frankie Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 (edited) Mr Rosenblum's List by Natasha Solomons Blurb: "LIST ITEM 2. Never speak German on the upper decks of London Buses. Jack Rosenblum is five foot three and a half inches of sheer tenacity. He's writing a list so he can become a Very English Gentleman. LIST ITEM 41. An Englishman buys his marmalade from Fortnum & Mason. It's 1952, and despite his best efforts, his bid to blend in is fraught with unexpected hurdles - including his wife. Sadie doesn't want to forget where they came from or the family they've lost. And she shows no interest in getting a purple rinse. LIST ITEM 112. An Englishman keeps his head in a crisis. Join Jack as he leads a reluctant Sadie deep into the heart of the English countryside. Here, in a land of woolly pigs, bluebells and jitterbug cider, they embark on an impossible task... " Thoughts: I remember having read very enthusiastic reviews of this novel on this forum and the blurb sounded intriguing, so I had to have it. Thanks again, poppyshake, for the copy! I found the idea of the novel very appealing mainly for two reasons, one of which I just realised myself: I like to read books about Jews and I'd heard that this novel was supposed to be funny. The other reason is that I am myself an alien to the British people and their wonderful country, and while I'm fluent in English, it's not my mother tongue and I can relate to the language barrier problems. I can also very well relate to being a foreigner in another country, feeling like I don't belong and at the same time wanting to belong so bad. I only realised that while I was about to start writing this review. When I started reading this novel I felt like the book was okay but nothing more. I was very disappointed in it for not being as funny as was promised! I felt like I must be missing all the jokes that other people who've read the book have understood and marvelled at, and I had this weird feeling of being made a fool of. By the time I was on page 70 or so I was utterly frustrated and annoyed and to be honest, bored! To me, the novel was not funny-haha at all. To me the book was actually very sad. Here we have this Jack Rosenblum who's trying to make the best out of everything, to the degree that he doesn't listen to his wife's opinions and decides on their future plans by himself. He's determined to be happy and optimistic no matter what, which to me screams desperation more than anything. We also have Sadie, who's determined to be unhappy, to wallow in her sorrow and to live with the dead, like a hollow corpse of a humanbeing herself. These people are the very opposites and couldn't understand each other at all and that made me really sad for them. How are they supposed to have any kind of decent life together? When I'd reached this point, I had a brief break and thought about the novel and my extreme reaction to it. I thought to myself, I want to finish the novel no matter what, and if the book seems more sad to me than funny, then so be it, I'll read it as a sad story and won't expect anything more from it. Thus I began to read it again and lo and behold: it worked. I started rooting for Jack, and hoping the best for Sadie. There was a turn of events that helped me a lot in my mission: Sadie going after her precious pictures on the pond and Jack rescuing her. After this everything seemed to change and I felt better connected to the characters. I even started to like the village folk. And I started to find little bits and pieces that amused me. For such a slow start it got really good towards the end and I can now say I really enjoyed the novel. I'm even considering keeping the book 4/5 Edited February 21, 2011 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 (edited) Forgive me for jumping into your conversation, but I would say the same about someone that only reads one genre of book. The same can be said for those who only listen to one type of music or see one type of film. Chick lit has it's place, and for me every once in a great while I just want something light where I don't have to think so hard. Variety is the spice of life, right?! By only sticking to one genre of anything is too limiting and makes you miss SO much. You are very welcome to jump in anytime! Variety is definitely the spice of life, well said peace! I know it's very easy to get stuck in a rut sometimes (not with books or music though, at least in my case), but the second I do something completely different I remember how good it feels to shake things up a little bit every now and then. It doesn't even have to be anything drastic Sorry, Frankie - I forget that English isn't your first language, since you're so good at it (better than a lot of Brits, in fact! ). Twee means excessively sentimental. Ah, 'excessively sentimental', thanks for that! It's good to learn a new word every now and then, so I won't get cocky and think I know it all I do own a dictionary or two of course, but I like to ask people themselves, I hope you/they don't mind. And thanks for the compliment, Janet I am marking off the 1001 Books... on a spreadsheet (and lots of other challenges besides) despite knowing I won't finish - but