[stylist] More on a book discussion/review

[David Andrews]

Sue Grafton writes mysteries,  her protagonist is a divorced woman 
named Lindsey Milhone, not sure of spelling.  Her titles started with 
a, like A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar etc.

She is most of the way through the alphabet now.

Dave

At 01:38 PM 12/6/2011, you wrote:
>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.