The Library

[BarbStAubrey]

Well for heaven's sake - Thursday night PBS here has been Brit Coms and tonight they are starting with one of my favorites I have not seen in a few yers - 'Shakespeare and Hathaway' - Don't know if it will be a repeat or a new series but whatever I will enjoy...

There are only a couple of books I ever re-read - with so many new stories and new authors, I have been wanting to gobble them up more than re-read. I've always been caught in my idea to learn how to speed read or not - so many books and authors I would like to know but then anything I've learned about speed reading seems more like skimming and I really like reading the sentences - some are just glorious

Finally started to read again - could not pass up an inexpensive kindle version and downloaded Penelope Fitzgerald's The Beginning of Spring 1908 Russia - only just started the book and so far no dialogue of what is to come that was the explosive change in Russia that year - starts by describing family life in what appears to be upper middle class business owner, his English wife, who unexpectedly goes back to England with their 3 children - Haven't read much of Penelope Fitzgerald but her reputation as a writer is Stella -

Spent hours in the dentist today and so this is perfect along with PBS tonight since too worn out to do much else - plus it is cold - really cold and will be cold it appears for a whole week - shocked scooting from Dentist office to Paul's vehicle just how cold the wind is...today sun but for the next few days overcast and rain... house is toasty, I've lots of soup and yogurt and so reading my be my treat for the next few days...

I've also been reading a fascinating book The Invention of Power - Popes, Kings, and the Birth of the West - I had never realized the Holy Roman Empire had NOTHING to do with the Vatican - in fact they were at odds with each other - Charlemagne was the king pin that involved other nations and who were infringing on what the Church believed was their prerogative to select and place Bishops.

The power of Bishops become strong since the 2nd century - since most Bishops in having to have a place to live were deeded land and then to maintain  their household had to have land which involved power, a voice that they already had, their land ownership was free from taxes and in return the king's wishes were catered to, on and on all separate from the Pope - this all comes to a head in the eleventh century with a Conclave in Worms Germany and that Conclave is the beginning of not only the church in Rome entering the political scene rather than first being a center of theology, prayer, practices and tradition, now first is using and increasing power, negotiating toe to toe with the kings of the 'Holy Roman Empire' - 

To my amazement learning how it all comes down in the various European nations set the stage for wages to this day so that those who worked for the King and then were made Bishops by the Vatican had created a relationship that assured greater income compared to those European nations where the Pope chose from the ranks of priests and who never worked directly for the king - all sorts of direct correlations are included showing the affect through the centuries - I'm fascinated and to realize much of what Union workers fight over today as well as agreements worked out within the European Union is based on what came from this Conclave in Worms to me is astounding. The Conclave took place over a thousand years ago! 

[PatH]

Barb, we're reading about the same things, but first I can't resist a bit of humor about the Conclave of Worms.  The book I've been reading, and the one I remember from school don't use the word "Conclave" they use a synonym for such an assemblage, "Diet."  Schoolkids can get a lot of fun out of a "Diet of Worms."

[BarbStAubrey]

Pat the Diet of Worms was some 400 years later when it was all about Luther - this one is earlier in the early 12th century - actually I miss labeled it - the official is the Concordat - the Concordat is a Conclave since major meeting with secular power (Kings, rulers not of the church) and the Church usually the Vatican in Rome but also the Eastern Catholic churches is considered a Conclave.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concordat_of_Worms

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_of_Worms

A meeting of all inside the Church Bishops is called a Synod and a meeting of all Roman Catholic Cardinals is called a consistory - Vatican I and Vatican II were Ecumenical Councils since they were gathering of Cardinals, Bishops and other Church officials (usually referring to those in attendance from the Eastern Catholic Churches - they do not have Cardinals - Cardinals are advisors to the Pope in Rome much as we in our government have a cabinet that advises and handles the work of a defined area within the President's responsibility) to define the church's doctrine and discipline. Before Vatican I and II there were 7 Ecumenical Councils the first being in Nicaea, the year 325 -  your taking me back to religion class in Sophomore year High School.

[Frybabe]

I am currently reading one of the British  Library Crime Classics series called The Body in the Dumb River by George Bellairs. It is simply written without a lot of extraneous descriptive or emotional content. Light reading. Most of the over 50 books Bellairs (pen name for Harold Blundell) wrote in his writing career (1941 to 1980) were the Thomas Littlejohn detective series. Blundell's regular job was as a banker. I have one other of his books on my library wish list from this series. The other books from this series that are currently on my library wish list are two written by Michael Gilbert, and one each by Carter Dixon and Sebastian Farr. I managed to find the British Library series books after someone mentioned Sebastian Farr.

Amazon is discontinuing its "Download and Transfer" function. I am not sure, but I suspect it is trying to stop people from downloading their books and stripping their DRM (and newer restrictive coding) from e-Books and Audio books so that they can read/listen on non-Amazon devices and not have to worry about Amazon disappearing or altering a book after you pay good money for it. I don't know if you noticed, but Amazon has started posting a notice that you are not buying the book, but buying only the right to download and read or listen. Okay, so if you do not outright own the books but only the use of, why bother "buying" them when you can still use the online library systems for free or buy the print book?

[ginny]

Oh I really like Penelope Fitzgerald,  Barbara!  I’ve got all her books or I thought I did but I don’t remember that one.   Let us know how you like it. She’s very understated. Didn’t start writing till she was in her 80s I think —-something like that. Love her books. 


Are you were right,  Pat,  it does look like we did Bleak House here—- I can hardly believe it ——most people can’t get through the book!   At any rate there’s a lot of discussion on it with those sites where  people give their opinions of books and most of them  say they couldn’t get through it. It’s the book’s fault, of course. IT didn’t hold their interest.   I find that I didn’t get through the movie!!!  So I’m remedying that now, or trying to.  Charles Dance really does a performance there….

Poor Dickens. What a life he led and tried to expose.  Does anybody even read David Copperfield anymore? That is  one great book.  I remember visiting the Dickens  home— his home— in London. Man must have had  the legs of a mountain goat ——-stairs stairs stairs!

