Member: jrbeach

Hi Jane,

Thanks for your message. I was happy to find you have such a compilation of polar books - you're a very good source to return to.

I also craved reading about remote places, long ordeals, etc. Tho I don't remember some of the names of the books now I also read about the american who spent time in the russian space station, people who climbed everest, people who sailed across the Drake passage, etc.

Six years ago a friend asked me if I could travel anywhere in the world where would I go? I said somewhere to see glaciers and icebergs. I never thought I'd ever be able to but harbored a dream to take an Alaskan cruise some day. At the time I was working for the post office and teaching myself video on the side. One day I delivered some dvds that had penguins on the cover. I took one home that was undeliverable. Wow. Antarctica. It was beautiful and so well done. I looked this expedition company up on the web and found out they hired video people to work on their ships. It took awhile to feel like I was good enough to apply but I eventually did. Now I work in Alaska, the Arctic, and the Antarctic plus other places as well. Next Weds. I leave to work 40 days in the Falkland Islands, S Georgia, and the Antarctic pennisula. (check them out at www.expeditions.com)

These places aren't as cold as you'd imagine because we're there in their summer months and we aren't all the way to the poles. The parts of Antarctica I was in last Jan. were in the 30's, occasionally warmer in the sun. I'll be there earlier this year so it may be a little colder.

So lately the books I read tend to be set closer to home but it's still armchair traveling really, that sense of being pulled into another world. It's especially nice when I'm working on the ships with very little time to relax.

But anyway, I was looking through Caroline Alexander's The Endurance again, added it to my list on LT, and that prompted me to look up your library. I marked it because I know I'll be looking for another polar book at some point.

Take care and keep reading,
Nancy

posted by nancenwv at 9:07 pm (EST) on Oct 8, 2008

Hi, Jane, I'm excited because you're the first person to comment on my library! The reason I have so many gardening books is that my dream when I was in my twenties was to homestead and raise my family in the country. It took me a whole lot of years to realize that I didn't marry a farmer. I quit my job in Dec., so this spring my goal is give my much neglected small city garden the attention it needs.
I did a search on Des Kennedy because I had never heard of him. You're right, I would probably enjoy his books a lot. Thank you.

Marilyn

posted by mldg at 3:55 pm (EST) on Feb 28, 2008

Thanks for that, Renee! I actually have one Stevenson in my library - Amberwell. I picked it up in the attic of my boyfriend's grandfather's house just a month or so ago! I haven't read it yet, but it looks promising.

- Helen

posted by miss_read at 10:25 am (EST) on Dec 10, 2007

Whew! I have just finished perusing all the 1,419 books you have listed - what a wonderful list! I have got a LOT of ideas for reading - and also remembering books that I have already read, which I have added to my library under the tag "books i've read". I am going to add you to my "watch list" so I can see when you add books to give me new ideas.
I still have a lot to catalog so our number of books in common will be increasing yet.
Have you ever heard about paperbackswap.com? If you want to get books free, this is the way to go. Before I joined in 2005, I used to spend over a $1,000 a year in used books. PBS also includes hard covers too. They allow you to have a "wish list" of up to 200 books (I am at my limit, ha ha) so that when a book comes in that you want, it is reserved for you. Then you don't have to "ration" a thing! Just thought I'd let you know!

Renee

posted by ClassicRenee at 3:06 pm (EST) on Jul 6, 2007

Wow! Are our tastes in books ever alike! I love your nature/animals and nature/country collection and I have got a lot of ideas from viewing those, especially the animal books. I think you would really like reading Derek Tangye. He and his wife lived in the country in Cornwall and had cats, donkeys and tame sparrows. They ran a daffodil farm. The books are similar to Jeanine McMullin. I love your polar/alaska group too! I like to read books about the arctic and antarctic, although would not like to live there! I haven't got to look at all 1,300 books but I will be back. I only have about 500 books tops - that's all the room I have!

Renee - Muskego, Wisconsin (near Milwaukee)

posted by ClassicRenee at 9:35 am (EST) on Jun 27, 2007