Author Topic: The Library (Read 197640 times)

Steph · « **Reply #240 on:** January 15, 2009, 03:04:19 PM »

The Library

Our library cafe is open 24/7, the welcome mat always out.
Do come in from the cold and join us.

We look forward to hearing from you, about you and the books you are enjoying (or not) right now.

Let the book talk begin here!

Everyone is welcome!

Steph: Just got a copy of "The Elgance of the hedgehog" and The Glass Castle.. The Jeanette Walls book looks fascinating. I will not bother to mention how many books are now in my toberead bookcase.. But the basket is overflowing. I may have to make a second basket.

Judy Laird · « **Reply #241 on:** January 15, 2009, 03:09:08 PM »

Steph that Glass Castle was a great book. Couldn't believe some of the things I read there. For a change I sent that to Candi

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #242 on:** January 15, 2009, 09:57:27 PM »

Steph I gave up on baskets a long time ago - they are in piles now - piles on my giant coffee table and piles on the floor of what was my sewing room which is now covered with filled bookshelves. My eyes are too big - as I see a title I grab it and as my interest in something opens me to another author of course that goes on the stack - I just finished 'a mercy' and was so moved by Toni Morrison's writing that I ordered another of her books and of course while ordering I had to add from my list The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitolism and I never read The Vicar of Wakefield and that was ordered because I want to read The Preaching Fox: Elements of Festive Subversion in the Plays of the Wakefield - and so it goes...

PatH · « **Reply #243 on:** January 15, 2009, 10:14:14 PM »

bellemere, I read "The Leopard" decades ago, and recently started to reread it because of a "Books Into Movies" discussion. It's a good bet. It holds your interest well, though at first I found I had to concentrate very hard to follow which person he was talking about.

Depending on your Spanish skills, my following comments may be totally inappropriate. If you know any Spanish, it sometimes puts you in the mood to read something good in that language. If space is limited, there are dual-language books and paperback dictionaries. For myself, with a minor knowledge of the language, a combination of something very easy with something that takes a whole day to translate a page is good. The key is to get something you will like.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #244 on:** January 15, 2009, 11:01:32 PM »

hhum interesting Pat - thanks for sharing that tidbit

fureteur · « **Reply #245 on:** January 16, 2009, 06:09:51 AM »

Good evening, all of you bibliophiles!

For those of you that might enjoy e-books, e-books that don't cost any more than the time necessary to download them, and for those not already familiar with this resource, perhaps you might like to know about such a site.

There is on the Web a site called The Gutenberg Project and you will find their home page here. Literally thousands of books, most of them not protected by copyright in this country, can be found at Gutenberg. There are books available in many languages other than English, although most of them are either English or English translations, and the titles that can be found there will amaze most of you. Many of the works are generally classified as “classical,” although by no means is contemporary fiction excluded. Some of the better known works of Shakespeare are available in either English or French, and of course there are a dearth of books in German, Italian, Dutch, etc.—even some in Chinese! Oh, yes—there are sound books available there, too (read and recorded by human beings!)

If you were to want, for example, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) you would find it in their catalog page at:

Code: (php) [Select]

ftp://gutenberg.readingroo.ms/gutenberg/7/76/76.zip
That happens to be a mirror site for downloads in Seattle, but any of a number of international mirrors can be chosen from Gutenberg's main catalog page.

Almost all of the books are made available as plain-text documents, with some formatted as HTML, RTF, etc., also. And almost all of the books can be read in a standard e-book reader, or as I do, as plain-text documents on your computer. They come as zipped files and in the case of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the downloaded size of the file is approximately ¼ of a megabyte which, when expanded, is something less than ½ a megabyte in size. And that's for the full, unabridged text of Twain's original.

If you choose to, you can download a copy of their catalog for browsing at your leisure and fetch the books that you desire as you please. In any case, I think the site is worth your time and attention and I believe you will be delighted with what you'll find there.

Happy reading to all of you!

Steph · « **Reply #246 on:** January 16, 2009, 08:19:37 AM »

I want to hold the book in my hand.. Or at the gym, I listen to audio books, but my basic preference is to hold it.. Tried ebooks and the kindle thing, but just not the same for me.

