You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
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Chit Chat About Books
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What Are You Reading? 2016.1
jaxnsmom wrote: "Leaving the car in gear is a habit for me now, and it's too uneven around here (WV) to not roll.I'm listening to Uprooted and overall it's enjoyable. The narrator is ok, but not g..."
That's too bad. I really liked the writing when I read it last year. The folklore-ness of the fantasy I found very charming.
I finished The Golden Compass this morning. It was another 5 star read for me. I don't know if I'm just feeling more generous as the new year starts, or what.
Tonight I'm starting Leviathan Wakes.
Problem is when you live in wintry areas the handbrakes never hold up. Probably the road salt. It messes up everything
Travis of NNY wrote: "Problem is when you live in wintry areas the handbrakes never hold up. Probably the road salt. It messes up everything"I was taught not to use the handbrake in the winter because it could freeze up. I've had it happen. Yes, I live in the frozen north.
We call it a manual car here too. I leave in neutral with handbrake on. My partner leaves it in 1st regardless of whether he's parked on a hill or not. This means that on occasions I stall the car when I go to drive it because I forget he's left it in first (and I've clearly not put my foot on the clutch first). Anyway, I couldn't get in to Monster Hunter International although I didn't give it a huge chance. I'll come back to it another time. I've moved on to Leviathan Wakes and it has sucked me in. I'm reading it for this month's unusual word theme, plus it's a buddy read and it also fits my yearly challenge. Bonus!
Mariab, Christopher Moore is an outstanding funny author with great plots. I read Bloodsucking Fiends and the complete trilogy one right after the other and loved them all. I encourage you to read them all. Hilarious.I've got A Dirty Job and it's sequel to read soon.
Highly recommended author for a rip-roaring good time!
Camilla, so glad you are enjoying the Agent Pendergast series. Definitely one of my big favorites!
I love driving a stick and miss my Acura which was very sporty and fun to drive. It was stolen from right in front of my house and gutted! If I ever have the money to buy another one, I will.As far as parking goes, I always used the parking break. I was taught to leave it in neutral, though. I was always parking on flat ground, however. In the future, IF I ever own a manual drive again, I will adhere to advise given here!
Oh. Well. Cold. I don't really do that.
I'm getting the imprwssion that manual transmissions are much more common outside the US. If you want one often you have to order one ubless its a sports car, but even those usually have to be ordered. A lot of vehicles no longer offer it as an option. I k ow I called to price an F350 truck with a manual transmission and was impossible. Too bad since my truck ususlly is plowing snow, pulling wagons or working in some way. All things thst can stress sn automatic transmission. If I just hace to druve so ewhere I drive my mercury mariner. My truck gets 10 miles per gallon we don't take it out cruisin
Manuals are usually 5k cheaper or so than autos. And automatics are more prone to breaking. So most of us get them to save money, twice. Convicts, you know. Also, 95% of us learn to drive manuals, so it's all good here. Lexx got an auto licence when he learnt to drive, which meant he couldn't drive a manual car for the first 3 years of his licence (which is probational anyway, so there are many things you can't do). I had to teach him, which was really a drive around the suburb in my Mum's car we were borrowing, and then sent him off wherever he had to go. He got the hang of it, didn't crash the car on his solo drive, and I only told Mum later ;)
He's corrected me to say he learnt to drive a manual, needed his licence in a hurry so just got an auto one. So I didn't teach him, I helped refresh his memory. Whatever ;)
Everyone learns to drive manual here and manuals are the standard car. Automatics are more of a luxury. If you learnt on a manual and passed that test you can drive a manual or automatic but if you learn on an automatic and pass that test you can only drive automatics.
There are no stioulations like that on the license here. Drive whstever tranny you want. Standards used to be cheaper snd orobably still are. I would be surprised if half the drivers in US know how to drive a manual to be honest manual transmissions are kind of a thing of the past in new cars. You woupd have to ask salesman if they even had any manuals on the lot if you tried looking for one you woukd be there all day
... guessing tranny has a different meaning there from here
In this case we say tranny short for transmission. Other times tranny is short for transvestite.
Rusalka wrote: "... guessing tranny has a different meaning there from here"My thoughts exactly...
I choose to drive this one (view spoiler)
It's more of a derogatory term, so you wouldn't use it unless you were very good friends with the person and they used it themselves in fun.
Also, before bedtime, I'm reading Broken Monsters for the monthly challenge. Geez the girl can write! Loved Zoo City which has been completely forgotten since The Shining Girls. But if anyone wants an alternate reality, South African read for geocaching, I recommend Zoo City. But liking this one as well so far.
Great pic Rusalka and totally not what I expected to see
I am reading The Light Between Oceans and I love it so far, maybe my second 5 stars of the year, after Death on the Nile?
