I Read Therefore I Am discussion

Just read a review of 2 novels by Simon Sebag Montefiore - who has written a number of non fiction books about Stalin and Russia.
One Night in Winter is based on a true incident in Stalinist Russia and Sashenka is more of a sweeping historical epic in the mould of Dr Zhivago.
They both sound excellent.

I didn't see the Robin Robertson book! I know what you mean about the Clive James Dante. It's the penguin classics one I have, can't make my mind up whether I'll give that another go or invest in Clive James. Have you tried the library for the Either of them?

I had a look at the catalogue but the only ones they seem to have look quite old. I am still deciding...

After doing some research on German translations I am now in the same boat. The 2 recommended ones are fairly new and therefore really pricey and not available at my library, but then now that I know they are the recommended ones I can't really bring myself to read another one. Oh decisions, decisions.

Having read the very helpful article posted by Jenny in Readalongs - I've decided to get the John Sinclair translation for Inferno - and read the Clive James translation for Purgatory and Paradise.
More expensive - but we will be stretching it out over 3 years.

I'm going to change my avatar in celebration of my dog's 7th birthday today. Can't believe it was one of the silly reasons why we didn't go to the pictures tonight...because we didn't want to leave the dog alone on her birthday!! Seriously though, it was very windy and cold and wet and I also couldn't get my work finished in time. At least that's my official excuse!

Ahhhh! Happy Birthday Tracey's dog - I can totally understand you not wanting to leave her alone on her birthday - she's lovely - what's her name?

Sorry should have said. She's called Bella.

Aww Happy Birthday Bella!

What's everyone doing this weekend - I'm enjoying a glass of "Bad King John" beer and watching a Jean Claude Van Damme film which is slightly better than his usual offerings.

Tonight it's a bit of Silent Witness, a bit of Graham Norton, some pasta and red wine, and trying desperately to finish Stranger in a Strange Land.

Tomorrow off to town to order some sisal runners, and then possibly the pictures tomorrow night to see 12 years a slave.

A normal weekend of meeting up with my children and grandchildren. Just hope I can get home again on Sunday as I believe it's snowing badly, like cars stuck in the snow and roads closed, in the Borders and Northumberland

@ Tracey - sounds lovely - but what are sisal runners - is it a breed of hen?
@ Hilary - not snow ! I hope it's not as bad as forecast.

That would be great to go out and buy some hens!!

I'm afraid it's a bit more mundane that that - it's a type of natural fibre carpet. http://www.therugseller.co.uk/sisal_h...

Mundane but hard wearing :0)

A jolly song for a Saturday - presenting the yodelling Frank Ifield with - I Remember You
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rgm0KNIC...

Hello! Been off-grid most of the day, went to watch the Severn Bore this morning, and then for a long walk, the first of my training walks for the Thames Path Challenge, which I'm hoping to do this year, though I haven't actually committed to it yet!!

@Ellie, What does the Thames Path Challenge involve?
Nearly the end of the weekend now, but hubby and I are off to quiz night soon with our fellow quiz members to a different pub in SE London. This is part of a quiz league run by our usual Monday night quizmaster.
Reading the classics certainly comes in useful for some of his questions. Wish I was better on film questions though!

@Maureen - the Thames Path Challenge is a 100 kilometre walk from Putney to Henley-on-Thames, to be complete in 24 hours.

Enjoy the quiz, I love them!

@Ellie - wow - I wouldn't mind doing it in stages, but no way could I do it in 24 hours. Good luck with it if you decide to do it.

Wow - good luck Ellie - hope the quiz went well Maureen.

@ Ellie Good grief that's a long way! Have you done any long distance walks before? I've never seen the Severn Bore but I suspect it was quite something with the high spring tide.

@ Hilary - the longest I've done before is about 26 miles, hence why I'm training now - the event is in September.

The Severn Bore is given a star grading, from 1* being the smallest, to 5* being the largest. Today's was a 5* (tidal flow > 10m), so normally it would have looked pretty amazing, but because the river level is so high because of all the rain, the Bore was a bit flat. The aftermath was quite remarkable, though - within 20 minutes after the Bore, the field where we'd all been standing waiting for the Bore was underwater, as was the nearby road! Quite scary really.

I think you tend to forget just how fast and how dangerous water is. In the past I've had to run to get off the beach to avoid being trapped as the tide has come in so fast. Yesterday I went down to watch the sea at Sunderland. The high tide had a strong wind driving it. The power as it smashed into the pier and the promenade was exciting to see so long as you knew it couldn't reach you. There are always some crazy people who see how near they can get to the edge of the prom and run back before the waves hit. Crazy!! If they're wrong by a second they've got no chance to avoid being dragged off the prom and into the sea.

