[stylist] More on a book discussion/review

Tue Dec 6 19:38:53 UTC 2011

So what does Sue Grafton write about?

-----Original Message----- 
From: Jacqueline Williams
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 1:43 PM
To: bjnite at windstream.net ; 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [stylist] More on a book discussion/review

Yes,
Sue Grafton is great. I read all of them through U which I think was the
last one. I am waiting for her to finish the series of the alphabets, and
fear that she just might have worn out.
Jackie

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Brenda
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 10:02 PM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] More on a book discussion/review

I normally don't read horror except Dean Kunzt.  I only read Seize the
Night and the sequel because my boss loaned me the books years ago.  I
like how the hero had a disability that he overcame.  I did find a
little too much explaining and not just showing by his actions, but it
was good that a person with a disability was shown in a positive light.

I have read some Sue Grafton books.  A is for Alibi, B is for Burglary,
etc because they were sent by NLS when i was receiving books from them.
They are light reading and I like the descriptions.

I read the short story "A Country Doctor" by Franz Kafka in college.  I
never understood it, so I read it again while I was at the hotel after
my fire.  I still don't understand Kafka.  That short story was in a
collection of his works so I read a few more.  They were really weird,
and despite the explanatory notes, I still don't understand him.  I
don't consider them horror, just surreal and really weird.

I have enjoyed James Michener.  You can really get a history lesson
reading his books.  Thing is, he covers a lot of minorities - historical
accounts of what happened to the Native Americans and the African
Americans and how they were treated but I have never found a character
in his books who had a disability.  This stood out after I began reading
"Why I burned my book and other stories" (can't remember the author, but
it was on BARD) |where it was pointed out that people with disabilities
were often kept from immigrating to the united States

Well, it is late and there are lots of things I could fix in the above,
but if I didn't post now I never would.

I am looking forward to reading books I never would have tried to read
on my own.
Brenda

On 12/5/2011 5:44 PM, Ashley Bramlett wrote:
> Barbara, I won't read horror either; I prefer nonfiction; or stories
> that could be true but are not. Historic fiction, biographies,
> history, classics, and some drama is my thing
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Barbara Hammel
> Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 4:01 PM
> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [stylist] More on a book discussion/review
>
> I don't like the mystery or detective genre either but I enjoyed Two
> Little
> Girls in Blue by Mary higgins Clark.
> I don't like James Grisham books but I did enjoy A Time To Kill.
>
> There is only one kind of book that I for sure and certain would never
> read
> and that is vampire books or anything else that's really horror.
> I don't do Stephen King or his ilk.
>
> But, yes, if you don't step out of your comfort zone now and then you
> get in
> a rut and you forget why it is you read what you do.
> Barbara
>
>
>
> Let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay
> any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose
> any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of
> liberty.--John
> F. Kennedy
> -----Original Message----- From: Bridgit Pollpeter
> Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 1:48 PM
> To: stylist at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [stylist] More on a book discussion/review
>
> Ashley,
>
> I think both formats would be a nice addition: book reviews and formal
> book discussions. No one has to participate; it's all up to whomever
> wants to participate in either format.
>
> And true, not all genres and books in general will be liked by everyone,
> but it's important as a writer to explore outside ones comfort zone and
> concepts of what constitutes a good book.
>
> While in school, I had to read a ton of books I might not naturally
> gravitate towards, but a lot of the time, I ended up enjoying the book,
> or after discussing it, I recognized certain aspects and qualities, and
> always, I learned and grew. I've opened my reading experiences
> considerably and have been given a lot of jewels in return.
>
> The entire point of most book discussions is to expose readers to new
> and different authors/topics/genres in order to appreciate, learn and
> grow. I rarely come across book discussion groups that are specific to a
> single genre or topic, and I've never heard of (though this doesn't mean
> it does not exist) discussion groups only reading one author.
>
> This is not to say everyone will enjoy certain subjects or genres or
> authors, but we can learn to appreciate form, voice, style, etc.
>
> I never, ever read detective fiction, or mystery fiction, of any kind
> (strictly within this genre, I mean) but I took a detective fiction
> class for a lit. elective, and surprisingly, I loved it, and I really
> enjoyed most the novels we read. Before this class, I wouldn't have
> considered most these books, but now I check out a true
> mystery/detective story every now-and-then.
>
> Some of the detective books I really enjoyed are:
> Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
> Glitz by Elmer Leonard
> Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosely
>
> Before my mid-twenties, I thought most nonfiction was lame and boring,
> which is funny considering I'm currently a nonfiction writer for most of
> my work. I'm actually reading a biography right now that's really
> engaging, and it struck me how odd it was that I once thought nonfiction
> boring. Now in my thirties, I love, love nonfiction and search for
> nonfiction (tends to be creative nonfiction but not always) with a wide
> range of topics and styles.
>
> A couple of creative nonfiction books I love are:
> Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
> Naked by David Sedaris
> Man Killed by Pheasant by John T. Price
> In Pharos's Army by Tobias Wolf
>
> Not every book we pick up, even if a genre or topic we usually like,
> will be enjoyable, but you don't know what you're missing if you
> automatically exclude certain books. Literature does a lot- it inspires;
> it can challenge; it can inform as well as entertain; it stimulates
> creativity and thinking.
>
> Whether we develop any of the ideas discussed for Stylist or not, I urge
> all of us to pick up a book (a relative phrase of course, smile) that we
> might not usually consider. You may just be surprised.
>
> Sincerely,
> Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
> Read my blog at:
> http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
>
> "History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
> The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan
>
> Message: 9
> Date: Sun, 4 Dec 2011 18:27:08 -0500
> From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [stylist] Thinking about a book-lovers listserve
> Message-ID: <A0185CC16A124814814BBAD250DCA996 at OwnerPC>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> reply-type=original
>
> I don't see us having discussions about the same book. I do like the
> idea of
> a book review. But not all of us like the same books genre.
> Yep people could comment on the book if they read it though.
>
>
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