Member: benitastrnad

Benita- Thanks for taking all the time to keep us updated. I was thinking of going to the Haymarket Pub & Brewery: http://haymarketbrewing.com/
We have been there before and they have good food and of course excellent beer. How does that sound? We will be driving, so we could transport people from McCormick Place to the restaurant. What time will you be done working?

Mark

posted by msf59 at 4:47 pm (EST) on Jun 17, 2013

Benita- I am off the weekend of the 29th & 30th of June. I was lucky there. So depending on when people can meet, I can do either day. I know Joe was interested in going. If we can meet somewhere afterwards, for dinner or something, that might work too. As soon as you find out about the passes, let me know. (I copied this from my thread.)

Mark

posted by msf59 at 8:11 pm (EST) on Apr 30, 2013

Perfect...neither am i!

posted by mckait at 12:45 pm (EST) on Apr 14, 2013

OK, here's the link - http://www.librarything.com/topic/149339#3910221

posted by maggie1944 at 2:39 pm (EST) on Feb 12, 2013

Hi! I just read your message on my profile. Glad you found me :) I have a hard time finding people locally that are avid book readers like I am. Nice to meet you!

posted by jshepherd929 at 8:07 pm (EST) on Jun 12, 2011

Wanted to ask: What is "Sparrow" actually about? Sounded like it might be a nice read for Marcel...

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 4:32 am (EST) on Jan 10, 2011

Thank you so much again for the Christmas letter! It arrived today and I really loved to read it. Was that payrise you mentioned that one you lately spoke of, where you worte the dossier and all?
Your suggestion towards the end of the letter made me feel that I should write a ltter to you as well, and I am really planning to do so. Let's see if I come around to do so.
Exams are near again here, so have to start learning actually, but this year I am a bit tired of studying and am a bit lazy at courses and university. SO nevertheless have the ambition to pass the exams with a good mark, I feel a bit worn out by the thought of still one semester ahead. But, well I will make it.
Last week we had inventory taking/stock-taking in the bookstore. It was quite fun but also very hard. Was working 10hours the one day and fell asleep almost immediately when I came home. Marcel wasn't very fond of me and my work that week. But now it is getting quieter, I have to work less and can concentrate more on my exams and on Marcel. We haven't spent that much time together lately. Going with him today to university and have a look at his one lecture. He always wanted me to listen to one of his courses, and why not.

Am not getting very far with my reading those days. Have to many books going at once and don't feel like reading them at all. Shame is, there are quite a few books for university in the stack and they have to be read soon! Oh my, have to oull myself together it is over soon.

Sorry for complaining so much, hope you dn't mind too badly. Great you take the BOTS again this year. You were quite successfull last year, impressed me really. I have so many books to read and failed the challenge. An, thanks to BookMooch, acquiring still more books. Well... what can one do?

See you!

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 4:31 am (EST) on Jan 10, 2011

I wish you a very merry Christmas, nice presents and a great time with your family! Did you finish the sweater? I hope in Kansas the weather is not too bad, we have really bad conditions over here. I with my Marcel at his parents' place currently and the streets are all icy and snowy, it's freezing outside. On Sunday we are going to drive to my parents, I hope we'll manage that.
Have a great time with your family and savour the wintry experience!
Greetings, Domi

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 3:56 am (EST) on Dec 25, 2010

Thanks a lot for the Card! This very weekend Marcel and I are going to Rostock (it's also at the baltic sea her in Mecklenbur, so not very far) to visit his sister and the christmas market and do some clothes-chopping for me :) I will probably take a picture then and post it here. Yesterday evening I was at the Greifswald christmas market. It is a rather small one and the shops were closing and 8pm in the week. we have rather a lot to do in the bookshop but it is still fun and i like it. got my first real payment this month and will spend some of it already at weekend in Rostock. I nee some new shirts and will buy me a blazer. I want to change my wardrobe and give it a smarter look, so will additionally by a blazer and some new black trousers.
The winter has arrived very suddenly. Yesterday snow fell the whole day and now the whole city is covered with white. It looks beautiful. I still go to my lectures by bike, though it is very cold but I enjoy it (and I can save some money ;) ) If I find a good place, I can take a picture and post it here as well, so you sunny south-dwellers are able to glimpse some snow. (no offence) by the way, we have 23°Fahrenheit here (-5°Celcius). Could also be colder, feels like it, but I have no thermometer to look it up.

Wish you a nice week and don't overdo the work!

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 6:27 am (EST) on Dec 1, 2010

lol I went to the fair 8 out of the 10 days because I am interning at the Hutch News, which I'm sure you know means I live in Hutch! Near Wichita. I haven't been to Lawrence yet, but I want to go. I've see dodge city, the monument rocks, garden city and such. What else should I go see? I would love suggestions!

posted by dancingstarfish at 12:26 am (EST) on Nov 4, 2010

Hello! I didn't actually start the bookclub, I signed up with a local volunteer group (Youth Friends) that hooks up volunteers who love reading to run bookclubs for kids. I go once a month to an elementary school and we do the bookclub during their lunch hour. it is a LOT of fun and I love it. Hopefully you can fin do something similar in your area!!

I am not actually from kansas, I am from california originally but I went to grad school in MA and then came to KS for an internship at a newspaper here. Its a beautiful state and I've enjoyed my time here! I'm only here a couple more months, so if you have any suggestions for what I should see while I'm here let me know!

posted by dancingstarfish at 11:05 pm (EST) on Oct 27, 2010

Hi! Thanks for your comment about The Leopard's Spots. That's interesting about your having read the story back in school. What part of the country did you grow up in? Where I was, in New Jersey in the 60s, any books full of the N word (that wasn't Huck Finn) and pushing the philosophy that blacks shouldn't be allowed to vote would probably not have made the junior high library shelves. But what do I know, maybe they were sitting on my school's library shelf all along! Anyway, great to hear from you. Hope all's well. Best, Jerry

posted by rocketjk at 2:15 pm (EST) on Oct 14, 2010

Hello you!
How are you? Are the computers still messing around or are they fixed now? and how is the football season going? are you attenting some of the games?
My work is going good. in Greifswald we have a "cultural night" tonight were lots of cultural institution are opened til midnight and have a little program for the visitors. Our bookshop has a small band and gives drinks and little food. All over the inner city there are these events, in the cinema one have a tour through the cinema and learn how movies are shown and how it works 'behind the scenes'. the city library has a book sale and that's were Marcel and I will go first, they'll also have some cocktails, I hope some without alcohol. And maybe we will go a "Stories and Legends" tour through the city, it'll just take 30mins, so I wonder how many stories they can tell us?
my housework is doing better as well, I managed to clean the bathroom from top to bottom (well the ceiling is still to do) and all in all the flat doesn't look too bad.
Greetings!

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 2:55 am (EST) on Sep 17, 2010

I can't imagine an audio version of this book, so for that selfish reason, I want you to listen to "So Brave, Young, and Handsome" sooner rather than later!

Cheers

posted by richardderus at 10:04 am (EST) on Aug 30, 2010

sounded like you had lots of fun! I always wonder how many bridesmaids one can have in America. here we have just one groomsman and the made of honor and normally one of each.
I have had all my exams now. They were pretty good, I got an A, B and B+. the grade for the written exam is still to be awaited, because we were so many writing it that the lecturers will have a hard time checking it. And I still have to write my term paper but that's okay. On monday m internship in the bookshop will start and I am a bit nervous and pretty excited.

my dad suffers from a depresssion. my family tries to persuade him to go to an psychologist or into a psychological hospital but he seems not to be very fond of that issue. of course that's normal but he and my mom are really suffering... by the way: how is your mom?

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 9:02 am (EST) on Jul 29, 2010

Sounds like a great motto!

I'm thinking it's just a temporary problem with my not being able to buy books. Work is hard to come by, and there are no bookstores in my tiny town. Of course, it's probably a good thing there are no bookstores around, my bills would never get paid if there were!

posted by Ape at 1:59 pm (EST) on Jul 27, 2010

no, it's no problem. I understand that this german names are somewhat confusing and difficult to remember...
but your card arrived! thank you again for it. I liked it, so I think the dresses might have looked a lot more impressive in natural. I don't know if the card will fit into my postcards-box though. It is so longish. :)

so how are you and how is work? I am preparing for my exams (tomorrow is the first on - oral). This time it is really interesting and also some kind of fun to prepare and learn. The topics are, well not easy, but understandable and interesting. I hope this will show in my marks as well... but i am optimistic. And after that, on the 2nd of August my internship will start. I am looking forward to this. Working in a book shop with all this books around and people who like to read/buy/own them should be fun. In parallel I have to write a term paper on Gottfried Benn (I don't know if you've heard of him, he is a german poet of the first half of the 20th century). See, how this is going...

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 3:59 am (EST) on Jul 20, 2010

I've send you one from Röbel (not Rotten) but that was in April... So if it's not there yet it will probably not arrive anymore. But, hey, that's okay. I am awaiting yours though. :)

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 2:37 am (EST) on Jul 17, 2010

That's great you loved the german bread! I think the bavarian might have called this supper 'Brotzeit' which would would be 'bread time' in english. SO to say: a time where you eat bread...
From my lecturer, who is Canadian, I learnt, that he does not like the german bread and that most americans would not like it.
If I understand supper right it is the last meal of day? like dinner? or is there a difference? Well actually here in the earth we have just breat and something on it (Marcel especially likes stinky cheese). We very rarely eat warm things or something else then bread. (Just on birthday parties or if we have a BBQ or the like).
Thnaks in advance for the card! I hope it will arrive here. Ther eit comes to my mind: Did you get my card I sent you from Röbel? I actually wouldn't ask because it should be a surprise but you never mentioned it and now I'm anxious if it ever got to you?
We have around 100-103/104 Fahrenheit here lately. I guees this is normal for you, but here it is really a rare phenomenom and we all are not used to eat and nearly melting away because it's so hot. So I favor the morning ours where it is still a bit cooler outside and let the cool air come in too cool down the apartement.

How is your work going?

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 1:13 am (EST) on Jul 14, 2010

I was just wondering how you liked german bread? I mean I learnt from you and one of my lecturers that usamerican bread is rather like cake, very fluffy and somewhat sweet, and not like our german bread, somewhat compact and hearty. SO I wondered how you liked it when you stayed here?

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 10:53 am (EST) on Jul 13, 2010

Benita- We plan on watching "Dragon Tattoo" tomorrow night. I'll let you know. The 2nd film was also made in Sweden, I'm not sure when that will be released here. I see you added "The Nobodies Album". I managed to snag an arc of this book and plan on starting it soon. I've heard very good things!

Mark

posted by msf59 at 7:25 am (EST) on Jul 9, 2010

Globish sounds very interesting. It would be great to have it as a preparation for one of my exams, maybe they have it in our library or I can lay hand on it through inter-library loan... I'll have to check this out!

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 12:32 pm (EST) on Jul 7, 2010

Hi Benita- I might do a voting ticker on my Challenge for a "Blindness" G.R. I looks like there's a few of us interested, at least. No, I did not see the film, now I'll wait until afterward. Could you send me the link to your Challenge. I can't seem to find it. Later!

Mark

posted by msf59 at 7:07 pm (EST) on Jul 6, 2010

Benita- It's always good to hear from you! Thanks for the kudos, on the Group Reads. I really enjoy doing them but I don't attend very many others, due to time restraints. I'm thinking about doing "Blindness" in September. Let me know if you are interested. I also hope you can make "The Retreat", would love to visit with you! Have a great holiday weekend!