Babi · « **Reply #247 on:** January 16, 2009, 09:20:24 AM »

PATH, my Spanish skills are up to translating most of the Sp. advertising billboards around here, but not up to reading books. A book is more likely to use vernacular phrases that I never learned. Not to mention all that I learned and have since forgotten.

FURETEUR, I believe a number of the readers here use e-books. I find it a bit too much of an eyestrain, but it certainly is cheaper than buying books!

joangrimes · « **Reply #248 on:** January 16, 2009, 09:34:04 AM »

Frank Lloyd fascinates me too. Last year, on a day trip with the docents from the Birmingham museum of Art, I visited the house he built in Florence , Alabama. It was fascinating. I want to read Loving Frank too.

Joan Grimes

Frybabe · « **Reply #249 on:** January 16, 2009, 12:35:26 PM »

BarbaraStAubrey your book collecting habits sound a lot like mine.

I picked up an old volume over the summer which includes The Vicar of Wakefield. It is in one of my piles somewhere yet to be read. I have not heard of The Preaching Fox: Elements of Festive Subversion in the Plays of the Wakefield , but will look it up.

Fureteur, I have used The Gutenberg Project on occasion. It has tons of good books to read. Some of them I have downloaded, but for the most part, I just can't get comfortable reading a book on the computer. I prefer to stretch out on the sofa. The cat likes it too. Especially when I am trying to work on my Latin. It is amazing how fast picking up a book can attract him. Nothing like a good book, a nice cup of tea and a cat purring.

Whatever happened to those little hand held things that you download a book to and read from a screen? I like the idea, but when they first came out they seemed so expensive. Now I don't see any mention of them anymore.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #250 on:** January 16, 2009, 04:22:41 PM »

Are you talking about a Palm Pilot? I have one of those, but i don't enjoy trying to read a book on one...................

I am reading James and Mary Beard's History of the United States on the Gutenberg Project. I was happy to find it since it's out of print. I like Mary's books that she's authored by herself better than when she writes w/ her husband: On Understanding Woman is a great women's history book.........jean

mabel1015j · « **Reply #251 on:** January 16, 2009, 04:31:37 PM »

Mary's husband's name was Charles, not James, wrong occupation

- historian, not chef!!! ...............Also another women's history book of hers that I liked is Women as a Force in History. Mary Beard lived thru the first half of the 20th century and knew many of the women whose names we know from that period from the suffragists to Eleanor Roosevelt. ........ i must find a good bio of hers, i think it would be really interesting............jean

bellemere · « **Reply #252 on:** January 16, 2009, 09:13:29 PM »

Pat
re Spanish

You just reminded me that I was halfway through "Yo!" by Julia Alvarez, who is Dominican,not Mexican, but a terrific author. (In the Time of the Butterflies) and I looked for it and found it upstairs, so i am taking that with me vowing to finish it;. it is a funny charming book.
I am volunteering at a little school that teaches English to Mexican adults and children, so i will have some help. My spanish requires a dictionary right at my hand while I read. My husband's Spanish is limited to "la cuenta, por favor."

maryz · « **Reply #253 on:** January 16, 2009, 10:44:26 PM »

I, too, like reading "real" books. But my hands won't let me hold a book upright or hold down recalcitrant pages. I read in my recliner, with the book propped up on a pillow, and held open with bulldog clips. I hadn't really thought about it, but my laptop would probably be much easier to read. It would hold the "page" at a better angle, etc. (And I do use my laptop in my lap - strange as that may seem. ) I have a copy of Follett's World Without End, and have been kind of avoiding reading it because the book is so big and heavy.

fureteur · « **Reply #254 on:** January 16, 2009, 11:43:14 PM »

It's apparent that e-books aren't for everyone, and for very good reasons, of course. Like Steph, I prefer to hold a book and find that, for example, going back a couple of pages to reread some passages is easier and more natural than scrolling or the point and click environment. And while I use a large monitor (19-inch) and work almost exclusively from the console (a black and white screen with text only), where the text is certainly large enough to not result in any strain trying to see the characters, nevertheless reflected light from the printed page is, I suspect, better for the eyes. Like Frybabe, “I just can't get comfortable reading a book on a computer”—at least not comfortable enough—and would not undertake the whole of Anna Karenina from the computer screen.

