"Shane"

I'm not sure why, but ever since I read Lonesome Dove I've been wanting to read another western. Of course I picked up the other books in the series. But they are very long and I have been needing to read shorter books of late. So recently I picked up Shane by Jack Schaefer. It is a quick read that keeps you turning the page. Told in the viewpoint of the boy Bob (who is named Joey in the movie!!) the book takes you into the lives of a homesteading family. The importance and influence the man Shane has on this young kid is profound. It is this emotion along with the need to know more about who 'Shane' is that has you feeling sad in the end. I of course believe he rides off into the sunset to conquer more bad men. Schaefer just leaves you hanging. This book doesn't have a lot of dialogue and there is only a hint of a romance between the wife and Shane. but the simplicity of the story and the crisp descriptions of the settings is what makes the book great.

New Books Network

I have added a new literary site. It is another finding from LibraryThing; a site I need to visit often. New Books Network is a site I will be spending some quality time at.

http://newbooksnetwork.com/

Bookstores to Check Out

While looking around on LibraryThing I found a listing of bookstores near me. They are smaller stores that I am will have to check out. Here is the list.

The Book Corner. Located in Woodbury. http://www.bookcorner.us/

Best of Times Bookstore & Cafe in Red Wing.

Common Good Books. I have been told about this store numerous times and have yet to actually go to. I plan to visit it soon though and will let you know what I think. www.commongoodbooks.com

I love independent bookstores. Of course it is great going to Barnes & Noble, getting a coffee and walking around for hours. But the ambiance in a small bookstore is something you can't recreate. I have been to Magers & Quinn in Minneapolis several times and have been to a small bookstore on the border of Montana. It is interesting to see how each bookseller sets up their store and how they bring in the local community/town flavor.

Of course before I go to these three bookstores previously mentioned - I have to step foot in the new used bookstore that is now in my hometown. I have to make sure I'm supporting them!

"The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making"

I came across this book in a blog on LibraryThing. Someone was looking for recommendations for a reading group and this was mentioned. The little I read about it on Amazon has really piqued my interest. It is a recently published book and what I thought was a short book turns out to be 200+ pages. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente is a book I will be hopefully picking up from the library on my next visit.

"Through the Grinder"

The second book in the Coffeehouse mystery series by Coyle was just as entertaining as the first. This time the plot centered around dating and the trouble that Clare had to deal with. She of course found a guy at the Cappuccino Connection that is hosted in her coffee shop. However, the women this man was dating had been turning up dead. Clare of course does her own investigating to clear his name. There is a great twist at the end. Just like On What Grounds there is wonderful talk about coffee. There is one recipe I will for sure be testing in the near future. Coffee marinated steaks!! I am very excited. I think I have to pull out my old cappuccino maker so I can make the espresso for it. Then there are also tips for storing, grinding and brewing coffee. Coyle continues the story line between Clare and Detective Quinn. Now his marital life is starting to take a turn for the worse. So there is that possibility of romance and then there is the continuous relationship (not sexual) of Clare and her ex, Matteo. I believe I have a small crush on both of the men. It'll be interesting to see how the relationships develop.

"Gone With the Wind"

My mom was recently going through old boxes of papers to burn and found her old copy of Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. It is a 1961 paperback 4th printing of the original Macmillan 1936 printing. I was very excited when I came home from work and saw this book sitting on the table. I have been wanting to get a used copy so it would be waiting on a shelf for me. This copy has a movie cover. The cover advertises to "see David O. Selznick's stirring production of this immortal story of the Old South in Technicolor...starring Clark Gable & Vivian Leigh." I've actually never sat through the entire movie; only seen parts. Of course I've seen the end. But I am very excited to know that my mom owns this book. Now to slyly place it on my shelf without her realizing my intentions of keeping the book!

"On What Grounds"

I recently found a mystery series that I love! Usually it is harder for me to get into a good mystery. But after reading Cleo Coyle's On What Grounds I was hooked. Of course it didn't hurt that the mystery is based in a coffee shop and the protagonist (Clare) is the manager who talks about coffee all the time. You learn how to properly brew a cup of coffee; how beans/grounds should be stored; proper mixing of syrups and milk. The story line was also good though. Coyle keeps the reader wondering and trying to figure out who the murderer is. Clare is a woman who has decided to start the next stage in her life. She is 40 (if I'm remembering right), divorced and has a daughter who is starting culinary school. Consequently she has decided to accept the position of manager of the Village Blend; a coffee shop she used to work at and where she met her ex-husband. There are some fun twists in the short book. Of course I am addicted to the talk of coffee and must try some of the recipes at the end of the book. Especially the Cappuccino Walnut Cheesecake.

On to the next in the series and more coffee talk!