it's a shame, as I'd love to see them 100% complete - the fact that won't happen doesn't stop me though! Marcia's music analogy sums it up for me! I can't imagine listening exclusively to heavy metal (even though that's probably my favourite genre) - there are so many excellent songs out there - that's why I listen to everything from Mozart to Motorhead! Ah, I didn't know you are doing the 1001 Books list yourself! I've been actually thinking about setting up a thread about it in the Reading Challenge section, but I always thought there might not be that many people who are doing it or who'd be interested... I have the list on the first page of this blog so I could easily copy+paste it to a thread if someone should set it up... Nice to hear that you're not discouraged from doing the challenge eventhough you might not make it, that's what I like to hear And, I had no idea you're into heavy metal!! Have we talked about the autobiography Dirt by Motörhead, I forget? If not, I'll start to pester you about reading it, just like I'm trying to pester Charm to read it You wouldn't happen to like any Finnish metal bands would you? I always ask that, since it's a known fact that bands from the UK and US are always more well-known and I usually never come across with anyone who knows any Finnish bands. Edited February 21, 2011 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 (edited) There's something else I wanted to write to you guys about. I've been visiting this Finnish book 'forum' for a while now, you don't have to be a registered member there and it's a very loose and unorganised, even a dysfunctional forum: you just write in the threads and nobody really pays attention who's who and nobody's trying to make friends there or anything. Sometimes I think people don't even read what other people have posted there. I don't know why I go there, it certainly has nothing on this forum Well anyways, 4-5 months ago there was this girl who posted about possibly setting up a reading group in the town where I live, asking if there are any people on the forum who'd be willing to join. After giving it a bit of thought, I replied and said I'd be interested but I'm a bit shy in real life and I wonder if I'd have the courage to meet strangers over a cup of coffee and an armful of books. She wrote back and said that it only takes one meeting and it doesn't have to be a big deal, just a cup of coffee and talking about books and we'll see how it goes from there. She also asked me what kind of books I like to read etc. This was the time when I flew to Australia so I forgot about the thread and the forum altogether for a month, and when I went back and replied, I didn't hear from her anymore, but there was another person posting that she'd be interested. I told her that I'd be back in Joensuu in December, but that's very likely a busy month for everyone so we should probably leave it til January. After that there were no more replies from anyone and I'd given up on the whole thing. Until today. I was thinking about the reading group idea again and was considering setting up something on my own, perhaps asking the library if they had a reading group (which I think is highly unlikely), or posting a notice somewhere in the library. I went to have a look at the forum, not expecting to find anything there, but the original poster had actually come back to post about the reading group and suggesting that we meet this month. I wrote back and agreed, and I guess now we're going to meet at some point to discuss books! I'm pretty nervous and excited, it's all pretty random I've met people whom I've met online before and I've never had any problems, but this time it feels a bit different because I don't know the other person at all, and we're supposed to meet and start up a group, so it would be a really great thing if I liked her and got along with her, but what if I don't? I know it's early days and I shouldn't be bothering myself with stuff like this when we haven't even set a date yet, but well, that's the way I am. She suggested we bring books we've liked and would like to recommend to each other and I already have a lot of ideas. I wonder what she'll bring. I wonder if we won't have any kind of common ground when it comes to books. Apparently she likes Harry Potter and Sofi Oksanen so that's all good, but who knows. Hehe. I just wanted to talk to you guys about it. Very exciting! Edited February 21, 2011 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tristan Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 There's something else I wanted to write to you guys about. I've been visiting this Finnish book 'forum' for a while now, you don't have to be a registered member there and it's a very loose and unorganised, even a dysfunctional forum: you just write in the threads and nobody really pays attention who's who and nobody's trying to make friends there or anything. Sometimes I think people don't even read what other people have posted there. I don't know why I go there, it certainly has nothing on this forum Well anyways, 4-5 months ago there was this girl who posted about possibly setting up a reading group in the town where I live, asking if there