Author Topic: The Library (Read 2089544 times)

roshanarose · « **Reply #5680 on:** July 17, 2011, 09:06:53 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!

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I overuse the old c'est la vie quite a bit. In Australia just now, and world wide I suspect, the weather has been weird. So I tend to say παράξενος καιρός a lot. No one has a clue what I mean, but it means "strange weather". paraxenos kairos.

Babi · « **Reply #5681 on:** July 18, 2011, 08:16:36 AM »

Show-off!

Steph · « **Reply #5682 on:** July 18, 2011, 08:17:23 AM »

I have read some of Brysons books. I like some, hate others. One of those up and down writers for me..

roshanarose · « **Reply #5683 on:** July 18, 2011, 10:11:12 AM »

Babi - It's easy, really it is

You too can confuse your friends, try it!

Jonathan · « **Reply #5684 on:** July 18, 2011, 10:47:51 AM »

About the weather. In plain English.

Whether the weather be cold, or whether the weather be hot,

We must weather the weather whether we like it or not.

marjifay · « **Reply #5685 on:** July 18, 2011, 11:08:49 AM »

Loved your weather the weather quote, Jonathan! (But glad I'm not in the Midwest's heatwave!)

Marj

pedln · « **Reply #5686 on:** July 18, 2011, 11:26:02 AM »

Jean, those bookstores are absolutely fascinating. Wouldn't you like to visit them all. Thanks for the link. If you continue to explore that Flavorwire site a little more, you come across some timelapse photography taken at various cities. Here's the youtube version of Floating Chicago.

Floating Chicago

Great quote, Jonathan. Wish I could say the same about the weather. Just --"Live with it, NY. You aren't the only ones who are hot. We flyovers are in misery."

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #5687 on:** July 18, 2011, 11:30:08 AM »

17th day of triple digit temps here! enjoy anything under 100 if you will. And what happened to all the wind? Last month was a "bad hair month" because of it. Now, Hardly a breeze stirring , which usually cools things a teeny bit.

ginny · « **Reply #5688 on:** July 18, 2011, 02:34:49 PM »

Larry, you are right about the adventure book club and Katie Bates. I am not sure on the Bryson but I do recall the one about the woman riding a camel across Australia.

Strange, I was just in Bath where they offer three commentaries on the ruins there and
one is by Bryson.

We did read that one tho. I just don't know which club__probably that one if you remember it.

Octavia · « **Reply #5689 on:** July 19, 2011, 05:11:01 AM »

I've just finished a great read, The White Devil by Justin Evans, set in Harrow the old British school. An American teenager at the school bears a striking resemblance to Lord Byron(old boy of the school)and is persuaded to play Byron in the school play.

The blurb on the back cover says- Part ghost story, part murder mystery, part coming of age tale, part romance. A wonderfully creepy book.
It was certainly all that and an ending I never saw coming. I loved it, and enjoyed all the Byron info threaded through the story, and learning all the workings of an old English boarding school. Four stars from me.

Steph · « **Reply #5690 on:** July 19, 2011, 07:46:18 AM »

I will have to copy that down. I love stories about England and how it works. Bath,, I loved Bath. Have been there twice and have not seen half of what I want to.

Babi · « **Reply #5691 on:** July 19, 2011, 08:36:11 AM »

ROSHANA, I fear if I tried to mumble some Greek (haven't the foggiest idea how)
my hearers would merely assume that the old lady was losing it.

Ah, Jonathan, it's been ages seen I saw that one.

PEDLN, I loved the way they pictured those skylines from over the water, so
we had the view repeated to make a symmetrical pattern.

Uh-oh, TOME. Around here oppressive heat with no air stirring usuallly means a
big storm is moving in. If the atmosphere turns an odd color, we also know we're
in for an electrical storm. Not too many of those, thankfully.

That does sound intriguing, OCTAVIA. I'm not usually interested in 'coming of
age' books/films, but that sounds like a great combo.

roshanarose · « **Reply #5692 on:** July 19, 2011, 11:10:53 AM »

Babi - at the risk of appearing to 'show off' again, the trick is to speak slowly and clearly. Apart from "I don't understand", slowly and clearly was my second attempt at Greek. Try saying "σιγά, σιγά και κάθαρα": or "siga siga keh kathara", which means please speak slowly, slowly and clearly. It makes a huge difference. I am not showing off, actually. Latin sounds relatively normal and acceptable, Greek does not. I am doing my best to change that impression.

Octavia - sounds interesting. I will add it to my TBR.

Jonathan · « **Reply #5693 on:** July 19, 2011, 01:28:15 PM »

Roshana, Thanks for your gallant efforts to make Greek less greek. It's much appreciated...honestly.

