Marianne Combs's Comments

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January 2009 - A new year for reading? by Marianne Combs

Jan 2, 2009 | rating: 10 | comments: 10

Marianne Combs Jan 2, 2009, 4:09pm EST

Thanks Jane! I'll definitely check it out...

August 2008 - What are you reading? by Marianne Combs

Aug 1, 2008 | rating: 8 | comments: 18

Marianne Combs Aug 7, 2008, 3:13pm EDT

Jeez Tad - some nice light summer reading you got going there... ! Kudos to you for taking on some important topics in your free time. And let us know what you think of Bhutto's book...

Diane - What is it with mystery and mysticism? I admit, I'm an easy target for these types of books, and I'm going to have to pick up The Gargoyle as soon as I finish Stephensons (3000 page) trilogy.... I imagine these sorts of books must be quite difficult to write, because the mood you create is so important to making the novel convincing...

August 2008 - What are you reading? by Marianne Combs

Aug 1, 2008 | rating: 8 | comments: 18

Marianne Combs Aug 6, 2008, 12:41pm EDT

Hi Elizabeth! My friend and colleague Euan Kerr interviewed the author of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and you can listen to it here:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/06/16/wroblewski/

Enjoy!

August 2008 - What are you reading? by Marianne Combs

Aug 1, 2008 | rating: 8 | comments: 18

Marianne Combs Aug 5, 2008, 11:47am EDT

Cynthia - you go girl! Hey, if nothing else, you'll have the two first pages of Out Stealing Horses memorized in it's native language. Pretty cool.

weak reader - I like your ritual - sounds like something I could benefit from. Now if only I could get up earlier so I'm not rushing to work!

beth h - did you name your daughter after the Cave Bear character? And how old is she? I often wonder when's the best time to expose your child to sex scenes in literature...

Julie S - I loved the Bourne movies, but I've never read the books - how do they compare?

June 2008 - What are you reading? by Marianne Combs

Jun 12, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 18

Marianne Combs Jun 24, 2008, 3:17pm EDT

Diana -

What a great review of "The Gargoyle!" I love the image of Marianne Engel carving gargoyles out of stone - giving light to something dark - which I gather from your writing is also what she's doing to the main character?

Now I can't wait to read it! A great review....

June 2008 - What are you reading? by Marianne Combs

Jun 12, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 18

Marianne Combs Jun 24, 2008, 3:13pm EDT

weak reader -

I use raised beds for my garden - 4'wx4'l, which are a great length for moving around and reaching over. I have seen higher versions of my beds used to make them more accessible from a sitting position, both for people in wheelchairs and for people who need to sit and rest often. The book that really spawned this style of gardening is called "Square Foot Gardening" - it's mainly oriented toward vegetable gardening, but it can also be used for creating a cutting garden for flowers.

Hope this helps!

It's April 2008 - What are you reading? by Marianne Combs

Apr 7, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 12

Marianne Combs Apr 28, 2008, 4:57pm EDT

weak reader - I really think you need to change your name, because you continually prove yourself to be one of the most prodigious readers I know!

Diana - good catch on the Robert Penn Warren quote. I love seeing a thread filled with pithy remarks and wise comments. And I've still got three cups of tea on my list!

I'm now in the midst of a Michael Pollan reading frenzy, and loving it. Such clear, intelligent writing, and profound reasoning. Delicious!

March 2008 - What are you reading? by Marianne Combs

Mar 6, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 13

Marianne Combs Mar 11, 2008, 9:42am EDT

weak reader - thanks for the feedback on the "Faces of Self" story. It was a thorough pleasure to talk to Barbara as well as the participants in the mask making. It left me wanting to organize a mask-making session amongst friends to see what we come up with!

As for the flu - I'm almost completely recovered, but don't make me laugh because it sends me into fits of coughing! ;)

March 2008 - What are you reading? by Marianne Combs

Mar 6, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 13

Marianne Combs Mar 11, 2008, 9:40am EDT

Priscilla - I'd love to hear your thoughts on "Monkeys are made out of chocolate" - what an intriguing title! (if not totally appetizing)

March 2008 - What are you reading? by Marianne Combs

Mar 6, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 13

Marianne Combs Mar 11, 2008, 9:39am EDT

Erin - "The exegesis of eating Italian food" - tell me more! I've always loved those "best of -- writing" collections. Definitely worth going back and reading past years!

February 2008 - What are you reading? by Marianne Combs

Feb 4, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 20

Marianne Combs Feb 5, 2008, 3:30pm EST

Kimmy - what's your book about? I love the title!

Tamara - that is exactly what I was afraid of

weak reader - I suspect you have very high standards for book reviews! I'm not interested in an essay that stands for all time - just your first and/or lasting impressions. Your opinions are welcome here, both rough and refined...

