Idle chatter!

[CindySR, Moderator]

Cute! Does it look like you?

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

CindySR wrote: "Cute! Does it look like you?"

Haha, I wish. But it does look like one of my built in book cases, which I have to use a stepladder to reach the upper shelves!

& I'm going to Auckland for a few days.

I'll catch up with any Book Pool updates when I get back. :)

[Susan in NC]

Safe travels!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

& from the same source where I found out about another London play...

https://charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/the...

One of my favourite books. I'll bet this would be an awesome experience!

[Lesley]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "& from the same source where I found out about another London play...

https://charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/the......"

My favourite Josephine Tey book. You booked in? :)

[CindySR, Moderator]

Just letting folks know, I'm not getting ANY notifications.

I only ever got notifications on my laptop, never email, never on any app. Laptop only with no problems for years. Sadness.

[Jackie]

I only get a notification if someone "likes" a review, haven't seen anything else for awhile. dislike!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

CindySR wrote: "Just letting folks know, I'm not getting ANY notifications.

I only ever got notifications on my laptop, never email, never on any app. Laptop only with no problems for years. Sadness."

Yes Gr has less & less features. I've put a couple of things in our moderator group when you have time.

[CindySR, Moderator]

I logged out of GR over night and shut down my laptop, too. It seemed to have worked because I have my notifications back!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

CindySR wrote: "I logged out of GR over night and shut down my laptop, too. It seemed to have worked because I have my notifications back!"
Great!

New masthead looking good!

[Barb in Maryland]

Wow! That is a good masthead.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Barb in Maryland wrote: "Wow! That is a good masthead."

All credit to Cindy! :)

[CindySR, Moderator]

So glad you like it!

[Susan in NC]

Well done, you, looks great!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

& in keeping with the new masthead I have chose a new group photo.

The artist is Laura Knight & it was painted in 1910

[CindySR, Moderator]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "& in keeping with the new masthead I have chose a new group photo.

The artist is Laura Knight & it was painted in 1910"

Beautiful, do you know the title of the painting?

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

A Girl Reading - she came up for auction a few years ago.

https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-...

I found her on Tumblr. I wanted someone from our reading period. A lot of lovely reading women came up, but they were from the 19th century. Reading a book must have been a popular way to pose in those days!

[Barb in Maryland]

What a lovely painting! She goes quite well with the new masthead.
Good work, both of you.

[Jackie]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "& in keeping with the new masthead I have chose a new group photo.

The artist is Laura Knight & it was painted in 1910"

I love both the photo and the masthead!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Jackie wrote: "Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "& in keeping with the new masthead I have chose a new group photo.

The artist is Laura Knight & it was painted in 1910"

I love both the photo and the masthead!"

Thank you!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

As you will have gathered, I'm back & the South Island was wonderful - can't believe how underpopulated it is (we didn't go to the Nelson/Richmond area though)

I could live in Christchurch quite happily.

I'm still a bit under the weather, but over the next couple of days I will look at creating a calendar of proposed reads, as I'm losing track myself!

[Susan in NC]

Take care and rest up, be kind to yourself and get well, everything can wait! Glad you enjoyed your holiday.

[Jackie]

Glad you had a good trip and feel better soon!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

I'm now having computer problems like you wouldn't believe!

At least I can access Goodreads!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

& my computer/internet problems finally resolved although one of my neighbours still having problems. Really terrible customer service!

But anyway, I'm back. :)

[Susan in NC]

Welcome back! ;o)

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Susan in NC wrote: "Welcome back! ;o)"

Thanks this was a lot of aggravation. Funnily enough Goodreads was the only site I could consistently get on through all this - losing access to my bank's website was particularly frustrating as I had bills to pay.

[Susan in NC]

Oh, that would be aggravating!

[CindySR, Moderator]

I'm glad it wasn't your computer going wonky!

[Jackie]

how awful you can't depend on your internet, it's so necessary now!

[Susan in NC]

Jackie wrote: "how awful you can't depend on your internet, it's so necessary now!"

Yes - I am a total Luddite, I tell my husband if he dies before me, I’m getting two tin cans tied with string, forget anything higher tech…

[Barb in Maryland]

Oh, losing access to my bank's site would drive me crazy--I do almost all of my banking online! When the internet access goes down (storms, etc.) for longer than 2-3 hours I start to fret.
However, I always have books on hand to pass the time!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

The whole thing was so infuriating! The company that installs fibre was installing fibre in a private road that forks off our road. Quite obviously the technicians did something, they admitted to three of our neighbours they did something, but their fault map still didn't show a problem, & we are all with at least four different ISPs & had to go through them. Saying that two (then three) streets were out fell on deaf ears.

