[Athena's Reading List 2017]

Over the past ~10 days I have been reading Aad van Toor - Moe, ik kan een salto! and Bas van Toor - Allememaggies!.

 

These are an autobiography and a memoir by two of my favourite childhood artists, they made TV series under the name Bassie & Adriaan (Wiki-link, I have mentioned them on this forum before, but that was a long time ago). Anyway, I really loved reading the autobiography and memoir of these two people (they're brothers). It was awesome to hear about their early life, their time as The Crocksons, their time on TV (children's TV series), behind-the-scenes stuff and after, and all these things. Aad van Toor's autobiography is just over 500 pages and contains a lot of content, so I enjoyed that one more than Bas van Toor's memoir (which is a lot shorter), though I liked that one as well. Both books have photographs in them, and I also enjoyed seeing these. I would recommend these books to any fan of Bassie & Adriaan or for those who remember them as The Crocksons (on their YouTube channel you can see some bits of their work). I felt really nostalgic reading these books and think I will be re-watching some of the TV series .

[Top 5 (or 10) Wednesday]

The previous week's topic was: Favorite Fancasts

 

Author's Note:
--Discuss your preferred fancasts for some of your favorite characters. (Fancasts means actors you'd like to play your favorite characters or imagine your favorite characters as)

 

And this week's topic is: Books You've Read Because of Booktube/Blogging/etc.

 

Author's Note:
--Discuss the books you've picked up because you've heard of them in the online book community or platform you use

 

This last one would be 'Books You've Read Because of BCF' to apply it to this forum.

 

Hmm, for me:

 

Stephen King - The Stand
Walter Moers - Zamonia Books
Ken Follett - The Pillars of the Earth 1: The Pillars of the Earth
Various books by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Robert Thorogood - Death in Paradise 1: A Meditation On Murder
Robert Thorogood - Death in Paradise 2: The Killing of Polly Carter
Andy Weir - The Martian
Matt Haig - The Humans
Graeme Simsion - The Rosie Project 1: The Rosie Project
Kristin Hannah - Homefront
Mark Haddon - The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time
Garth Stein - The Art of Racing in the Rain
Vanessa Greene - The Beachside Guest House

Gabrielle Zevin - The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
Emma Donoghue - Room
Matthew Green - Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
Nathan Filer - The Shock of the Fall
Eowyn Ivey - The Snow Child
Michel Faber - The Crimson Petal and the White
Ken Grimwood - Replay
Jasmine Warga - My Heart & Other Black Holes
Ann M. Martin - How To Look For a Lost Dog
David Walliams - The Boy In The Dress
David Walliams - Grandpa's Great Escape
Angie Sage - Septimus Heap series (I've only read 2 out of 7 books)
Herman Koch - Het Diner
Joe Hill - Horns

 

I know that that's more than 5 or 10 books, but.. I couldn't help myself. I've read quite a lot of good books because of BCF .

 

[Frankie reads 2017]

15 hours ago, frankie said:

Totally! Social media is so much about me-me comments, a forum is more full depth conversations. 

 

That's true! I'm not a huge fan of most social media to be honest, and only use them now and then. YouTube is the only one I use on a daily basis (watching videos other people upload). I do read book blogs, but I don't often comment on them. The forum is the only place I really type out long posts (and feel comfortable doing so).

 

15 hours ago, frankie said:

What would we do if this place wasn't here?  

 

I'm not sure I would be very sad if that was the case. I don't consider things like FaceBook a good way to have long (book) discussions with people, not at all. I do watch YouTube videos, but I only comment on a few of them, and the same for book blogs. The forum really is the best place, and I'll try my best to make sure it keeps existing.

 

15 hours ago, frankie said:

It was so amazing indeed! Getting it all in one go! Initially I thought I'll get the bookcases and that's it, because I didn't think I could pick a table without carefully assessing my needs and the tables that were available. But it all came together nicely

 

I woke up feeling so happy!   The sun was shining and I knew my books don't have to stay in the boxes for long! It's been so disheartening watching the boxes of books just sit there on the floor. 

 

This is the first time in three years that I have my own bookcases again! It's an amazing feeling to be able to choose where to put the bookcase (where previously it was dictated by landlords) and I can choose how many bookcases I want and need, because I have space! I have so much space it's ridiculous I feel so lucky. I almost feel guilty for having so much space!

