Athena Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 I was thinking about this yesterday and I have an idea. What's helped me personally this year is that I'm not allowed to return a book to the library before I've written my thoughts on it on here. And as I do like to take books back to the library soon after finishing them, the ones that are on the table waiting to be reviewed give me meaningful glances and then I have to get on with it. This doesn't help you as you're reading books off your TBR and books you've borrowed from friends and family. But I was wondering if this strategy could be modified to your books... And it gave me an idea: where do you put a book you've just finished? Do you put it back on the shelf, on its place? Or do you leave it around. What if you stacked the books you've yet to review in a certain place and weren't allowed to shelve them before you've reviewed them? Of course, you said you didn't want to stress it, so you can just tell me to bugger off with my ideas I know if you have a lot of books to be reviewed, the pile of them would seem just daunting and it might make you less inclined to write about them... But when you got to a stage where you only have a few reviews to write, it might be an idea. I do a similar thing as you, Frankie, so I think it's a great idea. When I finish a book, I leave it on my desk until I've written the review and posted about it. I take library books back to the library after I've written the review, and my own books go back on their book shelf in my old room only after I've written the review. Quote
chesilbeach Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 It wouldn't work for me, frankie … OH keeps "tidying" them away! He even "tidies" the bookshelves, so the books I've put in order so I know who I've borrowed them from and that they're not read yet, end up mixed in with other books If I left a pile of books or even tried to keep them separately on the shelves, I'd come home from work one day to find them all mixed up again Quote
frankie Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 It wouldn't work for me, frankie … OH keeps "tidying" them away! He even "tidies" the bookshelves, so the books I've put in order so I know who I've borrowed them from and that they're not read yet, end up mixed in with other books If I left a pile of books or even tried to keep them separately on the shelves, I'd come home from work one day to find them all mixed up again What the hell? How dare he disturb and touch your books I'm sure you've told him off for it, so the only question is why won't he listen Quote
chesilbeach Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 What the hell? How dare he disturb and touch your books I'm sure you've told him off for it, so the only question is why won't he listen It goes in one ear and out the other! I've learned to live with it Quote
frankie Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 It goes in one ear and out the other! I've learned to live with it That's one windy tunnel Quote
poppyshake Posted April 2, 2015 Author Posted April 2, 2015 I already do it .. place them in a pile which eventually becomes tottering .. right by the computer. Sometimes I can't put my tea down as there's no space. I still manage to put it off though The only time I really get antsy about it is if the book belongs to the colouredy shelf .. then it has to be put back asap .. for sanity's sake Thanks for the suggestion though .. all suggestions welcome xx I wonder if I could offer myself a small reward? .. or pay someone to write them for me or nag me about it? Poor Claire To have your books rearranged You are too lenient .. I know it's better to have a quiet life but really .. you should declare war! Quote
poppyshake Posted April 2, 2015 Author Posted April 2, 2015 Alan's idea of an April Fool's joke Quote
Athena Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 It wouldn't work for me, frankie … OH keeps "tidying" them away! He even "tidies" the bookshelves, so the books I've put in order so I know who I've borrowed them from and that they're not read yet, end up mixed in with other books If I left a pile of books or even tried to keep them separately on the shelves, I'd come home from work one day to find them all mixed up again I'm so sorry ! I already do it .. place them in a pile which eventually becomes tottering .. right by the computer. Sometimes I can't put my tea down as there's no space. I still manage to put it off though The only time I really get antsy about it is if the book belongs to the colouredy shelf .. then it has to be put back asap .. for sanity's sake Thanks for the suggestion though .. all suggestions welcome xx I wonder if I could offer myself a small reward? .. or pay someone to write them for me or nag me about it? Poor Claire To have your books rearranged You are too lenient .. I know it's better to have a quiet life but really .. you should declare war! A reward is an idea, such as maybe a little something nice to eat? If you're worried about forgetting, you could also write sticky notes or put a note on your desktop of your computer (I often create empty documents on my desktop, text files, with the title of what I'm supposed to not forget). I often write myself lists of all the things I need to do or want to do in the near future, that helps me too. It's a relief to cross off something I've done. If all else fails, I also use HabitRPG, where I can cross off tasks I've done and get "experience" for them. But mainly I love collecting the pets . Quote
