Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion
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Congrats Happy. Still about three years away for me, although I see it more as transitioning from one career to another...
Enjoy your retirement Happy. I think Adrian is right about it being like a career transition. I retired a few years ago, and have never been so busy as now.
Congratulations to all retirees! I love not hearing an alarm clock and waking up with absolutely nothing to do! The stock market: I found out early on that watching the stock market is enough to drive me crazy, so I do not watch. On PBS I heard some interesting comments about what retirees worry about most. They worry that they will out live their nest egg, a valid worry. That sort of takes the joy out of not hearing the alarm clock or of having absolutely nothing to do! Lol
I honestly don't think I could retire. I would go crazy with nothing to do all day.
Margaret wrote: "I honestly don't think I could retire. I would go crazy with nothing to do all day."Nothing to do all day?
Margaret, you would have all day to putter, read, read, read, write, write, write, and putter some more all before dinner!
Tamara, you nailed it! Margaret, I cannot believe for a minute that you would be without a very long “to do” list!! IMHO
May wrote: "Tamara, you nailed it! Margaret, I cannot believe for a minute that you would be without a very long “to do” list!! IMHO"Plus time for a nap.
We all safe in our bunkers with a good book (or a dozen) for the next month then!
Andy wrote: "We all safe in our bunkers with a good book (or a dozen) for the next month then!"Agree, though I wish there were more restrictions in the UK too, as I´m having flights and theatre tickets for London booked for months, but hope to not be able to go there, so that I can get my money back.
Michaela wrote: "Andy wrote: "We all safe in our bunkers with a good book (or a dozen) for the next month then!"Agree, though I wish there were more restrictions in the UK too, as I´m having flights and theatre t..."
I believe restrictions will be happening in the UK on large gatherings (by law) from Monday as reported today.... although locally many citizens, groups & sports clubs are taking their own actions & cancelling events, all local sport made the decisions today which was against current government recommendations.
Hope you can get a refund or at least book for a later event/time.
There is a complete knock down here in the US. PGA golf has been cancelled. The Masters postponed; spring training for baseball suspended; hockey and basketball season cancelled; wall to wall coverage on TV. There’s nothing to watch on TV unless you go to the Turner movie channel or Netflix. It’s insane! Thank heavens for the last two. And my books. Yeaaa for books! I’m set.
Marilyn, you are spot on... yea for books!!
Not sure what’s going on, work is still open as we are a open area not crammed in like at sports stadium or cinema we are cleaning and disinfecting regularly including us staff. New recruitment is on hold for the time been doing the castle opens for it’s season a week this Friday.
I am sure things will be changing as the government changes its policy.
Yes, yea for books!My problem is the library announced yesterday it is closing for at least two weeks. I should have realized this would happen. I should have had the sense to check out half a dozen books last week. But I got the announcement yesterday about 2 minutes before they closed. So I'm stuck. I'll have to read and/or re-read books I own.
In the scheme of things, this is a minor problem to have. People around the world have far bigger problems to worry about than not having something to read. I have to remind myself to keep a proper perspective on things.
I have muted the TV but a moment ago I glanced and saw a headline “Corona Virus Anxiety”. I thought to myself “You mean ‘Hysteria’. Also, I forgot to mention they cancelled the soccer season (football to you Aussies and Brits). Crazy. Crazy, crazy, crazy. For those of you who have no access to the library I say you can always buy a Kindle and be fixed for whatever comes your way. I swear, Jeff Bezos should award me a commission of some sort.
I think tomorrow will be interesting in the UK? Could be quite a few ringing in "sick" & taking the week off as they started to bunker down on Friday......The supermarkets really got hit on Friday as everybody "loaded up" on essentials..... I shop every day & been noticing how things have been going.... day 1 Bog Roll & pasta.... then they thought better grab some pasta sauces.... then it was the tinned tomatoes..... next day saw the Brits made a grab for their "tea"...... now they've decided they have so much pasta they'd better make spag bol for the next 2 months.... so Mince was today's shelf clearance along with paracetamol & baby meds...... been crazy watching how folks brains work.
In the US the run on the super markets is for toilet paper. Imagine! Diarrhea is not one of the symptoms of CV. WELL, at least it’s not like the bombs during the Blitz.
Tamara wrote: "Yes, yea for books!My problem is the library announced yesterday it is closing for at least two weeks. I should have realized this would happen. I should have had the sense to check out half a do..."
Are you in the United States??
