Book Nook Cafe discussion

This the thread for general book discussions for April 2022

Tell us what you just read, are currently reading or plan to read. Tell us about your favorite author. Have you read some book news? Share it with the group. Anything related to books and reading, we want to hear all about it !
:)

I'll be starting April continuing to read the following two books. I'm enjoying both very much !


eBook
The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World by A.J. Baime

Audio
Why Sinatra Matters by Pete Hamill

The John Tyler bio i read was also titled John Tyler, the Accidental President. He was the first and it was informative to learn that many felt the VP was not intended to take over if a president died in office. Sadly, my brain no longer recalls what it was thought should occur. Perhaps the House of Representatives vote? Tyler was also called "His Accidency". LOL!

I'm not clear how it is that i am reading TWO honkin' big nonfictions, but here i sit. I suspect library due dates are how it arose. Regardless, i'm liking both, so sticking with them.

All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake--Tiya Miles. This is about a simple sack a mother gave to her daughter, who was being sold. Remarkable information.

The House of Fragile Things: A History of Jewish Art Collectors in France, 1870 - 1945--James McAuley. I am reading this because it was referenced in an earlier book i read this year, Edmund de Waal's Letters to Camondo, which PattyMac drew to our attention. It probably would have been better to read the de Waal after this one but i wouldn't have known about this one if i hadn't read it. Hmmm. Did that make sense?

ANYway, i'm learning much about the history of Jews in France in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Enlightening for me, unfortunate for them.

madrano wrote: "The John Tyler bio i read was also titled John Tyler, the Accidental President. He was the first and it was informative to learn that many felt the VP was not intended to take over i..."

And all this is not to be confused with the 2019 book titled Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America-Jared Cohen

It's also on my TBR list. :)

Good one. That is actually the book to read, i think. There may be some thread between them that most of us overlook. Thanks for the reminder of this one, Alias. Somehow it was not on my TBR.

Last month my iPad updated and changed much, mostly to my chagrin. However, i am posting about an addition that i absolutely find invaluable. While reading eBooks via Overdrive, i can now have a translation of words and phrases in foreign languages! Hurrah! This has been particularly useful this month, as i'm reading about 19th century France. Mon oui! What a glorious addition!

There have been a couple of glitches, which i believe came from my Internet connection, but overall, it's been a great boon to my reading. And it covers many languages without needed to alter the settings, so that within one minute i am able to find a translation of first a French, then a German phrase.

Well done! If others here have had this feature for some time, please try to take my enthusiasm in stride. I am One Happy Reader!

Ok, you who were discussing John Tyler. Were you aware that -- drum roll please -- one of his GRANDCHILDREN is still alive??? Bear in mind, Tyler himself was born in *1790*.

https://www.newsweek.com/president-jo...

I'm about to finish Europe's Last Summer: Who Started the Great War in 1914? which is turning the impression that "the First World War was inevitable" because of the treaties in place in Europe on its ear somewhat.

madrano wrote: "While reading eBooks via Overdrive, i can now have a translation of words and phrases in foreign languages! Hurrah! This has been particularly useful this month, as i'm reading about 19th century France. Mon oui! What a glorious addition!..."

I haven't noticed any changes. Do you just tap the word for a definition as you do for English ? You didn't download a foreign language dictionary ? Hmmmm. That would have been helpful for a book I read that had a lot Yiddish and Hebrew terms. At the time I was lamenting the lack of a glossary.

Jennifer wrote: "Ok, you who were discussing John Tyler. Were you aware that -- drum roll please -- one of his GRANDCHILDREN is still alive??? Bear in mind, Tyler himself was born in *1790*.

https://www.newsweek.c..."


Wow ! How cool is that. That was a terrific article. Thanks for sharing.

The article noted it was Tyler's birthday. I need to add the presidents birthdays to my calendar to note them here at BNC.

Jennifer wrote: "I'm about to finish Europe's Last Summer: Who Started the Great War in 1914? which is turning the impressio..."

That sounds like an interesting read. Thanks for the title.

I wasn't familiar with the author. I see he sadly passed away in 2017 at 84.