chesilbeach Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 I already do it .. place them in a pile which eventually becomes tottering .. right by the computer. Sometimes I can't put my tea down as there's no space. I still manage to put it off though The only time I really get antsy about it is if the book belongs to the colouredy shelf .. then it has to be put back asap .. for sanity's sake Thanks for the suggestion though .. all suggestions welcome xx I wonder if I could offer myself a small reward? .. or pay someone to write them for me or nag me about it? What you need is a reward card to be stamped every time you finish a review … then when you've collected all 10 stamps, you can have a treat of some sort … another book perhaps? Poor Claire To have your books rearranged You are too lenient .. I know it's better to have a quiet life but really .. you should declare war! To be fair (grudgingly), he only tends to do it when the shelves get a bit overloaded, and if I read faster and sorted out the books myself, it wouldn't be a problem … but on the other hand, I've told him there is some organisation in my "mess" and not to touch it, but it never sinks in Like you said though, anything for a quiet life, I just can't be doing with the aggro. Quote
poppyshake Posted April 2, 2015 Author Posted April 2, 2015 Next jar pick .. No. 16 .. I've escaped again I think you'll be happy Claire The Accidental by Ali Smith Quote
poppyshake Posted April 2, 2015 Author Posted April 2, 2015 A reward is an idea, such as maybe a little something nice to eat? If you're worried about forgetting, you could also write sticky notes or put a note on your desktop of your computer (I often create empty documents on my desktop, text files, with the title of what I'm supposed to not forget). I often write myself lists of all the things I need to do or want to do in the near future, that helps me too. It's a relief to cross off something I've done. If all else fails, I also use HabitRPG, where I can cross off tasks I've done and get "experience" for them. But mainly I love collecting the pets . What you need is a reward card to be stamped every time you finish a review … then when you've collected all 10 stamps, you can have a treat of some sort … another book perhaps? If I hassled myself with sticky notes and lists I'd get bad tempered with myself I'm not a very organised person sadly .. and I don't seem to be able to shame myself into it I put it off I suppose because I find it difficult but like everything .. once you do it .. it's not so bad. I wish I found it easier though. I do like the thought of giving myself ten stamps and then treating myself to a new book I'm owed four new books going on that I'll buy them tomorrow Quote
chesilbeach Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 Next jar pick .. No. 16 .. I've escaped again I think you'll be happy Claire The Accidental by Ali Smith You know it! I do like the thought of giving myself ten stamps and then treating myself to a new book I'm owed four new books going on that I'll buy them tomorrow Sounds like a plan! Quote
Athena Posted April 3, 2015 Posted April 3, 2015 I do like the thought of giving myself ten stamps and then treating myself to a new book I'm owed four new books going on that I'll buy them tomorrow Sounds good! I hope you'll find some nice new books and that you enjoy them . Quote
poppyshake Posted April 7, 2015 Author Posted April 7, 2015 Campari For Breakfast by Sara CroweSynopsis: In 1987, Sue Bowl's world changes for ever. Her mother dies, leaving her feeling like she’s lost a vital part of herself. And then her father shacks up with an awful man-eater called Ivana. But Sue’s mother always told her to make the most of what she’s got – and what she’s got is a love of writing and some eccentric relatives. So Sue moves to her Aunt Coral’s crumbling ancestral home, where she fully intends to write a book and fall in love . . . and perhaps drink Campari for breakfast.Review: Words cannot express how much I loved this .. but I'm going to have to make them try For a start, have you seen the cover? It's so up my street that tbh we were almost halfway there in the loving it stakes before I started. It is actually impossible .. for me anyway .. not to love Sue. The cover said I would and I did .. totally. Sue loves words. She's seventeen and an aspiring writer but is a little prone to get her words muddled (or .. as Joe more aptly puts it .. she Sue-ifys them ) One of my favourite Sue-isms was the word 'nemecyst' .. she manages to brazen it out when challenged though by saying that it's intentionally a cross between 'nemesis' and 'cyst' .. so, not only an adversary but an adversary bursting with poison Sometimes you can spot them a mile away, sometimes you do a double take, sometimes you spend a few minutes trying to work out