Kylie's Literary Adventures in 2013

[shelley.s]

Aww well they are all good in their own right! I don't know how people manage to read more than one book at a time!

[pontalba]

Oh, how exciting, Kylie!  You are going to have loads of fun, I just know it.  Bits of boredom as well.....but so worth it! 

[Athena]

I keep forgetting to mention some book-related news:

 

My BF is part of a local amateur drama group (he performed in Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap earlier this year). He is going to direct his first play next year, and it will be 12 Angry Men. Now, I have no experience in drama whatsoever, and I'd sooner die than get up on a stage and act, so I'm going to be involved backstage. Yay! I've always thought it would be cool to do backstage stuff at a show (Athena, you in particular will probably understand that I used to love reading the Baby-Sitter's Club Super Special where they staged Peter Pan ). So I'm going to be the Stage Manager—I have to make sure the 12 Angry Men have their props and are on stage at the right time. This shouldn't be too difficult because everyone stays put once they go on stage. I'm rather shy, so I don't know how I'll go ordering 12 men about. But they all seem like lovely guys—not angry at all. We staged the auditions over the last couple of weeks and the cast was just finalised. Not much will happen now until early February, when we will start rehearsals. The play will be on in May. I'll also be the 'Prompt' for a while—when the lads have to put down their scripts and try to remember their lines, I'll help them when they get stuck.

 

I can see I'll be reading the play dozens of times in the coming months. I wonder if I can count that as dozens of reads to help boost my yearly total? 

x

Exciting news! I wish you lots of fun !!

[Kidsmum]

That's fantastic news Kylie!!! Twelve Angry Men is one of my favourite movies 

[poppyshake]

That sounds great Kylie and it'll be so interesting for you and us Look forward to reading all your progress reports etc. Though you would rather die than act (same here ) I bet just helping out and learning the lines and prompting etc will make you more comfy with it. If I were you (wow!! .. I'd have all those beautiful bookcases and books ) I wouldn't rule out a role in a future am dram. It'll be just like it is in books ... someone will get sick or be absent and it's only Kylie that knows their lines. You'll be like 'no, no! .. I couldn't possibly' and then after much coaxing 'ok then .. but I shall be rubbish' and then of course you'd knock spots off everyone.       

[Devi]

How exciting! I am sure you will have an amazing time. Enjoy it all

[Karsa Orlong]

I'm rather shy, so I don't know how I'll go ordering 12 men about.

 

Just concentrate on the one playing the Henry Fonda role and tell him to stop being so stubborn

[Kylie]

That would be a short play. I'd rather focus on getting juror 3 (the really cranky one) to stop being stubborn. Our juror 3 is actually reprising his role—he performed the same role recently in another local production. Luckily I have since talked to him a couple of times, and I saw him singing a comedy number in drag last week, so I don't find him scary like he was on stage.   Thanks for the well wishes everyone.

 

I received a few books in the mail today. Two are Christmas presents, except one was not the book I ordered, so I've emailed the company to get it fixed. The third book is for me. It's called The Dig Tree by Sarah Murgatroyd (didn't Snagglepuss say something like 'heavens to Murgatroyd'? Heh.) Anyway, this is a non-fiction book about a very interesting event in Australia's early days (that is, the early days of white colonisation). Two explorers named Burke and Wills decided to cross the country from south to north, not knowing how barren and treacherous the interior of Australia was. It's a long story, but very interesting (it doesn't end well). You can read about it here if you want.

 

I finished iWoz today. Excellent read.

[Athena]

Enjoy your book! Sorry to hear one of the books arrived wasn't the right one, that's always annoying imo . I'm glad you liked iWoz, it sounds like a really interesting read, if I come across it cheap..

 

Can I ask how many books do you own?

[Devi]

Good old Burke and Wills, look forward to hearing what you think of the book.

[Kylie]

Can I ask how many books do you own?

 

I think around 2,500, give or take. But I swear it looks like a lot more than that! One of these days I'll get an exact number.

 

Good old Burke and Wills, look forward to hearing what you think of the book.

 

Oh, you're a legend, Devi (without even trying!) I just saw that someone had posted in my thread, and the moment I saw your name, I remembered that the Book Depository sale had started! I've already missed the first three deals.

[chaliepud]

You missed Tess of the D and an Alice in Wonderland book that I saw, I've just bought Love Tommy but I'm not sure whether I'll give it to my brother for Christmas or keep it for myself!  Either way we will both read it.

[Athena]

I think around 2,500, give or take. But I swear it looks like a lot more than that! One of these days I'll get an exact number.

x

Awesome !

 

EDIT: I have about the same, in total over 2500 (+ Kindle ebooks) but under 2500 paper books.

Edited November 28, 2013 by Athena

[Kylie]

You missed Tess of the D and an Alice in Wonderland book that I saw, I've just bought Love Tommy but I'm not sure whether I'll give it to my brother for Christmas or keep it for myself!  Either way we will both read it.

 

Thanks Chalie. I'm now setting my alarm for every half an hour. I also follow the BD sales on their Facebook page, because they sometimes give the exact name of each book (but sometimes they're annoyingly cryptic!) I (we) also missed William S Burroughs' Junky. Luckily I already have it.

 

Heh, I just noticed your doggy quote in your signature and thought I would add a kitty quote to mine. (Although Jasper has been saying far too many words tonight for my liking!)