And I suspect, Frybabe, the reason we don't see the small hand-helds anymore are because of precisely the reasons we're talking about here. While I don't use Microsoft's software, I do know that their PocketPC® program, which comes with a lot of the desktop assistants sold now, does include an e-reader but that seems the least practical way of all to read a book; perhaps something akin to using a laptop as a personal website server.

Nevertheless, it's hard to beat the accessibility and cost of the books at Gutenberg, and I can spend some time with an e-book version and then decide that it's time for a trip to a used—or new—book store for the real thing. I have a pack rat's approach to books and have stored boxes of them that there is no earthly reason to keep, but dumping any of them seems like a sacrilege and I can't bring myself to do it. I don't have any such compunctions about dumping a file from the computer, even that of a book, if it isn't worth keeping.

pedln · « **Reply #255 on:** January 17, 2009, 12:11:30 AM »

MaryZ, have you seen that ad on TV -- for that thing that holds your laptop in any position on your lap.

Laptop Laidback

This one is called Laptop Laidback and holds books, too (see the bottom picture)

Lapdawg

And this is the Swiss army knife of laptop stands -- books, too

maryz · « **Reply #256 on:** January 17, 2009, 12:19:41 AM »

That's cool, pedln. Thanks. They think very highly of it - they've got it priced at $100. Something like that would work, though.

pedln · « **Reply #257 on:** January 17, 2009, 12:23:42 AM »

I didn't look at the price.

Most of those "only on TV" things are 19.95 -- times whatever.

Babi · « **Reply #258 on:** January 17, 2009, 09:29:52 AM »

I also have a copy of "Vicar of Wakefield", but I've read mine twice. I love the old English novels/writers. From Dickens to Austen to Trollope...I love the all!

Mary, maybe Amazon would have those 'Laidback' laptop holders at a lower price. I don't have a laptop, but I'm always interested in finding a better price on anything!

Steph · « **Reply #259 on:** January 17, 2009, 09:33:04 AM »

I did laugh about the laptop in your lap. Our granddaughter at 13 curls up with hers and sort of settles in. Dont think I could manage, but she loves to do that. I even have seen her in bed with the laptop next to her..Ahh youth.. But then she loves to text too and currently is on a restriction of how many in a month. Her Dad feels that texting is ok, but that she was doing too much with a limited amount of time.

maryz · « **Reply #260 on:** January 17, 2009, 10:12:18 AM »

I do have a rack sort-of thing that I put under my laptop. It keeps it from getting too hot underneath by allowing a little air space for its fan to circulate. Also, it can prop up a little bit which tilts the keyboard at an angle that is more comfortable for this old typist. After seeing that rack online, it made me think I could probably use this thing for a book prop, too. It's sort of an earlier generation of this (same brand) ( http://www.targus.com/us/accessories_cooling.asp ), but mine doesn't have a built-in fan and doesn't plug into the computer.

PatH · « **Reply #261 on:** January 17, 2009, 11:18:20 AM »

Quote from: fureteur on January 16, 2009, 11:43:14 PM

I have a pack rat's approach to books and have stored boxes of them that there is no earthly reason to keep, but dumping any of them seems like a sacrilege and I can't bring myself to do it.

That sounds exactly like me: I don't dare buy hardbacks if a paperback is available. I can't afford the space.

JoanP · « **Reply #262 on:** January 17, 2009, 11:28:13 AM »

Out of curiosity - what do you do with the books you really can't keep? Where do you "place" them?

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #263 on:** January 17, 2009, 11:51:11 AM »

And what books are they pray tell - that you cannot keep

- closets that used to hold clothes are now filled with books - more and more bookshelves are in rooms that used to house children - plastic bins and cardboard boxes are neatly stacked in the middle of the front bedroom storing books according to interest in addition to the walls covered in large shelves that are deeper than a typical bookshelf so that the books in the back are shelved as a library and then books in the front are stacked one on top of the other - more books there will simply be more bins - stacked to the ceiling if need be -

oh yes, as my daughter said - I may live in an old house without modern insulation but I took care of that the expensive way with printed paper between paper and cloth covers.

I bet Pat has a similar story

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #264 on:** January 17, 2009, 12:09:04 PM »

Pat and Barbara, I understand fully where you're coming from...A visit to two extra bedrooms would unveil multiple bookcases, boxes full of books, a closet with books on the upper shelf, etc., etc., etc.