I’ve been very disappointed in some of the newer authors —-half of them grammatically are a mess to start with… All those free Amazon books, or extremely cheap  ones,  takes on BF Benson, for instance. Just because you can take a character and put it on the paper doesn’t mean that you are on a par with the master who conceived it and wrote about it first. 

Speaking of Conclave  which just won best picture at BAFTA,  have any of you seen the movie? Or more to the point,  have any of you read the book by Robert Harris?

I’m afraid Harris is not my favorite author…..but wait a minute!   Have I got him confused with another author? Who wrote the DaVinci Code? Oh!  Dan Brown!!! 

I haven’t read Conclave the book, and I didn’t get too far watching the movie on pay-per-view but I really do like Ralph- how  do you spell it  Fiennes?

In fact on The  DaVinci Code books  I recall being in a line an x-ray line to get on a plane in Rome and I had bought  a book in Greece when we had a very perilous bus ride, frightening cliff hugging ride,  and I asked the people behind me how they could stand it, and the wife said I’m reading The DaVinci Code  and it gets my mind off it. So I bought the paperback,  and  when the x ray attendant at the airport  saw it coming through he looked at it and looked at me and shook his head no. I agreed with him actually.

[Frybabe]

My sister, believe it or not, read David Copperfield long ago when she wasn't much of a reader. She has really gotten into reading since Jim died. She recently finished up all the Carol Goodman books I lent her and last year, she devoured the Daniel Silva books I had. The read she just finished, was a biography of Van Gogh. Now, that was a surprise. She wants to read a bio of another painter, Monet, I think.

I had intended on reading Bleak House but, as I recall, I didn't have enough time to spend on it then. Never did read it. I do remember the discussion of we had on Great Expectations though. Some of memorable discussions included Geraldine Brooks' People of The Book, our ongoing discussions of Story of Civilization by Will and Ariel Durant with Robbie as moderator, several Greek tragedies,  and our extended reading of the entire Raj Quartet by Paul Davis.

Conclave is in my very short movie watchlist on Peacock. I should watch it before it goes away.

[BarbStAubrey]

Looks like there are two books entitled Conclave - the one by Harris and another by Davis - both sound full of intrigue and on the edge of your chair reading. Never heard of Harris - hmm he is a a columnist and a TV commentator for the BBC - which says to me he should be able to write a nice clear sentence. Whoops found yet another Conclave by Greg Tobin - looks like Tobin wrote a whole group of novels that involve the Catholic Church.

For me the best about the DaVinci Code was a documentary on PBS where they went to the church, was it in England or Scotland anyhow an old church full of all sorts of sculpture that they saw featured in the book and other places like some natural spring featured in the book - forgot now all that was included but I do remember really enjoying the documentary - I did get the second book Brown wrote but frankly I have no memory of reading it and since I moved I still can't lay my hands on any book knowing exactly where it is located

My thinking is that when the DaVinci Code was published so much in the book seemed at minimum over the top and for some blasphemous - since  then much has unfolded more and more it feels like a schism in the works unless a new Pope can pull it together however, what still goes on because of the Vatican Bank is going to take far more than a return to the Tridentine Mass and other traditions.

Frybabe interesting that we do not buy a book but only the right to read a book - wow - like it or not I'm thinking at the price they are charging now for a Kindle copy of a book written by a good and current author I'd be better off spending a couple of more dollars and getting a hardback - at least with hardbacks when I cull books I can recoup a bit of money.

Did we read Bleak House at the same time PBS did that wonderful series of Bleak House - I'm sorta remembering reading it with those characters played in the series pictured in my head - I still picture that scene of the stormy night and Lady Dedlock dressed in black at Hawdon's burial ground, dead

Like bellamarie I think one of my favorites was A Gentleman in Moscow - during the pandemic so many scenes from that book came to mind and still do now that I've aged and no longer gallivanting all over driving hither and neigh. 

Well extensive dental work - just shy of 3 hours yesterday and where soup is easy it was not filling and so I've a grocery order coming any minute now with all sorts of frozen pasta dishes and more juices - till later...

[Frybabe]

I've read Harris's Imperium and An Officer and a Spy. The last must have been a library book because I don't see it on my shelves anywhere (sure I would not have given that away in the move). What I do have on my shelf is The Affair: The Case of Alfred Dreyfus by Jean-Denis Bredin. It is a thick book with plenty of photos and an index with plenty of notes and bibliographical references. And, of course, the whole book is in tiny print. Regarding Dan Brown's books,  It turns out that Angels and Demons is the first of a series of six books, and Da Vinci Code is the second. I read those two in reverse, but none of the rest of the series. The other two Dan Brown books I read are set in the US, Deception Point and Digital Fortress.

I was just thinking about Amazon and what they did to their book division last(?) year in England. What happened to all those E-books that the Kindle customers over there bought? I am just nosy enough to try and find out.

[Frybabe]

Barb and Bellamarie, I was bummed out to hear that the Pope has taken a turn for the worse again. Even though I am not Catholic, I always wish those who hold the title well.


I am in a bit of a quandary about cancelling a pre-order for an Amazon e-Book because of their latest (last straw?) changes regarding e-books, and I heard, but have not confirmed, audio-books. The book I am thinking of canceling will be the last of series, I believe, of the main Liaden Universe series which is due out in April. I have all the main sequence books but this new one. The deadline to use the Download and Transfer function on Amazon is Feb. 26. After that you will no longer be able to backup or transfer your e-books to another devise.

While the latest change will likely not directly affect me or even the majority of Amazon e-book customers, it is an even more restrictive maneuver. Some think it is an even more drastic effort than before to keep customers locked in to using Kindle devices. What it is doing is making their customers angry, even if they don't use the download and transfer function. Well, that just brings up the question of why would I continue to spend money on e-books when the purchase price is only for the use of, not ownership of, said books and audio.  I actually never used the function before (didn't know it was there), but I have backed-up books from Project Gutenberg that were in my original Kindle and to my Paperwhite when I got it. Now, I have all my original downloads from Gutenberg converted via Adobe Digital Edition to .eps to read in my Kobo when I bought that. It was easier than going back out to gutenberg.org to find and download the files of the books I had already downloaded for the Kindle. Kobo can directly link to Project Gutenberg.