Mark

posted by msf59 at 6:39 pm (EST) on Jul 2, 2010

They have free museums in Washington D.C.? WoW that's really wonderful! I don't think we have such a similar thing anywhere in germany so there might be some small museums without entrance pay.
I am currently in Röbel now again with my parents and it's so hot! It's the hottest day here in Germany today and tomorrow it shall be even hotter... I was not used to it today, even more because in greifswald we always have some breeze smoothing the heat but here... just heat without wind...

Ah by the way: How is the oil catastrophe going on on the coast? I heard in the news today they are tesing a big ship which can clean 80million tons (?) of oil per day and then decide if the use it or not...

So i will watch the end of soccer now (Germany is on again tomorrow!) and then go to bed. Ah end by the wa: Happy 4th July!

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 3:46 pm (EST) on Jul 2, 2010

Love the idea of attending the ALA conference! But, alas, money does not stretch to international plane flights for the whole family. (Or just me, for that matter.)

But it's a simply *lovely* plan, and I will dream about it for a while yet...

posted by wookiebender at 10:19 pm (EST) on Jun 30, 2010

Hey how is the dorr thing going on? Are the whole already finished off?

I have not heard about the movie "The Book of kells" what is it about? have you seen it by now?

How is the trilogy going on? Have you already finished "The Girl who played with Fire"?
I have now a little bit time again to read mor, still working on "Buddenbrooks" which is still interesting. But now the exams are on hand again.. But in a way I'm looking forward to them... So still 2 weeks to go, but then vacation... or somewhat in that wa, for I have to do my co-curricular practice... :)

What's the news in your life?
Greetings

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 2:48 pm (EST) on Jun 30, 2010

Congratualtions on your cleaner kitchen! The rest will be me a lot easier... but the screws are weird....

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 4:56 pm (EST) on Jun 21, 2010

Hello again!
How is "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"? and "The Piano Tuner"? I just see you've added Globish and the title sounds interesting. I think that would be a book for me too, but I have promised myself not to buy books....
Hope your sister is really fit now again, pneumonia can be a really nasty thing, my uncle had it once and after it is stopped smoking. So it was good for at least one thing.
Actually I don't know much about the situation in Dutch or Belgium. I just heard that in belgium the seperation party got a whole lot of votes... I haven't been able to keep up with the news lately, university eats all my time and in the evening I mostly watch a bit of soccer. There are news actually in between but they focus on the situation in Kirgisia momentarily. And yesterday they broadcasted about the elections in Poland.

I can not think about mor to write, because as I said university is eating my time and my thoguhts, so I have to leave you now.

See you!

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 10:17 am (EST) on Jun 21, 2010

Hello!
I am really sorry fot taking so long to answer! How are you and how is ""Focault's Pendulum" going? I am still stuck with Buddenbrooks and listening to the third book of the Harry Potter series. I have decided for once I will not listen to new books any more, on the utmost to books I have already read, but this whole listening-thing tends to be way too time consuming, really. But you've warned me haven't you? And additionally there is the soccer World cup on hand. You watch the matches on TV? Or maybe they are too late to being watched 'live'? Or you are just not interested in it what I could fully understand. Normally I am not very much into soccer either, but I thought the soccer world championship is a fine event. The USA had a rather unfurious match yesterday against England. As I had watched Argentinia vs. Nigeria before it was rather boring, because Argentinia and Nigeria really played what I'd say is a good match. So, today is Germany against Australia at 8.30 pm (our time) so, it might be 1.30pm at yours? I am not sure Germany will be as good as last time... Let's see what they ake out of it.

I haven't tried the receipe yet, but I hope I will soon. It is all rather stressy around still with university. The next (and last) two presentatins have to be prepared and then the exams are near what means I will have to start learning. I already borrowed some books from the library.

How was your wine club meeting? How was the wine?

I will now go and try making a bit stuff so I am not totally lazy today ;)

Which you a happy sunday and lots of reading time!

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 4:05 am (EST) on Jun 13, 2010

Thank you for the receipe! I can open it on the other computer, so will have a look onto it later.

I am currently reading "Buddenbrooks" by Thomas Mann, listening to "harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (I've read this one before, so no problems this time with listening). How is "Focault's Pendulum"? I heard it shall be the ultimate conspiracytheory book, making fun of all the other ones.

and about Happy endings: Of course, sometimes they just have to be there, everything longs for them, especially the reader, but sometimes they are not good at all. For instance in Harry Potter: The book could have also gone without a happy end, would maybe even been better, but I am undecided about it.
And for the thirteens tale: As I wrote, I did not like the tied up endings of all figures. But I am still thinking about the book as a whole and especially about Vida Winter. I'm thinking about her being the ghost of the house and searched for clues in the story she told, for a third girl. But she told it very good and I am not quite sure if I can put my fingers on certain points where she is appearing (except the obvious ones).

Maybe summer has reached us eventually. After the very rainy and wet start of the week we now have the third day of sunshine in a row and it is really warm outside. This afternoon I'll probably sit again on the balcony and read. And in a few weeks it might be possible to go to the beach. Now the Baltic sea will be still too cold to go inside.

What are you doing this weekend?
Ah, your way of listening to audio books, with the printed edition on hand, is a good idea. I should think about that, because I discovered out library has "The Time Traveller's Wife" on audio, but I am afraid I won't like it when I'm only listening. Unfortunately they have just the german translations in print available. But there are so many books here in the house to be read, that I figure, AAudrey Niffenegger has to wait a while longer.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 6:21 am (EST) on Jun 4, 2010

uh, I forgot. Marcel asks if you also agree with him about the ending, that it is just not fitting the rest of the book?

And by the way: You needn't be sorry for confusing anything. It may very well be my bad explanation that mixed up everything.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 5:39 am (EST) on Jun 1, 2010

summer is not here at all. It is raining since yesterday morning and doesn't seem likely to stop very soon. This morning I had to be careful not to trample onto the rainworms that were trying not to drown...

I have done my presentation and I think we've done it well. So the whole seminar was a bit boring and exhausting. but now it is over and I don't have to bother with it anymore. Nevertheless there are two talks on hand again already which I'll have prepare slowly... But, well that's student's life.

I'm pretty far into The Thirteenth Tale right now. It really started somewhat slow but now it gets more and more interesting and I think about it pretty often. It really grasped me, so I'm not sure if I am going to buy it someday.

Right now I try and get the right enthusiasm to go out into the rainy, cloudy, cold and nasty weather, because I need to go shop for groceries and then make something for lunch... I'll pull one my thick socks, my shoes are getting wet easily, they were just cheap.

Okay, see you later. How is your cold?

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 3:51 am (EST) on Jun 1, 2010

Hello!
Sorry you have a cold. Hope it will be over soon. Maybe you had too much work to do and to little time to relax? That might cause a decrease of the immune-system and you'll easier catch some bacteria.

I have never been to a confirmation. As I said, 'Jugendweihe' is so to say the confirmation for people who are not religious. I don't know how to explain it better. The youngsters who celebrate Jugendweihe are seen as a member of soviety then, as the people who have confirmation are seen as a member of church I would say. On Jugendweihe you do not have to do or learn anything, you just go into the aula of the school and hear the speech of someone and get a certificate that you participated on the Jugendweihe. All teenagers of one class usually participate in it and all on the same day, except for those few who have confirmation. Afterwrds there is a celebration with relatives and friends and there mostly all people old enough get drunk. Here in Germany people often get drunk it seems. So my family and also Marcel's are always drinking on parties and meetings with the family. There is not a single event where nobody is drinking something. Except the ones who have to drive. And more extraordinary either: When you don't drink people look at you as if you are ill or mad. I experienced this, and Marcel and my best friend even more. WWhen I was 18 I also drank at parties but now I drink next to nothing, except a glass of wine on special occasions like birthday. Marcel drinks nothing, but sometimes he tries a bit of wine or so.
You wouldn't believe what masses of alcohol my family buys when there is going to be a gathering of some sort.

What are you going to do with your day off? And do you already have the outcoming of your evalution sheet, you know, that one for the pay raise?

Today and tomorrow I have so called 'Blockseminar'. Today we'lll start on 12am and stay til 6.30pm. It is a seminar called 'Literary theoriy II' and our lecturer believes it would be better to have all the presentations and discussion in the course of two days. I believe, she is just not in the mood for meeting wekly as it is usual and wants to have as little work with the seminar as possible and have it done in two days... So, when today is going to be horrible, tomorrow will be worse: We'll meet at 8am and staing til 6.30pm. Of course there are some breaks in between, but I don't know how to manage it. We have 2 hours going thorugh an dthen a half hour break, then another two hours and so forth... Uh, See how I survive it.

Okay now I have to prepare the rest of my talk for tomorrow and then do a bit housework.

Greetings, Domi

P.S. I have finished the first book on audio and it was good. But I started "THe Thirteenth Tale" yesterday and I think I might like it better when I read it. But then I would have to buy it... So I'll probably listen to it to the end and then maybe... Or... I'll have to think about it again. Won't have much time to listen these coming days anyway...

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 2:51 am (EST) on May 25, 2010

Finally I managed to translate the review. It is not that long, so it bothered me a bit taling so long for it, but what it took it took and now it is done. so here it is:
----
The Far Pavillons by M.M. Kaye is about the colonization of India by England and is told from the point of view of an english boy called Ashton, who has grown up mostly in India and falls into deep doubt if he feels himself to be rather an english man or an indian. The book is a very extensive work although or because Kaye takes in every moment the time to report at length about the smallest detail. Thus she brought me into heart the romance of the land and its (then) inhabitants. Every area is engaged and pictured in its whole wonderful spectrum in such a way that I wasn’t only seeing them figuartively before my inner eye, but that I could clearly symphathize its appealing or (in the partly heat of the country) tedious character. Kaye is spreading her attention for detail as well over the telling of actions, motifs and developments, so that in no moment I had the suspicion the story could have developed in any other way than written by Kaye. Unfortunately this appeared a bit bulky to me to some extent – just so as would Kaye want to convince me that her story is realistic and comprehensible. Well, at least she managed to do so, mostly.
The essential quintessence of the story in my opinion forms the bride haul (“Brautzug”): Two princesses, through childhood in a peculiar way connected to Ash, trek with great entourage crossways through India towards their grooms. On this journey Ash’s long resting love for one of the princesses arose. Actually a kitschy idea, but at least it consoles me that the chosen princess is a ‘halfblood’ (as often stated in the book) and by no means matches the ideal of beauty at that time and just through maximized persuasion could have been married to the groom. During this journey Ash meets the necessity to make decisions, although not ever obvious to see as such. It seemed to me that this journey was the linchpin of his life for Ash. Naturally before and afterwards there were inumerous of such situations, which had critical effect on him, but I maintain, during this bride haul Ash’s intimate dilemma of belonging was resolved, although this isn’t mentioned in this way in the book.
On the first glance a different moment appears to be the most important one, namely (how could it be different) the end, the finale. Great battles, passionate love, venturous quotations – the last part of the book, that plays in Kabul, is a flop without equals. It seems, with all (chewed) aids Kaye tries to find a dramatic, meaningful end for her book, but it acts like a much too long retarding torque (“retardierendes Moment”). I will make an effort to forget this part and just remember the artful precedent segments of the book.

Marcel
----

I have tried to stay as close to his language as possible (in choice of words). Some sentences might sound awkward (if not all), but I hope you will understand it anyway.

