Paula’s Comments (group member since Dec 11, 2011)

Paula’s comments from the Off The Shelf group.

Well, I read most of it. Frankly, it was depressing. She wrote well and it was an interesting experiment, however the subject got me down. Especially when you realize that she wrote this in the mid 90's and here we are in the middle of a depression now and it's so much worse. I've always felt that I wasn't at poverty level, but I can see that I'm one short disaster away!

I actually didn't read the whole book, as I couldn't take the subject matter any more. LOL, sorry. The reviews for this book made it sound better than it actually was. Maybe if I was more affluent, it would have been a fun read.

On to the next book! I hope some of you are going to participate!

I've started Nickel and Dimed, but having trouble getting into this book. I like the idea and even voted for it, but there it is. LOL.

Anybody else have thoughts about it? :)

I really enjoyed this! I actually didn't know if I would and it certainly wasn't a book I would have chosen just from looking at the title.

The author does a great job of portraying the aging, traditionalist, British Major, as well as his self-centered, materialistic son quite well. Like Leann, I enjoyed 'listening' to the Major's thoughts and how he covered up his vulnerability with a bluff, proper exterior. I think people do that in real life, although the younger generation seems to be more like Roger.

I actually thought that the Major's Last Stand started with his action to invite Mrs. Ali to the dance. He did it impulsively, but because he felt she was being excluded and shunned and it culminated in his physically 'standing fast' on the cliff with Abdul Rashid. It was interesting how he had a prejudice himself, but because of his loneliness as a widower, he noticed the person apart from their nationality and grew to cherish her, no matter what his community thought.

I think this is a good thought to take with us as we interact with people. Our culture here in America is so fixated on appearances and everyone is judged for how they look, what clothes they wear, what car they drive, what house they have and how many of the latest electronic devices they possess, that we lose sight of the fact that we are really all the same. We all have a need to be loved and to give love in return, no matter the outer trappings. And I appreciated being shown this from an older person's point of view.

Some of the passages were very funny and I laughed out loud, a quality that is missing in many books today. The Major's dry mental tone was so much like my own in my head. :) A great read!

Another funny:
p. 108: "...the Major was mentally a hooked carp, its mouth opening and closing on the useless oxygen."

p. 148: Amina, "I've learned to tell the difference between the people who can really hurt you and those you just want to look down their noses." That takes a little life experience, but it's so true! :)

p. 203: Abdul Wahid, "But I must ask you, do you really understand what it means to be in love with an unsuitable woman?" "My dear boy," said the Major. "Is there really any other kind?"

Tons of good lines in this box. Overall, an engaging read!

Some funny stuff in this one!

p. 75-"Black tie is not a theme," said the Major. "It's the preferred attire for people of good breeding."

p. 84-(Speaking about using dead relatives as an excuse, the Major's thoughts) "People did it all the time; it was understood that there was a defined window of availability beginning a decent few days after a funeral and continuing for no more than a couple of months. Of course, some people took dreadful advantage and a year later were still hauling around their dead relatives on their backs, showing them off to explain late tax payments and missed dentist appointments, something he would never do."

Can't wait to read more!

Ok, after getting my oldest son married off, I've finally been able to finish The Last Unicorn!

My thoughts:
1. Overall, a nice book. Of course, not on a par with something of the stature of The Lord of the Rings, but a pleasant read nevertheless.
2. My sympathies lay with the Unicorn. I know everyone said that they were really rooting for Molly Grue, but I felt she was really a secondary character, although she was instrumental in helping the Unicorn complete her quest.
3. Some of the prose was lovely. The book seemed to lose steam towards the end however. (Or maybe that was just me losing steam, lol.)
4. I felt that the author was half-heartedly trying to make this a farce about fairytales, especially with Captain Cully and his band characters. Also with Schmendrick's several references to being in a fairytale. It didn't seem to really fly well, though, as if Peter couldn't make up his mind to make fun of the fairytale or just go with the flow of the fairytale.
5. It did have some moments of greatness and I especially loved the Unicorn's characterization of her immortal nature. It was easy to feel that and I don't think I've read another book that described that type of creature so nicely.

My favorite passage: Schmendrick: "We are not always what we seem and hardly ever what we dream."

Overall, a nice read. I'll have to read some more of Peter's later work to see how his writing changed and matured. :)

Ok, so I'm finally getting to read The Last Unicorn! Hooray!

I like the poetry feel to the book. So far, it has a very 'traditional' fairy tale feel. By that I mean that it feels slightly old world, with prose that is a bit archaic to modern ears, but in that lovely formal, slightly ornate style that gives us the sense that we are reading a story from 'long, long ago'.

I haven't gotten very far, but that was my impression so far and I liked the overall ambiance of the book. We'll see how I feel about it once I get to the end!

Wow! and I just finally got the book! (I think our library system uses pack mules to get the books from one library to another.) :)

I think it's interesting how we develop an idea of what a particular genre should be and then the next author in that genre blows all our preconceptions apart. I actually like that, because honestly, I want to continually grow and be challenged. Books would be exceedingly dull if everyone followed a 'formula'. I'm sure we've all read those 'formula' books and while they can make a nice interlude, eventually they get boring. I think that genres should have a few very minimum requirements to identify it, but I know of many books that are a particular genre, but leak over into another one.