[PatH]

I don't remember if many people bailed out of Bleak House, but I remember enough for a discussion all the way to the end.  It's the only Dickens book where the narrator/protagonist is a woman. I have a vivid memory of the picture  of Lady Dedlock in the cemetery, but am not sure whether it's from the movie, the book, or how I imagined it.
In addition to this and Great Expectations, we read Edwin Drood, the mystery story that was unfinished when Dickens died.  There are lots of guesses of the ending, and you can have a lot of fun trying to pick your own ending.

Frybabe, perhaps your sister will read David Copperfield again now. It's been a quarter century since I last read it; maybe it's time to have another look.
I get angry at bait and switch tactics like Amazon's latest.  Another reason for getting real, physical books.

The latest news of the Pope is he is "stable", whatever that implies. We can hope for the best.

[BarbStAubrey]

Lots of conflicting thoughts about Pope Francis - He has brought many controversial changes, some that many see as not carrying out intent and outright pandering to secular points of view - regardless, prayers for his best

Hadn't looked at Bleak House discussion in the archives but yes Pat, all the way to the end - one of his longer stories with a wonderful, unique and large set of characters of which I thought most were filled out and not just passing through.

Appears I never have downloaded on my kindle any books by Dickens however there are many I've read - probably in my collection but also thinking they were not books I was going to read again and so they were probably among those I culled and sold before the move. About all his stories have a 'bleakness' about them - not an uplifting time in history or at least he saw the seedy side of London and the climbing on each other's back that was part of English society in the late nineteenth century.

Just reviewed my kindle collection of what I call literature versus a novel and looking it over none of them are exactly what I would call cheery however two authors are at least tongue and cheek - both Anthony Trollope and Truman Copote oh and I guess a laugh out loud would be P.G. Wodehouse.

Well the opposite to probably many would say too cozy is All Creatures Great and Small which will be on TV in less than a half hour so I better get ready...

[PatH]

I enjoyed both the book and the movie of   All Creatures. Gorgeous countryyside too.  Enjoy, Barb.

[ginny]

 Those books were wonderful, weren’t they? Weren’t there a lot of them?   I enjoyed the entire series.

Still reading. Finished Notes  From a Small Island, Bryson’s  first I think book on wandering around Britain, and now I’m reading Bryson‘s Neither Here NorThere,  his travels in Europe. Since  I can’t travel I’m very much enjoying reading his accounts  to places I haven’t been,  or if it’s a place I have been,  nodding and smiling with his interesting remarks. I had forgotten he’s a little frank there with the vocab but it’s OK he’s also excruciatingly funny.

Uggg, dental work! Sorry, Barbara!   Did you know at one time the dental profession was the most hated profession in America? Poor guys, trying to help and can’t get a break.  I’ve always wondered what would attract a person to that profession?

Or some of the others I’ll leave unnamed.

 Am still enjoying grocery delivery.   Beginning to wonder how I ever got along without it. It does have its drawbacks. And of course there are fees. But I really think this delivery service stuff is a thing of the future, but it's now. I think probably Amazon was the harbinger of a revolution really because Walmart does it  now,  Publix does it now, as do most grocery scores here, Home  Depot does it now and all  of them do next day delivery—- at least here, and we're hardly in a metropolis.  It  is getting to be quite common. I saw something in the newspaper about Walmart hiring for  a new big distribution center out here somewhere. And I know there’s one very close  for Amazon  because I can get a book the next day even if I order it in the evening it is still here the next day! That  is incredible to me!

So you really don’t have to live in a big city like New York to have the services and convenience you’d like.  You can live way out in the country, or my conception of same, and still have,  as the British say, mod cons, of a new and different sort. 

If only the Walgreens delivery people could find our house it would be perfect.  But they can’t, and neither can Uber because GPS for some reason thinks we live in the middle of the vineyard. 

[Frybabe]

Ginny, I have grocery delivery too. I had it for a year, dropped if for two months, and then went back again. It is really nice not to have to lug heavy cat litter containers, water and beverages, and other items that in and of themselves are not heavy except for when you have a bunch to stock up on.

I just ran across something mighty interesting just released about 10 days ago from Simon & Schuster.

Jane Austen's Bookshelf
A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend
By Rebecca Romney

I am going to have to get it and then hunt down some of the works discussed in the book.

[BarbStAubrey]

Just downloaded a special on an older Agatha Christi that I had never heard of The Secret of Chimney's --- Interesting - only yesterday did I notice what you pointed out frybabe - the new books available that my Word 7 will not download do say they are not owned but borrowed - forgot the exact wording - where as this older Agatha Christi with an older publishing date DOES NOT say it is the property of Amazon or Kindle - the wording on the new books is not showing on this older book - hmmm

Just looked it up and yep, purchasing the Kindle version of A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend you are buying the license to read - hmm I wonder if Barnes and Noble are doing this - if not I can see a mass exodus to Barnes and Noble. Forgot what they call their version of Kindle

Tip - for years before grocery stores were delivering I used to and still do order my paper products and gallon jugs of cleaning products like Clorax from Amazon - having Amazon Prime no additional cost for shipping and I then avoided having to manhandling all those big bulky items or the heavy items and now I still order many things from Amazon since they are less expensive than the grocery stores especially since there is not the added tip or cost covering the shopper. My daughter still orders directly from Amazon nearly all her canned good that she still, even thought there is only the two of them she orders canned goods by the case - either a dozen or two dozen - yes, she has a huge pantry - being out in the middle of nowhere she does not have to run miles into Henderson to shop more than once or twice a month - local is a great weekly farmer's market with all fresh including each year a couple of kids who  take up the tradition of catching and selling fresh fish from the local river. After Helena this may change - like all the rivers in eastern NC the Green River is still a mess... However, a few years ago they arranged from some contact in Alaska for Salmon to be delivered and so Salmon is in the freezer.

