Frankie reads 2012

[frankie]

I wonder what books Brad Pitt would be browsing.....

 

How to gain back sense - and Jennifer Aniston, I presume

 

Perhaps he's heard about your David Mitchell partiality and he's trying to look studious and not frivolous

 

But does he not know that a big part of the attraction in Mitchell is that he's wickedly witty and funny? Maybe I should tell him that the next time I see him. 'Oh excuse me, hello. You ought to watch Peep Show and IQ, so you would know what to do. See you!'

 

Full length mirrors are overrated .. I hadn't a clue what my bottom half did until I acquired one .. and then I wished I'd remained in ignorance .. worse than that are the changing room ones where they put several in so you can see yourself from the back .. NO-ONE want's to see themselves from the back .. not even Victoria Beckham

 

But I desperately need one, so I would know which old shirts are still too teeny tiny for me to wear and which outfits I should not wear in public. I also have no idea what my body looks like because I haven't been able to look into a mirror on a regular basis. Then when I go to a changing room I'm always flabbergasted at my girth That's not fun!

 

 

 

You wouldn't want Angelina as a scorned ex-wife .. I'm pretty sure she hasn't got a mirror reflection and you are not to go wasting your destiny on a man who doesn't smile in bookshops .. any soulmate worth his salt will at least start off cheerful .. there's plenty of time for being morose later But then you say you always see him .. perhaps it's not a co-incidence .. perhaps he plans it

 

I agree, I can sense he is not the man for me. One ought to read books but one ought not to be too serious about them and life in general. One needs a bit of twinkle in their eyes.

[frankie]

I've come up with a brilliant plan to turn my Mum into a Deaverette. In the meantime, she's come up with a brilliant plan to fatten me up

 

I've just come from the train station. My parents took a bus from Nurmes to Joensuu and they had a half an hour before they were to continue to Helsinki by train. So they'd asked me to come meet them at the station, my Mum wanted to pass me some culinary treats for the Easter holidays. They are going to my aunt's (Dad's sister) 65th Birthday party, which I was also invited to, parents were even going to pay for my ticket, but I'd already promised some friends to see them in Joensuu during the holidays, they are coming over from Lahti and Kotka and as I rarely see them, I agreed.

 

When we were walking from the bus station to the train station, I remembered this thing that happened the last time my parents and I were on a train trip to and from Helsinki and wanted to remind them of it. I was maybe 10 years old, and we were coming back from Helsinki, and there was a male drunken lout in the compartment (or is it cart, can't remember and can't be bothered to google) and somehow he singled out my father to have a drunken argument with. I don't remember why, maybe my father was trying to calm him down. Anyway, I still remember how the drunk said that if we ever come to Joensuu (I still lived with my parents in Nurmes, of course, being 10 and all), he was going to kill us. I don't remember anything else, but apparently nothing worse happened.

 

So now I told the story to my parents and we started laughing at the memory (believe me, it wasn't funny back in the day, I was really scared!!) and I said holy heck, maybe they should've taken the car instead, who knows if the villain is guarding the train station and will do us all in!

 

Yesterday Mum called me to remind me of their timetables and to ask if I had some great book to lend her for the trip. I decided it was time Mum read a Deaver novel Fortunately I have the first Lincoln Rhyme book in the series in Finnish, and one stand alone novel of his in Finnish as well. I took them both with me so she could choose which one to read, or even take both. Mum likes thrillers and some Finnish chick-lit, and I really hope she enjoys the Deaver. (She picked the stand alone, which I had figured she would choose, I don't know why. I think it was Maiden's Grave, but I can't be sure because I have the Finnish copy and I only remember that the Finnish title is not a literal translation.)

 

So the fattening up part? Oh boy... My weight loss regime might come to a halt for the holidays. They gave me home made juice, a sponge cake, salmon pastries, tuna pastry, a packet of coffee, and six Easter eggs! Nom nom nom.

Edited April 6, 2012 by frankie

[anisia]

I think it's a mom's prerogative when it comes to fattening up. I just got an Easter package from home filled with home made cookies and pastries and cheese (yes, I get sent Romanian cheese ).

[frankie]

I think it's a mom's prerogative when it comes to fattening up. I just got an Easter package from home filled with home made cookies and pastries and cheese (yes, I get sent Romanian cheese ).

 

Yep, Mothers United cannot be stopped Ooooh, cheese! And cookies. You've obviously been a good girl.

 

Yesterday when I was going through the book at the recycling center, I noticed a copy of Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow and I smiled fondly at it. It was mandatory reading on one of my US lit courses and I've thought many times that I should re-read it. Then I start thinking about all the other books I had to read for different literature courses. They have a special place in my book loving heart. Or at least some of them (I'm excluding the tedious The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and Tess *shudders*). And just now I thought of Tim O'Brien's Going After Cacciato, I don't remember why.

