In the High Peaks
















Thursday, July 7, 2011

Library & Postal Book Bag

A furious thunderstorm swashbuckled its way through yesterday at around 4pm, knocking out electric power for nearly 13 hours. According to reports I heard today, two humungous trees fell, knocking out two telephone poles and two transformers. Clearing the enormous trees out of the main roads was a terrible challenge for the road crews, evidently.

I've cut and pasted the blog post I wrote late yesterday just so it doesn't go to waste:

Wednesday, July 6
I’m writing this offline, on battery, in my kitchen, because this is what I do everyday at 4pm, and I don’t know what I’d do with myself if I’m not writing something before it’s time to prepare dinner.

Many new reads entered the living room today, although I purchased only one of them, In the Hold, a translated work by Vladimir Arsenijevic, which cost me exactly one cent and $4 shipping. It arrived in flawless condition, to my amazement.

A dental appointment early this morning gave me the excuse to travel to Crandall Library. I picked up 5 books that were on hold for me, and come to find out, most are slim volumes.

My Baggage Claim: Finally, I have Flambards, by the British author K.M. Peyton! I’m eagerly anticipating reading it. And thanks to advice from Scriptor Sennex of A Book Every Six Days, I now have The Warden by Anthony Trollope in the house. I’ve never read anything by Trollope but have wanted to give him a try for a long time. Sennex suggested I start with The Warden. I also have Cellist at Sarejevo, by a Canadian author, a novel for my German Postwar Literary Challenge--Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck, and one more that I can't reveal just yet. I was also lucky to find three adventure-mysteries for Ken. He’s a fast reader, and, believe me, it’s difficult for his personal librarian to keep up!

I hesitate to say much about the books waiting to be read because I’m in the middle of two exceptionally imaginative and well-written novels:State of Wonder by Ann Patchett and The Settlement by the German author Christoph Hein (for the GPLC).

But, sad to say, I’m not going to be getting anywhere with any book tonight if the skies remain dark. I’m blind without electricity.

6 comments:

  1. I hope you like Flambards and Trollope. I'm on his Palliser series at the moment and I really enjoyed the Barchester novels.
    There seems to be wild weather going on everywhere at the moment!

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  2. look forward to ypour thoughts on Visitation ,all the best stu

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  3. Katrina,
    I know I'll love Flambards and I hope it will be my next read. Trollope's Palliser series--wow. I guess Trollope was a prolific writer. I feel rather dumb to know so little about his background and his literature. I'll work on that!

    I wish you sunny, quiet weather for your weekend pleasures,

    Judith

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  4. Stu,
    Thanks for dropping by. When I posted that I recently bought In the Hold by the Serbian writer Vladimir Arsenijevic, I was wondering if you had read it. It's so hard to get a hold of literature by post-1992 Serbian writers. I'm interested in literature that reflects on wartime experience.

    Judith

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  5. I have a battered old copy of the Flambards as well--I've not yet read it but it looks like quite an absorbing saga! Don't you wonder how those vendors can afford to sell books for a penny and postage?! Not that I'm complaining of course! And just this week I ordered the Erpenbeck for my library (I work in Acquisitions so get to see lots of the new books that are ordered!). Enjoy your library pile!

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  6. Danielle,
    I do indeed wonder how that penny bookselling works! I have investigated e-commerce bookselling and have done a little bit myself, and I can't fathom it!

    Judith

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