Author Topic: The Library (Read 2089549 times)

nlhome · « **Reply #5760 on:** July 24, 2011, 12:53:49 PM »

The Library

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

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

Let the book talk begin here!

*Suggestion Box for Future Discussions
*SeniorLearn's Archives

Jonathan, I think we all need a little geography lesson now and then, don't you? And I do thank Rosemary for the pictures and explanations. Sharing on these sites certainly broadens one's knowledge and expands ideas, I think.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #5761 on:** July 24, 2011, 02:13:55 PM »

Ginny - glad you are well and kicking.

Larry - loved Monarch of the Glen and those spectacular views.

Jean

roshanarose · « **Reply #5762 on:** July 24, 2011, 09:25:16 PM »

Ah. I too would love to visit Scotland and England as well. It is just too far. I was talking to a woman who had just been to Scotland the other day. Her flight and stops had taken 26 hours! It can take days to recover from that kind of journey. Greece takes on average 23 hours, but all sorts of things happen at airports between Australia and Europe, lots of searches, for example. Sniffer dogs - the whole kit and kaboodle. I often wonder how they know that I am on the plane. I have long legs and don't bend too well in the middle, it would have to be first class or nothing. Yeah - and another flock of bears flew over

For those of you who have a bit of time and the interest, I just had a quick look at www.1001beforeyoudie.com. Has movies, works of arts, books, and music, all very interesting but time consuming.

Rosemary's friend's idea of getting everything done by 10am and then the rest of the day in the pool sound like a great idea to me.

PatH · « **Reply #5763 on:** July 24, 2011, 10:21:00 PM »

Well, I'm going to live a long time if I have to watch all those movies before I go. I've only seen 101 of them. On the other hand, there are a number that I have no interest whatever in seeing. Maybe I'll tackle the books tomorrow. As you say, roshanarose, it takes time.

PatH · « **Reply #5764 on:** July 24, 2011, 10:23:12 PM »

To all the Aussies--congratulations on Cadel Evans' spectacular win of the Tour de France. Good job.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #5765 on:** July 25, 2011, 02:31:48 AM »

PatH - You've done a lot better than me with that list - I've only seen 57. As you say, there are some you wouldn't want to see even if you did have time, and these lists are always so subjective - and they usually include many foreign films, which I know I ought to watch but hardly ever do (Au Revoir Les Enfants was about the only one I recognised). Despite this, I always find such lists very addictive, and am about to tackle the books one.

Thanks Roshanarose!

Rosemary

Gumtree · « **Reply #5766 on:** July 25, 2011, 06:01:34 AM »

Quote

To all the Aussies--congratulations on Cadel Evans' spectacular win of the Tour de France. Good job.

PatH Thanks - Cadel is a 'cleanskin' - shows it still can be done without the aid of drugs.

WINNER WINNER WINNER

Steph · « **Reply #5767 on:** July 25, 2011, 08:20:04 AM »

I watchedpossibly two seasons of Monarch on Netflix.. Loved the sets. Was constantly confused about who was who however.
I am looking forward to seeing a lot of Scotland and now with a lovely big foldable road map and the downloaded tour guide in my IPAD, am getting down to business. Mostly need to know September temps to decide what this poor Floridian needs to bulk up on..
Hope to explore yet anotherused book store today. Have not seen the second one in Franklin,NC..

Babi · « **Reply #5768 on:** July 25, 2011, 08:50:34 AM »

Thanks for the picture of Traprain Law, ROSEMARY. It helped me visualize the
'upside down cone'. Volcanic, huh? I am constantly being surprised to learn
of more places where there was once volcanic activity. I would never have
expected it in Scotland...or anywhere in Great Britain, for that matter.
I would dearly love to see Scotland and Ireland. Alas, travel has become most impractical
for me, so I really enjoy these 'armchair' travels via links. Many advantages to that sort of
sightseeing.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #5769 on:** July 25, 2011, 09:03:37 AM »

Babi, I agree - and I am so glad you enjoy the links, I don't want to feel I am pushing Scotland too much.