 

I think I should challenge myself to re-read all the favorites from the courses. Ragtime, GAC, The Natural, Jane Eyre, Northanger Abbey (not that that is necessary, I've re-read it many times since the course), The French Lieutenant's Woman, hmm what else. A Tale of Two Cities! I'm fearing I'm forgetting some novels... I should look into which books were mandatory reading.

 

Edit: Slaughterhouse Five! Fahrenheit 451.

Edited April 6, 2012 by frankie

[Karsa Orlong]

(She picked the stand alone, which I had figured she would choose, I don't know why. I think it was Maiden's Grave, but I can't be sure because I have the Finnish copy and I only remember that the Finnish title is not a literal translation.)

 

That's the only Deaver I've read so far. It was very good!

[frankie]

That's the only Deaver I've read so far. It was very good!

 

I've only read two Deaver novels (books #1 and #2 in the Lincoln Rhyme -series), but they were so superbly superior that I'm 100% confident I'll enjoy anything he writes. I have maybe 30 books of his on my TBR pile

 

I think Maiden's Grave was made into a movie, starring Marlee Matlin. I saw a few minutes of the movie years ago, it seemed like a good movie but for some reason I couldn't watch the whole of it.

 

I definitely recommend you read more Deaver novels

Edited April 7, 2012 by frankie

[Karsa Orlong]

I definitely recommend you read more Deaver novels

 

I inevitably will, once I've reduced my TBR pile a bit

[frankie]

I inevitably will, once I've reduced my TBR pile a bit

 

Ah, the age-long dilemma! But then, why have you gone and bought new books lately, just to increase TBR pile? I'm not impressed by your organisational skills!

[Karsa Orlong]

Ah, the age-long dilemma! But then, why have you gone and bought new books lately, just to increase TBR pile? I'm not impressed by your organisational skills!

 

 

I'm keeping it under 90. I'm going to try not to buy any more until it's under 80

[Ooshie]

My favourite Deaver is The Blue Nowhere, I have read it three times so far!

 

From Amazon:

 

Jeffery Deaver, bestselling author of "The Empty Chair" and "The Bone Collector," now turns to the labyrinthine world of cyberspace -- a world where safety is elusive, appearances are deceiving, and the most powerful can lose their wealth, their minds, their lives with a hacker's touch of a button.

When a sadistic hacker, code-named Phate, sets his sights on Silicon Valley, his victims never know what hit them. He infiltrates their computers, invades their lives, and -- with chilling precision -- lures them to their deaths. To Phate, each murder is like a big, challenging computer hack: every time he succeeds, he must challenge himself anew -- by taking his methodology to a higher level, with bigger targets.

[anisia]

Yep, Mothers United cannot be stopped Ooooh, cheese! And cookies. You've obviously been a good girl.

 

I think it has to do with the fact that I haven't been home since August, so anything I want gets sent

 

I love reading your thread, full of books I need to add to my TBR list!

[julie]

Frankie

I'l have to second the above comment. You always sound like you make books such a big part of your life,and seem well-read in so many areas and types of books . You also sound like you MIGHT win the award for the one with the most books in the group,although I am not well informed about everyone else in here . You certainly rank someplace up at the top .

[frankie]

I'm keeping it under 90. I'm going to try not to buy any more until it's under 80

 

Oh that is such a random number. Now, 100 is a good number. Not that random

 

My favourite Deaver is The Blue Nowhere, I have read it three times so far!

 

From Amazon:

 

Jeffery Deaver, bestselling author of "The Empty Chair" and "The Bone Collector," now turns to the labyrinthine world of cyberspace -- a world where safety is elusive, appearances are deceiving, and the most powerful can lose their wealth, their minds, their lives with a hacker's touch of a button.

When a sadistic hacker, code-named Phate, sets his sights on Silicon Valley, his victims never know what hit them. He infiltrates their computers, invades their lives, and -- with chilling precision -- lures them to their deaths. To Phate, each murder is like a big, challenging computer hack: every time he succeeds, he must challenge himself anew -- by taking his methodology to a higher level, with bigger targets.

 

Wow, three times I think I do have a copy of the book, but I can't remember if it is a stand alone. I remember Charm recommended the book to some of us Deaverettes, she said the book will make one rather paranoid about certain things Haven't read it yet, though

 

I think it has to do with the fact that I haven't been home since August, so anything I want gets sent

 

I love reading your thread, full of books I need to add to my TBR list!

 

Oh yes, I do believe your long absence from home might have something to do with it

 

And thank you, that is so nice to hear

 

Frankie

I'l have to second the above comment. You always sound like you make books such a big part of your life,and seem well-read in so many areas and types of books . You also sound like you MIGHT win the award for the one with the most books in the group,although I am not well informed about everyone else in here . You certainly rank someplace up at the top .