are any people on the forum who'd be willing to join. After giving it a bit of thought, I replied and said I'd be interested but I'm a bit shy in real life and I wonder if I'd have the courage to meet strangers over a cup of coffee and an armful of books. She wrote back and said that it only takes one meeting and it doesn't have to be a big deal, just a cup of coffee and talking about books and we'll see how it goes from there. She also asked me what kind of books I like to read etc. This was the time when I flew to Australia so I forgot about the thread and the forum altogether for a month, and when I went back and replied, I didn't hear from her anymore, but there was another person posting that she'd be interested. I told her that I'd be back in Joensuu in December, but that's very likely a busy month for everyone so we should probably leave it til January. After that there were no more replies from anyone and I'd given up on the whole thing. Until today. I was thinking about the reading group idea again and was considering setting up something one my own, perhaps asking the library if they had a reading group (which I think is highly unlikely), or posting a notice somewhere in the library. I went to have a look at the forum, not expecting to find anything there, but the original poster had actually come back to post about the reading group and suggesting that we meet this month. I wrote back and agreed, and I guess now we're going to meet at some point to discuss books! I'm pretty nervous and excited, it's all pretty random I've met people whom I've met online before and I've never had any problems, but this time it feels a bit different because I don't know the other person at all, and we're supposed to meet and start up a group, so it would be a really great thing if I liked her and got along with her, but what if I don't? I know it's early days and I shouldn't be bothering myself with stuff like this when we haven't even set a date yet, but well, that's the way I am. She suggested we bring books we've liked and would like to recommend each other and I already have a lot of ideas. I wonder what she'll bring. I wonder if we won't have any kind of common ground when it comes to books. Apparently she likes Harry Potter and Sofi Oksanen so that's all good, but who knows. Hehe. I just wanted to talk to you guys about it. Very exciting! Well, yeah it could very well turn out to be a horrendous experience. But, it can also go the other way completely. you just never know. And if it doesn't work out, at least you can say to yourself that you've tried. No one can fault you for that. I say go for it, be receptive towards everything that comes your way. View this as a way to grow as a bookreader, even as a person. Life would be pretty shitty if people never evolved and always stayed the same.. Just my view on things, on course. P.S. It's the randomness that makes life interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Ah, 'excessively sentimental', thanks for that! It's good to learn a new word every now and then, so I won't get cocky and think I know it all I do own a dictionary or two of course, but I like to ask people themselves, I hope you/they don't mind. And thanks for the compliment, Janet Of course I don't mind. And it's true - your English is amazing! Ah, I didn't know you are doing the 1001 Books list yourself! I've been actually thinking about setting up a thread about it in the Reading Challenge section, but I always thought there might not be that many people who are doing it or who'd be interested... I have the list on the first page of this blog so I could easily copy+paste it to a thread if someone should set it up... Nice to hear that you're not discouraged from doing the challenge eventhough you might not make it, that's what I like to hear Go for it! It might make other people interested too. I've only read 41 so far! And, I had no idea you're into heavy metal!! Have we talked about the autobiography Dirt by Motörhead, I forget? If not, I'll start to pester you about reading it, just like I'm trying to pester Charm to read it You wouldn't happen to like any Finnish metal bands would you? I always ask that, since it's a known fact that bands from the UK and US are always more well-known and I usually never come across with anyone who knows any Finnish bands. I didn't know Motörhead had an autobiography (unless you mean Mötley Crüe?) I'm afraid the only Finnish music I have are a few tracks - In The Shadows by Rasmus and Hard Rock Alleluia by Lordi! I thought I had a few tracks by H.I.M too, but it appears not. Hmmm. Good luck with the book group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 (edited) P.S. It's the randomness that makes life interesting Well said, Tristan, well said! And very on the point, my having just posted previously about getting stuck in a rut and knowing that shaking things up a little bit makes life more interesting, a bit ironic I'm going to go ahead with the meeting no matter what, and the outcome cannot be predicted so I'll just have to show up and see how it goes. Go for it! It might make other people interested too. I've only read 41 so far! Okay, I think I'll do it, if