Author Topic: The Library (Read 2079768 times)

Jonathan · « **Reply #19840 on:** March 02, 2019, 06:02:44 PM »

I'm looking forward to travelling the Silk Road...without the suffering, haha. Just finished Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret. I've never read a book quite like it. Thanks, Ginny.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #19841 on:** March 02, 2019, 06:53:16 PM »

Great we'll be looking forward to your joining us Jonathan... Have you experienced an especially cold and snowy winter? The news is talking us another winter storm back east. Here it is March and you would think it was the second day of January. I'm past hot chocolate, soups, stews, now it is a glass of wine - if this cold keeps going, I will be hooked.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #19842 on:** March 02, 2019, 08:13:17 PM »

Jonathan, I, too, just finished 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret. She was a real hoot. Playing second fiddle to her sister the Queen, simply ruined her life. Also, I think that not being allowed to marry Capt. Townsend really messed her up. She was a sympathetic character in places, but a total snob in others, and wasn't above using the "royal protocols" to lay waste to her crowd! It was interesting though, wasn't it?

bellamarie · « **Reply #19843 on:** March 02, 2019, 11:35:35 PM »

hats, Yes, Canada is the wonderful setting of her series of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surêté du Québec, the provincial police force for Quebec. It does seem we have been mentioning books taking place in Canada a few times lately.

PatH., I most certainly will look forward to future discussions. I have a ton of events going on in March, and committed to my other online book club, not knowing we would have a discussion here in March.

Barb, I can't say I have ever once "suffered through" a discussion in this lively, fun, interesting, educating, and enlightening book club. I hope you all enjoy traveling the Silk Road.

Jonathan and Tomereader, good to hear from you. Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret sounds intriguing. I watched a made for TV show about Queen Elizabeth, and I remember feeling a bit sorry for Margaret, who seemed in her shadow.

Well, I had a very busy day today with basketball tournaments and birthday celebrations, so I am turning in for the night.

PatH · « **Reply #19844 on:** March 05, 2019, 12:34:55 AM »

hats:

Quote

am trying slowly circle around to Science Fiction and Fantasy.

You're already there with The Handmaid's Tale, hats. It's usually classified as one or the other. But many books in both categories are not such downers, especially in fantasy.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #19845 on:** March 05, 2019, 03:58:43 AM »

Here to excite our curiosity is an interview video with Colin Thubron, the author speaking of our read starting on March 11, Shadow of the Silk Road

https://www.c-span.org/video/?194809-2/shadow-silk-road

hats · « **Reply #19846 on:** March 05, 2019, 05:30:16 AM »

Bellamarie, I'm not nearly ready to start that series. Because of Canada I will definitely keep it in mind.

Path, Since I have read The Handmaid's Tale, there is a need to come visit the Science Fiction and Fantasy section later rather than sooner.

Frybabe · « **Reply #19847 on:** March 05, 2019, 07:26:59 AM »

I finally received my copy of the The Orient Express by Anthony Burton. It is a bit on the thin side with lots of pictures, but that is okay since I am running behind on my reading. If I want more, there is another which looks like a regular book. I didn't like the cover art on it. How is that for not buying a book.

While I was waiting for the Orient Express book, I started reading The Canterville Ghost. One thing I noticed is that it does seem to have that spark that sets me to laughing the film did. I didn't feel that difference between reading Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest and seeing it on film. Both had me rolling in laughter.

Regarding The Handmaid's Tale, I read the book and saw the movie (in which, BTW, Robert Duvall played the Commander). I actually liked the movie better because it flowed more smoothly. The movie did not present as a diary being examined by anthropologists years later which is how the book was written. I have not seen the current TV version, and don't care to.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #19848 on:** March 05, 2019, 05:18:36 PM »

My two this time around are easy as well frybabe - the one about Ghostly areas nearby and in the Hill Country are really short essays explaining the phenomenon and the history of the sightings almost like a travel pamphlet would but only in this small book form. And the novel is one of these quick read novels set in the South. I did find a book I could not resist - Hiking With Nietzsche On Becoming Who You Are. by John Kaag. Just fabulous - explains Nietzsche without it being steeped in the typical essay on philosophy. He follows Neitzsche's hike in the Swiss Mountains and learns for himself the lessons that Nietzsche set out and he studied and took to heart while in Collage.