How was your weekend? Did you have a nice Whitsun/Pentecost? We have been to a 'Jugendweihe' on saturday. That's a bit like confirmation, but for people who are not religious and it is, as far as I now, just to be found in the eastern parts of germany, so the old GDR. The most 'westerns' people don't even know the term if they don't have relatives in the east. It's a kind of introduction into adult-life and is celebrated with family. You have it when you are 14 and most eenegers get drunk then for the first time and most parents don't care. as said we have been on such an occasion but left at 8pm. it was kind of boring, lots of older people and... yeah it was not so great. I barely remember my Jugendweihe. It's so long ago ;)

this aduio-book thing is a cruel trap. I now spent so much time listening to the books that I even have less time reading the ones I own. But, I mostly listen to it while doing some housework or riding in a car or before going to bed so I will have some time again one day for reading real books. After having finished my time-consuming presentations. The first one lies behind me now and it went good. I made a pretty good introduction, I think the lecturer was a bit impressed and that makes me a bit proud. On Wednesday the next one is to be done and that'll be a bit more tricky, because we have to start a discussion with the seminar and keep it going... Uh,...

We are now at my parents' place until Monday. And I have to cook now, because my parents are busy with papering the kitchen. We'll have potatoes, meatballs and asparagus. So, see you later!

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 5:15 am (EST) on May 23, 2010

The Blind Assassin was my first Atwood, so I didn't know guys weren't supposed to like her. I've always been a rebel, though! I must admit, however, that the only real drawback to the book for me was that the husband is a cypher, basically a cardboard cut-out. The narrator even admits as much near the end of the book. So I don't know whether an inability or disinclination to create satisfying male characters is a consistent characteristic in her work. But otherwise I enjoyed The Blind Assassin a lot.

You're right that the SF area is great and is filled with terrific coffee shops and the like. I lived in SF for 20 years and loved it. However, I'm now living about a 2 1/2 hour drive north of the city, in a very small rural town called Boonville. Not much of a coffee shop culture, here, so I do most of my reading happily curled up with my wife, the both of us reading, on the living room couch. In fact, we've resisted the netflix craze because I worry it will cut down on our reading time!

Best from Mendocino County, CA. -- Jerry

posted by rocketjk at 2:00 pm (EST) on May 21, 2010

sounds like lot people of your family marrying. It seems impossible to me that they all get married this year in only 3 months... WOW.

I brought home "The Thirteenth Tale" on Audio today from the library, next to two others on audio. I don't know when I am listening to it, now I will listen to "206 Bones", afterwards possibly. I only got "Thirteenth Tale" by chance, I didn't even know it was there in English audio. Good for me. :)

Are you interested in Marcel's review about The Far Pavillons? He asked me today and if you are I may translate it for you, because it's on our blog just in german.

You needn't to 'translate' the measures on the receipts, I can try and find out about them myself if it make sit easier for you to send me the receipe. I always like to learn :D

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 11:50 am (EST) on May 18, 2010

Hello. Sorry for taking so long to answer. Congrats an the singing bread. I am envious, though I have not done much bread yet. Instead I made some cocolats on the weekend, a present for Marcel for reading thourgh 'The Far Pavillons'. Have you read it by now? He was not very enthrilled of the ending, says it does not fit the other parts of the book, as if she has written these last chapters lateron.

Has Alfred arrived again in germany? He was lucky getting a flight with all theses ashcloud hanging around here.

I hope you'll get your pay raise, but it is only a small margin that is there for getting it as it appears. 3.75 of 4. I imagine its not very easy to reach...

Strawberry bread? I've nerver heard or imagined that possible. Bread is nothing for me that one could combine with sweet things, but I trust your taste. What about your kitchen table? can you see it? I did a some cleaning these last two days, because the apartement was not very appealing anymore. I could not have invited someone... The greates part is done now, it's only the bathroom that has to be cleaned and then I will feel much more comfortable again in here.

Last week our TV crashed, so we are living without TV for nearly a week. OOkay, we have been to Marcel's parents this weekend and watched TV on Saturday, but still. Maybe my father will bring a TV over here next Monday. So far I'll spent my evenings reading or watchings things on the net. Some channels allow there users/watchers to (re-)watch the series/films online. I did that yesterday, but it was troublesome and not so cozy as it is in front of the TV.

I'll leave now, Still have something to do. Favour your kinda more relaxed days. How is your reading going? I am not doing o well lately, so much things to do for university, But I keep trying.

Greetings
Domi

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 1:46 pm (EST) on May 17, 2010

can you see your kitchentable already?

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 3:54 pm (EST) on May 10, 2010

I am sorry for this oil desaster over there. I think oil catastrophes on the ocean/seas is a really terrible think to happen because it's so deifficult to remove and can cause so much damage in such a short time.
I feel also sorry for your plants. Hope they recover sometime. Mine are groing, or at leats trying to. It has been bad weather here, cold and rainy, that was not that good for the plants like majoram. This evening we have some sunshine again which is nice after 4 days of nearly no sun, rain and lots of wind. So maybe marcel can persuade me tomorrow to go for a walk. He hasn't been very successfull in that the last days.

I have to start preparing all the presentations I have to give this semester. Most f them are not that difficult and long, but one is rather scary because the assistant professor is rather strict and has lots of knowledge (which is good) but she is therefore expecting very much from us. I hope we'll manage it.

I am watching TV while writing this. It's a cooking show, a competition and the woman just flambèd some peaches. Looked rather dangerous. By the way I cooked a soop today and tried it with pearl barley which arbsorb all the liquid and in the end it was a kind of risotto but tastes still good and was a good experience. WWill do things more often with pearl barley.

I go now looking for some sweets. Ah here my little croissant-like cake filled with vanilla and chocolate pudding is still lying next to me here. I'll eat it now. Wish you a good evening!

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 1:49 pm (EST) on May 4, 2010

Hi Benita- I can't believe you were not on my Friends list! Why? Who knows? Need to remedy that. We are currently in the same reading orbit. I started the audio of "The Historian" and yes my version is like 26 hrs long. I see you are listening to "Shadow Divers". I read it last year, it's an excellent book! BTW, hope you are enjoying the Murakami. I'll start mine tomorrow! Have a good weekend!

Mark

posted by msf59 at 5:24 pm (EST) on Apr 30, 2010

Hello!
How was your weekend in Fairhope? Found some great books, enjoyed yourself?

I baked a cake today together with Marcel. It is a simple chocolate cake, with chocolate pieces in it and with rum flavor in it (nor real rum) and powdered hazelnuts. It tastes pretty good, but I had a recipe for low calories so there is low fat and sugar in it and it tastes a bit different from thers resipes but with that much chocolate in it their will of course be lots of calories in it.

I am also doing some sports again. I am not realy gaining weight, I think I have hold it now for a year or two, with which I am pretty much satisfied. But I am a bit annoyed by my fleshy belly, it appears to be a bit packed with fat so I have o do some exercises to gain muscles. But I do not do it regularly with an exercising plan because I know I will not do it then because I have no pleasure in it. So I just do some sports when I am in the mood for it, or need a bit distraction from every day thinking.
Recently I spend sme afternoon on the balcony, sitting in the sun (or in the shadows, I don't like the sunlight to be directly on my skin). In the past I really loved to sit on the backyards of my parents and read but here, I would be being watched by everyone and that is not very pleasureful. and I would have to pay attention to my dog the whole time, so I did not read in the nature last year, but this year I'm trying it on the balcony. It is not as enjoyable as in the outside but it is still good.

Okay, I'll leave you now. Tell me something about your weekend. How was "Norwegian Wood"?

Greetings

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 12:55 pm (EST) on Apr 27, 2010

Thanks for your note benitastrnad! I've enjoyed your posts for some time, and you really got me when you recently posted something like, Kafka on the Shore is just about one of the best books ever. I agree. It's one of my favorites and, as you've seen, Murakami is one of my favorite authors. Glad to see you're trying (or tried) Norwegian Wood - another good one of his (aren't they all?) and I read somewhere that it was one of his most popular in Japan.

What a great web site this is! I look forward to meeting up with you some more here.

Best wishes - Joe

posted by jnwelch at 12:43 pm (EST) on Apr 22, 2010

hello there!

See you added Murakimi's book "Norwegian Wood" an drwaing the conclusion you are joing the book discussion group? Wishing you lots of fun there. My boyfriend and I tried to find one ourselves here in the real life, but it is hard. We tried to ask some friends, but they have so much reading to do for the university, they are not willing to read any more. We said we will try again in the vacation.

This weekens I was at a birthday party. We went to a restaurant with medieval funiture and behaviour. That means we had to eat just with a knife and ur hands, but it was a great experience. They also did not have any common electricity (except in the kitchen). There were chandeliers with electircal candles, becaue it is forbidden to have real ones in there, but the light was all very dark and there were some musicians who played a bit medieval music and they came to our desk and sung songs for us. It was quite a good evening.

So what did you do the last week?

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 10:54 am (EST) on Apr 20, 2010

wow that lemon filled bread really sounds interesting, how did it taste? I am not one of the experimental kind so would never have had the idea to ake a cream cheese and lemn filling.
Until now I haven't been able to grow a useful plant in my kitchen... We had a lot of basil plants, but with using them they wilted and then they were of no use anymore. A few weeks ago we bought parsley and chives but we went away a week and so the both of them wilted. They are a few sprout still to be used, but I think it will not survive any time longer. On our balcony we have a little pot were I sowed some seeds last year. Last year it was too late for the plants to really grow high enough to be used, but this year the chives are coming and I want to plant some dill as well still, maybe this is growing. We must look at the weather here, but I think for this robust plants the weather will be fine enough.
Have to go and read something for my studies now. History of Great Britain, I am still stuck in the roman phase, and that's a kind of boring. This is just because I do not know so much about roman history, but I am trying to get out of this chapter soon. I am more interested in the kingdom and empire. Let's see how long it takes me to get there... :)

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 11:29 am (EST) on Apr 14, 2010

uuh that's too bad, but as shameful as it is, I have to ask what tneure exactly means? Is it that you have a job for sure all your life, so you cannot be fired? the dictionary has too much translations, sorry. I know what you mean by bowing your head and just taking it. I am neither a person who stands up against the administration, I am just taking what they say, but I admire people who stand up and at least try to change things. not all, but a lot of them.
Marcel and I developed a new reading strategy: When one of us is doing the dishes the other will read out loud a book. (for now it is Dr. Shivago) That makes washing the dishes mor fun, we do something together and we read a book. wow that's great :)
by the way how is your off the shelf challenge going? For me it seems a good time lies ahead. I have lots of books off the shelf going, it is just the question how long it takes me to finish them. :)

There it somes to my mind, do you have a garden or something similar? I remember you told me of a balcony or the like where you have plants and herbs if I am not mistaken. Momentarily I am not much into garden work (despite having none), but I could imagine to have one later, maybe when we have a house or a bigger flat and then rent one or so. At my parents' I loved to lie on a canvas chair on the grass and read a book. It's sad I cannot really do it here. I don't like to lie in the backyard where all people can see me. And I have a bad conscious to leave the dog in the apartement, because I cannot take her with me... sorry for complaining, just realized I am doing it. :D

So now I leave you with whatever you are doing this moment. Hopefully relaxing from the week and the sorrows with a good book, some coffee (from starbucks?) and self-made cookies.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 12:53 pm (EST) on Apr 11, 2010

I experience this losing of friends now a bit while going to university. Until now none of my friends has gone, but I often think of the time when studies are over and we'll all move away from here again and maybe lose each other. That also happens with some of my schoolfriends, but I am glad to say that I staid in contact with the ones I really like and that are important to me. But I defenitely know what you mean, parting from good friend is hard and you never know how things will develop and if you stay in touch as you wished.
The first week of the semester is nearly over. It was good, we had mostly introductory stuff and very little real lectures or seminars, but next week we will finally start filling our heads again. Today was my hardest day, I had 4 classes and if things go really bad I'll have to take a fifth course, but I look for an escape and have an appointment with course guidance lady next week, her e-mail wasn't clear enough though.
And because of the semester I will have less time to read. So I try to take a very small and handy book with me into university so I can read between classes, to get some things done, but it did not work very well today. there where too much people I knew and could talk to... Maybe now after this message.

