Paula’s Comments (group member since Feb 10, 2014)

Paula’s comments from the Easley Library Bookworms group.

Hi Sharon! Books count in all iterations! (Sorry, I just saw this thread. A little late, LOL.

Hi, Ben! Welcome to our little group!

Thanks for the thread, Werner. Your summer reading plans sound wonderful! Mine are still up for debate because of my classes. I’ll let you know what I manage as I figure it out, LOL.

That sounds fun, Werner. Can't wait to see what you think.

I enjoyed Fireproof, too, Werner. It's a nice movie. If you're interested in movie trivia, the kiss at the end is rather unique. After Kirk found his faith, he made a commitment not to kiss anyone but his wife, another actress named Chelsea Noble. In Fireproof, they put the kiss in silhouette and switched Chelsea in for the wife character at the end so that Kirk is kissing his own wife.

I loved that book as a young person, Werner. I first saw the movie, The Hideaways, on TV in the 80s before I realized it was a book. It might be too "dated" now, but I was enraptured by the idea of hiding out in a museum, LOL. I'm glad he enjoyed it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005R2...

Thanks, Werner. I thought that was the case with the title, but it still makes me grin every time I look at it. I'll be sure to let you know what I think when I finish it!

Easley Library has a young adult series of books based around a young orphan girl who disguises herself as a boy and sets sail for the high seas. I'm presently reading the first book in this series, "Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary 'Jacky' Faber, Ship's Boy." How is that for a name?!! :-) The stories are by L.A. Meyer, and so far, I'm enjoying this book greatly.

I've just finished reading/listening to an audiobook of Pam Munoz Ryan's book, Echo I have fallen in love with it.

This is a young adult book, 587 pages. It is one of this year's Newbery Honor Recipients, and the Honor is well deserved. It starts in Germany with a young boy named Otto who becomes lost in the woods and reads a fairy tale. The story then moves on to another young German boy, born with a large facial birthmark and therefore not one of Hitler's "perfect Germans." Friedrich wants to be a conductor, but in the meantime, he works with his father at a harmonica factory. Eventually, he finds a very special harmonica that will change his life.

At a critical moment, we leave Friedrich in Germany, and we move on to America where we meet two orphans named Mike and Frankie who are just trying to stay together, and later, we meet Ivy in California, a young girl from a migrant family, who wants to settle down and have a permanent home.

If you have the opportunity, this one might actually be better as an audiobook than in simple written form. The story contains references to beautiful musical pieces from Brahms and Beethoven to Rodgers and Hammerstein to Jazz and the Blues. Listening on the audiobook gives the reader/listener the chance to experience the pieces of music without having to stop and look them up, or possibly, never having the chance to experience the music at all.

Either way, this is an excellent book for young people and also for those of us who aren't so young anymore. This is a story with all the right "feels," as they say these days. I highly recommend it.

Feel better, Werner! I know you're excited for the wedding. I am saying prayers for a speedy recovery and happy wedding day.

At the moment, I am listening to The Wolf Gift by Ann Rice on audiobook from the Public Library. I can't wait to read over the holiday! I've added A Discovery of Witches to my suitcases. We'll see what I get the chance to actually accomplish at the end of the week. ;-)

Werner, on my phone app, the name of the book you are reading isn't visible. Could you type it again, please?

We do!!! This is so exciting for us! We hope you join us on Thursday.

Love that idea, Werner! I love bookstores. This will be one of the best challenges ever!

I just finished Station Eleven. This is a beautifully written novel of life after a plague has destroyed most of the people on earth. There are no zombies, no vampires, and no aliens, but there are rich characters doing their best to survive in the world that's left. It intrigued me from the beginning, and it has quickly become one of my favorite books.

Do tell, Werner. I don't read a lot of mysteries, but I enjoy them when I do. Thanks!

I've seen all the Star Wars movies, Werner. Ask me questions about the original trilogy and, I can probably answer. Ask me about the later three, LOL, I guarantee nothing. I believe that's the difference between something that became part of my "being" as a child vs. something I just watched as an adult. ;-)

I have also seen the new movie twice. I enjoyed it very much. Of course, it tried to rip out my heart through my eye sockets, but I'll be patient for the rest of the movies and see where it goes.

When I was a child, I went to see The Empire Strikes Back in the theater. I bought a poster. My friend's mother was appalled at it because Darth Vader loomed in the background and she equated him to Satan. She made me feel so guilty, I gave away the poster. Years later, that same lady had become a huge Star Wars fan. At THAT time, she equated The Force with God. I remember being quite annoyed that she had made eight-year-old me feel guilty about a poster and then had done a complete turn around to believe the whole story was a Christian analogy she could support. If only I had been old enough to discuss the generalized concepts of good vs. evil storylines throughout history or the concept of the Hero's Journey at that time. (That poster might have been worth a bundle today!)

Oh well. I love Star Wars. :-)

I liked "John Carter," too, Werner. I've never read the books, so the movie had to stand on its own for me. I thought it succeeded. I'm sorry it didn't do well at the box office, but I think science fiction fans would enjoy it if they gave it a chance. Thanks for reminding me of it.

I've been thinking about this thread, Werner. I'd like to add Anne McCaffrey's books. Specifically, the Dragonriders of Pern" books, and in particular, the early six stories, as the later ones began to feel out of control with characters I couldn't keep up with. As Ms. McCaffrey aged, her son started to "co-write" and eventually he took over the series. It tends to go off the rails for me when he took over, but for years, I read and re-read McCaffrey's books. The Pern and Talent stories were my favorites, but I could pretty much pick up any of her books and be assured of a good story. I used to buy them over the Christmas holidays and just READ!

Too funny, Werner. That sounds great!