Guilty Reader Tags

1. Have You Ever Re-Gifted A Book You’ve Been Given?

Yes, but rarely. I haven’t wrapped it up and presented it as a book for an occasion, but I’ve given books I haven’t gotten to and decided I probably wouldn’t to someone who might like it more.

2. Have you ever said you read a book when you hadn’t?

I think I did in school once or twice for a book report. I do recall reading part of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and expounding on it on a test. I got a great grade for that response.

3. Have you ever borrowed a book and not returned it?

A friend lent me a book and I got part way through it and tried to return it but she said to keep it. I’ve lost library books, but paid for their replacement.

4. Have you ever read a book in a series out of order?

I read The Ladies’ Paradise by Zola before I knew it was part of a “series” called the Rougon-Macquart series. Many people suggest not reading Rougon-Macquart books in the order of publication, but rather in this order.It’s not a straight up chronological series.

5. Have you ever spoiled a book for someone?

No one’s said I did.

6. Have you ever dog-eared a book?

Yesterday, I wanted to mark some pages in Paul Johnson’s Heroes. So often.

7. Have you ever told someone you don’t own a book when you do?

No. I’m not sure why I would unless it’s a non-fiction book assigned for a course. Often you don’t have to read the entire book.

8. Have you ever bad-mouthed a book which you liked?

No. Again I don’t know why I’d lie. I think these questions assess the respondents’ honesty as much as their guilty. 😉

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The Guilty Reader Tag!

Ahh reader guilt- we’ve all been there! I have to admit, I’m the kind of person that is almost self indulgent with guilt (I’m sorry for the number of…

The Guilty Reader Tag!

The Complete Big Nate #4

I have fallen behind in my Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge so I was looking for a quick read. When I worked at the small library in my district we helped with youth and adult books and I saw that Nate the Great books were popular. I thought I’d get one to see what the fuss was about.

I accidentally got the The Complete Big Nate #4 ebook and it turned out to be 370 pages. Even though it’s a comic book, 370 pages were more than I bargained for. I did make it through.

Nate is a mischievous boy, who reminded me of Dennis the Menace, and the books show him aggravating his older sister, exasperating his teachers, and annoying the object of his affections, Jenny. Nate’s cute and rambunctious. Yet, I soon tired of the episodes and thought some of the jokes were aimed more at middle aged men, than younger audiences. I see the prime audience as boys in 3rd – 5th grades so the jokes about the divorced dad going to his high school reunion or putting on weight didn’t seem like they’d make kids laugh.

The drawings were cute and Nate and his friends were likable, while not unique. I feel if you read one Nate the Great, by Lincoln Peirce you’ve read them all.

Weekend Coffee Share

Weekend Coffee Share is a time for us to take a break out of our lives and enjoy some time catching up with friends (old and new)!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that you should go see West Side Story at the Lyric Opera. It’s a terrific musical and there are discount codes to get tickets for a good price.

I made dinner for Mother’s Day for my parents and two brothers’ families. I’m most proud of my key lime pie and the angel food cake that I decorated with Trader Joe’s small chocolate mousse tea cakes in the shape of flowers. Those were great and don’t think you must add them to a cake. On their own they’re addictive.

On Friday, my nephew broke his arm quite badly. He was in gym class and decided to jump over a volleyball, but instead he fell on the ball and went sailing. He was in surgery for 4 hours. By Saturday, he was smiling though very tired.

I finished reading Henri Duchemin and His Shadows by Emmanuel Bove, a French writer whom I discovered by using Literature-Map.com. Try Literature-Map and let me know if you find any new favorite writers.

I’m getting more active about applying for jobs. I look and look, but in ESL there aren’t many possibilities. In EFL (i.e. teaching English as a Foreign Language) the main employers are China and the Middle East. I’m done with China. Or I do hope I am. I spent many years there and liked my students, but China is cracking down on religious expression in a way I can’t overlook. (See this article as well.) Also, the PRC’s government needs to negotiate in good faith with its foreign trading partners. For decades they’ve gotten such sweet deals and they’ve stolen IP left and right. None of the computers I worked on at school or in a hotel had purchased Microsoft software. It was all pirated. That’s one example. I don’t want to help a country that’s not going to protect religious freedom. That same reason makes the Middle East a problem. I am trying to find work as an Instructional Designer here in the US. So far finding nearby opportunities and convincing an employer that I have the needed skills is difficult via a form on the internet. In conversation, I can make the case.

