zella
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,884
Jul 7, 2014 19:36:30 GMT
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Post by zella on Nov 7, 2016 2:00:42 GMT
As I said in my prior post, I've been going through a very bad time. My nausea episodes are as bad as ever (now on day 3 of one episode) as is my depression. Add that to the craziness surrounding the election, and the fact that my sister died just after midnight on Nov 9th, and I've got my own, personal crazy storm.
So. I read everything on my Kindle, so no need to go to a store.
I prefer female protagonists, but that's not a must. I don't like mysteries or murder or generally anything with too much violence. I prefer novels set in either the present or the last 2 centuries. I don't read chick lit, unless it is exceptionally funny or well done. I mostly read what they call literary fiction.
My favorite books have included The Light Between Two Oceans, I Will Bring Rain, Mudbound, Year of Wonders. I've read a bunch of Catherine Ryan Hyde books, which are closer to chick lit than literary fiction, but I seem to have come to the end of her books that I can get into. With how ill I feel, I need books that really pull you in quickly and that aren't hard work to read (although a coupld of my favorites have been challenging).
Also open to tv shows to binge watch. I'm currently finishing up Survivor. I do like some reality tv type shows, but haven't found anything that grabs me like Survivor. Other shows I've binge watched include Parenthood (loved it, but don't like Gilmore Girls at all), In Treatment. Again I don't like anything about murder, police, fire, mayhem, danger. . . I like relationships. Of course two of my favorite recent shows, Tyrant and The Americans, go against my "rules." But those were special cases. Oh, and Luther. Because British detective shows tend to be so much better than American ones, and I adore Idris Elba (not only easy on the eyes, but a great actor, and the character is so flawed and multi-dimensional).
Please excuse me for not responding to each individual post, as I may not have the energy to do so, but I will read all of the posts.
Thank you, in advance.
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Post by ntsf on Nov 7, 2016 2:34:37 GMT
Ivan doig.. he has the montana triology, The eleventh man, .. he is a northwest writer--some fiction, some non fiction . The whistling season is good..and there is a sequel set in butte (can't think of title now.).. easy reading but very literate.. I really like him. The egg and I and Onions in the Stew... by Betty McDonald. onions in the stew is set on bainbridge island in the 1950's, the Egg and I is sett on the olympic peninsula.. in the 1940's. my kid loved the chapter "in which I learned to hate baby chicks"
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Post by christine58 on Nov 7, 2016 2:36:54 GMT
Also open to tv shows to binge watch Have you seen Call the Midwife??? It's on PBS and I think it might be on Netflix.
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Post by ntsf on Nov 7, 2016 2:38:49 GMT
though it is not exactly literary fiction, the regency romance books of Mary Balough are well written.. and there are a lot of books. her heroines are not perfect, or always good.. and there are some complicated story lines. super easy to get into. georgette heyer is the classic regency romance writer..and her works stand up to anything..very well written and well researched. written between the 1920's--1950's.. so the stories concentrate on the personalities and situations.. and not impossible situations or romance. her heroines are also not in the usual mode. and there is lots of witty humor.. even her heros fall outside the norm.
also the poldark books..
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Post by mama2three on Nov 7, 2016 2:47:45 GMT
Also open to tv shows to binge watch Have you seen Call the Midwife??? It's on PBS and I think it might be on Netflix. We loved "Call the Midwife". The series is well done. And it's based on an autobiography by the same title you may also like. Also try "Bomb Girls" set during WW2, also on PBS or Netflix. "Doc Martin" is fun. They are on Netflix
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Post by freecharlie on Nov 7, 2016 3:00:24 GMT
Binge watch - the West Wing
Books: any interest in time travel to history? Like Connie Willis or
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Post by imkat on Nov 7, 2016 3:08:45 GMT
Another vote for Call the Midwife.
We've started watching The Crown, and it's pretty good.
Maybe you might like books by Phillipa Gregory.
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Post by mama2three on Nov 7, 2016 3:09:09 GMT
Binge watch - the West Wing Books: any interest in time travel to history? Like Connie Willis or I second Connie Willis "Snow Falling on Cedars"is also very good
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Post by ntsf on Nov 7, 2016 3:11:12 GMT
my friend from high school wrote snow falling on cedars... local seattle boy.
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Post by ~summer~ on Nov 7, 2016 3:16:45 GMT
All the Light We Can Not See was excellent.
I also loved Where'd You Go Bernadette.
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Post by scrappintoee on Nov 7, 2016 8:10:56 GMT
Hi Zella.... I read your update yesterday, and as I told you on that thread; I am praying a lot for you !!! I'm VERY bummed to read that with ALLLL the other horrible things you have going on; the anniversary of your sister's death is in 2 days. It's difficult to say in words HOW much I wish things would get better for you! So, onto your question!!!