My friend was here yesterday - I have known her since my son was born 18+ years ago - and we discussed walking part of the Santiago di Compostella (?) pilgrimage route in France/Spain. I have been looking at companies who offer self-guided walks with your luggage taken care of, and nice guest houses/hotels each night - we both agreed we are too old not to have decent bathrooms

. I have been hoping to do this trip for some years, so I am really quite excited that we may be able to arrange it at last - her children have all now left home or are away at school, and now that my husband will be living in the same house with us full-time again (after 2 years of weekly commuting Edinburgh-Aberdeen), I think I just may be able to leave him in charge for a little while!

Rosemary

mabel1015j · « **Reply #5770 on:** July 25, 2011, 01:32:25 PM »

Rose - thanks for the 1001 things site. That will be fun to go through. I shared it w/ sev'l friends. But come on! "Written on the Wind" but not Same Time Next Year - my favorite all time movie - or The Four Seasons? ........ This conversation could go on for a long time.

Can't wait for the " wine" list. Do you think we can afford any of them? Maybe we need to make our own lists!?!

Jean

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #5771 on:** July 25, 2011, 02:20:04 PM »

I have just checked through the 1001 books and have only read 52 of those! I am ignorant

Rosemary

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #5772 on:** July 25, 2011, 02:22:37 PM »

No you are NOT ignorant! I would love to print out the 1001 Movie list but it is many, many pages. Can't think to waste that much paper! May try it by putting 100 on each page, and just hope I can read it!

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #5773 on:** July 25, 2011, 02:33:49 PM »

Thanks Tomereader :)

Jean - good idea, we should start our own list. Maybe everyone should be allowed to propose 5 books, films or whatever. It would be fun. 1001 wines would be even funner......or maybe 1001 cakes?

Rosemary

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #5774 on:** July 25, 2011, 02:57:47 PM »

Who was it that was walking, and someone told her that there were "bears"? Heard on the news today that several campers in Yellowstone Nat. Park were mauled by bears. Guess the group was not talking loud enough! LOL I think one of the bears had cubs and maybe that was enough to instigate an attack.

pedln · « **Reply #5775 on:** July 25, 2011, 04:09:37 PM »

Tomereader, those were Grizzlies, too, attacking seven young people on something like an Upward Bound trek. Two of them are in very bad shape. They were in an isolated area and it took some time to get them out and to hospitals.

Rosemary -- go, go, go now on your self-guided walk in Spain. Don't put it off. It sounds wonderful.

Oh those lists. The names look familiar, but have I read them? Seen them? I can/t tell you the name of what I watched last night, but I'll tell you all about it. Based on the life of David Marks, whose wife disappeared in 1982 and has never been found.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #5776 on:** July 25, 2011, 05:25:55 PM »

Rosemary - i can list three OR fifty favorite books. I've got three real favs that come to mind immediately, but then the list just goes on and on. My first three are: The Dollmaker by Harriet Arnow, Prince of Tides, and The Help. Then, including the six reading decades of my life, all the Nancy Drew books i read, the Evanovich books, james Michener's Chesapeake, Up the Down Staircase, etc, etc........ Five is impossible!

Jean

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #5777 on:** July 25, 2011, 05:27:59 PM »

Oh Jean - I know! i just thought I had better not sound too greedy

Rosemary

JoanK · « **Reply #5778 on:** July 25, 2011, 08:13:05 PM »

ROSE: I think you,ve doomeed me! PatH warned me not to get into the lists, but I can't resist!! See you next week.

PatH · « **Reply #5779 on:** July 25, 2011, 09:14:59 PM »

Roshnarose, you have really sucked me into a black hole here.

The 1001 books: I've read 107, plus 16 that I started and couldn't stomach.

The paintings: that's really hard. Here is a painting that you've seen in a lot of reproductions, and it's in the Uffizi Gallery, and you were there in 1967. Do you remember if you saw it, or only remember the reproductions? And what about the 4 or so Rothkos, "Untitled" in private collections. How do you know if you saw them in that Rothko show you saw? There were only 18 that I could swear in a court of law that I'd seen, but a lot of those brought back good memories. No El Grecos in the list. That's wrong. I'll remember to my dying day the El Greco exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in the '90s, where they had assembled what must have been a large fraction of his paintings. I saw it three times, and bought the catalogue, which is a pale ghost of the vibrant, glowing originals, still bright in my mind.