JoanK · « **Reply #5694 on:** July 19, 2011, 03:41:20 PM »

I can't remember whether it was here or elsewhere that someone was talking about "The Wind in the Willows", but thanks to whoever it was. I had never read it, and decided to give it a try, and it's an absolute gem!! How could I have missed it all these years?

Somehow, though, I can't imagine my grandsons reading it. those of you who read it as children, what age were you? I think they are used to a more frenetic modern pace.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #5695 on:** July 19, 2011, 04:35:43 PM »

Joan if you are under the spell of the Wind in the Willows you may want to continue with William Horwood who had permission from the Grahame family to continue the story - his first received great critical acclaim and this was followed by three more - for our age in life I found the Willows and Beyond to be just wonderful however, I have enjoyed them all - here is an Amazon link to The Willows in Winter

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #5696 on:** July 19, 2011, 04:48:37 PM »

JoanK - I did not read it till I was in my 20s, have loved it ever since. I have never been able to interest any of my children in it - they didn't want me to read it to them when they were little, and so far none of them has read it independently either (they are 18, 16 and 13). My youngest does read a lot, but there is hardly anything that we both like.

It is such a lyrical book, and a cracking good story as well. And thanks Barb for the info about the newer books, I will give them a go. "The Willows in Winter" has a lovely ring to it.

Rosemary

JoanP · « **Reply #5697 on:** July 19, 2011, 05:32:46 PM »

We're getting ready for the August Bookclub Online discussion of Ivan Doig's "Dancing at the Rascal Fair" - and just have to share this with you -

Do you remember some years ago when we were still SeniorNet - in 2006, I think - we had a huge book drive for the children on the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning, Montana? Do any of you remember this?
Such a coincidence, isn't it? Our story by Ivan Doig takes place at Two Medicine Creek in Montana...

MaryZ - was this quote from you back then?

"John and I both have such a good time picking out all these books. We're like kids turned loose in a candy shop. And we can't bear the thought of kids with no books to read. It was especially fun to pick up some of the biographies and the classics. Believe me, it is OUR pleasure." -- MaryZ

Plenty of time to join this discussion - we're saving seats now - Dancing at the Rascal Fair Y'all come - it should be fun!

Octavia · « **Reply #5698 on:** July 19, 2011, 06:18:41 PM »

My youngest wasn't a great reader till he started travelling. Third world countries often don't run on time, if at all. Lots of waiting around, and rainy days without video games and TV. A book can be stuffed easily into a backpack.
Then the effect of a mini United Nations coming together in a hostel, discussing books and life, stimulated his interest. Now he's a voracious reader, and can discus Huxley, Orwell etc with the best of them. Puts me to shame sometimes.

maryz · « **Reply #5699 on:** July 19, 2011, 06:20:45 PM »

Joan, I answered your question on the book discussion page.

roshanarose · « **Reply #5700 on:** July 19, 2011, 09:44:53 PM »

Quote from: Jonathan on July 19, 2011, 01:28:15 PM

Roshana, Thanks for your gallant efforts to make Greek less greek. It's much appreciated...honestly.

Thank you Jonathan. It is an uphill battle trying to make Greek less Greek, but I don't give up easily.

Steph · « **Reply #5701 on:** July 20, 2011, 07:54:32 AM »

Having one of those.. cant make senior learn respond day. Been thrown of three times thus far..Darn..

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #5702 on:** July 20, 2011, 08:05:13 AM »

Steph, I am having exactly the same problems today - have been told "server not responding", have been cut off, and lost a whole post that had taken some time to type - aargh

Rosemary

Jonathan · « **Reply #5703 on:** July 20, 2011, 10:06:42 AM »

Octavia, I assume your son didn't take Huxley and Orwell with him when he set out on his travels. But I can see the hostels of the world well stocked with old copies left behind by an earlier generation. Dog-eared old copies. Good Heavens! Doesn't that bring back memories.

JoanK · « **Reply #5704 on:** July 20, 2011, 03:32:08 PM »

BABI: Thanks for the link. Is "The willows in Winter" the first?

jane · « **Reply #5705 on:** July 20, 2011, 04:00:51 PM »

For whatever reason, SL seems very slow for me, too. Guess the server thinks it's too hot to move fast. That's the case here in the midwest....heat is setting new highs!

maryz · « **Reply #5706 on:** July 20, 2011, 04:57:09 PM »

Moving very slowly here, too.

Octavia · « **Reply #5707 on:** July 20, 2011, 06:10:50 PM »

Can't wait to be hot again

Absolutely not, Jonathon. He didn't read much at all. He brought a lot of paperbacks home and left them here. Jules Verne, James Joyce, Camus, Steinbeck, etc. Travel does broaden the mind.