 

x

Awesome !

 

EDIT: I have about the same, in total over 2500 (+ Kindle ebooks) but under 2500 paper books.

 

We are two peas in a pod. I rarely read ebooks but I have many thousands of them (just in case!)

[Athena]

We are two peas in a pod.

x

We are !

[Kylie]

I don't know if the Book Depository has a better selection of books in this sale, or maybe it's just that I'm paying more attention, but there have been lots of excellent books in my opinion. There seems to have been a lot fewer cookbooks and activity books. Some of the books haven't even been selling out, or they've at least been taking nearly the full half an hour to sell out (and they're good books!) I missed a couple of hours of deals because I had a blackout at home and couldn't access the site ( ) but so far I have bought:

 

Anthony Hope Rupert of Hentzau (Penguin Classic)

Patricia Chapman Meder The True Story of Catch-22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller's 340th Bomb Group in World War II

Stephanie Pain Farmer Buckley's Exploding Trousers and Other Odd Events on the Way to Scientific Discovery

Simon Rich The Last Girlfriend on Earth (supposed to be a very funny collection of short stories about love)

Malise Ruthven The Divine Supermarket: Travels in Search of the Soul of America (about religion in America, such as fundamentalists and TV preachers)

Seneca On the Shortness of Life (part of Penguin's Great Ideas series)

Lucy Wadham Heads and Straights (part of Penguins London Underground series)

 

I had been having a pretty good year in terms of not buying as many books, but I feel like I have fallen off the wagon (big time) in the past month or two.

[Devi]

You are welcome!

 

I am bummed I missed this sale, like you with the last one, I was sick and missed most of it.

 

Glad to hear there were less cook books this time around. Was a fair few last sale.

 

Nice haul too by the way.

Edited November 29, 2013 by Devi

[Marie H]

Good haul there! . I loved Seneca's On the Shortness of Life   , very sensible philosophy.

[Athena]

Nice haul !

[Kylie]

You are welcome!

 

I am bummed I missed this sale, like you with the last one, I was sick and missed most of it.

 

Glad to hear there were less cook books this time around. Was a fair few last sale.

 

Nice haul too by the way.

 

Aw, sorry you missed it, but just think of the All Books for Less sale that is coming up! I hope you get a great haul there! Is that on this weekend?

 

Good haul there! . I loved Seneca's On the Shortness of Life   , very sensible philosophy.

 

Thanks Marie. I'm glad you enjoyed Seneca. It sounds like the kind of philosophy I need in my life right now!

 

Nice haul !

 

Thanks Athena!

 

In recent reading news, I have picked up Walter Moers' Rumo & His Miraculous Adventures. I started reading this last year but put it down for quite a long time because of my lack of reading mojo. Luckily Moers is such a brilliant storyteller that I haven't forgotten anything that I read last year.

 

I am going on a short trip to Canberra tomorrow and returning on Sunday. There is an exhibition of maps at the National Library of Australia, which looks awesome (I love maps!) I've never been to the National Library before (shame on me!) so I'm looking forward to the visit.

 

I'm also going to make it a very bookish weekend. There are loads of bookshops in Canberra, but I've never had time to visit most of them because I'm usually busy with the book fair. I've made a list of the shops I want to visit and I'll see how many I can get to before I have to come home. I'm making this trip alone because this is a trip for hardcore book lovers, and as much as my BF loves books, I don't think he'd cope with so many shops.

 

I'm also planning on visiting some markets there. I'm not usually very fond of markets, but these are supposed to be quite good, and their Christmas stalls are starting up this weekend, so maybe I'll find some cute or unique things.

[frankie]

Sounds like you're going to have a great trip ahead!   I wish I could come along... Are you going to stop in the secondhand bookshops we stopped at when we were on our way to Canberra? The massive, amazing bookbarn? I still have the paperbag they gave me to put my purchases in... It was so special And how about that other one, where they didn't have any prices on the books, and it was a massive place... But the prices were just right?  

 

 

I hope you have a great time, Thelma!

 

With love,

Louise

[Athena]

I am going on a short trip to Canberra tomorrow and returning on Sunday. There is an exhibition of maps at the National Library of Australia, which looks awesome (I love maps!) I've never been to the National Library before (shame on me!) so I'm looking forward to the visit.

 

I'm also going to make it a very bookish weekend. There are loads of bookshops in Canberra, but I've never had time to visit most of them because I'm usually busy with the book fair. I've made a list of the shops I want to visit and I'll see how many I can get to before I have to come home. I'm making this trip alone because this is a trip for hardcore book lovers, and as much as my BF loves books, I don't think he'd cope with so many shops.

 

I'm also planning on visiting some markets there. I'm not usually very fond of markets, but these are supposed to be quite good, and their Christmas stalls are starting up this weekend, so maybe I'll find some cute or unique things.

x

This sounds totally awesome! I hope you have a lot of fun !

[pontalba]

What a wonderful trip you have planned Kylie!  I love maps too, and can spend hours perusing them.  New maps, old maps, ancient maps....star charts, any and all of them! 

 

Have a fantastic time!    

[shelley.s]

Ooo that sounds like heaven, i cant wait to hear all about it, i hope you have a fantastic time 

[chaliepud]

Have a great time Kylie!