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What Are We Reading? 21 June 2021
Robert wrote: "AB76 wrote: "Robert wrote: "AB76 wrote: "MK wrote: "Robert wrote: "Only reached 100 degrees here in Auburn Saturday. That was quite enough."At 6 a.m. here in Magnolia it is 79 inside with all hou..."
gosh, slap bang in the heat and i guess air con isnt needed in about 8 months of a normal year!
A rare victory over Amazon pricing just nowInterested in a study of Protestant churchs in German occupied Alsace 1870-1914The Gods of the City: Protestantism and Religious Culture in Strasbourg, 1870-1914
.On amazon it was between £75(2nd hand) or £143 new...both too pricey but at 500 pages and a niche topic, i was prepared to go up to £60 and lo and behold on betterworld books i found it for £57, free P&P....result
NB> i rarely pay more than £30 for a book but this looks like a gem
AB76 wrote: "A rare victory over Amazon pricing just nowInterested in a study of Protestant churchs in German occupied Alsace 1870-1914[book:The Gods of the City: Protestantism and Religious Culture in Strasb..."
My top price paid for a second hand book is £45, for a 1960's book on the architectural philosophy behind Frank Lloyd Wrights architectural and town planning designs. I was amazed at myself for paying that amount!... However my top price for buying a ceramic pot has been £65. And somehow I feel OK about that!.. I guess it's a good way to find out about what one's prioritised interests are?... perhaps...
Tam wrote: "AB76 wrote: "A rare victory over Amazon pricing just nowInterested in a study of Protestant churchs in German occupied Alsace 1870-1914[book:The Gods of the City: Protestantism and Religious Cult..."
as a major FLW fan, i like the sound of that book. It will be interesting to see how good the £57 book is, sometimes the promise of a title can become mired in details you arent interested in on niche topics
if it shines a light on the shared cultural similarities between German and Alsatian Lutherans and the identification of Alsatian Lutherans with Imperial Germany it will be spot on. If it meanders into purely theological long grass, it will be less interesting
What a wonderful tribute to Justine! Well done to all involved. It is well thought out, so appropriate and a great tribute.
AB76 wrote: "A rare victory over Amazon pricing just nowInterested in a study of Protestant churchs in German occupied Alsace 1870-1914[book:The Gods of the City: Protestantism and Religious Culture in Strasb..."
I don't think I could face this after living there 1980-81. I recall the railway station still had a huge, still only partly obliterated STRASSBURG painted on the back wall in readiness for Hitler's takeover, when the plan was to rename Place Kléber, Place Adolf Hitler.....
AB76 wrote: "Robert wrote: "AB76 wrote: "Robert wrote: "AB76 wrote: "MK wrote: "Robert wrote: "Only reached 100 degrees here in Auburn Saturday. That was quite enough."At 6 a.m. here in Magnolia it is 79 insi..."
Not so long ago that it was cold and rainy. Now its 107 at the nearby airport.
AB76 wrote: "Just found a series of new translations(from 2017 onwards) of Czech classics, entitled "Modern Czech Classics" and published by Charles University and U of Chicagowell worth a look:
https://pres..."
Hrabel's "I served the King of England" is an interesting book.
CCCubbon wrote: "...Ken Aston. He’s the ref who introduced the red/yellow cards in football."I remember the name...
Russell wrote: "scarletnoir wrote: "Russell wrote: "Dupuytren’s Contracture"So, that's what it is called? I'm pretty sure I have this (ridge in one hand - no real problems yet). Both my grandmother and mother ha..."
Thanks for the info... as I say, to date although the ridge is there, I don't have a problem - my mother (who is still going at 99) can hardly use one hand, and her mother was the same.
Andy wrote: "We Trade Our Night for Someone Else's Day by Ivana Bodrožić, translated by Ellen Elias-Bursać.
Though ..."
Thanks for that - it sounds really interesting... I'm putting it on the TBR pile, but won't tackle it soon as it sounds depressing - I've just read a gloomy story...
