The Library

[PatH]

The Library Our library  is open 24/7; the welcome mat is always out. Do come in from daily chores and spend some time with us.

[PatH]

That's beyond my power level, alas.  It'll have to be Jane.

Judy, if you end up being able ton see this, I've missed you, would love to have you back.

[PatH]

Jonathan, are you serious about wanting to discuss The Dream of the Red Chamber?  It has 40 main characters to keep straight.  (No, I haven't read it, just looked it up.)

I like the caterpillar too, but he told me he's actually a bookworm.

[bellamarie]

PatH., I just looked up the book as well, and sounds like a huge task to take on.  Not sure I am up to that any time in the near future.

I like the book worm. 

[PatH]

Never fear, Bellamarie, I'm pretty sure I'm not capable of leading it.

[PatH]

Over in the non-fiction section a new poster, jep142, has described two interesting-sounding books by Boris Johnson, one about the Roman Empire, and why it succeeded for so long, the other history of the Latin language, how it changed, and its influence.  I had no idea that in addition to being a Prime Minister he is a writer and classics scholar, capable of holding his own in a debate with Mary Beard.

[jane]

Annie...have Judy Laird email me...

janeiowa@gmail.com

and I can reset her password if that's what's keeping her out.

[ANNIE]

Will do, Jane!

Called Judy and she hopes you can help her!  Gave her your email address. Says they don’t let her use her password. 

[ANNIE]

PatH, I just texted you all about Boris Johnson.  Sure hope you text!🤓💕

[Jonathan]

'forty main characters'!!! That does sound formidable. I tossed it into the ring, not knowing too much about the book. I caught a reference to it, while reading Harold Acton's Memoirs of an Aesthete. He spent several years in China in the 1930's, teaching English literature while learning about Chinese lit. The heroine, Lin Tai-yu, he reports, was 'the ideal sweetheart of the average student....she has had a greater influence in China than Werther  in Europe.'

Perhaps we should read and discuss Goethe's classic Die Leiden Des Jungen Werthers. Fewer characters.











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[BarbStAubrey]

Interesting there are several editions of The Sorrows of Young Werther for the Kindle at .99 and one for only .60 and also there are two but one for again only .99 that is one side in German and the adjacent side in English. Plus the book was made into a movie - I wonder if there is anything on Youtube --- But then are you really wanting to read at this time the Sturm und Drang of an impossible young man? Have you read it Jonathan? Did you read it during the summer or during the dreary end of winter to match the woe is me? Oh dear...

As much as I would love to read one of Boris Johnson's books I have not found any in my local library - there may be one in the big downtown library but the Homeless/Drug Addicts took over downtown and I'm not as steady on my legs any longer to risk being jostled or even yelled at since the laws were relaxed and they pretty much run downtown as their private living, sleeping and outdoor bathroom quarters. So far the one Johnson book I ordered is taking weeks and weeks for shipping - of course a full price book would be delivered within a few days.

[bellamarie]

If we are considering books for future discussions I would like to suggest, The Clockmaker's Daughter.  

[PatH]

I'll check it out, Bellamarie.

[ANNIE]

Jane, have you heard from Judy Laird?

[jane]

Yes, Annie, and I changed her password and emailed it to her yesterday.  I asked her to email me if she had a problem, but I've not heard from her and had hoped she'd posted.

[ANNIE]

Jane, Judy just called and she can’t find the reply button on her computer. I’m calling her back. Later!!!

[ANNIE]

She got back in with her new password and has read your post but says that the reply button isn’t
Coming up. So she can’t answer you.  I tried to help her but she says it’s not there. Can you send
By email a picture of the SL page in the library.  Maybe that  would help her.  I feel like the blind leading the blind is failing!🤓🙏🙏🙏

[jane]

Two things can cause someone not to see the REPLY button.  #1. They are here, but are not logged in.  One must be logged in to post.  #2. The poster isn't at the end of the messages in the group.  You must have read through all messages to the end to see the REPLY button.

