As the Page Turns (the Book Thread)

Susan1

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,006
Well, the library did not leave a message till 11:05 And I got this when I went to the page to leave a message for picking up on "Ask A Librarian" because you can't get through on the main number. "An exception occurred while processing your request. Additionally, another exception occurred while executing the custom error page for the first exception. The request has been terminated." Is that their fault?

And now what? I can't email, I can't call, I can't just go there - which I wasn't going to do till tomorrow anyway because we could be having severe thunderstorms again between 3 -6 today.
 

Susan1

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,006
The library website is back online. I'll email them in the morning and wait for them to call me back to try to get an appointment for 3:00. I didn't notice the other David Rosenfelt book also has 21 people ahead of me. That will be awhile. I'll have to reserve some more easy to get ones in the meantime.

Figures it's not storming yet. It rained about 10 drops on my car on the way back from CVS 2 hours ago. It's too late to reserve a time for today. If I did, we'd have a tornado right when I got there.
 

hanca

Values her privacy
Messages
12,547
That's about 1/2 an hour a day that she really enjoyed over 85 days of enforced isolation, which left her with a sense of accomplishment and pride. Who would want to give that back?:)
Ok, correction - no one will give her back those 42 hours 30 mins. That’s nearly two whole days lost!
 

cygnus

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,297
Ok, correction - no one will give her back those 42 hours 30 mins. That’s nearly two whole days lost!

The point is- she doesn't want them back. You don't have to read it so don't! Find something creative YOU enjoy doing with those 42 hours and 30 minutes, but leave others to read what they will. Maybe I will take out W&P for the 3rd time- I haven't read it in over 30 years. ;)
 

emason

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,652
That's about 1/2 an hour a day that she really enjoyed over 85 days of enforced isolation, which left her with a sense of accomplishment and pride. Who would want to give that back?:)

Thanks @cygnus, you are exactly right. It took me about 30-45 minutes to do the reading each day; I'm a slow reader and some sections of the book were heavier going than others. The follow-up was to spend time on Twitter reading what others had to say about the day's assignment. There were 3,000+ folks from all over the world who were doing this. (I'd dearly love to know what the person posting comments in Turkish had to say.) There were some well-known heavy hitters participating in this; Joyce Carol Oates, for instance, didn't hesitate in her comments even though she got flack from some who didn't agree with her. The whole thing was just so interesting; for instance, Tolstoy would introduce a Russian general not mentioned previously and the next thing I knew someone was posting a picture of a painting of said general that hangs in the Hermitage, or there would be a discussion about the way one character's speech impediment was handled; one translator made it a lisp so that 'from' became 'fwom' while a different translator went guttural so that 'from' became 'fghrom'; I never knew where the discussion would go from day to day and it could go anywhere from snarky to sublime. I loved every minute of this experience.

OK, rant over.

ETA: if anyone is curious about the Twitter comments, it's #TolstoyTogether.
 
Last edited:

Susan1

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,006
Well, I emailed the library at 10:40 to ask when I could pick up my hold books. I got an email back at 12:50 that they would forward it to my branch (which you have to select on the ask a librarian page), who would call me. I got a call at 1:07 (sorry, everything's got a time stamp on it anymore) asking when. I said today. He said between 3 and 4, 4 and 5 or 5 and 6. I said 3 and 4, do you mean it can be any time during that hour. He said yes. And asked what car I had. I told him. I went down at 3:00, right after DeWine's press conference. She came out in like a minute. There was a cart full of books right by the front door. I rolled down the passenger window and told her my name and she said to open the trunk. I did and she brought them out and put them in. We said thank you and I drove away.

I have a book to take back, but I didn't want to do that at the same time. I was thinking about my David Rosenfelt book that has 22 people ahead of me. When they come back they go in quarantine for 4 days. I hope they have a lot of copies or I won't get to read it before next year's comes out. At least people can't renew it with all those holds on it. But there won't be any sitting around on the 7 day shelf either, because there is no 7 day shelf. ha ha
 

barbk

Well-Known Member
Messages
8,219
Thanks @cygnus, you are exactly right. It took me about 30-45 minutes to do the reading each day; I'm a slow reader and some sections of the book were heavier going than others. The follow-up was to spend time on Twitter reading what others had to say about the day's assignment. There were 3,000+ folks from all over the world who were doing this. (I'd dearly love to know what the person posting comments in Turkish had to say.) There were some well-known heavy hitters participating in this; Joyce Carol Oates, for instance, didn't hesitate in her comments even though she got flack from some who didn't agree with her. The whole thing was just so interesting; for instance, Tolstoy would introduce a Russian general not mentioned previously and the next thing I knew someone was posting a picture of a painting of said general that hangs in the Hermitage, or there would be a discussion about the way one character's speech impediment was handled; one translator made it a lisp so that 'from' became 'fwom' while a different translator went guttural so that 'from' became 'fghrom'; I never knew where the discussion would go from day to day and it could go anywhere from snarky to sublime. I loved every minute of this experience.

