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| Author | Topic: Books |
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 roselouise
Registered User
Registered:
7/21/2004
From:
pennsylvania | posted: 8/10/2004 at 12:23:42 AM ET
Yeah, Im not too far in AK but Im enjoying it thus far. I also like Chekhov though. I played Irina in Three Sisters in my acting class this past year. We did several scenes from that particular play and I got such a kick out of Bernadette playing that role and reading Three Sisters in Bobbies Girl!!
Im only on the 3rd chapter of AK so we'll see if I finish it. I too get bored w/books and like to read a bunch of different things at one time but i'll keep you posted.
also, i read about a summer book in elle magazine that might interest y'all. its called "Colors Insulting to Nature" and deals with a girl aspiring to be a star and her relationship w/her overbearing mother. I believe its supposed to be a comedy but I couldn't help but notice the Gypsy-like parallels
| futuremamarose87
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2004 | posted: 8/10/2004 at 12:20:01 PM ET
Jenn~ thank god high school does not last forever. I can't wait to get out of it.
Anyways, currently I am reading Empire Falls by Richard Russo. It's a good book so far. At least I don't mind it like most books I have had to read for school.
I'm also supposed to read Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. I've heard from my friend that it's a terribly annoying book as well as from my brother and that it's quite grimy at parts.
I'm going into AP English or else I would've had to read Mr. Vertigo, The Hours/Nickel and a Dime. I'm pretty frustrated about going into AP now just cause I'm nervous about the work, cause I am going to have a tough teacher. Also, I recently found out that my favorite teacher and mentor is teaching Humanities next year (regular senior english) and I would love to be in that class. Unfortunately, I think it may be too late to switch.
My schedule for school next year is crazy. I have no free periods, like most people do. I completely filled it up with the must-have classes like english, gym, math, and latin and then i'm taking choir, drama, and music theory, and apps science. EEK. and college is another stress factor. eek... i'll just stop now before I cause myself to collapse from stress.
And, hopefully eventually I'll get to finish reading "The Women's Room" by Marilyn French. It's such a great book so far! Highly recommened to anyone, man or woman, like the cover says, "for every man who ever thought he knew a woman! for every woman who ever thought she knew herself!"
"It was like being high when you reach those high notes."
~Bernadette Peters
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 8/11/2004 at 7:57:05 PM ET
futuremamarose-You've got a lot on your plate. Anna Karenina has been around for over 100 years; it's not going anywhere.
Make sure you allow some time for a good night's sleep whenever possible,and get a flu shot next time they're available,if you don't get one regularly.
Oh,yeah...books. I just finished Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright. It's set in Ontario and New York in the 1930s. A great read,even if I found one aspect of the plot a little too much. The two main characters are Clara and Nora-Clara is the responsible older sister who stays in her settled life in Ontario (until something happens that drastically changes her life) and Nora,the younger sister,heads off to NYC to star on a radio show.
Jenn
|  BPluvr486
Registered User
Registered:
4/21/2003
From:
NYC | posted: 8/11/2004 at 9:11:52 PM ET
Well, don't worry, I'm in high school too. (10th grade) I don't like it (AT ALL) either, and I'm taking 2 honors classes and I don't have any free periods either. I'm also in band (which meets after school) and chorus (which meets before school). In addition to that, I've already committed myself to like four musicals this year... *breathes* I'm also trying not to collapse. But, you're a senior, you're almost done. If I can survive, you can. 
"My mother's advice, which I always take, is to make them beg for more, and then...don't give it to them!" -Gypsy
| ShubertGoddess
Registered User
Registered:
6/7/2004
From:
NYC | posted: 8/11/2004 at 10:03:56 PM ET
Wow, I feel your pain. I haven't been in HS for years, but I remember my last year.... I was just completely swamped with activities. Honors classes, drama, dance, gymnastics, competitive figure skating, soccer, chamber singers (elite choir).... I also cantored the masses at my church and had a job. I look back on that now and see it's a wonder I didn't collapse of exhaustion!
In the years that followed, I was working a full time job and taking dance 4 days a week after work... It's a wonder I survived that too! lol
| futuremamarose87
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2004 | posted: 8/11/2004 at 10:43:45 PM ET
oh yeah... i also work at Coldstone. eek. i forgot i'm working tomorrow!!!! i need to read... i hope i get some sleep like jmslsu01 suggested.
"It was like being high when you reach those high notes."
~Bernadette Peters
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 10/31/2004 at 10:39:25 PM ET
Well,can't really call it summer reading anymore...