Wiki
David Henry Fromkin[1] (August 27, 1932 – June 11, 2017) was an American historian, best known for his interpretive account of the Middle East, A Peace to End All Peace (1989), in which he recounts the role European powers played between 1914 and 1922 in creating the modern Middle East. The book was a finalist for both the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Fromkin wrote seven books, ending in 2007 with The King and the Cowboy: Theodore Roosevelt and Edward the Seventh, Secret Partners
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_F...

Happy Birthday, Hans Christian Andersen !
2 April 1805



Did You Know?

1. In 2012, a fairy tale of Hans Christian Andersen was found. It is believed to be his very first story, written as a teen. The six page story tells about a dirty candle that isn't used until a tinder box sees its inner value and lights the dirty candle's wick.

2. Charles Dickens and Hans Christian Andersen met and Andersen visited Dickens at his home. It would be the end of a friendship when Andersen overstayed his welcome. Dickens wrote, "Hans [Christian] Andersen slept in this room for five weeks – which seemed to the family AGES!

3. Hans Christian Andersen may have had dyslexia making reading and writing very difficult for him.

4. One of the first stories Hans Christian Andersen remembers his dad reading to him was The Arabian Nights.

5. The fairy tale writers, the Grimm Brothers(Jacob and Wilhelm), became friends with Hans Christian Anderson.

6. The stories of Hans Christian Andersen were translated from his native Danish into 150 languages.

7. The Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tale Theme Park opened in Shanghai, China, in 2017.

8. Some of the popular fairytales of Hans Christian Andersen include: The Emperor's New Clothes, Thumbelina, The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Ducking and The Princess and the Pea.

9. You can see a statue honoring Hans Christian Andersen in Central Park, New York City.

10. April 2nd, the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen is International Children's Book Day.

11. Unlike many famous people, Andersen was recognized during his lifetime for his amazing storytelling!
https://www.educationworld.com/blog/h...


Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen

The Ugly Duckling

The Little Match Girl

The Little Mermaid

Thumbelina


--- Wiki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Ch...

Jennifer wrote: "Ok, you who were discussing John Tyler. Were you aware that -- drum roll please -- one of his GRANDCHILDREN is still alive??? Bear in mind, Tyler himself was born in *1790*.

https://www.newsweek.c..."

Thanks for the link, Jennifer. When we visited the grounds we learned the brothers still lived there. Apparently sometimes, i suppose when they were in residence, they wouldn't allow tourists visits. Indeed, i seem to recall that we didn't expect it was open to the public, but that may be my faulty memory. Regardless, isn't that remarkable?

Btw, John Tyler's second wife, Julia, their grandmother, was a controversial figure. Raised on New York's Gardiner Island (her family owned it), she embraced the idea of slavery and, later, the Confederacy, to the point members of her own family distanced themselves from her.

Jennifer wrote: "I'm about to finish Europe's Last Summer: Who Started the Great War in 1914? which is turning the impressio..."

Interesting information, Jennifer. I know little of those years. The book i'm presently reading is about France at the turn of that century and i get a similar sense, that previous treaties led the way to WWI. Thanks for the title.

Alias Reader wrote: "I haven't noticed any changes. Do you just tap the word for a definition as you do for English ? You didn't download a foreign language dictionary ? Hmmmm. That would have been helpful for a book I read that had a lot Yiddish and Hebrew terms...."

This is about my iPad/Overdrive latest addition, a foreign word translator.

Alias, i click on the word, as i would for a definition but it offers me the translation, as well as the definition (& copy option). As noted, it appeared after my latest update. It has been very handy. However, i now see there are only 10 or so language and Yiddish is not one. There are two for English--US & UK! Plus there is Italian, German, Arabic, Chinese (two--mainland and Taiwan), French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Interesting selection.

Those are some interesting facts about Anderson, Alias. I had no idea.

Yes, they are interesting, Alias -- almost interesting enough for me to forgive you because now I have an earworm of the "Inchworm" song in my head.

Alias Reader wrote: "Happy Birthday, Hans Christian Andersen !
2 April 1805



Did You Know?

1. In 2012, a fairy tale of Hans Christian Andersen was found. It is believed to be his very first story, written as a teen...."

Thanks for all the interesting info on Hans!!

madrano wrote: Alias, i click on the word, as i would for a definition but it offers me the translation, as well as the definition (& copy option). As noted, it appeared after my latest update. It has been very handy...."

Interesting. I'll have to see if I notice anything when I come across a non English word. Thanks for the heads-up !