Interesting to me that I did not know, that Nietzsche set the premise that we seek equally, order and chaos - the more I put it together and read I could see in my own life when I am doing anything creative I have this compulsion that my house must be in order first - not from any training but my choice even as a young mom sewing or going on a picnic the house had to first be in order - and I see now that when my daughter's life is orderly and secure she keeps a higgly piggly house. Ha and now I see this in our current political environment where there are the traditionalists that want everything orderly so they can operate and the other viewpoint of change that appears as chaos. And more, I did not know that Nietzsche was drawn to Emerson and then the biggie that came from that information, the author sees his own rational to forgo certain expectations for learning and follow his own path - as Emerson's belief in individuality at even the cost of loneliness.

Reminds me of reading a cookbook with all these bits of wisdom about a cooking technique this book is full of tid bits of wisdom about the whys and wherefores in life while the author is describing the scenery and hike he is taking.

Frybabe · « **Reply #19849 on:** March 05, 2019, 07:15:44 PM »

Now I have two books to pick up at the library tomorrow. On top of that, I ordered two more: Mary Roach's Spook and Ghost Ship: The Mysterious True Story of the Mary Celeste and Her Crew by Brian Hicks. Hicks has managed to squeeze 304 pages out of that one. Just had to see what he has to say. I doubt I will have time to read both. The book on the Bulgarian empire is an ILL, so I doubt I will be able to renew it.

I will be doing surgery on my toilet tomorrow to try and fix a leaky fill valve, and since I began monkeying around with it, I now have a leaky flush valve as well. Sigh!

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #19850 on:** March 05, 2019, 07:51:28 PM »

wow 'Spook and Ghost Ship: The Mysterious True Story of the Mary Celeste and Her Crew' really sounds like what could be a great read - there was another Ghost Ship that folks used to talk about - something dutch something or other - most ghost stories of late have become so gory there is no fun for me in reading them - vampires and ghouls are not my cup of tea where as a good old fashioned ghost story especially on some sailing vessel has enough spook and enough adventure to make it fun.

frybabe what book about Bulgaria did you borrow - an area of the world still to explore since our journey on the Silk Road where it does include all those middle eastern nations it does not go as far as the Balkans. After listening to Colin it sounds like these book titles should really be saying Road's' since there was not one route.

Frybabe · « **Reply #19851 on:** March 06, 2019, 06:15:05 AM »

Barb, the Mary Celeste was a real ship, unlike The Flying Dutchman which was a thing of "sightings" and legend.

A History of the First Bulgarian Empire by Steven Runciman is the book I will be picking up today along with our Silk Road read.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #19852 on:** March 06, 2019, 10:56:46 PM »

Made a decision tonight - I have only read 21 pages in Hiking With Nietzsche On Becoming Who You Are by Jon Kaag - really enjoying the read and then, reviewing the reading schedule and notice in May both choices are about what this book is all about - it could be either about the author wanting to improve himself or featuring a walk and so... I've decided to set it aside and read it in May as one of my selections - this frees me up to get to these other books on my pile and give the attention needed to Shadow of the Silk Road

Frybabe you have borrowed a jewel in First Bulgarian Empire by Steven Runciman - did you check Amazon - the book is only available and the least expensive is - get this - $199.99 - there are 4 copies being sold increasing in price with each seller with the most expensive being $374. Your library has a gold mine in its stacks - I wonder if they know...

Frybabe · « **Reply #19853 on:** March 07, 2019, 06:18:04 AM »

Barb, the book looks like it is a first edition, published in 1930. The Inter-Library Loan came from Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA not too far from here. Moravian is a small, private, liberal studies college. They include a program for those wishing to join the Peace Corps in their curriculum. Now there is a group that you don't hear about these days. Nice campus. I lived in Bethlehem for about eight years.

hats · « **Reply #19854 on:** March 07, 2019, 07:19:04 AM »

Good morning,

After finishing The Samaritan's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama, I lost my way on this Armchair journey. I love the characters in that book. Each one fight their demons. I had the chance to learn about Leprosy and Tuberculosis. Also, there is a great deal about the war between Japan and China.

