Member: gibbon

I dithered over the latest Rosemary Sutcliffe to have a folio edition. I hope to pick it up on an offer another time. My daughter's not quite nine, but with a better reading age and I'm loving reading books for older children into teens and YA. She enjoys reading but is not good at finding books for herself to read - that I can help with!

posted by gaskella at 1:00 pm (EST) on Jul 5, 2009

Hi - and thanks for your nice note - I'm glad to meet a fellow reviewer - I agree that always writing something soon after you read it helps to fix the book in your mind. And I admit, being an enthusiast rather than formally trained in Eng Lit etc, I do go back and improve mine too! When I have a moment, I'll check out your library fully - I am sure I'll find some great items ... By the way, I lived in Stevenage for many years, and Hatfield Poly was always rather fondly spoken of, especially once it became the Univ of Herts.
Annabel
P.S. I also have a blog - www.gaskella@blogspot.com - all comments welcome!

posted by gaskella at 2:49 am (EST) on Oct 9, 2008

(oh, and Dracula! I *wish* it had pop-up bats! I think the only "enriched" bit is an introduction. Ah bien.)

posted by ablachly at 7:07 pm (EST) on Oct 8, 2008

Thanks for the Casteret recommendation, over a year later I've finally tracked one down - a 1950's Penguin Travel edition - and I'm really enjoying it. I'm amazed by what he managed to explore with such basic equipment.

posted by reading_fox at 11:26 am (EST) on Aug 8, 2008

I always applaud people who climb the Glastonbury Tor in rough weather. I am yet to go out of the house and not see people up there - no matter how stormy, wet and cold the day is.

As for "bedroom books" sadly (for some) I have no intention of getting rid of them since they are the ones I cherish most. My catalogue started with the intention of listing only those but my love of book listing took over and I am now attempting to catalogue the entire library. I don't seperate them from the rest of the books - I just keep them out of the children reach.

If someoe wants to know me via my library they might be confused... but then again... so am I...

posted by Zehavit_Lamasu at 4:40 am (EST) on Jul 26, 2007

Casteret has also apparently written "The darknes under the Earth". Thanks for the hint I'd never heard of him, I'm sure it will be hard to get hold of, but I'll add it to the long list.

Do you cave?

There is are Outdoor Readers group, and a Cornish books (and SouthWest) groups if you are interested.

posted by reading_fox at 12:07 pm (EST) on Jul 17, 2007

Yes I did get an answer about buckle, but thanks anyway. It was kind of you to notice my question. I never took the odd things too seriously with Hopkins, but just went along with the gorgeous language and the feeling. His religiosity is hard for me to understand, being entirely without it, but I have always loved his work and my sense of the person behind the work.

posted by almigwin at 1:56 pm (EST) on Jul 16, 2007

Greetings, and congratulations on finding the Hopkins! I've had a few books with uncut pages and never seem able to cut them neatly -- I think they used to sell special implements for the purpose.

Would you by any chance be interested in the Hopkins group on LT (known as Buckle!)? It's sadly neglected at the moment.

posted by perodicticus at 5:02 pm (EST) on Jan 18, 2007

I, like you, didn't understand much of hyperspace, yet enjoyed it immensely! ... hope you have a good time in Scotland!

posted by Eric_the_Hamster at 2:24 pm (EST) on May 11, 2006

Hi gibbon! An odd example of crosspollination follows, but I read your comment on geoffmiles's account and just wanted to say I know Garnett's TWILIGHT OF THE GODS and rather liked it, the "elixir of life" story in particular.

posted by bibliotheque at 3:52 am (EST) on Apr 26, 2006

A shame the Drabble turned out to be so disappointing (I haven't read it yet, so not sure what to expect). I am sure you will enjoy Hyperspace - let me know what you think when you have finished.

Have a lovely break!

posted by Eric_the_Hamster at 10:37 am (EST) on Apr 7, 2006

'Mists of Avalon' is still on my 'to read' list. But I read the Mary Stewart trilogy years ago and enjoyed it. I think my favourite Arthurian fiction (apart from TH White!) is Rosemary Sutcliff's 'Sword at Sunset'. A very convincing realist-historical version, a sequel to her YA novels about Roman Britain, with Arthur as a Romano-British warlord trying to preserve Roman civilisation as the dark ages close in ....

I envy you having Glastonbury just down the road - fascinating place. NZ has a distinct shortage of medieval abbeys and castles! Many other advantages, mind you.

posted by geoffmiles at 11:55 pm (EST) on Jan 31, 2006

Yes, the 'wilds of Canada' was definitely metaphorical :)

posted by fishsanwitt at 10:17 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2006

Sorry, I had to delete my previous comment b/c I realized, after the fact, that it might be spoilery for 'Passage', her newest novel.

I have to say that although I love 'Doomsday Book' (it was the first one I read), both 'Lincoln's Dreams' and 'To Say Nothing Of The Dog' are up there as well. 'Dreams' especially. The minutiae that she describes is mind-boggling. I've completely fallen in love with that book.

posted by fishsanwitt at 11:54 pm (EST) on Jan 7, 2006

Thank you for your kind comment re my tags - I am just finishing off adding the rest of my books today then the tagging will be ongoing for a while (everything newly acquired gets tagged as a matter of course but I just bunged all the titles on for the time being for the others!)

