Group Leading Log: April 2013

There doesn't seem to be a thread for this month, so I am going to kick it off.

I have finished reading Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I found this book to be much easier to read than most classics. The personalities and culture took a little getting used to, but became endearing after a while. The language was sometimes confusing, but not unbearably so. I do think this book is worth reading.

I attempted to read Eclipse by Richard North Patterson. The first part of this novel was riveting, but after that I simply lost interest. However, I don't think the fault lies with the book which is well-written and suspenseful and deals with important issues. I guess I just wasn't in the mood for this style of heavy-handed activism. A different reader will probably enjoy it.

And I have finally finished reading The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn. This has got to be the best purchase I have ever made, with the possible exception of my kindle, and I didn't even pay full price. Thanks to a gift voucher I won for Powell's Books, I was able to acquire this book for the cost of postage.

When I first received this book, I was advised to read it cover to cover first, then go back through it with a notebook and write down all tips I think are relevant to my family. I have just finished reading it for the first time and I can understand why I was advised to read it this way. This three-in-one book is so chock full of useful information that I would have quickly been overwhelmed if I had started copying tips from the get-go.

The Complete Tightwad Gazette is not a dry, boring list of hints and tips. Rather it is a seemingly random selection of articles, written in an engaging and personal style that keeps the reader entertained and prevents boredom. The length of book seems daunting at first, but the articles capture the imagination so well that, despite the more than nine hundred pages, one is left hungry for more.

Off the top of my head, my top ten tightwad gazette tips are:

• The universal recipes. I love these because they are so easily adapted to utilise whatever I have in my cupboard.
• Selective Squeamishness. So your potato has a brown bit on it. Cut around it - the rest of the spud is still good. Same goes for fruit that has had one or two bites taken out - no need to discard the entire thing.
• Dumpster Diving (or scrounging trash piles left out for pick-up). It is absolutely amazing the stuff people will throw away. We have found some perfectly good toys, clothes and furniture this way - some with minor faults (such as a missing draw handle), others in brand new condition. We even got ourselves a perfectly good working vacuum cleaner this way.
• Thrift Stores and Garage Sales. Second hand does not mean second best. Plus, your wallet will love you!
• Price Book. Having a price book is a great way to keep track of when and where various food items are cheapest.
• Learn to Sew. Knowing how to repair that small tear will make your kids' clothes last so much longer - and you will be able to utilise the material when clothes are no longer useable.
• Make time to cook. Even if it means getting up a little earlier in the morning. Home-cooked snacks are a lot cheaper than store-bought and your kids will like them much better.
• Libraries. Join your local library. They generally stock the most popular books. If, like me, your tastes are a little less common, you can still save money by getting what you can from the library and only buying those books they don't have.
• Re-use. With a little imagination and a small amount of effort, almost everything that comes into your home can be re-purposed. Turkey nets can be used to drain bath toys, a bunch of six pack rings tied together are strong enough to make a hammock, old milk cartons can be used to make dog toys or toss-and-catch games.
• Use Less. Products (like laundry detergents, shampoos and so on) generally have a recommended amount per use. However, these are not always accurate. There are two reasons for this. First, they want to sell more product and the more you use at one time, the sooner you will have to replenish. Secondly, they are unable to take account of your individual circumstances - how dirty your hair is for example or how hard or soft your water is. Experiment with different amounts of products until you find the minimum amount you need to do the job. Doing this will save you loads of money.

Not every tip in this book will suit every reader, but I challenge you to read it without finding a single article useful.

I am now reading The Revolution will be Digitised: Dispatches from the information war by Heather Brooke.

I apologise for the length of this post, but we are all readers, right?

Those tips are gorgeous, seldombites!! :) I haven't been doing much reading. I just finished The Sand Fish and I'm not sure what I'll read next. I do need to tackle the tbr mountain. I am listening to Little Women in the car. I have read it many, many years ago but it is good to listen to it this time around.

I love Little Women! It is one book I always made sure to give to my girls.

I have finished reading The Revolution Will be Digitised by Heather Brooke. The subject matter of this book is certainly interesting. However, it has been let down by the author's choice of writing style. While it is not my preference, I don't mind the occasional non-fiction book written in story format. My problem with this book is that the format is inconsistent, switching between narrative and story and back again without warning. I was too annoyed to finish the book. Perhaps somebody else will like it better.

I have also read A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick. This book is a fascinating insight into the damage recreational drugs can do to our psyche. Set in an alternate history, there is a new drug on the market known as 'Substance D' or 'Death'. Prolonged use of this drug messes with the physical structure of the brain, leading to severe mental illness and, eventually, death. Even withdrawing from the drug doesn't reverse the effects, with many ex-users left as walking, talking vegetables.

Our protagonist is an undercover police officer, who is forced to take the drug in the line of duty. Told from his point of view, the novel documents his slow descent into insanity. Being inside the mind of a user is unpleasant and often confusing. However, this is a book well worth reading.

I am currently reading The Reality War Book 1: The Slough of Despond by Tim C. Taylor. This is a member giveaway. It is good so far, though the constant references to The Pilgrim's Progress are annoying.

Hello! I've been reading, but can't get to LT forums from work (they're blocked for being "pornography", WTF?) and nights and weekends have been shockingly busy.

I've spent most of this month reading Orhan Pamuk's Snow and I would have given up if it wasn't a 1001 title. And a bookgroup read, although on the night none of us had finished it and I think I'm the only one who bothered to finish it afterwards. Not an easy read, so distancing and dull.

Shortest bookgroup discussion too: Author is a wanker, shall we have a beer? LOL!

Now treating myself with an ARC of The Bone Season which is a bit all over the shop, but gripping nonetheless.

The Bone Season was all over the shop, but I rather enjoyed myself. I hope the later books tighten up a bit though. Recommended for Hunger Games fans.

Now reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Amulet, a rather good manga steam punk YA graphic novel which my kids have enjoyed.

It is good to read all your posts!! I have been struggling with reading ..... too many interruptions, feel so tired ..... my fault for I tend to burn the candle at both ends!! :) I have to finish reading Peaches for Monsieur Le Cure by next week for it is a BookClub book, I'm about a quarter way through the book and haven't got into it yet.

Oh dear! re: Snow I have Orhan Pamuk's My Name is Red on my bookshelf but haven't read it yet. I hope it is not like Snow!! A friend has told me that The Museum of Innocence is very good?

I was hoping to read The Great Gatsby before the movie came out, but haven't found the time. I have read it but it was many year's ago and I did want to read it again. Anyway, let's see how it goes.

Well, I'm not sure if I'll try Orhan Pamuk again, but I think you should give him a go for yourself, of course. It may be a completely different book, and you're a different reader.

Sherlock Holmes was good fun of course. Then knocked over the seventh Harry Dresden, Dead Beat which was the usual fun fare. About to start Christine Falls.