Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

Pam wrote: "and “Time Out of Joint” by ..."

I read a few of his this year and Time Out of Joint is on tap for 2022.

Pam wrote: "I sold an assortment of kids’ books and my books in exchange for 2 books - “The Birds and Other Stories” by Daphne du Maurier (gift for my husband but I plan to read it) and “Time Out of Joint” by ..."

I read The Birds and Other Stories quite recently. I’m glad I read it, though it wasn’t quite what I expected. It will be interesting to find what you think of it.

Trisha wrote: "I read The Birds and Other Stories quite recently..."

That one is slated to read next year, Futuristic, Magical & Disturbing in May! I have it on my wish list for the bookstore.

I used a B&N gift card to buy Transit by German author Anna Seghers. I looked for hours trying to find something a little offbeat. After finding it, the title reminded me of another book that I wanted to read The Transit of Venus, so I bought it also! Transit of Venus was recommended last week by Anne Bogel on her podcast and I already had it on my TBR. After these 2 acquisitions, I really need to not buy any more books this year and just read the ones I own!

Pam, if you find a way to not buy more books this year, let me know how, because I already bought 5 last Saturday and happened upon an upcoming exclusive edition new book I kinda want. I did trade in about 35 books Saturday, though, so that does offset things a little.

I would love to not buy anymore books....actually Larron would love for me not to buy anymore books. His reasoning is what do I do with all these books if Mom is gone lol.

Pam sounds like a great hunt at B&N!

I purchased Now in November by Josephine Winslow Johnson by a recommendation. Sorry my memory is horrible for some reason thinking it was Pam?

I also only had a paperback (ugh) of Riders of the Purple Sage so finally found a hardcover and bought it too!

I have two bags of books to donate to our Churches store. One bag is when the Grandsons were here we went through their books to keep for another generation or donate.

Lesle wrote: "I would love to not buy anymore books....actually Larron would love for me not to buy anymore books. His reasoning is what do I do with all these books if Mom is gone lol."

Lesle, I spoke to my husband about that not long ago, what to do with my books if I pass away before he does. He is totally good with letting all my friends take whatever they want and then donating the rest to the library. Have a plan for Larron, and tell him to chill for now. You're enjoying life with your personal library. :)

Larron really has a plan...give it all to Brayden!
It's just he likes to give me a hard time about it. I said isnt it better than me collecting rocks!

I just received a beautiful Heritage Press edition of Germinal from Émile Zola.
It has never even been cracked open! So excited.
The cover has an etching of the industrial plant with men walking in towards it.

When I read it the first time, ages ago, I read it in a kindle version. I really enjoyed it and Rosemarie just brought my memories of it all back with it being a group read this month!

Enjoy the book, Lesle! I think a nice book adds to the reading experience.

I’m laughing about your huge collection of hardback books, Lesle. I mostly read Kindle books as I don’t have enough space to store masses of books. But this week I bought another “real” book! You probably won’t approve as it’s only a paperback, but I got Doctor Zhivago.

I am laughing at you laughing at me, Trisha! "giggle giggle" :)

I love my hardbacks and I guess you have spotted my notation by a paperback (ugh!)

Not sure why but paperbacks do not smell the same when you stick your nose between the pages.

This has made me chuckle! I promised myself that I wouldn’t get anymore books this year as I have so many unread ones to get through, but then so many went to bargain prices in the sale that I’ve already added another 10 to my collection!
I always used to read paperbacks as I found them easier to hold, but now I do tend to gravitate to hardbacks as paperbacks always get creasy and worn looking even if only read once.

Georgina wrote: "paperbacks always get creasy and worn looking..."

It takes too much work to hold a paperback and not break the spine!

Lesle wrote: "Not sure why but paperbacks do not smell the same when you stick your nose between the pages."

Now I have another reason to collect paperbacks other than price and storage space - I don't have to put up with hardback-sniffers like Lesle sticking their noses between the pages of my books; such a disturbing visual.
Thanks Lesle, for making me so glad I decided to collect paperbacks rather than hardbacks.

