Comments for On the Curve http://www.onthecurve.net On the Curve is the personal blog of Julie Hathaway, a mother of three, book lover, and graphic designer in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:27:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 Comment on Sunday Salon: Reading with Obama by mummycrit http://www.onthecurve.net/sunday-salon-reading-with-obama/comment-page-1/#comment-133 mummycrit Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:27:38 +0000 http://www.onthecurve.net/?p=654#comment-133 Julie, I've missed you! I hope that good things are happening for you. Julie, I’ve missed you! I hope that good things are happening for you.

]]> Comment on Sunday Salon: The pain of reading a series by Susanna Crain http://www.onthecurve.net/sunday-salon-the-pain-of-reading-a-series/comment-page-1/#comment-131 Susanna Crain Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:33:36 +0000 http://www.onthecurve.net/?p=596#comment-131 Last spring I read the Starbridge series by Susan Howatch. I had never heard of this author prior to picking up Scandalous Risks at a thrift store for 69 cents. After reading it and absolutely loving it, I discovered that it was the fourth book in a six book series. So I started at the beginning and read all six books in order, including Scandalous Risks again. Reading the first three books gave me a lot of history on characters I first came to know by reading Scandalous Risks. I enjoyed Scandalous Risks even more the second time around because of the background of the first three books. Each book in the series focuses on one main character and each of those people also appear in the other books. Susan Howatch is so fun in how she skillfully weaves many interesting lives together to tell each tale. The center of each book is Starbridge--an ecclesiastical community in England. We meet archdeacons, bishops, deans, curates, psychics, devout believers and agnostics. One character is a new priest in the first book, a bishop in the last book. The series spans approximately 30 years. Although the plot is obviously different in each book, as it centers around an individual life, the overarching themes are God, the church, morality, sex and father/son relationships. It's a potent combination and Susan Howatch handles it wisely. She is never preachy--this is not "Christian fiction", thankfully! I liked some of the books in the series more than others. I believe Scandalous Risks is the best. I would recommend to someone to start there and if you like what you read, go back and start at the first book in the series. You probably will want to read Scandalous Risks again when you get to it chronologically. Oops! Probably the point of your post wasn't to encourage people to gush about their favorites series, but I guess I couldn't help myself. Last spring I read the Starbridge series by Susan Howatch. I had never heard of this author prior to picking up Scandalous Risks at a thrift store for 69 cents. After reading it and absolutely loving it, I discovered that it was the fourth book in a six book series. So I started at the beginning and read all six books in order, including Scandalous Risks again. Reading the first three books gave me a lot of history on characters I first came to know by reading Scandalous Risks. I enjoyed Scandalous Risks even more the second time around because of the background of the first three books. Each book in the series focuses on one main character and each of those people also appear in the other books. Susan Howatch is so fun in how she skillfully weaves many interesting lives together to tell each tale. The center of each book is Starbridge–an ecclesiastical community in England. We meet archdeacons, bishops, deans, curates, psychics, devout believers and agnostics. One character is a new priest in the first book, a bishop in the last book. The series spans approximately 30 years. Although the plot is obviously different in each book, as it centers around an individual life, the overarching themes are God, the church, morality, sex and father/son relationships. It’s a potent combination and Susan Howatch handles it wisely. She is never preachy–this is not “Christian fiction”, thankfully! I liked some of the books in the series more than others. I believe Scandalous Risks is the best. I would recommend to someone to start there and if you like what you read, go back and start at the first book in the series. You probably will want to read Scandalous Risks again when you get to it chronologically. Oops! Probably the point of your post wasn’t to encourage people to gush about their favorites series, but I guess I couldn’t help myself.

