frankie

What a great book pile for Birthday I hope you will enjoy The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, it's wonderful

Out of Myself album by Riverside. The one I started with

So, pretty crappy then, aye? Glad you had so much fun at the festival and got to meet so many authors!

I'm ploughing through The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters and I'm not enjoying it as much as I would've hoped I really want to finish it soon so I can start a new book. I started thinking back, wondering when was the last time I read a really gripping novel. It's been a long while! It was Small Steps by Louis Sachar, and that was in September... in the beginning of September, I think. I've read the following books since then and notice how every book's been rated 3/5 at the most: The Cardturner by Louis Sachar 2/5, Vinttikamaripoika by Pertti Koskinen 3/5, The Lie by C. L. Taylor 3/5, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald 3/5, The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand 3/5, Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper 3/5. Sigh! I noticed a few weeks ago that they'd ordered a new Monk novel for the library and I immediately reserved a copy. I got it last week and I'm planning on reading it next. I've never been let down by Monk and I'm hoping it will do the trick for me this time, too!

I guess you guys in the UK don't have 4H Here's info on it on wikipedia. I find it interesting how they have 4H in the USA and Canada and Finland, but not in the UK, and not in many other countries, either. Very random If you don't feel like reading the wikipedia page, it's basically a club for kids with different sort of activities. I think in the olden golden days it was more about agriculture but nowadays it's more versatile. It's good clean fun for kids, kind of like scouts. Nothing to do with holidays in itself, although they do have different camps and activities for school holidays, too. But the whole organization and activity is a throughout-the-year sort of thing. Yeah, it's the very same organization I love the play on the 'h': you guys have "head, heart, hands, and health", and over here that doesn't work as it would be 'pää, sydän, kädet ja terveys'. 1P1S1K1T club? Nope... So instead we have "harkinta, harjaannus, hyvyys ja hyvinvointi": 'harkinta' means rational thinking which is for 'head', 'harjaannus' means practice and it's for 'hands', 'hyvyys' means being good which goes for 'heart' and 'hyvinvointi' means well-being which of course is for 'health'. I liked the art clubs more than the theater clubs! The groups were smaller and it was fun to see kids making a telescope from empty toilet paper rolls and drawing treasure maps I told them on numerous occasions to pull up their sleeves so as not to get paint on their sleeves, and then when this one boy got paint all over his sleeve, I helped him clean up, and asked him if he'd been warned about the whole thing. He said no! I said we'd told them at least three times about it... The kids won't mind things like that, but you never know about their parents and I'd hate to get feedback about sending their kids home looking like they were painted on by Picasso. I agree, it would make more sense to shorten the borrowing time than to charge for the new best-sellers. That's what we do over here: you can borrow the best-sellers for two weeks instead of the full month. I find the three week period so very random. But it's fun to learn about different library cultures in different countries

Lucky you for getting to stay in the car...

I think it went alright. The club for the younger ones was much more fun, and very lively I think I learned almost everyone's name, oddly enough. The group for the 'seniors' was a bit boring... There were only five girls, and already it seems like there's a group of three girls and the two others are on the outside. Not that anyone was ostracized or teased, because we won't tolerate that, but I think they might feel or might begin to feel a bit isolated. I'm going to see to it that the girls will be mixed up, if I can help it. Looking forward to the art clubs tomorrow... I think I might like those better.

Thanks Athena

I had a great dream last night! I dreamed that when I was visiting a library, they had this section where they put all their English titles that weren't being borrowed often enough, and they were all in pristine condition, and one was allowed to take as many as one liked. It was also a bit of a book swap thing, people were encouraged to donate a book when they took one. But there were so many other people ogling the books that I felt that if there was one that I really coveted, I'd better snatch it and come back to donate my own books later. But they kept adding to the section, they kept bringing new books left and right and I was hogging them like a greedy book barstard I picked about 20 titles and felt so greedy (Had another dream, too, more like a nightmare, though... Had moved back to Espoo and my previous roommate came back to live with me and it was night and I woke up when she came back home from the gym and started cooking and talking on the phone and generally making a lot of noises. I went to her room to ask if she was now back and if she was going to continue making noises all night, every night, and she was like, yes. And I was like, nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! Was so relieved when I woke up.) I'm starting a new 'job' today. A friend of mine fixed me other 4H clubs to supervise Today I'm supervising two theater groups, for 6-9yo and 10-13yo kids. I'm not a performer of any kind myself, I hate public speaking and being at the center of attention, but then again, I'm not there to act or perform, it's the kids job I'll just be supervising. Tomorrow I'm going to supervise two art clubs for kids in similar age ranges as today. I'm looking forward to doing both! I'll be doing it as long as I'm unemployed, but if I land a 'real' job, then of course I need to quit supervising the 4H clubs. The groups have more than a dozen kids in them, so it's going to be a lot more hectic than in the pet club I supervised, with 5 kids And it's only one hour per group, and not two hours. I have no idea how I'm ever going to learn all the kids' names

No, I meant that I wonder why you chose to read TDotL

It must be about money. Personally I think the Netherlands is such an advanced country and I admire a lot of its policies, that it surprises me that they would have to ask for money when it comes to libraries. One's a Chihuahua and the other's a Jack Russell Terrier

RE: Days that were outnumbered but not novel... I checked yesterday, and there were no copies at the library Going on the wishlist, still, though! But have other stuff to comment on later, on your reading log

I knew you'd read it I just don't remember why... Is it on one/some of the reading lists? Good to hear you'd agree it's somewhat similar, because I do want it to be similar