Brian wrote: "Lesle sticking their noses between the pages of my books; such a disturbing visual. ..."

Im sorry Brian you must of misunderstood. I would never stick my nose in someone elses book. That would be very ill mannered and down right gross!

Thank goodness I do not have plans to visit Illinois as I would have to come up with some kind of excuse to speed past your driveway! The thought of you allowing people to stick their noses in your books in the time of Covid... :)

Lesle, I have never willingly allowed someone to stick there noses between the pages of my books. No one has ever tried to do such a thing, even pre-COVID. Of course, I now realize that's because my collection is paperbacks so they choose to turn their nose up at my collection rather than into the book pages of it.
It is good to know, though, that you restrict that activity to your own collection. I hope your fellow hardback sniffers do the same. Perhaps you can ask them at your next meeting.

Brian I will make sure not to send you a reminder of the next Hardcover Snobs meeting!

Thanks for the smirks! lol

Lesle wrote: "Thanks for the smirks! lol"

You too, Lesle. However, I will now have a different image of what is really going on when someone is described as having their head buried in a book.

Haha! I bet!

This artist does huge, fully illustrated versions of Lovecraft stories. Now I want to read At the Mountains of Madness again.

That is a cool cover, for a weird story, which I've read twice.

This discussion of hardcovers versus paperbacks made me laugh. Thanks, y'all!

I prefer paperbacks, but I do mean trade paperbacks. Slowly I am dwindling down mass market paperbacks from my collection, as their covers and pages do not last like even trade paperbacks' do.

I got The Cambridge Medieval History Collection for my Kindle For Android for free a few days ago through Freebooksy.

i ordered 3 books from barnes and noble two weeks ago.. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, and No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai. Going to start Wuthering Heights today :)

Enjoy your books, Emily!

Jim wrote: "I got The Cambridge Medieval History Collection for my Kindle For Android for free a few days ago through Freebooksy."

A nice collection Jim. I think volume 5 would really be interesting.

Thank you, Rosemarie! i hope you’re enjoying what you’re reading as well :)

I am, even though it's weird, since I'm reading Solaris.

I popped into our Multi-Generational Center today to ask a question and wound up leaving with 5 Inspector Maigret books (by Georges Simenon) from the community bookshelf! I’m not a big mystery reader but I’m going to try one or two. I left 3 with my dad, who likes mysteries and has watched the TV show. They are very short (<150 pages). Any Maigret fans??

I’m trying very hard to not buy more books but I found The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann for $2 at the library so I had to have it! I started it 2 years ago but, since it was a library book, I didn’t have time to finish it. I might read it when the group is reading Buddenbrooks, since I’ve already read that one.

I gave my dad the Inspector Maigret books and he is enjoying them. Not my cup of tea.

What a great find Pam! and your more than welcome to talk about it while we are reading Buddenbrooks.

Glad your Dad is enjoying the Inspector books. Great that he was able to take them off your hands.

I'm a Maigret fan but I'm probably closer in age to your dad than to you, Pam.

Lesle wrote: "What a great find Pam! and your more than welcome to talk about it while we are reading Buddenbrooks.

Glad your Dad is enjoying the Inspector books. Great that he was able to take them off your h..."

Lesle - I think he likes them because 1) he likes mysteries (e.g. PBS British mystery shows like Father Brown) and 2) they are very short! I never knew that my father liked to read until recently, after my mom passed. He used to endlessly talk about politics/current events. Now it's less of that (although Putin and Omicron are his 2 favorite topics) and more literary discussion! I will have to someday read Don Quixote, one of his favorites.

Your Dad seems like a great Mystery man.

I like watching the Mysteries on BritBox which includes Father Brown, Death in Paradise, Shetland and Vera to name a few!

I am sure you will have great discussions with him once you get a chance to read DQ!!

Lesle wrote: "I like watching the Mysteries on BritBox which includes Father Brown, Death in Paradise, Shetland and Vera to name a few!"

