Frankie reads 2014

[bobblybear]

Nice reviews, Frankie.

 

I've heard a few good things about Thirteen Reasons Why, and it's on my wishlist.

 

Never heard of Thomas Quick, but I like true crime so I have added it to my wishlist. I have just googled him, and there is an interesting Guardian article on the story revolving around him. Sounds like it's quite multi-layered and about

a miscarriage of justice.

 

[Athena]

Great reviews, Frankie !

[frankie]

I just have to share with you the ordeal I've been through...  

 

My friend K works for a 4H club (this is not just a Finnish thing, I'm sure some of you have heard of it and may even belong / have belonged to the club. Although I don't know if the clubs are quite the same in different countries, but basically it's a youth organization.) and last Friday she called me and asked if I could help her out. She needed to find someone who's over 18 years of age and who would be available on Mondays from 5 PM to 7 PM. She needed a guardian and some sort of assistant for this one particular 4H club: the pet club. They already had a leader signed up for it, a girl who's 16 years old, but they needed someone who's of age to take care of the keys and open the doors and lock them up afterwards etc. K told me all I had to do was show up a bit before 5 PM, open the doors, make sure nobody breaks anything, and lock up after the kids. She said I could participate as much as I wanted, but I could also just sit back and do nothing. 

 

So today when I was leaving my place to go to the club facilities, K calls me and says 'Great news! The leader will be an hour late!". So I think awesome, I don't have to leave yet, I can get a cup of coffee and relax for an hour. But then K said that I would have to go and manage on my own, because the kids will be there at 5 PM, waiting for someone to open the doors and start the club. 

 

Holy... Moly! If you know me at all, you know that I hate being the center of attention. I don't like giving speeches, I don't like performing, I definitely would not want to be a teacher of any kind. But what the hell am I to do. I've been left in a real lurch but I can't let the kids down. 

 

I was honestly just frozen. Scared stiff. I like kids just fine, but it's a new city, I've never met the kids, I don't know how many there'd be, what they're like, and what to do with them. 

 

Luckily I'd brought some paper and pens with me so we made name tags at first, and talked a bit about our favorite pets, and I asked them about their names and age, and if they had any pets. It was a bit awkward for a few minutes but luckily there was a girl who'd been to the same club the previous year and she had loads of ideas what we could do. She kept asking me if we could do this or play that etc etc. Thank goodness!

 

After 20 minutes we were giggling like school mates Nice kids, I have to say. And then the leader arrived, and she was really nice, too, and I know we'll manage just fine the rest of the year She'll be bringing her friend's dog with her next week if it's okay with her friend!

 

I can only say I don't remember when I was so way out of my comfort zone the last time. 

[Anna Begins]

What lucky kids! 

[Devi]

Sounds like you had fun in the end Frankie.

 

I would of been so nervous too.

[Athena]

I'm glad you had fun in the end, Frankie . I would be very nervous as well.

[frankie]

Nice reviews, Frankie.

 

I've heard a few good things about Thirteen Reasons Why, and it's on my wishlist.

 

Never heard of Thomas Quick, but I like true crime so I have added it to my wishlist. I have just googled him, and there is an interesting Guardian article on the story revolving around him. Sounds like it's quite multi-layered and about

a miscarriage of justice.

 

 

Thanks bobblybear!

 

I hope you get to reading TRW soon, it was really great. I've read a few unfavorable reviews, but personally I don't know what's not to like

 

Yep, you're right about what you wrote in the spoiler. I really like it how

careful they've been about how to word everything in the blurb, they've not spoiled the fact that Quick was actually innocent, and that's what the book is ultimately about. I really didn't see it coming. 

 

[frankie]

What lucky kids! 

 

 

Sounds like you had fun in the end Frankie.

 

I would of been so nervous too.

 

 

I'm glad you had fun in the end, Frankie . I would be very nervous as well.

 

It was great fun in the end. But I was exhausted when I got home Completely and utterly exhausted! 

 

I didn't think I'd enjoy myself as much as I did and I have to say, I'd planned on sitting in the back, procrastinating on my own in some ways. But now I'm kind of excited about the club and I'm already thinking about all the things we could do this autumn with the kids. We're going to do a bit of planning with the real leader after next week's club, timetables and ideas about what to do etc. And I want to take part in the activities with the kids They were a fun bunch! 