Frybabe · « **Reply #265 on:** January 17, 2009, 12:44:18 PM »

from JoanP

Quote

what do you do with the books you really can't keep? Where do you "place" them?

Joan, I like to pass my books around to my Mom, sisters and several book readers at work. We trade back and forth, so my books, if they come back, have been through three or four readings at least. Those that I just don't want anymore or are not of interest to others, I take to my local used bookstore which gives me a small credit for each book to use toward the purchase of another used book. I've traded up from paperbacks to hardcover that way, and bought some very old volumes still in good shape.

fureteur, I agree with you about the advantages of the e-book. I had considered getting a hand-held, but at the time the price seemed too high and I hadn't heard whether they truly worked well or not. I haven't looked into them lately. They certainly seem more convienient than carrying several books when traveling. Some of my books won't fit in my purse.

The other comment I have about reading via computer monitors or e-book readers is about how one reads on screen as opposed to reading a book. My eyes skip around more reading from a screen and I get tired of reading long passages faster on-screen. Some years ago, I remember talking to my best friend about my observation. He agreed with me, and in fact, had come across some studies/lectures/observations of others during his doctoral studies in education with a specialty in reading. Also, one of the girls at work is dyslexic. When I talked to her about onscreen reading, she said she actually reads better onscreen than with standard print material. The other neat thing about onscreen reading is that it is easy to magnify everything if needed.

maryz · « **Reply #266 on:** January 17, 2009, 01:20:19 PM »

Re reading on the computer. You can also make the lines shorter. I wear continuous correction lenses, so have to turn my head while reading a long line, and sometimes lose my place when I come back. I do that on the computer all the time.

We try to keep our book supply to a minimum. Our family and friends have an annual get-together at the beach, and we all bring books for a book swap. That gets rid of some. And, from time to time, we take batches to our local used book store for credit. Of course, we usually get some different ones, but they're at least recycled. Also we donate to the library book sales.

ANNIE · « **Reply #267 on:** January 17, 2009, 01:30:01 PM »

The Kindle reader from Amazon is $400 and way too much for me when I already have a laptop that I can use similarly. Although, the big talk at my husband's BD party was all about the screen being liquid and looking like the inside of a book and the pages that turn, looking just like a book.

Pedl'n has one but I haven't heard her mention it lately. Not since the THE CRASH!!!

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #268 on:** January 17, 2009, 01:40:41 PM »

I believe the $400 Kindle is the new and improved model. Also, the SonyReader has a new and improved model which sells for more than the older model ($300+). I think the improvements reflect the suggestions that some users made regarding the visuals and also the turning of pages, etc. I don't have one--have considered it--have told my empty wallet "you don't need it"; fuggedaboudit!

joangrimes · « **Reply #269 on:** January 17, 2009, 02:26:06 PM »

I have a Kindle and have friends who have Kindles. We all like them.

Joan Grimes

pedln · « **Reply #270 on:** January 17, 2009, 11:54:54 PM »

Adoannie -- I don't have a Kindle!! But I wouldn't mind having one. Be great for travelling -- you wouldn't have to worry about how much your books were going to way, or where you would put them.

Also, didn't someone say you could make notes -- that would be great, and would get me over my librarianisms about writing in books.

One thing about reading online, and I haven't done it often with books, but you can keyword search, and find specific passages easier. There have been so many times in a book discussion that I've wanted to go back and find things like "what did so and so say about him or her, etc."

Actually, I wish that a CD-ROM or something would come with a hardcopy book -- sometimes that happens -- not only can you keyword search, but you can add graphics and other enhancements to accompany the book.

The one thing that bothers me about the Kindle and other electronic readers is compatability. If you purchase an electronic book, can it only be read on one type of media player? Just the other day I saw headlines somewhere about "books for your cell phone" -- but that's probably audio.

I think in time, electronic downloads will become much the norm. And hopefully cause books to be less expensive, though really, they're a pretty good bargain right now. Many many years ago, an MIT professor, Nicholas Negroponte, wrote a book Going Digital, in which he claimed that the biggest expense for textbooks was the storage and distribution of them. He was a strong advocate for electronic texts and of course the big advantage there also, was the ease in updating. (And this would no doubt save the students' backs as well.) In the future both print and electronic forms will be the norm, with pros and cons for each format.

