Claire's Book List 2015

[Nollaig]

Floppy phalluses?!

[Athena]

Floppy phalluses?!

That's the one thing out of all those reviews that you decided to comment on ..

[Nollaig]

That's the one thing out of all those reviews that you decided to comment on ..

 

It's the only thing I wasn't entirely sure I had read correctly!

[chesilbeach]

Floppy phalluses?!

 

Yep.  Basically, the different playwrights compete in a festival to have the best play, and as far as comedies go, the larger the phalluses, the bigger the laugh, but it needed money to get the best workmen to make them, and poor old Aristophanes doesn't have the support of his backer (whom he has mocked in the past) and can't afford to get the biggest and best engineered phalluses.  Those Ancient Greeks, eh, what are they like?

 

It's such a good story intermingling everyday folk with the Gods, and as I look back at it, I feel more warmly in my affection for it, I enjoyed it that much.  I think I'll probably read it again, which is not something I do often.

[Marie H]

I like the sound of The Goddess of Buttercups and Daisies! That is very intriguing

[Nollaig]

Haha it sounds greats Claire, I might read it myself

[Marie H]

Damn, the county libraries don't have The Goddess of Buttercups and Daisies. This one will have to go on my wishlist though.

[chesilbeach]

Feeling a bit bereft … we need to get our living room re-plastered as we live in a coastal town and there is salt in the land, and it's seeping up through the walls and into the plaster, so we need to get it all stripped back to the wall, then the brickwork treated and replastered with a special process to prevent the salt encroaching again.  I don't mind too much, except, half of our books are in the living room, and we've had to empty all the shelves, put the books in storage boxes, which are now dotted all around the house.  The bookshelves are currently empty, which is bad enough, but we built in all the shelves and cupboards in the room and they'll all need to be stripped out and rebuilt after the plasterwork is done. Feels a bit odd walking into the room and seeing all the shelves empty!    

[chesilbeach]

I've just realised that OH has already packed away some of the books that were on my TBR list!  No idea when I'll see those again … will have to sideline them for now.  I guess at least my TBR list will go down by a few books now though

[frankie]

Oh dear, what a great bother!     It must look so empty and naked, and less homey I feel for you, I'm soon having to shift all my books and I won't even have a bookcase and I might need to store my books in plastic bags and whatnots  

 

It's unfair to books that they need to live such a nomadic life sometimes. 

[chaliepud]

Just focus on the fun you're going to have putting them all in place again and then knowing they can stay there for a long long time before it needs doing again.

[frankie]

^ Also, when you can't see all your books, you might forget about owning some of them, and then it'll be like Christmas when you unpack the boxes and stuff!  

[chesilbeach]

That's a good plan!  I also plan to have a bit of a cull when we get them out of storage too, and there will be a big pile going to the charity shop, which always cheers me up.

 

It's also been a bit of a bonus, as I've sorted out all the books that Kay lent me and kept them separate, and am happily reading my way through those now so that I can give them back and they don't get lost in the storage boxes!  I've also now got the small pile of my own books that were in the book jar (that OH hasn't already put in storage) on top of the piano which I can see directly in front of the chair I sit in to read, and I can move onto those once I've finished Kay's books.  I'm finding it harder to read some paperbacks as the typeface is just too small for me, and I'd like to move towards a higher percentage of ebooks for my Kindle, but I feel guilty doing that while I've still got this pile of paperbacks in front of me, so this is a great incentive to finish them off now.

[frankie]

You can certainly find your silver linings when you put your mind to it!  

[muggle not]

That's a good plan!  I also plan to have a bit of a cull when we get them out of storage too, and there will be a big pile going to the charity shop, which always cheers me up.

 

It's also been a bit of a bonus, as I've sorted out all the books that Kay lent me and kept them separate, and am happily reading my way through those now so that I can give them back and they don't get lost in the storage boxes!  I've also now got the small pile of my own books that were in the book jar (that OH hasn't already put in storage) on top of the piano which I can see directly in front of the chair I sit in to read, and I can move onto those once I've finished Kay's books.  I'm finding it harder to read some paperbacks as the typeface is just too small for me, and I'd like to move towards a higher percentage of ebooks for my Kindle, but I feel guilty doing that while I've still got this pile of paperbacks in front of me, so this is a great incentive to finish them off now.

