Red Bank Public Library Virtual Book Club discussion

Just to jump into the pool with the rest of you (and to not lurk on the side. I am working on ...

1. Blueprint by Christakis. I bought this on sale via Audible and today the matching Kindle version is on sale so I've started it to see if I need both versions (my preference). Christakis seems to be arguing that we are "wired" for behaviors that are pro-social, but I've just started it. If you are curious, you should look for a review on the web.

2. Homer: A Very Short Introduction by Graziosi. Chirp sold me a cheap audio copy of this one. I read the Illiad some years ago and I can't say that I really got a ton out of it (I remember lots of "smoting"). Maybe when this is all over I will look into auditing more classes at Brookdale. I really enjoyed the English classes I took in college. What have I learned so far? If you read the Illiad in Greek, the characters have these phrases for names (like "fleet footed Achilles"). People complain about the repetition but apparently each name is a different number syllables. So the person performing the tale, would pick the name that worked for filling out the metric pattern. It sounds a bit like what rappers do today.

3. The Art of Dramatic Writing by Egri. I've waited a year at The Open Library to borrow this book. It's all about how to write a good play and it's from the 1940s. Some content I recognize from screenwriting books I've read recently. Other ideas are more foreign. Egri is very liberal with using examples from Moliere, Ibsen, Shakespeare and others to make his points. I can't say I've learned anything new yet but the age of this book and of the examples reinforce my belief that there are story structures that our human brains respond to and the most satisfying stories work with that instead of trying to go against it.

4. How to Hide an Empire by Immerwahr. This book focuses on the US history you didn't learn at school. Ok, well, maybe you learned it but I didn't. I have to admit that I'm a bit stalled on this one and need to get through some of the earlier books and then focus back on it. It was surprising to me that from our countries' inception we included not only states but also a "territory." I didn't make it through the chapter on our genocide of the American Indians. Too horrific. I finally know something about the Spanish American war. That was a bit of a black hole in memory before. And I think that's as far as I've gotten.

5. And Then You're Dead by Cassidy. This s a fun one in the spirit of What If? and How To by Monroe. The format is "if you did ...", how would you die. For example, if you jumped into a volcano, initially you would float on the surface of the molten rock because your body is much less dense.

6.The Long Shot by Brooks. Ok this one I just finished for the second time. This time I listened to Melissa Moran reading the story and I really like her narration. This is the second book I've listened to by her. It's a non-heterosexual romance and thus not something I would expect any of you to read. But the characters are sympathetic and the push/pull between them is just right. I've told you all that I like to read "trash" and this is an example. I'm not crazy about advertising in such a public and "searchable" forum that I have a preference for these kinds of stories, so you won't see these books on my book lists.

Wow! You take on a lot of books at a time. I'm more of a one or two at a time. I have a few unfinished books that I intend to finish during this time at home. It includes "We'll Always Have Casablanca" by Noah Isenberg. I heard the author speak at Brookdale a couple of years ago. The book was published on the 75th anniversary [20187] of the film and deals with how the film was made and why it is such a beloved film

;-) I do take on a stack but I also reserve the right to completely quit sometimes or to move things back to the "to read" list.

What new/interesting/fun things have you learned so far on the making of the film?

I don't know much about film making but romance writers love to use actresses as mains. The whole "we have to be physical for the movie/play/tv show" plays nicely in the romance category.

What I've learned from those books is that human beings must have a real drive to be creative because the lifestyles of performers seem hard. I am amazed that people agree to the conditions.

Does the book indicate that they knew they had a classic on their hands while making it? Or do you think the movie people think that about every film?

M wrote: "Just to jump into the pool with the rest of you (and to not lurk on the side. I am working on ...

1. Blueprint by Christakis. I bought this on sale via Audible and today the matching Kindle versio..."
Do you read them concurrently or consecutively? I sometimes read several books at once, but that's usually because I need to take a break from a tough read by spending time with something entertaining.

I tend to go back and forth. Once I'm really sucked into a book (or just committed to it), I tend to get compulsive and just hang in there. But if I'm struggling with a book, then I tend to start other reads and do more of a round robin. So I think maybe my approach is very similar to yours!