]]> Comment on Sunday Salon: Reading with Obama by Aunt Sara http://www.onthecurve.net/sunday-salon-reading-with-obama/comment-page-1/#comment-130 Aunt Sara Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:35:46 +0000 http://www.onthecurve.net/?p=654#comment-130 Obama's August 2009 reading list (from a New York Times article): The Way Home by George Pelecanos Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman Lush Life by Richard Price Plainsong by Kent Haruf John Adams by David McCullough Obama’s August 2009 reading list (from a New York Times article):

The Way Home by George Pelecanos

Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman

Lush Life by Richard Price

Plainsong by Kent Haruf

John Adams by David McCullough

]]> Comment on Sunday Salon: Reading with Obama by Fred http://www.onthecurve.net/sunday-salon-reading-with-obama/comment-page-1/#comment-129 Fred Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:58:40 +0000 http://www.onthecurve.net/?p=654#comment-129 Hi Julie, I just stopped in to say hi. Hope you had a great summer. Hi Julie, I just stopped in to say hi. Hope you had a great summer.

]]> Comment on Sunday Salon: Reading with Obama by Fred http://www.onthecurve.net/sunday-salon-reading-with-obama/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Fred Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:26:24 +0000 http://www.onthecurve.net/?p=654#comment-111 I'm headed to Maui this summer, and I usually take two or three books with me. This will most likely be one of them. I need to go back and read some of your other reviews. I'm sure I can find the other two I need. Hope all is well. I’m headed to Maui this summer, and I usually take two or three books with me. This will most likely be one of them.

I need to go back and read some of your other reviews. I’m sure I can find the other two I need.

Hope all is well.

]]> Comment on Sunday Salon: Reading with Obama by Suko http://www.onthecurve.net/sunday-salon-reading-with-obama/comment-page-1/#comment-108 Suko Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:41:09 +0000 http://www.onthecurve.net/?p=654#comment-108 What an intriguing idea, to read the same book as our president, Barack Obama! What an intriguing idea, to read the same book as our president, Barack Obama!

]]> Comment on Sunday Salon: Reading with Obama by Becca http://www.onthecurve.net/sunday-salon-reading-with-obama/comment-page-1/#comment-107 Becca Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:12:28 +0000 http://www.onthecurve.net/?p=654#comment-107 There's something quite fascinating about reading the same book the President is reading... it certainly piques my interest in a book. This one actually sounds very good -- no matter who is reading it! Thanks for a great review :) There’s something quite fascinating about reading the same book the President is reading… it certainly piques my interest in a book.

This one actually sounds very good — no matter who is reading it! Thanks for a great review :)

]]> Comment on Sunday Salon: Reading with Obama by Julie http://www.onthecurve.net/sunday-salon-reading-with-obama/comment-page-1/#comment-106 Julie Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:09:42 +0000 http://www.onthecurve.net/?p=654#comment-106 Well, I finished the book today and it was really wonderful. I wish Obama would do a book club chat! I would LOVE to know what he thought of it. Well, I finished the book today and it was really wonderful. I wish Obama would do a book club chat! I would LOVE to know what he thought of it.

]]> Comment on Sunday Salon: Reading with Obama by Anni http://www.onthecurve.net/sunday-salon-reading-with-obama/comment-page-1/#comment-105 Anni Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:55:08 +0000 http://www.onthecurve.net/?p=654#comment-105 It looks like Obama has a very good taste in literature. It looks like Obama has a very good taste in literature.

]]> Comment on Sunday Salon: Reading with Obama by Care http://www.onthecurve.net/sunday-salon-reading-with-obama/comment-page-1/#comment-102 Care Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:22:13 +0000 http://www.onthecurve.net/?p=654#comment-102 ==> "that distance, certainly, that we introduce between ourselves and those we suspect of neediness" This describes EXACTLY the young chatty girl who sat by me on the plane this past week! I wasnt' sure if I wanted to talk with her at all; she was afraid to fly and had to hear herself talk. Sound like an interesting book. AND, I admit, I also more interested knowing Obama is reading it. Maybe he can do book club chats vs. Fireside chats? ==> “that distance, certainly, that we introduce between ourselves and those we suspect of neediness”

This describes EXACTLY the young chatty girl who sat by me on the plane this past week! I wasnt’ sure if I wanted to talk with her at all; she was afraid to fly and had to hear herself talk.

Sound like an interesting book. AND, I admit, I also more interested knowing Obama is reading it. Maybe he can do book club chats vs. Fireside chats?

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