Great pic. :) I saw it coming when I saw the spoiler tag.
I wonder how many miles you'll get to the gallon with that one Rusalka ;-)
It's interesting the differences in manuals/autos. My first vehicle was a 5-speed manual Ranger, but I took my driver's test in my Mom's automatic, because I didn't want to stress about the clutch in addition to the stress of the test. I'd say the first half of my cars were also manual, but once I started commuting, I switched to automatic. The car lots will have fewer automatics, but it seems to me that out here, there are always a couple of manuals, and they are less $. Too, though, newer cars are coming with optional manual drives in the automatic - it's essentially a manual drive without a clutch.
I've discovered to make it through all the historical fiction I have lined up for the yearly challenge I must take each book slowly or I get bored. So. Taking a break on Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae and picked up Red Dragon. Ahh a much needed chamge of pace
Rusalka wrote: "I choose to drive this one "Awesome picture, Rusalka.
Travis of NNY wrote: "I've discovered to make it through all the historical fiction I have lined up for the yearly challenge I must take each book slowly or I get bored. So. Taking a break on [book:Gates of Fire: An Epi..."I loved Gates of Fire.
Rusalka, love your "sweet transvestite from Transylvania" pic and loved the movie Rocky Horror Picture Show. I've seen it several times, the first time in a theater was quite an experience!
Ah, Travis! The first Hannibal Lector book and a very good one, although his role is minor in Red Dragon. Do you plan on reading the series?
I finished two 4-star books, both bordering on 5 stars. I recommend them both: Follow You Home and The Girl on the Train. I plan on reading more by these authors.Now I'm starting The Killer Next Door for my group's group read.
I finished One Foot in the Grave, book 2 in the Night Huntress series. I'm still determined to kill those series. I'm planning a lazy day and have downloaded the novella Happily Never After (book 1.5 in the series). I may just read it this afternoon.My first geocaching task has been started. I'm in search of a fossilized bone in The Bone Garden.
I started Doomsday Book for the geocaching challenge but have just abandoned it after 80 or so pages. I thought I would love it but I just couldn't get into it at all. I may give it another go one day but for now, it's back on the shelf. I have swapped it for The Crimson Ribbon which I am just starting. Hopefully I will like it better.
I finished reading Promise of Blood for the geocaching challenge I'm glad I finally got to it. A new series to add to the never ending list. I'm reading Dare You To for another buddy read. I will probably start Motor City Fae for the hide and seek monthly challenge today.
Lisa wrote: "I started Doomsday Book for the geocaching challenge but have just abandoned it after 80 or so pages. I thought I would love it but I just couldn't get into it at all. I may give it..."While I read and enjiyed Doomsday Book it took me forever to read. It wasnt one I coukdn't put down I put it down a lot. I think it took me 6 months. I still say its a good book but I understand why you abandoned
Mariab wrote: "I'm reading Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation for the month's challenge, and also Bloodsucking Fiends, which is hilarious!!!(I followed A..."
I stated this Eats, shoot... years ago. I temporarily misplaced it duroing a move and never finished it, I remember having fun.
Moore book usually are hilarious. I need to read more of his...
just finisdh my audiobook for the montly challenge. (Eat, Pray, Love)I am still reading Monster Hunter International and I just receive notice that Oryx and Crake is available for me at my local library. So I am going to split my reading time....
I'm just a few pages into Hello From the Gillespies by Monica McInerney. I'm hoping it's not going to be a schmaltzy read..
Rebecca wrote: "I'm working on Moby-Dick; or, The Whale for the yearly challenge. I'll be glad when it's over."I remember being a chore reading it, Rebecca, but at the end I liked it. I think I rated it 4 stars.
It was a disappointing finish for Monster Hunter International at 3 stars. Next up is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.Oh, and I started and finished the novella Happily Never After today as well.
Lisa wrote: "I started Doomsday Book for the geocaching challenge but have just abandoned it after 80 or so pages. I thought I would love it but I just couldn't get into it at all. I may give it..."Oh!, pity you don't like Dday, Lisa. I found it very entertaining
Mariab wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I started Doomsday Book for the geocaching challenge but have just abandoned it after 80 or so pages. I thought I would love it but I just couldn't get into it at all. ..."I thought I was going to really like it but those first few chapters just didn't work for me. I found it slow and incredibly frustrating. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it though :)
Just finished Elizabeth, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary
My review.www.goodreads.com/review/show/1502336983
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You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
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The Muse (other topics)
The Muse (other topics)
Sh*t My Dad Says (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Hannah Kent (other topics)Robert Harris (other topics)
Elizabeth Gilbert (other topics)
Thomas Harding (other topics)
Louise Penny (other topics)
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That's how all driving instructors teach you how to drive any way.