I want some cookies. now. sigh. it's unfair you have some and I am to lazy to make some. there is some chocolate in the cupboard.... it's still from christmas. I will persuade Marcel to go and by some cookies with me. :)

How was you week? Did you have lot things to do at work, you mentioned it could be a tough week?

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 12:12 pm (EST) on Apr 8, 2010

How was the diner with your friends? And have you cleaned your car? I did a bit of cleaning in the apartement, at least the bathroom is completely clean now. Because of the holidays I cannot hover or move the furniture to clean behind it.

Sorry I don't have much to tell today. Marcel and I spent a lot of time today on LT listing some of the books he read and I finished a good book. And now eager to go on with the last one of this trilogy. And it was one of the BOTS! :)

So Good Night for today.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 3:50 pm (EST) on Apr 4, 2010

A little cheating will be allowed and when you owned the copy sometime before... it's okay I guess. :)
I am glad your sister got something to do again, even if it just once a week and unpaid but it's better then doing nothing. Like she said, she feels she has a purpose again and that's important. But I hope she'll find a job soon again. Being without it can cause lots of problems, not just in the financial sector but the psychical as well.

I did some repotting of my home-plants today. I couldn't do all because some just have blossom and don't want to ruin them so I'll wait until they are withered. It felt good to give them kind of a new life. With new soil and greater pots they can spread wider and so they will grow better. It is a good feeling.
Yesterday I made Chili con Carne. Normally I do it without meat but yesterday we wanted some, but that spoiled the tase. I should have added some more tomatoes because there was too little liquid and it didn't taste right with all the 'carne' in it. I'll remind that for another time.
Despite doing some housework and cooking I am reading much and try to convince myself to do the spring-cleaning, but I am too lazy. Maybe after classes have started again, usually I feel more energized then.

What are you doing on Easter?

Grettings

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 12:39 pm (EST) on Apr 2, 2010

Sorry you have been ill, I hope you are better now. Tea and not-caring-days are always a good thing to get better again!

It always confuses me that you're semesters are so different from ours, but it is very interesting to see. It also seems they are shorter as are the vacation, so I cannot decide what I like better. Have a long period of learning but also of free time or have short periods of both....

Great you got some reading done, see you are making progress off the shelves. You are better than I am there. I read a lot of books on loan or recently bought ones lately, so not progress at all. But I have some off the shlelf going or will start sonn (today or tomorrow).

We arrived in Greifswald again today after a week at our parent's. It feels good to be here again. It is home. And the weather is great. The sun is shining but it is not hot, and there is really little wind (a miracle for Greifswald). We will shop groceries later this day and maybe buy some flower soil and new pots for them. I have to repot all of them. I am so glad they survived the 6 weeks without care. The herbs seem a bit damaged but I am confident they will grow again.

I hope you are healthy again (or near to it) and your work is too annoying.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 9:40 am (EST) on Mar 31, 2010

Hello back!

Stargate: Atlantis is great, we love Rodney, he is so very pessimistic and unsocial. Uh that sounds sad, to like somene because of this characteristics. Shame on me.
Hope your da'ds ear is better now again, that there is not lifelong damage done. And about your mom... It really sounds similar to my dad, he also has no joy and reason in his lifeit appears, so neither wants he to die. He agreed to go to a psychologist to have some help to get on with his illness and depression. Maybe that would help your mother as well? I know, noone likes to go to a psychologists, but when he is a good one he really can help people coping with whatever it is that makes them feel depressed. As tough as it soundS: you cannot do anything for your mom except offering help and be there. Just tell her you are always there for her, for whatever it is she needs, but you cannot make her feel better I think. That is something only she can do herself. What exactly is it that makes her that unhappy, I might asked?

We are at Marcel's parent's right now. It is so lovely here: little village, lots of nature and a big backyard and terrace to sit on and read. We stayed the whole outside yesterday, the spring finally arrived in Germany. We took some long walkes and at on the terrace reading. SO great, like having vacation. Today, unfortunately, it is raining, but i have Miss Marple with me so nothing can darken my mood. :)
Tomorrow we will ride to my parent's. That will not be that amusing. As I mentioned above my dad is in a bad mood and my mom is totally helpless but worried to infinity. I hope I can relief a bit of the burden as long as I am there, what will be just until Wednesday. Easter Marcel and I will be all alone in Greifswald, because the Tuesday after that the semester and the lectures start and we will not travel through the state until that.

I did a lot of reading done this month, what a bit of freetime can do, is unbelievable. Sad you haven't read so much, but naturely your parents and friends are more important. You seem to had a good time nevertheless and that is what counts, right? So you are back to work this week, are you? Wish you fun there and don't be bothered by the work. :)

Greetings

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 5:20 am (EST) on Mar 27, 2010

Hello there in Kansas!
How are you doing? How is your mom?
I was just passing by to say, that things with my parents clearified. I am glad they finally talked and could now, hopefully, ride on a different course.
I got the mark for my term paper today: A! Huh, I was so glad and could hardly believe it.

Marcel and I went to Stralsund today (a town near Greifswald) and went to the "Ozeaneum". It is a great, new built museum and aquarium. It was okay, but not very thrilling. I expected the "Giant of the ocean" pool to be with real whales, but there were hanging artificial ones from the ceiling. But it was nevertheless really impressive to lie under this giants. The "Ozeaneum" was informative and I had seen some animals, that are nearly extinct, like the sea eagle, and that was an impressive view as well! There could have been ome more aquariums but it was good. After it we went through he city and home again, totally exhausted.

How was your spring break?

Greetings

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 1:52 pm (EST) on Mar 19, 2010

Hello!
No don't be sorry, I was not at all upset by that e-mail. I just found myself wondering why you have written it but it was very interesting and, by the way, impressive how you could lose yourself in such searching. It never occured to me that this storms are actually hurricans. SO Xynthia was not that bad here, but I think 4 years or so ago we had one here in the north called, I forgot.... Killy or something like that and that also brought damage to us here in the north.
today we have again relly cold temperatures but great sun. The temperature are just around freezing and some snowflakes find there way down, but the sun gives warmth at least to the people inside. I'm sitting here in my armchair and typing this message with the sun shining on my lap and my face and make all warm. So I don't long for going out because there it is all cold and freezy. I also hope it will get better soon.
Labyrinth sounds interesting. I have read a book with two timelines before, but that was not that good. But I trust your opinion enough to try this one out once. Or soon because the sity library does not keep books long that aren't read in a while. I wonder if they do a booksale... I am a member now for one year and never saw an advert or poster or so saying something about it. I'll have to take a closer loook now whenever I go there. Maybe monday.

A Folk Art festival? what exactly is it? I somekind imagine native american art now, but I'm pretty sure that this is not to be meant. Anyhow, wish you lots of fun there! And a nice listening, I suppose you do have an audibook going while driving up there?

I see you are a very busy person. How do you manage all this: book clubs, 40-hour-a-week-work, dinner club, trips, travels, reading, household? That's wow, and I'm creeping along here with doing the household a bit of reading for university... I feel so lazy against you. No, that was kind of a lie. I like my life. I'm not that kind of person meeting other people that much. I prefer to stay alone. But I admire people who do lot of things and have fun while doing it, especially coping with other people. I am yet now afraid of going to my family next week and have a birthday party with them. Okay, afraid is not the right word but I dislike it even now and I'm not even there and it will just be one day, two at the uttermost. .... Bad me. ;)

So I leave you to your work or reading (I hope the latter) now again and wish you a really great weekend with springy temperatures!

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 10:00 am (EST) on Mar 5, 2010

Hi!
I was a bit irritated by that e-mail you've sent me. I must have mentioned that we haven't any hurricans around here. That was because of my false image I had of hurricans. I always imagined them with this nozzle. But I have also noticed that storm, it brught a bit snow with it, but it was not that bad around here. But it was really impressive, in a bad way, that there were killed so many people by Xynthia and it made so much destruction...

And am glad the post card arrived. There is not much snow anymore around here, so it will look pretty much again like on the photos.

How is your reading going? I have seen a way before you ar reading "Sepulchre". How is it? I saw it lately in the library but hadn't lent it. I wanted to here some recommendations or read reviews and for you have it being read I think you might help me. Although I should not read anymore books that aren't my own before having a bit mor of my TBR read... The heck with it, I have three books of the shelf going right now, there I should be allowed to read another one :D How is your BotS going? And what about all the group reads you're attending?

Have a nice day over there! I hope the spring comes for you soon! (We had have snow again today...)

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 12:26 pm (EST) on Mar 4, 2010

How is "The Marketplace of Ideas"? and how was your book-club meeting?
I haven't read "The Housekeeper and the Professor" now, achtually I don't even own it. I added it to my wishlist because it got good recommendations here on LT and it is about mathematics. My boyfriend always complains I am not interested in mathematics. I don't know when I come around to buy it. The same is for the Setterfield book. I have this in mind for several years now and always wanted to read it, but did not come around to buy it, so it's just on my wishlist. But it's good to know you liked it. I wanted to ask you about it, maybe the library has it, although I would like to read it in English and that means I'll have to buy it. I'll see.
Marcel and I bought a couple of Miss-Marple movies lately and now watch it. The actress, Margareth Rutherford is great, but I have imagined Miss Marple a bit different from how she is presented in the movies. But that's interpretattion isn't it. I like the movies however.
How are the Olympics? I haven't watched anything of it, but heard that the german athlets did quite well, yesterday I saw that someone from germany got the silver medal, I just saw this final scene. How is the USA doing?

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 7:10 am (EST) on Feb 26, 2010

finally found your "Books off the Shelf" thread. I starred you, so know that someone is watching your progress. :) But it seems you're doing well by now. Haven't expect other things from you. :)

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 5:10 am (EST) on Feb 25, 2010

that sounds rather interesting, but I can imagine you often hear the same questions. I actually don't know if here we have such a kind of refernce librarian, I have never tried to find out. I guess not. I rarely ask a librarian to help me find a book but when I hear them being asked by other students they mostly seem te don't know themselves. Hmm, we are pretty much left alone to figure out what sources we may use for papers... But it's okay that way, at least for me.
by speaking about papers: I have done mine so far. I will let it rest today and then tomorrow have another glance at it, regarding spelling and formal prescriptions and then look at it again and for the final time on Sunday, orint it out and bring it to my professor on Monday. Then I have vacation, finally :) Or something very similar because I have to read some books for university and make my schedule and stuff. And I will visit my family, my Mom's birthday is on hand.
by the way: I finally managed to find a postcard from Greifswald for you and sent it away yesterday. I don't know how long it takes them to bring them into the USA but I think not more then a week. I hope I have written your address right, I just copied it from the sticker that was on the christmas letter. Tell me when it arrived, please.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 4:49 am (EST) on Feb 25, 2010

Hi!
What actually is a reference librarian?
And yet I just recognize how many books you own or have listed in your library that have something to do with politics or social conditions. I can imagine you as a teacher for social studies very well but my imagination is not able to conform the picture I have of you and the oicture of you as a chemistry teacher. That might be due to my chemistry teacher I had in school, who were all more into the biological-physical field then into social studies or literature. Hope I haven't offended you.
When you once get your promotion what kind of librarian will you be then, if you'll be another all around. Sorry for stupid question I have no real idea how library personell is structured at all.