 

I'm so happy you're enjoying your new place !

 

15 hours ago, frankie said:

I put up the first Billy just now! It took me 65 minutes It wasn't hard at all to do it alone! But I don't think I would have had the reassurance I could do it on my own had I not put one up with Kylie and known how it worked. 

 

Wow, that is pretty quick on your own! Well done !!

 

35 minutes ago, Alexander the Great said:

I prefer forums to social media as well, because forums allow for conversation more than social media does. I feel like on a forum, you can talk about so much - obviously the topic the forum was built for, but other things as well. On social media, it takes either a picture or a special announcement to start a conversation, which even then is usually nothing more than likes and the occasional short comment. Or if you post something that is out of the ordinary.

 

But on social media, I really can't talk about books or sports the way I can here. These are real discussions and I wouldn't want to miss them.

 

Very true, I agree with this.

 

35 minutes ago, Alexander the Great said:

Show us a picture of the bookcase(s) when they're set up and filled, @frankie (if you want to)  

 

I'd like to see a picture too, but I also understand if you don't feel comfortable with that .

[Little Pixie`s Bookshelf 2017]

9 hours ago, Little Pixie said:

The electrician is popping back midweek, then that'll be it done. He's going to fit a better diode into the security lights, which will mean they're just as bright but don't suck up 500watts.

 

That sounds good, I'm sure you'll be glad when it's done .

 

9 hours ago, Little Pixie said:

Madame is fast asleep in her snuggle drawer ; I don't think I'll put it back in the chest of drawers, she loves it so much.

 

Awww, so cute !

[Alexander's Literary Odyssey 2017]

15 hours ago, Alexander the Great said:

What kind of car do they drive?

 

A Tesla S .

 

15 hours ago, Alexander the Great said:

Before I Go to Sleep review

 

I have this book on my TBR, glad you liked it . Great review!

 

15 hours ago, Alexander the Great said:

On to It by Stephen King!

 

I hope you enjoy this ! The fall / autumn seems the best time to be reading a book like IT.

[What's Up in September 2017?]

12 hours ago, SaraPepparkaka said:

Just thought I'd visit. It's been a while. Hope everyone is OK!

 

Hi, nice to see you again! How've you been?

 

9 hours ago, Virginia said:

Hey y'all!

 

Ever type out a substantial and witty post only to have it magically disappear? Yup, it happened to me. I was three paragraphs in, then it disappeared and I was so disgusted I had to leave the forum for a minute, lol!

 

Now I can't remember what it was I was writing about so, yeah, there's that!

 

For me the forum restores my post-draft if I accidentally close the page. Sorry to hear you lost your post .

 

9 hours ago, Virginia said:

 

Spent today walking around the farmers market, people watching and buying produce. I then swung by and picked up the grands for a few hours at the park, dropped them off after a run to McDonald's. Picked up a few things from the grocery store for dd, had a chat with her landlord and then headed home (forgot the stop at Barnes and Noble for a velvet cheese cake for the hubby and cookie for me) home to drop off the produce then back out to pick up a few weekend essentials, showered, eat with a bottle of hard cider and the movie San Andreas (the Rock).

 

Tomorrow I refuse to leave the house except to walk Kizzy and sit on the patio. Right now, life is good!

 

I wish you a nice weekend .

 

This afternoon my sister and her fiancé are coming by and they'll have dinner here, so we plan to spend some time with them .

 

[Health and Fitness]

Wow Alexander, how good for you you changed your life around so much! Well done on the weight loss and getting healthier and fitter.

[Frankie reads 2017]

12 hours ago, frankie said:

I hate it when things escalate sometimes   But I also hate it when forums go quiet    I think the social media and all those other platforms are taking away from forums

 

I agree, and it's a shame . I much prefer to discuss things on a forum!

 

Quote

I could have, but I would've felt awful about it because I've already been on sick leave for so long, previously, after my three week summer holiday   However, I didn't need to get an extension as I started feeling better on Saturday! I went to work this week and I've been just fine. I'm so happy to be myself again!  

 

I'm glad you're feeling better !