not today then tomorrow. The only problem is my copy of the book is the 2006 edition and I know there are two more recent ones, so it'll be a bit of a juggle if people want to combine all the different lists. I know Kylie has one of the lists, but I'm not sure if she's doing the 2008 edition, we'll see. I didn't know Motörhead had an autobiography (unless you mean Mötley Crüe?) I'm afraid the only Finnish music I have are a few tracks - In The Shadows by Rasmus and Hard Rock Alleluia by Lordi! I thought I had a few tracks by H.I.M too, but it appears not. Hmmm. Good luck with the book group. Ah holy heck, I always confuse the names of Motörhead with Mötley Crüe I swear it's the heavy metal umlauts!! Well, BF recently watched a documentary on Lemmy and he's written an autobiography and an acquiantance of mine has read it and really liked it, maybe you could give that one a go Rasmus has a few very decent songs but their music style has changed a lot since the beginning, they used to do this more of a punk/ska kind of thing back in the day when they were just teens themselves. HIM is okay as well and they're doing surprisingly well internationally, being a Finnish band. Another big one is Nightwish, they used to have this opera singer as the lead but she quit/they fired her and now they have a Swedish singer who's so much better, I hated the opera howling. If you'd like recommendations, my favorite Finnish metal band is definitely Sentenced, you can listen to some of their songs on youtube if you like. No pressure! Edited February 21, 2011 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 That book group sounds fun, Frankie!! I think you'll do great, and at least that girl from the forum is serious about it since it's been awhile and she's still interested in pursuing the whole idea. You'll have to let us know how it goes . Oh, and even if you don't get along smashingly with the people, at least you might get some good book recommendations out of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Okay, I think I'll do it, if not today then tomorrow. The only problem is my copy of the book is the 2006 edition and I know there are two more recent ones, so it'll be a bit of a juggle if people want to combine all the different lists. I know Kylie has one of the lists, but I'm not sure if she's doing the 2008 edition, we'll see. Wow, exciting news on the book group front! I agree with Tristan. You should definitely give it a go, and if it doesn't work out, then at least you tried. I loved your review of Mr Rosenblum's List. I really want to read the spoiler but I'm not sure if I'm up to that part of the book yet. I'm so glad you re-evaluated your expectations of the book part-way through so you could then enjoy it more. I'm working off every version of the 1001 list. My spreadsheet has all 3 versions in it (separate and combined) but it's not really a copy/paste job because of the way it's set up. I think setting up a challenge thread for it would be a great idea. Can't believe it hasn't been thought of before! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 That book group sounds fun, Frankie!! I think you'll do great, and at least that girl from the forum is serious about it since it's been awhile and she's still interested in pursuing the whole idea. You'll have to let us know how it goes . Oh, and even if you don't get along smashingly with the people, at least you might get some good book recommendations out of it! That's a good point, I didn't think of it like that. Of course I'll let you know how it goes when and if something eventually happens. Yep I might be in for some great book recommendations, but you've seen my TBR list and my ever expanding wishlist, you people know I don't need any more recommendations for about 3 years, no matter how much I'd enjoy them Wow, exciting news on the book group front! I agree with Tristan. You should definitely give it a go, and if it doesn't work out, then at least you tried. I loved your review of Mr Rosenblum's List. I really want to read the spoiler but I'm not sure if I'm up to that part of the book yet. I'm so glad you re-evaluated your expectations of the book part-way through so you could then enjoy it more. I'm working off every version of the 1001 list. My spreadsheet has all 3 versions in it (separate and combined) but it's not really a copy/paste job because of the way it's set up. I think setting up a challenge thread for it would be a great idea. Can't believe it hasn't been thought of before! My spoiler event ends on page 212 in my edition, are you past that point yet? If so, you can go ahead and take a peek Re-evaluating the book and my expectations was definitely in order and worth it, I wouldn't have ended up liking the book so much had I not done it. I should've remembered you're doing all the different versions I know the spreadsheet versions are difficult to make into a normal word document, I don't blame you for not trying at all. I've now set up the thread and added the 2006 edition list, if anyone wants to contribute with the other versions they're free to do so but I feel like I've done my duty Take a look when you have the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 