I hope you had a nice weekend.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 4:26 am (EST) on Feb 22, 2010

I'm glad that you clarified that "Oldest Living Confederate Widow" is indeed historical fiction. It has moved up to my "must read" wish list. ;->

posted by ca_dmv at 6:04 pm (EST) on Feb 21, 2010

Uhm well I must have mixed things up because I thought you once told me you were a certified teacher and a certified librarian. I know of course that you know work as a librarion but I thought you said you once wanted to go back to Kansas and therefore need to stay in touch with your teachers certificate. And because I thought that I was wondering what kind of teacher you are.
But now I am even more stunned, you got two Masters degress, wow! And have I understood the sentence right, that you have to publish things? So you are writing articles and papers? that's great.
So how was you're meeting with the ladies and you're wine club I think it was wher you have done he bread for?

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 5:16 am (EST) on Feb 21, 2010

Hey!
Your bread really souded delicious, never had thought off having a bread with cheese in it, although my mom sometimes makes party gems/buns with cheese in it and something else I cannot not remember right. How did your bread taste? and how was the tea with the 'old' ladies? I feel a bit uneasy calling someone old I don't know and I actually don't consider you to be old, although I don't know you actually are.
By the way: It came to my mind that I never asked you what kind of teacher you are. I was brought up in a families full of teachers and it's always interesting to see what subjects one teaches. May I have a guess? I think you are a teacher for high school. I don't know how many subjects a teacher can teach at yours and I can't come up with a subject you might teach. I don't think it's philosophy although it would fit you. Although you'd that class last semester it didn't as if you were too familiar with Kant and all the old ones so you are noch philosopher at all. I don't think a teacher for literature or english either. So you do read lots of books but I wouldn't say you're the typical literature/english teacher, you haven't enough of the classics in your library... I hope I haven't said something wrong.
the weather turns a bit better here, we have milder temperatures and the snow starts to melt a bit at least. I am wondering how long it will take until all the snow has melted away...
I will go back now to my books.
I wish you a nice weekend and lots of fun with your ladies!

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 2:03 pm (EST) on Feb 19, 2010

hello!
To be honest, I jokes a bit with my boyfriend about your snowy situation. We couldn't imagine that you would have that much snow that it might cause a canceling of classes seriously, so we wondered if the people were just not able to cope with a bit snow, but from your description it seemed you did fairly well and the university just overreacted. But the ne about the essential employees is good, a barrista being mor essential than a librarian (Did you know that Barrista is italian? I couldn't find it in my english to german translation program... I have learned a word! ;) )
I feel sorry for your sister. How is she dealing with ot, I know people who really get depressed when they lose their job, I hope she is fine? And I hope she'll find something new again soon, but it's great you sending her some books for preventing boredom.
hmm looks like I have to do a bit housework now, before I can setlle down for a quiet evening. Now that I have finished a book I should invest a bit time into the apartement again I think, but it's too great to enjoy the freetime. I know in a week I will have enjoyed it enough and be serious again but now it's just so fresh and I'm just savouring it.
How are the olympics? I haven't watched anything yet, I think I have missed the ice artists and all the rest it not the stuff of mine, I'm more into the summer games although I rarely watch them as well.
This cooking book you acquired seems to be good. So now I can ask you why something happened to my food and you can tell me ;)

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 1:43 pm (EST) on Feb 15, 2010

hello!
To be honest, I jokes a bit with my boyfriend about your snowy situation. We couldn't imagine that you would have that much snow that it might cause a canceling of classes seriously, so we wondered if the people were just not able to cope with a bit snow, but from your description it seemed you did fairly well and the university just overreacted. But the ne about the essential employees is good, a barrista being mor essential than a librarian (Did you know that Barrista is italian? I couldn't find it in my english to german translation program... I have learned a word! ;) )
I feel sorry for your sister. How is she dealing with ot, I know people who really get depressed when they lose their job, I hope she is fine? And I hope she'll find something new again soon, but it's great you sending her some books for preventing boredom.
hmm looks like I have to do a bit housework now, before I can setlle down for a quiet evening. Now that I have finished a book I should invest a bit time into the apartement again I think, but it's too great to enjoy the freetime. I know in a week I will have enjoyed it enough and be serious again but now it's just so fresh and I'm just savouring it.
How are the olympics? I haven't watched anything yet, I think I have missed the ice artists and all the rest it not the stuff of mine, I'm more into the summer games although I rarely watch them as well.
This cooking book you acquired seems to be good. So now I can ask you why something happened to my food and you can tell me ;)

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 1:43 pm (EST) on Feb 15, 2010

wow your number of books has decreased! what happened? Have you given some away or sorted out some bad ones?

And yes, you are right about getting the degree, but here all marks count together as one mark in the end, so the bad ones will show up in the end. And the worse is, that at some universities I have to have a certain average to have the chance on doing a Masters degree, so that's why I'm worrying.

I read in a thread that you had a snow day at university. Does that mean you had a free day because of the snow? so was there so much snow, that would be very worrying.

I have noticed that I am faster in reading when I really want to read the book. In December I had to read one for my classes but haven't finished it. It took me days to read the half, where I stuck and I needed a whole day to rea 100pages, we really disturbed me. Now I have picked it up again, becaue I liked it and I just need some hours to read 100pages. That's miraculous and good to know, s in future I will just tell me 'I'm reading this for fun' and I should get through it faster. Okay, bad joke but true experience.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 3:12 pm (EST) on Feb 13, 2010

welcome to the snowy side of the world! :) but regarding the facts it is just alarming that you have snow now in the gulf of mexico. it shows that the global warming finally changed something in the climate. So was there a lot of snow at yours? Today we had again a small snowstorm. It snowed since 3 am this night nd it hasent stopped yet I think, and it's now 10pm...

uhm, I'm tired and just wanted to drop in to ask about the snow. Hope you have a nice weekend. Have you started you book-off-the-shelf challenged? haven't had time to check out the group by now.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 4:10 pm (EST) on Feb 12, 2010

Hi Benita- Here's my link:http://www.librarything.com/topic/83344
The poll is in message #64. Thanks again for all your great comments on the G.R.

Mark

posted by msf59 at 7:06 am (EST) on Feb 12, 2010

Ah your message was a bless, you made me smile :) bothering book piles I gladly don't have but when I would have the money and more time (the latter is just seeming to come in reach) there would be also stacks of books lying all aorund the house. here is the link to the group: http://www.librarything.de/groups/booksofftheshelfchal#forums great you join it, I will starr you ;) And great you already finished one off your shelf. Someday I'll also amking some progress again. I'm convinced.

I just got my outcome of one of my exams. "Language Awareness this one was called and I got a D... it still means I've passed it but, Oh... I'm depressed now, although I know that many other students seems to be that bad in this exam. It's a miracle! Oh well, tomorrow will be my other oral exam about medieval english literature and historical linguistics, I am very sure that tis one is going to be better.

I can't say anymore, my mind just mingled aboiut either the exam of tomorrow or the bad mark of the other, so they just take turns in occupiyng my thoughts.

Have you planned some trips to some place in the next time? I always like to hear what you have experienced and where you have been.

Good night for now

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 3:40 pm (EST) on Feb 10, 2010

Hello!

"The Memory Thief" really sounds 'cheesy' to put it with the words of the reviewer. I would be very interested in what you say about the book, when you read it some day. I see you have rated a lot of books the last day(s). Have you really read them in such a short time? Or have you read them over the last weeks? Okay I see "Wicked" among them, so you might have read them about the last weeks. I think I will look for a copy of "The Forgotten Garden" since you liked it so much and it really sounded interesting.
I finished "Devil Bones" by Kathy Reichs. Accroding to your library you never read anything by her and I would guess that her books aren't actually your cup of tea. She always writes about forensic anthropology and forensic medicine.

My parents and grandparents visited me today and it was fun. We seldom had such fun, because it's always a bit... slow going when we talk, because 3 generations together are often a bit uninspired. But we played some games on the Wii we bought recently and my parents had lots of fun and even my grandfather told me afterwards it was a nice afternoon. So, I'm a bit proud now I managed that.
But now my arm hurts a bit, we played too much 'tennis'...

How was your weekend? Did you have to work or have you done some cooking, gone to a meeting of your cooking clubs?

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 1:04 pm (EST) on Feb 6, 2010

Hi Benita- I did not have a thread set-up for "Midnight's Children", but since you asked, I went ahead and created a General Thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/84187
It will begin March 1st and since I love your verbal contributions, I am very glad you will join us!
Hope you have a great weekend!
Mark

posted by msf59 at 9:13 pm (EST) on Feb 5, 2010

I decided to use the vase as a plantpot. I will fill it with earth half-full and then sat a little flower, that is not growing so fast. I think it will look beautiful.

Yo've heard news today? The island Hiddensee (a small one in the baltic sea, belong to Mecklenburg) has to be supported with food ans so by helicopters, because the ide around the island is too thick to go through with a breaker and the sea to shallow to bring a bigger one. Although I really like the snow it causes so much chaos, because people are no longer used to it. I possibly have to cancel my appointment at the doctor's tomorrow, but it's not urgent so it's no problem.

Oh my god, I just saw we will get another casting show for singers... Can't see them anymore... and it isn't getting better at all. oh, don't care, I just will not watch them...

It's pretty late here now, I wonder why I'm still awake. I drank some 'black tea' today, so maybe it's the caffein... But usually it is not working with me... uh... or it's the relief that parts of my exams are done... So whatever it is, it feels good, so it can't be too bad.

I wish you a good night, here it is half past 11 p.m.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 5:32 pm (EST) on Feb 2, 2010

I really don't think our kind of ARC's are so bad. I rarely spot any misspellings or punctuation mistakes in them, and often ask myself, why they are stamped to a mistake-copy. So sometimes they will also become 'Mängelexemplar' when there is something wrong with the cover. I once bought a copy of a book, for 2€ or so and it was a mistake-copy because the back was a bit, hmm there were little holes in it. And the mistaken copys always look like the real ones, so noone will notice that the book is a 'special' one unless you tell him or he looks at the bottoms and sees the stamp.... Sometimes I really don't know what's wrong with them.

Yeah I've finished two of my exams! Yesterday I had my Reading and Writing one, I think it went pretty well. So the reading comprehension questions I think I have mostly right, they weren't too difficult, but when it went to spot the words for which we were given the explanations that was a bit harder. And then we got a gap text were we had to fill in the right word out of 4 possibilities. So for each gap there were 4 words and we had to chose. I felt a bit dumb there, some words meant almost the same to me, but I knew there would be only one that will be 'more right' in this context and that was what the examiners wanted us to see... So I don't know how I made this task. And then we had to write an essay. I chose the topic "A good education is important for wealth and success in life". There was another topic we could have chosen, but I felt more comfortable with that one. I think I did a good thing, but my lecturer... well, let's see.
Today I had my oral exam about Walther von der Vogelweide (I don't know if you know him, he is one of the greatest medieval lyrics in Germany). So it was a group exam, meaning me an 2 other students were examined together. It was good, it didn't feel like an exam, more like a pleasurous talk. I got 2,0 (B). So there will be just another oral exam in english about medieval literature and historical linguistics next thursday and then I just have to finish my term paper. I hope my inter-library-loan books/articles will arrive soon, so I can prove my statements I want to do.

by the way, your postcard from boston arrived today. It looks great, although I find the sparkling background a bit kitschy, but the Hall really looks great in the light. Some day I will find my memory again and send you a postcard from Greifswald... I'm so terrible at reminding things unless I write them down (and then I will also forget them...)