 

Quote

You should write it down on your Bujo so you could celebrate the day!   Or are you perhaps all partied out after December

 

That's an excellent idea !

 

Quote

It's so sad that forums aren't as active as they used to be   I think forums are so much better than all the social media stuff!  I'm glad this place hasn't gone anywhere. 

 

Me too, I'm very glad we still have this place .

 

12 hours ago, frankie said:

I've had an exciting day! I saw my cousin  because we needed to do some stuff together and then I asked him if he'd take me to Ikea some day (soon preferably) as I wanted bookcases. He has a van so that would make it easy. The home delivery would've cost 89 euros... Anyhow, when we'd finished our business, he said why don't we go now. I was thrilled!!! 

 

On our way we stopped at a shop that was near Ikea because cousin needed to find a lamp for his work. I bought a reading lamp and also found a ladder I needed to buy. How convenient! Then we went to Ikea and I bought ... three.... Billy bookcases   I was first thinking I'd buy a whole other bookcase whose name I can't remember but when I saw it at the store I thought it looked too dark and I realized I need a white bookcase. I thought about buying two but then I thought I would probably need three, and why not get them all now, when there's a van to be used. Then I started thinking I need to buy a table, too, and while we're here, I might take a look at those, too. I found one I liked! I then stumbled upon an office chair that I instantly fell in love with and had to get it as well (I do need one). At that point my cousin found some stuff he needed for work, so I'm very happy that the trip to Ikea was useful for him, too! I then also bought a set of plates that I've been needing and coveting. 

 

We came to my place and hauled all the stuff in, and then cousin put up the lamps that have needed being put up. I now have lights in the living room and kitchen!!   

 

It was 8 PM by the time we were finished, so cousin had a long day (it all happened after his day at work). I'd treated him to a meal at Ikea and then I gave him some money for all the trouble. 

 

I'm just so happy that I now have my bookcases, that I really needed and wanted, and now I also have a table and a chair! And lights!! And it's all the more important because this apartment feels like my first own one. It's not a student apartment, I don't have roommates, and it's not furnished by a landlord. It's my own apartment and now I have my own furniture that I've bought with my own money. I'm so happy and proud!

 

Aaaaaaahhhh this sounds like an amazing trip, I'm happy you bought lots of nice things and are happy !!

[Alexander's Literary Odyssey 2017]

9 hours ago, frankie said:

 

I wonder why you didn't name the bike Simone

 

Happy riding, Alexander!

 

My parents' car is called Simone, or actually: SiMOne (an abbreviation for something) .

 

8 hours ago, Alexander the Great said:

Thank you! I rode him home on Tuesday, haven't been able to ride since. This evening, I took him for a small tour in the neighbourhood. Then into the next neighbourhood. Then up to my old school and back. Accidentally. Isaac was happy to be out!

 

I'm glad you're liking the bike so far .

[Little Pixie`s Bookshelf 2017]

8 hours ago, Little Pixie said:

Thanks.

I'm still astonished that the Initial build was such an electrical mess.

One electrician is back to.morrow ; it turns out there's another fault, this time in the downstairs rooms. Using the stair light is tripping the fuse box, and he thinks that someone has put a nail or something similar through a cable, which is making a crossconnection. Hopefully, day 3 will be the final day, cos Xiao-Xiao is getting fed up of hiding under my bed when it's too noisy.

 

I hope it will be finished today then (it's tomorrow now ). Poor Xiao-Xiao .

[What's Up in September 2017?]

8 hours ago, Little Pixie said:

Gaia, healing hugs for your Grandfather.

 

Thanks Sarah !

[What's Up in September 2017?]

5 hours ago, Talisman said:

Hope your grandfather is okay Athena, and I hope you have fun with the rest of the family. 

 

Thanks . The surgery went well, my grandfather will have to stay in the hospital for a few more days. I'm glad he is okay .