Here's what I sent her:

[Frybabe]

My reply button is both at the bottom and at the top of the page, just below and above the messages and to the right of the page.

[Dana]

I have read the first volume of The Story of the Stone, also known as the Dream of the Red Chamber. I forget how many volumes there are. I enjoyed it .  The names are a big challenge.  There was a list at the back of the book and i had to keep checking it throughout. It is a story about a very rich family and all their servants and hangers on, and then they lose their wealth...but that did not happen in volume one! Which was good because it was fascinating to read about how the very very rich lived in 18th century China.
 Because it comes from a completely different culture and time you really do feel you are in an alien world. Nothing is explained in western terms, you are just immersed and on your own to make sense of it. But the people are people, its the customs that are strange!

I am presently reading A Suitable Boy  by Virkram Seth, and I noted that he says the book that most influenced him in writing it was The Story of the Stone.  His book should be in volumes too, it is enormous, apparently it is the longest non volumised novel in the world!!   And you are also immersed in an alien culture...India in the early 50s just after partition.  It would be an easier book to read in a book club than The Story of the Stone although still a challenge maybe because of its length.  It is fun to read...about 4 families, their loves and disasters and the Indian scene of the time.  Its quite funny as well, the author writes well and has a nice sense of humour.  You do have to keep googling Indian terms and words that he uses.  The internet is so super for that though, its no problem.  Its not  as strange as the Chinese one , I guess I'm saying, although  I can see how he was influenced by it.

[PatH]

Thanks for the descriptions, Dana; that's a big help.  If you still have the book around, who was the translator of The Story of the Stone?  I'll see if I can get hold of a copy to read.  But it sounds too ambitious for a discussion.

A Suitable Boy has been on my TBR list for a long time.

[jane]

Thanks, Frybabe... I never noticed that!🤓

[Dana]

It's a penguin paperback and it's translated by David Hawkes.  There are 5 volumes in all.  The first one is 500 pages, so, quite a read. 

[BarbStAubrey]

Well I've had it - seldom maybe once or twice have I ever purposely not finished a book - but enough for me after seven chapters of The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers. I do not have an issue with gays or trans - many of our local news reporters and on air weather reporters are gay as well as a few Real Estate agents and brokers - just attended the wedding of a gay couple who are Real Estate brokers - but some gays are drama queens that use their wit in a nasty way and are bent on diminishing others with flamboyant language - hate it -

I never really enjoyed the Brit Com Vicious - but the main characters, retirement home inhabitants are that dramatic flamboyant nasty full of one liner zingers that is supposed to be funny - sorry I do not find nasty, in any form, funny and this book come to think of it could be the prototype for Vicious - the difference instead of Ash the straight and naive guy upstairs there is Cecilia, the orderly who hides her facial scares from a horrific auto accident - so far nothing uplifting about this story - the characters are full of their own ego plus they toss around their past sexual history like candy - and the staff is trying to get into each others pants or they too flaunt their own gay behavior. I'm just not there...  The bit of the story that was enjoyable is the setting as described as quite lovely - An old mansion purchased and refurbished by the lover of one of the current male writers and who died before his partner only recently came to the retirement community - all in all I'm not reading any further - too many books I want to read to have time for what I consider trash.

While last night I read a quicky that I did enjoy by Rhys Bowen who wrote Tuscan Child - well one of her earlier books, The Victory Garden was a great read - during WWI upper middle class family - son killed in war and tight grip on their only other child, a daughter approaching her 21st Birthday - Next to their estate is an older and grander estate that had been turned into a hospital - the mother, weekly brings homemade cakes and cookies brings her daughter in toe to help distribute the home baked cakes. During one visit the daughter is not under her mother's eagle eye and an Australian pilot catches her eye - secretly they maintain a friendship till they are found out when she invited him and couple of his friends to her all out 21st party - because of the war she was not presented at court so mommy makes up for it -

After they were caught the mother and father, a local judge whose only emotion left appears to be anger, makes sure the pilot is transferred to another hospital - she makes a break for it and since the hospital is no longer using volunteer nurses she joins the Woman's Land Army and the story takes off from there - it would make a good TV movie - not enough for a big screen movie today but, a TV or even a 4 or 5 week series - no one is nasty or sexy for show - even those characters who you want to throttle don't make you feel like squirming.   

