Book Lovers Club
Comments
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speaking of TC Boyle, I just finished reading about Frank Lloyd Wright and his West coast residential commissions. Mentioned was the Wright home that was purchased by TC Boyle and his wife. Seems Mrs. Boyle saw the home first and begged him to see the house IMMEDIATELY, which he did and the rest is history! Fascinating that Wright made such an impression on Boyle that he wrote a book about him! What was also interesting was how people caught Wright's attention and were lucky enough to engage him in designing their future homes. One woman, having seen Fallingwater and what Wright was capable of doing with a waterfall, wrote a one paragraph letter inviting him to do the same with a parcel of land on the Pacific Ocean. He agreed and the homeowner enjoyed the home for decades. Having visited Fallingwater, I can hardly imagine what it might be like waking up each day within one of his creations... That said, the back story of the Fallingwater homeowners was less than happy....
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I just visited Frank Lloyd Wright's winter retreat when I was in Arizona last month. It is still a working architectural school.
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Here is a little collage of Taliesin pictures I did for Facebook.
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OH, that is so cool!! How great you got to visit it, Ruth.
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Wow weeeee, Ruth!!!!! 👩❤️👩👩❤️👩👩❤️👩👩❤️👩
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when I lived in madison wisconsin in the early 70ies my companion had a teacher who lived in one of the frank lloyd houses there,sunken livingroom I remember
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Abigail....a common thread of some of the homeowners who got to work with Wright was that some were scholars, living close to universities. Others were wealthy corporate executives or physicians. Furthermore, it appears that the impetus for choosing Wright often came from women. Even the Guggenheim has a female behind the collaboration between the Guggenheim family and Wright!
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Bedo, I too enjoyed The Museum of Extraordinary Things and Cold Storage. Most recently I have read the latest in three series I have consistently enjoyed - Jane and the Waterloo Map - by Stephanie Barron - which features Jane Austen who, you might not have known, solved mysteries when she wasn't writing novels. And The Invisible Code by Christopher Fowler - this series follows the cases of the Peculiar Crimes Unit based in modern day London and headed by octogenarians , John May and Arthur Bryant. Their unconventional methods are often denounced but prove necessary to solve some of the more unsettling crimes.... following a similar premise, that some modern crimes have historical and/or supernatural origins, which require unconventional solutions, Ben Aaronovitch's Foxglove Summer takes Peter Grant, apprentice magician out of London to the countryside to solve the disappearance of two young girls.
And for something different - Martha Woodroof's Small Blesssings in which you are introduced to Tom Putnam, much admired English professor at a small, unnamed college in Virginia who lives with his mentally ill wife and his mother in law. This life of quiet desperation is shaken up by a letter from his only former lover, announcing that she was sending their ten year old son, who he had never heard of, to stay for 3 months while she went on a book tour. Many unexpected things happen, Tom's world is totally upended. I really enjoyed the characters - good people, flawed people, adults learning about themselves, growing and changing and being kind to each other. A very enjoyable read.
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hi, I am reminded of The Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things by Charles Panati. It's been on my bookshelf for years. "For lovers of facts, students of popular culture, history buffs, and science enthusiasts, the fascinating stories behind 500 everyday items, expressions, and customs--from Kleenex to steak sauce, Barbie Dolls to honeymoons."
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here is an interview with a little girl who takes her moment in the spotlight to talk about what books mean to her and to the world - not one stutter or "um" . she nails it.
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Jelson - right on. Thanks for sharing.
Read Richard north Patterson's Dark Lady (1999). A prosecutor searching for "who done it" by trying to figure out who's honest & what politics does to the truth. Election antics, ball stadium bonds, etc. I'd forgotten how much I liked is legal storiess.
Also read William Kent Krueger's Purgatory Ridge (2001). Set in Minnesota wonderful descriptions of the lake & the old growth forest sacred to the tribes, and the collision with the lumber companies. I wouldn't have guessed who was the bad guy in this one.