As you point out, Lesle, BritBox is certainly a nice resource for those cozy British mysteries. After first reading the book version, I have been watching the corresponding episode of the Brother Cadfael mysteries on BritBox.

Brian wrote: "I have been watching the corresponding episode of the Brother Cadfael mysteries on BritBox..."

I have really enjoyed the Classic Movies (Jane Austen) for the books I have read too!

Brother Cadfael is that some of the new items? I do not remember seeing that one.

Lesle wrote: "Brother Cadfael is that some of the new items? I do not remember seeing that one...."

I do not know - the BritBox website only indicates that it does have Cadfael episodes but not if the program is new to the channel. Cadfael can be seen on a variety of channels now, generally with commercials.

Thanks Brian, I will look into that.

Roman Tales, by Alberto Moravia.

I don't think that Cadfael shows are that new, are they? I suppose it depends on how we define that. The Cadfael mini-series aired from 1994-1998.

Karin wrote: "I don't think that Cadfael shows are that new, are they? I suppose it depends on how we define that. The Cadfael mini-series aired from 1994-1998."

Yes, Karin, that is when the Cadfaels are from. I categorize the show as new rather than old since I have lived and watched TV for a longer period before the shows than after the shows,
I enjoy its age, though, as I have gotten to see some actors I like in early supporting roles. The first episode I watched, A Morbid Taste for Bones from Season 2, had a very young Anna Friel, and the Monk's Hood episode has a pre-Trainspotting Johnny Lee MIller. The episode I am currently half-way through watching, The Sanctuary Sparrow, has young versions of Hugh Bonneville, Toby Jones and Natascha McElhone.
The episodes are not in book order so, to watch the ones I've already read, I have to skip around.

I just got “Finnigan’s Wake”, “Les Miserables”, and To the Lighthouse” on sale at audible.com.

Dave wrote: "I just got “Finnigan’s Wake”, “Les Miserables”, and To the Lighthouse” on sale at audible.com."

Now that you have your 'light' reading covered, you really should turn your attention to some more 'highbrow' books.

Brian wrote: "Dave wrote: "I just got “Finnigan’s Wake”, “Les Miserables”, and To the Lighthouse” on sale at audible.com."

Now that you have your 'light' reading covered, you really should turn your attention t..."

lol, I got some other books after I posted. I will list them all shortly.

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
Japanese Farm Food
East of Eden
On kindle

In audible i bought the following:
Operation Gladio: The Unholy Alliance between the Vatican, the CIA, and the Mafia
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century, Book 2

Cosmic wrote: "Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
Japanese Farm Food
East of Eden
On kindle

In audible i bought the following:
[book:Operation Gladio: The Unholy..."

I read “A Distant Mirror” many years ago. A great history, enjoy!

In addition to being a full-time reader in retirement I was a professional planner in my career. It’s a good thing I have a reading plan in place and know what I want to read far out on the horizon. Today I picked up more than 20 books on sale on Audible.

in addition to the three books listed a few posts back I got:
1 “Sentinels on Fire“ by PT Deutermann
2. The Texasville trilogy by Larry McMurtry (“The Last Picture Show”, “Leaving Cheyenne”, and “Rhino Ranch”).
3. The Earthsea quartet by Ursula K. Le Guin (“A Wizard of Earthsea”, “The Tombs of Atuan”, “Tehanu”, and “The Farthest Shore”)
4. “Of Mice and Men” Steinbeck
5 Three of Patrick O’Brien’s John Aubrey novels about the British Navy in the Napoleonic Wars (“H.M.S. Surprise”, “Mauritius Command”, “The Fortune of War”)
6. “Brokeback Mountain” by Annie Proulx
7. “The Fellowship of the Ring” narrated by Andy Serkis
8. “Emma” by Austin
9. “A Bend in the River” by V.S. Naipaul
10. “Around the World in 80 Days” by Jules Verne
11. “American Colonies: The Settling of North America” by Alan Taylor (The first volume of the Penguin History of the United States.)
12. “The Red Badge of Courage” by Stephen Crane
13. “The Evil Genius” by Wilkie Collins