Most libraries have an app called Libby (by Overdrive) that allows you to listen to audiobooks and read e-books for free. You don’t need a kindle either, you can use any smart phone. I haven’t read any e-books yet but it’s the only source I now use for audiobooks. And if someone like me who never uses apps for anything (it’s literally the one app I have on my phone), anyone can use it. Super easy to set up.
Thankfully, I had some 20+ books out from the library anyway and there’s always my kindle or home shelf that normally goes untouched. But I’m working on my third audiobook in these first two days of quarantine thanks to Libby :)
Allie wrote: "Are you in the United States??Most libraries have an app called Libby (by Overdrive) that allows you to listen to audiobooks and read e-books for free. You don’t need a kindle either, you can use any smart phone..."
Yes, I am in the U.S. I've never borrowed e-books or audio books from the library. So it hadn't occurred it to me to do that. But I'm going to give it a try. Thanks for the suggestion.
If you running out of reading material then you may want to click this link.https://www.londonarchaeologist.org.uk/#
They have released all back issues all the way back to 1968 of their quarterly magazine.
For those of you who enjoy reading classics, there is also Project Gutenberg. It has over 60,000 books you can download for free.https://www.gutenberg.org/
Mark wrote: "If you running out of reading material then you may want to click this link.https://www.londonarchaeologist.org.uk/#
They have released all back issues all the way back to 1968 of their quarterl..."
Very cool! Thanks, Mark!
Tamara wrote: "For those of you who enjoy reading classics, there is also Project Gutenberg. It has over 60,000 books you can download for free.https://www.gutenberg.org/"
Also very cool!
And I’m sure you’ll find something on Libby! You can “tag” books to keep them in your own sort of “go-to” collection. I have over 200 in mine. Libby is a godsend :)
Tamara wrote: "Yes, yea for books!My problem is the library announced yesterday it is closing for at least two weeks. I should have realized this would happen. I should have had the sense to check out half a do..."
Depending upon where you are, many libraries have online collections you can access without leaving home. You need a computer or tablet. We use overdrive ap, but there are other options like Libby. Check with you library's website for instructions. Good luck and stay safe.
Nev wrote: "Depending upon where you are, many libraries have online collections you can access without leaving home. .."I've never borrowed e-books from my library before, but I plan to give that a try. Thanks.
Yes , Gutenberg.org has lots of free books in the public domain . If like to listen to audio books go to librivox.org which lots of free books that you can download. I recently listened to The Exploits and Adventures of Brigadier Gerard . Its about a hussar in the French army during the Napoleonic wars. Entertaining and very funny.
Well, that was exciting - a 5.7 earthquake, the epicenter was about 30 miles from here. Mrs Happy and I were just waking up when the bed started swaying (not from THAT) and she said "I think were having an earthquake." Turned on the radio and lo and behold we were. I went and checked the house and there is no obvious damage. Heard from all the family and everyone is safe.There is some damage in SLC proper. The powers that be have closed the airport. I don't know if anyone was injured.
I haven't been in an earthquake since I was in second grade (1965) and living in Washington state.
Whoa! What a way to start your day!! Glad all is well. Hope there are few or minor after shocks. Plz keep us posted.
Well, that’ll get your attention! The last one that woke me up was our BIG ONE, Northridge. Besides the airport, my granddaughter says the angel at the Temple lost his trumpet. Oh well, just another day in paradise! 😊
She said some water pipes broke at the airport. That’s why it’s closed.
Jus a heads-up....... The Library's are closing in the UK tomorrow at close of business until further notice, I only found out by chance as I have a coupla books to collect..... Spent the last hours making out a list of books that are at the local library that'll fit into my rucksack tomorrow. Sod searching for toilet rolls & paracetamol tomorrow going book hoarding instead!! lols
Andy wrote: "Jus a heads-up....... The Library's are closing in the UK tomorrow at close of business until further notice, I only found out by chance as I have a coupla books to collect..... Spent the last ho..."
I had several to pick up but the library here blindsided me. Oh well, back to rereading or purchasing online...
Just went to my library's website. They closed last night for the foreseeable future. Any books out on loan will not become overdue.
My library system has been closed since Tuesday. But I am still working overtime, so it's not like I've had time to read anyway. I found out about 5 hours before they closed and was able to grab a couple books on my lunch break. And then I downloaded about 5 before everyone else thought to do that too.
