Personally, I would love to spend time with Arlene & Emily. Sounds like there's a lot of potential for adventure there.

Laura -

Between the two choices, it is difficult to choose but, liking odd connections as I do, I'd have to go with the first: "It was terribly hot that summer Mr. Robertson left town, and for a long while the river seemed dead."

Curious as "all get out" as to your own choice and why!

Take care ...

Kent

"It was terribly hot that summer Mr. Robertson left town, and for a long while the river seemed dead."

I'd go for "It was terribly hot that summer..." So many questions arise in those few words.

They both sound intriguing but I'd be inclined to read the second one first. The tone of it pulls me in nicely. I immediately want to know about Emily and Arlene, where they're going, and what they expect to be bringing back with them.

I'd go for Arlene. It is, after all, Spring and the world is full of possibilities and fresh adventures. I think that the second opening line feels more optimistic. Considering the state of the world at the moment, optimism seems like a good choice to me.

--Marjorie

I'd want to know what Arlene and Emily were up to and if I could go too.

I would go with the first. The second sentence of the second gave me pause. I didn't like the way it began.

"It was terribly hot that summer...".
The potential for interesting answers to who, what, where, when and why intrigue me.

It also made me think of Peter Matthiessen and SHADOW COUNTRY, the 4th book of his KILLING MR. WATSON trilogy.
It is on my bedside table, next on the pile. The sentence has such ominous overtones, and seems similar to some of those in his novels.

I vote for Arlene and Emily. It sounds like a nice road trip to a big ol' flea market or something equally fun.

I vote for Mr. Robertson...

I'm with the delegation that's pro-Arlene/Emily; you can never go wrong with a person who "wasn't sure the Olds would make it" (my bet is that the Olds WOULD make it - but I'd go with the bigger car, too)

The first one sounds more omimous, and portends darkness and death - and my lovely wife and I just last night watched "No Country for Old Men" - so that darkness and death are way down on my entertainment list right now!

If you want a genuine non-fiction page turner, Jon Meacham's American Lion - which just won a Pulitzer - is a marvelous book. The way a bunch of sexist men and preening women triggered a genuine political crisis - regarding the (supposed) sexual history of the wife of Jackson's Secretary of War is quite simply amazing! (That saga ended up derailing John Calhoun's presidential ambitions, the wholesale firing of Jackson's entire cabinet [after years of bitter internal strife], and armed factions of opposing peeps of cabinet members hunting one another on the streets of Washington DC)

I'm ready to hit the road with Arlene and Emily

Laura said:
--snip--
Trust me, I can't go wrong with either author and my choice may be influenced by something other than these first lines
--snip--

probably the author's photograph will influence you...:)

you just read Olive, so i suppose my first question would be if you wanted to read back-to-backs on the author.

having said that, here's to you, mr. robertson... although it is a good problem to have, selecting between these two.

i recently went to a library book sale, and because i know what always happens at these things, and because i have a torn rotator cuff, i brought a thoroughly geeky rolling bag for my purchases. i was glad--i bought ~75 books, and so have quite the cornucopia stacked up. i usually take three or four books with me on travel since i don't really know what i'll be in the mood for once i get there, but it is always so hard to choose. i wonder what it is about the desire to select the 'right' book? it is reminds me of wine pairing and is every bit as serious.

my grandmother used to take me to a huge annual 'rummage' sale every year. we planned my visits to our family summer home in lake geneva around this event, even when i was much older. my grandfather was the designated Watcher of the Pillage, and we would have truly amasing quantities of books and other things. i loved the serendipitous nature of it, and how i would read things i might not have picked out otherwise. everyone involved in the story is dead, other than me--my "aunt" and "uncle," best friends of my grandparents, used to go with us sometimes as well, and then both men would find somewhere to sit for hours while we went through everything and had the best time. i remember how we would look forward to it, talking about it for months before and after, and what a pleasant memory it is. and the peculiar smell and the stillness of reading these treasures late at night in a waterfront home, my grandmother halfheartedly tsk-tsking that i should be up so late doing it--but letting me, since permissiveness is the purview of grandparents. i have been paying for 15 years for storage in california that is filled with nothing but books, many of them from these sales. i order an awful lot of new books, but still i love the thrill of the hunt at the big sales. i don't like to get rid of any of them, generally, even though i almost never read a book twice--but they are almost living things for me, and little packets of memory and pleasure, more memory producing than most photos ['oh, yes, this i read when i was in paris the day i traced baudelaire's footsteps--remember how hot it was?') and i like to look at them as well.