Well it seems I either got through that first stack (or put them back on the shelf). So now I am working on

1)Immunology by Janeway. This is a serious text for students. It's quite old but most of what's there is new since I went to college. I was looking for books to recycle and decided maybe it would be a good time to actually *read* this one.

2) Humans: A Brief History of How We F__ed It All Up by Phillips. A bit of humor for dark times.

3) Story Genius by Cron. I loved Wired for Story so my inner pretend writer is happy reading this one.

I just picked up Learning to See by Elise Hopper an sale from Amazon for $1.99. It's a historical novel based on the life of Dorothea Lange and I'm listening to the audio book version from Scribd. I'm enjoying it. She was a gutsy lady and really made her own luck.

Thanks for the tip. I was planning to go to MOMA to see the Lange exhibit.

Also found the book on Apple Books for $1.99 -- Lange novel.

I just finished the book The Great Hurricane of 1938. Liz has been suggesting it for a few years. Reading what these people experienced with an unprecedented storm that hit Long Island, Connecticut and Rhode Island right after spending 8 years in the Great Depression convinced me that what we are going through now is nothing. We have only been inconvenienced for a few months not life changing, for most of us, like they were.

Barbara Withers wrote: "Thanks for the tip. I was planning to go to MOMA to see the Lange exhibit."

Barbara if you get yourself a free http://openlibrary.org account, you can borrow several PDF books on Lange that show her photographs. I've gone through the MOMA one (as part of reading that historical novel) and I'm planning to look at An American Exodus which appears in that novel.

Kathy wrote: "I just finished the book The Great Hurricane of 1938. Liz has been suggesting it for a few years. Reading what these people experienced with an unprecedented storm that hit Long Island, Connecticut..."

Would you recommend this? I read Isaac's Storm but I don't remember being wowed by it.

Wow. That sounds interesting. Was it a good read?

M wrote: "Barbara Withers wrote: "Thanks for the tip. I was planning to go to MOMA to see the Lange exhibit."

Barbara if you get yourself a free http://openlibrary.org account, you can borrow several PDF bo..."

Thanks. I'll check it out.

M wrote: "Kathy wrote: "I just finished the book The Great Hurricane of 1938. Liz has been suggesting it for a few years. Reading what these people experienced with an unprecedented storm that hit Long Islan..."

I would recommend it. It describes how the storm affected the people who lived or had summer homes near the water. The biggest problem was that the people were unaware the storm was coming or chose not to live if they did. The forecasting was not as advanced as it is now. It is also a fairly "short" book about 200 pages.

Cool. I think you can listen to this via eListenNJ ... when it comes to books I am like a starving person at a buffet ... I want to read so much more than I have time to actually get through ;-)

I know the feeling. I have a sweatshirt that reads "Some many books, so little time."

Yes ;-) It's the only problem with being curious!

Thank you. It sounds interesting and I like that it's a short read.

Diane wrote: "Thank you. It sounds interesting and I like that it's a short read."

Happy reading/listening!

Lately it seems that as soon as I put a book up here on my "currently reading" list, I proceed to *not* make any progress on it. What's up with that?

So these last few days I've been reading The Story of Art by Gombrich at about a chapter of day and starting at the end and working my way backwards. I know this style of "writing about progress" is out of favor but I loved this book years ago when I read it the first time and it's not disappointing me now.

But I'm not promising I'll make it through the Middle Ages.

I have finally finished The Story of Art! I wound up reading both forwards and backward to meet in the 1100s. I think I'm now satisfied the art history itch for a little while.

I have not been reading much at all. Very unusual for me. I think its because I usually read to escape from external stress. The solitude of self-isolation has diminished my need for escape in the midst of a global pandemic and a non-functining govvernment.

Interesting, Mary-Ellen. It sounds like you are finding a silver lining in having less contact with the outside world. Am I interpreting your statement correctly?

Yes. I am well-suited to solitude.

Mary-Ellen wrote: "Yes. I am well-suited to solitude."

You've found a silver lining!

I'm excited about getting through The Rosie Effect and now I'm reading The Autistic Brain since I suspect the point of our reading Rosie was for a little education.

Actually the book is humorous, which we may need right now. It is the sequel to the Rosie Project so you might want to check that out. MEM

I agree that it was a bit funny! And humor is always good in my book (even when not in dark times).