A new idea for a book prize
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014...

@Hilary, at the moment you often see news reporters doing their piece to camera on the prom with waves crashing behind them - it's a bit scary - you think what if the next one is a really big one - they don't stand a chance.

We came very close to bottom at the quiz. There was some stiff competition. We got 7/10 in the books round. One question was which book opens with the line "It was 7 minutes after midnight. The dog was lying on the grass in the middle of the lawn..." My husband guessed this - he's got the book but never read it. You bookworms probably all know the answer, but it looks interesting and is now going to go on my to read list.

@Maureen I'm intrigued but my guess would be The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. One of the best and most enlightening books I've read but I can't actually remember the opening line - it just popped into my mind when I read your post.

I enjoy a pub quiz but don't have any opportunity to take part nowadays. It was the picture round that always floored me. " I know the face....... Just not who it is"

@Hilary, yes you got it in one. There are a lot of quizzes on this site, I may have a go at some of them. Might help for our regular quiz night, which is actually Monday evenings. Last night was a one-off.

@ Maureen - what gets me is whenever there is a flood - the reporters always feel the need to go and stand in the middle of it - same thing with snow!
I'm no good at quizzes - if the answer does come to me it's usually too late.

Best I don't post any of my photos from the Bore yesterday, then.....!

Lol!

@Ellie, well we're pleased that you escaped safe and sound

Kindle Daily Deal Alert - The 1st volume of Maya Angelou's autobiography is £0.99 today.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Know-Why-Cage...

Thanks, Lee, added to the TBR Kindle list!

@ Maureen, thanks. I don't take any risks, though, I know what the river is capable of. I love watching the Bore but would never put my own life in danger. I did take pictures on Sunday, but from the edge of the water, not the middle of it!!

Lee, thanks for the info - that book is already on my to read list, so 99p will be good.

Hope everyone is staying safe in the crazy weather! Have seen the pictures on the news - looks impressive (would like to see the photo's of the Bore) but better from a distance ;)

It's very very windy again here - making scary whooshing noises down the chimney.

It's been a lovely day here but I don't know what it's like at the moment. I've just tried to change my profile picture in honour of my dog being one on Friday and I think I've managed to just delete the old one instead. Ime really not good at this!

I was about to say well done to me when I realised poor Pepper has been semi decapitated or alternatively has taken to wearing a veil. Doh!!!

Hilary - I really can't believe she's one! Anyway, it's a lovely photo but seems to be coming out sideways on my ipad!

Has anyone been watching the Chris Packham programme on the intelligence of certain species? It's been absolutely fascinating and I can't believe how clever crows are. It's solved a problem faster than a dog and a child tonight and apparently it's brain is bigger than a dog's (in proportion to the size of its body).

Next week he explores intelligence of dolphins which makes me feel even sadder about what is happening in Japan at the moment.

I don't quite know what I've done with the photo Tracey, but this year has certainly flown. The Packham programme was just amazing. Who would have guessed that crows were so darned clever and the way that those cockatoos could unpick things was unbelievable. The scene where he was trying to get his dogs to solve the problem was so funny.

I'd forgotten about the cockatoo. It was so intelligent and he was able to demonstrate that it was solving new problems rather than just repeating learned behaviour.

I've really grown to like him much more than when he originally took over Autum watch.

I've been reading about that torrential weather the UK is going through lately.. I do hope everyone is okay...?!

Did any one see that guy surfing the over 80ft wave off Portugal - amazing.
@ Tracey - has Mr Packham mentioned pigs? - they're supposed to be very intelligent
@ Angela - Gloucestershire seems to be getting off quite lightly at the moment- just very windy and forever raining.

Happy birthday Hilary's dog! And come back Hilary - I miss you.

Hi Angela, there are some parts of Southern England that have been flooded for weeks and weeks now and I really don't know how they are coping with the never ending rain. Many won't have insurance as they are starting to flood year after year now and I fear there will become large parts of England that will become uninhabitable over the next few generations. Is anyone on here affected by it?

I've abandoned the idea of putting my dogs photo on here after a number of failed attempts. Don't quite know why it won't work but anyway, I've got it to accept a photo of where I sit and read outside in the summer. It makes me realise that this weather can't last forever ........ Can it?

No it definitely can't - the world would run out of rain.
Love your little reading area Hilary

Nice picture Hilary!