I’ve loved my library work, but the field is on a downward trend of just offering part time work.

 

Sepia Saturday

Reading is one of my favorite pastimes and it’s this week’s inspiration for Sepia Saturday. Look what I found on the theme.

Source: Nationaal Archief, Flickr Commons, 1951

I didn’t know ostriches liked to read.

Mennonite Archives, Flickr Commons, n.d.

Florida Memories, Flickr Commons, 1940

Woman in Sarasota reading (with schadenfreude) of the harsh winter weather up north.

I started wondering about what artists have done to portray reading. Here’s what I found.

“The Reader,” B. Morisot, 1888

Reading, Picasso, 1932

Nurse Reading to a little Girl, M. Cassat, 1895

To see more Sepia Saturday posts from this week, click here.

Weekend Coffee Share

Weekend Coffee Share is a time for us to take a break out of our lives and enjoy some time catching up with friends (old and new)!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that the more I read Arnold Bennett’s The Old Wives’ Tale, the more I love his writing. Bennett is a 19th century novelist that I’ve never heard of, yet he should definitely be on par with say Elizabeth Gaskell. This is the story of two sisters who grow up in the same small town. Each one’s life is full of challenges, though Constance takes the familiar route of staying in her town, marrying and raising her son, while her wilder sister elopes and runs off to Paris with a cad. I’ll definitely look for more of Bennett’s books.

I was sorry, but not surprised that the Hanoi Summit between the US and North Korea did not result in a deal. I do hope that in a few years these efforts bear fruit. My heart goes out to the people who live under the DPRK regime.

My good friend Kristi is in town from France, where she lives with her husband and son. She and Max, her son, are here during his spring break to help with her step dad who’s in the hospital. I saw them on Wednesday when I picked them up at the airport and hope to have time for a good long chat this week.

We’ve had cold and ugly weather this week. We’ve got some sunshine, but often gray skies and a lot of the snow’s melted so it’s patches of snow, often dirty, mixed with patches of brown and greenish grass. I’d be fine with a few more inches of snow. It’s really too early for spring in these parts.

I’m sad that the Masterpiece/BBC Victoria series has concluded for the season. I long for the times when such a series would have more episodes. PBS doesn’t have much on the docket for Sunday nights in March.

Work on my play is proceeding slowly. I lost the latest revision. Somehow it got deleted. I do have a PDF version so I’m using that to recreate this latest draft. The loss could be worse, but it’s a pain to go back like I’m playing Chutes and Ladders.

I had high hopes for the film Shoplifters, but the ending left a lot to be desired and the characters’ lives were quite depressing. A lot of their troubles could have been avoided.

Weekend Coffee Share

Weekend Coffee Share is a time for us to take a break out of our lives and enjoy some time catching up with friends (old and new)!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that overall, I had a good week. I got some writing done, but not as much as I’d like. I did write an email to a family connection asking for some feedback on this play I’m working on entitled Dora McDonald: On Trial. It’s about the wife of the Clark Street Gambling King, Mike McDonald. Dora had a long affair with her neighbor Webster Guerin and poor Webster winds up dead. Who did it? Will the murderer get off scot-free?

I loved the Japanese classic, Samurai Rebellion and liked the biopic of Freddie Mercury Bohemian Rhapsody. I admit the more I watch old movies the more I prefer them. I didn’t bother watching the Oscars, which tend to drag. Instead I watched Victoria and the end of Bohemian Rhapsody.

I went to the dentist and was stunned that my exam and cleaning ran me $300! I hadn’t been there in a year. (Shame on me, I know.) I remember the visit costing about $120. I feel like my price was upped because I hadn’t been for a while. I really like my dentist and if I was gainfully employed, I’d have gone when I should have.

I had a one-on-one meeting with my new boss. These are a month event and we had a good talk. She’s lovely and fun to work with. What a difference that makes!

Saturday I went to a free play reading at the Newberry Library. The script of Back of the Yards was a tad outdated, but the acting was solid.

I’m reading a book called Partisan Journalism. I’m beginning chapter three. The book describes the relationship between reporting, editorializing and our political parties going back to the 18th century. While it’s a bit academic, it’s a significant work. You can probably get it from the library.

Lastly, I’d say in an effort to see less of that rainbow beach ball whenever I use my computer, I went to a fairly good session on Mac Maintenance. I’ll share some tips with you soon. My laptop does run faster, I have to tweak my desktop.

