What a glorious day yesterday. It was the kind Keats was referring to in his poem 'Autumn'.This has always been my favouite season espeecially if the summer has been hot because heat makes me ill.I'm still catching up with books I wanted to blog about so I haven't read all in one week although I deliberately had a quieter week this week. I have observed that getting too tired activates depression.
'The Glass Blower of Murano' Marina Fiorato is an interesting book. It goes from modern times to the Renaissance in Venice. I really enjoy books with time switches.Apart from it being an exciting plot one learns so much about venice and especially the making of Murano glass.the glass blower in 14c is male but the modern glass blower is female and a direct descendant. I was silly that I didn't write down the protagonist's names as it was a library book. I was relying on memory. booboo!!However the early glass blower was so gifted that:
The testament to his genius was in every palazzo in Venice,every church, every grand eating house. It was in every shining chalice he made, every mirror smooth as the lagoon in summer...
Normally so much repetition of every would be irksome but its use here creates the impression of how prolific and sought after the glass blower was.
Two lovely evocative mysteries are by Anne Zeroudi.I read these in reverse order her second book 'The taint of Midas' first and then her first 'The Messenger of Athens'. the messenger in both books is an unlikely hero who is referred to as 'the fat man'. his name is Hermes Diaktoros. In the first book he arrives to sort out Lust and in the second greed. The first book begins with a death which was tidied up as suicide but when Hermes arrives that is in doubt. there is a corrupt police chief Zepherides who 'phones Athens to find out about this man who claims to be an investigator from Athens. there is no sign of him in the Athenian police force and Hermes says that he comes from a much higher power. i'll leave you to read the books and decide what this means.The Greek islands are also characters in these books and Zeroudi's descriptions make one long to be there too.
it was an islandwith no beauty of its own,but arou
nd its shores where the sea ran the gamut of all blues-torquoise and lapis lazuli,sapphire, ultramarine and cobalt-the water and sunlight changed it.Grey rockson the beach shone silver;there was gold in the dull soil on the mountain slopes.Fool's gold. tricks of the light.
I have seen the Med'. look like this but not the English Channel that is shades of green and grey.Now I must look at my mail. I have left it because Friday was a nightmare, taking ages to reveal each letter or to delete. I assume it was my ISP provider and not my computer. Sometimes I wish I knew lots more about computing.so hope the day is going well and I'll be back.
Sunday 12 October 2008
Thursday 9 October 2008
thursday
this will be a brief blog because I'm feeling the efects of my 'flu' vacc.Don't like previous font too big.I have just read 'The Great arasb Conquests' Hugh Kennedy. the first half of the book is very interesting although the succession to Mohhamed is dismissed in few words and no account is given of the Sunna/Shia split, which is odd considering Iran is Shiite and therefore they must have spread Islam to Persia. Much of the Gulf is too but that is because so many people from the Iranina mainland settled there including my ex pa in law and even earlier my ma-in-law's grandparents.They still distinguish themselves from arabs and refer to themselves as Persian.All the people I met were bi-lingual Arabic/Farsi as well.I think the rise of the Ayatollah's shifted the ideas of the young. My step daughter sees herself as a citizen of Sharjah
In the little room I am reading Dornford Yates. Iwas lucky enough to complete my collection in the second hand bookshop in Holt. Reading these in instalments is a delight. I've finished 'Berry and CO'. Berry and his cousin and various relatives all libve together at Whiteladies and from here they go to france or travel to London. We are never told where the money comes from.his book had many letters from Berry on a variety of subjects each one wittier or odder than the last. I cannot imagine why noone has made a TV program of these books. the plots are exciting and the characters rounde and the dialogue witty.
After this I began my annual read of Helen Hanff and began with 'Q's Legacy'.I have a few of his books and it was reading him made me brush up my Latin and begin to learn Classical Greek. I can translate some of his quotes. Learning Classical Greek is like a long crossword and one can feel it building neural pathways but I love it. I now learn by myself because I'm not strong enough to go to the City Lit, where I began every week nor can I now afford it.So I have independent learners resources, could be known as cribs lol
In the little room I am reading Dornford Yates. Iwas lucky enough to complete my collection in the second hand bookshop in Holt. Reading these in instalments is a delight. I've finished 'Berry and CO'. Berry and his cousin and various relatives all libve together at Whiteladies and from here they go to france or travel to London. We are never told where the money comes from.his book had many letters from Berry on a variety of subjects each one wittier or odder than the last. I cannot imagine why noone has made a TV program of these books. the plots are exciting and the characters rounde and the dialogue witty.
