SUMMER READS

[rapa]

This week will hit triple digits here in Texas.  Am happy to be able to stay inside with the company of a good book. Just finished Lisa Scottoline's CORRUPTED. Have found all her books captivating!

Arriving at library today for me is THE SUMMER I MET JACK. This is a ficional story based on JFK.  

What do you recommend for a summer read? I recently returned from a trip to Leesburg, VA, visiting my daughter for a few days. Enjoyed watching The Royal Wedding with her.

Tomorrow my youngest granddaughter graduates from high school here.  All her sibs are flying in to wish her well.  She plans to begin college in the fall majoring in Deaf Studies. She already signs and plans to be an ASL interpreter.    

Wishing all a safe and healthy summer. 

[Angharad]

Yes, I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance in the mid-1970s, I believe.  Frankly, I don't remember it well, but I think I had roughly the same reaction as Lip Service. I do remember that I had some understanding of Pirsig's conflict because I identified with his repressed Platonic self--Phaedrus--as a creative person given to extremes and romantic excesses; and, also with his conscious self, the more Aristotelian aspect, who seeks the underlying form in everything. 

[Lip Service]

Thank you Angharad, you are expressing much better than I have.

It is indeed an expression of the struggle between the outlook of Phaedrus who is trying to express the essence of reality and Aritotle's who thinks that naming and classifying is tantamount to understanding it (according to the book at least). In spite of the title, the book has almost nothing on Zen or on motorcycle maintenance.

When I finished the book I felt that Pirsig was saying that words are poor expression of the totality of reality 

[Glenda Scheideler]

I appreciate the comments on Zen and . . .  It put me to sleep.  There are so many good books out there, that it seemed a waste of time.  It was our book club selection for this month, and I passed on attending this meeting -- although the food is always good!

[rapa]

Am enjoying a late summer read RUSH, a novel by Lisa Patton a true southern gal.  The story is set in modern-day Oxford on the Ole Miss campus. This is a story about women----finding their voices, courage, and empowerment as sorority sisters and their beloved House staff who work tirelessly on their behalf. 

In RUSH Lisa Patton does what every great storyteller should--raises thought-provoking  questions while thoroughly entertaining her readers with her sassy humor.

[Ioruach]

I recently finished Twisted Prey by John Sandford. It was rather typical Sandford, although he has moved up to be a U.S. Marshal, rather than a Minnesota cop. If you like Sandford's books, you will probably like this one. I thought it was one of his better efforts. 

Now I am reading Like to Die by David Housewright, another Minnesota author. I also have waiting in the wings Stay Hidden by Paul Doiron (thank you rapa).

Speaking of Minnesota authors, this morning while looking at the latest N.Y. Times best seller list in my newspaper, I was delighted to see a new William Kent Krueger book at number six. The title is Desolation Mountain, although the short blurb didn't say whether it is a Cork O'Conner book or not. I quickly put the book on hold at my library and found I was at 113 on the list. Fortunately, the site also indicated that the library system has 15 copies.

[rapa]

Loruach, I checked and yes, DESOLATION MOUNTAIN  is a Cork O'Connor story. His son investigates the case with him.  Our library system has 4 copies.  As soon as one is turned in it'll be my turn! Thanks so much for alerting us to the book!

[Glenda Scheideler]

I read it and really liked it (I have read them all) -- Love his information on the Native American culture.

[Ioruach]

As do I. For me,Henry Meloux, the Ojibwe medicine man and Cork’s spiritual adviser, is about my favorite and most admired character in contemporary literature. He always speaks with great wisdom. Of course that really comes from Krueger, the author, but be that as it may.

[Ioruach]

After posting the message above, something else occurred to me. The number 1 fiction bestseller on the N.Y. Times list was Texas Ranger by James Patterson and Andrew Bourelle. At number 2 was The President is Missing by Patterson and Bill Clinton.

It seems that James Patterson has authored or co-authored, might I say, hundreds of books. He grinds them out faster than any normal reader can possibly read them. Yet I don't remember once...not once...that anyone on Bookoholics has claimed to have read one. I know I haven't. It would seem that someone here would have read one and mentioned it along the way, if only by accident.

[rapa]

Many years ago I'm sure that I read James Patterson. I stopped when he started cranking them out fast and used a co-author. His books became ho-hum.................