OH oh nearly forgot - Ginny you'll maybe enjoy this since you enjoyed Seaside Hotel - a couple of the same actors are in another Danish production called Carmen Curlers not sure if true or not but about the first electric heating curlers that we used to roll our hair with - the wife of the guy who pushes and perfects the product is the young waitress who takes over the hotel in the early part of Seaside Hotel and the farmer who is the husband of the older women who evidently also sees to the success of the curlers is the businessman of the couple in Seaside who did not calibrate with the Nazi's and whose daughter takes over the seaside. Carmen Curlers us very different but I'm enjoying it... oh yes, it is a Prime movie

[Frybabe]

Barb, B&N sells the Nook. Kobo also has some highly praised E-Readers. Both of these can read .eps and .pdf files. I don't know for sure but you can still read any .eps file on any device that accepts it. Amazon, so far, is the only one that had been restrictive and has just become even more restrictive.

I've mentioned Project Gutenberg before, www.gutenberg.org  You can download several versions of .EPS files, Kindle, download an HTML zip file, and there is a plain text UTF-8 version. I don't actually know what that last is, never looked it up. No .eps file is specific to a particular platform, but EPS3 is for .eps readers that have a "Send to Kindle" feature.

An hour or so ago, my sister called. During our discussions, she mentioned that one of our local playhouses is doing Jane Austin's novella Lady Susan in May. I am not familiar with that one, but I intend on downloading it to my Kobo before deciding if I want to see the play.

[ginny]

I absolutely love Amazon prime and one reason I do is because,  for instance,  I like to eat lunch watching Escape to the Country, A British program which has been on TV for gosh, a  long long time. It’s lovely and they’ve got a little bit of history in every program. You  can really learn a lot watching it and you can see people retiring usually who are looking for their dream home at last and boy have they got some of them in Britain. And boy are the prices definitely in tune with what you’re looking at. But what I like about Amazon prime is if you watch this program on YouTube it is free but you have a devil of a time picking out the host of the program you want to see. I like almost all of them anyway, But I especially like Jules Hudson. 

Amazon Prime lists the programs by year and then they list the host of each episode just as if it were a movie of some sort.   I just discovered that last night and I really really like it.

I discovered it looking for the Curlers program that Barbara talked about and she is  going to have to tell me what happened because I didn’t get a minute into it. I’ll tell you how far I got: opening scenes, here’s mom living in what appears to be squalor,  she goes and gets a shotgun or what appears to be a shotgun or rifle, puts on her boots, muck boots up to her knees,  strides  very purposefully…. this is the opening minutes of the show.

They show pigs in a pen. The pigs look at the viewer. She strides purposefully, raises the gun and aims it…I can’t get to the computer fast enough to turn it off but I do see there are now two adolescent children with her, a boy and a girl.  She tries to hand the shotgun?  to the boy,  he’s going no, no.    And that’s where I finally got to the off button. Thank goodness. So can somebody tell me what happened? I’m not watching somebody shoot a pig.

SO different from Seaside Hotel.  We can see that I am getting VERY  old in my taste..

So I read Bill Bryson on Brussels. Absolute hoot—  he had me laughing so hard  I couldn’t go to sleep —his take on elevators in Brussels is priceless. And the funny thing about how he writes is  it doesn’t matter how many times you read it you see something in it different every time.  As Pat said.

 Who has not had an “elevator incident” sometime in their lives?   -

[Frybabe]

Ginny, have you read Bryson's books on America? I tried his In a Sunburned Country but couldn't get into it. I did like The Road to Little Dribbling and A Walk in the Woods a lot, though. Just checking FLP and it looks like they have renewed and added to their Bryson listing.  I don't see one specifically on Brussels but there is Neither Here nor There. I've added Seeing Further of my wish list.

Well, I started reading Lady Susan and from the get-go, I despised it. It starts with letters to female friends, but talks admiringly about all the men she is acquainted with including the husbands of the women she writes to . Flits about causing all kinds of family discord, ruins budding romances, etc. I believe one letter writer called her the greatest coquette he ever met. Well, sorry, not interested. So, no, I won't be seeing the play.

This morning I re-downloaded and started Over the Edge of the World by Laurence Bergreen. Right off the batt I re-learned the difference between the Gregorian and Julian calendars, and learned something about ship time keeping. It seems ships logs were started the day at noon, and other logs/diaries were often a day off further muddling the precise time during Magellan's travels.

Another book I have my had eye on for a while in the FLP offerings is An African History of Africa, From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence by Zeinab Badawi  It was released January 14 and has a wait list of six months.   

[BarbStAubrey]

that bit on how they are living on the farm is setting it up for the transformation that takes place after her austere, inexorable husband who is trying to hold the family and the farm together given their financial circumstances - which includes the teenage son having to wear his old suit cut to fit by a local tailor to his confirmation which evidently is a big deal - more so then graduating from school -

As the show proceeds the father has cancer and the mother cannot make up for the husband's strength and endurance plus they need money for his treatments, the mother ends up joining the team perfecting and pushing the curlers - not seen yet but the show touts how they all become very wealthy and so this mother, who helps her children face the reality of being as successful as they can be on a small farm with little money regardless of sentiment (the teenage boy is not a fan of killing animals either and does want his family and him to be better placed socially) the mother takes life by the horns even working for no pay but only commissions at the TV sales store owned (mortgaged to the hilt) by the guy who is perfecting and pushing the curlers...

Writing this I'm realizing part of the point of the series is it is a rags to riches story for all of them who are all on the bottom wrung of acceptability by society - the guy who sees his future in the curlers as a child was sent by his family to a tough boarding school or maybe it was an orphanage where he was the butt of the other boys who as grown men still see him as their inferior. The show shows the wonderful house of his childhood and then the bullying and meanness of the other boys till he runs away and is on his own when he is barely a teen. The series is following the ups and downs of how this group of actually misfits, all who have an immediate desire for a certain amount of money not even thinking of the kind of wealth they will be making, do what it takes to perfect and sell the curlers. 