Slow going recently - partly because 'too much going on', but also because my book (in English) was rather depressing and so it proved hard to read in large chunks.
by Henning Mankell (trans. Steven T.Murray) describes the youth of Hans Olofson, who lives a dull life in an isolated Swedish town. Following two traumatic events, he decides on making a sort of pilgrimage to Africa, where he then stays...Mankell is an author I like a lot - he writes well, and is thought provoking - but in this case, the content proved very much a downer. The protagonist Olofson struggles with contradictory feelings - dislike for imperialist attitudes, sympathy for the Africans, but also frustration at African behaviours. He experiences at a local level examples of corruption, and hears that much aid from Europe is siphoned off by the 'leaders' into Swiss bank accounts... Mankell spent a lot of time in Africa, but by the end of this book we feel that it's difficult or maybe impossible for Africans and Europeans to understand each other. I hope that wasn't his own experience!
So - not a book to read until we get out of this COVID restricted existence, I'd have thought.
(Some of you may be interested to know that translator Steven T. Murray was at the time of publication - 2008 for the translation - based in Seattle as Editor-in Chief of Fjord Press... I have no idea if that is still the case. My commiserations to those of you suffering in the heatwave 'over there' - heat is not my friend - but the so-called 'summer' never really arrived here in west Wales. It's hardly touched 20C in recent weeks, and it's raining ATM!)
Wish we could trade weather for a day or two.
Robert wrote: "Wish we could trade weather for a day or two."Anything much above 30C is too much for me! It's still raining... but the dog needs a walk, so...
The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes was lovely, though I think it was very slightly less marvellous than the other Holmes collections I've read. The Last Bow, the only Sherlock collection I have remaining, is on my pile, and I will feel very sad when I finish it, just as I will when I finish Martin Chuzzlewit, also waiting for me. Now turning to Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor.
scarletnoir wrote: "Robert wrote: "Wish we could trade weather for a day or two."Anything much above 30C is too much for me! It's still raining... but the dog needs a walk, so..."
It’s cool rain here on the other side of the country, too, I flake out if the temperatures rises near 30⁰ and feel for everyone on the west coast, hoping it cools there too today.
The garden loves this weather, the flowers showing themselves off, roses galore and tubs of red and pink geranium are glowing in the gloom.
I have been reading the Hanne Wilhelmsen series by Anne Holt on and off. Not bad, up to Book 7, Beyond the Truth
Unusual in that it is a lesbian woman in charge, set in my favourite city of Oslo . I look up places on the map which adds to enjoyment.
The other series is the Bill Slider one which starts with Orchestrated Death. This series is set in South London and I am up to book 5 now. The books are variable but quite readable as light entertainment.
I intersperse these while reading The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything which takes a deal more thought and I treated myself to Alice Roberts, Ancestors Ancestors: A History of Britain in Thirteen Burials
Just could not resist that one.
The poetry weaves its magical way around them all. Such worlds to discover.
Robert wrote: "Wish we could trade weather for a day or two."i hope you not too frazzled Robert, can you purchase a portable air con unit maybe? or have they all sold out?
scarletnoir wrote: "Robert wrote: "Wish we could trade weather for a day or two."Anything much above 30C is too much for me! It's still raining... but the dog needs a walk, so..."
Seattle peaked at 108 degrees F. yesterday; in Auburn, the temperature at the airport peaked at 107. Seattle Times reports buckled pavements. Cool sea air has come in, and the temperature has dropped rapidly tonight. Perhaps I will think of something other than weather and heat by Thursday.
Mod
Same here. Sigh of relief.
Robert wrote: "scarletnoir wrote: "Robert wrote: "Wish we could trade weather for a day or two."Anything much above 30C is too much for me! It's still raining... but the dog needs a walk, so..."
Seattle peaked..."
it happens to me when the weather gets vile and over-hot too, everything you enjoy becomes a bore, the whole day or days are spent trying to stay cool. though england hass never reached over 37c yet
AB76 wrote: "A rare victory over Amazon pricing just nowInterested in a study of Protestant churchs in German occupied Alsace 1870-1914[book:The Gods of the City: Protestantism and Religious Culture in Strasb..."
Under 'patience is a virtue' and when it comes to money I am very virtuous, I mention the benefits of ILL (Inter-library loan) here. I know (in normal times) it is available either free or for a nominal fee in the States. I have been known to check worldcat.org to see if a book I particularly want which is not readily available can be had through ILL. Sometimes I will find it at a college or university nearby. That way I can take a look and decide whether I really want/need to buy.