After this I began my annual read of Helen Hanff and began with 'Q's Legacy'.I have a few of his books and it was reading him made me brush up my Latin and begin to learn Classical Greek. I can translate some of his quotes. Learning Classical Greek is like a long crossword and one can feel it building neural pathways but I love it. I now learn by myself because I'm not strong enough to go to the City Lit, where I began every week nor can I now afford it.So I have independent learners resources, could be known as cribs lol
Monday 6 October 2008
Monday again
Yesterday was rather wet and I got stuck into my reading and forgot to blog or read my e-mails.A book which will vie for number one position this year is 'Stargazer' Linda Gillard> This is the story of a blind girl, who one day drops her keys in the snow and can't find them. A young man helps her and they become friends.His main home is on Skye and he invites Marianne to his home because he wants her to 'see' the stars.how is she going to do that ?He relates sights to music. Marianne is a keen music lover. This enables her to' see'.This is a also a romance so naturally there have to be difficulties which are resolved by the end.My favourite description is of Moonlight.
Moonlight?It's eerie like cold,still water....You know when there's a mist in Edinburgh and the air is full of vapour? You feel like you're breathing water.The air's clammy and it seeps into your clothes, into your bones. That's a bit like moonlight. cold And mysterious..It can look very beautiful or sinister.
Paper back version p 80-81
Today it isn't raining but it's cold and damp. I think autumn is becoming winter quite quickly this year. I've just had my 'flu' jab always a sign of winter precautions. Also have begun putting summer clothes into their winter home. Now I begin to buy for Xmas. If I start early I manage to buy nice things. Later and the money runs out if there is too much at once.
Bought a book on Saturday. It's the only paper back version I've seen of Dumas 'The Last Cavalier'. It is a late find apparently.
Today did a little trawl of the charity shops.I bought 'The Tower' Manfredi 99p. I really like his books. Then I went to Oxfam and they were 'doing buy one get one free on their hardbacks. So I bought 'hemingways Chair Michael Palin.Deafening Frances Itani,The Money Box. Margaret Forster and Triumph of the sun Wilbur Smith.SO 4 BOOKS FOR £2.00. How good is that!!!
The next rainy day the great book sorting out will begin- a daunting task.
Moonlight?It's eerie like cold,still water....You know when there's a mist in Edinburgh and the air is full of vapour? You feel like you're breathing water.The air's clammy and it seeps into your clothes, into your bones. That's a bit like moonlight. cold And mysterious..It can look very beautiful or sinister.
Paper back version p 80-81
Today it isn't raining but it's cold and damp. I think autumn is becoming winter quite quickly this year. I've just had my 'flu' jab always a sign of winter precautions. Also have begun putting summer clothes into their winter home. Now I begin to buy for Xmas. If I start early I manage to buy nice things. Later and the money runs out if there is too much at once.
Bought a book on Saturday. It's the only paper back version I've seen of Dumas 'The Last Cavalier'. It is a late find apparently.
Today did a little trawl of the charity shops.I bought 'The Tower' Manfredi 99p. I really like his books. Then I went to Oxfam and they were 'doing buy one get one free on their hardbacks. So I bought 'hemingways Chair Michael Palin.Deafening Frances Itani,The Money Box. Margaret Forster and Triumph of the sun Wilbur Smith.SO 4 BOOKS FOR £2.00. How good is that!!!
The next rainy day the great book sorting out will begin- a daunting task.
Saturday 4 October 2008
here again
we had a wonderful few days in Haworth last weekend. Our guest house was superb. It is called 'Aitches' and is run like a really good hotel by David.The breakfasts were all locally sourced and as much as one could possibly eat. Since I never cook except porridge at breakfast time, I had two fat free slices of bacon and 2 fried eggs for the three breakfasts we had.saturday we explored Haworth and visited the Parsonage. I was very lucky and managed to get the price reduced on a paper back Oxford Companion to the Brontes because the cover was bent.I've been to Haworth before and have always had a strong sense of the girl's presence. this time I was thinking about Their father. How did he manage with all his children dead?Despite his losses he soldiered on.