Along the way the meet a group from America and learn, not using the word Tupperware but how the product is sold in someone's home, who invites all her friends and neighbors and so they try that  - without telling his wife he mortgages their home and uses all their savings but the engineers did not do their job and the curlers overheat - She abandons him - however, he and his partner, the guy (heavyset, probably gay) who worked in the local beauty parlor and who could see the curlers allowing beauticians to work more customers because of short time the curlers take to curl hair, between the two of them they go through hours and hours of finding those curlers that work and then sell door to door meeting an irate husband whose wife purchased a bad set and the irate husband  fixes the problem the engineers were supposed to fix - on and on these unlikely events propel the story on to what the series touts as their ultimate success that I'm expecting brings another set of unexpected issues and events.

It is well acted however not at all like Seaside... more like seeing the home-life of some of the delivery people delivering fresh shot game etc to the hotel kitchen and the actual business of the guy in Seaside who plays the farmer in this series - the Farmer during his illness shows his vulnerability and his fears becoming very easy to see why she supports him and wants him to beat his illness which Germany has a new but very expensive med that is bringing excellent results. 

Hmm the more I'm writing this I'm seeing the social stigma of poverty still defines your place that is reminiscent of the stories from 100 years earlier written by Dickens - this is the 1960s version in Denmark but they at least have something to believe in to improve their life other than hoping someone looks at them kindly, or takes them in, or they marry for protection and or money.

P.S. Remembering now I too had a similar reaction Ginny - I thought what in the world am I watching - have they mislabeled the movie and had to shut if off and go back and see what it said - but then I did turn it back on to see what was the connection - the first episode did not continue to be as brutal however does continue to show their 'place' as poor farmers in the community and the young teens experience with his mother trying to make happen for him what he wants but the father saying no way... by then the different cultural concept of what confirmation means and other differences had my curiosity churning

[ginny]

Barbara, I have to say I think you may have missed your calling! That movie review made ME want to skim the hog killing and give it another shot!

 (oops) hahahaa

Didn't mean the pun there.

Frybabe, no, I haven't read his American pieces, should I? I know he's from Iowa originally. I haven't read the Australian one either, should I?

The Brussels Elevator is in the Neither Here Nor There, which I wonder if I ever read at all.

What is that book you speak of? Seeing Further? I never heard of it and in looking it up I'm astonished to see Bryson has written one on Shakespeare and it's got rave reviews.   What more can one say about Shakespeare? I think I would like to find out.

Changing authors, has anyone here read the new one on the Civil War by the author of The Lusitania? Erik Larson? Everybody who read it can't stop praising it. Apparently it's also good reading in our current political situation.  I could never get into  The Devil in White City about the World's Fair (but have only put it temporarily  aside)  but I also could not put down the Lusitania. I learned SO much, and it's a wonderful suspense piece as well. Just horrific thing, and true.

I think I should have followed the lead of several of you and kept a diary of what I read. I bet you if I annotated right IN the book, ON the page  when I just read it last I would be astonished. I do NOT recall reading Neither Here Nor There, at ALL! (Maybe I didn't finish it or maybe I only read the sections that talked about where I had been). It's not as funny as his others, more nostalgic. But when it's funny, it's FUNNY and true.

[BarbStAubrey]

I was a big Rosamunde Pilcher fan - read just about all her books - even owned the huge book The World of Rosamunde Pilcher which at the time I was still reading from the library and the Drug Store had her books to borrow for 25 cents a week along with other currant authors. All that to say with nothing on TV last night I watched the movie version of September with Michael York and Mariel Hemmingway.

I know I read the book and yet there was not one thing about that story that jogged a memory - nothing - actually a simple enough story that they made into more than what it was with great actors and scenes done to the top of the chart - I couldn't but say after this two part over 3 hour movie that it did keep me glued however, I also realized I was watching fluff with a whole lot of dressing up - all that production over a suicide and a car accident 20 years before that conveniently covered the story of an abortion that granted back when Rosamunde Pilcher was writing still did not roll off the tip of anyone's tongue. I saw how the same sort of cultural values at the time was the driving engine of the story no different than Peyton Place however, Peyton Place was published in the 50s not in the 90s.

Still cannot believe I stayed with the movie - except again, it was well acted and the scenery was to die for - come to think on it there was this crazy lady, I think she was a maid back when the scandal erupted, who is carted off again to a special home but never could figure out what her character was all about. Well not the first movie based on a book that fell flat for me... However not to have any memory of the story!!??!!

[Frybabe]

Via an email from Simon and Schuster, I got reminded of Bookshop.org. They are now selling e-books as well as hardcopy. They also had a blurb about DRM which answered a question I had about e-book ownership. Just because an e-book is DRM free, it doesn't mean you own the book. All the DRM free means is that you can read the book in any e-book reader rather than being restricted to a particular brand of e-reader. At any rate, Bookshop.org seems like a nice alternative, especially because they support local independent books stores through their sales.

[BarbStAubrey]

hmm from what you just shared frybabe I've paid an awful lot for an extensive 'borrowed library' that allows me unlimited time with each book I 'borrow' - thinking on it, it is probably the way of things ever since the internet has opened more doors and windows for us - the only ones who appear upset by this are those of us who thought ownership had value - more and more I'm seeing young marrieds and young parents borrow from an outlet anything they need other than their forever daily needs.

[Frybabe]

How annoying! While typing my reply, Microsoft decided to download and install a security update. It crashed. Well, it is back now, but my post is lost and I have to start all over again.  Okay, let's try this again.

Your post reminds me of way back when I had a part time job at a department store. They had a liberal full refund return policy. The "downstairs" sales clerks used to complain about some of the more wealthy shoppers (mostly the women) who would buy an expensive dress, shoes or jewelry, and then after wearing it to a gala event, would return it, underarm stains and all, to the store for a full refund. One of the shoe department clerks mentioned a buyer or two who after purchasing and wearing the footwear would return it for a full refund. This store was one of the last, if not the last, to have a full refund policy.

