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Love the article! Thanks for posting it.

Madrano, the setting for The Harp In The South is Surrey Hills in inner Sydney, and is now a funky area with great café and artisan shops. Good bookstores too, but I resisted.

Connie and Susan, I have to admit I have not read King Lear, so I can't comment on it. I found it (A Thousand Acres) a good read with interesting descriptions of the rural landscape and farms which always appeal to me. I look forward to your thoughts when you both get around to reading it.

Connie wrote: "I read The Unit 2 or 3 years ago, so I might be the one whose recommendation you took. If so, I'm glad you liked it...."

I am sure it was you, Connie. It was between you & one other person, who no longer posts here. Let me thank you with your name attached, then. I agree with your "old" customer, it had me thinking about several aspects of aging. As i noted in my comments, she also covered several things about the confinement that i might not have considered otherwise, too.

Thank you, Connie.

Susan wrote: "I disagree that there was not a teen culture when I was a teenager 30 years ago..."

I'm with you, Susan. Heck, i think 30 (40?) or so years ago was when teen culture began. Unless i'm misunderstanding the term.

I read a great book about the state of teens, The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager, in which author Thomas Hine describes the way ideas about teenagers in the US grew to what it is today (well, when it was written, the '90s, i think). He began with the Puritans. Did you know P.E. in school was begun to get kids ready for the military?!? It's in the book.

I'm with you on the phoniness, too, Susan. What the?! Those kids must think their generation invented it. As you note, those teen years are vital, bridging the land of youth with adulthood. And, it's no surprise that nowadays that bridge end more in the early 30s than their 20s!

deb, scooting Susan off that soapbox

I only read one book in July and that's mostly because my sister got me into a few shows on Netflix and that took over most of my month. I read Fated by S. G. Browne. I liked the book, but I was really unsure about the ending. It seemed kind of predictable and yet I still didn't expect it. I don't know quite how to feel about it. I think I was a little disappointed.

I'm always happy to yield the soapbox! Frankly, I usually try to avoid the soapbox in the first place.

Sorry if I offended anyone with my comments. I think the article hit a nerve with the notion that many teenagers today can't get past the slang and have no patience for questioning. It was sort of the last straw in a series of events in which young people were either not able to get past something superficial to see the main point or elevated the superficial to higher importance. They don't have to like The Catcher in the Rye or Holden Caulfield (as I said, I'm not a big fan either), but to be so dismissive seems unfortunate to me.

Melissa "Tickyette" wrote: "I only read one book in July and that's mostly because my sister got me into a few shows on Netflix and that took over most of my month. I read Fated by S. G. Browne. I liked the book, but I was re..."
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Welcome to BNC, Melissa ! Thanks so much for sharing your July reads with us. I look forward to chatting about books with you.

Hello, I'm Imee and I'm new in here but these are my list. It will be long so bear me. What can I say, I love to read. I read different kind of genre from Paranormal, Fantasy, Erotic, Romance etc.

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton
- This put a lot of smile in my lips and I think I also laugh out loud. Yeah I do, 1.) When Caroline stop Simon banging her door 2.) When they two meet, I mean really meet who’s who and actually give nicknames for each, the wallbanger and ____blocker (should I said it here? IDK) :) 5 stars

44 Charles Street by Danielle Steel
-I don't know how to put it but I like none the less. It's about family, friends, and relationship. If I put it that way it seems ordinary but I like the way it write. I would say it the real drama of different person put in one book. 4 stars

Tangledby Emma Chase
-Love their quarrel. Interesting love story but doesn’t bring an emotion form me. I just read it. 3 Stars

Seducing Cinderella by Gina Maxwell
-This book gives some pointers how to seduce a man. Would I use it? When I have a husband but other than that no, I wouldn’t, promise. Maybe. *grin* 4.5 Stars

Easy by Tammara Webber
-It’s emotional because have topic of rape and a dark past, but it remains a very heartwarming love story and an amazing story involving first loves and true loves 4.5 Stars

Hush Hush Quadrilogy by Becca Fitzpatrick
Hush, Hush - The story evolves round the fallen angels whose wings were stripped away and can’t feel anything but if they find a nephil to oath to use their body to possess they can and Nephilim, decedents of the Fallen and mortal women. The heroine’s name is Nora and she is a geeky bookworm with no interest in boys. And Patch, a fallen angel who’s looking for his vassal descendant to sacrifice to be human. He found Nora but fall in love with her. 4 Stars

Crescendo � Second sequel of Hush Hush. This evolves of Finding who murdered Nora’s father and break up of Nora and Patch. 4 Stars

Silence � Nora loss her memory or rather the leader of Nephilim erase it. She’s just finding her way around. This my fave of all cause they both understand each other in here. 5 Stars

Guess no Finale right? I can't still find it here. Shame.