OK, rant over.

ETA: if anyone is curious about the Twitter comments, it's #TolstoyTogether.
Did you keep a list of who was who by all the different names in the book? That's what took me down.
 

emason

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,652
Did you keep a list of who was who by all the different names in the book? That's what took me down.

No, I didn't actually, but that only because it was over 85 days at only 12-15 pages a day. There was lots of time to review before the next day's assignment and all the Twitter comments helped to keep characters straight also. The one time I tried to read the book by myself, about 55 years ago, I didn't make it past the Battle of Austerlitz; it was all too overwhelming for me then.
 

Susan1

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,006
I just got a call at 11 that I have two more books to pick up. I will have to sit and wait till they call me back because you are only allowed to go between 12 and 3 on Saturday.
 

Susan1

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,006
I just got a call at 11 that I have two more books to pick up. I will have to sit and wait till they call me back because you are only allowed to go between 12 and 3 on Saturday.
Got my books. Now I have 8-3/4. I really need to read the James Grippando that I already had started on March 13 because I just got the next one today that was reserved then. The holds came faster than I expected, except for the new ones that people had already reserved. Should last a while, I hope.
 

Susan1

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,006
My library always posts how many copies of a book there are in the district's library. Yours does not do that?
Yeah, I didn't even bother to look. They have 21 of the one book through the main library (not listed by branch now since you can't go in to get it, and some are already out). And they have ordered 20 of the other one that they don't even have yet. There are already over 20 reserves ahead of me on each one. Do the math. ha ha If they were "in" the library, some would be on the 7 day shelf. They will be "no renewals" past the three weeks because there are holds on them. But now that there are no penalties for being overdue, people don't care. Everything will be slowed up with the curbside pickup only three hours a day, and getting a call, letting them know you got the call, them letting you know they checked it out and when you can pick it up.....). And when they come back, they have to go on quarantine for 4 days. I'll have to hope people don't keep their copy the whole three weeks.
 

quartz

scratching at the light
Messages
19,931
I worked the re-opening of my bookstore last Friday and bought 6 books. I work again today and will likely be buying another 3-5. I went 3 months without buying any new books and it feels so good to be supporting my store again. I did a pretty good weed at the beginning of the shut down and carted about 75-80 books to Goodwill, so I have room for my new ones. :cheer2:
 

genevieve

drinky typo pbp, closet hugger (she/her)
Staff member
Messages
41,823
Today is Day 85, the final day of the War and Peace read along hosted by apublicspace.org. We read 12-15 pages a day and then posted Twitter comments. I can now say, with pride and honesty, I have read War and Peace, all of it, skipping nothing. We used the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation, which seemed a little flat to me; I'm seriously considering starting the book over and this time reading the Maude translation. The whole thing was a fabulous experience; classic books are classic for a reason. They stand the test of time.
This sounds really fun. I have never been able to pay attention when being read aloud to (sorry grammarians) - I don't know how anyone does books on tape in the car, for example - but I wonder if I could do something like this. I started reading Anna Karenina last year, and while the story is fascinating, the back and forth with the footnotes AND the annotations in back etc etc made me lose interest. If there were some sort of comprehensive program like this for AK I would definitely try it.

I started reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog a while ago - I saw/loved the film years ago, picked up a copy of the book on my RTW trip, carried it through many countries before realizing I wasn't reading it - but then the GF got it out of the library pre-YKW and looooooved it. But my mind can't really handle reading right now so I'm stuck in the first 75 pages.

A book that I'd taken out is Oryx and Crake, beloved by seemingly everyone except PrincessLeppard. Started reading that over the weekend, as Margaret Atwood does tend to write books that can be don't-put-down. I didn't realize what a timely plot it had for today's world :lol: I'm getting through it, but I keep having to reread bits from my previous session. It's a good story but I'm not loving it - can't tell if it's the book or me (75% chance it's me).
 

Japanfan

Well-Known Member
Messages
25,532
A book that I'd taken out is Oryx and Crake, beloved by seemingly everyone except PrincessLeppard. Started reading that over the weekend, as Margaret Atwood does tend to write books that can be don't-put-down. I didn't realize what a timely plot it had for today's world :lol: I'm getting through it, but I keep having to reread bits from my previous session. It's a good story but I'm not loving it - can't tell if it's the book or me (75% chance it's me).

I loved the trilogy. And will say that a huge reward is delivered at the very end, which ties back to the very beginning. I've read the series twice and will probably read it a third time. And I'll never forget Atwood's wonderful spin on Starbucks with the 'Happicuppa Coffee Company'. Atwood is certainly not without humor (very dry humor).
 