Frybabe · « **Reply #5708 on:** July 20, 2011, 06:38:06 PM »

I came upon a short interview with Daniel Silva this morning. I expect he is making the rounds for his new book, Portrait of a Spy. He was very close to finishing the book when OBL bit the dust, so he was able to update the story to include a similar action. His website has the first two chapters posted to read. http://www.danielsilvabooks.com/content/index.asp Already, they are planning a movie based on the book.

maryz · « **Reply #5709 on:** July 20, 2011, 06:49:49 PM »

Octavia, come visit us - we'll give you all the "hot" you can handle.

salan · « **Reply #5710 on:** July 20, 2011, 07:53:50 PM »

try triple digit heat for the umteenth day in a row, add no rain, river barely trickling, stage 4 of watering (no watering at all!), yard and plants gasping for water. I know it's Texas, but I don't remember it being this bad ever!
Sally

pedln · « **Reply #5711 on:** July 20, 2011, 07:59:45 PM »

Frybabe, we both must have been watching Mornin' Joe this am. Thanks for posting the link. Silva really works close to the deadline. And here the book is out, post OBL, and already they are talking about a movie. I've not read any of his works, but will have to give them a try, especially the ones about the spy and art restorer, as is this latest Portrait of a Spy.

roshanarose · « **Reply #5712 on:** July 20, 2011, 10:53:13 PM »

This is a "How to Beat the Heat" story.

If you can't sleep because it is so hot and it is not a moonlit night, take all your clothes off, turn on the sprinkler, and frolic around under the cold water. This works. If you don't have a sprinkler, place the hose where it won't move with the spray on full.

It sounds as though Texas and Queensland, also Western Australia, have similar weather. I can tolerate the cold, I just put more clothes on, but the heat, that's another story.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #5713 on:** July 20, 2011, 11:31:09 PM »

Boy, i agree with that Rose. I have friends who are looking to go someplace warm and i'm " NO!NO!NO! I can put clothes on! There's nothing to do inthis heat and it's so enervating." i just don't want to go or do anything! I told my husband tonight , i am not retiring to Arizona! .... Not that we were even discussing that idea, i just wanted to be sure he was clear on that!

Jean

Octavia · « **Reply #5714 on:** July 21, 2011, 03:50:13 AM »

No sorry, I'm just the opposite

The cold makes me slow and clumsy and it rachets up the pain of my rheumatoid to a very uncomfortable level. I can move around so much better, and easily in the heat. I don't have any air-conditioning(too expensive) and just have fans in all the rooms. I got my 80+ Mum through a few 40+days just by wetting her face and hands and giving her a lot of cold drinks. I coped out west with hotter days than that, but that was a dry heat. Easier to take.

Steph · « **Reply #5715 on:** July 21, 2011, 08:02:18 AM »

I hate cold and wind, so even though Florida is horrid in the summer, I love it down south. But believe it or not, up in the mountains of North
Carolina, it is simply not that hot just now.. Mid 80's at most..
Libraries up here in the mountain all seem to have used book stores to benefit the library. Having fun visiting all of them.

Babi · « **Reply #5716 on:** July 21, 2011, 09:18:19 AM »

JOANK, I think someone else must have posted the link you're referring to. I
haven't a clue.
Everything is slow on my computer, r-e-a-l-ly slow! My daughter tells me we
need more memory, but that goes way down on the list of where to spend any spare funds.
We got some rain yesterday. Every little bit helps. We don't water the lawn, but
Valerie does take some water out to a couple of potted flowering plants.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #5717 on:** July 21, 2011, 10:53:10 AM »

OBL ?? I'm not familiar with that abbreviation.

Salan: You were not here in Texas in 1980? There were over 40 days of 100 plus temps, and most of them hotter than we are having right now. I remember one was 115.

Lucky you, babi, we didn't get any rain yesterday!

Frybabe · « **Reply #5718 on:** July 21, 2011, 12:28:54 PM »

Tomereader, Osama Bin Laden.

Gumtree · « **Reply #5719 on:** July 21, 2011, 12:37:42 PM »

Quote

try triple digit heat for the umteenth day in a row, add no rain, river barely trickling, stage 4 of watering (no watering at all!), yard and plants gasping for water. I know it's Texas, but I don't remember it being this bad ever!
Sally

Sally - I thought I was reading about Western Australia in January & February - even March. It's always that bad!
Right now we're in midwinter and though it's cold enough we've had almost no rain so our water situation is still very serious - I'm in despair over my garden.

I prefer the cold to the heat - I can just put another layer on - but once the heat sets in there's nothing to be done - except maybe read.

News:

Author Topic: The Library (Read 2089544 times)