Finally, I'm settled down again with Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford. I feel comfortable reading his writing style. I really like Jamie Ford's The Hotel At The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet. That book involved the internment camps. I am also spending time catching up on my Reading Journal.

bellamarie · « **Reply #19855 on:** March 07, 2019, 10:23:52 AM »

Good morning to you too hats, and all! It's a beautiful morning here in Toledo, Ohio with the sun glistening on our newly fallen snow. I am so ready for Spring.

hats, I have just begun a reading journal. I love listing all my books, and then adding a little side note to help me remember a theme, or character involved. I am also giving each book a star rating, just so I remember if I liked it or not, with my memory or lack there of, it's helpful. It's actually kind of fun!

Has anyone read the book, Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens? I seem to be seeing it mentioned a lot lately. One of my other online book clubs has it on our list to read in the coming months.

Frybabe · « **Reply #19856 on:** March 10, 2019, 11:50:34 AM »

News from Publisher's Weekly:

The Nobel Prize for Literature is back. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/awards-and-prizes/article/79431-after-changes-the-nobel-prize-for-literature-returns.html

For those who are interested in reading International authors in translation, the trend is not promising:
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/79407-the-plight-of-translation-in-america.html

Barb, I loved the beginning of the 1st Chapter in A History of the First Bulgarian Empire. It begins "Once upon a time," He is, of course, referring to how difficult it is to discover a true history of the early peoples because of the very limited written information available and the conflicting stories regarding ethnic group movements. It doesn't help that different names appear to be attributed to various individuals and groups that make it difficult to know for sure if they are one and the same or different. Runciman also lamented the lack of maps, then he proceeded not to attempt to create any maps showing probable areas and movements of groups. I love maps, but can see why he chose not to attempt to include any. It would have been a daunting task, and probably not very accurate because of the vagaries of the information. I always had trouble understanding exactly where the Goths and Huns came from. The Goths appear to have occupied the Polish and (at least) northern parts of Germany, the Huns were just East of them when they began migrating down toward the Black Sea. The Bulgars are an off-shoot of the Huns There is a group called the Avars that I never heard of, but apparently they were farther east, around the Caspian Sea and between it and the Black Sea. The Slavs came from farther up into the Russian forest lands. I am still not sure where the Czechs and Moravians fit in. I need to find out who King Samo as Runciman states he freed them. The Croats and Serbs are Balkan Slavs. Gaaah! This is so confusing. All these ethnic groupings constantly shifting and jostling for territory and making and breaking allegiances. Two and a half millennia and they are still at it. And this doesn't much include the Roman Empire, the Turks or the :Persian incursions.

ANNIE · « **Reply #19857 on:** March 10, 2019, 01:52:18 PM »

I have GLAUCOMA and have to read LP books! My library does not have the Silk Road book in LP so I won’t be reading along with you but will try to keep up by reading your comments.

Frybabe · « **Reply #19858 on:** March 10, 2019, 04:47:56 PM »

That's a shame Annie. It will be nice, though, that you will be reading the comments. I wanted to borrow the book from my online lending library, but they didn't have it, so I am stuck with a print book. It makes it a little more difficult to hold the book up to read around the cats for any length of time. My lap is rarely empty. The cats are spoiled rotten.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #19859 on:** March 10, 2019, 05:14:16 PM »

Annie so good to hear from you - Sorry you are limited and cannot join us - however reading our posts you may have a thought and if so please add to the conversation - yes, Glaucoma really messes with our eyes doesn't it - I've some in my right eye but so far so good because it messes with driving as well - so far I have been able to control it with very expensive drops - sheesh - $300 a bottle that lasts for maybe 5 or 6 weeks.

Frybabe I have in a book Cambridge history about pre Christianity and then early Christianity 373 BC to 500 AD that shows the Huns having come from the east and over time crossing all the way the the Catalaunian fields that is all the land west of Toulouse and west of the Seine -

It shows the Vandals sweeping down from Langobardi where the Elbe runs through the middle into the area of the Slaves and then looping back to Trier mixing with the Burgundians and the sweep from the area of Trier and Worms down just west of Toulouse into what today is Spain and in 429 crossing east of Tangiers into and along the coast of Africa and then crossing near Carthage up to Rome by 455.

The Ostrogoths came from the east just west of India and swept across to northern Italy in and around Ravenna later by 489 they are spread into southern France. This history says the Huns expelled the Ostrogoths from Crimea and the Ukraine then the Ostrogoths in turn forced back the Visigoths to the Danubian frontier.