[frankie]

#53

 

Where'd You Go, Bernadette 
by Maria Semple

 

 

 

 

Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom.

Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle--and people in general--has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.

To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence--creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world.
 

Thoughts: I received my copy from darling poppyshake as a Christmas present, thank you very much!   
 
I really don't know why, but for some reason I thought this novel would be difficult to get into. It may have something to do with the fact that before I got my copy from poppyshake, I saw a Finnish copy at a department store and I browsed through it a bit and I found the first page confusing. I'm not saying the translation was poor but for some reason it left me a bit baffled. But when I picked the English copy up, I got right into it
 
If you like your narratives straightforward, this book is not for you. There are e-mails, letters, etc etc. It takes a bit of time to connect the dots and remember to connection between the dots (or characters). But I didn't find it problematic myself, and I quite enjoyed all the different formats of text and conversations and calls and e-mails.
 
It's really a shame that I've left the review hanging so long because I can't remember much about the actual plot I was really engaged in the novel, though. And where the hell did Bernadette really go?!   
 
I really must re-read this soon, I have a hankering for it

 

4/5

Edited September 30, 2014 by frankie

[Athena]

This book is on my wishlist, I'm glad you enjoyed it, Frankie !

[frankie]

Another post about Espoo.... 

 

I'm so happily surprised with the city and so happy to live here. You know I come from a smaller city, from the eastern Finland. Eastern Finnish people are known to be talkative and nice, and whenever I went to a bar I could talk to whomever and nobody would look at me oddly for doing so. 

 

I was a bit apprehensive to move to south: people are more busy, maybe a bit stressful, and possibly more private. Not so keen on talking to strangers. And whenever I've been to bars in Helsinki, I've not been able to just go and talk to people: they would think I'm odd or that I have some hidden agenda. I had no idea what people in Espoo would be like... I've now lived in Espoo for a bit over a month and I'm so happy. I've been to the local bar four times now (three Fridays and today, Wednesday) and every time I've talked to at least one stranger, and they've not been weird about it at all. They've been happy to talk with me and my friends every single time and I've had a jolly good time with people. Last Friday I was at the local pub with three friends, when a woman asked if she and her friend could sit at our table (it was crowded). When she was waiting for her friend to come sit with her and get their drinks, I asked the woman where she's from, and that's how it all started. Me and my friends ended up talking to her and her friend for the rest of the evening, and we even continued to another bar together. Nice people!

 

A Joensuu pal of mine who lives and has lived in Helsinki for over 10 years now came to Espoo today, she had a job interview pretty close to where I live. We met afterwards, I showed her the library. She didn't like it at first, but when we went to the YA section and found a Carcassonne game, she was thrilled, and we played a game. Then we went to the pub to play Trivial Pursuit. There was a man sitting at the table next to us, and when he heard one of the questions (who scored the goals in some 1998 football game), he started laughing and told us 'that's a tricky question!'. He continued doing a bit of work (he was a teacher and had papers to grade), but when he was finished, he actually joined us to play another round of TP. What a nice chap! At 7 PM he went to listen to a concert at the library and he actually asked if we would accompany him but we weren't in the mood. 

 

My pal told me that during the over 10 years she's lived in Helsinki, she's never talked to strangers in a bar, she's only talked to her friends. She was astonished by how we could just talk to strangers at the Espoo bar. 

 

It continues to baffle me. I'm so pleased!  

[Chrissy]

I'm so glad that you have settled in so well.

[frankie]

It's been somewhat unexpected, but it's really been great so far  

[Kylie]

I'm so pleased for you, Frankie! Espoo is so lucky to have you join them. You should go to Helsinki and teach them how to be as friendly as you.  

[Athena]

I'm so glad you're having so much fun in Espoo .

[Devi]

I do love hearing all about Espoo Frankie!

[frankie]

I'm so pleased for you, Frankie! Espoo is so lucky to have you join them. You should go to Helsinki and teach them how to be as friendly as you. 

 

I will not! My plan is that the Helsinki people can continue being themselves and thus I can hopefully attract more people to move to Espoo!

