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Interesting libraries: jjmcgaffey, WholeHouseLibrary

LibraryThing authors: Sherryl Woods (sherrylwoods)

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Member: sgerbic

Library631 books — see library

Reviews180 reviews — see reviews

Cloudstag cloud, author cloud

TagsHistory (186), American History (114), Mystery (112), Fiction (83), Biography (79), Young Adult (76), Science Fiction (55), 4 stars - darn good book (42) — see all tags

GroupsAmerican History, Atheists review books, The Green Dragon

About me My favorite book is always the one I just finished or the one I'm about to start. They have been my friends and comfort, and have opened doors I would never have known existed.

Through High School my report card reported my average status, totally C's every time. Teachers thought nothing of me, middle of the road student, didn't make trouble, awkward, very weird but not college material, not interested in learning.

I feel like I have been playing catch-up all my adult life. I have been in college almost 20 of the 28 years since High School, class after class I still feel like I'm behind everyone else. Only recently I understand why I feel this way, it is because I am not satisfied being that C student. I keep looking towards the A+ students, wondering what they are reading, why did they succeed? So there are always people ahead of me, when I catch up to those people then I look for the people even higher up, not realizing that I have been making progress all this time.

I have enjoyed organizing my home library here, it has been therapeutic and eye-opening. I can see where I have been and what remains to be done. This has taken me weeks to write all the reviews, and label all the books, but I think for me it is worth it.

Now at 45, with my application turned in for the History Master's program I now know I am not that C student anymore. I still have lots to learn, but I'm not that clueless kid, now I know where the doors are, and looking over my shoulder can see some of the doors I've already been through.

Susan,
April 10, 2008

Homepagehttp://www.gerbic.com

Real nameSusan Gerbic

LocationSalinas, CA

Favorite authorsNone specified

Account typepublic, lifetime

URLs http://www.librarything.com/profile/sgerbic (profile)
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/sgerbic (library)

Member sinceMay 6, 2008

Comments from other LibraryThing-ers

(Leave a comment.)

Hi again Susan,
You remarked:
I wonder why you do not review your books, one of the best features on LT is this ability to quickly see what others think about a book.

The reason I haven't reviewed books (until quite recently) is twofold. One is that I am a pathetically slow, and inconsistent reader. One would think that, since I am still waiting for my next bit of Contract work to commit (currently 3 are pending), I'd spend a lot of time reading, but I don't. I spend a lot of time here, and taking care of family matters (FiL died in January, and it's a really long story -- a lot of which is already in various posts here on LT). The other tawdry excuse is that I had not been in the habit of writing my thoughts about a book until about a year ago, when I started keeping a reading journal. Once I got a feel for what was pertinent and what was not, I compared my notes to other reviews and decided that I need to be more concise. This message is a prime example -- I could keep this stream-of-consciousness writing form going all day! So, that's why I've written only 2 reviews. The one about Chauvet Cave was written by my wife and posted on Amazon or eBay, or ~wherever~, over a year ago, but I brought it back home to LT. I also spend a lot of time writing stories -- some are complete fiction, others are memoirs for my sons to have when I'm gone. It's their inheritance, since their mother and my lawyer got all the money in the divorce, 10 years ago.

You'll notice that there isn't much activity in our currently commonly-shared Group. Perhaps you'll be the one to breathe some new life into it. Otherwise, feel free to stop by the Green Dragon for a pint of ale, and some cheese, and good conversation. You may also find Happy Heathens to your liking.

Mike
Hi Susan, and thank you for your book suggestion, and for putting me on your Interesting Libraries list. Just curious -- I've got over 1400 books in there (and another 400+/- yet to be cataloged). What makes it interesting to you? Frankly, I find it difficult to look at lists of books; would much rather see them up close and personal. For that reason, I rarely look at other people's libraries, unless I search by tag.