What I can't understand is how, if you buy an eBook without a DRM, how they can track it if they want to edit or remove said book from your collection after you have transferred the book to a device other than the one it was originally downloaded it to. Does this mean that the print books we buy are also not ours? I don't see anyone complaining about donating print books or about used book stores reselling books. I take that back, maybe. Wasn't there some debate over that, too, years ago? Or am I misremembering? While I do agree that there needs to be some protections for the authors and publishers, I do not agree that sellers should have the right to limit your purchases to their devices only. Very occasionally, I do buy an eBook and then also purchase the hardcopy and vice-versa.

At any rate, many digital books are becoming a bit too expensive. I am finding some print books, although prices have become expensive too, are worth paying for over an eBook. On occasion I have found some (softcover mostly) books only slightly more expense. I continue to buy a number of print books or others that have maps, illustrations, photos etc. even after I got rid of many on moving and I have a much more limited space to shelve them. I occasionally mourn the loss of so many books, but most of them were already read, never to be picked up again, or that I have either no need for them (old school texts for example) or have lost interest in the subject matter.

[BarbStAubrey]

Probably not legal but bottom line you nor I have the were with all to take Amazon to court and frankly I doubt many are into the kind of reading you still do nor that many of us do, whose curiosity is peaked as we read that we followed up with in-depth reading - grandsons, college graduates with one graduated from Law School and I am shocked at how even he does not research the history of things they are attempting to change or litigate - Also shocking to my way of thinking, back in school if a historical figure was being studied for their way of thinking and approaching a life experience their known opposites was not also read - eg they read Du Bois but not Booker T. - they all seem to be in what we would call a throw away society along with book buyers using a kindle having excess funds to satisfy their reading habit so that now it is just the accepted way and being caught in a proprietary system is simply part of life.

Looks to me like we are caught in yet again another cultural change so that Amazon closed ecosystem with their kindle books isn't even noticed by most who could be collectively the backing for making a stink that Amazon would hear - I'm imagining this change is somehow benefiting Amazon, maybe even supporting a planned obsolescence that continued upgrades of the kindle may require upgrades to each 'borrowed' book or at best protecting Amazon from law suites that I cannot even imagine. And so as annoying as it is - I'm thinking we are stuck with one more change that looking at the ramifications to ourselves may be satisfying, justifying our outrage as we notice all the down sides however, all the annoyance and awareness of the systems limitations compared to how it was is not going to make a tinker's damn in the scheme of things. 

[Frybabe]

Well, Barb, the more I watch clips about this the more I learn. You CAN use Kindle to read books not Amazon coded. Some guy I watched today showed how easy it is. I used to download and copy their books, only using those listed as .amz or the like. However, I have always been able to download .pfs and copy into the kindle book folder via my computer. Now I discover, but haven't tried downloading and copying .eps into one of them. Well, there is a way to do this through Amazon's site and they will show up in the Amazon cloud, then you can go into the contents folder and tell it to download to whichever Kindle version you want. If you no longer want it you have to go into the contents folder and delete it from there; you can't permanently delete a non-kindle coded book from your Kindle. Interesting. I found out a day or so ago, or so the video clip said, Nook books also use their own form of proprietary coding, and there is another, but I forget which other one was mentioned.

The big bitch I have seen the last day or so is the price of eBooks. While I agree to some extent, the people bitching forget that those big computers need maintenance and repair, super amounts of power, ample storage space and room to expand same. The costs of traditional printing are not cheap either, especially with 4/c although they have pretty much cut out the platemaking and most prepress operations with going direct to press these days. I would love to see the cost comparisons between traditional printing, ebooks and audio books, not to mention the profit margins. Some, if not all of that info is probably out there somewhere.

These days, if it isn't a series I already have invested in, I definitely check pricing between eBooks, hardcopy, and occasionally audio books, new or used. But before I even do that, I first check my library to see if they have it or even YouTube for free audio presentations.

Well, all of this business has actually done more, at least temporarily, to greatly slow down my book buying. What that means is that at some point I am going to end up on a gigantic book buying binge in the future. Like I have time to read what I already have.   

[BarbStAubrey]

Wow impressive - where there is a will there is a way... and yep, too many books and yep, keep buying and I know there are books I own I have not read - I've also cut back and now when the daily book suggestions come in from three sources if it is a novel especially I've started to think first of the novels I own that I have not read and then think when will I read the book that has captured my imagination - most days it is easy but some I give in... I must say though it is far easier to read now on my computer than to find a good spot with a good reading lamp to read a hardback - still a few things to do that have to do with moving in - near the end now but what is left are all these groups that are dependent on something not easily done - for instance the Christmas in house decorations are still on the table in what I call the activity room so I can't sew the headings on the light weight quilts I purchased for drapes in my Bedroom and can't put the Christmas up till the vases and things on that shelf are put where they need to go and can't move all the vases till I paint the one set of book shelves and swap that book shelf for a maple one that needs to go into the 'book' room and cannot spray paint the shelving unit till the weather is just a bit more conducive to being outdoors without rain or a cold wind - its like the ankle bone is connected to the foot bone that is connected to the toe bone   

I'm glad there are still a few inventive types that can get around these changes - maybe that is it - some of us have Vanderbilt taste for 'things' on as we used to say a milkmaids salary. Which by the way have you ever visited the Biltmore House in Asheville NC. the Vanderbilt library is to die for - often thought with all they ways they make money to keep that place open to the public why they never got the local college students majoring in either English or Library Science to inventory that library and then choose 5 or 10 titles a year to reproduce for sale with a specially written review and then a limited number that are of a special reproduction in the fine leather as are the books in that library - they could have an annual symposium featuring a discussion on either all or one or two of the books and also have other authors invited to give a talk on their latest publication with books sales and lunch sold to the public - ah so I guess first after Helena that part of the country has to be cleaned up and get back on its feet.

Tomorrow starts Lent and I'm doing something very different this year - first I did order and it arrived yesterday, a book of Pope Benedict's addresses - With God You Are Never Alone: The Great Papal Addresses - there are 10 that were chosen - his addresses are usually filled with thought and theology and so it will take a couple of days to ponder and probably do a bit more reading - 10 divided by 40 days of lent and then also I finally broke down - I've seen this book and pooh poohed the idea of it but finally I may not need the boost towards health that I did years back but for sure aging is no picnic and with what is left being physically stronger eating more fresh that is now a pain to cook but to come up with something workable and since this is not a diet but more a 'Christian' outlook with motivation from various quotes I thought why not - I did learned quilting and shaming myself only lasts as long as the quilting and shaming lasts and that is not good for my disposition and so I purchased a used copy of The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life.

