Peppermill wrote:
Ryan_G wrote:It's my first read of it, I got it when I agreed to review The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson. I'm loving it so far, though I'm not that far into it yet.
Peppermill wrote:
Ryan_G wrote:I'm just getting started on this one.
Is that a first read or a re-read, Ryan? If a first read, a good one to add to the reading oeuvre of someone as widely read as yourself. I'm sure you will hereafter find shadows and ghosts of Rebecca and duMaurier all sorts of places! It is not one of my favorite books, but it is certainly one that haunts a lot of other readings.
Pepper
Thx for the response, Ryan. Hope you enjoy it all the way -- I did, even if it doesn't make my "favorites" list. And, as I implied, I find hints of the story so many other places that I am so glad to have read it.(I even read a rather sad sequel -- not by duMaurier. I don't advise "spoiling" the original by doing that.)
Why do people think they can write a "sequel" to another writers work? It's beyond my thinking.
I'm pretty much done with it by now, they are now on their way to London to talk to the doctor. I've really enjoyed it. At first I didn't get why everyone hate Mrs. Danvers so much, then she finally went from being passive agressive to full flown psycho. I loved her.
Peppermill wrote:
Ryan_G wrote:It's my first read of it, I got it when I agreed to review The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson. I'm loving it so far, though I'm not that far into it yet.
Peppermill wrote:
Ryan_G wrote:I'm just getting started on this one.
Is that a first read or a re-read, Ryan? If a first read, a good one to add to the reading oeuvre of someone as widely read as yourself. I'm sure you will hereafter find shadows and ghosts of Rebecca and duMaurier all sorts of places! It is not one of my favorite books, but it is certainly one that haunts a lot of other readings.
Pepper
Thx for the response, Ryan. Hope you enjoy it all the way -- I did, even if it doesn't make my "favorites" list. And, as I implied, I find hints of the story so many other places that I am so glad to have read it.(I even read a rather sad sequel -- not by duMaurier. I don't advise "spoiling" the original by doing that.)
Peppermill wrote:I'm pretty much done with it by now, they are now on their way to London to talk to the doctor.
If I recall correctly, no, you're not done!
OH, Pepper, "Rebecca" is one of my absolute favorites. *hopping on tip-toes with glee* I can't gush enough. There's a bit of an emotional connection for me, since my mother recommended it to me and it was one of those times as a young person I felt she was treating me as an equal and the beginning of the future adult relationship we now share. 
basson_mommy12 wrote:
Peppermill wrote:I'm pretty much done with it by now, they are now on their way to London to talk to the doctor.
If I recall correctly, no, you're not done!
OH, Pepper, "Rebecca" is one of my absolute favorites. *hopping on tip-toes with glee* I can't gush enough. There's a bit of an emotional connection for me, since my mother recommended it to me and it was one of those times as a young person I felt she was treating me as an equal and the beginning of the future adult relationship we now share.
Love your story, basson_mommy -- Actually, I have a similar story, but a bit sadder: a different book that I don't remember in detail nor enough to reconstruct its name, but it became clear in hindsight that my best friend's mother gave it to me because it was time I read something like it.
My reservations about Rebecca probably revolve around the unnamed wife's ability to claim and own her own legacy -- was she content or more of a Duchess of Windsor figure, comfortable but somewhat without moorings. It would be fun to have conversations with a daughter on such topics.
Betty Frieden's The Feminine Mystique is a book I remember my mother giving me. What is funny to me is that a review I read this past month delivered almost the opposite message of the one I received from the book at the time. I may have to go back and re-read it. I know I have long considered Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex the stronger book, but I didn't read that until I was in college and on the way to a professional sojourn.
Well the weekend was a reading frenzy, just like I named my blog
I got three books read for review at RT, here's two of them
Spells & Stitches they were both excellent reads, you can see the reviews in the December issue of RT
finally I'm reading for pleasure
It's bittersweet for me because I love this series and it's the last for at least a while. JT will be starting a new series and she'll be debuting it here at General Fiction in June, so stay tuned for more details. But i will miss this one and hope we hear more about these characters who've become friends to me over the past few years.Where All the Dead Lie (Taylor Jackson Series #7)
I also reposted my reivew of
here on the forum getting ready for the discussion to start next Monday
Mountain_Muse wrote:
dhaupt wrote:
Mountain_Muse wrote:
Inspired by a true story, People of the Book is a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and intimate emotional intensity by an acclaimed and beloved author. Called "a tour de force"by the San Francisco Chronicle, this ambitious, electrifying work traces the harrowing journey of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, a beautifully illuminated Hebrew manuscript created in fifteenth-century S pain. When it falls to Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, to conserve this priceless work, the series of tiny artifacts she discovers in its ancient binding-an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair-only begin to unlock its deep mysteries and unexpectedly plunges Hanna into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultra-nationalist fanatics.