Jennifer wrote: "Yes, they are interesting, Alias -- almost interesting enough for me to forgive you because now I have an earworm of the "Inchworm" song in my head."

LOL

Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: Alias, i click on the word, as i would for a definition but it offers me the translation, as well as the definition (& copy option). As noted, it appeared after my latest update. It ..."

Re translating from Yiddish to English-At Lexilogos you can type in a word and get a translation at
https://www.lexilogos.com/english/yid...

Shomeret wrote: Re translating from Yiddish to English-At Lexilogos you can type in a word and get a translation at..."

Thanks, Shomeret !

Alias Reader wrote: "Interesting. I'll have to see if I notice anything when I come across a non English word. Thanks for the heads-up !..."

Alias, i hope this works for you.

Shomeret, thanks for the note about translations via Lexilogos.

madrano wrote: "The John Tyler bio i read was also titled John Tyler, the Accidental President. He was the first and it was informative to learn that many felt the VP was not intended to take over i..."

Alternative view was that VP served as President only until a new election could be held. John Tyler also fathered more children than any other President - his wife died during his tenure, but he managed to re-marry a woman who was 22 (believe he was 56) and they had another seven (may have had eight with wife #1?). One of the second batch followed dad's footsteps and re-married at 70 to father more kiddies...and one is still alive. I think he is nearing 100, but stop and think about that --- the grandson of our President in 1841 is alive today!

Vance wrote: "madrano wrote: "The John Tyler bio i read was also titled John Tyler, the Accidental President. He was the first and it was informative to learn that many felt the VP was not intende..."

Wow !

----
Vance wrote: Alternative view was that VP served as President only until a new election could be held.

-------------

That's interesting. I didn't know that was ever under consideration. I can see arguments on both sides.

How long much of the term is left? If say one year or less, that is difficult to set up campaigns, raise money etc. Also doing all that when dealing with the loss of a president.

I'm currently reading about Truman and he had almost the whole 4 year term to carry out. The book notes that the public wasn't too confident in his abilities to be president. A position he didn't even want.

Then there is the consideration, as with Truman, if we happen to be in a war or some other national emergency, do we really want to stop and campaign and have a new round of elections? I don't know.

Also the V.P. is an elected official not appointed like a Supreme Court judge.

Interesting question you raised, Vance.

Was not trying to pose a question, lol - those were the two alternatives pondered when William Henry Harrison died thirty days into his term. Tyler was aggressive in setting the precedent that he was there for the duration. The Constitution was vague on these mechanics and oddly enough, Tyler's approach was not formalized until the 25th Amendment was passed...in 1967!

Alias Reader wrote: "I'll be starting April continuing to read the following two books. I'm enjoying both very much !


eBook
[book:The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World|3...

Audio
Why Sinatra Matters by Pete Hamill"

I read Pete Hamill's book when it came out ... so good.

"This book does not pretend to be the final word on Frank Sinatra. Several full-scale biographies have already been written, each with its attendant excellencies; more are sure to follow. But there were aspects of this man that should be remembered and honored. In Sinatra's time, his fame as a singer spread from his own country to the world. His turbulent personality, often shadowed by notoriety, seemed inseparable from the style and originality of his art and gave him an essential place on the public stage of the American century. Now Sinatra is gone, taking with him all his anger, cruelty, generosity, and personal style.

The music remains."

Vance wrote: "Tyler's approach was not formalized until the 25th Amendment was passed...in 1967!
..."

Interesting. I guess these things can be changed and debated forever.

Larry wrote:
I read Pete Hamill's book when it came out ... so good.."

I like that it isn't what I would consider a typical celeb bio.

I've learned about the 1891 New Orleans lynching's. When I was listening today I learned how Sinatra practiced and learned to hold his breath while singing. Since I am not a singer there are some things I never thought about such as how you usually, with some exceptions, hold the vowel sounds not the consonants when singing. These little tidbits I think add a lot to the book.

Sinatra worked hard on learning his craft. I guess all professionals work hard to make it look easy and effortless.

ANYway, I am enjoying Pete Hamill's writing style. The audio is very good. Though I wish they added snippets of the music.

My ebook Reader also has a translation function. I really like it when I am reading an English book and I can look up the meaning of an unknown word quite easily.