Exactly!! He was one sick barstard for sure. Thrived on power, he did. That would be ... trick or treat... I'm getting very repetitive, but hurraaaaah anyways! I wish you'd read it because I'd like to say a few things.... But ... I guess I can say this much: the turn you're probably referring to, well, that was similar to F, but there was this huge, massive, humongous OTHER twist to Fingersmith... So if the only twist in this novel is the slight one that was also in F before the humongous one, I'm probably going to feel a bit let down by this novel

I've never quite understood why in some countries you have to pay to join the library and/or pay more to be able to borrow more. I think all libraries everywhere ought to be free of charge to everyone. Such is life. She was asking me today about the 4H clubs I'm going to be leading after next week, and later she said she asked me about those because she wanted to know about my schedule, because she'd like to be able to contact me if she needs someone to do a gig every now and then, on one-off basis. I told her she's more than welcome to call me if she ever needs an assistant. I know she'll have her permanent assistant back after this weekend, but if there's anything, ever, where that assistant can't go, she can contact me. It was definitely a great experience, and I'm really grateful for it. I can't believe it was only 2 weeks ago that I went in for the interview, and now the job's over. Time went by so fast! I'm currently at my friends, I'm doggy sitting again I had to come here straight after work to let the dogs out, and give them food. Then I had to go home to get my stuff and do some things. The dogs were quite wild when I came back, they probably thought I'd ditched them The other came with me to the bathroom, probably just to see that I was only using the loo and not leaving them again!

Me either It's like, you get the nicest gift ever, but it comes with responsibilities and the fear of making the good, right choices... But like you said, I'll never not have a book to read! (And yes, I did make a few celebratory book reservations last night after the great discovery ) Second last day at the temp job... Employer's going to a hair dresser today, so I'm going to be taking my book with me as there will be time to just sit and wait Unless I'm just drawn to her stories again... I've been wondering when she taps out and will start repeating the old ones, but she always has new stories I haven't heard before. Great memory and great sense of story telling. I'll miss her sense of humor after it's over

Just found out that reserving a book is now free also in Helsinki, and not just Espoo... Oh dear... I thought moving to Helsinki would end my manic book reserving binges and make me concentrate on my TBR pile, but now... The rules have changed... I can continue to reserve as many as 50 books at a time...

Hello Amber and welcome to the forum! I'm sure you'll like it here!

Yep, it's about Ted Bundy. It's all the more special as Ann Rule who wrote the book personally knew Ted, and worked with him, answering the phones of a helpline. Of all things!! I wonder how many people Ted saved on the phone.... I know what you mean about liking your serial killers to look suspicious so as to be able to avoid them Yay, so happy to hear you're liking it! I've been wanting to re-read it for a while now, even though it was only last year that I read it. I wonder if it's the same as with Fingersmith... That one took a different turn, too! One of my most favorite plot twists ever. Quite oddly I seem to be reading the novel in certain page-intervals: I left off at 54, then at 84, then at 114. 30 pages is all I can handle at a time? It's going to take forever... I've read the book. Who keeps telling you you'd like it? It's been a while since I read it... Ah yes. I liked it more than I remembered My notes tell me I gave it 5/5. There are unexpected things in it... Better not to say more... I enjoyed it at least (Edit: weird placement of the term 'at least'. Take it to mean that I, at least, enjoyed the book, if no one else did.)

I'm trying! I'm on page 114 now... Hoping the wham will happen sooner not later I'll be doggysitting this weekend so that will give me plenty of time to do some reading I hate different titles for one simple novel, it's so confusing!! I'm glad you borrowed the book though, I simply loved it last year I think you will enjoy it, too! The end is nigh... The end of the spooky Halloween month, that is! Man, I'm so jealous you are reading the book for the first time

I started reading The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters, I'm on page 84 but I'm not yet convinced my mojo's back.

Oooooh ooh ooh, frankie very happy girl! Excited and happy! I hope it's not only because your 'need' to procrastinate, but also because the book is so compelling, that you've gotten so far with it (You've been reading so many of my rec books this year, I'm quite overwhelmed )

That settles it then. Should make a note in my calendar! Very appropriate indeed! I've read about them in The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers... Very curious couple they were!

Thanks! I'm not too tired today. My body's having to get used to all the lifting and stuff, but I'm glad it's not given up yet My neck is tense today, it might also be due to the going in from the cold and getting back out and it being cold again, but some friends are coming over today to see my new apartment and the evening involves a bit of wine, so I hope that will relax my muscles overall, and neck in particular Very cool that you also got the Dutch version so early! I suspect it's the case with a lot of different countries and languages. Me, too! No no no, I'm not up to season 6!! But the DVD arrived sooner than I'd thought, after reserving it, so I already have it. I've not started season 4 yet Haven't had the time!

Forgot to add that I went to the library today, because Dexter season 6 had arrived, and I knew some other novel might be there, one I've reserved. Was astounded when I saw it was the new Harper Lee novel! I didn't expect to get a copy of the book so soon! It's a Finnish copy. I didn't think it would matter if I read it in English or in Finnish, I read the first novel in Finnish too, so doesn't make a difference. Usually new English novels don't get translated into Finnish so soon, but this one was bound to be a popular novel so I assume the translators in different countries may have gotten the English original way before it was even published in English, so that they could start their work on the novel as soon as possible. I also found a copy of Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole. I don't remember where I got wind of the novel, but I really like the sound of it. If only I could settle down with one novel. Have tried reading a few different books in the past few nights but nothing's stuck so far