"Lake Wobegon Days"

For my first audio book I chose Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor. I had initially begun reading this book; but when I was searching for an audio book I saw this one and knew I had to listen to it. Keillor narrates it and his voice is so mellow and calming that it made my drives to work and back bearable. His descriptions of his home town are very memorable. It is like you are walking down the streets and know the people and buildings. He also throws in the long vowels and little words that are 'Minnesotan'. Of course I am not from a small town. I like to call my home town a suburb of a suburb. It is however small enough to know who lives in what house. Unfortunately as years go by I am starting to forget and people are of course moving on as they do. Keillor's writing really takes you down memory lane. There are the seasons and holidays to go with the seasons. Then the religious aspect of a small town. Then of course the 'everybody knows everybody' aspect.

I have never listened to any of Keillor's radio shows. But I have heard many good things about his shows and books. This was a very good book to choose for my first audio book.

Need more time...

This summer has gone by pretty fast. I unfortunately did not read as many books as planned. I hope everyone is able to keep up with what they've been reading. I kept forgetting to check out books on tape for my drives to work. This week there's no excuse - I will be checking out a couple. I know The Help is one of them and who knows what else I'll find. I am still reading Cannery Row by Steinbeck. I'm half way through. It was my read-on-lunch book but I'll have to just finish it at home so I know what happens.

Borders Bookstores

It was a sad day when I opened the email from the CEO of Borders to read that they were closing their doors permanently. I don't know if people realize how much the bookstore industry has changed and is continuing to change. The CEO talked about the eReader revolution. This has hit bookstores hard. I know that Barnes and Noble has the Nook. But there is so much they have to change to be able to promote their eReader and so much they have to continually update. It all saddens me that people feel it's better to have all these books on an eReader. I know some of you have one and it is probably useful when you are on a trip. But I still like coming home and seeing my wall of books. I enjoy walking through a bookstore (albeit mainly used bookstores right now) and looking at the dust jackets and holding one version and comparing it to another. You just can't have that with an eReader. But times change and technology keeps encroaching on all aspects of life. Farewell to Borders. I know my collection will have some more additions after I check out the sales on Friday.

John Steinbeck

On a recent trip to Half Price Books I picked up three more short stories by Steinbeck. Cannery Row, The Red Pony, and The Pearl. I had never read his works until I read Of Mice and Men. It's surprising that I have an English degree, took an American Literature class, and still missed reading material of his. I do own East of Eden. But I will start with these three short stories and finish The Neverending Story before begin East of Eden.

The Neverending Story

I have begun The Neverending Story and am really enjoying it. Hopefully I'll have it finished soon so I can watch the movie!

Diana Gabaldon

Just curious if anyone has read any of Diana Gabaldon's books. I know an old coworker has been reading them and enjoying them.

Of Mice and Men

Yes, I finally read this book by John Steinbeck. I'm sure most people already have. It was another used book purchase. Lennie and George are characters you don't forget. The way George looks out for Lennie is almost brotherly like. With the shortness of the book you know something is going to happen. But I was unprepared for the end. Of course it's better that George took care of him. Slim knew why George didn't allow Curley or the others take care of Lennie. The bond between Lennie and George was thick. I have a few other books by Steinbeck. I enjoy the way he writes and hopefully I'll enjoy the other characters he created.

- -Personal Online Libraries- -

On the right I have added links to Goodreads and LibraryThing. I have begun updating my LibraryThing account. There are many more books to put in though. Next will be my Goodreads account. Both of these sites have their own advantages and disadvantages. LibraryThing only allows 200 free books; after which you have to pay a certain amount. Once I get going on Goodreads we'll see if I decide to pay the money for more room. Of course if I want a complete collection then I'll have to.

The Heretic's Daughter

I just started reading "The Heretic's Daughter" by Kathleen Kent. It's about this family that moves to Salem, MA just as the Salem witch trials are about to start. It's an interesting look at Puritan life and the factors that led to the horrors of the witch trials. Like I said I'm only about halfway through but at this point I highly recommend it!

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

I recently finished this classic by Carson McCullers. It is an intense, sorrowful, and gripping story. The main characters are a poor teenage girl, a deaf-mute, a crazy man, a black physician and a cafe owner. The way McCullers has their lives interact and the relationships that result from these interactions really make the reader think about the time period (1930's) and what affects a person in a small town. I found the book in one of my hours spent walking the shelves at Half Price. It's amazing what I find there.

A New Format for this Club

This is a space to write about a book you have read, your literature likes and dislikes, and if you would recommend the title. Also, feel free to ask about titles you are interested in.

However, be mindful that you don't spoil plots and endings for other readers.

Hopefully we will also be able to enjoy reading books together for discussions.

If you were a part of this while it was on Facebook you will then be happy to learn that I moved the discussions onto pages.

There are webpages and a link to my LibraryThing page.

Hopefully we'll be able to learn about a lot of different books and partake in some great discussions.