The classical music: that doesn't belong here, since we're books, not music, but I found their choices less defensible here--not the works, but the recordings. I count 23 recordings that I've heard, and mostly own. I count 71 that I own recordings that I can argue are as good or better than theirs. Some of their choices, especially the Bach, I feel are not as good as other available recordings.

It's a good thing the wine list isn't up and running. That could be lethal to check out.

JoanK · « **Reply #5780 on:** July 25, 2011, 09:16:02 PM »

Well, I'm back. Of the 1001 books, I've read 185, read parts of another 8. There were another 14 where I just wasn't sure.

The list was certainly strange. "Keep the Apidistra Flying"? I'll bet I'm the omly one that's read it.

PatH · « **Reply #5781 on:** July 25, 2011, 09:17:41 PM »

No, you're not. I've read it too.

PatH · « **Reply #5782 on:** July 25, 2011, 09:29:21 PM »

But I don't think it belongs on the list.

Frybabe · « **Reply #5783 on:** July 25, 2011, 10:42:23 PM »

I counted 37 I've read, five I gave up on and 20 or more that are in my TBR pile (some for quite a while). A lot of those listed I never heard of. It is a strange list if you ask me. There are a lot of books missing that I would have put on the list such as several of the Shakespeares, The Illiad and The Odyssey, Green Mansions, Fahrenheit 451, The Virginian, and Tale of Two Cities. I didn't notice Ayn Rand listed.

I think my own list would look very different than this one.

Steph · « **Reply #5784 on:** July 26, 2011, 07:59:07 AM »

I was the bear person, but the ones in North Carolina are black bear.. Supposedly quite timid.. Grizzlies are not. I can remember the lectures from Rangers in Yellowstone..and Alaska and Canada. They all warn Grizzlies are not let it be sort of animals. I sing each morning as I walk,, Never seen a sign of any animals other than birds and snails( I know the last is weird, but they are all over the roads here).
The Dollmaker. Oh me, I did love the book, I still havit around somewhere .
On lists. MDH and I made lists after seeing The Bucket List some years ago. Then I bought two books, one for the world and another for the US on 1001 things to do.. We did a lot of things that we loved, a few that we tried and didnt like. Gloried in some beauty we did not expect in the U.S.
Books.. Hmm, I suspect that I will have read some,hated others.

Babi · « **Reply #5785 on:** July 26, 2011, 09:05:19 AM »

The big question is, isn't it, ..Who makes up those lists? I doubt if you could
get a handful of scholars to agree on just 100 'must read' books, never mind 1001.
And the average reader probably wouldn't like half of what the scholars think are
great. I know, I know! It's such a boost to see a list of the __ most important
this or that, and learn that we've read most of them. Or that we haven't, and so
are obviously lacking in some way.
Lists can be fun,...but I prefer them with a sprinkle of salt, amigos.

JoanP · « **Reply #5786 on:** July 26, 2011, 10:05:47 AM »

I just took a few minutes to read through the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die site roshanarose posted earlier...

rosemary, don't feel badly about having so many more books to read - it just means you'll have to live longer to catch up.

I lost count - so I stopped. Started looking at the list as a source of titles/authors I'd like to read - and then started thinking it is a good source for future book discussions here. We're always looking for suggestions. I noticed two of Barbara Pym's on the list - Excellent Women and Quartet in Autumn. They were two special discussions we had here in SeniorLearn - special because they brought you to our discussions, Rosemary.

Several titles and authors on this list have already been mentionned for fall book discussions here - Eudora Welty, Jose Saramago
(See the Suggestion box)

It would be great to consider titles YOU might be interested in discussing here - before you die.

ps. I preferred the title - 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up.

(I missed the Dollmaker.)

ANNIE · « **Reply #5787 on:** July 26, 2011, 10:27:20 AM »

Here's a post about Eloise from Perisan in "Organic Living" in S&F:

I just read in the Classical Music site that Don plans to visit Eloise early this week. I know we'll all be anxious to hear his news when he returns home. In the meantime, prayers in our family (on both sides of the Pond) continue for Eloise, as I'm sure all who know and love her are doing also.