I also HIGHLY recommend " Call the Midwife"....it's SO good!!! I've also seen a couple epis of " Doc Martin" , but it was a while back, so I'm not SURE-- but I think it's got some good humor (other peaple can correct me if I'm wrong) West Wing!!! YES!! There are A LOT of seasons, too---you'll have plenty of bingeing time to keep your mind occupied. I dunno if you're familiar with this sitcom/ I know it streams on Netflix for sure, I can't speak for other TV show providers, but Parks and Rec is VERY funny! Some of my family and I are VERY picky about sitcoms; this one is fab!!! There were at least 7 (?) seasons, LOTS of hours to keep your mind busy, annnd, hopefully have some laughs!
BOOKS: I recently read and enjoyed the book West of Here by Jonathan Evison It follows families that first discovered land in the 1800's into present day---SO interesting! LOTS and LOTS of (( hugs )) to you!!! I deal with chronic pain, and I'm almost "used to it" now.....But I was nauseous the other night----only for about 8 hours, and I can NOT handle it at all. At the time, I honestly thought I'd rather have more joint pain than be nauseous..... then thank God it FINALLY ended after eating saltines and sipping ginger ale, taking Pepto Bismol and napping....Anyway, You're one day THREE now---OMG I seriously don't think I could take that.....I am SO sorry! Is there some way that you could ask (beg) your doctor to either let you come in for intramuscular injections of a POTENT anti-nausea med? Or if it's that bad, they could give you IV fluids with IV anti-nausea meds...? You're losing so many nutrients from not eating/ drinking. Or ARE you able to eat or drink anything?
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Post by scrappintoee on Nov 7, 2016 9:57:59 GMT
Zella....you should also check out the READING threads here----I've checked out a few books from my library from pea recommendations here It's also nice, because most peas give info on the genre/ plot, etc. Here's one that is SOOO interesting, I've been telling everyone about it SO happy my library had it! Lists of Note (by Shaun Usher) It has lists from MANY people, I'm only giving a small sample here: **Galieleo's SHOPPING list!!! *Darwin *Thomas Edsion *Michelangelo *Einstein **JFK's secretary--it's a handwritten note she jotted down right after his assasination--- she wrote many different people/ organizations she thought might've killed him ** ** A hand-written list of suspected witches the The Salem Witch Trials *John Lennon **MANY presidents, artists, and famous authors (Hemingway, Twain, F.Scott Fitzgerald, etc. etc!)
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Post by jennyap on Nov 7, 2016 10:15:44 GMT
Not quite literary fiction, but the first books that came to mind are the Fairacre series by Miss Read. Definitely easy to get into, and the Goodreads description "...an acerbic and yet compassionate observer of village life" is spot on.
Another series that might work for you is the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters.
A few others that I have enjoyed and might fit your tastes: The Bees - Laline Paull The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger Station Eleven - Emily St John Mandel The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards The Dressmaker - Kate Alcott
TV - if you've never watched Friends, that would be a great series to binge watch!
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wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,769
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Nov 7, 2016 10:32:52 GMT
Have you heard of an author called Sara Alexi, she is a best selling Amazon author. Orginally her books were only available as Kindle books but I see they are now in print too. Her first book is called The Illegal Gardener. Based in Greece it follows a friendship between a British woman who has moved to a Greek Island to have a new life and a Pakistani man who she employs to help put order on the garden of her property. It is a well written book which transports you to Greece, the descriptions of the countryside, the colour, the heat, the smells are very well done. She has written a whole series of books about the village and the occupants but each book follows the story of one person. The same characters appear in different books but it is entirely possible to read each book in isolation or to read the whole series (there are 18). ETA www.amazon.co.uk/Illegal-Gardener-Greek-Village-Collection-ebook/dp/B008LMT78U/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1478513807&sr=1-1&keywords=the+illegal+gardener
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zella
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,884
Jul 7, 2014 19:36:30 GMT
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Post by zella on Nov 10, 2016 22:11:53 GMT
Thank you for all of the recommendations. I've put a bunch of samples on my Kindle. Hubby and I binge watched The West Wing not too long ago and thought it was great. I watched the first few seasons of Call the Midwife, but then couldn't get into it again.
I'm getting discharged from the hospital today with no answers whatsoever. Only that I had a dangerously low postassium level.
I did enjoy Where'd You Go, Bernadette? Read it a couple of years ago.
The author of Snow Falling on Cedars lives on the same island as me. I started reading "onions in the stew"; so far it is set on Vashon, not Bainbridge. I haven't been to Vashon since we moved here 12 1/2 years ago. Cute place, though.
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Post by Layce on Nov 10, 2016 22:39:03 GMT
I probably can't recommend anything that would fit your criteria, but I do want to let wellway know I just downloaded The Illegal Gardener! For free! "Read for free," how does that work. When I get to the last chapter will they pull it? I just finished Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere and I'm ready for something different. Oh I know a good read to recommend, "Girl in the Woods". West coast version of A Walk in the Woods, very interesting and well written. TV.. I've been watching Speechless but it's not for everyone. Neither is Stranger Things but my friends loved it. Only 8 episodes, Netflix. Be well, Layce
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