in a twist on 'poe-try' month, i am reading the MWA Poe collection and some other books that i played 'six degrees of edgar' on. also on the trip: Trollope, Collette, Euripedes, and Lermontov [see above about not knowing what i would feel like reading!]. now i'm back, i have to go through the whole 'deciding' thing again. but at least i am not cleaning the basement! :)

how was the nyc trip, laura?

//karen

As I trust you. both are probably great ("Trust me, I can't go wrong with either author") but since we only have a first line by which to judge, I'm totally with Arlene and Emily. I already want to know where they are going and what they are going to need to bring back. Hot summers, on the other hand, really are a dime a dozen.

best lines of dialogue from trip, which i actually wrote down, and some variant will likely be in a story:

karen: excuse me, sir, can you tell me if you carry any suitcases in this store?

dept. store salesclerk: hunh? i dunno. but if there is any, they'd be by the luggage.

[apropos of 'bringing things back']

//k

On another note, as a person who last summer had to make her husband leave 6 large plastic bags of books out on the curb as trash (too much garage mold and too many spiders for even the library book sale) in order to have room for a screwdriver in the garage (actually, I got really lucky, we even have room for a hammer now), I'm now a hugh fan of the Kindle. There are books that I will buy in print and keep (L. Lippman books that mention Dundalk or have a very nice inscription, for example) and books that I'll buy just to read and then very reluctantly part with just because I hate to part with books. Now those books are always there on my Kindle or with my "archived" books. (I have an "archive"!!!)
And, authors, never fear, I now buy more books-the instant gratification of the "sample" feature is just irresistible to me.

diane--

i can appreciate the attractions of the kindle, but it doesn't work for me--i like the tactile elements of books, and olfactory participation, and too many other things about physical books, even if authors were compensated equally for print books as they were for electronic media. if they come out with a can of Book Smell (remember New Car Smell in a can?)i may come closer to reconsidering.

a friend who is an air marshall has one, and he loves it, but he is a different sort of reader than i am. i just don't think i am ready.

and i have discovered that i remember the words that are on computer screens less well than those i see in physical print. wonder why that is?

//k

The first is from one of my favorite novels of the last decade. The second one is from one of my favorite writers, and I haven't read that particular book. So I choose SO.

Laura,

You ccould also perform your Page 69 test on both books to help you choose.

--Marjorie

Eh, I'm not sold on the first one. It's hot in the summer...oooooh...someone leaves....double oooooooh....and the river's dead...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

But the second one, there's suspense, will the car make it back and most importantly what will they be bringing back????

Karen,

Yes, the first one is by Elizabeth Strout, and since I recently read Olive Kitteridge, I think I will move on to the second, Stuart O'Nan's Wish You Were Here. In a truly blind first-line test, I would probably gravitate toward the first, although there is much to admire in the second one, too.

I'm just thrilled to realize I own both.

Wow! What a suspenseful blog.

Based on the quotes, I would have chosen the second book.

But now that I see the authors, I want to read a book by Strout and will read O'Nan's book descriptions at his website, but am tempted to read his, too.

Doesn't anyone use the library? I used to buy books and about five years ago, cleaned off the bookshelves and gave many to the library, keeping favorite novels and history and reference books, or gift books.

But now I use the library for everything. I just put the books or dvd's or cd's on reserve and wait for them and pick them up.

Of course, I understand the enjoyment of buying a book, reading it and keeping it.

But the expenses and the storage--yikes!

Kathy D.

Kathy D.:

I have not used a library for other than research in about 20 years, until recently, largely because of constant business travel and the fact that, well, they think you're going to bring back the book. I don't like to do that.