So, also from me hello April^^ I started in the month with the The Monstrumologist. After I finished march with a quite bad book I needed to read some fantasy as I like these books in general quite much. The monstrumonologist throws a different light on the topic of monsters in fantasy books. There, "monstrumology" is a science like math, biology etc. and the books deals from Will, the assistant of a doctor of monstrumonology. Monstrumonologists have two works to do, first to do research of monsters (their anatomy, physiology, sociology, ecology etc.) and second, when there is a monster around, monstrumonologists are the first ones who are asked on how to hunt it. And I have to say that I like this idea.

Alias Reader wrote: "Larry wrote:
I read Pete Hamill's book when it came out ... so good.."

I like that it isn't what I would consider a typical celeb bio.

I've learned about the 1891 New Orleans lynching's. When I..."

Alias, funny that you mentioned New Orleans ... because Why New Orleans Matters by the jazz critic Tom Piazza is really great also.

Vance wrote: "- those were the two alternatives pondered when William Henry Harrison died thirty days into his term. Tyler was aggressive in setting the precedent that he w..."

It was a furious question when Tyler took over the Office. It's easy to understand why, although it is curious that the Founders didn't think of that, given health and early deaths in their era.

Alias, this spoiler is for you. I know spoilers don't bother you as much as they do me, but i thought i'd alert you. (view spoiler)[Alias mentioned length of time left in office. I recall when LBJ assumed the Presidency there was a question about that very thing. In 1951, the United States ratified the 22nd Amendment, making a president ineligible for election to a third term or for election to a second full term after serving more than two remaining years of a term of a previously elected president. However, due to a grandfather clause, it didn't apply to Truman. He even considered running again but results in New Hampshire persuaded him to fully withdraw his name. >spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

Larry wrote: "His turbulent personality, often shadowed by notoriety, seemed inseparable from the style and originality of his art and gave him an essential place on the public stage of the American century. Now Sinatra is gone, taking with him all his anger, cruelty, generosity, and personal style.

The music remains."..."

I think Larry was quoting from or about the Hamill book. I wanted to add that i found this true in my own family. Sinatra's personality overwhelmed any pleasure i could have derived from his singing. My children, both casual musicians, quite unlike me, really like his work and only know that, not my grips.

Yes, the music remains. Which has one wondering if this will hold true for Will Smith? Is this what we do? Probably and it's probably a good thing. This is how humans get along.

The Darkest Place by Phillip Margolin

Defense attorney Robin Lockwood defends a woman accused of assault, child abuse and other crimes.

Good courtroom scenes. 3 stars

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Florian wrote: "So, also from me hello April^^ I started in the month with the The Monstrumologist. After I finished march with a quite bad book I needed to read some fantasy as I like these books in general quite much. The monstrumonologist throws a different light on the topic of monsters in fantasy books ..."

Florian, it's great to hear from you again. I'm glad you have that translation help, too. It makes my reading much easier, i must say.

What i like about readers is that after a "bad book", a good one can salve our distress, so to speak. This particular one, from Rick Yancey, sounds fascinating. You are right, is seems like a neat approach to the topic. Thanks for sharing that title and notion with us.

I'm listening to An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good, which is well narrated and written, but a pity I dislike the main character. I would give up on it, but it's short enough to finish.

Another quote from the Hamill book ... Hamill relates a literary argument between Jimmy Cannon and Sinatra. Jilly Rizzo settles it.

"After a while Rizzo got up to take the two young women to a taxi while the conversation roamed in other directions. Somehow it arrived at writers. Was Ernest Hemingway greater than F. Scott Fitzgerald? Cannon insisted on the superiority of Hemingway. Sinatra preferred Fitzgerald.
"That Great Gatsby, come on, Jimmy, Hemingway couldn't do that."
"Yeah, but he could do a lot of other things," Cannon said. "And Fitzgerald could only do that one thing."
Rizzo returned and sat down. Cannon turned to me, the only other writer at the table: "What do you think?"
I repeated something Dizzy Gillespie once told me in an interview: "The professional is the guy that can do it twice."
"Wow, is that true," Sinatra said. "About everything. That's a great line."
"Yeah, and it's a vote for Hemingway," Cannon said. On the jukebox, Sinatra was singing "You Make Me Feel So Young."
"What about you. Jilly? Hemingway or Fitzgerald?"
"Hey, no contest," Jilly said, deadpan. "Ella all the way."