PrincessLeppard

Holding Alex Johnson's Pineapple
Messages
28,194
A book that I'd taken out is Oryx and Crake, beloved by seemingly everyone except PrincessLeppard. Started reading that over the weekend, as Margaret Atwood does tend to write books that can be don't-put-down. I didn't realize what a timely plot it had for today's world :lol: I'm getting through it, but I keep having to reread bits from my previous session. It's a good story but I'm not loving it - can't tell if it's the book or me (75% chance it's me).

it's the book. :p

I'm in the middle of A Very Stable Genius. (yes, I realize I have a problem with my need to read all these books. But I like seeing what stuff matches across books.) The most shocking thing (so far, and believe me, there are many) is that Trump didn't know why he was being asked to visit Pearl Harbor. Had no idea what happened there, beyond that there was a battle. :wall:
 

Susan1

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,006
Funny, I was just checking the library site to see if they were going to close again because of the growing numbers in Montgomery County, and I saw this:

New Limited Hours, All Locations, effective July 7, 2020:
  • Tuesday - Saturday: 10 am - 6 pm
  • Sunday - Monday: Closed
Here are some of the changes you can expect at your next visit to the Library:
YOU CAN...
  • Browse the shelves
  • Use self checkout stations
  • Use public computers & laptops
  • Use printers, copiers, scanners, fax
  • Get assistance from Library staff, if you are wearing a mask
  • Bring family or friends, but please limit your group to under 10 people
  • Continue to use Curbside Pickup if you prefer
SORRY, AT THIS TIME WE ARE UNABLE TO...
  • Provide access to our meeting or tutor rooms
  • Provide close assistance to anyone not wearing a mask
  • Offer toys, games, puzzles or craft supplies for children
  • Offer access to gaming systems
  • Offer in-person classes or programs at this time
  • Admit groups of more than 10
  • Allow access to the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Main Library
WE ASK THAT YOU..
  • Maintain 6ft distancing
  • Wear a mask
  • Keep your Library visit to under an hour
  • Place any browsed material on designated carts rather than back on the shelf
  • If visiting as a family or group, keep your group together
  • Please respect the 10 - 11 am hour for vulnerable populations only
WE WILL...
  • Quarantine all returned and/or browsed materials for four (4) days
  • Be wearing masks
  • Provide disposable masks for those who need them
  • Limit capacity in each building
  • Limit computer sessions to 50 minutes
  • Provide hand sanitizing stations
  • Disinfect public equipment and work stations between uses
 

Susan1

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,006
Recent read:

I Liked My Life by Abby Fabiaschi tells the story of a father and daughter who are left picking up the pieces after the mom commits suicide. This is a thoughtful book with a lot of heart and sensitive humor that provides levity while it explores themes of guilt, forgiveness, parent-child relationships, grief, and love. I had never heard of this book before seeing it included on a list to fulfill a popsugar prompt, and this book is such a hidden gem. My best read so far this year.
Just finished it. I had to stop reading at 11:00 last night or I would have finished it about 1 a.m.
 

Susan1

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,006
Just finished it. I had to stop reading at 11:00 last night or I would have finished it about 1 a.m.
p.s.
After I posted, I don't see my spoiler in my reply to her grace (which I deleted from this post). Does anyone?
 

Susan1

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,006
I didn’t see it. Would you re-post?
I forget already. Ha ha. No -
I was thinking that I was hoping to read that someone wrote a news story that she didn't actually kill herself. They went through all the gossip and being treated so bad like it was their fault. They wouldn't have had to mention who else was on the roof.
 

PrincessLeppard

Holding Alex Johnson's Pineapple
Messages
28,194
Last night I finished The Dog Star(s?) by Peter Heller (I think...I need more coffee). It was on the dystopian list posted much earlier in this thread.

It has no discernible plot. It's more stream of consciousness, which isn't necessarily bad as long as it seems to be going somewhere. While eventually some stuff does happen, it's too little, too late.

I was just hate reading/skimming by the end.

Do not recommend.
 

Susan1

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,006
When they said our library was going to be open inside on July 7, I reserved five books, figuring with the 4th holiday and slower delivery and all, they wouldn't be ready for pickup till the 7th and I could go any time between 10 and 6. Three of them are in already. I will have to arrange to go in the heat of the day (3-6 p.m.) to get them, cause they won't be doing curbside pickup from 12-3 on Saturday, July 4.
 