Since I'm a children's librarian,I read a lot of children's literature. However,I do keep a "grownup" book going at the same time. I recently finished two great books-Liquor by Poppy Z. Brite and The Lost History of the Canine Race: Our 15,000-Year Love Affair with Dogs by Mary Elizabeth Thurston.
Liquor (fiction) is set in the restaurant world of New Orleans. Brite is a local author and really gets the city-I don't know if outsiders would enjoy it as much as New Orleanians and those familiar with the city would. Quite a few inside jokes.
The Lost History....(nonfiction) is a great overview of dog history. Lots of things to think about-from the power of the American Kennel Society,commercial dog food,war dogs,etc. I have A Dog's History of America which I will read soon,which is an in-depth look at the history of dogs in the U.S.
I also finished the Daily Show's America book,which was hilarious. I want the audio for Christmas (Jon and Co. read the book!).
I'm waiting for Broadway Musicals: The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time from my local B&N.
Jenn
|  SingOutAnnie
Registered User
Registered:
8/23/2003
From:
Bradenton/Sarasota, FLA | posted: 11/1/2004 at 9:41:47 AM ET
>>I'm waiting for Broadway Musicals: The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time from my local B&N.
Hey, I went to Costco Sunday looking for the PBS' Broadway show companion book, and found instead the one above (at Costco, $22 instead of $35).
It is wonderful. Great, great photos from shows with many color photos too. A couple of BP shots I'd not seen before, including one from "La Strada." It uses Broadway pictures, not movies as the PBS special had to rely on.
It's a really good overview of Broadway.
Only disappointment, "Sunday in the Park," isn't one of the 101, though there is a pix of Bernadette in the show. She gets a full page tribute (as she should); there are many, many brief bios of stars, producers, composers, etc.
In the front, is a photo of Merman and Church in "Gypsy" with a caption that says it is probably the best musical ever. The pages on "Gypsy" includes a long paragraph on the revivals and how Angela, Tyne and Bernadette did the role of Rose and how it is such a rich role that it could accommodate the variant actresses.
a Bernadette section ends with "long may she reign."
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 11/1/2004 at 8:17:04 PM ET
SingOutAnnie-thanks for the report! I'm looking forward to it,but I have plenty to read before it comes in.
Jenn
|  Rose
Registered User
Registered:
9/28/2003
From:
NY
Fav. BP Song: No One Is Alone and Some People
Fav. BP Show: Gypsy
Fav. BP Character: Rose/The Witch
Fav. BP CD: Gypsy
| posted: 11/2/2004 at 12:18:55 AM ET
SingOutAnnie what is the name of the PBS book?
"Oh no, you won't. No, not a chance. No arguements, shut up and dance."
| SingOutAnnie
Registered User
Registered:
8/23/2003
From:
Bradenton/Sarasota, FLA | posted: 11/2/2004 at 8:48:58 AM ET
"Broadway: The American Musical"
($60, which is why I was hoping Costco carries it. The B&N where I live had one copy.)
Here's B&N link http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?userid=O24ysmKApE&pwb=1&ean=9781579123901 The other book is listed below it. Anyone know the next one, "Broadway's Most Wanted"? Just wondering if BP is one of the 10 "dynamic divas."
| SingOutAnnie
Registered User
Registered:
8/23/2003
From:
Bradenton/Sarasota, FLA | posted: 11/5/2004 at 10:29:50 AM ET
A note on this book: "Broadway Musicals: The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time" that I mentioned above.
In the section on "Annie Get Your Gun," there's a pullout quote by Ethel Merman, commenting on "unresponsive audiences." The Merman quote is:
"You may think I'm playing the part, but inside I'm saying, 'Screw you! You jerks! If you were as good as I am, you'd be up here!'"
It made me think of the story John Dossett told in an article about Bernadette in "Gypsy." The audience at one performance did not seem much into the show, and Bernadette said to Dossett (something like) "Come on. Let's go out there and get 'em." Dossett said something like, 'you just gotta love that' (about Bernadette the performer).
Like night and day, in showing respect for the audience and the profession.
|  barcelona
Registered User
Registered:
7/27/2004 | posted: 11/5/2004 at 8:11:31 PM ET
That just makes you love her even more, doesn't it? I didn't think that was possible!
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 8/1/2005 at 2:49:42 PM ET
I thought I'd bump this thread. Anyone care to share what they've read this summer? I keep an online reading journal on Readerville, but you have to register to read and post on that forum.
I read a ton of children's/YA literature (for my job), but I've managed to sneak these adult reads recently:
Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell-one of my favorite NPR commentators (on This American Life-she's also written several books). Sarah visits the sites of various presidential assassination spots and discusses the assassinations. I knew I had a winner when she opens with an anecdote about seeing Assassins.