Margaret wrote: "Just went to my library's website. They closed last night for the foreseeable future. Any books out on loan will not become overdue."Same here I believe wrt charges. The thing i noticed they normally give you 2 weeks to pick up books but the date they give is 2nd July..... 15 weeks away...... what do the local councils know that we don't :O
Our library system is closed also. Mrs Happy is still getting paid, at lease for the next two weeks. We'll see after that. Their website is still up and running so patrons can check out of e-books etc
I have not checked my Library, yet. I had downloaded a bunch of ebooks via BookBub... had a vacation planned. Guess we’ll call it a stacation & curl up with the 1st one!! Read on & stay safe!!
My library is obviously planning on being closed for a while. All current loans have been redated to 11th May return date.
Andy wrote: Sod searching for toilet rolls tomorrow going book hoarding instead!! lols ..."Books, of course, can be dual purpose...
Except mine...obviously.
:) Library raided, managed to stash 10 books in my rucksack in the end, should keep me going for 3 months lolsNo charges or returns until 2nd July confirmed as well.....
Andy wrote: ":) Library raided, managed to stash 10 books in my rucksack in the end, should keep me going for 3 months lolsNo charges or returns until 2nd July confirmed as well....."
Well done, my quick run out for supplies was for bread, eggs and tatties. Managed to get them but no SR flour.
Madness
Mark wrote: "Andy wrote: ":) Library raided, managed to stash 10 books in my rucksack in the end, should keep me going for 3 months lolsNo charges or returns until 2nd July confirmed as well....."
Well done,..."
Crazy times..... I dont bother with a list anymore.... I see if I can get some meat & then reverse engineer the meal every day :) Still got enough tea bags for a fortnight so i'm alright still lols
Something else for you fellow isolationist, the Newcastle upon Tyne society of antiquities have opened up their back issues of their magazineshttps://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/...
Goes back to 1822, with a lot of Hadrian’s Wall related.
We have a system at our library for '7 day bestsellers', so really popular books can be taken out for only a week instead of three weeks. I picked one up on the last open day and it's good until May! My 7 days turned into 2 months!
Andy, I can't believe you still go to the store everyday!! I went last night to get some rice and quinoa, I could only get the organic stuff (flipping expensive) in bulk foods, everything else was empty. My sister has to eat wheat free, so we're good for pasta. No one wants that stuff. :)
Dawn wrote: "Andy, I can't believe you still go to the store everyday!! I went last night to get some rice and quinoa, I could only get the organic stuff (flipping expensive) in bulk foods, everything else was ..."Ive always shopped every day, its like my daily exercise too :) I have the bulk things like Rice / Pasta (luckily) as I started running low a coupla weeks back & got my usual 4KG of rice bag cause it's the cheapest way to purchase on my budget..... but I do a meat/veg shop on the day / every coupla days & this weeks been like whats left in the shops today...... There used to be a program called "ready, Steady, Cook" where you'd rock up with a bag of goods for a £5 & challenge the chef of the day to make a meal..... it feels like that currently.... lols
One thing we do have still is lotsa veg... esp the Green variety.... kids still dont eat there Greens!!
Mate of mine has a cottage out in the countryside with some land & bought seeds last weekend & then today thought to order some chickens (live ones) & they had a 3 week wait on them as well!! :O A stock of 1500 went in a few days, which normally lasts a month
Mark wrote: "Something else for you fellow isolationist, the Newcastle upon Tyne society of antiquities have opened up their back issues of their magazineshttps://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/......"
Nice one!
Andy wrote: "Dawn wrote: "Andy, I can't believe you still go to the store everyday!! I went last night to get some rice and quinoa, I could only get the organic stuff (flipping expensive) in bulk foods, everyth..."Social distancing, Andy, and it isn't a joke unfortunately. Expecially if someone has already respiratory difficulties. Stay safe.
Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction
Books mentioned in this topic
The Berry Pickers (other topics)Fortune's Child (other topics)
Hild (other topics)
Sharpe's Command (other topics)
Edenglassie (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Amanda Peters (other topics)Nicola Griffith (other topics)
Bernard Cornwell (other topics)
Bernard Cornwell (other topics)
Allan Hands (other topics)
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On another note, I put my retirement papers in - 18 July. Now I hope the stock market doesn't totally collapse :)"
Congratulations, happy! I retired a few years ago and am loving it. I hope you will, too.
I don't watch the stock market because there's nothing I can do about it, anyway. And watching it will only give me ulcers. I try to remain blissfully ignorant.