My spoiler event ends on page 212 in my edition, are you past that point yet? If so, you can go ahead and take a peek Re-evaluating the book and my expectations was definitely in order and worth it, I wouldn't have ended up liking the book so much had I not done it. Aw, I'm only up to p 130. I should've remembered you're doing all the different versions I know the spreadsheet versions are difficult to make into a normal word document, I don't blame you for not trying at all. I've now set up the thread and added the 2006 edition list, if anyone wants to contribute with the other versions they're free to do so but I feel like I've done my duty Take a look when you have the time. The thread looks great. Thanks for setting it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 (edited) Aw, I'm only up to p 130. Then you need to be a good girl and keep on reading. No sneaky peek! The thread looks great. Thanks for setting it up! If you like and don't mind, you could also record the books you've already read from the list etc, so we could compare notes and maybe we could recommend books to each other from the list and share tips and such like. When you have the time, and if you have the inclination, that is I hope loads of people will do it so we'll get the discussion going. Who knows, maybe some people will end up doing mini reading groups on some books from the list. Anyways. I went to the library today, to sort of assist a friend of mine, she wanted to borrow this Swedish thriller and didn't know her way around the library, she hasn't been there in a couple of years. It showed, she had no idea where the thriller section was. I don't blame her nor do I want to mock her, but it just seems so incredible not to know something like that, because I practically live in the library at times. She's more into movies, the odds are that if I've read a book, she's seen the movie. For example, when I told her she could try reading the Dexter novels, she said "isn't that a TV series?". When we went to see the "new books" bookcase I immediately saw that there was a Finnish copy of The Help, which I managed to borrow in English last week. I didn't have the time to mention it when my friend was already pointing at the book and the cover, going "haha, that must be a really 'good' book!", in a sarcastic way. Granted, the cover doesn't give the impression that the book will be the most read classic ever, but it wasn't like it had the stupidest cover ever, I actually rather liked it. I couldn't keep my mouth shut, I told her that "actually I know quite a few people who've read it and have really enjoyed it, and I have it as an English copy myself at the moment". Oh boy I know, to each their own, but it kind of made my visit to the library less joyful. She wasn't interested in any of the books I showed her and which she might like, but she did decide to tag along while I was looking for something to borrow. That's my pet peeve right there: having someone who isn't interested in books tagging along when I'm looking at books. They keep talking about all things non-literary while I'm trying to keep my focus on the books. Oh, and when I noticed a new section titled 'contemporary American literature' and went over, my friend pointed out a book in the section saying, 'that's really old, it can't be contemporary'. I checked the book (poor book, it was Rabbit Run by John Updike, a book I've been wanting to borrow for ages but I'd like an English copy) and it was published in 1992 and my friend said "yeah, that's old". I then had to tell her what the term 'contemporary' means in literary terms. I did manage to find another book that was nominated for the Finlandia prize in 2010 so that pretty much saved the whole trip for me. I'm happy Those books are very hard to find because they're always borrowed and 100-300 people have reserved them, but the library now has this new small section for very new and popular books that cannot be reserved and which you can borrow for one week only. (I hope I don't sound like a snob or anything, but I just had to rant a little bit. Books are sacred to me and I don't like cynical or dismissive attitudes towards them) Edited February 22, 2011 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Lots of people have hobbies and interests that don't appeal to me, but I still consider their devotion to them as something to value and celebrate. My husband will occasionally gently mock my love of books and reading, but respects that I have such a 'pursuit'. I cannot bear being ridiculed for my enjoyment of reading, and for it to be implied that I should 'get a life' makes me seethe, especially when I see what my mockers consider to be having a life! I know that's not quite what you are talking about here Frankie, but I feel it all comes out of the same barrel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 (edited) It's coming from the same barrel and we're deep to our necks in it! My BF also kids about my reading and my book hoarding but he does it lovingly, and when I sometimes question him about it, he admits that he finds my bookish activities endearing and enjoyable. But this friend I was talking about, well