 

Awww thank you Julie I guess I do like reading all kinds of books. Because my life is pretty uneventful and boring, I guess I enjoy the variation in my book collection

 

My TBR is nothing compared to, for example, Kylie's, and there are a lot of other people on here with humongous Mount TBRs. And I know some people who do not wish to disclose any sort of information about the exact number of books on their TBR list. So I'm happy to say I'm not ranking in the top 10 I suppose I might be in the top 100.

[frankie]

All librarians and library enthusiasts, gather round, I have a dilemma!

 

I'm going to be applying for a position at the local library soon. It will be a part of my studies at the library, we have a voluntary 'course', practical work training, or something of the sort.

 

Anyways, I was discussing my choice of vocation with a member of the uni staff, basically asking them if the position is suitable for an English major. I thought it was all cool because I know of other English majors who've gone to work at the library. However, according to uni people, 'shelving books alone' isn't something that a person with my (future) degree should be doing in the future, and thus, I'm supposed to come up with tasks I could take up at the library, that would involve the English language. I have no problem with this, but I have yet to see what the library has to say about it. I'm to go and talk to the big boss at the library and negotiate the position and that they let me use my English skills while working there.

 

Fortunately the town I live in is fairly international, considering it's location and size. We have exchange students coming over from all over the world and it's not rare at all to bump into foreigners here and there. So that is good.

 

My dilemma is: what can I do, at the library, that is fun, exciting, and serving some sort of purpose that is in the line of all that is a library? And that doesn't just get in the way of 'serious library business'. I know the staff of the library can come up with appropriate things for me to do themselves, but I'd like to be as prepared as I can be, beforehand.

 

Next to the entrance there are three small shelves, two of them are dedicated to new and topical books, and one of them is serving as a display for books with different themes. Some time ago they used to have it for displaying new or interesting foreign titles. I was thinking I could bring that concept back, and perhaps write short introductions/recommendations slips next to the books (like I've seen done in some bookshops at the Heathrow airport's bookshop and in Australia). But I don't feel that is very innovative, it's been done before (except for the intro slips). Or am I being overly ambitious? Should I be happy with that alone? I guess I'm really excited at the prospect of POSSIBLY going to work at the library.

 

I recommend any kind of suggestions you have, concerning what I could do at the library that will make me use English. And nope, just doing the lending/returning in English doesn't apparently cut it, which is not really surprising because the library has machines for both transactions.

[chaliepud]

Hi Frankie, great news about the library work! How about a children's reading hour with english language books, they can be targeted at different age groups, mums/dads and babies/toddlers in school time, older children after school and at weekends?

 

Good luck!

[Easy Reader]

Next to the entrance there are three small shelves, two of them are dedicated to new and topical books, and one of them is serving as a display for books with different themes. Some time ago they used to have it for displaying new or interesting foreign titles. I was thinking I could bring that concept back, and perhaps write short introductions/recommendations slips next to the books (like I've seen done in some bookshops at the Heathrow airport's bookshop and in Australia). But I don't feel that is very innovative, it's been done before (except for the intro slips). Or am I being overly ambitious? Should I be happy with that alone? I guess I'm really excited at the prospect of POSSIBLY going to work at the library.

 

I think that's a brilliant idea, you could at least give it a go, as they say you don't know until you have tried it. I love reading the review slips in book shops as I like to think that that person chose to review the book after having read it whereas the reviews on the back are because someone was told to review it not because they wanted to.

[chesilbeach]

I was going to suggest something similar, maybe starting a reading group for English readers/books? And also, our library website allows you to write reviews online, or to submit them on paper and one of the staff puts them on the website for you - could you do anything like that for English language/translated books?

 

Thinking about your display shelves idea, what about looking at some of the most popular books that go on loan and offer some suggestions for other books that people might like on a similar theme or genre which aren't so often borrowed, sort of a "If you like this, why not try these as well?"

[vodkafan]

 

 

Thinking about your display shelves idea, what about looking at some of the most popular books that go on loan and offer some suggestions for other books that people might like on a similar theme or genre which aren't so often borrowed, sort of a "If you like this, why not try these as well?"

 

That's a brilliant idea . Frankie must be in a unique position the most widely read person (in English) in her hometown,

[Easy Reader]

Thinking about your display shelves idea, what about looking at some of the most popular books that go on loan and offer some suggestions for other books that people might like on a similar theme or genre which aren't so often borrowed, sort of a "If you like this, why not try these as well?"

 

Now thats an idea and a half. Frankie could have like an information desk in the library and people could come up to her and say "I have read and liked x, y and z what do you recommend I read now" I can just see it.

[SaraPepparkaka]

Working in a library- lovely!