Prior to finding LibraryThing, I cataloged our books in a spreadsheet (now 28 columns of info, one of which can contain any of 34 different codes for the idiosyncrasies of each book. I've been accused of being a tad OCD. I still maintain the spreadsheet in parallel with the LibraryThing catalog.

Interesting bio you wrote, but you look much younger than what you mentioned.

See you on the threads!
Mike
WholeHouseLibrary
Yeah, a heckalota reading...but I read fast, and I'm literally addicted to books. Story I tell: I went to England to go to university there. Arrived before the university was properly open, and a week before the library opened; I couldn't find the town library nor the bookstores. I'd only brought three books with me and I'd read two of them on the plane and the third the first night...by the second day I had the shakes! My hands were literally quivering. I finally borrowed a book from my roommate (the one and only John Grisham I've ever read, The Firm) and that tided me over until I found the bookstore in town. It was...seriously weird. I haven't read all of my 3K books - some of them are reference books, some I bought en masse and just haven't gotten around to yet, some I have because they're important books and I really should read them...I'm chipping away at my TBR pile, but it's frequently more fun to reread an old favorite.

By the way, do you know there's a Google Book Search column you can add to your library? Or you can go to GBS from any book's details page - it is (or can be - you may have to add it) in the Buy, Borrow, Swap or View list on the top right. Only thing is, GBS is tied to a particular edition (ISBN), so the column may not have the link if you don't have the exact same edition. The BBSV list takes you to the front page of GBS, and you can search from there.

Yeah, not a lot of stores in Salinas! Have you checked out LT Local yet? There are several stores in Monterey and Pacific Grove - not close, but closer than San Jose.

There are a _lot_ of elements to LT. You'll find them as you explore. But do ask, me or anyone, here or in a Talk topic, 'cause most LTers love telling what they've figured out about LT...
Oh yeah - and it's Jennifer. For some reason jjmcgaffey (Jennifer Jean McGaffey) is read as Jim a lot...I guess it's that second dot .
Ooof. I never tried Google Library - but it doesn't sound very useful! Can't search your own library?

Yes, I moved a bunch of reviews over too - from my 50 Book Reading Challenge here. I had never done real reviews before, but I decided it would be fun to have them. The only thing is, on LT a review is tied to a book so if you remove a book from your library you also delete the review. So I've got a lot of Discard books, some of which I've reviewed...and with 3k books, I haven't gotten around to rating or reviewing most of my books. I need the reminder of what I'd decided the stars meant!

BTW, you put your comment on your profile rather than on mine - there's a 'reply' link at the bottom of the comment that will put it on my profile, or go there and enter it directly. I got the auto-notice that you'd put me on your Interesting Libraries list and came over to see.
Thank you Jim for giving me my first comment, I came from Google Library and encountered too many frustrations to count. One major problem is the inability to search your own library for a book you know you have. So moving all my books and reviews was an event that has taken me days. I hope there aren't a lot more errors like the one you found but I can guess there will be plenty.

As you can see I have reviewed "Out of the Silent Planet" now. Apparently when I read it in 2004 I liked it, but felt it was the Chronicles of Narnia all over again, same plot, same history, same characters. It's always fun to re-read reviews years later and wonder "what was I thinking?" I have read several books that I reviewed that I loved at the time, but now years later I can barely remember them. I think that the really great books you remember and think about later.

I noticed that you did the same thing I did with the point system for rating books. I based my system if I would have talked about my book to others or if the book gave me pause. After I reviewed everything I erased the rating system I had in my profile.

I see you have a lot of reviews and we have a lot of books in common (not much of a surprise when you have over 3K books, bet you have many libraries in common). I look forward to reading your comments (something you had a difficult time with Google) and reviews.

Susan
Hi - I was reading some of your reviews and noticed one that was misplaced. The review of Out of the Silent Planet is - um, Hugo Winners? It's a discussion of several short stories. The review is excellent, it just doesn't apply to Out of the Silent Planet! And I'd be interested in reading your take on OotSP, as well - I've never managed to start that one.

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