Some of our neighbours were sent new modems which of course did nothing & one of them, even though it is fixed for everyone else, only has access to gmail & has to get The Computer Guy out on Monday.

This will make Lesley laugh as she has met Marty!

When someone from my ISP finally rang me (they don't offer phone support) & I explained that I couldn't access my bank account, Marty was hovering in the background with a tragic look on his face. "Tell her I can't get on Sky!"

Because, of course not being able to watch the rugby is as important as not being able to access our bank accounts!!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Barb in Maryland wrote: "Oh, losing access to my bank's site would drive me crazy--I do almost all of my banking online! When the internet access goes down (storms, etc.) for longer than 2-3 hours I start to fret.
However,..."

I love online banking & being able to check my accounts from the comfort of my home. Don't miss spending my lunch breaks in a bank queue at all!

[Jackie]

If there was a more general thread for talking about books - I realize this is for talk not about books - I wasn't sure where.

But I just finished Honey for Tea this morning and another by Elizabeth Cadell Out of the Rain very recently, and I'd love to know what others think of these. I did search on the author here and didn't find these two, I don't think.

Cadell has written so many books, but I think I've read all my library has, and when I look on Abebooks the ones I haven't read yet might not be worth paying the price. Out of the Rain, for example, was an OK book but if I'd paid more than $2 or $3 dollars for it, say, I'd have been disappointed. Honey for Tea was better, but of all the ones yet to read the prices are more like $12 and up, plus shipping in some cases.

Barbara Willard is another author I want to read more of (I must have found her here, mustn't I?) but luckily my library still has 5 more I can order.

If there is a better place to post this, let me know and I'll move it!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Jackie wrote: "If there was a more general thread for talking about books - I realize this is for talk not about books - I wasn't sure where.

But I just finished Honey for Tea this morning and a..."

Hi Jackie

I don't think there is a thread like that - but it's a good idea!

I'll just create one & you can copy & paste your message over. :)

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

& sorry I have been a bit distrait (good Georgette Heyer term that!) this week.

We have been reorganising our financial affairs & the museum is really short of volunteers atm. Next month should be better though.

[Jackie]

thank you, Carol!

[Tania]

I am really late posting this, for which apologies, but I have only just seen it; Thalia is currently free on kindle. I think these deals only last until midnight Friday, so if anyone wants it and sees this, go now. I am reading it with Carol next month. Here's your chance to get it free if you want to join.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

& the girls are coming down later today as it is Marty's birthday tomorrow. We are going to the hot pools at Te Aroha & then out to lunch. :)

[Lesley]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "& the girls are coming down later today as it is Marty's birthday tomorrow. We are going to the hot pools at Te Aroha & then out to lunch. :)"

Happy Birthday for tomorrow, Marty. Wishing you many more!
Enjoy your day at the hot pools. I hope the weather co-operates.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Oops I have neglected this thread!

We did indeed enjoy the Hot Pools & the neighbouring cafe. So much so that we went again yesterday!

& it is the highlight of my year today (& tomorrow!) It is the yearly Book Fair, held in a church hall. It will be nice if I find one of the books I wanted to read for the Book Pool!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

& I went to the Book Fair & came home again with just three;
The Lady in the Lake The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II (that will be in our new time period next year. I might put it in the Book Pool & you guys can support me through the read) & a NZ mystery outside our time period.

I'm going back tomorrow.

[Susan in NC]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "& I went to the Book Fair & came home again with just three;
The Lady in the Lake The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II (that will be in our new ti..."

Good haul! I hope you have good luck tomorrow, as well! The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II has been on my TBR for awhile.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Susan in NC wrote: "Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "& I went to the Book Fair & came home again with just three;
The Lady in the Lake [book:The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II|957..."

It was quieter than previous years, I'm hoping more good stuff comes out tomorrow though.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

& I got 2 more - 1 from our (new) time period Eating Peacocks by NZ author Barbara Else & Junky from the 50s. Probably won't put the later in our Book Pool.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

& AFAIK we don't have anyone from Jamaica in our group, but we extend all good wishes to anyone there if we do - looks nasty!

We have had periods of wind & unseasonally cold weather in NZ - has been especially bad in parts of the South Island.