Marcel once tried to make bread, but either he hadn't let it bake enough or the yeast hadn't grown enough... We will keep trying :)

I am so happy that I have a bit time now to relaxe a bit, for the next exam is a bit away. But I really have to clean the apartement, as I said we will have lots of visitors this weekend. Yesterday it was my birthday, so we went to have lunch in a restaurant (after my exam) and made a walk through the city. I loaned a book from the library and nearly bought 'Time Traveller's wife' but th copy was a bit damaged and I thought I will not come around reading it sometime soon so I let it there. In the evening the mother of my boyfriend called and asked if the bouqet was delivered, but it wasn't. The flower person was here when we just went out to by groceries. So I fetched it today. She also bought me a vase. She thought we haven't any. It's just a big, glassy cube and it looks... yeah I don't like it. But the bunch is too big to fit in my other vase. I will tgry again later. That one really looks ugly... I can use it as a plantpot maybe, or to put deco in it... okay, sorry for the sarcasm.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 10:47 am (EST) on Feb 2, 2010

here is an link to a video on youtube my boyfriend an I made from our dog a year or so ago. Maybe you like to watch it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfGZMGTpZXs

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 10:53 am (EST) on Jan 31, 2010

Now I know about ARC's but still can just guess about why they are called so. I suppose it's because they are just giving them to people who read a lot, that's where the "advance" comes from.
I think it's a rather good idea and think we have a similar thing here in germany as well. So they are called "Mängelexemplar" (Mängel meaning mistake, exemplar = copy, so it's just a copy full of mistakes). That you can either buy for less money and I think they are also giving it to book shop owners and so. I don't know how the handle it at book fairs, because I've never been to one, but after my practical training in the book shop I can probably tell you more.

Okay, you might have seen that we had again a snow storm here in northern germany. So possibly all over germany, I just now from northern parts. So the snow is now lying about 50cm (I guess 100inches) high at some places. It really looks great but yesterday going out was a real adventure! We had just few sno the last years and now this is kind of unusual and most people dislike it very much.

The weekend I will do some chocolate truffels again, I haven't done some for a long while and I will try a new recipe for a fancy cake (You really have the word 'torte' have you, just saw it in the dictionary), for my parents, grandparents and my future parents-in-law are going to visit us.
The last weeks I hadn't done many delicious meals. I was happy to just have done something that didn't consit of Burger, pommes frites or hot dog. Now that are holidays will give me some more time and pleasure to cook not just nourishing but also delicious and new meals.

Friday I had a bad time for around half an hour. I tried to phone my grandparents because they had tried to call me, but they weren't available. I really worried, because my grandpa has diabetes and my grandma is a bit weak sometimes. So I phoned my mom, who had just arrived from their holidays and she tried to figured out what was wrong. My mom and grandparents live in the same small town so that isn't much of a problem. She called me some minutes later when I was full of worries. She had found out that my parents hat a new telephonecontract. Several minutes later my grandpa phoned me and told me the same...

So that's all from me today. I hope you had a good weekend, what did you do?

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 10:41 am (EST) on Jan 31, 2010

The Forgotton Garden really sounds interesting, possibly I have to add this to my wishlist.
Is there something specail about the ARC's? I see lots of people here pointing out that some books they've read were an ARC, so I always wondered whatthat abbreviation means. Now that I know, I don't know much more than before. So what's about them, why do people point out that a book is an ARC?
So you don't have to answer this right now, when you are too busy but I really would like to know.

My boyfriend and I bought a Nintendo Wii last Monday and with it three plays. One of them Super Mario Brothers which I tried to play together withmy boyfreind but I was too bad. So he wasn't angry but we really needed forever to do one level. He then invited a friend of his and they played the first half of the game on Wednesday and they finish it just now.
Another game we bought was Mario Kart, so more out of children memories.
And the last game we bought was Okami, which is really beautiful. I haven't played it by now but my boyfriend started it. It is set in Japan, but is in comic-style, so very different from this new human-like figures or this perfect Marios and so. Your character is a wolf which is actually the goddess of light and you have to help the people and so, I haven't read the whole introduction, so I don't really now, but I think I will play it somewhat soon.

I wish you a nice weekend now, do you have to work?

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 2:45 pm (EST) on Jan 29, 2010

What is the Forgotton Garden about? The titel sounds rather interesting and when you like i, there must probably be something about it.
Uhm I'm impressed how many books you added the last days. When I looked at you profile yesterday there were 1060 in your library and today there are 1086, so either I have seen something false or you really bought loooots of books at the ALA and the last days. So your ´purchasing new books and I'm selling them :)
Today was the last day of semester and I'm glad that it is finished, to be hinest. I was really exhausted the last days. Now have I just to pass my exams and everything will be great.
In three days then is my birthday also, so I'm 21 then (In America i would be finally allowed to drink alcohol, here in Germany it's allowed since 18). I think my parents will visit me the weekens then, the 6th and I'm looking forward to it. They will bring my grandparents with them and my grandma is always sooooo happy to see me again.
The snow is melting todayy. This has good and bad sites. I like the sno it always makes the world a bit more peaceful and seems to protect it. Besides it's good for nature to have such cold periods.But now the streets are again covered wit mud and bicing is really difficult. The really bad thing is when its going to freeze tonight because then the streets will be all slippery. Today the sno fell from the roofs and sometimes there ice blocks in it and that was rather dangerous, so nobody was hit so far.
Do you miss the snow sometimes in Alabahma? So there isn't any is it?
Okay I will read something now, though I don't know what. There are the still the exams to be prepared, unfortunately no leisure reading now... *sigh*

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 10:53 am (EST) on Jan 29, 2010

Hi Benita- How are you? No, I have not heard from Ruthie in a few weeks. I miss her too! I hope she is ok. Glad you are continuing on the G.R. I'm nearly done with Part 4, so I'm on schedule. I am the leader, so I guess I have to be. I see you added "The Redbreast", someone else here on LT, highly recommended that book, so I'm on the prowl for a copy. Someone on my route, who likes books, had a copy of "Quincunx". Is it any good? Take care!
Mark

posted by msf59 at 7:41 pm (EST) on Jan 27, 2010

Here are some toher books I would recommend to your friend:
All the books by Dan Brown, The "The Expected One", Foucault's Pendulum (recomandation by LT), "The Pelican Brief" by John Grisham and maybe "The Rule of Four"
and two that are unfortunately only available in german as far as I know "Der Silberne Sinn" and "Die Galerie der Lügen". That's all i have in mind by now, hopefully it helped you.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 4:11 pm (EST) on Jan 27, 2010

I have rarely been to bigger cities, just a few times in Berlin and Hamburg and as you said, we have some working transporting mechanism. But I think I got an imagine of the this un-walkable cities.
You have travelled a lot as I see from how many cities you know. That's very impressive. I haven't been in any comparable numbers of cities in Germany although Germany is way smaller then the USA. But I think I have the advantage of the young on my side :)
Is everything fine with you? I guess you have a lot of work to do catch up with.
What are you reading actually after you've finished, so I can't see all the books you have stated as "currently Reading" here on your profile. Unfortunately I don't have so much time for reading now, th exams will start on Monday, but in the second week of febraary I will have finished the urgent ones and in the end of february my term paper is due, so I think by then I will have lots of reading time again and I'm really looking forward to it.
My boyfriend and I cleaned our bookshelves last week and sorted out some 56 booky which we are now selling on ebay. So it really is a relief to have a bit more space and no worries where to fit all books, but it is also a great thing because we dropped all the books we are very likely to never come around and read because they are to boring or uninteresting or whatever. But we also sorted out some books we have already read and are not going to read again for various reasons. So some of the books my best freidn had claimed already and I'm happy I can give them to her, she really likes them.

I don't know if you heard it in the news (probably not, it's not that attention catching): we are having snow and stormy wind again here in Germany, so I had a fun walk with the dog tonight, we had to plough our way through the snowdrifts. It was cool, although the wind was very chilly and the snowflakes it carried were annoying in the face, but it felt great to run through the snow.

It's going to be late here now and I am tired, so good night.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 3:42 pm (EST) on Jan 27, 2010

Wow you trip back really sounded like a mess. I had kind of feeling that something went wrong that was why I wrote you in the first place so that now sounds a bit weird.
I saw some of the new books you bought at your page. "The Memory Thief" sounds interesting, when you read it you have to tell me how it was. Can you tell me what it is about, I would be fine with the stuff written on the cover. But if you haven't time, it's okay as well. Maybe I come across the title here as well sometime. So how many books did you purchase?

The last week of semester starts monday, then the exams will be on hand. The first for me on the first February (being my birthday as well), the second on the second, then one in the second week of February and my term paper is due on the first of March.

Your semester vacation isn't that long is it? Here we do have 2-3 month vacation. So when the semester ended in January we have free time until the midst of April, but our library is still open, so it will be visited less frequently towards the end of vacation. There will exams for parts of the students throughout the whole vacation or they have just exams towards the end. Especially for the medicine-students and the one doing their final exams.

I wqas suprsied when you said, Boton is one of the few U.S.cities set up for walking. Are the other cities not good to take walk? It never occured to me that there would be cities that are not likely to walk in them... And I don't really know, wht you mean by it. Maybe you may explain me?

So now I will watch this doomsday-movie "The Core" to the end and then probably will go to sleep.
So good bye.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 4:09 pm (EST) on Jan 22, 2010

Hey How are you?
Arrived well back in Tuscaloosa I hope with a big haul of books I guess. So what did you bring? Did you purchase a Kindle?
here is all going towards the end of term. The library is always full now with busy studying students. I registrated myself today for the interlibrary loan, because I need some articles and books my library does not have, unfortunately.
And Tuesday I finally found aplace to do my internship (missing the right word). It's a kind of 2 month long practice for my study, so for I study a kind of general subject, I have my internship in a book shop I really love. It will be in August and September, amnd I'm really looking forward to it.
How's the work going? I imagine you have a lot of work to catch up with, so I won't disturb you any longer, just wanted to look in and leave you a message.
Hope everything is fine at your's.
Have a nice day, best regards.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 10:37 am (EST) on Jan 21, 2010

Sounds like you're enjoying your visit of the ALA. How was Tim Spaulding, he really did great things by founding LT.
I think you are right about your suspections of men being scared by smart women. I observed this myself, so not personally on my person, but on friends of mine. Though clever girls, and well-read girls (or women) seem to scare men away. I think they can't get this protector-feeling when a girl knows all by herself. They perceive roles as wrong when they can't be superior to their girlfriend/wife. weird.
I thought you abandoned "Wicked", but I think it's good you try to finish it. I for myself hate to leave books unfinished, didn't do it so often til now. And I don't like to have 50-page rules or so, in the recent past I read some really great books, which ends where terrific but the beginning was so... horrible. I think one can't know what's a book like and about by just reading the first 50 pages.
Did you purchase some books? I'm actually trying not to buy more books but rather get them off the shelves, or at leat read. That's why I'm attending the "Books off the Shelf"-Challenge. I don't make good right now, but I hope it gets better soon.
I tried to find out how far away Boston is from Tuscaloosa, and it's pretty much. Google said something round 1200-1400 miles, by car. So did you have snow there as well?? We still have snow here, it's not going to melt very soon as it seems.
Hope you arrived well again at home with books you like (and a Kindle?)