she's not actually a really good friend because, as you can see, we don't have that much in common and I sometimes get frustrated when I'm with her. She likes to talk a lot, and about herself, and she'll cut me off mid-sentence to tell her own story Sometimes I'll just shut up and let her have the floor and enjoy herself. But if she were to take me to a DVD shop to look at movies (I do watch them but I always prefer books and I never go and rent/buy movies), I'd have the courtesy to talk to her about them and ask her what she likes and look at the movies myself. I don't think she quite realises that I truly enjoy books and therefore would appreciate it if she weren't to mock them. It'll be the last time I go to the library with her. Edit: This is partly why I'm so excited about that reading group thing: I'd love to finally meet people who enjoy reading and books as much as I do, in real life I mean! I don't really have anyone with whom to share my bookish passion, at least here where I live, so I'm really excited about meeting a new bookish person and see if we'll hit it off Edited February 22, 2011 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I totally agree with Chrissy, that friend was out of order. Although I now have a kindle, a library is still like hallowed ground to me. I would never mock someone's choice of books. I hope the reading group thing works out for you Frankie. How much does your bf read ? What does he do when you are deep in a book? Is that when he reads too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickle Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 It is really hard when you are with someone who doesn't understand your passion for books and mocks you for it and I don't mean your BF. I hate going to the library with others, I have a routine when I go into my library I go round the bookshelves in a certain order, its the same in bookshops. I get so into reading that sometimes my family had to repeat questions about 5 times before I surface to answer it, books they suck you in but I wouldn't have it any other way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 What an annoying friend. I'm much more fun to go to the library with, aren't I? I'm glad you found a book you wanted, despite your friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 (edited) I totally agree with Chrissy, that friend was out of order. Although I now have a kindle, a library is still like hallowed ground to me. I would never mock someone's choice of books. I hope the reading group thing works out for you Frankie. How much does your bf read ? What does he do when you are deep in a book? Is that when he reads too? BF reads a bit, more than he used to. He goes mostly for Tom Clancy and Iain M. Banks. He usually reads in the train (when he's coming to visit me) or in the can For that reason I don't like to lend him my books... When I'm reading a book, he's usually on the computer, he's a big computer nerd and has been from the 90s. He studies computer technology, owns a business with a couple of friends in the field and spends his free-time mostly on the computer, when he's not at the gym. I'd like him to read more and not spend so much time on the computer, but I'm happy that he at least reads in the first place It is really hard when you are with someone who doesn't understand your passion for books and mocks you for it and I don't mean your BF. I hate going to the library with others, I have a routine when I go into my library I go round the bookshelves in a certain order, its the same in bookshops. I get so into reading that sometimes my family had to repeat questions about 5 times before I surface to answer it, books they suck you in but I wouldn't have it any other way I wholeheartedly agree, the library is a place for quiet and blissful browsing. I was annoyed that my friend was talking about everything else than literature, but also because she was talking, period. When I'm in my library, I want to be seen as a considerate customer and therefore I want to behave, and I don't want to be seen with people with big mouths. It annoys me. Maybe I'm a bit anal... What kind of a routine do you have? I've also established a routine, I go for the 'new books' section first, then I look at the near by section where they have different themes every now and then, then I look at the 'quick loan' bookcase on my way to the 'recently returned' books, and then I go for the English lit section, if I don't have anything in particular in mind that I want to borrow. I was so off yesterday, my friend kept going to all the wrong places and when I wanted to see the recently returned books she was pulling me to the thriller section, eventhough we'd already looked at it. Tut tut! What an annoying friend. I'm much more fun to go to the library with, aren't I? I'm glad you found a book you wanted, despite your friend. Are you kidding me? You're the bestest company to have in a library/books shop/book fair!! We share a fairly similar taste in books and yet we don't own all the same books, so we don't have to fight for them And even if we'd find a book we'd both like, we discuss the matter calmly and are polite enough to offer it to