Mad World by Christine Zolendz
Fall From Grace - Angels and human living together two thousand years ago and then Nephilim came into the picture. Angels take human lover and their child is nephilim who turn to be an evil who start wars in earth. This book center in present time with a girl who falls in love in an angel and their only sin is a kiss. Their punishment is their soul will leave in human body that already died until they found each other. Love the song. 4 Stars

Saving Grace � Second Sequel of Mad World, their only problem is Gabriel who supposed to be helping Grace find her love one but turn out this Gabriel is in love with her and will do everything to have Grace all to himself. 3.5 Stars


On Dublin Street Series by Samantha Young
On Dublin Street � it was splendidly written, definitely a page turner that I could not put down (I sleep 5am). This amazingly touching story, I laughed, I cried, my heart broke and then it was pieced right back! 5 Stars

Down London Road � At first when I read that Jo is heroine in second sequel, I’m skeptical, on the Dublin Street she’s described as gold digger but when I read it, she’s really a deep person and I learn something. This book is awesome; I really, really love it. 5 Stars

I’m hunting the, An On Dublin Street Christmas (On Dublin Street 1.5) and Until Fountain Bridge (On Dublin Street 1.6)


Divergent by Veronica Roth
Divergent � All I can say is OMG! MUST BE READ! 5 STARS actually more than, same with Insurgent I didn't sleep until I read the two book and can’t wait for the Allegiant. I super duper love it.


IDK how to describe them but definitely love them.

Beautiful by Jamie McGuire
Beautiful Disaster 4 Stars
Walking Disaster 5 Stars

Belong To Me by Shayla Black 3.5 Stars

Line of Duty By Tess Bailey
Protecting What's His 4 Stars
His Risk to Take 4 Stars
Officer Off Limits 4 Stars

Gabriel Inferno by Slyvain Reynard
Gabriel's Inferno 4 Stars
Gabriel's Rapture 4 Stars


-Imee

Wow, Imee! You had a busy reading month! My eyes began feeling the strain halfway through your list. Enjoy those young eyes while you have them!

The series about a fallen angel, by Becca Fitzpatrick, sounds curious. I hope you can find the next installment soon.

deb

Melissa "Tickyette" wrote: "I only read one book in July and that's mostly because my sister got me into a few shows on Netflix and that took over most of my month...."

Darned Netflix! I'm with you in becoming distracted when i find a new tv show on their listings. New show or reading? Books are not faring well in our household this summer, i must say.

ANYway, welcome to the group, Tickyette. We're glad you shared you July reading with us.

deb

Imee wrote: "Hello, I'm Imee and I'm new in here but these are my list. It will be long so bear me. What can I say, I love to read. I read different kind of genre from Paranormal, Fantasy, Erotic, Romance etc.
..."
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Thank you so much for sharing, Imee ! It was fun to read you list. You sure read a lot in one month.

Belated July reads from the "other" Connie.

The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking - Brendan Koerner. Back in the 1960s and 70s, skyjackings occurred with great frequency and this is the story of one of the most bizarre ones. A disgruntled Vietnam veteran and his idealistic girlfriend plot to hijack a plane, kidnap Angela Davis, fly to North Korea and spend their lives living peacefully in the Australian outback. What could possibly go wrong with that plan? This is one of those fascinating works of nonfiction that read like the most bizarre fiction. A great read.

Six Years- Harlan Coben. When his ex-girlfriend's husband dies, a young man seeks out the widow, but when he finds her, she isn't the woman he was involved with. This was one of my least favorite books by Coben and was a big disappointment. Enough said.

Sisterland- Curtis Sittenfeld. Not only is this book set in my home town, but it's set in the same part of my home town where I live, work and shop, so it was especially fun to see stores and restaurants and parks I've visited right there in a novel. The story is about twin sisters who may or may not possess a kind of psychic power and who predict a serious earthquake that may or may not happen. But mostly it's about the relationship between the sisters, another subject I'm fond of reading about. The local aspect made this book fun to read and the rest of the story made it possible for out-of-towners to enjoy it too.

1984 - George Orwell. I'm pretty sure I read 1984 before, probably IN 1984, so when my book group chose it, I didn't plan to read it again. But I did....and wow. From the minute I picked it up I couldn't put it down. The futuristic totalitarian society of the book reminded me so much of modern day North Korea that I wondered if the Kim family used this novel as a guide. Obviously I recommend it highly, but I have to mention that nobody in my book group liked it at all. Go figure.