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 4:03 am (EST) on Jan 18, 2010

Don't know if you have chance to read this message and probably you already know, but in Boston will also be a LibrayThing meeting on Satruday 16th, so I just thought you would like to go there...
http://www.librarything.com/blog/2010/01/librarything-party-in-boston.php

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 3:37 am (EST) on Jan 14, 2010

hmm, I suppose you are right about that men are scared away by smart women. My best friend also had problems finding a boyfriend. she now has one but he is as intelligent as she and reads as much as she, so they are on the same level.
So even although I don't want to argue with you, I don't think one can be 'right' about what he/she read. In my opinion there can be several opinions on a book and several interpretations, and as long as they are not totally misleading or leaving out important facts they can't be wrong at all. Opinions on books can just seem more roght because they offer a deeper insight or another point of view, but I cannot say one ha a wrong opinion about a bokk, can I? Ar least that's what I feel about it.
I have never been to the Frankfurt book Fair nor to the one in Leipzig. They Fair in Leipzig is nearly as big as the Fair in Frankfurt, but I didn't managed to go round to either of them...
I would be happy if you send me a post card. I will go looking for a pretty card of Greifswald, so I can send you one as well.
Then lots of fun in Boston, nice Tea Party and don't go buying to many books (on a Kindle).

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 3:31 am (EST) on Jan 14, 2010

Hey have you finished packing your stuff? When will you be driving off tomorrow? How long will you have to be on the road? So I wish you lots of fun, I don't know if it's at all fun being on an American Libary Association meeting though...
Have you finished your book?
Have a joyful week and whatever you're doing on there I hope you have fun!

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 11:47 am (EST) on Jan 13, 2010

Hello!
What you said about the people in Tuscaloosa, that they behave like living in the Arctic, made me smile and reminded me of our first trip to Egypt. We got there in February when it was all cold and snowy and beyond 0°C (+32°F) and there it had 25-30°C (77°F-86°F)but the natives where standing at the airport with thick wool pullovers and were freezing and saying: "Welcome to the Arctic!" and we were sweating and swimming in the sea and the natives really were cold when they went into the water, but there were two surfing teacher who had to go in the water... We tried to explain them what ice is and how our lake was frozen in Germany while they had so high temperatures... they couldn't imagine, so on our next trip we showed them pictures of the frozen Müritz and they had a hard time to believe...
Due to the snow again one seminar will be dropped out due to the snow because the train can't drive, the snow is all on the railway... That means I will have to held my speech next week, don't know if that's good or bad...
A friend told me outside Greifswald there is all chaos because nothing is snow-free and the Greifswalder dozers had to go to the villages and highways to make them snow-free... It seems like we are all a bit overstrained. The radio said it's the coldest winter for 13 years... Dear!

A wedding, that's beautiful. I was just at a wedding one time in my life . I have no sisters or brothers and am nearly the oldest of all my cousins (one is as old as me and another has no contact to my family at all). So the most likely to marry next am I. :D But the decoration and dresses of the bridesmaids you described sound really lovely, I imagine them very beautiful! Without wanting to offend you: Why aren't you married? So I'm just curious, I'm so enchanted by the idea of being married and all that stuff I always have a ard time when people aren't married for whatever reasons. So, just curious :)

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 4:00 am (EST) on Jan 12, 2010

Benita- Hi, there! "World Without End" starts Friday. Here is the link to the general thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/81163
I'm so glad you can join us!
Mark

posted by msf59 at 7:35 pm (EST) on Jan 11, 2010

Hello!
Sounds you're having a busy time right now. I'm glad you came back healthily. Here the tmperatures are a bit moderate, just under the 0°C, which will be, I don't know, +32°F (that's what the internet says) but it's snowing now for 2 days without interruption and it seems the city does'nt care for free streets and sidewalk so they are all covered with snow and mud... One of my classes (my only class) was omitted today because the streets were in a too bad condition for our professor to get into the city....
Our librarians now have the hardest time of semester started, so it are just round three weeks for the exams started and the library is filled now every day with busy learning students. I'm also learning but not in the library. I have to do a little talk tomorrow on "Woyzeck" in one of my classes (Don't know if you know this drama), but I think it will be easy, I won't be amrked though.
So I will leave you alone now and giving you time to set your stuff right.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 1:23 pm (EST) on Jan 11, 2010

Hello!
How are your holidays going? Did you have a peaceful christmas with your family? Mine was quite and very unspectacular but I relished it to be together with my family again although I haven't spent it with my boyfriend. Now New Year's Eve is on the brink, aroung here the people already start to crack and fire rockets. It's beautiful to look at but my dog is going crazy with this loud bangs, she totally scared. How do you welcome the new year?
How is your reading going? Do you have time to work through your books you've taken with you? I make slow progress, but I enjoy the books and isn't that the most important thing?
I took a challenge here on LT, it's called "Books off the shelves" and I really have to read some of my books, there are over 100 I still have to read and from university there are always new ones coming. Some of my books sat on my shelves for 8 years or so... I really get a bad conscience when I think about that. This books that sat on my shelf for so long I took as first my challenge. It contains 350 legends about Mecklenburg - Western Pomerania, my grandpa gave it to me.
I wish you a happy New Year and some other great days with your family.
kind regards

PS. Unfortunately your Christmas Letter hasn't arrived yet, probably Deutsche Post takes there time a bit too long.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 2:00 pm (EST) on Dec 30, 2009

If I had offended you in any way with asking about your books about war I didn't intend to do so. I apologize if that was the case, so see, I was just curious. I never read any book about war voluntary, just the ones we had to read in school like "The Diary of Anne Frank". So I was just curious why you had an own category for those books. Like you can't go to war movies I can't stand reading war books, because they go so deep and they show the ugliest side of humankind. But of course you are right, one can just know about the past and wars and how people's attitude to a thing arrives while reading books, or talking to the people you are interested in. But I think war is hardly an easy topic to talk about, I know just few about WWII by what my grandma told me. She was the only one in my family who really lived the time, my other grandparents weren't even born or just born in the last year, so they can't remember.
I'm just trying to remember if there was so much blood in "Schindler's List", but I can't remember. I just know I found that movie deeply thoughtprovoking and really moving. But I couldn't stand seeing "Saving Private Ryan" (which is just called "Soldat James Ryan" here) the beginning was way too bloddy, although everybody said it would be less in the film moving on...
So again I didn't want to offend you by asking about the books in your library, I was just curious where your interest is in them and now I know, so thanks for the answer.
And again: Nice holidays, great time with your family and a merry christmas!

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 4:32 am (EST) on Dec 19, 2009

For you are driving to your parents tomorrow I wish you a good ride and nice holidays with your family. Hope you arrive well at your family's.
Wish you lots of fun and a merry christmas!

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 12:09 pm (EST) on Dec 18, 2009

Yes we got the first snow here today. It was snowing all day long from 9 a.m. til 4 p.m or so... now it's all white and slippery outsde. I like snow but I'm also glad I just have to go to University one more day, for then the Christmas break begins. I have to borrow some books to study while the free days.
When are you heading off to your family's? And how's your D-Day book working, you think you'll finish it before you go? I noticed you like reading war literature. Are this books just about WWII or about wars in general?

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 2:37 pm (EST) on Dec 17, 2009

Hey you got your new photograph! You look comfortable, I like that. But I liked you better without glasses... or t just they have such dark frames... I would like to see your new ones.
I feel really bad not even knowing about a controversy in my own country... I heard a bit just this evening in the news, but couldn't really make sense of it... I heard that Berlusconi was hit and has a broken nose but I do not know what he has done so far... I had the intention to really catch the news and at least answer your question but yesterday was a complicated day for me and I didn't manage to do so... Furthermore I feel a bit under pressure with all these exams lying ahead and Christmas is on the brink... Okay I'm complaining and fulfilling the german prejudice again :)
Have you collected all your christmas presents yet? I'm just going to give something to my mom and dad. For I have no brothers or sisters and my friend and I promised not to buy presents for each other but go and search together, so we bought a high desk. That we use for writing and as bookshelf.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 1:58 pm (EST) on Dec 16, 2009

sorry for sending the message twice, I accidentically klicked the button a second time

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 2:52 pm (EST) on Dec 14, 2009

Hi!
I finished "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" yesterday and it was an enjoyable read. I like Holmes in his observations and deductions, although I don't like his addiction to cocain, but nobody's perfect right? After this I firsted wanted to read The Straw Men which is a thriller and I think I'm in the mood for one, but probably I give "Gaining Ground" a re-read to search good paragraph for my term paper.
So how are you doing? Have you finished you paper for your philosophy class?
My Christmas holidays are swapped with stuff I have to do for university. For the exams draw nearer every day and I have to start learning. Gladly I just have two exams (oral) I can really learn stuff for, another will just be writing an short essay about a giving topic and the last one will be the term paper. I have the most time for it, but it's also connected with the most work to do with regard to all the research and reading. Hmm probably for the Medieval studies oral exam there will be as much to do... I hope I will pass all my exams.
When di holidays start at yours? And when are you heading to your family? Is it possible we write over the holidays or are you going to be too busy or out of Internet, so it would be okay for me if you can't write and I would understand, cause Christmas time is family time, but I would also be glad and enjoy writing with you over the free days.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 2:51 pm (EST) on Dec 14, 2009

It's true what you said about Obama. It amazed me he mentioned his own surprise in the speech and that there might be people who deserve the prize more. I found that good. But I stumbled about his gratefulness to the norwegian people. For me that was too much "thanks". But that's possible again just because I'm german. We sometimes seem to have difficulties with thanking others.
I nearly bought "The Time Traveller's Wife" today as I went to one of our local bookstores. But I resisted. So proud :) You add a lot of books the last days, why is that? I also had a Stephen King book in hands but I discovered that it contains short stories and until now I seldom like his short stories.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 9:36 am (EST) on Dec 11, 2009

Saw you new photo, but I liked the other one better. If you like, you can send me the photos you want to upload via e-mail and then I can shorten them a bit, for I understand you don't have the right place to do it and not the time.
I didn't see Obamas speech in the news, just heard a bit of what he said in a summary. So I watched it on youtube this morning. For I can't compare it with any other speech he ever hold I just can say: He did well. I'm afraid I'm not a very political interested person, I rarely turn on the TV or Radio. Do you think it is justified he got the Nobel Peace Prize? Most people in Germany, as many other countries, think, it was premature to give him the Prize for he hasn't done anything yet to achieve it. But I think he might be one who can achieve and change things and so probably it was premature but I think it will turn out to be right. I don't know why, but form whatever reason I like your president.
Ou library never opens 24hours a day, The regularly open from 8 am till midnight and service will be Monday til Friday 9am til 9pm and saturday 9 am til 5 pm. On Sundays the library is open as well, but no librarian is there. Just two service man looking that everything is going right. We have an electronical loan machine, so we can loan the books we want by ourselves and not necessarily need the librarians. But I'm shocked to see that our library is closed from 23. December until 3. January. So I have to do a lot of research the last days of this week and the next, because I need material to write my term paper over the Christmas holidays and starting to learn for my other subjects... That will be a stressy week.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 1:55 am (EST) on Dec 11, 2009

Hello!
How are you? I'm totally exhausted today, made a baking-day. I made lots of cookies and tried some new recipes. I have really enough cookies now for two weeks or so. I made them because some friends are going to visit us this weekend to watch ""Colour of Magic" which is a movie made after the equally called book by Terry Pratchett. Additionally my father visited me today and brought a big package with lots of chocolate and sweets. That was our "icolas Day" present. I think all our candies will last til after Christmas.
Tuesday I was a bit depressed. In my one seminar I always fail to satisfy my lecturer with my essays. This week she told me, my English would sound to German. She suggested I should read and write more English. I had to smile about that, because in my opinion I read lots of English text and write also pretty often. But I will try to improve it more and read more contemporary English texts.
Now I have still some homework today for my Early Modern English class. I have to read a text about Pronounciation. For Old English I have to translate the rest of Genesis 3, 1-13, but I'm nearly done, so it won'T take to much time.
What's going at yours?

