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sthurner

“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.” Francis Bacon

I am a retired teacher, artist, and a lifelong reading omnivore. I enjoy making reading friends and exchanging ideas.

I belong to a local book discussion group, and have participated in several AOL book... more »

  • Janesville, WI, USA |
  • member since Wednesday, October 11 2006

sthurner’s last login was 3 days ago. show recent activity »

Books I'm reading

     
 
 
 

Public Notes

  • leelee says

    Stopping by to say "hello", just 'cause I haven't for awhile. :) How is the painting coming? I saw that you are reading The Grass is Singing and I was intrigued by the title. I had a book written by a missionary called When the Bamboo Sings, so I wanted to see what yours was about. Have a lovely day.

    posted 4 days ago send a note

  • elisabeth b says

    Sherry,
    I wanted to wish you a very Happy Mothers Day. Hope you are having a great meeting with your beloved ones: your actual sons and the spiritual ones.
    Here we had Mom Day last Sunday and I was in the hospital with my mom. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. I really need them!
    We have been having unpredictable weather here. We are over 7 inches more rain for the season than normal, and 2 inches for the month but it's necessary with that drought season in my country. All it does is rain, rain, rain. It does not seem as though summer will ever arrive.

    Greetings from the bottom of my heart,
    Elisabeth

    posted 5 days ago send a note

  • elisabeth b says

    Hi Sherry !
    How are you doing? Thanks for your little note. Yeah, this black Persian cat is my "pillow-cat" because he sleeps and dreams beside my head every night. He's called "Ojo Loco"=Crazy Eye LOL.
    I cram for my language final exams right now, so I am very busy... I have skipped many lessons with my mom serious ill ... I would try to pass. Please root for me!
    Talk you soon !
    Your spanish friend,
    Elisabeth

    posted 9 days ago send a note

  • booksnake says

    I enjoyed reading many of your reviews! Thanks for writing so many of them, and Iwill come back to read more!

    posted 10 days ago send a note

  • mjacobs says

    I noticed you've added Stardust to your shelf - I liked it a lot ( Shelfari does not recognise my edition as the same book you have). Hope you enjoy it!

    posted 12 days ago send a note

  • unfinished woman says

    Nearly everything has been super slow on the site, getting on, getting back to the home page, and especially tagging. I'm part of Shelfari Insiders, and the complaints have been copious, both on the slow issue and on the multitude of new features that have cluttered it up and that no one seems interested in. It hasn't stopped them, however. They seem to be in their own world. They respond that they are paying attention, then put on something new they haven't even mentioned like the talking intro. So I do pretty much what you do. I put on my new books, comment on reads when I can. I am in a number of groups, but for most it is for the group reading and that has really been fun, and I'm reading something I probably would not have otherwise read. (i.e. The Painted Veil by Maugham. Which was terrific.

    I did see part of the Whitman thing them my daughter called. So I hope they put it on again. Just watched the Rudyard Kipling film "My Boy Jack", last night. What a stunning story. I cried so hard I had a hard time getting my contacts out. Did you see?

    Guess I'll do the same on the poetry group as you are. It's what I liked most about it. Oxymoron said she was returning in March, but looks like the small group that was doing the contest and so much of the poetry writing has bailed.

    I'll try to keep in touch.

    Anne in OR.

    posted 3 weeks ago send a note

  • unfinished woman says

    I think the two of us have similar tastes in poetry. I love the poems you have posted on Wild Iris. May Sarton is one of my top authors/poets and I've collected her works for years. I hadn't read this one in a long time. She and Ted Kooser can be so clear and grounded in their writing. The anthology I found recently is one of the best, Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times ed. Neil Astley. It has so many poems that drew me in I had marked a dozen before I was 30 pages into it. BTW, what have happened to Wild Iris. I see z~ postly poems to other groups but the leaders of this groups have flown. I was a little intimidated by the threads that were last on there, since it's been so long since I studied poetry, the jargon/terms escaped me. And I just couldn't get up early enough to be viable in the contest. But I enjoyed the discussion, and now it's gone. I appreciate your posting. Maybe we can revitalize the group and get some dialogue on the Commentary thread.

    posted 1 month ago send a note

  • auntie social says

    Hi Sherry,
    I just wrote a note for you but it looks like I forgot to post it, so I'll try again. How are the preparations for your show? Let me know when and where it is and I can let my sister and cousin who live in Janesville know about it. That is the kind of thing they like to do when they are out and about together. Do you have any recommendations for me? Anything you read lately that you can't wait to share? I have been listening to F Scott Fitzgerald on my way to and from the garden center where I work. When I finish this book "The Beautiful and Damned" I will be finished with him. Seems like his books are real downers. I can handle those once in a while, but as a steady diet... yuck! Hope spring is headed your way.
    Auntie

    posted 1 month ago send a note

  • jean l says

    hi, i am a shelfari friend and i just visited your blog for the first time. I love your artwork and wanted to let you know that. Truly wonderful in so many different mediums. Seeing your art I think you might enjoy my son and his partner's art website- athertonlin.com. cheers, jean

    posted 1 month ago send a note

  • mjacobs says

    Thanks for the notes! Yes, Shelfari is VERY slow and is getting VERY cluttered with unnecessary info on the home-page. And it is turning into a chat-site more than a booksite, in my opinion. But that is very good for the painting!

    posted 1 month ago send a note

  • mjacobs says

    Hi Sherry
    I've noticed you've been adding several art books - I was sorry to see no review of Mastering Composition :-). I'm thinking of buying a Danny Gregory book and wonder: should I begin with EDM or would you advise another one to start with?
    On another note: I've sent you some personal notes without getting any sign of life back - that is not like you at all and I am afraid my mail is disapearing in the spam filters - it has happened before.So I hope you got my replies to your notes. I keep enjoying visiting your blog - it is really inspiring.

    posted 1 month ago send a note

  • lindam says

    Oops, I meant Larry Watson. STM starting to wane!

    posted 1 month ago send a note

  • lindam says

    No, I have't tried Turner...will search him out. I do so love reading!

    posted 1 month ago send a note

  • lindam says

    What a hoot! I taught in Delavan when I first graduated from college. Small world! I'm looking forward to reading The Land Remembers. I also love Haruf's books...they remind me of my uncles farming in northern Illinois where I grew up. Great portraits of people living on the land.

    posted 2 months ago send a note

  • jill w says

    I am new to Shelfari and clicked on your shelf because Shelfari said that we have read a lot of the same titles. I grew up in Janesville! How weird is that!? I will definitely check your shelf for suggestions.

    posted 2 months ago send a note

  • lindam says

    Sand Country Almanac is wonderful. I read it again and again!

    posted 2 months ago send a note

  • skate says

    Have your read Sand County Almanac? I grew up in Wisconsin myself and love Sand County Almanac.

    posted 2 months ago send a note

  • judy s says

    I agree on Uncle Tungsten. I only read the parts about his life. The rest was not interesting to me at all. Too bad they messed up what could have been a good book with all of the technical info. Judy

    posted 2 months ago send a note

  • book dreams says

    Sherry,
    I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the book. I think it's a real find.

    posted 2 months ago send a note

  • book dreams says

    Sherry,
    I'm running low on books so checked out your shelves for new ideas. I really appreciate the short reviews you write on the books you've read. (I'm lucky to get around to rating my books.) Anyway, thanks for taking the time to do it. It's very helpful!

    posted 2 months ago send a note

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...A Wild Iris: Poetry