Starting just north of where Bulgaria is today and going through what is Bulgaria are the Visigoths that by 378 BC were in and around Adrianopole then south into Greece just west of Athens and then a sharp journey north and circled down into Italy then another sharp turn about up the east coast of Italy and west along the land between the Alps and the Mediterranean into the Pyrenees.

The Visigoths, Vandals, and the Germanic Franks lived side by side in the Pyrenees before Rome entered the area.

In 470 the Visigoths were the most powerful group in western Europe, the king seized leadership by the time honored method of murdering his brother and then conquered Spain and crossed back to occupy Provence. His son, was no match for Clovis, who was from the ancient Merovingians who traced their lineage to a sea monster to the gods. Clovis had a Christian Burgundian wife. Clovis captured Bordeaux and Toulouse - slaughters the Frankish chiefs, and then he goes on to crush the Alemanni and the Visigoths as well as he stops the Ostrogoths at Arle

This books says the Goths were in southern Russia and overrun by the Huns - there were Christian Goths who made an alliance with Constantine, who granted them land in present day Bulgaria. Early, north of Rome were tribes like the Goths, Franks in the lower Rhine, Alemanni in the Upper Rhine. The Danubian Goths were the first to encounter Christianity and many were brought to Rome where they turned the Romans into 'brothers' There was even a bible translated into Gothic - these Christian Goths were actually the influence at the Council of Nicea in 325 to say Jesus, the son of God was the same essence as the Father and so, we have the beginning of the controversy over the Trinity that lasted till 1439 when the East–West Schism of 1054, (the break between the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox churches), ended.

OK hoped that helped - a lot more names than I ever imagined when I first got into all of this - did not follow through but have books about each of these groups. The Goths, Visigoths, the Vandals, the Franks and so forth.

PatH · « **Reply #19860 on:** March 10, 2019, 06:06:41 PM »

Now I'm really confused. Obviously, the only way to make sense of it is to sit down and make some sort of flow chart or table. And then there's the outlier, the Finnish and Hungarian languages are closely related, but totally unrelated to any Germanic or Romance language. Where did these people come from?

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #19861 on:** March 10, 2019, 07:45:31 PM »

丝绸之路的阴影是开放的，过来加入我们
Sīchóu zhī lù de yīnyǐng shì kāifàng de, guòlái jiārù wǒmen
The Shadow of the Silk Road is Open, come on over and Join Us

http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=5336.0

bellamarie · « **Reply #19862 on:** March 10, 2019, 10:00:40 PM »

Annie, I am so sorry to hear your diagnosis of glaucoma.

Today was blustery and freezing, so I stayed in all day curled up on my couch in pjs, cozy jacket, blanket and my warm dog Sammy. I forgot to set my bedroom clock up an hour, and woke up too late to go to church. Don't think I would have gotten out even if I did get up on time. I am so tired of being cold.

We have been working on remodeling my kitchen these last couple of weeks. Hubby and I stripped all the wallpaper, and painted the ceiling and walls. Now for decision making...Oh geez I think I am overwhelmed with tying to choose new counter tops. Quartz, granite, solid surface, Corian, or Laminate? Then comes the choice of colors.... not to mention choosing a black splash. I told my hubby I needed a day off, so I worked on my journaling my books. I also scrolled back through all your recommendations, and made a list of TBR titles. I have about thirty books on this list. Looking forward to tackling some.

The birds woke me up the other day, chirping in my bush outside my bedroom, so Spring can't be too far off.
Ya'll think Spring!!!

Frybabe · « **Reply #19863 on:** March 11, 2019, 07:20:26 AM »

Oh great. More confusion. Runciman mentions the Goths, but doesn't say much about their movement or being overrun by the Huns, Most of the other groups he does not mention at all, probably because they didn't affect the area around the Baltic much if at all. He does mention the Burgundians, or at least I assume it is them spelled slightly different. I know from other reading they migrated down from the Scandinavian area into what was is now Hungary and then eventually got pushed west into Gaul were they end up with Burgundy in France. Pat, that might explain the Finno-Turk reference in his book. What amazes me is that with the population although not that large world-wide the various tribal groups still felt the need to find greener pastures or were pushed out of their lands by others expanding into their territories. And we haven't even got to the Mongols yet. I don't think we see a lot of that anymore, and we have billions on earth now, not just millions as back then. The continued study of Linguistics and migrations of languages as well as DNA studies probably have changed the migration maps since 1930. Runciman mentioned several times that the information available was often vague or incomplete, and that names of people and places, changed depending on who had originally written the surviving information down. I assume, since most people couldn't read or write, that those that could noted down names as best they could from what they heard, and some of that information was probably second-hand or more, changing as those passing the info on could pronounce them.