Last but not least, a book that my Father read as a child. Tom Swift and his Air Scout by Victor Appleton (1919). Yup, love holding a book that's almost 100 years old. I read some of the Tom Swift books to my son when he was young, but it's been a long time ago. Even the "bad guys" weren't so bad in this old fashioned time during WWI. This is one of the many books that I need to find a new home for. My only son isn't going to have children & apparently doesn't want the books since he lives a very spartan existance.
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Minus, while I can relate to your son not wanting more stuff, I grieve with you for those precious books leaving your family. Hope you find them a great new home.
Unpacked a box of books yesterday and found some treasures I thought were lost, including my original (1971) Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappe'. It now resides beside the 20th anniversary edition I bought in 1991. Also now have three shelves of DH's paperback sci-fi classics, most of which I have not read - yet!
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every once in a while I find older books that were popular in the their time - not necessarily the caliber of Jane Austen - but good reading nevertheless and they really give me an insight into the times in which they were written. So here is In the Bishop's Carriage by Miriam Michelson - written to great acclaim and controversy in 1903. Michelson herself was a California born, Jewish, newspaper reporter and she wrote several other books which I am going to look for. In this, her first - the protagonist is a plucky orphan turned thief - who turns her life around through a series of encounters with an interesting cast of characters - starting with the Bishop. Quite the rolicking adventure. From what I have read about Michelson - her other books also have as their protagonists - young women making their way in the world of newspapers or other professions. Fascinating and entertaining.
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Jelson - I agree, I often read old and even older books.
Badger - Thanks for understanding that it is grief. My books are every bit as important to me as children and each one I give away, hurts. But I know I must forge ahead.
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MinusTwo, I don't remember if you mentioned this so forgive me if I'm repeating it. Are there children in your extended family you can give the books to? That might make parting with them a little easier on you. Hope your son doesn't end up regretting giving them up when he is older.
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Kathy - Good thoughts. There is a niece with an 18 month old and a nephew with a 4 month old - so yes, I will pass along some of the books. But both extended families seem to have a never ending supply of money and give presents to the kids at least once a week. And neither of them live in town so I have no idea what they already have. With all that new stuff, old books can hardly compete.
My son is 46 and has been with the same lady for 16 years now, and they are not having children. I don't think he will change his mind.
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May I make an extremely cold but valuable statement? I'm giving each and every one of my beloved fellow readers permission to toss books AND not feel badly about doing so!!!!!!
VR hasn't been able to get much reading done lately because she has been too busy uncluttering her own home, her mom's home and a close friend's home. Every muscle in VR's body, including her brain, is exhausted, yet also feels exhilarated! As you all may recall, VR is a book lover, but not a lover of buying books. Many, many years ago, I was advised by my older son's allergist NOT to accumulate reading material because they collect dust mites and other icky things. Although, at first, I wept at the thought of not having book shelves, I slowly embraced the idea. The few books that I do own sit in a glass cabinet.
Having uncluttered 3 homes in the last 3 months has been monumental. VR's mother no longer has anxiety about finding things nor does she have anxiety about "finish" reading her collection of back issues of Vanity Fair magazine. They are gone and so is the worry attached to them. She feels better and so do I!
Likewise, recently, a dear friend had to give up her home due to illness. I painstakely went through her home and helped her purge not just books and items, but the idea that the objects were of significance. What required muscle was for her to appreciate that those items were of little value or importance to the life she had ahead.
And that idea stirred not only her, but stirred my emotion as well! Going forward, the only thing that I'm going to be attached to is other people. Period.
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VR, I have loved books all my life, but I am seriously considering really cleaning out and just keeping a handful of books that I love and read over and over. I just don't have the room in my small house anymore. The only "big" exception is going to be my cookbook collection. I have lots and lots of cookbooks. I never thought I would like a Kindle, but have grown to love mine. So much easier to read in bed without having to "rassle" a big book, plus the Kindle is light and doesn't make my hands hurt like a heavy book does.