Of course waiting is 'out of the question' for anyone who is an Amazon Prime person hooked (tongue in cheek, here) on 2-day delivery.
Robert wrote: "scarletnoir wrote: "Robert wrote: "Wish we could trade weather for a day or two."Anything much above 30C is too much for me! It's still raining... but the dog needs a walk, so..."
Seattle peaked..."
I am hopeful. I have been camping out in the basement and think tonight may be the final one. As I opened up the house this a.m., I was glad to have screen doors as well. A cool breeze!!! Now I am looking forward to marine air (which can block the sun in the a.m.) later on this week, so I can get back to a closet clear-out.
As a sign (crossed-fingers) that the pandemic is really behind us, I've started the final Cadfael. At some point last year, I had allotted myself, one a month.
My absolute favorite is
where I felt she was having a grand time larding up the plot with many possible miscreants which meant I was clueless until the very end.
MK wrote: "AB76 wrote: "A rare victory over Amazon pricing just nowInterested in a study of Protestant churchs in German occupied Alsace 1870-1914[book:The Gods of the City: Protestantism and Religious Cult..."
i must have a look at ILL
i was actually tempted to buy the book i mentioned in E-format from the publisher website but amazingly it was still same price as the hardback! no way would i pay £100+ for an e-book
in blighty its sometimes same day delivery with prime, or next day. i use it when my mother wants various items super fast)
Wretch by Ansgar Allen.
In the last year of two I have read more ‘weird’ fiction than before, especially if it shares a ‘horror’ tag, though, quite understandably, I do come across the odd book that really is off the wall.
Such as Allen’s Wretch. I guess it’s been read by only a few, but deserves a much wider audience.
A person exists in a dark cell with a typewriter of a sort, copying out page after page of what is passed under the door to him. He has broken has last machine, in a rage, but is determined not to damage this, and copy his pages to show he has an ordered mind. The Wretch copies, eats, expels waste down a central grid, watches through a narrow hole and listens to what seem to be guards, under the door.
Though Wretch exists in the cell, there is some knowledge of the City and outside world. But it is not at all clear, a type perhaps of dystopian fantasy. But the terror that permeates from the pages of the novel are that this need not be either a dystopia, or fantasy; it is rooted in reality.
It Wretch a man, woman or child, or even human? Is it a type of mental institution, kidnapping or prison?
It’s as if the author has eschewed any temptation to tread the accepted path, to fit snuggly into a genre, which most likely would have seen the book sell a lot more copies. For this he deserves much credit.
This short book is a great example of the power of the written word in being able to chill with the most simple of structures. It takes less than two hours to read, and I thoroughly recommend it.
The Field by Robert Seethaler, translated by Charlotte Collins.
An old man sits in a field in a forgotten and no longer looked after part of the town cemetery. He has outlived most of his contemporaries. His sight is going, he sees just blurs, but can hear well, and listens to the birds, and hears the sounds of the dead talking from below; the people he knew in his life.
This is an appealing premise, taking the form of vaguely linked short stories. It is not as strong as either of Seethaler’s other novels, but nonetheless demonstrates his skills well. The characters are on the whole interesting, and there is a smattering of humour.
Amongst the dead that speak are Sophie Breyer, who’s chapter consists of just one word, “Idiots.”
And Franz Straubein, who’s life is summarised as a series of numbers - twenty two ring binders, three cars, three wives, one doormat, sixty eight years and three months.
scarletnoir wrote: "Russell wrote: "scarletnoir wrote: "Russell wrote: "Dupuytren’s Contracture"So, that's what it is called? I'm pretty sure I have this (ridge in one hand - no real problems yet). Both my grandmoth..."
I thought they could operate to " free" the fingers. Or perhaps I am thinking of another condition.
AB76 wrote: "MK wrote: "AB76 wrote: "A rare victory over Amazon pricing just nowInterested in a study of Protestant churchs in German occupied Alsace 1870-1914[book:The Gods of the City: Protestantism and Rel..."
AB76 wrote: "MK wrote: "AB76 wrote: "A rare victory over Amazon pricing just now
Interested in a study of Protestant churchs in German occupied Alsace 1870-1914[book:The Gods of the City: Protestantism and Rel..."