I haven't read the Connie Willis yet but you're the second person to let me know they are good - it was a present from a good friend of mine met through BookCrossing, and looks great! I'll submit a review when I'm done with it (that's the next stage, adding all the reviews out of my reading journal - argh!)

posted by LyzzyBee at 6:11 am (EST) on Jan 2, 2006

Sorry I haven't been checking Library Thing for a while -- you left a comment for me way back on Nov 14th (fanalex) asking what a "wiener dog" is -- that's American for dachshund (sometimes called "dash-hound"), those adorable little long, low-to-the-ground dogs beloved by Princess Margaret. "Wiener" being slang for "hot dog" or "frankfurter", which these dogs resemble, by way of "wiener", which is German for "frankfurter", because this breed originated in Germany, where, paradoxically enough, they are known as either Dackels or Teckels ("sausage dog"). Which is probably more than you really wanted to know!

posted by fanalex at 4:30 pm (EST) on Dec 27, 2005

Thanks for your comment about the Fadiman book -- unfortunately I don't know enough real readers in my life to have a book that is my giveaway-instead-of-loan book. I'll have to check out the Feynman though, I've seen it around enough but always just assumed it would be over my head since it had his name on it and I'm not much for science.

posted by ursula at 2:12 am (EST) on Dec 16, 2005

You're cataloging CDs here? Hmmm... That might be what I do next after I get done with the books.

PS Has anyone ever told you that you bear a remarkable resemblance to a young Tom Hanks?

posted by jasfaulkner at 12:42 pm (EST) on Dec 10, 2005

Ska is better than some of the punk my son likes LOL.

Yes, I have catalogued all my music CDs. Usually I put the band name in the "author" field. If there isn't a band, the performer (or first-named performer if there is more than one) goes in the author field and if there are other performers they go in the "other authors" field. For classical music by one composer, the composer name goes in author and performer/soloist/orchestra etc. all go in the "other authors" field, separated by commas. Collections by multiple composers probably get entered under the most important of group or soloist and I may or may not enter the names of the composers in the "other authors" field.

I think if you go to my profile and click on my tags and then on cd you can see how I've done it.

The only problem is that when I was entering CDs, LT was having a little problem and some of the "other authors" didn't get saved and I didn't notice. I haven't had time to go back and see which ones need fixing.

Best wishes to you from frosty western Canada (only -17 today).

Jane

posted by tardis at 11:54 am (EST) on Dec 6, 2005

Thanks for that- I liked A king reluctant and fanfare for a witch but finding it difficult to penetrate And so - Victoria

Just had a look at your catalogue and 1066 and all that, 7 1/2 cents are certainly books I hunt for in charity shops & library sales

All the best

Richard

posted by wrichard at 1:38 pm (EST) on Dec 2, 2005

I too found the layout of Crystal's 'The Stories of English' disappointing, although I think Crystal's insights and style made up for it.

How are you getting on with Barbara Grizzuti Harrison?

posted by perodicticus at 6:15 pm (EST) on Dec 1, 2005

Thanks for the comment about "Domesday Book"-- I will check it out. Are you a Stephen Fry fan?

posted by nancytribe at 5:34 pm (EST) on Nov 29, 2005

Yes, I read about this site on a livejournal at 11:30 pm and thought I'd wander over and find out what it was. At 2:30 am I had to stop adding books because my eyes were so tired I could hardly see the screen. It's addictive.

It seems like it would be interesting to live in a place that's been written about, or that has a history. Whether accurate or not, Canada gives the impression, not only that nothing has ever happened here, but that nothing ever will.

I really did love the Falco novels, but I stopped after 'Two for the Lions' and I haven't read them for a long time. I really did enjoy 'The Silver Pigs', though . . . I should get it from the library.

posted by Poodlerat at 12:57 am (EST) on Nov 8, 2005

Yes, it's Sargent's Portrait of Mme. X (Virginie Gautreau). Caused a great scandal when it was shown at the Paris Salon.

posted by lilithcat at 7:26 am (EST) on Nov 4, 2005

Yes, I've got 'The twilight of the gods' (though it doesn't show up on our list of shared books for some reason). Found an old Penguin copy recently, after first discovering Garnett ('The demon Pope') in Tom Shippey's Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories. It sits on my shelf next to Ernest Bramah (who I see you're also a fan of). I love their brand of dry, deadpan, polysyllabic humour.

posted by geoffmiles at 1:28 am (EST) on Oct 23, 2005

You're right- I'm happy enough with 50 a day, even if it'll be awhile before I make much of a dent.

Browsing your collection, I see we have a good number of books in common; I'd be quite content to spend time in your library. What you have a great deal of that I don't have is English fiction and English history. I do have and enjoy books like The History of Myddle and The Charm of the English Village, but books like those don't crop up much in Florida bookstores.

posted by alembics at 9:42 pm (EST) on Oct 22, 2005

Thanks for the compliment on our wee elephant - he's got a wicked gleam in his eye, for a teapot. Good to know Broyard did not disappoint!

posted by illiterati at 11:04 am (EST) on Oct 17, 2005

Thank you so much for the Wilkins suggestion...it certainly sounds like I'll find his stuff fascinating!!!

posted by sylphette at 5:48 pm (EST) on Oct 10, 2005

Heh, I actually did catalogue most of the Falcos the old-fashioned way. For some reason, the ISBNs weren't searching at amazon.co.uk, so I had to type a bit of the title on each one. Holt and Rankin, too. Of course that has to be the nationality of my most prolific authors!

posted by angharad at 8:06 pm (EST) on Sep 29, 2005