Having said that, my circumstances have dramatically changed of late, and I have a library that is not even a five minute walk away, so I have made an effort to use it quite a bit, particularly now that their system is online (although it is a creaky one, and i would be happy to redesign the IT). However, the offerings are spotty for books (one of LL's books is not at any branch in the system, nor do they have it in any format, and this is true of many authors who have serialised content), and many of the books are seriously damaged or just gross. DVDs are hard to come by and the holdings are minimal. I have been waiting for the fourth disc of the first season of The Wire for two months--of the X many copies that existed in the system, all but one has been lost or damaged and not replaced, for instance, and something is wrong with the cataloguing for the series as well so i have to have the reference librarian request it. the last time i did this it took him 40 minutes to find a work around. I broke down and joined Netflix. My system also recently cut back on hours, making access more difficult. On top of that, the library has become a very loud place where people eat and drink and talk on mobile phones, so I don't like to be there for other than a transaction. Your mileage may vary, but the library of my adulthood has lost the joy of the library of my youth. Somewhere, Carnegie is fuming.

The same council that [occasionally] voices concern over the sad state of literacy and the dearth of funds is happily considering a small dog park that will serve only about 500 people and cost nearly 500K$. I am a dog lover but I wish they would put the money into the library system instead. Lucky you to have a good system to use.


I have had some pleasant surprises, though, in fairness--a Steinbeck journal that had not been checked out in years and is a first edition, some rare out of print scholarly Baudelaire texts from the 60s, also not checked out in years and nearly pristine--but really, I like to own books and not borrow them, and will happily cut out other things from the budget, when there is one, to do so. you're right, though--space/storage is a real issue.

//karen

Laura,

I am putting Olive Prouty in my queue, based on your comments over the last month or so. Either choice sounds like a good one, though. I love that kind of cleaning surprise. It's like finding money in your ski parka the next season.

//kjl

jeez. it must be time to get off the internet. i meant olive kitteridge, not olive prouty. must be channeling sylvia tonight.

//kjl

Congratulations to Laura for her Mcavity Award nomination for her short story "Scratch a Woman" from her collection "Hardly Knew Her".

--Marjorie

HI all,
Have put Olive Kitteridge on reserve at the library.

How are Stuart O'Nan's other books? I have been intrigued by him but have not read any of his books.

Thanks,
Kathy D.

We have both a Kindle and a Sony E-Book Reader. I've only used the Kindle and it's ok, but doesn't seem to be as satisfying as holding a real book. I'm going to download something to the Sony and see how I like it. I will continue to buy Laura Lippman in hard copy though, along with other favorite authors. I'm thinking that I might download a juvenile book for my nephew and see if I can interest in reading more if it is in electronic form.

I have a Kindle query:

If I am sitting at McDonald's enjoying my old fashioned printed copy of, say, What the Dead Know (being careful not to get catsup onto the author's photograph, of course) and then carelessly bug out of that place and lose my book, I will be comforted by the idea that maybe someone else will become a rabid LL fan - and I can always get another copy.

But if I lose my Kindle, have I lost every e-book I own? Will some rogue gypsy trucker then know what my reading preferences are?

brian-

first of all, if you are at mc d's, what you need to be careful of is *ketchup,* not *catsup.* :) i think they are a heinz shop.

i think it could be argued that if you lose one book, someone could presume to know your reading preferences ("No, really, the pole-dancing exercise book is for my wife")--but you might be able to sidestep it better than an entire collection on kindle. i don't know amazon's policy for loss. the books are relatively cheap; i would be more concerned with the loss of a 300+ dollar gadget used to read them. i got my eyes for free and i try to take them everywhere, whether i need them or not.

perhaps that is a good memory question-- a rather elisabeth bishopish one of loss. i am stung by the few things i have lost (material things) in this life, and all of them i can tell you where they were lost (which seems to contradict the term 'lost,' but whatever)--i would love to see them again, not merely to have them, but to see how closely they resemble what i have been picturing these years.

what was teh worst thing you ever lost? i was with someone this weekend who lost, temproarily, in half an hour, a fleecy (i found it), her mobile in the cab (i found it when i checked for anything left--didn't know it was lost yet), and two ipods on a plane (still well and truly lost--i was on a different flight).

i think i have had a lot more things lost *for me* ("Oh, you wanted your yearbooks?"), but they still bother me years later.