 

5 hours ago, Talisman said:

Sigur Ros were absolutely brilliant  but very loud! Poor Coran was sitting there at one point with her fingers in her ears, and we were right at the back, so goodness knows what it would have been like for those nearer the front. They played a couple of new songs from their forthcoming album and of course plenty of old favourites that right at the end saw everyone on their feet. It was a great venue though - I used to go to a lot of concerts at the Apollo at one time but hadn't been up there for years. The crowd was pretty loud as well - mostly of around our age, as they tend to appeal to older people, having been around for quite some time (I think they first got together in 1994). So, Reykjavik here I come. Croatia first though. This time next week I will probably be enjoying a nice lunch somewhere in Split. 

 

I'm glad you enjoyed seeing Sigur Ros .

 

3 hours ago, Brian. said:

Years of going to gigs caused me some hearing damage which was picked up during a work medical. Now when I go to an indoor concert I wear custom made earplugs which have special filters which lower the volume equally across the whole frequency spectrum. This means I can enjoy a show without causing further damage and because they are specifically made for the purpose they don't muffle the sound like standard earplugs do.

 

I'm so sorry to hear you got hearing damage from going to gigs. Wearing special earplugs makes a lot of sense to me. That's very smart for anyone, I think. It would be way too loud for me.

I wear custom made earplugs with special filters too, I love them. I wear mine a lot when I go out, because too much sound at once bothers me. So when I go out shopping in a busy street, I wear my earplugs. I'm still able to have conversations with shop personnel and the people I'm with, but the sound of other people, music in shops, sound of cars etc, don't bother me as much.

[Little Pixie`s Bookshelf 2017]

10 hours ago, Little Pixie said:

We've got electricians in atm ; the house was built in the early 1970s, and it turns out that the lights weren't earthed at all. It's a wonder no-one was electrocuted. Anyway, tomorrow should be the last day, with a few more checks and rewiring, and the installation of a new fuse box.

 

That sounds so scary! I'm glad no one got hurt! Good luck, I hope the last bits to do will go well .

[What's Up in September 2017?]

I wish you lots of fun seeing Sigur Ros !

 

My brother and his girlfriend visited us and it was a lot of fun to spend some time with them. Today my sister is coming for a visit, which should be nice too - I do look forward to resting a bit more next week.

 

My grandfather was taken to the hospital yesterday and is probably going to have surgery today. He has a fracture in his leg just under his hip. I don't have all the technical details but I'm thinking about him today.

[Ian's reading 2017]

Awww , good luck! I would feel really guilty too. I have several times taken a book back to the customer service, when it turned out someone else had damaged the book before I borrowed it (I always feel guilty even if it wasn't quite my fault). Once a book had the last 10 pages missing, so I reported that too. Gladly it was a children's book and the story was already sort of wrapped up, so it wasn't too bad. I didn't find out about it until I was at the end of reading the book and realised the book didn't totally end .

Good luck!

[Ian's reading 2017]

15 hours ago, ian said:

And it would be so easy for the publisher to put "Joe Bloggs series: book 3" or whatever on the spine or the back. Some writers write more than one series at a time, so it's hard to keep track sometimes. I should check - or make a list of my favourite series to carry with me.

 

Of course, I could do all that - and then I'd probably forget where in the series I'd read to....

 

I have thought about making such a list for myself - but I realised I was reading so many series, it'd be a lot of work to make it! So to this day, I haven't done so. I do have a list of the Geronimo Stilton books I've read, that's the only bit I did do. But I wanted to make a big spreadsheet with %-bars and everything, for all the series I read, but it seemed like so much work. Maybe one day though.

 

15 hours ago, ian said:

Book 31: The dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell. (Kurt Wallander)

 

Shame this book was a bit slow, I'm glad you still liked it though.

[Little Pixie`s Bookshelf 2017]

I hope you feel better soon .

 

I hope you enjoy all your new books ! I haven't read My Not So Perfect Life yet, but I'm saving it up for a time when I really feel in the mood.

[Frankie reads 2017]

That's very interesting Frankie! Thanks for telling me . It is kind of weird! The Dutch Wikipedia said Lundia belonged to a Dutch company, so that's why I thought it was Dutch.

[What's Up in September 2017?]

We need such a rule here too, my mum's bus frequently leaves earlier than it's supposed to, causing her to miss it and subsequently miss the train she planned to take.

 

I'm sorry to hear you're in such a hassle with the bus and with the bank and the study .

Here you get money from savings really quickly, unless it's a lot of money, it's pretty much instant when you book it from your savings to your normal account online.