Frybabe · « **Reply #271 on:** January 18, 2009, 01:26:10 AM »

From Pedln:

Quote

I think in time, electronic downloads will become much the norm. And hopefully cause books to be less expensive, though really, they're a pretty good bargain right now. Many many years ago, an MIT professor, Nicholas Negroponte, wrote a book Going Digital, in which he claimed that the biggest expense for textbooks was the storage and distribution of them.

Generally speaking the more books and magazines that are printed, the lower the cost it is to print each volume. Then you must take into account papers used, inks, binding styles. So,the fewer the books that are ordered the higher the cost for each book. With the newer technologies in presses and Computer-to-Press workflows I would hope that the cost to print will stay low.

Speaking of new print technology, there are presses now that work something like your inkjet printer. This cuts out the need to make plates to hang on the press for printing. Plates are a fairly big expense in the printing process. Oh yes, this also cuts out the platemaking machines and the people that run them. Nowadays, the publisher can send files over the net and the computers can process the files and place them such that they are ready to print making many of the prepress jobs are becoming obsolete too (including mine - not to happy about that

). Storage and distribution remain a big expense. I don't know how much the newer automated warehousing systems have reduced costs at that end.

winsummm · « **Reply #272 on:** January 18, 2009, 04:11:29 AM »

amazon just sent me a popup must have been since I didn't ask. i you know that a KINDLE new is 359 dollars and that the books you get to read on them cost real money too? a used kindle can be had for slightly less.. I tried to read books on my daughters and found it heavy to holdd, not good contrast to read and distracting to operate. Thiw may b the future for books, but I like the onees's we have now with slightly larger print.

the big print editions are big and heavy for old folks. complaining.

claire

joangrimes · « **Reply #273 on:** January 18, 2009, 08:12:27 AM »

Most books for the kinclle are about $9.95 and the print can be enlarged for your individual needs. One pays much more for a large print book than for a reguilar print book, if a large print book is available. The audio cd's are are very expensive. So in the long run the Kindle is not as expensive as regular print books. Of course the price of the kindle itself seems alot to put out but really it is not.

Joan G

Gumtree · « **Reply #274 on:** January 18, 2009, 08:16:38 AM »

Quote from: pedln on January 17, 2009, 11:54:54 PM

I think in time, electronic downloads will become much the norm. And hopefully cause books to be less expensive, though really, they're a pretty good bargain right now.

Ah, Pedln you don't live here in Australia where new books are still rather expensive and even secondhand ones can be 2/3rds new price. It pays to watch out for remaindered stock. Whilst they may not be hot off the press I do get some great bargains...sometimes.

ANNIE · « **Reply #275 on:** January 18, 2009, 08:41:32 AM »

Gosh, I would miss the comfort of holding a book to read while snuggled down in my chair and having a cup of tea.

joangrimes · « **Reply #276 on:** January 18, 2009, 08:53:17 AM »

WEll Ann,

I understand the missing holding a book but that is something that I have had to give up as my eyes continue to get worse and I cannot hold a very heavy book because of my arthritis.

If I read a large print book I have sit at a table and put the book on the table because I cannot hold it. So I cannot cuddle up with a book. Sounds lovely if you can do it though.

Joan G

Steph · « **Reply #277 on:** January 18, 2009, 09:22:52 AM »

I hav e been trying to hold down my overload of books.. I belong to a paperback swap club on line.. You can also swap audio tapes, cd's and hardback books. You get credits for each one that is swapped and give credits when you want a book. You pay the shipping.. Works really well for me.

Babi · « **Reply #278 on:** January 18, 2009, 10:36:34 AM »

It has long been a detail of futuristic science fiction that printed books become rarities, and electronic books are commonly used. One reason was that in space travel, storage space and weight are major issues, and books on discs are a great advantage there. Then there is the wonderful idea of simply listening to a text while you sleep, and you absorb the information. No tiresome study. Think of all you could learn with ease!

PatH · « **Reply #279 on:** January 18, 2009, 11:34:05 AM »

Yes, Babi, and you could wake up in the morning with the memory of the book you hadn't read when you went to sleep. Don't know if you would also have the memory of the pleasure you would have had reading it.

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Author Topic: The Library (Read 197640 times)