The Testament of Mary- Colm Toibin. Let me say up front that I'm not a Christian, so I don't have any religious loyalty to the characters in this novella. Here, Mary is portrayed as an older woman, living far from the holy land, and being "hounded" by the apostles who want her story to jibe with the stories they want to tell in the gospels they're writing. She's not willing to go along with that. I understand this story has also been a performed as a play and I imagine it would be even more compelling as the book was. An excellent read.

Homer & Langley - E. L. Doctorow. Homer and Langley Collyer were the famous New York brothers whose Fifth Avenue mansion was found stuffed with hoarded items, when they both died in the house in 1947. The hoard is what made the brothers famous, but the book is about more than that. It's about the relationship between the two of them and their relationship with a world where they never quite fit in. Homer, as the first-person narrator is quite a touching and the ending of the book is as moving as the ending of his life probably was.

Connie, I'm glad you liked 1984, which I loved in rereading. I'm curious as to why your group didn't like it. Was it the overall theme or the writing or the characters?

The Doctorow book sounds really interesting.

I have "Sisterland" on my TBR list, Connie. Glad to see you enjoyed it.

Connie wrote:Homer & Langley - E. L. Doctorow. Homer and Langley Collyer were the famous New York brothers whose Fifth Avenue mansion was found stuffed with hoarded items, when they both died in the house in 1947. The hoard is what made the brothers famous, but the book is about more than that. It's about the relationship between the two of them and their relationship with a world where they never quite fit in. Homer, as the first-person narrator is quite a touching and the ending of the book is as moving as the ending of his life probably was

Great reading month, Connie ! I read Homer & Langley and enjoyed it, too. I thought the writing style was excellent.

I also liked Homer & Langley, but haven't read any other Doctorow novels yet.

I also enjoyed reading about their relationship in "Homer & Langley." (I also didn't have to feel bad about any clutter around my house since it was minimal compared to theirs!)

Connie wrote: "I also enjoyed reading about their relationship in "Homer & Langley." (I also didn't have to feel bad about any clutter around my house since it was minimal compared to theirs!)"

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:)

As always, Connie, the comments you share on books you've read are a pleasure to read. The hijacking novel sound particularly delightful. Thanks for contributing.

Connie wrote: "I also enjoyed reading about their relationship in "Homer & Langley." (I also didn't have to feel bad about any clutter around my house since it was minimal compared to theirs!)"

I read this book for a library book discussion group I was leaving. Lively discussion. Everyone enjoyed the book. I did some background research on the brothers and their death and immediately collected all my old newspapers and took them out to my recycle bin :) Doctorow's Ragtime is a lot of fun. And I haven't read the book, but love the movie version of Billy Bathgate.

Hi Frankie. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Homer & Langley.

I haven't read Ragtime. However, since I liked H&L so much I will give it a try one day. The only problem is I have a TBR list 10 miles long. :-O

Because Ragtime included many well-known real people, i was frustrated by wanting to know, "Did that really happen? Did s/he say that?" and on. It was the first novel where that happened to me to such a degree. I suppose it didn't help that i was reading it while my son was in the hospital for what turned out to be mosquito bites.

Madrano wrote: I suppose it didn't help that i was reading it while my son was in the hospital for what turned out to be mosquito bites.

Yes, frame of mind can really affect how one responds to a book.

Indeed. And not just when one is in the midst of a personal trial.

Madrano wrote: "Because Ragtime included many well-known real people, i was frustrated by wanting to know, "Did that really happen? Did s/he say that?" and on. It was the first novel where that happened to me to s..."

Yes, that's always the thing about Doctorow. And I can imagine how frustrating Ragtime would have been if you were reading at a time when you were definitely not in the mood to track all the references down. I loved Ragtime because I do crime history research and that's one of my favorite eras. I know the Stanford White-Harry Thaw-Evelyn Nesbit case well, cover it in class, so it was fascinating to see how he used it in his book.

Frankie, in that case, i can see what a pleasure that book must have been to you. I think i found out about the White-Thaw-Nesbit case via my interest in architecture. Is your research for yourself or is this some career opportunity i missed? Sounds fascinating, as i have enjoyed research over the years...and it's fun to add imagination to that, too, of course. ;-)

Madrano wrote: "Frankie, in that case, i can see what a pleasure that book must have been to you. I think i found out about the White-Thaw-Nesbit case via my interest in architecture. Is your research for yourself..."

Madrano, it is job-related, but I enjoy. I teach criminal justice and do research on crime history, and crime and mass media/popular culture. Architecture? Yes, that would definitely lead you to White. Your research must be fun, too.