Not only does this story follow the story of the ancient manuscript, but it also follows the story of Hannah, as she discovers and uncovers her story and unknown history. Not a fast read, as you want to enjoy each segment of the story, presented as it's own little vigniant between the ongoing segments of Hannah's passionate story. A really great read.
AH----- I can hardly wait for October. This is going to be a great month.
Muse
Muse, will this be your first read of People of the Book, I can't wait to see what you think of it. I read it a couple of years ago with my in person book club
And Yes I think we'll have fun in October, Mr. Donald's interview goes up tomorrow.
Deb,
I am about 2/3 the way through the book and it is absolutely a wonderful read. I am taking it slowly and savoring each section. I am evening going back to re-read pieces to make sure I caught something and haven't jumped to a different section, unknowingly. As much ;writing as there is out there about the middle ages, there is so little about the jews, escpecially the Coptic Jews of the Middle Ages. I haven't had the opportunity to go online and read the background material on the manuscript that this book is based on, but am looking forward to doing that soon. It has definitely caught my attention. BUT, I want to finish the book first and enjoy the author's "take" before looking at the actual research and then enjoy the two together.
I will be looking for the interview with CookeDonalde, tomorrow
Have a great one.
Muse
Deb,
I completed the book and was not disapointed at all. It is a wonderful read and would be one well worth one of your monthly reads. Such a mix of now and then, history, religion, mystery, suspense, family morass....it has it all....even that little big S thing.
I would recommend this book to any serious reader of historical medieval fiction. But they need to be warned that it is not a "Saturday on the Beach" read. The book is one that takes thought as you go through to follow the plot (The story of the history of the Book). I'll be reading it again to see what I missed, between the lines, on the first read.
Muse
Mountain_Muse wrote:
Mountain_Muse wrote:
dhaupt wrote:
Mountain_Muse wrote:
Inspired by a true story, People of the Book is a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and intimate emotional intensity by an acclaimed and beloved author. Called "a tour de force"by the San Francisco Chronicle, this ambitious, electrifying work traces the harrowing journey of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, a beautifully illuminated Hebrew manuscript created in fifteenth-century S pain. When it falls to Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, to conserve this priceless work, the series of tiny artifacts she discovers in its ancient binding-an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair-only begin to unlock its deep mysteries and unexpectedly plunges Hanna into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultra-nationalist fanatics.
Not only does this story follow the story of the ancient manuscript, but it also follows the story of Hannah, as she discovers and uncovers her story and unknown history. Not a fast read, as you want to enjoy each segment of the story, presented as it's own little vigniant between the ongoing segments of Hannah's passionate story. A really great read.
AH----- I can hardly wait for October. This is going to be a great month.
Muse
Muse, will this be your first read of People of the Book, I can't wait to see what you think of it. I read it a couple of years ago with my in person book club
And Yes I think we'll have fun in October, Mr. Donald's interview goes up tomorrow.
Deb,
I am about 2/3 the way through the book and it is absolutely a wonderful read. I am taking it slowly and savoring each section. I am evening going back to re-read pieces to make sure I caught something and haven't jumped to a different section, unknowingly. As much ;writing as there is out there about the middle ages, there is so little about the jews, escpecially the Coptic Jews of the Middle Ages. I haven't had the opportunity to go online and read the background material on the manuscript that this book is based on, but am looking forward to doing that soon. It has definitely caught my attention. BUT, I want to finish the book first and enjoy the author's "take" before looking at the actual research and then enjoy the two together.
I will be looking for the interview with CookeDonalde, tomorrow
Have a great one.
Muse
Deb,
I completed the book and was not disapointed at all. It is a wonderful read and would be one well worth one of your monthly reads. Such a mix of now and then, history, religion, mystery, suspense, family morass....it has it all....even that little big S thing.
I would recommend this book to any serious reader of historical medieval fiction. But they need to be warned that it is not a "Saturday on the Beach" read. The book is one that takes thought as you go through to follow the plot (The story of the history of the Book). I'll be reading it again to see what I missed, between the lines, on the first read.
Muse
Muse -- if you decide to spend more time with People of the Book, you might also find it interesting to take a look at the reviews it received, especially by those who liked it, but didn't 4-5 star it.
I don't believe it is a story of "Coptic Jews", but a fiction book that did provide insight to me was
Last Jew by Noah Gordon.
I don't know how authentic it was; I didn't do a lot of backgrounding on the tales told, but it was quite gripping to listen to the stories of going "underground" with one's faith during a period of being driven out of one's homeland. (Many other readers found the story less compelling than I did, especially some who seemed to feel Gordon recycled characters from an earlier book (The Physician) which several had liked.)