her meaning but it's not annoying .. or at least not to me .. she's the most endearing character I've come across in a long time. Perhaps in other shoes it might irritate .. it's so difficult to tell.It would be hard for Sue to be more perfect as far as literary characters are concerned but it just so happens that she works at the Toastie and there are no less than sixteen mentions of toast .. a lot of them appear in this passage.'It has been Joe who has helped me the most during these first few days. If you burn a round of toast when you've got a big queue of customers, the knock-on effect means that you fall behind with your orders and that means that pretty soon the breakfasting public will be getting cold toast, or toast that comes after they've finished eating. You can spend entire mornings behind with the toast, never managing to catch up with the timing, trying to make sandwiches as well, jumping every time Mrs Fry calls your name. Joe has been very supportive, even putting the cappuchinos in jeopardy so that he could help me out.Mrs Fry is not so patient and makes me go up to tables and apologise for late toast and docks the price off my wages. Nina Scrafferton told me that previous canteen apprentices have cracked.'It's not all laughs, far from it, Sue is in a pretty sad place after the sudden loss of her mother. I like that in a book actually .. funny characters that are a little bit tragic too. If I can have a good laugh and a cry with them then I'm happy so to speak. It's a little absurd and full of eccentric characters. A bit Adrian Mole meets Ukrainian Tractors with a touch of Nina Stibbe .. if that makes any sense The story is told both by Sue in diary form and by her Aunt Coral. Aunt Coral's passages are taken from something called 'The Commonplace Book of Coral Garden' which is a journal written by the young Coral detailing important family and local events. This gives us an insight into Sue's back story and in particular the back story of her mother .. Buddleia. Aunt Coral is very supportive of young Sue .. so much so that she sets up the Egham Writing Group which takes place at her home and is attended by Sue and the other residents .. plus any friends who happen to drop by. The name soon changes to The Egham Hirsute Group in honour of Sue using the word 'hirsute' in error during the groups first meeting.Actually, I'm pretty sure it won't be for everyone. It's probably another book that I rave about which turns out to be an acquired taste .. though the reviews are mostly favourable (I was shocked though to see that it got bad reviews because of the supposed typos .. it does throw you initially but then occurs so frequently that you soon fall into the joke.) Anyway, if the cover and anything I've said here appeals then please give it a go.This is a debut novel .. the writer is apparently an actress and was in Four Weddings and a Funeral among other things. Hope she gives this acting lark up and concentrates on writing a lot more books like this one. I will be buying most definitely. Loved it! Quote
frankie Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 That's ideal .. you can chuck the throw over the airer now .. when it gets too damp D But imagine when I chuck the throw over it and then forget about it and then landlordlady comes for a visit and sits on the couch. Squeeeeee It's hard to believe but, to him, one book looks very much like another. Distract him with cake and then file it on the shelf Oh, do you mean a bit like this? That was so funny!! I won't butter them .. I remember my spotty toast lost all definition once I'd buttered it Even so it will be very difficult for me not to just eat all the exhibits. I will have to be particularly careful at around 3pm which, as everyone knows, is munch time I guess with the spotty toast you would've had to butter the bottom side... But then of course the butter stays on the plate... But you could use a spoon to scoop a bit of it with every bite of toast... Never thought toast eating could get tricky! Three hours till Finnish munch time! It's not very polite is it? .. not even if you ask first and say please and thank you Well I suppose it would be polite if one did say those things, but one usually never does, does one? Lord knows. I quite liked them until they began to dominate my bookshelves. I'm very impressed though .. my copy of Balzac and the Chinese Seamstress is published by Vintage .. and it has a nice white spine .. with a pair of little Chinese slippers at the top .. lovely .. what an improvement. Well chosen frankie xx That was pure luck! I have to admit I only look at the cover pictures and don't investigate further. I didn't know who's the publisher and so I didn't know it was a Vintage cover. I just thought it was the nicest edition there was on BD My own copy was a hardcover and it was nice through and through. It was a Finnish copy though and so that would explain things. Quote
Kylie Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 Ooh, great review! Another one for the wishlist! Quote