CassAgain

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,434
I have found lots of good recs in this thread and had a great reading month in June, so I thought I would share. It will be long, so feel free to scrolllllllllll. From best to worst:

1. Autumn by Ali Smith, 5 Stars, contemporary novel
Hard to summarize the plot because there is not a lot of it, but it takes place in the UK just after the Brexit vote and revolves around a semi-comatose 100 year old man and his former neighbor and friend, a woman in her early thirties. I wasn't sure if I was smart enough or clever enough for this one when I started, but by chapter four I was in, and read it in a day. There are a lot of flashbacks, some excellent story telling and a subplot about a female British pop artist in the 60s I am now a bit obsessed with. The way Smith writes about the media and politics and life right now seemed to be just about perfect to me. Loved this.

2. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams 4.5 Stars Contemporary Novel
A young black journalist in London deals with her life crumbling around her due to internal and external circumstances. Sometimes a hard read because Queenie is so human and makes mistakes you want to jump in and prevent, but I was so cheering her on to get through it all and emerge in a better place. Carty-Williams did a wonderful job. Loved it.

3. If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane
4 Stars Contemporary Romance
A lawyer in Manchester gets dumped by her partner of 18 years and ends up fake dating a misunderstood colleague for...reasons. Silly, tropy plot very well executed with extremely likable, well-rounded characters. I felt like I was friends with both of them by the end. Liked this a lot.



4. Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo 4 Stars Contemporary Novel
A couple in Nigeria struggles with infertility and familial expectations. This was very good and very sad. The irony is...heavy handed. Not a light read, but a good one. The setting (Urban and rural Nigeria) was also a character and a fascinating one. Liked this a lot.

5. Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore 4 Stars Historical Feminist (sort of) Romance
Unmarried, destitute woman from an upper-middle class background in the 1880s becomes part of the first group of female students in Cambridge. Attends because of a scholarship offered by a suffragist organization, who requires her to work for the cause. Through this work, she meets the Duke and romantic and political hijinks ensue. A lot of fun to read; silly and smutty. Liked it a lot.

6. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood 3.5 Stars Sequel (sort of) of A Handmaid's Tale
Takes place about 15 years after the events of the first novel and follows the story of Aunt Lydia (with some very interesting back-story), a young girl/woman in Gilead, and a young woman in Canada who is connected to Gilead. Enjoyed reading more about Gilead and filling in some details and atmosphere. The sections from Aunt Lydia's perspective were mostly strong. The rest was uneven, especially in the second half. The ending was not well developed, in my opinion. However, I think it was worth reading. Liked it.

7. Don't You Forget about Me by Mhairi McFarlane 3.5 Stars Contemporary Women's Fiction
Thirty year old woman in Sheffield has an evil stepfather, cold mother and sister, terrible boyfriend, awful job, and a lovely first love that ended badly. Really derivative of Bridget Jones and Fleabag, but a page-turner. I think it was trying to be a romance, and would have benefited from that being the dominant plot. Mostly like it.

8. Stasi Child by David Young 3.25 Stars Mystery/Thriller
I know I first read about this book here. Mid 70s East German Woman detective tries to solve the murder of an unknown victim whose body is found in East Berlin near the Wall. Loved the East German setting. Young did a good job writing the two primary female characters, but besides the husband, I found the other male characters blended together, even the love interest. I kept having to go back and figure out who this one was. Not really a fan of thrillers and didn't enjoy that part. It was pretty good.

9. The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton 3 Stars Closed-circle Mystery/Sci-fi (ish)
Man wakes up in a body not his own in the middle of action. He learns he has seven days to solve a murder in this manor house and each day he will be in a different body, but the day will be the same. (Sort of like Groundhog Day.) Interesting premise but I found it a SLOG through the middle section with a good beginning and end. You do find out a little about why this was happening, which was sort of interesting but I think I would have been fine without that information. Really obnoxious fat shaming in some parts. It was kind of a chore but mostly worth it, I guess.

10. Beach Read by Emily Henry 3 Stars Contemporary Romance
Writers staying in next door cabins on Lake Michigan for...reasons both suffer from writers' block. They decide to try to write a novel in each other's genres. It guess it was a page-turner, but I didn't love either character and found some of the plot clanged me over the head while some of it was under-developed. Just okay for me.

Did not finish:
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne 1 Star Contemporary Romance
Woman and man work in the same office and hate each other. They spend their days trying to make the other miserable. Made it to page 70 and hated the characters and plot too much to continue. Hated it.
 
Last edited:

PrincessLeppard

Holding Alex Johnson's Pineapple
Messages
28,194
@CassAgain The Stasi series is great! I was worried in about book three that it was going to go horribly, but the writer saved it.

@Zemgirl I did like The Passage, though the author did skip over the fall of society, which to me is usually the most interesting part because it sets up how people act later. And so many authors leave it out. I think this is what makes The Stand so effective -- you get to see everything go wrong. Especially with Stu. Anyway.

I've been reading a lot of non-fiction recently. Let me ponder some dystopian books.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top
Do Not Sell My Personal Information