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (author of 101 Dalmations). Hilarious book (!) about a English teenage girl and her unconventional family. Lots of snark, and a surprise ending.
Dwyer, Jim and Kevin Flynn. 102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers. Gripping, mesmerizing, and horrifying. Had to put it aside from time to time, since it just got to be too much sometimes. Best of 2005.
Steinbach, Alice. Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman. Alice is cool. Read this book. Some travelogues are "I did this and saw this and let me tell you about this cute but clueless colorful local....". Alice is not.
Auschwitz: A New History by Laurence Rees. I thought I knew quite a bit about the Holocaust. I was wrong. Unlike other books on the Holocaust, this is not as scholarly as others (since the author occasionally inserts himself in the narrative).
The Know-It-All by A.J. Jacobs. Jacobs read through the Encyclopedia Britannica in a year. Jacobs can be quite annoying at times, but his thoughts on the project, what he learns, and how others respond to the project are intriging.
As for the children's/YA novels (no, I haven't read the latest Harry Potter yet!):
Daniel Half-Human and the Good Nazi by David Chotjewitz. Definitely Best of 2005. I don't normally cotton to juvenile/YA Holocaust novels, but this is an extraordinary exception. Don't be put off by the fact this is YA. This is one of the most exceptional novels I have read in some years.
The Anybodies by N.E. Bode. This is written in the style of Lemony Snicket/Roald Dahl-that is, addressing the reader, wisecracks, etc. But very well done, and unlike the Lemony Snickets, didn't get on my nerves. I loved the interweaving of other children's literary characters in and out the plot. A fun, fabulous read. Best of 2005.
Carlsson, Janne. Camel Bells.
Originally published in 1987 (and in Swedish), this is a story about a young Afghani boy who goes to Kabul at the start of (or just after the start of) the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This is a short and quick read-I read it in about an hour and a half-but it has quite an impact. Since there is so few children's stories about Afghanistan, this is a welcome addition. The translation is expert-not clumsy at all. If I had not read the introductory notes, I would not have known that this is a translation. Best of 2005.
Kelly, Katy. Lucy Rose-Here's the Thing About Me. A cute, cute story. Lucy Rose is a precocious-but not annoying-child of newly separated parents. It is told in a third-grader's voice, which some find annoying. A fast "nice" story. Best of 2005.
Dhami, Narinder. Bindi Babes. Another cute story. Bindi Babes is set in London and features recently motherless Indian-British teenage sisters. Their father's sister arrives from India and the girls are not happy, so they embark on different tasks to drive their aunt crazy. However, their aunt is a smart woman, and matches their wits time after time. The ending is predictable, but it's a very satisying book. Best of 2005.
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. A magical fairy tale. I adore this book.
Calhoun, Dia. Aria of the Sea- Really enjoyed this one. I don't seek out YA fantasy novels, but this one was a treat. The dancing boarding school was what drew me to this book. Satisfying ending. One of best of 2005.
DiCamillo, Kate. Tale of Despereaux- I've avoided this for some time-I thought it would be too precious. However, I am a big fan of Kate DiCamillo, and since I'm trying to catch up on all the Newbery books I haven't read, this was next. A wonderful read-some of the "dear reader" bits threatened to get a bit twee, but nothing over the top. I haven't had a "just one more chapter" book in a long time. Definitely one of best of 2005.
(These entries are excerpted from my online reading journal-I just cut and pasted. If anyone would like to know more, I'd be glad to elaborate. This is what I've read-give or take a few-since the end of May).
I'm taking a break from children's/YA to catch up on adult reads. I'm reading a Christian theology book right now-which is fantastic, quite radical-and I'll start on something else soon.
Jenn
|  Sister Rose
Registered User
Registered:
5/4/2004
From:
NYC | posted: 8/3/2005 at 9:44:31 AM ET
My book club just finished "Drowning Ruth" by Christina Schwarz - we all liked it - nice suspense and interesting look at life just after WWI. We are onto the new Harry Potter now - I'm finding it a slow read - I know, I know, I'm in the minority. I also just finished Bel Canto by Ann Patchett - LOVED it.
|  PA Fan
Registered User
Registered:
11/6/2003 | posted: 8/4/2005 at 8:45:01 PM ET
Like Jenn, I also read "Assassination Vacation" by Sarah Vowell. Loved it. She references Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. Last week I finished "1776" by David McCullough which was very enjoyable. Now reading two books .... "Dark Voyage" by Alan Furst -- an espionage thriller set in WWII and "Freedom Rising: Washington During the Civil War" by Ernest Furguson.
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