 

I was eating a pastry right before going to the library today and I ended up reading some info sign of the 'plaza' at Sello. Turns out the street/alley names starting with 'ratsu' (a horse that is to be ridden) are ones that used to belong to a horse farm of some sort. For the soldiers. This prompted me to go and see if I could find a good guidebook of Espoo but I didn't I'd be interested in reading about the city. 

 

I also need to find out if Laajalahti is in any way attached to the sea. If it is, it means that I live only about a few kilometers away from the sea. Which for me is such a weird and exciting thing! I've always lived close to lakes and rivers, but never close to any seas. Most of my sea (ocean) experiences stem back from my trip to Australia. Helsinki people always talk about the sea, and so do other people who live in the cities and towns on the seaside, but it's always seemed like a utopia for me.... I really need to google Laajalahti before I forget!

 

 

I'm so glad you're having so much fun in Espoo

 

 

I do love hearing all about Espoo Frankie! 

 

Thanks girls! I went to the library again today, just to sit and read. Oh and I found a copy of Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, by accident! I was reading at a table that was next to the English lit section, but I'd never looked at the shelf closest to me, because it was marked 'romance', and all the books are marked with a little heart I don't like that. I think they should be mixed with 'normal' books. But this library has more subsections than the Joensuu library. Anyhow, very happy to find the copy!

 

The library is weird in other ways, too. They have these odd numbered sections that we didn't have at the Joensuu library. They are not a part of the Dewey decimal system, not that I know of, anyway. 

 

Edit: Oooh and the book I finished today was partly about Espoo! Well it wasn't about Espoo, but the events took place in Helsinki and partly in Espoo. My part of town, Leppävaara, was mentioned quite a few times! I thought that was so cool. I think I've only read a few books that have mentioned Joensuu, but never my part of town. So that was a first for me.

 

Edit: Oh and one of the main characters has the same name as one of my oldest friend's niece! I have to remember to tell him about it

 

Edit: Googled Laajalahti and yes, I live a few kilometers from the sea!  I mean I knew I live close to the sea, Helsinki being by the sea, but I don't think I knew Espoo is also by the sea! Or if I knew, I didn't realize it until now. Few kilometers! Blows my mind

 

Edit: Elle also told me that this one shooting spree I'd heard of in the news a few years back took place in the Sello shopping center, the one I live next to. Bloody hell! I'm not going to remind my parents about it, for sure! 

 

Edit: And having brought up the subject of true crime, the Lake Bodom murders took place in Espoo as well. I know I've mentioned those in the true crime thread on the board. 

Edited October 3, 2014 by frankie

[Devi]

Oh wow, I wonder if the friend did kill the other three people with him at the camp site?

[frankie]

Oh wow, I wonder if the friend did kill the other three people with him at the camp site?

 

I think it's one of the great Finnish murder mysteries that will never be resolved. If it was someone else, some adult, it's likely that he or she is dead by now and so the truth will never come out. 

[frankie]

#54

 

 

The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket

by John Boyne

 

 

 

 

From Amazon: There's nothing unusual about the Brockets. Normal, respectable, and proud of it, they turn up their noses at anyone strange or different. But from the moment Barnaby Brocket comes into the world, it's clear he's anything but ordinary. To his parents' horror, Barnaby defies the laws of gravity - and floats.

 

Desperate to please his parents, Barnaby does his best to keep both feet on the ground - but he just can't do it. One fateful day, the Brockets decide enough is enough. They never asked for a weird, abnormal, floating child. Barnaby has to go . . .

 

Betrayed, frightened and alone, Barnaby floats into the path of a very special hot air balloon - and so begins a magical journey around the world, with a cast of extraordinary new friends.

 

 

Thoughts: I've always enjoyed John Boyne's books (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Crippen) and The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket was no exception to that rule. However, it was not in any way on a par with the aforementioned novels. The premise was interesting enough, and so was the story, and even though Boyne had come up with some interesting concepts, the execution wasn't all that special, and it seemed forced at times. And I felt almost, almost a tiny bit patronized. Yes, it's a children's novel so the tone is not going to be the same as with adults' books, but a good children's novel is never patronizing. Of course this is only just my own opinion, maybe others who've read the book haven't felt the same.

