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Trade editions have larger page size, better paper, larger print - and are far easier for my aging eyes to read. Also they stay open better, probably because of the larger page size. It is interesting that at local library book sales they price the mass market paperbacks (50 cents) and the...

A little soft music is ok, but nothing dramatic. And certainly not voices. As a person with poor hearing, interpreting speech is an effort at the best of times and a cruel distraction when I'm trying to read. OTOH. I can take the hearing aids out and that softens the voices to the point where...

I agree. It is the difficulty of getting started. So I sort of stalk around the idea or assignment, mentally of course, until I see some sort of sentence on that page in my mind. Then I can type it into the computer and that gets me started. Looking at the blank screen is a turn off.

I always enjoy books with Maigret because it is so delightful to spend time with the man. His interest is not crime - it's people in all their wonderful variety. Also food, drink and weather come in for considerable attention. Just like for the rest of us.

Havana Bay is Havana, Cuba - warm nights, hot music, old cars. Red Square is Moscow - discontented people, shabby parks. Polar Star is fishing boat in cold water - bad smells, sulky crew. No Italy anywhere, so far, but Martin Cruz Smith does wonderfully at evoking times and places. If he goes to...

There are perhaps 4 in the series about Renko's adventures. The most improbable and the one I enjoyed most was Havana Bay, in which Renko goes to Cuba. The Cubans hate the Russians who have withdrawn their support for the Castro regime. It is a convincing picture of Cuban life.

So many writers I haven't read! I recommend Orhan Pamuk (Snow), V. S. Naipaul (A House for Mr. Biswas) and Mahfouz (Palace Walk). Young readers might go all the way back to 1938 and try Pearl Buck (The Good Earth). She has never been popular with the literati, but you can get hooked on her...

I saw The Kite Runner and found it better than expected. Very true to the book, so if you didn't like the book you won't like the movie and vice versa. The shots in Afghanistan were great images, although I understand it was made in China. Looked like Afghanistan to me. The boys - all three -...

I keep a list in a little notebook in my purse, but live in fear that I may lose it. So after I joined I decided to go electronic. I put a list each month in my blog Silver Threads. Bits and bytes are immortal.

Am I alone in finding Proust a bit of a bore? He goes on so long and is so full of himself. I like the project of long books or series of books. After long putting it off, I finally immersed myself on War and Peace a few years ago and was sorry when it ended. So I started Proust with high...

Everything I have been able to find by George Eliot (except Romola) John Le Carre Tony Hillerman and I'm working on Anthony Trollope

Miss Pottery - biopic of the life of Beatrix Potter, the author of Peter Rabbit. Highly recommended for all those who love her books.

Helgi, A couple of things. 1. Regarding population control, we are talking about utopia here, not what politicians may or may not be willing to do. 2. Theocracy does not equal god-king. Read about the Shakers. They were a utopian community ruled by religious elders who were...

This thread is badly entangled. Someone doesn't like Austen, etc., because he/she believes the women are too passive and weak. I guess he/she prefers modern and strong. There are two come-backs for this: 1. This is an accurate portrayal of the situation of women at that time and if you don't...

Can you define smart? Most of us recognize book smart and people smart and street smart - all different and all desirable in certain circumstances. Reading involves both a process and content. The more you read, the better you get at the process. The content you take in during the process may be...

One of the issues designers of utopias always struggle with is whether Helgi's "effective government" is enough or whether individual people have to change. The Shakers, for example, evolved a form of theocracy which was very effective at managing the communities for the benefit of all. Much of...

About Alcott. The reason I and many others loved Little Women was the example of Jo March - intelligent, rebellious, able to resist marriage (for a while, at least), and an aspiring professional writer. There are four sisters in the book and Jo is clearly meant to be a contrast to the other...

And then, there's long underwear too! I recommend L. L. Bean duofold under fleecy sweatpants or lined jeans. I don't think miniskits look sexy in the cold. They just look silly and define the wearer in a way she may not intend.

I find when reading something demanding, for example works by Plato or Williams James, I can keep my attentive edge for about 20-30 minutes. Then it is just as well to stop for a bit and let absorption take place. But a good, fast-paced novel with absorbing characters? It's hard to stay away.

The Einstein biography is excellent. I unselfishly gave it to my husband for his birthday and we both read it. It is long, but it is not a slow read. The author moves chronologically in telling the story, but organizes the chapters around various incidents and topics. I particularly enjoyed...