each other. And in the end we end up sharing them. I also get great recommendations from you and sometimes I manage to give you a tip or two. And putting our heads together, we remember an awful lot of the books on our lists. It's perfection! I have news on the reading group: the girl wrote back yesterday, saying she was happy to see I'm still reading the posts on the forum. She'll be going for a vacation next week so we'll try and arrange the meeting next month. Edit: I almost forgot!! Kylie sent me a link to a video clip of the book fair we attended last autumn, and who do you think found themselves in the picture of the clip?? Yours truly! I'm the one who's browsing the music bios in the front, with a white bag with different colored dots.I mean, c'mon, what are the odds?? maybe TMI! Edited February 23, 2011 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaraPepparkaka Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Heh, I read the posts about friends and reading, and realized I don't have a friend I couldn't take to the library with me. Not many of them read as much as I do, but still. I find readers in the most unlikely places. Generally they own cats too. They certainly own cats if they are friends I've known since we were children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 We share a fairly similar taste in books and yet we don't own all the same books, so we don't have to fight for them And even if we'd find a book we'd both like, we discuss the matter calmly and are polite enough to offer it to each other. And in the end we end up sharing them. I also get great recommendations from you and sometimes I manage to give you a tip or two. And putting our heads together, we remember an awful lot of the books on our lists. It's perfection! I don't know...I was about ready to snatch The Dirt from you and run when I saw that you had found a copy. But yes, it all worked out in the end because you generously left it behind for me. Hey, was I just dreaming, or was there a rather flattering comment here that you perhaps edited it out? And you're being very modest; you know the lists way better than I do! Edit: I almost forgot!! Kylie sent me a link to a video clip of the book fair we attended last autumn, and who do you think found themselves in the picture of the clip?? Yours truly! I'm the one who's browsing the music bios in the front, with a white bag with different colored dots.I mean, c'mon, what are the odds?? maybe TMI! I was going to suggest that you post the link here for everyone to see. I reckon you knew the camera was there went and stood there on purpose. What's TMI? Heh, I read the posts about friends and reading, and realized I don't have a friend I couldn't take to the library with me. Not many of them read as much as I do, but still. I find readers in the most unlikely places. Generally they own cats too. They certainly own cats if they are friends I've known since we were children. Hopefully I'll be another reader who owns a cat soon! I was just thinking today how cats are perfect pets for readers. I dunno, there's just something about the image of a cat curled up quietly on the lap of a reader that seems so right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 Heh, I read the posts about friends and reading, and realized I don't have a friend I couldn't take to the library with me. Not many of them read as much as I do, but still. I find readers in the most unlikely places. Generally they own cats too. They certainly own cats if they are friends I've known since we were children. You're very lucky then, and hold on to those kinds of friends I don't know...I was about ready to snatch The Dirt from you and run when I saw that you had found a copy. But yes, it all worked out in the end because you generously left it behind for me. Well you played it down very well, I didn't see you start crying over it, getting on the floor, hitting it with your fists like a slightly younger person might I feel a little guilty about finding more Murakamis than you so leaving The Dirt behind helps me cope with the guilt a little. Hey, was I just dreaming, or was there a rather flattering comment here that you perhaps edited it out? What's TMI? No you weren't dreaming. It was there for maybe 5-15 minutes, then it started bothering me, I thought maybe you'd freak out eventhough I meant it as a sincere and harmless thing, and maybe you'd be all awkward. Hehe! I didn't want to say anything about having edited it in case you hadn't seen it yet, and I put the 'maybe TMI' (meaning maybe too much information) in case you'd seen it and would wonder where the comment had gone. Yes I knew the camera was there, didn't you realise that's why I'd put on the head thingy, and my ear rings? Hopefully I'll be another reader who owns a cat soon! I was just thinking today how cats are perfect pets for readers. I dunno, there's just something about the image of a cat curled up quietly on the lap of a reader that seems so right. I've always thought the same thing about dogs, me having a labby next to me, whom I can lazily pet and cuddle while reading. Although I bet if you get a little kittiekat, it'll be too curious about all the