£100 for e-book? Not in your nelly. They're having a larf.
giveusaclue wrote: "I thought they could operate to " free" the fingers. Or perhaps I am thinking of another condition."No, I think you are right... but as my mother and grandmother were 'allergic to doctors', the idea was never followed up.
If the condition really develops in my right hand, I'll have something done about it for sure!
This week’s podcast: a conversation about Saul bellow and Allan Bloom.These guys (Matthew Sitman and Sam Adler-Bell) liked both Ravelstein and The Closing of the American Mind much better than I did, though I would highly recommend Bloom’s edition of The Republic of Plato.
scarletnoir wrote: "giveusaclue wrote: "I thought they could operate to " free" the fingers. Or perhaps I am thinking of another condition."
No, I think you are right... but as my mother and grandmother were ..."
My understanding, fwiw, is that the operation does free the fingers but doesn’t stop whatever it is that causes the ridges to form. So there is the chance that the problem will come back.
No, I think you are right... but as my mother and grandmother were ..."
My understanding, fwiw, is that the operation does free the fingers but doesn’t stop whatever it is that causes the ridges to form. So there is the chance that the problem will come back.
my street is festooned with loud football fans singing anti-german songs and pro-brexit ditties after england beat germanyi'm an england fan, glad we won but i met any abusive chanting with a stern face and a group of yobs thought i was german and started chanting various songs about dresden and hamburg at me
sadly our english football fans can be a truly obnoxious lot...
Black Wasteland – S.A. Cosby (2020)
An ex-con with a family has debts to pay and no money. He agrees to do one last heist. It soon turns fast and furious on the back roads of rural Virginia. This book won all sorts of crime awards. A gripping read, if you don’t mind having your head filled with a lot of very bad dudes.
An ex-con with a family has debts to pay and no money. He agrees to do one last heist. It soon turns fast and furious on the back roads of rural Virginia. This book won all sorts of crime awards. A gripping read, if you don’t mind having your head filled with a lot of very bad dudes.
AB76 wrote: "my street is festooned with loud football fans singing anti-german songs and pro-brexit ditties after england beat germanyi'm an england fan, glad we won but i met any abusive chanting with a ster..."
I've just finished watching the game. The England fans booing whilst the German Anthem was played was a disgrace, I feel embarrassed to be English at times like this.
Fuzzywuzz wrote: "AB76 wrote: "my street is festooned with loud football fans singing anti-german songs and pro-brexit ditties after england beat germanyi'm an england fan, glad we won but i met any abusive chantin..."
they booed the taking the knee too, the problem is that brexit has released the xenophobic mania that was always less than dormant in these fans minds, it tells them that its ok to hate germans, french and other people and it comes out in the football.
the "ten german bombers" song has been a constant refrain for three hours now
i've been ashamed to be english since 2016
Fuzzywuzz wrote: "AB76 wrote: "my street is festooned with loud football fans singing anti-german songs and pro-brexit ditties after england beat germanyi'm an england fan, glad we won but i met any abusive chantin..."
Me too to both of your comments. It is embarrassing.
Just seen the most awful foul in tonight's match and a deserved red card. Could have broken a leg.
giveusaclue wrote: "Fuzzywuzz wrote: "AB76 wrote: "my street is festooned with loud football fans singing anti-german songs and pro-brexit ditties after england beat germanyi'm an england fan, glad we won but i met a..."
the right wing press will be full of brexit style banner headlines tommorow ...england "teach them foreign people a lesson "
Gpfr wrote: "I feel for you, Ll, Robert, MK. Especially hard when you're in a region that doesn't normally have extremes of heat. Take care all of you.I don't do well in very hot weather - we had temperatures ..."
Thanks. The temperature dropped last night as the sea breezes came in, and is expected to drop again tomorrow.
AB76 wrote: "giveusaclue wrote: "Fuzzywuzz wrote: "AB76 wrote: "my street is festooned with loud football fans singing anti-german songs and pro-brexit ditties after england beat germanyi'm an england fan, gla..."
I have always been proud to be an Englishwoman woman but not proud of these awful people who behave in this way . I tell myself to remember that these are a minority of English people who are weak minded influenced by the worst media and following a PM who has similar standards who is backed by self serving cronies.
They do not represent my land, their cowardice and mob mentality disgracing the land which produced such as Shakespeare and Newton.