Frybabe · « **Reply #19864 on:** March 13, 2019, 10:40:48 AM »

Another interesting book just released. The Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books by Edward Wilson-Lee. Such an intriguing title.

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Catalogue-of-Shipwrecked-Books/Edward-Wilson-Lee/9781982111397

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #19865 on:** March 13, 2019, 04:19:06 PM »

joined and got a free ebook - thanks

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #19866 on:** March 16, 2019, 07:21:49 PM »

Well time to choose another pair of books from my Read and Go challenge - the last two were quick reads that I finished just before we started reading here Shadow of the Silk Road - I had the one in my pile for a couple of years - Karen White's The House on Tradd Street. Not bad at all - I was not looking forward to the idea of reading a novel that involved Ghosts but this ended up not be soapy or gruesome - Shades came and go and yes, there was a bad ghost along with others who were either benign or protective or friendly and they came and went without a lot of fanfare - and the typical boy meets girl but the story had a bit more meat to it and Karen White writes well - the other was the short essays of the various Ghostly sightings in and around Austin - a few that were new to me - like all these sightings, only a few people see them and only at certain times. Read both books in about 4 days and these next two may not be a whole lot of difference for time.

I had a book about orchards and another that weaves in and out vineyards in Tuscany but saw this and just could not pass it up. The Umbrian Thursday Night Supper Club by Marlena de Blasi. Four elder ladies from the community meet weekly over dinner and share their stories in the heart of Italian wine country. And for my non-fiction I'm either going to get to the book on the Peach Orchards that I did not read earlier, instead reading the Rustic French Cookbook - or I may do a half and half - a play that is not a novel but not a true non-fiction either - Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard. I've read a couple of his plays but not this one.

hats · « **Reply #19867 on:** March 17, 2019, 09:25:46 PM »

Well, I've been in a reading rut. Reading about Tuscany would feel great. I've always thought of it as a beautiful place. I will write the title down. I love to read about ladies in clubs. At the moment, I can't think of an exact title. Also, finishing up The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau has been wonderful. I have enjoyed each novel written by Nancy Bilyeau. The last one finished is The Blue. Oh, I must mention again Washington Black Great! Another book by her is Half Blood Blues. It's Historical Fiction at its finest. Each of these aare written by Esi Esuygan. Now, I'm reading The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton. Too early to write anything about this novel.

Frybabe · « **Reply #19868 on:** March 19, 2019, 11:18:20 AM »

Well, I guess this was inevitable. Our library system has a new service called Kanopy. It is a streaming movie service. We are allowed to stream up to 4 movies a month.

hats · « **Reply #19869 on:** March 19, 2019, 12:03:18 PM »

I'm still reading The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau. It's one adventure after another adventure. Yummy! We're trying to find the crown of King Athelstan. It's been a long search. As always, Novice Joanna Stafford is very, very brave. Now meeting Katherine of Aragon.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #19870 on:** March 19, 2019, 01:15:16 PM »

I looked up The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau - interesting concept hats, a bit of mystery, crime, religious history, a period piece all rolled into one.

On Saturday my eMail of reduced cost eBooks included Stormy Cove by Bernadette Calonego - Started to read the bit that is free and could not put it down so I purchased it for a dollar and read all day into the night - I guess it was a crime mystery but the setting was Newfoundland and the description of the people, and their way of life was riveting. A couple of times I thought of Jonathan who lives somewhere in that part of the world.

These were fishermen. The story also included an ancient dig with archaeologists as characters. The story included an island with its story, that folks never knew if it was true or not, about a French princess who was left on the island with her child, nursemaid, and her lover/husband, who her father disapproved - they all died except the princess that the father rescued two years later. Turns out to be a true story as the main character does research on the history of the place she finds an old book written about the incident that includes the story when the daughter returned to France.