//karen

karen - you're right! I cheated and googled McDonald's menu, and it's "ketchup" - and I would have missed the distinction 10 times out of 10!

Leaving aside REALLY losing things, it seems that lately I'm on a small-loss jag. Hardly the day goes by that I haven't lost my glasses (un-needed for reading, but indispensible for driving or watching tv) and/or wallet/keys. These things are almost always found in one of the same two or three places - but if they're NOT there, then I'm in a spin. This past weekend my glasses were lost for more than an hour (watched Amazing Race through the fuzz) before my daughter found them, one shelf above where they normally would be, on the hutch. Gave me pause, considering how often I was within inches of them, during my search

Karen,

One of the joys of reading O'Nan is that he writes such different books. He trained as an engineer and his approach to fiction seems to have been influenced by this. He takes apart genres the way a curious boy might tinker with a watch or some other mechanical device, then puts it back together, while making the new form wholly his own.

I think Snow Angels, his first novel, has one of the best last lines I've ever read, but you have to read your way there to get it. (And shouldn't all great last lines be great primarily in context?)

Any ebooks that you have purchased from Amazon are remain on Amazon's server. If you lose your Kindle, you deregister it and can download your purchases to your replacement Kindle (of course, if you don't replace your Kindle you are screwed unless you have an iPhone and want your entire library on it). Your purchase can be on up to 6 devices at once (I have books on both my iPhone and Kindle).

from another list, for the kindle curious:

I'm sure most of you have heard about this already, but I wanted to respond
> specifically to the questions about an effective PDF capable eBook reader
> for papers. This morning Amazon announced the Kindle DX:
>
> • 9.7-inch E-Ink screen (1200 x 824 with 16 shades of grey)
> • 1/3 of an inch thick (10.4" x 7.2" x 0.38")
> • 4GB Storage for 3,500 books (a bump from 1,500)
> • Native PDF support through built-in reader
> • Automatic landscape/portrait text rotation
> @ $489

Whoa! Apparently I don't get out much - but that price seems like an awful lot of moolah.

$489 sounds like something I don't want to lose at McDonalds!

That would make for a supersized UN-happy meal!

brian-

if i were traveling a lot for work, as i used to, i can see some value--but not currently, for me. Amazon keeps its numbers close to the chest, but clearly this is a highly successful product for them, despite the cost in a down market, or they would not be spending the dev time for new and improved models and bringing them to market. this is 3G. i cannot imagine that it costs them more than 30-50 bucks per each with dev amortisation.

on the upside, i know that bezos spends a lot of money developing alt. energy, so at least some of the profit is going back in a green way. i am curious about battery life, longevity, and replacement, since that was, and still is, a very key issue wiht the iPod and iPhone.

//karen

HI all,

As I said, back to the library!

Seeing this about the Kindle makes me realize how much I like books, how they feel in one's hands, the act of turning the pages and then putting a book aside for the night in one's book pile on the bed. All good.

That said, it doesn't mean I don't buy gift books: I do ("What the Dead Know" went to many friends as holiday gifts). It doesn't mean that I don't splurge occasionally: I do (just did with a book by Karen Alvetgen). And it doesn't mean that I don't support independent mystery bookstores. (I do when I can).

But usually I patronize the library system, one of my favorite things about living in NYC. Have traveled to different areas of the city and gone to library branches as an adventure. One can get not only books, but dvds and cds here. And one can get books one wants though a wait may be necessary, but then one can read other good books in the meanwhile.

Kathy D.

Kathy D.:

now that we know which library system you have the pleasure of using, it is understandable why you are such a fan. i certainly knew you were not using mine.

i was working in manhattan for a year--just let my apt. go in november. i worked half of the week there, and half in dc, when i was not out of the country. amtrak was my friend. i seemed always to be in one location when there was something i wanted to do in the other. dc never seemed like such a small, quiet town as when i would come back from new york. i don't think i ever appreciated it more, warts and all, while i miss many of the aspects of manhattan--to include the library!

//karen