The weather was so good we were able to have a 'cuppa' sitting outside and ditto with our 'bijou lunchettes'. Noone needed much lunch. Then we explored all the little shops. I was lucky and found the first three Josephine Tey's for 50p each. I think we all found books we liked.In the pm we went to East riddlesdownn Hall and another online friend joined us. it's great to meet people and find they're as nice as one expected. the Hall is one of those places which despite being stately one feels one could live there very cosily.Both sat and Sun evenings we ate in the Black Lion( I think that's its name)where Branwell bronte used to do his drinking. the meals were excellent and the service great . We found whereever we were that people were pleased both to see us and to serve us.Very different from Surrey.
Sunday we went to Bolton Abbey, which is set in lush, green dales with a river running through. We were pleased we were there early because as we left most of the families in that part of Yorks seemed to be arriving. we decided to go on to Skipton, which was buzzing. My friends went to see the castle. I didn't because I've been before and knew I couldn't manage the stairs. I 'reccied the Charity shops. We all did well but none of us bought in the Heart Foundation because they charge far too much. It's much better to sell lots than hardly anything. I find this especially in Brighton that all the charity shops charge too much yet in Norwich and Liverpool there were Oxfam books mainly and they were really fairly priced consequently between my brother and I we spent quite a bit.
As usual when i've been in good company it took me time to adjust to being alone again, hence no posting. Noone wants to read miseries.
I took a very unusual book with me 'The Night Library' Alberto Manguel. Manguel has written widely on books and reading. this is about libraries. he has had the good fortune to be able to build a library in France. In the daytime it is his study and place of work but at night he sits in a comfie chair , thinking about his books and reading.Each chapter is about different aspects of libraries for example 'The Library as Myth'. he discusses ways of ordering a library Dewey Decimal, Library of Congress, by genre etc. His love of books and reading shine through.He quotes from the Aztec Codex from 1524, which is in the Vatican Archives at the end of the book and it sums up how many of us feel about books and reading.
Those who read,those who
tell us what they read,
those who noisily turn
The pages of their books,
Those who have power over
red and black ink
And over pictures,
those are the ones who lead us,
guide us, show us the way.
This is a book I shall buy when it comes out in paper back because each chapter has profound things to say and to think about.
Now I've finished my wanderings until December I shall try to write every day. i have so many books to talk about.
The weather was so good we were able to have a 'cuppa' sitting outside and ditto with our 'bijou lunchettes'. Noone needed much lunch. Then we explored all the little shops. I was lucky and found the first three Josephine Tey's for 50p each. I think we all found books we liked.In the pm we went to East riddlesdownn Hall and another online friend joined us. it's great to meet people and find they're as nice as one expected. the Hall is one of those places which despite being stately one feels one could live there very cosily.Both sat and Sun evenings we ate in the Black Lion( I think that's its name)where Branwell bronte used to do his drinking. the meals were excellent and the service great . We found whereever we were that people were pleased both to see us and to serve us.Very different from Surrey.
Sunday we went to Bolton Abbey, which is set in lush, green dales with a river running through. We were pleased we were there early because as we left most of the families in that part of Yorks seemed to be arriving. we decided to go on to Skipton, which was buzzing. My friends went to see the castle. I didn't because I've been before and knew I couldn't manage the stairs. I 'reccied the Charity shops. We all did well but none of us bought in the Heart Foundation because they charge far too much. It's much better to sell lots than hardly anything. I find this especially in Brighton that all the charity shops charge too much yet in Norwich and Liverpool there were Oxfam books mainly and they were really fairly priced consequently between my brother and I we spent quite a bit.
As usual when i've been in good company it took me time to adjust to being alone again, hence no posting. Noone wants to read miseries.
I took a very unusual book with me 'The Night Library' Alberto Manguel. Manguel has written widely on books and reading. this is about libraries. he has had the good fortune to be able to build a library in France. In the daytime it is his study and place of work but at night he sits in a comfie chair , thinking about his books and reading.Each chapter is about different aspects of libraries for example 'The Library as Myth'. he discusses ways of ordering a library Dewey Decimal, Library of Congress, by genre etc. His love of books and reading shine through.He quotes from the Aztec Codex from 1524, which is in the Vatican Archives at the end of the book and it sums up how many of us feel about books and reading.
Those who read,those who
tell us what they read,
those who noisily turn
The pages of their books,
Those who have power over
red and black ink
And over pictures,
those are the ones who lead us,
guide us, show us the way.
This is a book I shall buy when it comes out in paper back because each chapter has profound things to say and to think about.
Now I've finished my wanderings until December I shall try to write every day. i have so many books to talk about.
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