Boomers and Books discussion

Okay, just one more topic. Since our group is called Boomers and Books, and we already have a discussion topic for Boomers, it seems like we should have one for Books, don't you think? So what is everyone reading right now? Or what book have you just finished? Anything interesting to share about it?

I've almost finished The Management of Time by James T. McCay. It was actually written for business managers and was described as "the most progressive management document of our time" which must be true because it was written in 1959 and it still applies. In fact, a lot of it is even more true today then it was back then. I need to go back and takes some notes because I've always had a problem with managing my time and being productive.

I'm reading "Regarding Ducks and Universes" by Neve Maslakovic. It's kind of light sci-fi about parallel universes. A scientist split the universe in 1986 - "Y Day" - and anyone born before that day has an "alter" in the other universe. Each universe developed along a series of different history changing events, so they're similar in some ways but very different in others. You can travel between the two universes through a kind of molecular exchange device, and the protagonist does this in order to secretly snoop on his "alter" - which is against the law. Very good so far!

I'm now a contributor on Blogcritics. I've started a thread entitled "Fashion for Women Over 50". Take a look and feel free to leave a comment.

http://blogcritics.org/tastes/article...

I'm reading Megan Chance's The Spiritualist which is quite engrossing so far.

I'm reading Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Anne Burns. The story takes place in Georgia during the early 1900s and is told through the eyes of a 14-year-old boy. The small Southern town is brought to life through Burns's dialogue, action, and settings. It's a fun book and I'm enjoying it.

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I'm reading ~ or actually I'm rereading The Brothers Karamazov. What was I thinking? I'm not the fastest reader in the world anyway, and this is one long book. But I thought it would be fun to reread to see how much of it I remember. So far (my Kindle says I'm 18% through, lol) I remember most of the characters and the plot, but not the nuances and the philosophical theme, which I find interesting. And I'm enjoying it so I'll plod along and finish before I get at that TBR file which is growing so tall I can't see how I can EVER read all the way to the top.

Good Heavens, Sharon, what were you thinking? I just finished The Grave Maurice by Martha Grimes, a Richard Jury mystery that I somehow missed. I'm almost done with A Covert Affair: Julia Child and Paul Child in the OSS that I'm reviewing for Boomers&Books. It's not what I expected, but still enjoyable. Next comes Rebeccafor Chicks On Lit. SO excited!

LOL, Dee, I'm at 32% now, remembering now why I haven't re-read it sooner - just got through a soliloquy that must have been three pages long. Actually it was a series of soliloquies that were interrupted by the brother who was on the receiving end ~ what was HE thinking? .
Interested to hear your review of the Julia Child Affair.

I'm currently reading Frequency: The Power of Personal Vibration by Penney Pierce. A pretty interesting book, although I probably won't be reviewing it on our Boomers and Books blog. I've also suddenly revived my interest in Civil War romances (romances being my secret guilty pleasure). I just finished Harrigan's Bride by Cheryl Reavis. Maybe I should do a review of that, just for a change of pace. We do seem to have a lot of nonfiction readers on our blog, don't we?

Well, apparently I just couldn't resist writing another nonfiction review. Originally I didn't think I was going to have anything to say about the Penney Pierce book which would be of value to other readers. But I guess I've turned into a blabby, opinionated person in my old age.

Keep 'em coming, Lee. Since my last nonfiction read I've sworn off them for a while, but am intrigued by your choices and have added them to my TBR pile.

I just got to 80% on The Brothers Karamazov, after which I may just go to my category, light romance or perhaps humour if I can find something. BK is interesting though, both in style and its addressing many of the same existential questions we struggle with today.

It feels as if it will take me a full week to write a review :-)).

Finished BK, I am feeling bereft. Will take a bit of time to digest it all then attempt to post a review. Gonna be a challenge!

Off to find some light reading from the mountain in my TBR Kindle pile...

Forgot to mention. Dostoevsky predicted the end of the world at the turn of the 20th Century. Hmmm, rather timely tidbit...

That is an interesting tidbit, Sharon.

I just started reading Straight Talk, No Chaser by Steve Harvey where he's spilling the beans about how men think about marriage. Pretty interesting, and it's a nice change from some of the heavy stuff I've been reading lately. Of course, I was planning on reading some light fiction for a change from all the nonfiction I've been reading and reviewing.

I've just started reading Better Off Without Him by Dee Ernst. It's really funny so far!

Lee.. which way to the Secret Book Club?

Barbara wrote: "Lee.. which way to the Secret Book Club?"

Link = The Secret Book Club

Sandra wrote: "I've just started reading Better Off Without Him by Dee Ernst. It's really funny so far!"

I'm embarrassed to say that I started Dee's book and then got side-tracked because I foolishly promised a couple of people that I would read their books right away. I hadn't gotten very far into the book, but the beginning part was funny. Since it's been a while, I'll probably have to start all over again.

See, this is why we need a secret book club. I have Better Off Without Himin my Kindle, somewhere near the top. But it's been secretly hiding there. Ha! I know the answer! I need to have a secret TBR pile. If they're secret I'll be sure to remember to read them first.

sigh... in my next life I am going to choose to be a professional reader. Going out to stock up on choccies and wine right now...

I finally finished the Steve Harvey book. It was good enough so I plan on writing a review of it for our Boomers and Books blog.

Ackk, I'm writing the promised review of Brothers Karamazov and it feels as disjointed as the book sometimes did. But I will finish soon and post to the BB Blog...

Brothers Karamazov review posted at our Boomer and Books Blog

Thanks so much for putting my book in the pipeline, ladies! I just started reading Fire and Rain: The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY, and the Lost Story of 1970 and I hope to review it for B&B as well. This is exactly the kind of music I listened to for hours, so I hope the book is great.

Historical romance has always been one of my guilty pleasures, though I hadn't read one in years. I especially like high seas swashbucklers,so when I was looking for something lighter recently I chose Bound By The Heart by Marsha Canham, which was trad pubbed in the 80's and kindleized by the author.

So, I just finished a great writing book "Self-editing for Fiction Writers" and it was maybe the best I've read so far, as a How-to. At the end it said read everything: romance, mysteries, new authors, classics, etc. So I decided to read a Nickolas Sparks novel. Uh. I've heard he now has ghost writers and I hope that is the case here. I don't really think it's that well-written - lots of telling vs showing and head-hopping. It's an interesting exercise, now that we are authors we can better recognize what we think is good.

@Lynn. Stephen King said that too and I loved the advice as I could justify reading when I should have been doing the dishes, which I'd always done anyway, but as I read more and write more, I find some of the pleasure of just reading for escape or entertainment has been somewhat diminished.

Lynn - I'm trying to read everything too, but I've become a lot harder to please. Maybe because I'll start something and think, 'I could have written that better', but I find I'm starting more books than I'm actually finishing. As for Nicholas Sparks, I found he puts characters into what could be challenging situations, but rather than have them hash it all out, he kills one of them off. Haven't read him in years.

It is educational too, in it's own way, to read and think, that's not the way I would have said that, or constructed that sentence. Also, too much backstory and telling how people "feel". I even find things that I don't think are grammatically correct. One thing about Nicholas Sparks, his stories are good, but my complaint was, he seemed to do everything possible to inspire tears, as if a weepie novel would always be a draw for women. Next on the list is Jodi Picoult.