After a whirlwind visit to Scotland, (to the Gartnavel General Hospital to be precise. parking was horrendous...), we have come home and really pushed to put the house back to as normal as it can be.
We still have boxes that havent been unpacked as they are books and we have to find homes for the bookshelves first. A bit of a set back due to holes in carpet that look 'apparently' like a fault in the carpet itself. It looks like some one has used a knife and cut a stab mark through them, To me it looks like the fitters have accidentally cut through the carpet from the back and then pretended it hadnt happened. This is in 3 rooms. Not happy as I have to wait for them to take them away and send them back to the manufacturer and also fit the new ones that have been ordered. *le sigh*. First world problems.
Back to the books. Arent the bookshelves stunning in the picture above? Divine. At somepoint we will have a house where I blow the budget and have a whole room of shelves for books and a single chair and lamp right in the middle of the room. I can dream cant I...?
I am currently reading Tess of the D'ubervilles. Poor Sorrow.
What are you reading? I would like something new to read that I havent already, but I am at a loss of what to read... Please, nothing too violent, I dont like those ones.
Hope you are all well.
p.s. when we stopped in the services station as the drive was going on forever due to part of the M6 being shut, I went into a Costa coffee. Oh my word! £3.32 for a medium coffee, 2 hot drinks cost me £7. That is $8.90 (US), €7.94 and $11.74 (CAD). How can people afford to buy that every day?
Oh and there was a mattress in the verge. How did that get there? What went through those peoples minds? Lets take our mattress for a ride on the motorway, look it wants to get out, here looks like a good place...
15 comments:
On those 'escape' programmes people always bang on about needing lots of storage for clothes (and I love clothes as much as anyone) but space for books and bookshelves are more important for me. I try to be strict with myself but my books seem to be forever multiplying and expanding, so we build another bookcase.
A lot of what I read is non-fiction, but I'll ignore those and offer up three recent reads. I, Coriander by Sally Gardner. it is a children's book, but I'm not put off by that, it's a kind of historical fairy tale and beautifully written.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, by Lisa See was wonderful, a glimpse into the old customs of China wrapped up in a very moving story.
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. None of these books are new, so you may well have read them. The next one waiting to be read is Richard Flanagan's The Narrow Road to the Deep North but that may be a bit grim for you as it is about POW's and the Burma Death Railway.
Hope the trip to the hospital wasn't for anything serious...?
Hi Sol, Have you read Jude The Obscure by Thomas Hardy? If you want sadness that book is the book to read.
When we were looking for bookshelves for the old house I came across acompany called - I think- The Hungerford Bookcase co. They measure and build what you want they looked fantastic and the price? HUGE! we got some online from Ikea in the end.But one day somewhere........maybe.
I love those bookshelves so full of books ..heaven! Always intrigues me the places you find old mattresses or stoves or fridges...how on earth did they end up in such odd places.
Never drank let alone brough a coffee in my life! Put it in a fancy cup and people will pay anything!
As for books we have far far too many, 6 sets of book shelves, plus books at each of our parents and in the lift. I think I need to get rid of some of my fiction books as there are some ill never read again
I used to read a lot until I started writing myself, which then turned me off reading other people's books, either because I thought the standard of writing was abysmal or because the writing was so good that I couldn't get through the book because I would keep reading well written paragraphs over and over again!
Elaine, I have quite a few reference books. And the books for my recent and current study qualifications. They are vast! Drop them on a spider and they will hear it in China. I will look those books up! Thanks for the recommendations
Hey Dani, no we are fine, it was to take a family member to see a specialist. They cant fix it so they have to live with it. Hope you are well.
Hi Dave, Sorrow is the name of the baby that dies in Tess of the D'ubervilles. Very sad book as a whole.I have read a few Thomas Hardy books, the Mayor of Casterbridge is good also. I read that at school and then again about 2 years ago. I will look that one out.
Sue, I keep telling myself we will have these book cases and then it never happens.
L-A, I have no idea how that mattress got there. It is free to take things to the tip in this country. Why dump it. Seems crazy. Thanks for your comment. Hope the weather in Greece is nice. You may see some of my many sailing pictures from around Greece on the blog. My favourite place to holiday.
Kev, I bought the coffee for the Mr, I had a tea. lol Seriously expensive, but we had been on the road for 7 hours at that point. I needed a cuppa! Yeah, I hear you on the books. With a wife who is a teacher I think you will lose that battle to get rid of them.
Oh Vera, I hope you get published soon! I can say, ohh look at this book (I would obviously buy the hardback as I like those best), I read her blog before she became famous!
Hope everyone is well!!!!
It took me some years to really get into Thomas Hardy (if you know what I mean!) but once there I couldn't stop and soon read just about all his works. He's one of those writers one can read over and over again, and that is what I hope to do with all of them before my number is called.
'Tess' is one easily of the very best. I take it you must have seen Polanski's film with Natassja Kinski. One of the best and most faithful adaptations of any 'classic' novel that's ever come to the big screen - including a prodigious amount of the book's details.
Dave above recommends 'Jude the Obscure' also, and I'd certainly concur with that. In fact I don't think Hardy ever wrote a 'poor' book.
I've just started on a Tom Wolfe - 'A Man in Full' - almost 750 pages of small print (gulp!). Looking good, and if it continues anything like as readable as 'Bonfire of the Vanities' was, then I'll be very satisfied.
Oh Ray, I think I should try Tom Wolfe then. A really meaty thick book. I love it when others say what they are reading it spurs me on.
Have you seen Natassja Kinski's daughters? Absolute stunners.
Natassja Kinski's daughters? No, I haven't. Is that the name of a film? ;-)
lol Ray, I think they are both models.
We are planning to build a library in to the design of our new house, I think it will serve the kids far better than any games console ever could. Games have set parameters but the imagination is infinite
I am currently reading "Victoria, a Life" by A N Wilson about Queen Vic - very interesting. Recently I read the five novel "Cazalet Chronicles" followed by their author's memoir "Slipstream". I enjoy the works of early 20th Century women writers, there is a rich vein to be mined there.
I would love to have as many bookshelves as those shown!
Hey Tricky Wolf, I honestly believe the best thing parents can ever teach their children is to read and have a love of books. You can be transported anywhere or learn to do most things from books. I cant wait to see the designs for your new home!
Hey Toffeeapple, I am loving the TV programme Victoria at the moment. I may have to read the book you say, the series has just finished and isnt back until Autumn 2017... I have never read the Cazalet Chronicles. I will look at that tomorrow. Thank you for the inspiration.
The bookshelves are lovely arent they. I love the candle lights also. Obviously I would not use real candles like the ones in the picture.
Hope you are well.
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