I'm not English, but half-heartedly lent my support last night, since I have English friends and don't currently know any Germans... the comments about the behaviour of some so-called 'fans' explains why I could not feel any great enthusiasm. AB is right that Brexit has freed the xenophobes in a frightening and disgraceful fashion.With Wales and France out, think I'll lend my support to Denmark from now on (I have a Danish friend).
Russell wrote: "Black Wasteland – S.A. Cosby (2020)An ex-con with a family has debts to pay and no money. He agrees to do one last heist. It soon turns fast and furious on the back roads of rural Virginia. This ..."
I think you mean Blacktop Wasteland... I have taken to downloading free samples of books I'm considering, to save time and money - I'll report on those someday.
This one I found not bad at all, but not quite good enough to make me want to continue straight away, so it remains a 'possible'. These decisions usually come down to writing style, and whether I can get on with it, or not.
I'm reading James Crumley (again) - probably the only one left.From an interview by Crumley, which sort of explains why I like his books:
KING: You have mentioned that you enjoy the play with literary language as a crucial part of delivering your crime fictions.
CRUMLEY: If the language isn’t any fun, there’s no sense in writing the book. Stories come and stories go, but good language lasts forever.
https://contrappassomag.wordpress.com...
CCCubbon wrote: "AB76 wrote: "giveusaclue wrote: "Fuzzywuzz wrote: "AB76 wrote: "my street is festooned with loud football fans singing anti-german songs and pro-brexit ditties after england beat germanyi'm an eng..."
Feel that I should add to my earlier comment by saying that the behaviour of the footballers on the pitch has been appalling for I have never seen so many awful fouls, deliberate injuries barging and shirt pulling from EVERY side.
AB76 wrote: the problem is that brexit has released the xenophobic mania that was always less than dormant I cannot get upset about the football hooligans, tbh. They have always been there, they havent changed in principle.
The real hooligans wear suits and speak with posh accents.
They have worked relentlessly for over 5 years to stir up hatred against the rest of Europe and the Europeans. We, the Europeans, are enemy #1.
I can honestly say that I loved England more than my own country. Ok, "redwall" England and its people, to be precise. And London, who could not love London?
I still find it hard to come to terms with this unrequited hostility/hatred. And the loss of a country that now only exists in my memory.
Good morning GeorgYes, they are the hooligans. The way our election works gave the Conservatives, Boris Johnson et al, a huge majority yet they only got 43,6% of the vote. In other words more people here did not choose them than those who voted for them.
I try to think of this all as an aberration, something that will not last, fail to see how anyone can vote for proven liars and cheats. Johnson, like Trump, will not stay around for too long and then I hope some sanity will return.
Lljones wrote: "A note about the Reading Justine tribute page: I encourage you to add your own tribute or story about how you first encountered Justine. Because this page is outward-facing, please limit your pos..."
I great memorial, Hard to think there could be a better one.
And to whoever wrote the tribute: hard to think that that could be improved on.
My initial feeling that we have lost the heart and the soul of eTLS with Justine's death has rather been re-inforced. We have lost so many regulars since. There might be different reasons, but I think losing her is the main one.
Lisa, what puzzles me: why is the tribute not in "Justine Memorial" at the top of the page? Or even in "Reading Justine"?
scarletnoir wrote: "...I think you mean Blacktop Wasteland... ."
You’re right, Blacktop Wasteland. You might want to look at a copy in a bookshop if you can find one. I nearly didn’t bother myself after the first few pages of tough guy meanness.
You’re right, Blacktop Wasteland. You might want to look at a copy in a bookshop if you can find one. I nearly didn’t bother myself after the first few pages of tough guy meanness.
CCCubbon wrote: "Good morning GeorgYes, they are the hooligans. The way our election works gave the Conservatives, Boris Johnson et al, a huge majority yet they only got 43,6% of the vote. In other words more peop..."
I wish I could be as optimistic as you are.
Atm I can only see a particularly vicious aberrant streak of Vandals intent on destroying their own country and the people who live in it.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/boo...So they plan to do a second season for Good Omens - and Gaiman said, he and Pratchett always wanted a second book, just never got around to it …
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I bet he enjoyed it more than I did! Our Danish friend left us a b..."
I remember Ken Aston refereeing! Showing my age....