating some things. It was so heavy. Solid metal. What an amazing mechanical marvel that was!
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, April 18, 2017 - 10:07 am
Formidable, for sure.
And if we thought someone was thinking we weren't busy you could enter something that would set it to grinding away for some time.
We only had one and it wasn't on my desk.
I did have a gyroscope on my desk.. One of the engineers gave it to me (not to leave the facility.. It was classified), that failed testing, but it was so smooth and would silently spin for a very long time. It was part of a Shillelagh missle.
Then I went back to finish my psych degree, but ended up back on mainframe computers as a programmer trainee.
The psych and more study and training has been of use in most of my volunteer jobs.
The book I am reading is useful but so far less interesting than his first book. Would be excellent reading 📚 for someone diagnosed with Asperger's, and family.
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