[nlhome]

Slough Horses by Mick Herron:  I think Frybabe said she was reading that. Thanks. It's a different take on spy stories, and I am enjoying that.

Also another by Faye Kellerman:  Straight into Darkness. I am finding that very interesting.

Thanks for the suggestions. I haven't been able to read as much as I'd like, but those two books are keeping my interest.

We just had a referendum in our city, seeking approval to build a new library. The referendum did pass, not a big margin but not one to quibble over, but now the city has to decide how they will go about it. Location is an issue. In the city center, keeping our downtown viable, or on the outskirts, and in what direction? How do we make it easy for the actual users, especially school children, to get to it?What I find interesting is that the most critical of the library, the location, the services the library provides are either non-users or located outside the city. While we do serve a large area, the physical library is strictly a city property, paid for by city taxpayers.

[BarbStAubrey]

Interesting how folks want to put in their Two Cents isn't in nlhome and seldom are they thinking of the readers or as you say the taxpayers - ah so - folks like to use their freedom of speech that soon becomes a fight over opinion that is considered by many their being relevant -

Just ordered and now I wish I just downloaded How to Kill a City: Gentrification, Inequality, and the Fight for the Neighborhood   A new zoning code is being pushed that many who have lived in Austin all their life or for many many years are really upset over - it caters to the big investor who have been picking up of course the least expensive property that is always the poorer part of town and now we have no place left for low income housing -

Hoping to read the book and pass it on which is why I chose the book form - However, my thinking is the author will be preaching to the choir - I am happy to find this and two other books on the subject - when you have a gut feeling it is nice to have professionals backing up your thoughts. 

[bellamarie]

It's interesting reading nlhome and Barb's post about location, and reasoning for where they place a library, or zoning codes. 

I live near the Michigan/Ohio line, in Toledo, Ohio.  For some reason our powers that be, in the past few years have declared our area, "North" Toledo, a less important area, so they decided to allow many "Gentleman Clubs" aka strip joints, be placed in our area, and then decided to buy up vacant land just a few miles from our sub division, to build a new county jail. 

I'm not against living near jails, but our jail in the downtown area is better located for all the services needed, such as the court house, bail bondsmen, mental health facilities, bus transportation, etc.  Our District 6, formed a group named, "Keep The Jail Downtown."  We attended council meetings, as they were purposing the layout of the new jail to be built in our area.  We were protesting this jail, not only because of the lowering of our house values, but because the jail would pose a threat to the five schools, day cares, children entertainment places like Putt Putt golf, Playzone, and the nearby parks the children frequent.  While I was talking to our County Commissioner after a public meeting, I asked how he intended to fund this new jail, if the levy did not pass in November.  He was very smug, and said he had ways to fund it.  I asked if the levy does not pass, meaning we, the voters, home owners, schools and businesses, do NOT want this jail in our neighborhood, would he still go ahead with this site?  He side stepped my question numerous times, deflecting to other topics.  I continued to ask the exact same question, each time he finished deflecting. He finally very arrogantly said, "Yes!  The jail will be built on that site." 

Our newly formed group, "Keep The Jail Downtown" had to come up with 10,000 legal signatures of registered voters living in our District 6, in order to get our referendum to be listed on the ballot, to allow the people to decide if they could build on this site.  We had just 3-5 months, to accomplish this task, and it was not easy to explain to people, who did not actually live close by, but they were still a part of our district, why we were rejecting this jail to be built at this site.  We went door to door, we showed up at local libraries, baseball games, anything happening that would draw lots of people throughout the summer events.  We met our goal and extra, assuming they would throw some signatures out for various reasons.  We then attended a meeting to present and request our issue be placed on the November ballot.  The County Commissioner, of course had their lawyers there, who came up with different reasons why our group could not legally be taken seriously, telling us it would not be placed on the ballot.  We appealed to the state supreme court, and they ruled in our favor, that the issue would be placed on the November ballot. 