The main character is from Vancouver, the other side of Canada, on the Pacific. She is a photographer that is there for months to catch the different seasons for a book of photos about the land and the people she has been contracted to create. Involved in the story is her own connection to Germany that connects to the stories of German subs in the harbor during WWII along with other characters from Germany that heighten the 'who done it' factor. She is leasing a house that has its own story, or rather the past owner had his story. Of course a girl meets guy thing but a couple of deaths and the sinister way fishermen have of deposing of bodies they do not want found plus, a few family feuds that involve death and crime - it just went on and on.

The one critique I had was there were so many characters I could not begin to keep them straight and so I just kept reading. The essence of the story stayed with me and the descriptions of the land and the sea stayed with me all day Sunday and yesterday, Monday.

Now I'm ready to move on - need to read the two chapters in our discussion book Shadow of the Silk Road and start my, Read and Go challenge book, The Umbrian Thursday Night Supper Club by Marlena de Blasi. Both are on my desk. I'm finding I like reading now at my desk with the computer in front of me to look up words, places, people and events. Never did take to these hand held devices - even the kindle is to me a pain - you keep tapping and tapping and tapping - no fun- rather read it online where there is a full page of print before I need to do any tapping but still best of all is reading from an actual book.

bellamarie · « **Reply #19871 on:** March 20, 2019, 11:04:18 AM »

hats, Seems The Clockmaker's Daughter is the most recent favored read, with many of my other book club member's. Let me know what you think, I am thinking of reading it myself. I've never read any of Nancy Bilyeau's books.

Frybabe, How exciting to hear your library is streaming online movies. I will have to check to see if any of my local libraries are offering this. I just don't go to the theaters like I used to.

Barb, Oh my, yet another book taking place in Canada. Sounds interesting.

I have to say our kitchen remodeling has brought me to a standstill with reading. I have spent more time reading Lenten meditations, and prayers though, so I am not a lost cause.

ginny · « **Reply #19872 on:** March 21, 2019, 07:24:48 AM »

Greetings from Rome! I’m actually in the airport waiting to go to Lyon , France. What I really have been wanting to tell you about is the new book that I’m carrying all over with me. Honestly I’ve never read anything like it in my life. Strangely enough I bought it in London but a friend of mine had told me back in South Carolina that her church bookclub was reading it and how good it was. I don’t know how any bookclub could discuss it —-it’s just imdescribable. No description does it justice. So naturally I thought of you all right away because you’re so well read. Have any of you read Educated by Tara Westover?

I’m 3/4 of the way through it, essentially because I can’t put it down. It’s a true story it’s totally addictive and—-I have no words. If you have read it I’d love to know your opinion.

It’s certainly one of a kind, stranger than fiction and well worth the time it takes to read it. No one could ever predict the plot, that’s for sure

Super book.

Frybabe · « **Reply #19873 on:** March 21, 2019, 07:32:26 AM »

Well, that explains why you've been MIA during Spring Break.

I've made a discovery while reading. In our Silk Road discussion, the author told about an asbestos mine he saw in Tibet. While reading the book about the first Bulgarian Empire, I discovered that the Romans, and much of the Near East knew about asbestos, including the lung disease that plagued asbestos miners. The Romans, used asbestos for a ton of things, including armor padding/lining, tablecloths and napkins. Common advise at the time was not to buy slaves who had worked the asbestos mines because they didn't live long. I'd love to see examples of objects made with asbestos from those times. I wonder if any survived. Ah, I feel another Internet search coming over me.

Speaking of A History of the First Bulgarian Empire, I discovered an online version of the book. The online book has been modified a little to make it easier to check the appendix and reference notes, and added maps (hurry!) which are not in the book. For anyone interested, http://s155239215.onlinehome.us/turkic/25Bulgars/SRuncimanFirstBulgarianEmpireBook1En.htm
Now I can send the ILL book back and finish reading the book online. I can concentrate on our Silk Road discussion.

bellamarie · « **Reply #19874 on:** March 21, 2019, 09:52:41 AM »

ginny, How exciting to be in Rome!!! Safe travels. I took a peak at the reviews of your book and it seems to be an interesting read.