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 1:20 pm (EST) on Dec 10, 2009

"A Great and Terrible Beauty" seems interesting, maybe I find that somewhere. Can't buy any books at the moment, don't have enough space and I'm afraid I will get a whole bunch new ones for christmas... I don't mind the English in fact, because for university I have to read someones that aren't that easy (had Milton's "Paradise Lost" last semester, that was really difficult, but I managed it). I heard about the "Golden Compass" series and the Film, although I haven't read or seen it. I have seen Narnia, the first part was good, the second I didn't like that much. "New Moon" was quite good, I liked it more than the first part. And I'm proud I could resist reading the books again yesterday evening. I stayed with Holmes.
Today we had an canadian native author speaking in our seminar. It was Drews Hayden Taylor (I think he is spelled that way), don't know how well known he is, but he seemed to be popular at least for an Native author.. He was very humorous, I liked that. I will read something from him in the next time. Hopefully our library has something of him, but I think so.
Yesterday was St, Nicholas Day here in Germany. It was a holiday some decades ago but now it isn't. Though the habit connected with it stayed the same. I don't know if you have this custom, but every year on the 6th December is Nicholas Day and children (and adults) will get some sweets into their shoes. The children are told to clean their shoes otherwise they wouldn't get anything. It goes back to an bishop I guess called Nicholas who gave the poor goods. At leat that's what we were told from our parents and in school. Probably my professor will tell it differently...
I have to have a look on my essay for tomorrow. By the way how is your philosophy reading going?

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 2:43 pm (EST) on Dec 7, 2009

Let's see if I remember erverything you wrote...
Is this series by Libba Bray, "Great and Terrible Beauty" also a Vampire-series? I am a little bored by this Vampire stuff, because after Twilight no everyone seems to write about it. First I didn't want to read the Twilight-series either but a friend of mine insisted on it and I was caught. If you want to read a real hooking Love-Story you should read the books, although I am no friend of the last one. It's okay, but doesn't fit right into the other books. It's interesting you have the Twilight books in you university library. Our library has some fictional books as well, but mostly the canonical books and I would be really surprised when I would find Twilight in it. By the way, I'm going to see "New Moon" today. I am curious if this one will be really better than the first movie. I hope so.
What you said about Germans and there worries about pronounciation seemed to be very typical for our nation. This clischees turn out to be right I guess. I had to smile when you wrote that. One of my professors said, we Germans like to complain about everything (and more so to worry about verything) and that the British, American and Canadian people would rather say they are fine when they aren't than to complain about something. That was interesting. Like you obsered we Germans are a bit perfectionistic about nearly everything. But I will try not to worry about something and whenever you are going to write/say something in German to me, not to correct you. ;)
Yes, we went to the Christmas market yesterday. In Greifswald the market is really small. Just two merry-go-rounds for the youngsters, something called Auto-Scooter here in Germany. You will sit in an electric car, drive on a platform that's 10 to 5 meters and try to hit others... stupid. And lots of candy and Gluehwein-huts. At the start there was a machine, were you put 1 Euro in and then you can grab stuffed animals with a grabber... My friend got me a snorting ape.
Today my dog is ill, I gave her a different feed then elsewise so now she has a bit stomachache. But I think she will be fine soon. She tends to have stomachaches very often when something isn't going the usual way. She is a very scared dog....
I started reading some short stories with Sherlock Holmes yesterday. I like him and the stories are just flowing so I will end it maybe today or some time this week.I try to guess the solution and sometimes I will be right, sometimes it is just totally different than I thought.
I sent you my mailing address. I'm wondering to didn't have it, because I have sent it to you last week or so. Possibly my e-mail program wasn't working right, I have sent it to you again, tell me if you got it.
Have a enjoyable time at all your christmas Parties.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 6:38 am (EST) on Dec 6, 2009

hey!
That cookie party sounds very interesting, and will have a lots of cookies afterwards!
I had to look up how cold 60 Fahrenheit is in Celsius, because in Germany we measure the temperature in Celsius. SO 60 Fahrenheit is yeah, lets say I wouls be happy with it, because here we have mostly between 40 and 50 Fahrenheit, although it isn't freezeing in the morning, which is good luck as long as I have to ride to universitiy by bike. An for the cars it is even greater luck, but the streets will be cleaned earlier then the bikeway and sidewalk.
This weekend we're going to watch "New Moon". Althoug you might not have read the books, you might probably herad of all the hipe about Stephenie Meyer and her famous Vampire-series. Although I love the books, the first film wasn't that great. See how the second (New Moon) is going to be.
I wish you lots of fun at all your christmas parties, they sound great. But what's a supper club? You meet with people and cook together? Something similar my friend made one year with to of his mates, they were meeting once a week and cook something together. I liked that, because at this time I wasn't living with him and so I was sure he will eat something good and healthy, not just Fast-Food or instant meals.... I'm probably going to the chistmas party of the german institute. There will be a competition about the best cookies. Maybe I'll enter it.
I will go now to my Early Modern English class... speaking about the Great Vowel Shift!
P.S. I have to apologize about all these spelling mistakes I likely always have. So: Excuse me, that I'm too lazy to read twice what I have written. I hope you can read (and understand) it however.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 1:35 am (EST) on Dec 4, 2009

I know about Henna, just didn't guess that was it what's on your hands. When we were in Egypt a friend had a Henna tatoo on his back. In arabic regions is it very common as you said. So here in the north we do not have so much henna-shops, especially because arabian people are not that common here, we have more eastern-europe guys around, from Poland, Russia and so.
Today was actually my long day, but one of my lecturers got ill suddenly, so a lecture was off. That was a bit pitty because I just rode to the city for this and then I had to ride back again. SO possibly I'm not going to my exercise this evening. Don't have pleasure to ride these 3 kilometers towards and 3km back again, which takes all in all half an hour... I never missed class this years so it will be excusable... Depends on my mood in 2 hours.
My friend wishes to have cokkies around now, so probably I will do some. I will take my baking books now and look something up, should try something new.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 7:34 am (EST) on Dec 2, 2009

hey!
you've got a picture in your profile, great! You look simpatico, which is fantastic because mostly pople, whom I chat with and don't see pictures from the beginning turn out to look a bit crazy. Okay that's sounds odd and awkward about myself, but I always liked them even when they looked crazy, so would like you however. I should stop, I'm just making it worse...
What did you do with you hands? Is it paint or did you have a big tattoo on them?
I saw you writing in a thread about learning German. Do you really consider this it or is it just a joke? I wouls like it, I could provide with some explanations... but probably you have courses at university for learning German.
A friend of mine gave me book about cooking, so another mountain of receipes to try. I haven't done a third of the other stuff by now... On weekend I tried nougat croissants. I usually buy them in a baking shop, but wanted to try them myself. They tasted quite good although I think I should have done less nougat in or done something with the nougat for it was not that creamy it should have been....

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 2:24 pm (EST) on Dec 1, 2009

Thank you for enlighten me about the paperbacks. In Germany it is a bit different. We also have these hardbound ones, which also usually cost around 25 Euro. But then there is just one paperback kind and they mostly cost around 8.95 Euro. We have definite prices for books, thats a law here, so even private sellers for instance on ebay aren't allowed to go under this price as long as the book is new. That's made up so that publishers can't beat the prices. So usually when I buy a paperback I know it will be 8.95 Euro, there are very few exceptions. With the hardbound ones it's quite similar, they almost always cost 25 Euro, but few exception are here as well.

The advent is celebrated throughout whole Germany. It's a bit odd because it's even celebrated in non-religious families like mine. I ever have the impression that Germany is as half religious as other countries, USA for instance. But that could be just because I was brought up in a non-religious environment. But this advent wreath is kind of tradition, they are even sold in flower shops. Also artificial ones. I have an assumption for the candle and your mom, but it's really an theological one, so probably it just don't fit to your mother. In religious pictures the Vrigin Mary will always be portrayed with a blue cloak on her, contrariwise to Mary Magdalene who will be shown with a red one. So Possibly your mother takes a blue candle because the advent time belongs to Mary the virgin and then on Christmas Eve the white one is taken to relate to Jesus Christ. I think that woulf fit him well. The blue claok by the way and the red one for Mary Magdalene was stated by some of these councils, probably that one of Nizäa, for there had been a lot of things stated. I have to reread that sometime.
Did you enjoy your lon weekend? I relaxed a bit this one, read and played a bit on the computer and we visited a friend yesterday to have cheese fondue and played some plays.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 1:52 pm (EST) on Nov 30, 2009

I knwe that Thanksgiving isn't the same as these harvest festivals. But I took a glance on Wikipedia. I just can say: One of my professors (The one for North American Studies who has really good connections to Natives) told us different things about the Natives help on Thanksgiving. The quote from "Of Plymouth Plantation" we read in the lecture (I'm not sure if I really read it...) and he said, that the Natives haven't taught them anything, they just were angry about the Pilgrims. But I don't know if he really said it this way, or if I just didn't listen right or I mixed it up, because it's a years ago now that I heard it. But I will attend this lecture once more in a year so probably I am enlightened then. I'm not willing to argue about this, especially while I'm not sure... But anyhow it's a holiday, it's a feast where families come together and therefore it's agood thing.
I would be verry happy and honoured to receive a Christmas Letter from you (I don't care if it's bragging, I know you haven't intended on that). That's a lovely tradition. In Germany we just send Christmas Cards, with just a few lines on them, it's more like fulfilling of duty. I don't care about such things. The people who are important to me, I'm going to visit for they don't live that far away from me. But I think your Christmas Letters are somewhat different, so I will be happy about one. I will tell ou my adress via mail, because I don't want it to be here for everybody to see. (I have to find your e-mal again, but I think I will manage)
I've looked which copy of "Every Man dies alone" you have, and it appears that yours and mine "Every Man a Murderer" are not the same. Yours is from Hans Fallada, who is a german author as well. But mine is from Heimito von Doderer (cruel name, I know) who is in fact an austrian author. I don't recommend mine so far, but it's going to come to the point right now, probably it will turn out to be great. I'll see.
I finally made my Advent wreath today, which isn't a wreath actually but some fir tree branches arranged on a plate, with a napkin under the branches and a big red candle on it and three smaller candles (two in form of a fir cone and one of an apple). It's a simple one, we don't like all this overdone christmas decoration. We like it more homely. With us the decoration is to be out of wood and potted things in easeful colours, not all this plastic stuff wit it's shrill colours.
Okay that's to be enough from me. I hope you had a relaxed weekend and enjoyed yourself.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 12:39 pm (EST) on Nov 27, 2009

I saw your comment about the music for "Shadow of the Wind" and dug around a bit. Here's a link for info on The Angels Game music. =o) I would have posted it in the thread but I wasn't sure you'd see it. Feel free to share. =o)
~BD

http://www.randomhouse.com/ddpg/feature/zafon/music.php

posted by biggdiel at 11:13 pm (EST) on Jul 6, 2009