Gumtree · « **Reply #5788 on:** July 26, 2011, 02:31:18 PM »

I just went into the 1001 Books site - actually it was some time ago ... Roshanarose has a lot to answer for so innocently posting the link.

But it's fun. It took me on a journey through decades of my reading life - also reminded me of books I hated or just didn't finish and ones I've been meaning to read 'sometime'

But goodness there are lots of gaps -

Why is all of Balzac's Bete Humaine listed but only a few volumes of Zola's Rougon Macquart series? etc etc

Just take the Aussies - or lack of them -
Why a few of Patrick White's but not The Vivesector?
Why Peter Carey's Oscar and Lucinda but not True Story of the Kelly Gang?
Why no George Johnston's My Brother Jack or Henry Handel Richardson's Fortunes of Richard Mahoney?
Why no Marcus Clarke or Tom Collins or... or... or

As Babi says - no one can agree on which books should be included - or why. It doesn't really matter so long as we're free to pick and choose among such riches.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #5789 on:** July 26, 2011, 03:20:22 PM »

I notice they give no methodology for any of the lists........ Maybe they just threw the cards from the (outdated) card catalogue down the stairs a nd listed the first 1001 one the stairs!

Now as for the places and paintings, etc........ I don't know .......it could be one little ole couple sitting in their garret having a discussion........teehee (as Ginny would say). As for the wines, you notice it's taking a while for that list ....... Uh-huuummmmm! They may never get that list to us.

Told you this could be a long discussion.

I am 2/3rds of the way thru Cece Honeycut, what a turn around this book made from the first 50 pages! I said in " fiction" that i started it and put it down since i had just read a book about a dysfunctional family, but i picked it up again last night and LOOOVE it! That would go on my 1001 list, primarily because it reminded me of all the adult women i had relationships with as i was growing up. First of all my sisters were 15 and 8 years older than me. There were a lot of young mothers in my neighborhood thru the 50's and i would visit and chat with them as they ironed or prepared dinner. I tried to remember last night what we talked about, but i couldn't remember one single specific conversation. I assume that was because it was all normal stuff......what i'd been doing, what their kids were doing, what the neighbors were doing. They must not have minded me being there, none of them ever sent me home.

Other books that would be on my list would be Mary Alice Monroe's books, especially The Beach House. She writes such interesting and identifable family stories. Ayn Rand also, altho i totally disagree w/ her political philosophy, but she the most wonderful male characters, didn't
she?

I haven't looked thru the book list enough to see if they are all fiction? I'd mix up my list and put David McCullough on it.

Jean

PatH · « **Reply #5790 on:** July 26, 2011, 04:13:50 PM »

What does it say about me that I've read more of the children's books than the adult books? (133 vs. 107) I don't have any particular quibbles with the list either; all the ones I recognized seemed suitable. Though the particular volumes chosen from series sometimes seemed odd.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #5791 on:** July 26, 2011, 05:23:17 PM »

As someone said, i counted only those i'm absolutely sure i read and had 58. My problem was w/ those that were made into movies. In my young years after i saw a movie i would usually read the book, but i can't remember FOR SURE about some of those. Did i read all the Austin books, or do i just remember the stories from movies and tv!?!

Then there are the ones i've heard so much about that i'm not sure if i read it or not - most would have been ones i was made to read in high school or college - like Ethan Frome!

Or those naughty popular books thru my young 20's years - like Justine! Did i read it, or do i just remember everyone talking about it?

So i may have double that 58, if i could only remember!!! But, who cares?

I haven't seen many movies in the last three decades, so i'll leave that list for awhile.

