Email Notices

Hello Ladies. I was wondering if I can ask a favor? on the blog that I have with Kelly and Kerry I set it up so that when any of us post on the blog, we all get an email telling us that there has been a new post. I tried to figure out how to do that with BlueStocking but can't figure it out, probably because I'm not an administrator. With all my traveling and sporadic internet access to the blog it would be great to know when someone has posted. I'd be more timely in responding. Is this possible? thanks! Read On!

What happened to OUtlander discussion?

I read Outliers awhile ago, so don't mind discussing it now? but did we decide to skip the april selection? Outlander? I'm half way through it...

Discussion questions: Outliers and TSC

Sometimes I'm a bit muddleheaded when I try to write reviews so I like to have a jumping off point. Here are a few questions you might consider in your reviews, but certainly share thoughts beyond these as well!

Outliers

1. Which chapter did you most enjoy reading?

2. Were you surprised to learn about the backgrounds of any of the success stories? 

3. Does his idea, that success is dependent largely on "uncontrollables" like luck, timing, birth month, nationality, etc, change your view of successful people or what it takes to be successful? 

4. This book gets as much criticism as it does acclaim. Were there parts that you questioned or do feel he presented enough information to back up his theories?

5. Would you recommend this book to others?  Why or why not?

The Survivors Club

1. Who is your favorite survivor in this book and why?  

2. Why do you think people are drawn to survivor stories?

3. Do you agree or disagree with the first rule of The Survivors Club: Everyone is a survivor?

4. Do you believe that a person with a positive mental attitude - or a strong will to live - can overcome any challenge, including a serious medical problem?  Do you agree that 80-90 percent of survival is mental? 

5. After reading this book, have you changed your attitudes or actions?  Do you feel better prepared to survive and thrive in the face of adversity?  

The Pirate Coast and May books--Rebecca

I'm feeling embarrassed to admit that I didn't actually finish reading The Pirate Coast. What happened?! I was so intrigued with it at the beginning--I read the first 1/4 of the book in one evening. But then, it just never grabbed me again. I tried to continue a few times and ended up skimming through. I'm not sure why? While the detail was interesting, sometimes the book got bogged down in too much detail. I didn't understand some of the political maneuvers and there wasn't much warmth in it--not much personality. I'd opt for a condensed version of this historical event. 

For May's reading, I'm going to leave it for either of the two books I mentioned so that everyone can read the one that is available to them. (ie. Anne can get TSC, but still not O). I think it will actually make for interesting reviews--both books are similar in that they are non-fiction, they are made up of a variety of individual stories and accounts that should contain appeal to many different interests.  Also because of this nature, there are no "spoilers" to give away in a review. If you're feeling ambitious, read both! Happy reading!

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood

p.s. I'll try to post questions for each as soon as I can so you can write your reviews as you read, or when you've finished and it's still fresh in your mind (I do much better in my reviews when I don't wait so long to post!)

The Pirate Coast - Anne's thoughts

I was a little disappointed by this book. I had heard lots of good things about the author and the book in particular - and they both fell short in my opinion. The history was fascinating. I always am so amazed at how little I know about the past. I can't imagine having to deal with the irregularity of correspondence/communication as they did. I love that I now know why the line "from the shores of Tripoli" is in the Marines hymn. And I am dying to try writing a letter in lime juice and seeing if I can really read it when the letter is exposed to heat. (If you receive a blank letter from me in the next couple of months, you'll know I have been experimenting.)

The characters in this book were aggravating. At times, I felt so incredibly sorry for William Eaton. Other times, I couldn't believe how irritating he could be. I despised Lear for most of the book. And I was surprised at my feelings toward Thomas Jefferson. Was he really that annoying/manipulative or was that the author's agenda? Or maybe that is just politics in general?

The beginning of the book was really hard for me to get through as I felt that way too much background information was given. Even once the story line picked up, I found myself skimming through the extra stuff to get to the point. It seemed like the author would tell you what was happening and then tell you again what was happening through quotes/letters/personal accounts. At times, things felt a bit redundant.

My favorite part of the book was during the searching for Hamet and the trek to reach Derne. Again, once I dug through the extra info, I enjoyed reading about the struggles of communication, supplies, and money. I found myself wondering where all the money could have possibly come from and was amazed at how many people willingly extended credit to Eaton on just his character alone. (I guess credit companies today extend credit to just about anyone, so it really isn't that different.) As with any treks across a desert, I can't believe the hardship of traveling through endless heat and the stamina that it required.

Overall, it was an okay book. I feel a bit smarter. Plus the irony of reading about pirates in the early years of our country and hearing about pirates on the news last week, attacking in just about the same way made the book a little more interesting.

PIrate Coast by Annette

I wanted to like this book more than I ended up liking it. I'm a big non-fiction buff and love books that tell the story behind the stories we learn, but I found that the book dragged in places and oddly provided even more information than I thought necessary (or perhaps interesting). That being said, I'm glad I read the book and I feel like I learned a lot about the time period, the early years of our naval military (despite the title there really wasn't much about "marines" in the book, was there?) and the parentage so to speak of modern day covert operation policies.

I think one thing about the story was that I didn't care much (personally) for either of the main characters. I could appreciate their intelligence, or their tenacity, or their cleverness but I just couldn't feel ...hmmm..searching for the word....I didn't like them much. I don't know if this was the fault of the author or if they just weren't very likable.

The role of communications (or lack thereof), the media, and public relations (for lack of better word) was very interesting especially compared today's almost instantaneous communications (not just between military and government but between military operations and the rest of the world through media, cell phones, satellite pics, and gosh...now tweeting). You wonder how things would have gone if there hadn't been the long lapses of communications. Who would have "won out"?

The Pirate Coast

There are no book discussion questions out there anywhere for The Pirate Coast so feel free to just discuss your feelings on the book. I am totally slacking and not quite finished with the book but am looking forward to hearing what you all have to say!