I'm also looking at a few things I've wanted to accomplish and realize 40 days almost like Advent preparing for Christmas is a good amount of time to devote to whatever I've put off thinking I'll get to it after the house is finished - I do know with many things I want to do it would be too easy to plan an overload and so I need to choose just one activity knowing it and this reading I'm committing to will take most of the day especially now that a nap seems to have become part of my daily routine.

What about you Frybabe are you planning anything special for Lent - it was supposed to be a time when we get closer to our spiritual self but here of late I'm thinking that it is a nice hunk of time to devote to any aspect of our life that we can celebrate improvement on Easter Sunday - if you believe in a God that is the source of all we are than why should it matter if we devote Lent to our spiritual nature or another aspect of our life.

Ginny are you planning anything special for Lent and Pat I'm not sure but I think you are Jewish - if so Pruim is next and as I understand traditionally The Book of Esther is read - if you are planning to carry out the tradition this year would you let us know - I have never read the Book of Esther and it would be great to read here a run down along with sharing anything you got out of it. This could be special to have lent be a sharing time a few times during the next month or so here in the library.

[BarbStAubrey]

Interesting reading Benedict's The Great Papal Addresses time changes perception - I do have to stop and reread till I can get into my deep reading mode. He is not a fluff writer - and the other, The Daniel Plan - interesting - a minster who had/has a weight problem and was about to hire 3 of the top health doctors but instead they donated their efforts including Dr. Oz  - One of his 'truths' that caught my eye is that off the alter priests, ministers, rabies etc. never talk about the body which he sees as God's gift - other aspects of choice and living are given attention but not the body and keeping healthy - of course he was about to change that. So far I'm getting the impression this is more than about diet and exercise - he says that without supportive friends a health change won't last. Making or creating a group of like minded support is being given as much importance as food choices.

Off the subject of books but related - the best place in this house to read a book is at the table that is a dining area off the kitchen where there is a bay of 5 windows - although it faces the street I have the blinds half way up and there is a porch across the front of the house that because of the bay is narrower but does keep me from feeling I'm open to the street - I had a bench close to the windows next to the chair that I usually sit in with a large basket containing writing material, current mail and bills to be paid - I'm down to the end of my settling in and moved the bench to a spot under the desk in my bedroom and in another room had an Elfa wheelie from the Container Store with a butcher block top and 3 wire drawers about 28" to 30" high that I have moved to replace the bench as my portable desk with writing material etc. - After my reading I decided to straighten it out - had not seen to it since I moved and actually forgot what was in each wire basket - the larger middle basket had two boxes - the one I recognized and pleased to have found my large box of business size envelopes - most were decorative from when I would buy packs of computer paper with matching envelopes. But the other had no clue - Said Toshiba on the box and the photo of a phone - well sure enough a never used phone with station that had buttons etc but the phone has a cord attached to the station and no window allowing you to know the number that is calling so it has to be at least 25 if not 30 years old - can you believe??!!?? My save everything and use it kicked in but after a bit I realized there was no use making room in the house for it since it was not old enough to be an antique but certainly not adequate for today's lifestyle - now to decide Good Will or the Garbage. 

[PatH]

No, Barb, I'm not Jewish, I'm Episcopalian, but I have a lot of Jewish ties. JoanK's husband was Jewish, and felt strongly about the cultural side of his heritage, and many of my friends are Jewish.

[BarbStAubrey]

ah so Pat - my experience was similar and with fondest memories - neither of us were Jewish but my best Friend who passed some 6 years ago, also Catholic, we both used to celebrate the Jewish Spring Holidays by swapping every other year having a dinner for both our families that we prepared the traditional foods - we usually started our meal with a very short reading from the old Testament - we always promised ourselves we would learn more about Judaism but life had other plans however, many of our neighbors attended the local synagogal - after all these years I am still curious and hope to make time to read The Book of Esther - for now trying to read a bit each day is new for me - usually when I start something I'm into it for a couple of hours - I thought I would attempt to share here in the library this Spring reading like reading any book rather than dwelling just on the religious message. 

What about you, are you doing anything special this year for Lent or reading anything special - hate to just let these traditions and holy days go by the board because they are no longer popular since they have been a part of my life since a child. Then it was all about giving up something - usually our favorite food or the movies or any sort of entertainment and doing whatever extra tasks at home and for neighbors to earn a few pennies that we put in a cardboard 'mite' box that was collected Easter Week - the monies we accumulated was not much - back then the collection from the 'mite' boxes was sent to the orphan children in China - oh how times have changed... I don't think Pearl S. Buck is even read any longer - her books were big and that was our window to China even after WWII as well as, the posters that I'm remembering from earlier of what looked like horror in Nanking...

[PatH]

Just some minor personal things that are appropriate, but I'm also thinking about it some.

[Frybabe]

I never knew there was anything other than the tradition of giving up something for Lent.

When I was young, we went to a Methodist church and when I was a teen, we went to a Presbyterian church. Dad was High Episcopalian, singing in the choir, when he was young. Mom went to Salvation Army services when she was young; she credited them for the great help they were during WWII. One of our British ancestors the last person to be burned at the stake. I always thought he was a Unitarian minister, but current articles list him as an Anabaptist and involved in Puritanism. I think this is more history than I ever came across about him years ago.  http://www.burton-on-trent.org.uk/1612-last-heretic.

[PatH]

Wow, that's a colorful story, Frybabe.