 

We don't have many of those self-service checkouts here like they do in the UK and Ireland. I've used them in the UK, but they always confuse me. Gladly my boyfriend usually knows what to do, though sometimes we have to ask if something goes wrong. I much prefer going to a normal till, where a person helps you. How odd that sometimes there is no one on the tills yet a queue at the self-service! You'd think things would go much quicker if there was just the till, right (because the staff member at the till knows what to do)?

 

And at the airport, the self-service checkout always wants to scan your plane ticket. Which makes it easy to then forget your ticket seeing as you're standing there with all your stuff in your hands, rushing to move on for the next person in the queue. Gladly we've only forgot a ticket once and it could gladly be sorted (I was so stressed over it). I also once forgot a chocolate bar I bought, somehow we forgot to take it from the self-service check-out when we left (we didn't realise it until we were out of the airport). I was a bit upset as it was a chocolate bar they don't have in the Netherlands in the same way. My boyfriend went and bought me another one at a different shop outside.

 

That said, in my library they have self-check-out and I love it there. I know how it works (it's pretty easy to understand) and it's nice that you don't neccessarily have to speak to someone (since there is sometimes a queue by the help / customer service if it's busy). You can also hand in your loaned books in a self-check-in area (which is also very easy to use).

 

Noll, I hope everything with the bank and the study works out .

[Alexander's Literary Odyssey 2017]

2 hours ago, Alexander the Great said:

 

I name most of my stuff. My previous bike was named Vincent.

 

... only now do I realise Vincent is the name of Simone's son, and Isaac is the name of one of Epica's guitarists XD

 

I'm picking up Isaac tonight!

 

Awesome !

[Alexander's Literary Odyssey 2017]

11 hours ago, Alexander the Great said:

Now I have even more faith in Isaac  (That's what I decided to name my bike)

 

It's cool you have named your bike !

[Greetings]

15 hours ago, samofthewildfire said:

I am quite enjoying it so far !! and I loved Eliza and Her Monsters! it was super cute and very relatable, it was a quick read but really enjoyable and all the characters are so cute. U kinda wanna just live in that world 

 

I'm glad to hear that you liked it . I'll probably buy it for myself once a medium sized paperback is out, because I really don't like hardcovers with dust jackets.

[Alex's Reading - 2017]

I'm so sorry to hear you've been ill and been in and out of hospital . I hope you feel better soon  .

[Greetings]

Welcome here !

 

I love IT by Stephen King, I hope you enjoy it . How was Eliza and her Monsters (I saw you posting about that in the Your Book Activity topic)?

[What's Up in September 2017?]

18 hours ago, Madeleine said:

It's up to you Athena about your trip - I work in London and obviously it's at the back of most people's minds but you have to just get on with it, however if it's going to really worry you then it's probably  not worth it.

Congrats on your sister's engagement by the way.

 

Thanks, gladly I still have a while to think about it. Thanks .

 

18 hours ago, Madeleine said:

Does anyone else find this time of year depressing?  With the summer plants dying off, weather unpredictable (well OK no change there!) and it's dark by 8.00.

 

I do find it a bit depressing. But each season has its pros and cons. The one thing I like a lot about autumn is that it's my birthday in October, and that it's usually not quite as cold as in the winter.

 

14 hours ago, Lau_Lou said:

I enjoy this time of year, but I just don't like the getting up and it's still dark and having to leave work after it's dark. Which it won't be long now til that really starts happening. 

 

When I still went to university, I had this often in the autumn and winter months (especially in my first few years). I would leave the house around 6:40 (currently here it doesn't get light until 7:15ish, in the winter not until 8:30ish) and sometimes come back around 19:00 (7:00 PM). I never liked that, so I feel for you .

 

10 hours ago, Virginia said:

Spent a lovely afternoon walking around the swapmeet with the hubby. We then did some "window shopping" at the local Lowes. We've decided to try and purchase the house we are living in and the owner is open to selling it to us so we'll see how it goes. In the meantime we're coming up with a renovation game plan. Exciting stuff!

 

Good luck with your house !

 

My brother and his girlfriend will be visiting us in a couple of days, it should be fun to spend some time with them.