new things in the world it won't be satisfied unless it's in motion. You'll have to wait till you've tired out the poor fella and it'll want a snooze fest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 No you weren't dreaming. It was there for maybe 5-15 minutes, then it started bothering me, I thought maybe you'd freak out eventhough I meant it as a sincere and harmless thing, and maybe you'd be all awkward. Hehe! I didn't want to say anything about having edited it in case you hadn't seen it yet, and I put the 'maybe TMI' (meaning maybe too much information) in case you'd seen it and would wonder where the comment had gone. Heehee. I took a long time between reading the message and then hitting reply. I was going to respond to that first but suddenly I couldn't find the part I wanted to quote. Stop messing with my mind, girl! I didn't freak out. I thought it was very flattering, thank you. And I could say the same about you. Yes I knew the camera was there, didn't you realise that's why I'd put on the head thingy, and my ear rings? I didn't notice you went to any extra effort because you always look nice. I've always thought the same thing about dogs, me having a labby next to me, whom I can lazily pet and cuddle while reading. Although I bet if you get a little kittiekat, it'll be too curious about all the new things in the world it won't be satisfied unless it's in motion. You'll have to wait till you've tired out the poor fella and it'll want a snooze fest. True. I guess it works just as well with a dog. One day maybe I'll have one of each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 Heehee. I took a long time between reading the message and then hitting reply. I was going to respond to that first but suddenly I couldn't find the part I wanted to quote. Stop messing with my mind, girl! I didn't freak out. I thought it was very flattering, thank you. And I could say the same about you. Hehe, it's nice to mess with your head every now and then, keeps you on your toes And thanks Yep you could definitely have a dog as well as a cat, as long as they get well on together. The only thing that's more endearing than looking at two dogs, for example, playing together and enjoying each other's company, is the love and friendship between different species. Every now and then you hear stories about a dog adopting abandoned kittens, raising them as her own and suchlike. I definitely prefer animals to some people. Oh, and a bit of news: I've lost another kilo, so now I have two books to buy! The problem is I won't have any money to do so until next week, but I'm already thinking about what to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I love seeing those photos of dogs and cats snuggled up together. So cute! Congratulations on losing another kilo! I'm so proud of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickle Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I wholeheartedly agree, the library is a place for quiet and blissful browsing. I was annoyed that my friend was talking about everything else than literature, but also because she was talking, period. When I'm in my library, I want to be seen as a considerate customer and therefore I want to behave, and I don't want to be seen with people with big mouths. It annoys me. Maybe I'm a bit anal... What kind of a routine do you have? I've also established a routine, I go for the 'new books' section first, then I look at the near by section where they have different themes every now and then, then I look at the 'quick loan' bookcase on my way to the 'recently returned' books, and then I go for the English lit section, if I don't have anything in particular in mind that I want to borrow. I was so off yesterday, my friend kept going to all the wrong places and when I wanted to see the recently returned books she was pulling me to the thriller section, eventhough we'd already looked at it. Tut tut! I was in the library tonight, I love the fact it stays open til 7pm 3-4 nights a week meaning those of us who work can go after work, and it was so peaceful. Generally I go to the self service book thingy (really not sure what to call it but in my library the books are deposited into machines rather than to a counter, although there are counters if you have problems) Then I go to the returned shelves, wander to the staff recommend section and the new books, peruse the crime section, wander round the retuned shelves in the middle of the library and the general A-Z shelvesbefore the audio books and finally the SciFi and Horror section before reluctantly leaving back into the chaos of the real world I recommend Guinea Pigs as the perfect reading comanion, no fuss no bother the occasional nibble on the book reminding you to pick it up of the floor and genreally helpful squeaking when they here you move in the mistaken belief you are heading for the fridge and getting them some lettuce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Frankie I'm in awe of you! You are sooo organised, and know where you want to go in the future, it's incredible. Hats off to you. WOW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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