Book Exchange

[Wordsmith]

Okay, after reading over three camping trips and the last week—and 1180 pages—I finished the book I mentioned earlier, Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson. After finishing it, I have to urge anyone who appreciates fantasy to pursue this series. This book, especially, expounds on a theme of compassion and redemption quite well, while, at the same time, making me laugh and nearly cry at the same time.

[SAndreasen]

We read a lot too. Very relaxing! Length is not important. Just enjoy what our mind's make up with what we are reading. Better than any movie! I enjoy mysteries and Sharon enjoy the lighter stuff. She has read a lot of Tony Hilerman's books. I've read lots of Clancy, Grisham, and also enjoy Michher. Love the details. A good book, a nice easy chair and sometimes the sandman comes! Reading one of the things that makes camping fun. (besides meeting neat people)

[sreigle]

I don't think I mentioned this book previously. I don't care for all of Dean Koontz' books but some of them I really like. If you want a thriller that is a true page turner from the very first page and will have you reading while you eat, missing some sleep because you want to "get to the next good stopping place" and even not get on MOC because you can't put the book down, "Intensity" by Dean Koontz fills that bill. That has to be the most intense "thriller" I've ever read. Vicki had the same problem putting that book down when she read it. He has a new one out I want to read but will wait until it comes out in paperback. "Velocity" is the title. If it's even close to as good as Intensity it will be an excellent read.

I'm still reading Cold Mountain. It's a good tale but not one I can't put down. So it's getting read more as time permits rather than preempting something else. That's probably a good thing given all those other things I need to get done.

[Wordsmith]

Steve, Marsha has read Cold Mountain and, honestly, was not awfully taken with it. If I remember correctly, she found it to be rather ponderous. I started reading it several years ago, but after about twenty pages did put it down and never picked it back up. Perhaps one day…

[sreigle]

JD, I'm finding Cold Mountain a good read but it definitely is not a thriller. It's just a good old tale of the lives of the folks in the story. It moves along slowly but doesn't really seem that slow to me. It seems to match the tempo of life in that era, in my mind anyhow. Lonesome Dove I found similar in that respect. It was a super read for me but really set the tone of the slow paced life in that setting and time. I'm enjoying Cold Mountain as a relaxing read, nothing like Intensity. I'm about half through it now.

I think part of the reason I'm enjoying it so much is that Cold Mountain is close to where we were staying when we visited you folks. It's not too far from the park and even mentions several areas now in the park, including Cataloochee and Balsam Mountain, places we were at recently. One of the things we're enjoying about our travels is reading about events in the areas we've been. Even on TV, magazines, and newspapers, that catches our attention. It's an interesting feeling, thinking "we've been there" or "we've seen that." But Cold Mountain is not for someone who wants a fast paced read.

I really wanted to watch the Into the West miniseries that's showing now but we'll be on the road during some of the episodes so chose not to start watching it at this time. Someday it will be out on DVD. We were at Barnes & Noble yesterday and I thought I'd pick up the book. But I passed on it when I saw that it is only 272 pages. I have nothing against the shorter books but this story covers several generations and I just don't think the character development will be there in that few pages. One generation maybe but not several. If someone tells me it is a good read I might change my mind, though.

[Wordsmith]

Steve, In regards to Into the West, I missed the first episode due to camping and forgot to tape it on the DVR. I watched the second episode, and perhaps due to missing the first, I found it to be disjointed. It gave me the feel of the old TV rendition of Michenor’s Centennial, but with the jumps in time far more frequent. Based on what I saw, I would not characterize the storytelling in it as fluid… Lonesome Dove, the mini–seies, it is NOT. Needless to say, I have not returned to it, which is a shame as I adore westerns.

[sreigle]

J.D., have you read Terry C. Johnston's 16-book historical fiction series, "The Plainsmen"? It's about the Indian Wars and lends a lot of insights into those battles, large and small. I naturally cannot say how accurate he is but supposedly his research is impeccable. This was originally to be a 21-book series but he died after book 16. I'm about half through the seires. It's fascinating to visit places I've read about in the book and read about places we have already visited. I notice a lot more about the area when I have gained those insights prior to visiting the site. This is the series with Seamus Donegan as the fictional character who ties the various books together.

He also has another series I want to read one of these days, when I finish The Plainsmen. And he had a series about mountain men / trappers that I enjoyed. Titus Bass was the fictional character in that series.

Another 2-book series I really enjoyed about the mountain men was "Brules" (also the main character's name) by Harry Combs. There was a sequel that I also enjoyed but I'm blanking on its name.

There was another series of the old west that I somewhat enjoyed but I've forgotten its name. Where I had trouble with this one was how he moved characters from one location to another. He often had his characters walk or RUN. I guess having them run was to explain how they covered long distances. In one case the main character took off running from Westport (now part of Kansas City) early in the morning and arrived at Abilene by dark. Well, folks, having lived between those two places I know that's over 150 miles. Maybe I'm wrong but 150 miles seems a long ways to run between sunup and sunset, even in those days.

[Wordsmith]

Hmmmm…150 miles running? I don’t know about that…might be stretching credibilty just a tad!

Thanks for the tip on The Plainsmen.” I will have to look into that!

I have Larry McMurtry’s “Commanche Moon” on the shelf but have not made my way to it as of yet. Perhaps one day…these long fantasy novels take some work!

[sreigle]

I really liked some of McMurtry's and others I didn't care for. Some are downright strange. Let me know how you like Commanche Moon.