February 2008 - What are you reading? by Marianne Combs

Feb 4, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 20

Marianne Combs Feb 4, 2008, 12:00pm EST

Deborah - yea, another gardener!!! Let me know what you think of Friday Night Knitting Club, as I happen to belong to a Thursday night Knitting Club, and we could maybe combine our knitting with a discussion of the book sometime...

Tamara - me too! I'm still stuck in Italy, and while the book is readable, it feels a little too flippant and a little too self-indulgent. Know what I mean? I'm hoping she gets a little more grounded in India, but who knows...

Sharon - I love good crime novels... I'll have to check out "Hide" - and let us know what you think about "Slaughter of Cities" - I think urban renewal is a huge issue, but it's a tricky balancing act to bring it about.

What Does "Everything Happens for a Reason" Mean? by Ron Hall

Feb 3, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 27

Marianne Combs Feb 4, 2008, 11:18am EST

Ron - Thanks so much for sharing your story! I'd always wondered about the back story between you and Janie, but was too shy to ask. And what a wonderful, thoughtful conversation you've created...

Yeah, emotions like anger are ok, reasonable, and often really healthy, as long as we don't let them dominate us, and make room for the joy, too.

Cheers!

An afternoon with Gregory Maguire and the Owls by Barbara D.

Feb 3, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 8

Marianne Combs Feb 4, 2008, 10:51am EST

Thanks for the review, Barbara! I agree, Gregory was a very entertaining reader - I'm glad you enjoyed the event!

Throw This Poor Dog a Minnesota Reading Bone by Mark J.

Jan 2, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 21

Marianne Combs Jan 25, 2008, 4:54pm EST

Mark - what a great thread! I second pretty much everything I've seen here (especially Yeh Yeh's house by Evalina Chao and the Center of Winter by Marya Hornbacher). In addition I might suggest you explore not only Minnesota authors, but Minnesota PUBLISHERS. Milkweed Editions, Greywolf Press, and CoffeeHouse Press are all fabulous local publishers, as is the Minnesota Historical Society.

From them I'd recommend "Ordinary Wolves" by Seth Kantner, which won the Milkweed National Fiction Prize, and "Out Stealing Horses" by Per Petterson, which made the top ten list on the New York Times Best Fiction list for last year, and was published by Graywolf. Happy Reading!

November 2007 - What are you reading? by Marianne Combs

Nov 1, 2007 | rating: 10 | comments: 10

Marianne Combs Nov 28, 2007, 4:53pm EST

Cynthia - you're in good company! The New York Times has declared "Out Stealing Horses" one of the best books of the year. Quite a coup for the local Graywolf Press.

OK now I promise I'll read it - it's been sitting on my bedside table for weeks!

November 2007 - What are you reading? by Marianne Combs

Nov 1, 2007 | rating: 10 | comments: 10

Marianne Combs Nov 19, 2007, 7:40pm EST

Patrick - I've also heard good things about "1421 - the year China discovered America."

Diana - I'd love to hear more about your Sony Reader and how it works for you. I find technology and reading an odd mix (after all, I spend so much time looking at a computer at work that I'm not really interested in reading an electronic screen at home or on the bus). What do you think? Is it really convenient? I do like the idea of just taking one item on vacation which can allow me to read several different books...

October 2007 - What are you reading? by Marianne Combs

Oct 4, 2007 | rating: 10 | comments: 13

Marianne Combs Oct 10, 2007, 4:25pm EDT

weak reader - thanks for the recommendation! I'll have to check out "Family."

October 2007 - What are you reading? by Marianne Combs

Oct 4, 2007 | rating: 10 | comments: 13

Marianne Combs Oct 4, 2007, 6:06pm EDT

Oooh - Cynthia I'm jealous! I looked on-line for King Lear tickets today, but they're of course all sold out. Be sure to post about the show once you've seen it - I'd love to hear your take on it...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by Marianne Combs

Jul 25, 2007 | rating: 10 | comments: 3

Marianne Combs Jul 30, 2007, 3:42pm EDT

Hey Gus -

Yes I have heard rumors of a Harry Potter theme park - it makes sense, doesn't it? A person can only go to Disneyland so many times with their kids before it gets old and unaffordable.

Yeah, I too was impressed with the level of satisfaction and closure that J.K.R. was able to work into this last book. And there were so many references to previous books that it left me with the urge to start the series all over again and read them straight through!

I know I had a couple of questions when I reached the end, but now for the life of me I can't remember what they were... hmmm... I'll come back when I've remembered them...

Cheers,

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Marianne Combs
St. Paul, MN

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