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Holly

Holly

I am currently living in the most beautiful place on Earth (ALASKA) and working in the public library here in the town I grew up in.

I recently moved back with my boyfriend Paul (a native NYer) and our two dogs, Kenai (Alaskan like me) and Nugget (Montana-born, raised on the road).

I love traveling - thanks to Paul I've... more »
  • AK, USA
  • member since January 22 2009

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Holly’s last login was 6 hours ago. show recent activity »

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Public Notes

  • The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur

    The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur says

    I have been meaning to read TC Boyle. My friend really likes him. What is he like? Should I check out Tortilla Curtain?

    All is well here. It is going to be a beautiful weekend and I am excited to be outside for some BBQ, bird watching and reading, not necessarily in that order.

    I am not sure what we are going to read next. I was thinking about reading "The Sot-Weed Factor" by John Barth, but I also want to read "Lolita" and possibly check out Proust. We will see. I will let you know. Hopefully, you can join us.

    Have fun gardening. I can't wait to have a garden of my own... one day. (I do have orchids, though)

    posted 8 months ago. ( send a note )
  • The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur

    The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur says

    where have you been? what are you reading? want to read something with the group? in a couple of weeks we will be starting something new... Barth, Nabokov, Proust... I am not sure. hope all is well.

    posted 8 months ago. ( send a note )
  • The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur

    The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur says

    i hear you about the fresh fish bit. i have been told that many of times (the fresh = no smell) and have eaten fish at some really good restaurants in new york where the fish is supposedly delivered fresh daily... yet it still tastes "fishy." hell, it is fish. the last frontier may be swordfish which i have been told truly tastes like red meat. however, if i ever make it up to alaska, i will take you up on your offer. after a couple of local beers i would definitely give recently caught halibut a try -- hopefully, it will taste better to me than the one my friend told me was not fishy when i had a bite of his at some fancy joint.

    back to books... history of nearly everything is a fun book. i remember the part about the scientist who developed early diving equipment being quite amusing. something about trying it out on his wife? bryson is a nice drug. just be careful. if you read too much too soon his sense of humor and writing style may start to get a bit repetitive. that said, "american made" and "mother tongue" are both great. i also really liked his biography. it was nice to read a story written by someone who wasn't beaten as a child, didn't have a drug addiction, didn't have identity issues, etc. however, i had to take a break after i read my first three or four as the writing style began to lose a little bit of its novelty and luster.

    i am glad that you seemed to end up enjoying "confederacy of dunces." it is definitely a book that you appreciate more as you look back on it. when i read "tropic of cancer" by henry miller, i found myself turning the characters and conversations over a lot in my mind. i hesitated rating it for a couple of days just so i could allow the book to settle into my thoughts. whilst i would not want to read a book that i need ruminate over for days at a time each time i read a book, i do really love them every so often ("infinite jest" and "women" both come to mind).

    anyway, i did post my idea for the next book. i think i want to do non-fiction. if not for the group than for me. i used to read non-fiction almost exclusively and have been teetering on the edge of the cliff of fiction for a long time. the only problem with non-fiction is that it is a bit more difficult for book discussions. anyway, the book i was looking at would have been great for african-american history month (it's going to be a little too late). it is a biography about william lloyd garrison, who while not black, published the liberator, a radical abolitionist newspaper. the book posits that he was much more historically significant than most give him credit for (i have been ending many sentences with a proposition... i need a good editor). it is a bit on the long side (about 800 pages) but has gotten a lot of praise. i also love reading about the politicial landscape in the tumultuous times leading up to the civil war. however, if no one else takes the bait, i think we will be reading some Zola. I should have a decision rendered by the end of the week.

    Hope all is well. Have fun in Alaska.

    By the way, do you have a bike with snow tires. Those look really cool.

    posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )
  • The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur

    The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur says

    sorry, not even shrimp. and no, it is not due to an allergy. never liked the smell of fish and really couldn't get past that. my sister would torment me with her tuna fish sandwiches growing up (i couldn't be in the same room as her when she was making/eating it) and remember gagging a lot.

    i have since tried a handful of different seafood items (mussels, halibut, tuna roll, calamari, anchovy and salmon) and i had a hard time getting each and everyone down (and then it always left a horrible aftertaste in my mouth). i have to be drinking to even agree to try something (which is a huge accomplishment for me). i wish i liked it. i love food and love to cook so it really limits me. i do take fish oil vitamins for the omega-3 to make up for some of the deficiencies from the lack of seafood in my diet.

    the good news is that i will eat almost anything that live on land (or in trees). i love venison, goat, lamb, ox-tail to name a few. well, enough about that.

    "confederacy of dunces"... i remember it took me about 50 pages or so to really get into the mind of ignacius and be able to "hear" what he was saying and doing. in many ways, it is similar to "don quioxte" in that he lives in his own little world, out of touch, yet in somes ways in touch with his surrounding and his surroundings in touch with him (or at least, working around him).

    it is definitely not a book for everyone but i think that is what makes it so much fun. it is really an usual story with an unusual antagonist that, like most people, takes a while to get to really know and understand. in the end, whether you like it or not, i think it is one of those books that you will come back to you and grow in your mind.

    what are you planning to read next? i am working on picking our next book for the club. i may go back to non-fiction (it has been a while) and was thinking about "All on Fire" about William Lloyd Garrison and the early abolitionist movement. We will have to wait and see...

    posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Cheryl S

    Cheryl S says

    Hey Holly,
    That is too funny. I DO come home with little clippings and post its of books that I want to read (as well as new music). This happens most every day actually. And I thought I was the only one...
    Glad to be your friend!

    posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )
  • The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur

    The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur says

    "valve" problems? i haven't read it in quite some time but i think it is merely constipation. i will have to look back.

    posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )
  • The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur

    The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur says

    not a seafood person, unfortunately. the gumbo, cornbread, etc. were all great. the best were the meat pies in nachitoches. got to get back into the swing of things. be back soon.

    posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Sherrie P

    Sherrie P says

    Your take on Ignatius is interesting. I never viewed him as someone I would hang out with. All of these people live on the fringe of society. Once I read about the author I thought he was probably a lot like Ignatius and the reason I compared him to David Sedaris is that they both had a lot of pain in their lives but they cope by twisting it into humor. I just read a quote by Carrie Fisher that said, "My life is funny. Otherwise, it would just be true and that is unacceptable." This why I think some of my friends didn't like it they just saw the painful side. I still can't figure out how they get Sedaris and not O'Toole.

    Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy it. I thought it was one of the funniest things I'd ever read and I'm glad my best friend loved it too. We still talk about it and use some of the phrases in our conversation when we're trying to be funny.

    I hope you'll post something when you are finished to let me know. Nice chatting with you.

    posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Sherrie P

    Sherrie P says

    Sorry, I meant to say .. that "maybe" you can't be delicate about Ignatius' valve/gas problem, haha.

    posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Sherrie P

    Sherrie P says

    Hi, Holly. I had a friend at work that recommended Dunces to me about 3 years ago. I work in the office a manufacturing company that makes "valves" for the oil & gas industry so the book took on a special humor. We were running around the office for a while talking about our "valves" slamming shut. To put it delicately, but make you can't that valve he's always talking about controls his "gas".

    I recommended the book to my book club but unfortunately only about 3 of us found it hysterical. The others thought it was sad, pathetic, depressing. Somehow they didn't get thei irony of it. Probably the funniest thing is that most of these women LOVE David Sedaris... who in my opinion is a modern day O'Toole. I hope you are able to find the humor in this book. I thought it was just genius.

    posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )
  • The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur

    The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur says

    thank you for the great notes. i am glad that you got stiff. i think you will really like it. confederacy of dunces is a toss-up. some love it, some hate it. once you get into it, however, i think you will get a kick out of it.

    i know massapequa. does your boyfriend have a stong island accent? i would think so. i had a slight accent (north shore long island is not as affected) when i went to college but lost it between illinois and buffalo (grad school).

    kristin (my lady friend/wife) have been wanting to go to alaska for some time. hopefully, we will be able to go soon. i am all about the outdoors (many of our trips involve camping/hiking/rusticity and we have been to many national parks). i also love birding and would love to see some bald eagles. Who/waht is the Eagle Lady and Jewel?

    In Great Neck we have (I have to be careful about what I say in a public forum) a very homogenous demography. the parks and libraries and distance to the city (25 minutes to penn station) keep us happy. Well, we are off to Louisiana for a couple of days. Have to go pack. Talk soon. Hope you like the book.

    posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )
  • The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur

    The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur says

    nice new picture. be careful not the jenga.

    i am glad you like the book. it is still my favorite by bryson.

    sounds like you are sick (or are you just taking nyquil for fun?). feel better.

    by the way, if you see the governor, would you give her a swift kick to the head for me. thanks.

    posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )
  • The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur

    The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur says

    are you clairvoyant? i was going to recommend bill bryson when you said you wanted to read something funny. definitely check out "A Walk in the Woods."

    Other ideas i had are "Motherless Brooklyn" by Lethem. Even though I found the ending to be a little bit disappointing, the book is really funny and well written.

    Another one I really liked was "The Know-It-All" by... I am drawing a blank.

    "Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers" is also quite amusing.

    Finally, if you have not read "Confederacy of Dunces" it is also funny, but a little bit more obtuse in its humor.

    Hope that helps.

    Say hello to Alaska for me. I have been meaning to pay that broad a visit.

    posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )
  • The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur

    The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur says

    patience.

    posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )
  • The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur

    The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur says

    you learn well, young one.

    posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )
  • The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur

    The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur says

    I can only assume that you use the word "weirdo" as a compliment.

    No, I have not read "Fierce Invalids" or "Half Asleep." I needed a break from Robbins many years ago and I never returned. I am not even sure that this writing would still resonate with me at this point, but I do plan on giving it a go at some point; just haven't had the time with my list growing steadily. Also, my wife read both and enjoyed them thoroughly. Also, I have been told by many fans that "Fierce Invalids" may be his best work.

    Not that you asked, but since we are on the subject, I genuinely disliked "Skinny Legs" but to each his/her own.

    About my profile bio and you knowing nothing... you would be surprised, you know more than you think.

    If you have time for more recommendations, I would be happy to provide some. It is hard to do being that your shelf is rather light at this moment. However, I would suggest perusing my favorites for some can't miss ideas.

    Take care,

    Matt

    posted 11 months ago. ( send a note )
  • The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur

    The Artist FKA Hoopidy Fly Pimp Mac Daddy Re-Kleiner O-19er Coming In For A Landing Boy He's A Hella Fresh Taco Bell Connoisseur says

    i saw your note about "fierce invalids..." in it, you mentioned "even cowboys..." and "...frog pamajas."

    if you haven't read "Jitterbug Perfume" or "Still Life With Woodpecker" you are doing yourself a disservice. Those, are without question, his best efforts.

    posted 11 months ago. ( send a note )


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