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As someone who just packed & unpacked a dozen boxes of books, I can attest to the power of the purge. While living in a tiny house, I learned a valuable lesson about priorities: treasure what you have and make each item count because nothing comes in unless something goes out. I have two bookcases hand-made by my dad, and enough books to fill them. Several are signed by the author! :-)
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I value the dream s objects bring. bob's sister got rid of his clothes and cleaned cleaned cleaned & now she never dreams of him, I wouldn't trash away anything he'd ever touched
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Melissa....speaking of cook books.....I purged both my cook books as well as the cook books that my mother gave me 30 years ago. Looking at both sets, I couldn't recall the last time I had used either of them. Briefly flipping through my mother's favorite recipe book, I realized that today I could never get some of the ingredients. Recall the discussion we had about chickens? I doubt that even if I attempted to make some of the recipes, they probably would never taste the way they were intended....
Abigail, regarding "touch"..... as I tossed my mother's cook books, I did feel a sense of intimacy and betrayal. Knowing her fingers and heart were all over the pages certainly made me ambivalent. That said, I am now feeling better. My goal is to never encumber my children with the mixed bag of emotion attached to tossing things of mine when I'm gone.....
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I use mine still and I am a very adventurous and even exotic cook and baker.
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Melissa....please feel free to visit me and use my double oven! When the DH and I bought our present home, he noted the ovens and thought I might use them to cook AND bake. Well, I do use one of the ovens to cook...but bake? Oy!
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Ladies, I just found this thread and it made me very happy. I am always looking for suggestions as to what to read. I saw that some of you do not like to part with your precious books. I was the same way, so much so that when we remodeled our family room, I had the carpenter build built in bookshelves. I loved having all of my books around me, but lately cannot tolerate clutter in my life, so I've been letting them go. I recently saw something online called the 40 day Lenten challenge to de-clutter your life. During this challenge, you were supposed to throw away or donate something every day during the 40 days of lent. Lately, I have been asking myself, " if I were to move tomorrow, would I pack this, or throw it away?" If the answer is throw it away, then I do. Also, I've realized that just because I have room for something in my house, doesn't mean that I need it.
As far as good books, I read a book last year called Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly. It is listed as fiction, but it isactually a memoir of her great grandmother's life. It was a wonderful story. Patty
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VR - I also purged my cook books. I kept just the two I always used. Even so, if I don't have it on a recipe card I usually check on line - not in a book - although I like to read recipes. But I did keep a batch of recipe cards in my Mother's handwriting. Funny, a cousin emailed me not too long ago to see if anyone still had any recipes in our Grandmother's handwriting. Fourteen first cousins and none of us had any.
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Brioche, French, Feta Scallion Rolls, Macarons (perfect on my first try), tortes, kolaches, cakes. I shop in Chinese, Latin American, Indian/Pakistani markets. I'll spend all day cooking Ethiopian food. Just name it and I'll take it on:
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I have the bug to reread the Anya Seton books I loved as a teen. I think Green Darkness may be first
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When my mom moved to WI from FL, she started culling six months out. She got a lifetime's belongings into a U-Haul so it was a big job but she did great, starting with the photo albums. She got rid of some things she doesn't miss, and some things she does, but brought enough to create a cozy apartment in a senior-living community. As some of you know, she gets her book fix by managing the library, and has done well. I mention this now because I 'rescued' a few items she was going to discard in the final frenzy of packing, including an old "My Favorite Recipes" book with recipe cards in her mom's handwriting. Mom thought it was gone forever and was so happy when I produced it. Love that memory, and my gramma's cherry cheesecake tarts. ♥
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In my mother's old age a he;per left taking with her all my mother's cook books. my mother said maybe she thought they were hers. using them I guess, but we all I'd think miss them a lot
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