Member: kjhill45

Hello again. For some reason I thought the Vinyl Cafe Diaries was a fresh new anthology from McLean. I guess I was dazzled by the Penguin packaging only to discover that I already own and long ago read the original paperback edition as I was browsing through my LT catalogue. Oops!

posted by betterthanchocolate at 6:47 pm (EST) on Aug 19, 2009

Hello Krista! It is now coming to the end of the summer (for this teacher) and I have had my fill of Canadian novels, peaches by the quart and some serious R&R. I finally picked up Stuart McLean's When We Were Young and you were right--I enjoyed it very much. Thanks for the recommendation. Also stumbled upon the Penguin edition of his story collection Vinyl Cafe Diaries, which was a nice revisit with some familiar and some new tales of Dave and his family. It's the kind of book that for a fan is a deeply satisfying read. Anything you have been reading lately that you could recommend to a fellow reader of Canadian fiction? Christine

posted by betterthanchocolate at 6:36 pm (EST) on Aug 19, 2009

Hi....just read your review on My Sister's Keeper....I too quite liked it (it's really quite a page-turner) and just like you, was a little disappointed in the death at the end. However, I have been very disappointed in any other Piccoult books that I have read....Vanishing Acts (terrible), The Pact (forgettable) and The Tenth Circle (ridiculous). I don't know why after these bad reads, I continue to pick her books up. Maybe I am looking for another My Sister's Keeper.

posted by brendaough at 5:51 pm (EST) on Jul 2, 2009

Hi Krista,
Oh when I hear talk of Yvr, I get all sentimental. There is so much of it I miss! I used to go to the store near the Granville bridge. I still have a credit! If I find it (or still have it) I can send it to you!! They moved? It was kinda grungy but it was well organized; better than most. They had magazines which was great. I used to walk home from dt and stop in a lot.
I worked in an independent store here for the first 2 yrs I was in the govt and it was a lot of fun (terrible wage) but I had regulars who liked my recommendations.
I loved the Book Warehouse on West 10th. I went there a LOT!
Book sales??! Ha! I was at two last week. Thursday's one was a blast, $1 or $2 and always a good one. The Friday night one was terrible weather getting to. Ice rain and high winds. A friend had an accidental meeting with a stop sign and never made it. I found some great stuff but they taped (YES! scotch-taped price stickers to the spine of the books!!) Sick.
I work on two book sales per year. My small one is April 4&5 and my big one is early November. I'm on the org committees for both. Both in Rockcliffe Park which is a beautiful neighbourhood. I just love them both. So much energy and knowledge flying around the room. The smaller one is lots of older ladies who have extensive book knowledge and I just soak it up. All proceeds go back into our library branch and it's the same one where I have my book group which turns 5 next week. My bigger one in the fall will be 49 this year and we give grants to city schools to buy books for their libraries - it's so awesome! Great group I get to work with too. Even the Prime Minister's wife (she's on the committee) He drops in to help too. (zzz)
Ya most book sales are supporting something but there are so many of them now that it worries me. Most libraries have 2nd hand books to sell. We put one in at my branch and it generates an extra 1000 to 1500 a year. All of that goes back in to buy kids books, special mags, to get authors ( we had Meg Tilly a few months ago for the kids) etc etc. Sad state of affairs when your own city can't give you enough funding to sustain you.
Shipping books?! Yikes, it's $$$$. I had to give up so many when I left Yvr. It was sooooo hard! My plants and my books were the hardest parts of leaving! I drove across the US and took all my big books (Day in the Life etc) in the car. And now I have so many books that I now have 3 double stacked rows. I'm thinking of getting rid of some furniture and swapping for bookshelves! Kijiji here I come!
No never read W.Johnston but have "Colony".
It is still a deep freeze here. We have had two brutal winters in a row. Enough already! Time changes this weekend and Spring is coming soon. I have mounds of snow on my front lawn still tho! :>( I think it's going to be awhile.

Are you looking forward to the Olympics? I write to someone in Richmond who may rent her house for 10 grand and take off for the duration.. I wish I was there, it will be exciting. I would sign up to volunteer. But can't imagine the traffic nightmares!

Bye for now,
Missing Vancouver in Ottawa,
Clamato

posted by clamato at 9:23 pm (EST) on Mar 3, 2009