Comments on: Spring Forward

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 01:42:18 +0000

I didn’t get as many of the Oscar movies in as I had planned on before the Awards night last week. I loved Oppenheimer and glad it won best picture. I also saw Barbie, Poor Things, Maestro, Past Lives, and The Holdovers. I really liked almost all of the movies and really feel 2023 was a great year for movies.

My Friend Ann Frank has been on my radar. Glad you recommend it. I definitely want to read it.

By: stargazer

stargazer — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 18:02:15 +0000

In reply to Susan. Gosling is a great actor and an excellent performer as well, it seems. I work in an international company related to finance and have colleagues across Asia, America and Europe. It's great fun to work with people from different locations and cultures, but I still mess up the time differences after many years in international business. No idea what the nearest indie bookshop is. I live close to Charing Cross Road, which used to be filled with indies, but now the chains have taken over. There are still a few independent ones in the side streets. Let's see how long they last. Otherwise, I love museum book shops, such as the ones at Tate Modern or the Science Museum

By: Susan

Susan — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 20:35:15 +0000

In reply to Sarah.

Wow great lineup of writers at the conference! Many heavyweights are there. Impressive. You better get on the wait-list just in case. Hangout with Atwood. lol.
It looks like a fun time. Too bad it’s already soldout. Hmpf.
More to add to the library loot!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 15:34:58 +0000

I love your term “library loot!”
The Sun Valley Writer’s Conference will be here July 20-24. The full passes to it sold out in under 15 minutes! I’m pretty sure we won’t be in town then but it is an excellent line-up. Check it out at svwc.com

By: Susan

Susan — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 03:38:54 +0000

In reply to Sarah.

Hi Sarah, Great you’re here! I must have blipped on Jayne Anne and her books; I’ll have to check out Machine Dreams. She’s quite a storyteller. I’m curious about what she’ll put out next.
And I don’t know of Olivia Hawker either, so thanks for the word on her.
I remember Chapter One Bookstore — I bought the book “Farewell to Manzanar” there — when they were doing a Japanese POW camp read in town. A few years back? It was an interesting read.
I get most of my books from the library too. But once in every blue moon I’ll stop at a bookstore. Like at Christmas. I’m glad you’re liking the library there. We checked it out as well and it looked good. Plenty of library loot. lol.
Happy reading…. and keep me posted on anything good. 🙂

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 21:25:26 +0000

I’m surprised you haven’t heard of Jayne Anne Phillips before. I remember her first novel Machine Dreams being quite a tour de force when it came out — I think it was unusual for first-time novelists to break out on the publishing scene then. Or maybe it was because she was so young. Anyway, that is a good one.

Our local bookstore here is Chapter One. The owner is good with recommendations and got me onto Olivia Hawker’s books. I thought both The Ragged Edge of Night and One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow were quite good, although very different from each other. Hawker’s latest, October in the Earth, is definitely on by TBR list. We have a very good library here, so I haven’t been to the bookstore in awhile….

By: Susan

Susan — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 19:10:35 +0000

Hi thanks Wendy, that bookstore The Cellar Door looks nice. I might have to stop there when I’m in Redlands visiting my parents in April. We’ll be in the OC area a bit too.
I hope your daughter can handle The Diary — of course Anne’s personality shines thru wonderfully in it but it is sad for me to handle. I will probably do a reread next year. This memoir was good and I had no idea about Hannah’s story with Anne. See what you think. It’s a quick listen or read. I’d also recommend Miep Gies’s book about hiding the Frank family. It’s excellent.
I’m glad the time change went off without much trouble. I like it already — and it makes me think of summer. Have a great week.

By: Literary Feline

Literary Feline — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 17:06:31 +0000

I think this is the first time in many years I haven’t felt the time change more acutely. It’s been an easier adjustment this time around. Although I really hate that it’s even darker when I get up in the mornings. It’s always dark when I get up, but at least I didn’t have to wait so long for it to start getting lighter.

I haven’t read your library books, but they do look good. I hope you enjoy them, Susan!

My last indie bookstore visit–that’s easy. I was last at The Cellar Door on Saturday, the 9th. And I bought three books which my daughter picked out (none for me, surprisingly); but I was also there the day before to buy a gift card and also got a copy of The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence, so there’s that. I am not sure when I will get to it. Like so many books I seem to collect, it sits on my shelf waiting for me to decide it’s time. Since the bookstore moved closer to where I live–and in an area I frequent–it’s been all too easy to drop in when I’m in that neighborhood. I really need to cut back.

I am adding My Friend Anne Frank to my wish list right now. I really need to read that one. My daughter is going to be reading The Diary of a Young Girl next year. I think I’m more excited than she is about it at this point, but I think she will like it.

I hope you have a good week, Susan. Take care and happy reading!

By: Susan

Susan — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 12:33:59 +0000

In reply to stargazer.

Hi Stargazer, ha. I will picture you singing “I am Ken” for the week. Ha. It was pretty crazy Gosling’s performance at the Oscars. He really went after it. lol.
What is the international work you do? It does seem crazy all the time differences. I’m not sure what time you all are on there in the UK, but I hope you’re getting optimal sunlight hours.
And that’s too bad — you must have a dozen indie bookstores in downtown London — what is the nearest one? Actually I don’t visit bookstores either — as I don’t want to add to my bookshelves. Keep on with the ebooks. Cheers.

By: stargazer

stargazer — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 19:50:49 +0000

Daylight savings! I think that happens end of March here in the UK. Confusing that it isn’t syncronised. It is difficult enough as it is, to keep track of time zone differences, when working with people all over the world.

Since I started reading ebooks and listening to audiobooks, I rarely go to any bookstore, indie or not. So that is a boring answer. Specialist bookshops with travel books, art or science may still tempt me.

Didn’t watch the Oscars, but saw the iconic “I am Ken” on Youtube – and now I can’t get the stupid song out of my head. So annoying! 😀