frankie Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 I already do it .. place them in a pile which eventually becomes tottering .. right by the computer. Sometimes I can't put my tea down as there's no space. I still manage to put it off though. The only time I really get antsy about it is if the book belongs to the colouredy shelf .. then it has to be put back asap .. for sanity's sake. Thanks for the suggestion though .. all suggestions welcome xx I wonder if I could offer myself a small reward? .. or pay someone to write them for me or nag me about it? Ah, so you already do it What if you put a choccy bar under each title and you were only allowed to eat a bar after you've reviewed the book on top of it? Of course, if you have, say, five books, and you have five bars of chocolate in between, it's not going to hold, is it. The books'll come tumbling down! So I say place 3-4 chocolate bars side by side under each book. That makes for a bigger surface and the books will stay on top of the bars way more easily than if there was only one. I wish one would come across pie on a slope like that .. all obliging and on a plate etc .. a definite incentive to climb slopes. I've only ever seen regurgitated pie on a Sunday morning pavement I first read that as 'I've only ever regurgitated pie on a Sunday morning pavement' and thought, well, that's better than regurgitating pie on other days of the week, too... Actually, to have pie on the road like that... It would have to be uphill because can you imagine how easy it would be just to rent a skateboard and go down hill and pick all the pies up and just eat and skate one's way to fat oblivion You're at it again! I'm a poet, and you know it I'm now intrigued. but I might still abandon Oh dear, I hope you're not more intrigued now than you were to begin with Chuck miss Smilla! Throw her out the window! Push her through the letter box and leave out to waste away...! Quote
frankie Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 (edited) Great review of Campari for Breakfast It's funny how I was reading your post on my reading log earlier and we talked about how in some books the most fun is in the beginning, and then it sort of fades away to some extent if not altogether, and you said you actually kind of liked it. And mentioned a few books as examples. I took it all in... ... But by the time I'd come on here I'd forgotten that you'd used this book as an example, and when I was reading the review, I thought, by golly, we just talked about this very same thing in my thread and I should now respond to your review and tell you that wouldn't CfB be just the sort of book we were talking about? Memory is shorter than ... short things in life! The book's going on my wishlist, by the way And yes, the cover is so you And 'nemecyst'? Brilliant I love that sort of wordsmithery. Very pleasing, very witty! Edit: Just remembered to go and check the library's website... Again, library delivers! (Well that's the expression. They've ordered copies so I could place a reservation. They didn't literally just deliver a book to me in my home address... ) Thanks for mostly choosing to read books that my library has copies of Edited April 8, 2015 by frankie Quote
bobblybear Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 I've added Campari for Breakfast to my wishlist. Not sure how I'd get on with it as I didn't like the Ukranian Tractors book, but your enthusiasm is catching! The cover reminds me a bit of Where'd You Go, Bernadette which I loved. Quote
Janet Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 (edited) I'm glad you enjoyed Campari for Breakfast so much. Sara Crowe - she was in one of the original (or maybe it wasn't, but it was certainly some time ago) Philadelphia cheese adverts, I believe. Edit: Edited April 8, 2015 by Janet Quote
chesilbeach Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 I can't wait to read Campari for Breakfast! As usual, you've made it sound like a brilliant book, and although not a connoisseur like yourself, I am a toast fan, so this has to make if compulsory reading now. Quote
frankie Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 (edited) I'm glad you enjoyed Campari for Breakfast so much. Sara Crowe - she was in one of the original (or maybe it wasn't, but it was certainly some time ago) Philadelphia cheese adverts, I believe. Edit: I found the same thing on youtube when I did a little digging. Although my reason for digging was different: I thought the name Sara Crowe sounded familiar and I started thinking she's the namesake of the Little Princess. But alas! She is Sara Crewe Yeah, who needs a man, when one can manage with a new serving suggestion!! Edit: And whenever you get a craving, you can just go on google and do an image search for 'serving suggestion' and feel satisfied again! Edited April 8, 2015 by frankie Quote
Janet Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 Yeah, who needs a man, when one can manage with a new serving suggestion!! Edit: And whenever you get a craving, you can just go on google and do an image search for 'serving suggestion' and feel satisfied again! Quote
Nollaig Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 Campari For Breakfast sounds pretty interesting, I think I'll add it to my wishlist Quote
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