Jean

salan · « **Reply #5792 on:** July 26, 2011, 06:46:17 PM »

Jean, I also love Mary Alice Monroe. I am currently reading The Butterfly's Daughter and am having trouble putting it down. 120 pages so far, and am loving it. I just checked it out from lib. this a.m. Also checked out Girl in Translation by Nancy Kwok. I haven't started it yet, but it looks good. Did someone here recommend it? I gave up counting on the 1001 books. The list seemed kind of unmanageable to me. 1001 is a big number!!
Sally

Steph · « **Reply #5793 on:** July 27, 2011, 08:03:04 AM »

Justine, now that brings back memories. It was part of a four book series as I recall.. Remember reading the whole series.. Also the name of an old enemy of mine..
I tend to read the book, but skip the movie.. But lists are so very personal.. I know that I feel that way.There are authors, I read in my 20's that would bore me to tears now and vice versa. Some of reading is related to what ever you are in your life.. As I age, I find that I like wider variety of books that I did not like earlier..

ANNIE · « **Reply #5794 on:** July 27, 2011, 09:47:29 AM »

Well I perused the book list and the movie list. I have seen more of the movies than I have read the books. Hmmm, I don't agree completely(as we all have different ideas on what we like) with either list but if one has to find 1000 of anything to recommend to another, one tends to go slightly berserk!

Message from Don, Radioman:
An update on Eloise: I spoke with her daughter just minutes before posting this and Eloise is in good spirits. I'm going to Montreal on Monday and will spend the day with Eloise on Tuesday, at the end of which Eloise, Isabelle and I will go for dinner. I return to London on Wednesday.

I'll give a full report when I get back[/b]

Babi · « **Reply #5795 on:** July 27, 2011, 09:52:11 AM »

I'm just starting another Preston and Childs book, "Gideon's Sword". As usual I'm enjoying it,
put looking ahead warily to an already scheduled unhappy ending. But maybe, hopefully,
they'll fool me.

CallieOK · « **Reply #5796 on:** July 27, 2011, 12:06:02 PM »

I'm reading "The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain. It's the story of Ernest Hemingway's first wife; she is the narrator.

Thank you for the news about Eloise. I met her at some of the SeniorNet "Bashes", including the one she hosted in Montreal. Such a lovely, charming lady.
Her daughters co-hosted so we got to meet them and one of the lovely granddaughters, as well.

Gumtree · « **Reply #5797 on:** July 27, 2011, 12:58:56 PM »

Geraldine Brookes is currently back home in Australia doing promos for her latest Caleb's Crossing which I've been meaning to get since it was released. Had anyone here read it yet?

She was interviewed on a TV bookies show last night and came over in her usual frank and forthright manner giving a few insights into her lifestyle at Martha's Vineyard.

She mentioned that she uses the newish Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary in order to find the correct form of a word in use in the period she happens to be writing about - Caleb's Crossing is 17century -

The HTOED is the work of Glasgow University, and was published in 2009 after being only 44 years in the making. The blurb says it charts the semantic development of the huge and varied vocabulary of English It presents the earliest written records of the word in Old English through to the present alongside the types meanings, contexts and dates of use.

The Thesaurus will be equally valuable in linguistic studies, where it will contribute essential information to the study of meaning and change of meaning and will also be relevant in such fields as the history of ideas and cultural history

It's about 4,000 pages in two volumes -Amazon has it for about $430 - just the thing for these cold winter evenings.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #5798 on:** July 27, 2011, 01:05:37 PM »

Thanks for info about Eloise, tell her we miss her.

Jean

Frybabe · « **Reply #5799 on:** July 27, 2011, 03:55:35 PM »

Eloise's daughter posted a letter in the Classical Corner today. Here it is:

Quote

Dear friends,

The Radioman came to visit my mother Eloise this week. We had a lovely time together. I have to tell you all how touched I am by your love and friendship toward my mom. You have all been such a great part of her life and she has shared to much of your friendship with me.

I also wanted to thank you soooo much for the lovely cards you have sent her. She was very touched to receive your words of kindness. Maman is not well as you have heard. I am afraid that the life that once animated her thoughts, laughter and actions seems to be loosing strength. But even though she is ill, she still gives so much with just one smile. I visit her on a daily basis as she is now in a hospital where she is well taken care of. We miss her daily presence around the house as I know you miss her posts. I hope to keep you all updated on her health but feel free to write an email if you have specific questions or word to convey to her.

Again, thank you so much for your kind words.
Isabelle (Eloise's youngest daughter)

News:

Author Topic: The Library (Read 2089549 times)