Lo and behold, the Board of Elections said we had missed the deadline, and could not have it on the ballot.  The court stepped in again, said we would be allowed a special election for our issue to be voted on in February 2019.  Again, we had to go on local television shows, radio, social media, every place we could reach the voters, to let them know to get out and vote to keep the jail downtown.  Come February of last year, our day to vote approached, my hubby and I got up and went to vote, and we were concerned because there just did not seem to be enough people showing up.  We waited with much anxiousness for the polls to close and the results to come in. 

"Voting ended at 7:30 p.m. with a total of 16,436 ballots cast, including absentee ballots. That’s about 9 percent of the city’s 182,451 registered voters, said Theresa Gabriel, deputy director of Lucas County’s elections board."

We won!!!!  David slayed Goliath!! The referendum now states, the jail must remain in the downtown area, and it lays out the exact location it requires. No other neighborhood has to worry about fighting this issue ever again.  We were the third area targeted in the past ten years. The site today still remains vacant, and the millions of dollars the County wasted in purchasing this land is a lesson to them, to never discount what a small group of caring, proactive voters can accomplish. We were few, but many. 

Oh and by the way, the voters in the November election, voted down funding this new jail also. Moral of this story.... don't think you can't take on the big Whigs of government.  They wanted this jail out of downtown, because they are revitalizing the downtown area, building expansive high rise condos, for the wealthy to enjoy the new "green environment."  I'm all for the improvement of this area, but don't come devaluing our area.



 

https://www.toledoblade.com/local/politics/2019/02/26/Election-results-favor-Keep-the-Jail-Downtown-Toledo-proposal/stories/20190226155

[PatH]

Bellamarie, that’s an impressive battle story. I’m amazed you won—you sure had to persist. I like your story of asking and asking until the commissioner admitted it was a done deal.

[bellamarie]

PatH., Yes, I was not going to let him deflect, I wanted him on record, in front of a room full of voters.

So, with this Coronavirus, my hubby and I have been staying at home, not eating out as much, and so there is lots more time to read. Just saw Tom Hanks and his wife Rita are in Australia and have been tested positive for the virus and are in quarantine. I hope ya'll are taking precautions, and remain healthy.

[Frybabe]

I have not been reading/listening to much of anything the last week. But I did start a short audiobook of Lois McMaster Bujold's early short stories. I will soon start listening to Age of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan, second in his Legends of the First Empire series.

I finished reading Winter Loon by Susan Bernhard. It is a coming of age story about a boy with a very dysfunctional family, including drunks, suicides, abandonments, and living in a closed minded, judgmental. bigoted  town.  The boy is ashamed and confused, and not at all unusual for youngsters, blamed himself for much of the failings of others. When he does find a few people that treat him well and don't look down on him, he distrusts it, he distrusts himself. The author grew up in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana where some of the story took place. This is her first novel. Well done. Looking for more. And, hey, it wasn't even a SciFi.

[BarbStAubrey]

So glad frybabe for the run down on Winter Loon by Susan Bernhard - I have it on my Kindle - one of those books they were practically giving away a couple of months ago that I had heard of the title and so I went for it without really looking into the blurb to find out what it was all about. Been organizing the books on my kindle and been reading a few of the light reads that I can read in one sitting - some have something to say but others what they have to say is already common knowledge however, they are a good break from some of the other books I've been reading like How To Kill A City, Gentrification, Inequality and the Fight for The Neighborhoods. - been struggling through The Political Economy of Development It takes really understanding all the financial groups created after WWII and the world power they have put together.

