Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

MK wrote: "This story struck me as powerful, for some reason. I know he died, but ... he died doing something he loved. I don't know. Somehow it's not a sad story to me"

I've heard of him. I've often thought that I'd like to be outdoors doing something like that when I go. On the other hand I'd feel sorry for the folks that had to carry me out after. Maybe I could arrange to be eaten by a bear to save them the trouble. ;-)

LOL! Good point .... and the last bit made me laugh

Happy Birthday, Alissa (whose birthday I just happened to notice was today :D). Hope your day is fabulous!!

Happy birthday Alissa! I hope it's a beautiful year for you with many fabulous books to read.

Thank you!!! It's slow at work so I'm currently on this site and reading! and eating a cupcake (who cares if its 10am? its my birthday!) so my day is good so far! ;-)

mmmmmmmmcupcake .... :D

I am so happy I finally finished the book I have been reading for far too long. Maybe soon I have only one book on my 'currently reading' shelf (and then I can add a couple more).

Happy birthday Alissa!

Yes, happy birthday. How fun!

Tytti wrote: "I am so happy I finally finished the book I have been reading for far too long. Maybe soon I have only one book on my 'currently reading' shelf (and then I can add a couple more)."

wooooHOOOOO! ^5, Tytti :)

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms! European Moms had Mothering Day last month, yes? What about Moms from other areas, do you all celebrate a Mother's Day type celebration?

My Mom, Mother-in-law, and daughter are all very far away, and in all different places too :p. My husband and I have had a lovely morning, enjoying the first really beautiful day outside, doing this that, and the other thing. Now, I guess, it's a regular day for the rest of the day :D.

Didn't get any reading done yesterday. Maybe today :D.

MK wrote: "Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms! European Moms had Mothering Day last month, yes?"

No... It's today in many countries, it varies, though.

Tytti wrote: "MK wrote: "Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms! European Moms had Mothering Day last month, yes?"

No... It's today in many countries, it varies, though."

Ahh, Ireland is earlier than the US. I thought it was European, must be just Irish, then.

England's mothering Sunday was much earlier as well.

Ahh, yes, mothering Sunday, that's what it was called. My daughter is over in Ireland for four years for school, and she wished me happy mother's day in the middle of winter (it felt like, lol) last year. ;-) Probably England and Ireland celebrate the same day?

It's Mother's Day in Denmark today as well :-)

I had no idea that Mother's Day was such an international holiday. How cool.

"Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday.” Once a major tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their “mother church”—the main church in the vicinity of their home—for a special service. Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday, and children would present their mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation. This custom eventually faded in popularity before merging with the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s and 1940s."

Read more at: http://www.history.com/topics/holiday...

So Happy Day to all the mothers!

It was Mother's Day in Belgium as well! I gave my mom two little necklaces, just a little thing, but that's not what counts right. ;)

I hope you all had a lovely day! Mothers are every day heroes! ♥

♥ Yes, that's not what counts, Kim, exactly right! Very sweet :))

so, yea, pretty cool. Thx for link, Kathy. And, Finland, Denmark, and Belgium we know of, are also celebrating today. England and Ireland during Lent. Neat stuff!


And, I got a little short story read. I'm happy :)

Hi,
is there some way to put two dates in the reading section? If you have read the same book couple (or more) times, can you log it somehow? I just thought that it would be fun to know that I have revisited some books again :)

Desertorum wrote: "Hi,
is there some way to put two dates in the reading section? If you have read the same book couple (or more) times, can you log it somehow? I just thought that it would be fun to know that I hav..."

Nope. It has been asked from TPTB.

You can shelve different editions with different read dates, but that's the only way.

Desertorum wrote: "Hi,
is there some way to put two dates in the reading section? If you have read the same book couple (or more) times, can you log it somehow? I just thought that it would be fun to know that I hav..."

For a re-read I log the dates read in the review section.

Kathy wrote: "For a re-read I log the dates read in the review section."

I think also the update feature saves them? Not sure. I usually never read books twice.

Thank you for the info :)

@Tytti, the crowd roar from the Bruins-Canadiens game is incredible. I went in to check, b/c I thought something happened, but it's just a dull background roar.

Husband says B's are playing well, but they're just not scoring. Montreal is putting back any tries on goal.

I need help... I'm reading War and Peace and wanted to use the 'read now' feature when I'm in bed... That book is heavy! So anyway, the 'read now' feature is available on my phone, but when I bring the book info page up on my iPad , there is no 'read now' feature!!!! I do have that feature for other books though on the iPad. Any ideas!?!?!? Thank you:-)

Okay, guess what, right after I asked the question, the iPad Fairies gave me the feature on the iPad!!! Gotta chuckle....

MK wrote: "@Tytti, the crowd roar from the Bruins-Canadiens game is incredible. I went in to check, b/c I thought something happened, but it's just a dull background roar."

I would have been more worried if there had been no noice... Sorry about Bruins but can't say I am too sorry. :-) Now if only Canadiens would win against the Rangers...

Now, which biography I should start first: about a "madame" of a literary salon (and a small time criminal, probably a spy and also a prostitute in her younger days) or a book about the friendship of a Finnish Count (and a officer in the Swedish army but who later served Catherine II of Russia and was the first Governor-General of Finland) Georg Magnus Sprengtporten and the librarian of Count Waldstein in Bohemia, someone called Giacomo Casanova... :-P

As a native New Yorker ... I'll be rooting for the Rangers!! Not sure about husband, he could root for either. He used to love the Canadiens, but he says lots of the current roster are jerks.