Keep your fingers all crossed for all the demon gremlins to be gone by tomorrow
Peppermill wrote:
Mountain_Muse wrote:
Mountain_Muse wrote:
dhaupt wrote:
Mountain_Muse wrote:
Inspired by a true story, People of the Book is a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and intimate emotional intensity by an acclaimed and beloved author. Called "a tour de force"by the San Francisco Chronicle, this ambitious, electrifying work traces the harrowing journey of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, a beautifully illuminated Hebrew manuscript created in fifteenth-century S pain. When it falls to Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, to conserve this priceless work, the series of tiny artifacts she discovers in its ancient binding-an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair-only begin to unlock its deep mysteries and unexpectedly plunges Hanna into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultra-nationalist fanatics.
Not only does this story follow the story of the ancient manuscript, but it also follows the story of Hannah, as she discovers and uncovers her story and unknown history. Not a fast read, as you want to enjoy each segment of the story, presented as it's own little vigniant between the ongoing segments of Hannah's passionate story. A really great read.
AH----- I can hardly wait for October. This is going to be a great month.
Muse
Muse, will this be your first read of People of the Book, I can't wait to see what you think of it. I read it a couple of years ago with my in person book club
And Yes I think we'll have fun in October, Mr. Donald's interview goes up tomorrow.
Deb,
I am about 2/3 the way through the book and it is absolutely a wonderful read. I am taking it slowly and savoring each section. I am evening going back to re-read pieces to make sure I caught something and haven't jumped to a different section, unknowingly. As much ;writing as there is out there about the middle ages, there is so little about the jews, escpecially the Coptic Jews of the Middle Ages. I haven't had the opportunity to go online and read the background material on the manuscript that this book is based on, but am looking forward to doing that soon. It has definitely caught my attention. BUT, I want to finish the book first and enjoy the author's "take" before looking at the actual research and then enjoy the two together.
I will be looking for the interview with CookeDonalde, tomorrow
Have a great one.
Muse
Deb,
I completed the book and was not disapointed at all. It is a wonderful read and would be one well worth one of your monthly reads. Such a mix of now and then, history, religion, mystery, suspense, family morass....it has it all....even that little big S thing.
I would recommend this book to any serious reader of historical medieval fiction. But they need to be warned that it is not a "Saturday on the Beach" read. The book is one that takes thought as you go through to follow the plot (The story of the history of the Book). I'll be reading it again to see what I missed, between the lines, on the first read.
Muse
Muse -- if you decide to spend more time with People of the Book, you might also find it interesting to take a look at the reviews it received, especially by those who liked it, but didn't 4-5 star it.
I don't believe it is a story of "Coptic Jews", but a fiction book that did provide insight to me was
Last Jew by Noah Gordon.
I don't know how authentic it was; I didn't do a lot of backgrounding on the tales told, but it was quite gripping to listen to the stories of going "underground" with one's faith during a period of being driven out of one's homeland. (Many other readers found the story less compelling than I did, especially some who seemed to feel Gordon recycled characters from an earlier book (The Physician) which several had liked.)
Pepper,
The use of the work "Coptic" was an error on my part. I apologize. I had been reading another book about Coptic Jews earlier. The correct term was Crypto. The note I made on the "Crypto" Jews in my first note was based on where I was in the book. Having completed the book, I would definitely give it a 4 to 5 star rating. Many of those Jews who disappeared from Spain and Europe during the the Inquisitions went through a "conversion" and fled to the New World. Within the last few years the have discovered that many of these Crypto Jewish families still exist in the Southwestern United States. The Crypto Jews of the Southwest is one link that overviews some of the recent discoveries.
Because of my ties to the recent discoveries, I loved the double storyline of this book. Thank you for the reccommendation of the second book. I will enjoy a new read on the same subject.
BTW the review was a copy of the B&N review of the book. The did such a good job on it, I just copied it, as I was having enough Gremlin trouble on the boards that day. The reference on the "based on a true story came from the B&N review. I would be interested on what the true story was. I have a feeling it was the drama behind the saving of the book from the library in Sarajevo, Poland, not the storyline or the history of the haggadah itself.
Karen
Although I did not care for The Catcher in the Rye I thought this author's take on Holden's sister seemed interesting. Giving it a try! Plus, I feel like going to Paris right now!
Right now I'm almost finished with
Bonnie It's amazing, I've only waited YEARS for it
And I'm SOOOO excited because Best Selling Author Iris Johansen will be with us next month to talk to us for a whole week and this is a very busy lady.
She has a Movie coming out on Lifetime October 30 but the date may change as it has already, here's the details courtsey of LifeTime
http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/the-killing-game
This multi-award winning author will be here on the board with us from Wed November 2nd through Tuesday November 8th.
We will handle this a bit differently this month than we usually do, since Ms. Johansen won't be able to spend more time with us I've decided to open the floor to general questions for her not just regarding her novel Eve (Eve Duncan Series) which is being fetured in November.
So please mark your calendars, think of your questions or just stop in to say HI to this very talented and gracious lady who's agreed to come by and see us next month.