[bellamarie]

Well, things have gotten a bit real for our country with this Coronavirus.  Our state has shut down all schools, and has placed a ban on any gathering of 100+ people or more, until April 6th.  I hope you all are taking precautions, and staying healthy.  I have a slight cold, and am staying inside my house for now.  We did a Kroger Click List, so we are all set for groceries.  I am a stay at home kinda person anyways, so this doesn't seem like a burden for me.  My hubby loves getting out daily, since he is retired and needs the contact with others, but he will have to also limit his places he goes for now. I hope for all, this passes as quickly as possible.  Stay safe, and wash your hands!   

[PatH]

It's good to hear from the three of you; I was wondering how everyone was.  I'm staying healthy so far--cancelled my trip back to Portland, which was supposed to be yesterday, and am staying in or around my home.  Things are shutting down like crazy here, schools, museums, public performances, the cherry blossom parade, etc.  I don't think there's a ban on gatherings of over 100, but except for houses of worship and supermarket lines, you'd have trouble finding one.

Bellamarie, I'm very good at hand washing, but terrible at not touching my face.  Wisps of hair float forward, and I flick them away without thinking.  It would take wearing a catcher's mask to stop me.

Frybabe, you mean there's something besides sci-fi?  I'll have to look into that.

[PatH]

What about the rest of you?  Peek in and tell us you're OK.

[BarbStAubrey]

Pat sounds like the Northwest has more cases then many of the other states - What this run on TP is all about I still cannot figure it out since diarrhea in not a symptom - there are a few photos of folks trying to resell with no luck -

I sure would not want to be a young parent today with the job expecting some work to be accomplished using the computer at home and having 3 kids running around with all that pent up energy.

The different responses are startling - here a crowd not to exceed is 250 - some schools are adding a second week to Spring break and others 2 days - some movie theaters are halving the number of viewers allowed and others are not - grocery markets that are usually open from 6: AM to midnight are now open from 8:AM to 8: PM but no closure of the Texas State Parks and all restaurants are open for business -

Since the virus does not thrive in the heat or the sun it should be only a few weeks and it will all be over. 

[Jonathan]

'...the virus does not thrive in the sun.'  Thanks for the information, Barb. It was nice to see that, having just come into the house after sitting in the sunshine for an hour. Perhaps there's more useful information in these two books I've found in the house:The Black Death, that scourge of the 14th c, by John Hatcher; and The Great Influenza, of a hundred years ago, by John Barry. Should I find some I'll pass it along. Stay healthy.

[PatH]

What, Jonathan, you're leaving out Defoe's A Journal of the Plague Year?

Take care of yourself and stay well.

[Dana]

That's a wish or hope but it is unknown if the virus will be affected by warmer temperatures.

[bellamarie]

Barb, I'm not sure if you are not as affected due to the warmer state you live in.  Florida and California have been hit.  I do know the experts say the warmer weather will slow this all down.  Let's think Spring!!

Jonathan, my hubby and I got out our patio furniture yesterday, and had some coffee on the patio, with the beautiful warmth of the sun on us.  Oh how good it felt.  We also take our daily walks with my dog Sammy.  It is so invigorating.

All Ohio/Michigan schools, restaurants, and bars are now closed indefinitely.  There is still carry out service.  New York just announced all movie theaters, casinos, and gyms will be closed down.  I am sure Ohio will follow that as well soon.  We just did a click list grocery shopping to stock up on food, since we have no idea if the stores will close.  They have shortened their hours so they can disinfect, and restock shelves.  I am staying off of social media and watching less TV, due to the overload and over hype that is going on.  I'm a pretty calm person in a crisis, but this 24/7 news coverage has gotten on my nerves.  I haven't read much lately, but intend to get to it today.  I don't think I could read anything that has to due with viruses or crisis at this time. 

This too shall pass..... ya'll stay in, stay healthy. 

[BarbStAubrey]

I've had this on as background and the similarities are many - it too happened just as we came out of the depths of the depression when there was hope again... we were visiting my grandmother in NY at the time and saw some of her neighbors leaving in the rain at night carrying bundles tied with rope - my father came home from his meeting and told my sister and I to go to bed and I remember the next day my family just shaking their heads as the news on the radio shared how thousands left some walking all going south...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzC3Fg_rRJM