I hope you’ve had a good weekend and that your week’s starting off well.

 

Weekend Coffee Share

Weekend Coffee Share is a time for us to take a break out of our lives and enjoy some time catching up with friends (old and new)!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that the song’s from Guys & Dolls, which I saw yesterday at Northwestern University are playing in my head. “Luck be a Lady” and “A Bushel & a Peck” alternate in my head this morning.

Today was my Great Books Club meeting. We discussed Othello, a play I consider as not one of my favorites by Shakespeare. Yet meeting with a dozen smart folks to talk about Othello made me like the story more.

I did a good amount of editing last week of my own play. I hope to finish another draft by Thursday this week.

I went to the Lyric Opera’s Elektra, but didn’t like it as much as I hoped.

A friend sent me a copy of the anthology which includes a short story he wrote. I get so excited when someone I know accomplishes a literary goal.

I’ve finished two lessons from Hillsdale College’s free online course: Congress: How it Works and Why It Doesn’t.  It’s amazing. The professors are good communicators and researchers. They examine the US Congress as well as the UK Parliament and other legislatures. I’ve learned a lot including how the Parliament building’s structured with both sides facing each other support debate (better*) than all the other legislative buildings which are design more like theaters. Hence we get a lot of grandstanding and playing to the camera. Also, I learned that in the early days, the representatives and senators didn’t have offices. Their desk in their respective chamber was their office, which promoted further deliberation and community amongst peers. If you want to better understand US government, take a look at this free class.

*in my opinion

Weekend Coffee Share

Weekend Coffee Share is a time for us to take a break out of our lives and enjoy some time catching up with friends (old and new)!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that last night I went to my nephew’s Boy Scout Troop’s Spaghetti Dinner. It was a fun event and good to see the boys (and one girl) in uniform serving food and selling raffle tickets it looks like everyone had a good time and the scouts and their parents worked hard for a successful event.

Yesterday, despite some snowfall, the library was super busy and we had lots of time consuming questions and problems to solve. We’re glad to help and the time flew by. It was my first weekend at this branch and though I’m new I was the Librarian-in-Charge. So glad there weren’t any emergencies to handle. As it was, we were surprised that no one working that day knew the alarm code, which is needed at closing. I realized this midday so we did manage to find it.

I loved Northwestern’s production of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, which I’d read in school. I’m lucky to live near a university with a strong drama department so I can get inexpensive tickets to see great acting and direction.

I had lunch last Monday with a dear friend Kasia from high school. She introduced me to Polish cuisine. Though she’s half Polish, growing up she didn’t often eat Polish food. Now she and her husband have taken to exploring different cuisines. She thought that Ewa’s Pierogi was better than the place out by her house.

Wednesday my cousin and I had lunch at Venus Szechuen & Mandarin Restaurant in Park Ridge. It’s a Chinese restaurant, which used to be her favorite. I have high standards for Chinese fare and always thought it was average. This was the second time she came and they said their credit card machine wasn’t working. This inconvenienced us and the other customers. Most people expect to easily pay with a card. We’ve decided to take Venus off our list. It was odd that this happened twice.

I’m signed up to start an online course on Managing Information Systems through my community college. I was going to drop it if there was a group project. I’ve worked for years and have done many group projects for grad school so it’s not like I need to learn how to work with people. Gladly, there isn’t one. I’ll go over to campus and flip through the book. The syllabus makes it look like I already know a lot about the topic. If you’re guessing I’m on the fence about staying with this, you’re right.

As for books, I’m thoroughly enjoying Arnold Bennett’s The Old Wives’ Tale. It’s a 19th century novel with wit. Bennett looks at the foibles of small town life. I’m also reading Zola’s Money (L’Argent), which I love, but don’t have as much time as I’d like for.

I’ve had a tough time finding or making time to write. I plan to revise Act I of my play this week. So no lunches with friends and no giving other chores precedence.

Fantastic Fiction

I just learned about a phenomenal website for readers who love fiction. It’s Fantastic Fiction and it’s a treasure trove containing an exhaustive amount of content on authors and books of all genres. Genres featured include everything from mysteries and sagas to urban literature and paranormal romance.

You can find new books by looking at books your favorite authors have suggested or by looking at what other users viewed that view one of your favorite books.

Librarians use is extensively when they suggest books.

Fantastic Fiction was started as a hobby and now a full time business for Dave Wand and his small crew.