If you do have immigrants or refugees then a reading group doesn't seem to be a bad idea, or at least you can try to see if there would be an interest for a group reading English books. Most of the refugees we have here in my area aren't really great at English, they seem to have learned French as a foreign language.

[frankie]

Thanks everyone for contributing, the ideas have been great and plentiful!

 

Hi Frankie, great news about the library work! How about a children's reading hour with english language books, they can be targeted at different age groups, mums/dads and babies/toddlers in school time, older children after school and at weekends?

 

Good luck!

 

I like that idea of a children's reading hour! I haven't been around children that much in my adult years, not having nephews or nieces and my cousins being all grown up too, so I don't have the experience but I have to say, having turned thirty, I'm a lot more aware of kids nowaways and I'm starting to find my motherly instincts Just a few days ago, I was at a grocerystore, reaching out for a carton of milk, when I noticed a young boy sitting in a pram, looking at me. The second he saw I'd noticed him and looked him in the eyes, he had this huge smile and grin on his face and I couldn't help but grin back He was super cute!

 

I'll keep that idea in mind, although I'm not too sure if we have that many English-speaking youngsters around. I'd have to look at the demographics of Joensuu. But thanks, chalie!

 

 

I think that's a brilliant idea, you could at least give it a go, as they say you don't know until you have tried it. I love reading the review slips in book shops as I like to think that that person chose to review the book after having read it whereas the reviews on the back are because someone was told to review it not because they wanted to.

 

I like the idea, too, and I think it's the most easiest to arrange. I wouldn't even have to read any books beforehand, I could start with some of the books I've already read and loved, and build it up from there.

 

Working in a library- lovely!

If you do have immigrants or refugees then a reading group doesn't seem to be a bad idea, or at least you can try to see if there would be an interest for a group reading English books. Most of the refugees we have here in my area aren't really great at English, they seem to have learned French as a foreign language.

 

I was going to suggest something similar, maybe starting a reading group for English readers/books? And also, our library website allows you to write reviews online, or to submit them on paper and one of the staff puts them on the website for you - could you do anything like that for English language/translated books?

 

A friend of mine suggested the reading group idea, and while I think it's great as such, it gives me the heebie-jeebies! I would feel like a teacher, and all eyes would be on me, and I just couldn't stand it. I hate public speaking, I hate being the center of attention, and it would just remind me of my oral expression classes which I loathed. And seminar classes. Ugh. No matter how much I love talking about books, it would feel like a chore instead of doing something fun. It's just not me

 

I don't think our library website allows one to write reviews there, but I think that's a good idea and I might suggest it to the staff anyways. Thanks! I know it's been done in some other libraries, for example in Lappeenranta where ex lives and whose library I used to frequent when I was visiting him.

 

 

Thinking about your display shelves idea, what about looking at some of the most popular books that go on loan and offer some suggestions for other books that people might like on a similar theme or genre which aren't so often borrowed, sort of a "If you like this, why not try these as well?"

 

I really like that idea, but I would never have come up with it myself. Thanks!

Edited April 15, 2012 by frankie

[frankie]

That's a brilliant idea . Frankie must be in a unique position the most widely read person (in English) in her hometown,

 

That is a wonderful notion, but untrue One has to remember Joensuu is a university town with a lot of international students. We have our Department of Humanities and our English professors come from Australia, Canada, Great-Britain, the United States, and what have you. And some of them are very avid readers, I tell you. My thesis instructor, for example.

 

Then we also have to remember that I'm not the only person who studies English and loves books And one doesn't even have to be an English major to love books and prefer to read them in the original language.

 

Now thats an idea and a half. Frankie could have like an information desk in the library and people could come up to her and say "I have read and liked x, y and z what do you recommend I read now" I can just see it.

 

I love that idea I'd love to have my very own desk! Hehe! And I could also have a big sign in between the English lit bookcases saying 'If you have any questions, just ask frankie at the desk!'

 

Oh I'm going to be so bummed if I don't get the job. I should stop fantasizing about it, immediately. !

[frankie]

I've had another idea. I think they have three eReaders for loan at the library, I could see what kind of English titles (if any?) they have on offer and promote them, too. I have no idea which type of 'machinery' they have and where they get their books, so I don't know if they only have Finnish titles. I'll have to look into it. Besides, I don't think that many people even know about the eReaders, so I'd be promoting them at the same time. Exciting!

[Brian.]

One of the best things about eReaders is the fact that a lot of older 'classic' books are out of copyright and therefore free to download. That would mean if you find anything you think they should have that is free you can get them stuck on the eReaders at zero cost to the library.

[frankie]

One of the best things about eReaders is the fact that a lot of older 'classic' books are out of copyright and therefore free to download. That would mean if you find anything you think they should have that is free you can get them stuck on the eReaders at zero cost to the library.

 

I like your thinking, mister! As we all know, libraries hardly ever have too much cash...