I also think that it's interesting to read the same book at different stages in your life. It never seems like the same book, LOL, because we are not the same people. Our life experiences shape how we create the story in our head. Books that I have read when I was younger hit me differently when I read them later. I like that, as it makes the story fresh and new!

In a perfect world, we could expect that each book in a particular genre would deliver the perfectly developed character, detailed storyline and fantastic descriptions. As we know in the real world, that doesn't happen. All books won't appeal to all persons. Isn't that great? It means that we are all different, thank goodness! I can't imagine a more tedious existence than to be surrounded by other people exactly like me!!!

I tend to read a book with the genre in mind, for instance, if it's YA, then I don't expect the level of complexity that I would find in an adult novel. Again, however, that preconception is being challenged with the new crop of authors writing such awesome works like Harry Potter and others. My one criteria for a new book/author is: was I entertained and/or informed? If that happened, then it was a good use of my time. If there was more than that, awesome! Maybe I just found a new favorite author!

I was always irritated by Jane Austen's characters also, which probably explains why I could never read all her books, lol. I was always screaming at them in my head, "Break free! Don't be such a doormat!" (Can you tell that I like strong female characters? Hmmm, could this be because I AM one? :)

Like I said in another thread, 'Embrace the weirdness'. LOL, I look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts and opinions. I know that I probably won't agree with all of them and that's ok, otherwise, there wouldn't be a discussion. :)

Woohoo! Thanks, Robin! I don't have the Kindle yet, but hoping to soon! ;) I'll be sure to check out these sites.

Hey everyone! I'm hoping to get a Kindle Fire soon and in the meantime, I'm looking around to find free e-book sites. Does anyone here know of some good ones?

Welcome, Robin!

Wow, 2 Kindle Fires? Want to give one to a drooling fellow reader? LOL :) This is a neat place and you will like it. It will probably take you out of your comfort zone, but you can always fall back on your favorite authors if you need a break from scariness.

We've got a diverse group of readers here. Check out other members' bookshelves for books you might have read to add to your own bookshelves. (Helps me with my memory...I've forgotten what I've read!)

Glad to have you in the group!

I'm interested in reading Hunger Games. It's on my list of to-read!

I was talking to hubby Jim about this month's genre and how I couldn't think of anything and he said, "Oh, you mean like Clive Cussler and Steven Koonts." So there ya go! This explains why he knows and I don't, 'cause that's the stuff he likes to read, lol. :)

I've read some Clive Cussler and Steven Koonts and it didn't really thrill me and I guess this month's genre is not one of my favorites, but hey, that's why we're here...to break out of our comfort zone and read stuff we don't normally read!

I also think that some of Robin Cook's work would qualify, since he's always writing about some virus developed in a lab that gets out into the general public.

So those are some suggestions, but I don't have actual book titles to suggest, sorry.

Leann, like Karen said, Janet Evanovich is touted as mystery and those are screamingly funny.

My favorite Agatha Christie story is "And Then There Were None". You might give that one a try.

The Hamish McBeth series by M.C.Beaton are funny, especially if you like stories that show the quaint life in the Scottish Highlands.

There are tons of different kinds of mysteries, so you should be able to find SOMETHING you like. :)

I like both ideas, ladies! This might especially be fun when we have a short book or if we are fast readers. :)

1. Anything by Agatha Christie. My favorites are about Hercule Poirot.
2. Anythng about Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (or all of them!)
3. Hamish McBeth Series by M.C. Beaton-I'd like to start with the first one, Death Of A Gossip, and work my way thru.
4. The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger (a Steampunk Mystery)

1. The Idiot Girl's Action Adventure Club: True Tales From A Magnificent and Clumsy Life
2. Nickled and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America (a journalist’s account of trying to live on what she makes as a waitress, a cleaning woman, a nursing home aide, and a Wal-Mart employee)
3. Naked by David Sedaris

These are mostly funny memoirs. You can see details on Amazon.com.

I can't think of a thing yet. I'll have to do some looking online. :)

I'm still waiting for either a: a paycheck to order the book or b: the library to send it to me. Want to bet which one will happen first? Therefore, I haven't read it yet and probably won't be able to finish it by the end of Dec.

Don't let me hold you back, though. Move on if necessary.

One suggestion: Since it sometimes takes weeks for our library system to have a book available, could we do the picks for the next 3 months in advance, so that we will all have time to get the book for the correct month?

I like the suggestion of choosing a genre for each month. That should keep everyone's interest up and keep us out of the rut of the same type of book each month.

Love the quotes and comments so far! Can't wait to actually read it!

Yup, people are weird and guess what? We are, too! Embrace the weirdness. Be free! :)

Leann, please don't curse her brain wrinkles. I rely on them from time to time, lol.

I go thru phases and read the same genre and then get sick of it. We read what we need. Sometimes for escape, sometimes for knowledge, sometimes for no good reason at all. 'Cause we don't really NEED a reason!

A friend of mine has a saying that works for nearly every aspect of life and I use it all the time now.
"It is what it is." Cool, huh?

Besides, O Overlord, how ELSE are you going to get ammo for your Musings? :)