[BarbStAubrey]

Goodness frybabe - and to realize the martyr involved was an ancestor - I guess we all get wrapped up in our belief systems - it appears most religions have determined what is false and what is accepted and who should go - difficult to comprehend with our outlook today on what we think religion should represent - Although come to think of it there is still wars over religion taking place - I know it was not so much a shock but felt I guess the word would be astounded to learn of how even priests and Bishops fought as soldiers during some of the religious wars not just in North Africa with the Moors but in Spain and France - fierce battles against those who did not believe exactly as Rome determined at the time - here of late the various outlooks would probably be accepted with all the recent changes. Sure a brutal history attached to religious beliefs - thank goodness many of us have been exposed to some positive thinking to counter some of this history.  And my daughter-in-law that Paul has switched are Episcopalian.

Well it appears I have a huge task ahead of me that I am NOT looking forward to. I assumed when I culled my kindle books earlier this winter and since I only had open the one computer that this activity was across the board and therefore the kindle link on the other computer was automatically also following my culling - well evidently not - not only that but the way the books are saved does not match either the Amazon site or the kindle connection on the other computer - I've various 'collections' that again I thought every access to your kindle would automatically match - evidently not - and so ahead of me is the complete organization of this computer's connection to kindle and hopefully I can remember the books I culled which was about 70 books - many the freebees we received one a month for being a Prime member that I soon realized all the hemming and hawing to choose was a waste of time since other books had my interest and I think maybe I read one of the freebees. So I ended up trashing them all...

Oh yes, as to giving up something for lent - it was thought the mortification of the body brought us closer to God, reminiscent of Jesus's 40 days of fasting in the desert - and yes, people were more brutal to themselves as they were to their enemies so mortification fit - however in modern history a different message - that penance and mortification of the body was fine but more valued was doing good works, which the 'mite' box collection was a feature but more - Most were giving up something that was a bad habit they wanted to break which was really less about glorifying or getting closer to God and more about the benefit to ourselves of breaking the habit - and praying brings to many a spiritual consolation therefore again, benefiting ourselves more than bringing us closer to God - therefore choosing to do something that will put God in the center of our minds and lives for many entailed some sort of sacrifice.

When I was young I remember many went to early 5 AM or 6 AM Mass before traveling to their workplace - Most churches had, and many still do all sorts of extra Lentil services in the evening.

Later when TV became part of home life some switched off the TV after dinner and prayed the Rosary or went to church and did the Stations of the Cross - Another was to Spring Clean so to speak your wardrobe and bundle not just the clothes that were worn or you would no longer wear but something you still had pleasure in wearing.

In some churches every Saturday the women would descend on the Church during Lent and clean it from top to bottom including climbing tall ladders to dust the ceilings - since Saturday was a big home cleaning and cooking day to prepare the week's cakes and bread with the left over from Sunday dinner added to have meals through till Thursday or Friday when the 'ice box' was cleaned out, spending time on a Saturday outside the home was a real effort squeezing the time in order to get it all done - I remember during Lent there was always a weekend when the men would descend on the church and make all sorts of repairs and of course for many there was the reading of Christian literature instead of the usual choice of reading novels.

Today life has changed however, many still attend various Lent services - don't see early morning Mass happening or for the most part even available and parishioners no longer attempt to clean or repair the churches but I do still see choosing reading books specific for Lent and also taking time from TV and the use of their personal computer for a prayer life - Some still empty their pockets of change every evening and donate it to a special cause - and others forgo their daily Starbucks saving the money for a special cause - I'm sure there are other activities but they appear to be more private and yes, there are many who still give up something which for many is following a tradition.   

[Frybabe]

Barb, I think I remember seeing something on Amazon's site about them having changed how you delete book files. On my Paperwhite there is/was a line to click if you just wanted to remove it from the devise and one that said Delete Permanently. As I now understand it, if you want to permanently delete a book you have to do it from your online content settings. That will take care of disappearing the books you do not want any more. In that case, then, yes folks, you will have to go into each device and remove the download. I haven't tried it yet.

I've been to a few Dawn services and one Midnight service. Very lovely.

 

[ginny]

Good heavens, Frybabe! I agree with Pat, that's some family tree there!

 Wow.

Barbara, I also thought it was about giving up something for Lent but I also have been thinking about  (I guess really adding something means you're giving up the opposite?) but I have been thinking to find ONE thing a day to be really happy about. ONE thing that turned out well and be grateful for and happy for it. And recall it all day long.

Some days are not as easy as others, but I do think it makes a difference and I'm going to try.

Am in the Italy section of the Bryson book and he had never been to Rome! All that travelling and had never been to  Rome. All my European roads led to Rome. And hopefully will again. Hae hated Naples. Loved Sorrento. Stays in strange hotels.

Absolutely LOVED Rome, but who doesn't?


WALKED from the  Capri dock UP to the top of  Capri.  Good heavens!!!!!!!!!! Who does that? Funicular was broken and apparently no transport was running. I am always in awe of his walking.  Irritated with Florence. I know I have never read this book!

[BarbStAubrey]

Ginny your plan for Lent is an activity I've attempted several times and in the process found a few 'posters' 'pithy statements' not sure what to call them but I upload them from time to time to see on my computer - I've had several aha's over the years and I wonder if you will also have an aha over the next few weeks...

Here are a few of my I guess call them posters. I'm so glad you shared - this is a great reminder for myself - I've a few others but only if you find them helpful and you are interested...

---

---

[ginny]

OH love it, but my idea here is not as philosophic as that (I may grow into that) and I don't know what to call it. It's kind  of instead of complaining (there are always two ways to look at anything if there are two people present)  hopefully there may be something that day you can take joy or  happiness in. Sounds sappy and I don't mean it that way. But if you dwell on that thing it's kind of (and not usually , in fact never actually, associated with me) heartening. I thought I'd try it.

What have I got to lose?

But I do like those posters, do put some more in!

[Frybabe]

Like the posters/post-its. Barb.

This, I think I am going to have to try to read even though I am sure I am not going to like some of it, if not most. Released last month, it is the author's first work of non-fiction. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This By Omar El Akka  I'll leave you all to check out the reviews. It is now in my library watch list.

[Frybabe]

Oh, dear, I found another interesting new book to read. This one, 33 Place Brugmann by Alice Austen, will be released on the 11th. Here is the author's bio. https://www.givemelibertymfg.com/alice I don't think I am going to be able to resist this one.