Frybabe, funny you should bring up asbestos. My hubby and I have been remodeling our kitchen, our home was built in 1972. After watching the TV show Property Brothers and seeing how many older homes had asbestos in them, I actually got a little worried about ours. We do have those popcorn ceilings in some of our rooms. Why on earth would any builder choose to use a substance that is so harmful, especially in homes? Through my research, it appears it is not harmful unless disturbed. You must bring in professionals to remove it if you want to get rid the popcorn ceilings. Ughhh..... one more thing I did not need to worry about.

Frybabe · « **Reply #19875 on:** March 21, 2019, 11:55:11 AM »

Did that Bellamarie, when one of my steam pipes leaked. You can have a professional come in and take samples to see if it is in fact asbestos. My house is about 110 years old now. The pipe wrap looked suspicious to the plumber, who was used to working on old houses including this one, so I got the pros in to remove it. I didn't want to take the time to have someone come out to test it. It was a little pricey, not as bad as I thought, but it was worth it to watch these guys in action, not to mention being without heat for days longer. Fortunately, I had an electric room heater until they could get everything done. I rigged a sheet across the open archway and closed the kitchen and upstairs doors to keep the heat in at night. Another fortunate thing was it was just after the heat kicked in in the fall and wasn't anywhere near pipe freeze weather. Is it possible to nail drywall over the ceiling? My house is plaster, mostly. When I had the bathroom remodeled, the guys didn't remove the plaster ceiling, they nailed up drywall over it. As long as there are studs to nail the dry wall into, it should be fine. Just a thought. Oh, and here, if the house is older that a certain age, the remodelers have to take special precautions because of the possibility (probability) of lead paint in the older layers.

Mkaren557 · « **Reply #19876 on:** March 21, 2019, 01:02:49 PM »

Ginny et Al

I have indeed read Educated. As far as I am concerned, this was non-fiction at its best. The subject matter is brutal, but very compelling. It is the best-written book of the past year.

bellamarie · « **Reply #19877 on:** March 21, 2019, 06:13:16 PM »

Frybabe, I don't have any plaster, all drywall in my walls and ceilings, so I think I am okay. I was just talking with my brother in law at lunch today, who worked for a company who dealt with remodeling, and he also mentioned about having a pipe enclosed with asbestos. It is usually in older homes, I think they stopped using it by the time my house was built in 1972.

Karen, it's nice to hear from you. I hope you are doing well.

ginny · « **Reply #19878 on:** March 22, 2019, 03:27:54 AM »

I agree, Karen. And of course the eternal Books curse – the very minute you mention something -I thought I’d be all right waiting 3/4 of the book —here we come on scene of violence and the brother obviously had some issues . How could the whole family not have issues actually? Some people say oh that’s all made up ....I don’t think so ....i’ve seen that type of thinking without the violence, myself elsewhere. I think she’s telling the truth —-it’s just something!! Would love to hear a psychologist or psychiatrist on our some of it though.

Frybabe, MIA? That’s what spring breaks are for, aren’t they?

I was surprised that you said that though because I had two people from your class and only in your class wrote to say I want to hear more about your trip when you get back so, if you check post 26 in the assignments you will see a mention of Italy. It concerns the NLE you may not have read that. I personally felt that was all I did talk about it but I guess if you make 19 mentions of it in 19 classes you ARE continually talking about it.

Oh and this is the time to go this is it the weather is glorious.

Bellamarie, it’s a wonder you’re not pulling your hair out. For some reason home improvements drive me up the wall—can’t stand it just noise and people and clutter and Argh! REALLY gets on , as they say, my last nerve.

Karen, of all the characters in the book some of them seem to have physical explanations for the fact that they’re not mentally well, ( or do they really?)...Dad alone did not seem to have any causative physical reasons. – what do you think, or tell me, in the last quarter of the book is his motivation revealed or are we just stuck with this person? Or I should say are these unfortunate people stuck with this person?l

I think this exists in a lot of places we would be surprised to hear about in lesser degrees. Maybe it is something people could discuss. Because for instance how did she manage —was it her mother?

Oh well it’s early morning here I’m going to see if I can get to Arles and back alive.

Frybabe · « **Reply #19879 on:** March 22, 2019, 07:08:36 AM »

you are right about me not reading the NLE info. I've never been real interested in taking it. Even so, I might have seen the mention and promptly forgot it. I seem to be more forgetful lately.

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