Larry wrote:
Alias, funny that you mentioned New Orleans ... because Why New Orleans Matters by the jazz critic Tom Piazza is really great also..."

Thanks for the title. I've never visited there. One day.

Funny thing about the title. When I told a friend I was reading, Why Sinatra Matters by Pete Hamill She seemed to think it was part of a series titled, Why (fill in the blank) matters.

I am pretty sure the Sinatra book is a stand alone and not part of series. It looks like the New Orleans book is also stand alone. Maybe it's a popular title and there is also a series called Why.....matters.

madrano wrote: "Alias, this spoiler is for you. I know spoilers don't bother you as much as they do me, but i thought i'd alert you..."

No, I don't consider history spoilers. It's something I should know but alas my memory isn't the best.

Thanks for the clarification on the 22nd amendment.

John wrote: "I'm listening to An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good, which is well narrated and written, but a pity I dislike the main character. I would give up on it, but it's short enough to finish."

John, do you think the narration has influenced your opinion of the main character ? Do you think you would have felt differently if you read it and not listened to the book?

I haven't read the book. I was just curious about how a readers experience can be influenced by the format. (audio or written text)

I know I've found that the format can matter greatly for me. There are a few books where I know the audio greatly enhanced the book for me. Off the top of my head, the narration of The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson was so well done, it totally made me love this book. The narrator was Peter Kenny.

Sometimes the narration can make me feel differently then if I read the text myself. I think that is why I sometimes enjoy listening to the audio as I follow along with the text. I don't know if that is just my experience.

Larry wrote: "Another quote from the Hamill book ... Hamill relates a literary argument between Jimmy Cannon and Sinatra. Jilly Rizzo settles it.

"After a while Rizzo got up to take the two young women to a tax..."

That was a great section. Now you have me wanting to read the text and not only listen to it !

April 3 - 9, 2022
National Library Week is a time to celebrate our nation's libraries, library workers' contributions and promote library use and support. First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and observed in libraries across the country each April.

https://library.ndsu.edu/news-events/....

---- Wikipedia
Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years.

Born: April 4, 1928, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Died: May 28, 2014, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

Maya Angelou

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

The Heart of a Woman

Larry wrote: "Another quote from the Hamill book ... Hamill relates a literary argument between Jimmy Cannon and Sinatra. Jilly Rizzo settles it.

"After a while Rizzo got up to take the two young women to a tax..."

Yea, sometimes it seems weird when there is an author who only has one "big" book. But on the other site - it doesn´t matter. Sometimes it is like that, especially in arts (also nowadays. Names that fall iunto my mind are J.K. Rowling who is only known for her Harry Potter books (although she has several), George R.R. MArtin or Suzane Collins.

What I also had to think about that the Great Gatsby sold out greatly only after Fitzgertald has died. So, Fitzgerald has never experienced his succes and he was kind of devastated that he didn´t make it big.

Happy Birthday Maya Angelou. Angelou really had quite an interesting life. 🎈🍰🎈💙🎈

Florian wrote: "Yea, sometimes it seems weird when there is an author who only has one "big" book. But on the other site - it doesn´t matter...."

Most authors would be almost endlessly grateful for one "big" book.

Alias Reader wrote: "I am pretty sure the Sinatra book is a stand alone and not part of series. It looks like the New Orleans book is also stand alone. Maybe it's a popular title and there is also a series called Why.....matters...."

Alias,

I can remember trying to figure out if there was a series or even a connection in any sense between the two books. It was the fact that they were almost identical in size as small hardbacks. But I concluded that it was just a coincidence ... although I still wonder if one author/publisher copied the other in terms of the printing.

I like Sinatra's music a lot ... but I understand how you feel about not listening to some artists because of their past actions. I can't listen to the Doors or to Led Zeppelin because of the way some members of those groups preyed on young women/girls.

Larry wrote: I like Sinatra's music a lot ... but I understand how you feel about not listening to some artists because of their past actions. I."

Just to clarify, that was deb who is not a Sinatra fan.

I love his music and often play it. :)

I frequently use his Young at Heart as my exercise warm up or cool down. The American Heart Association used to use the song in their TV commercials. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZRn4...

J.K. Rowling is best known for Harry Potter but she also has the Cormoran Strike series as well as some standalone novels.