I also have a problem with small print and it is "one" of the reasons I like the kindle. As a minimum, I have probably tripled my reading since I got the kindle. btw, when are you going to read the Kazam series by Fforde.

[chesilbeach]

They're not top of my wish list, and the first one was actually bought for my OH as a gift, and as he wants to read them too, we'll get the paperback editions at some point.  OH is a slow reader and has plenty to read at the moment, and I've still got quite a big TBR, so I don't think it'll be that soon.

[chaliepud]

Have you not thought about reading glasses Claire? I struggled to admit that I needed them but my arms were getting too short for the books I was reading so didn't have a choice! Also useful for reading ingredients on food packaging etc.

[chesilbeach]

Unfortunately, I already do have reading glasses!  I've had them for just over a year now, and although the reading with them is easier, I find it incredibly annoying having to change between the two pairs all the time, but I've been a bit put off varifocals, as they are not only really expensive, but my friend has just got a pair and found them impossible to get on with, so it was a waste of money.  I suspect I'll find that when I next get my eyes tested, the reading glasses will need to be changed again.

[chaliepud]

Ah I see your predicament! I only need them for reading so not too much of a hassle. It's a shame glasses are so expensive as ideally they are something you would like to try before you buy! My Mum has worn varifocals for years and wouldn't be without them and my brother has just started wearing varifocal contact lenses and seems to be adjusting well, he is an amateur photographer and the glasses were just a nuisance.

[chesilbeach]

I've worn contacts in the past, but I'm not sure I can be bothered with them anymore, but glasses are just such a nuisance!  I may think about it now I have the extra reading glasses, as presumably I could wear contacts for normal vision and just add reading glasses on top of those?  I'll have to ask the optician about it next time.

[Janet]

Unfortunately, I already do have reading glasses!  I've had them for just over a year now, and although the reading with them is easier, I find it incredibly annoying having to change between the two pairs all the time, but I've been a bit put off varifocals, as they are not only really expensive, but my friend has just got a pair and found them impossible to get on with, so it was a waste of money.  I suspect I'll find that when I next get my eyes tested, the reading glasses will need to be changed again.

I had the opposite problem in that I got to the stage where I had to take my glasses off to read!

 

I've just got varifocals for the first time.  Try Specsavers - you can have a trial period.  You pay for both pairs (you get one pair 'free') - they're expensive so they only make up one pair and you try those for a month or so (although the optician I saw said I could try them for a lot longer if I wanted).  If you don't get on with them they give you a full refund so it's definitely worth a try.

 

They do take some perseverance - I really struggled in areas with lots of things going on (like shopping centres/supermarkets) but now I have got used to them and they're wonderful! 

[chesilbeach]

Thanks for the info Janet, I'll look into it in more detail. I think if I had them, I'd still wear my normal vision lenses for being out and about, driving, etc., and just switch to the varifocals when at work and at home in front of the computer and television, and for reading, but I guess I really need to just try them for myself and see how I get on.

[Athena]

My dad has varifocals and it took him a bit of time to get used to them, but now he's totally used to them. To me, it sounds quite confusing and I'm not sure I could get used to it! I will most likely need them by the time I get to be his age, since my 'normal' glasses strength is similar to his'.

[Janet]

Thanks for the info Janet, I'll look into it in more detail. I think if I had them, I'd still wear my normal vision lenses for being out and about, driving, etc., and just switch to the varifocals when at work and at home in front of the computer and television, and for reading, but I guess I really need to just try them for myself and see how I get on.

That's what I said I'd do, but having got so used to them I don't, apart from on our recent holiday when I wore my old reading glasses a lot of the time as I didn't want to damage my new glasses.  

 

They definitely do take some perseverance, Gaia, and they're not for everyone.  My Mum prefers to stick to her bifocals. 

[chesilbeach]

I've sorted out my TBR list now that most of my books are in storage boxes, and I'm left with 20 books. Can't deny, I'm much happier with this number, and think I can make a good dent in it over the next few weeks. Fortunately, most of the ones in storage are from some of the challenges I'm working on, so it doesn't matter too much as these were always intended as long term reading, but I still want to work on the rest of the book on my TBR, particularly the tree books as I'd like to get back to my Kindle which I do still find easier to read on.