 

3/5

[poppyshake]

Oh .. that's a shame What a completely darling cover  I do love Oliver Jeffers' illustrations. It should've been brilliant .. still .. you quite liked it so not a disaster. I feel a bit anxious for poor Barnaby though ... his parents seem a bit heartless .. couldn't they just have put lead weights in his trousers  

[frankie]

Oh .. that's a shame What a completely darling cover  I do love Oliver Jeffers' illustrations. It should've been brilliant .. still .. you quite liked it so not a disaster. I feel a bit anxious for poor Barnaby though ... his parents seem a bit heartless .. couldn't they just have put lead weights in his trousers  

 

Should I know Oliver Jeffers from other books? I did like the book, don't let me put you off reading it if by any chance you have it on your TBR or wishlist I wonder if the word patronizing is the right one. I think some things were explained too much on the point, and not 'shown'. Still a good book. 

 

Barnaby's parents were not nice at all How did they not think of lead weights?!?

 

On another note: I went to check something on the library's website and found some very interesting 'news'. There was a link to a page where you could actually look at a list of different English novels and books and if you want any particular ones to be bought and added to the library's collection, you can click on them. The books that get the most clicks will be acquired by the library and they'll be available at the Pasila library (it's one in Helsinki) for customers to borrow (and of course you can reserve them for other libraries, too). The budget is 15,000 euros and the chosen books will be revealed on week 43. 

 

This is a brand new campaign and test on how things will work out with customers choosing the books with the staff. I think it's very, very cool Can customer service get any better than this?? I don't think so. 

Naturally I went and did my 'bidding'. There weren't that many familiar titles but some. 

[Athena]

On another note: I went to check something on the library's website and found some very interesting 'news'. There was a link to a page where you could actually look at a list of different English novels and books and if you want any particular ones to be bought and added to the library's collection, you can click on them. The books that get the most clicks will be acquired by the library and they'll be available at the Pasila library (it's one in Helsinki) for customers to borrow (and of course you can reserve them for other libraries, too). The budget is 15,000 euros and the chosen books will be revealed on week 43. 

 

This is a brand new campaign and test on how things will work out with customers choosing the books with the staff. I think it's very, very cool Can customer service get any better than this?? I don't think so. 

Naturally I went and did my 'bidding'. There weren't that many familiar titles but some.

That's really cool !

[frankie]

Yes, it's very, very cool  

[poppyshake]

Should I know Oliver Jeffers from other books? I did like the book, don't let me put you off reading it if by any chance you have it on your TBR or wishlist. I wonder if the word patronizing is the right one. I think some things were explained too much on the point, and not 'shown'. Still a good book. 

 

Barnaby's parents were not nice at all How did they not think of lead weights?!?

 

On another note: I went to check something on the library's website and found some very interesting 'news'. There was a link to a page where you could actually look at a list of different English novels and books and if you want any particular ones to be bought and added to the library's collection, you can click on them. The books that get the most clicks will be acquired by the library and they'll be available at the Pasila library (it's one in Helsinki) for customers to borrow (and of course you can reserve them for other libraries, too). The budget is 15,000 euros and the chosen books will be revealed on week 43. 

 

This is a brand new campaign and test on how things will work out with customers choosing the books with the staff. I think it's very, very cool. Can customer service get any better than this?? I don't think so. 

Naturally I went and did my 'bidding'. There weren't that many familiar titles but some. 

No .. Oliver usually illustrates books (and writes them) for littlies. But they made a short animated film out of one a few years ago and it was just the most darling thing ever .. or I thought so   Poor Barnaby  

 

What a great idea .. getting borrowers to vote on books they'd like to see stocked. Brilliant! I hope some of your clicks make it through   That is excellent customer service. My library could do with taking a leaf .. out of .. their book   (sorry .. the pun only occurred to me as I was typing ) I don't think they've changed their titles this millennium. They are doing the bare minimum as far as I'm concerned and not encouraging readers   I could do it better (of course ) in my sleep!!

It's such a boon to have a well stocked library (or libraries) nearby .. it saves one lots of pennies for a start and you can take chances on books which is liberating.