He was so sad last night. He shaved off his hockey beard immediately. In silence. (lol)


the "madame"!

Christine wrote: "Okay, guess what, right after I asked the question, the iPad Fairies gave me the feature on the iPad!!! Gotta chuckle...."

heh ~ nice work on the iPad Fairies part!!! They are timely :)

MK wrote: "the "madame"!"

She wasn't really a madame in "that sense"... And that book about Casanova might have info in connection with War and Peace because it happens during the 1790s. But maybe, it's shorter one at least.

Btw, have I mentioned that when I was interrailing and visited Hamburg, I spent the night in a former brothel? I just had to when I noticed. It was situated between the harbour and Reeperbahn, near where the Beatles performed. AND Ringo Star was in town doing something at the same time. There was a huge crowd before some building.

Nooooo, you haven't mentioned that! Interesting!


Yes, I was thinking the Catherine the Great era one might be interesting tie-in with the W&P era. Before it, of course, but still of interest.

BUT, the criminality, spying, and possible former prostitution sounded jam-packed with excitement. And I know you've been not quite having your attention caught by stories lately, so I thought that might be the most interesting for you :D.

Yep, the hostel had a "hatch"(?) at the door and everything. And it looked like a brothel inside, the wallpaper and furniture. But it had separate rooms for men and women, which actually isn't that common, most places I stayed had mixed rooms.

Heh, the prostitution is certain, she was fined for it or something. The spying isn't, or her political beliefs, she hang around with the right wing crowd, too. But it has a tie in to the book I am reading at the moment, I'm in the 1920s' mood.

I want to hear how you like it, if you do choose it! :)


neat, and interesting, on the former brothel setup

Yep... I also got an Estonian historical mystery, set in medieval Tallinn in 1409. If I ever read it, it will probably be my first Estonian novel. It has been translated to French, for those of you who don't speak Finno-Ugrian or Baltic languages. Apteeker Melchior ja Oleviste mõistatus

Daughter's coming home this week! Probably .... :p

She was due back from school in Ireland tomorrow night. But she just noticed today (or yesterday? I don't know, I just found out, lol) that she accidentally booked a ticket that included an 18-hr overnight layover in London :o, so she won't get in until Wed night.

If she does arrive Wed night. She might have an appt that she has to keep in Dublin on the 27th. She was thinking she'd just fly back if she has to. I say it's cheaper to pay the ticket change, and will cost her less hours as well, if she just stays if she must.
She'll hopefully resolve that question tomorrow ;-).

One way or another, we'll see her soon! Can't wait :).

Either in 2 days ... or in 10 days. <3

She's home! :) Got home last night just after 11pm. She'd been traveling since Monday! (long layover in London)

I got no sleep at all last night :p. I'm happy with that tho :)

Hah, it must be great for you. :-)

MK wrote: "She's home! :) Got home last night just after 11pm. She'd been traveling since Monday! (long layover in London)

I got no sleep at all last night :p. I'm happy with that tho :)"

Oh, how nice!! You sound so happy. Hope you have a wonderful visit!!

You're both right, it's a pleasure :)

Duane wrote: "Some demographics for Goodreads members:

71% female
71% under the age of 45
70% college"

Interesting.

Duane wrote: "Kathy wrote: "Duane wrote: "Some demographics for Goodreads members:

71% female
71% under the age of 45
70% college"

Interesting."

Disclaimer, that info came from quantcast.com. How accurate is ..."


You answered the question I was just going to ask :p.

That's funny, because I was just googling that myself last week. In setting up the Contemporary Classics time parameters preference poll I became interested in that question, too. I found a few sources, some with differing information. I also wondered which was accurate.

I'm sure Goodreads knows!

Duane wrote: "70% college"

Interesting."

Disclaimer, that info came from quantcast.com. How accurate is ..."

I think I have put my age here (so I can join any group if I want to) and my sex, too, but I have noticed that not all have. But where would they get that college info, I don't remember a question about that...

In other news, I just gave four books to my friend and liberated one in order to clear my bookshelf. I also returned three books to the library. While there I met my friend who had a book for me that I had asked for and borrowed one other book. So far, so good...

But then I also checked the book exchange cart and noticed that someone had cleared their classics shelf. I found 10 more or less interesting books... ups...

ETA: Melanti, I also do that, lie about my age.

Advertisers know a surprising lot about you that you wouldn't expect them to know! They might find out about it via what you've entered on your facebook or other social media profiles, or even by who you interact with.

The more they know about you, the higher price they can charge the people who want to send you ads.

I'm sure they have a better idea of who I am than Goodreads, considering I lied about my age when I set up my account. I'm plenty old enough to be in any group but I hate entering valid personal data when I don't have to, so I always lie.

Tytti - you're heading in the wrong direction if the aim is to clear the shelves ;-)

(lol)

Melanti, that's a good idea. I wonder how many do that. I bet alot!

But how could I leave a Swedish classic from 1895 (Delusions) whose author was accused of corrupting the youth? Or Japanese one about Hiroshima (Black Rain)? Or Madame Bovary or some Dickens? Or The Maltese Falcon or some Philip Marlowe? You can understand me, can't you?

Absolutely, Tytti!!! :D

(I also am heading in the wrong direction with that goal, despite the ENTIRE reason I joined Goodreads being to accomplish what you're doing - decluttering books :D)

Usually there are not that great books available, maybe one or two readable, but I think you can all agree with me that those are books well worth picking up. Of course I will register and set them free later.

I agree ^_^