tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22638115564971398392024-02-19T14:52:45.574+00:00Lily's virtual book clubLilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-73505374073603830452009-06-07T00:40:00.002+01:002009-06-07T00:41:51.620+01:00taps foot impatiently......Come on guys, what's occurring? Even Mr Lily has nearly finished reading Tractors! (I think leaving it on the stool in the bathroom probably caught his attention.)Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-82499625480378383562009-05-17T14:29:00.006+01:002009-05-18T08:35:58.608+01:00sussed it! team blog(Lily) The old man didn't get on with Vera because if she hadn't stolen the guard's cigarettes in the camp, she and her mother would not have been sent to the correction block and her mother wouldn't have been raped and made pregnant with Nadia! 'You're not my daughter'...'Don't dig up the past'...It all makes sense now, lol. I have to admit I enjoyed Tractors more the second time round but only because I knew what to expect. I wouldn't describe it as an un-put-downable book or prize-winning material - too repetitive and disjointed in a 'device to keep you reading' sort of way. What does everyone else think?Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-92082278678587961912009-05-11T04:17:00.002+01:002009-05-11T04:19:38.766+01:00bedtime readingis what I'm doing - working my way through Tractors again. Maybe this time I'll discover Vera's secret, I missed it first time round. (Lily)Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-65382293331980169922009-01-24T08:29:00.004+00:002009-03-19T08:45:55.805+00:00Lily's belated New Year's resolutionJosephine, you're a star!<br /><br />Perhaps it was a daft idea, getting the book club up and running just before Christmas when people are at their busiest/most stressed. So much has happened since then I've forgotten what I thought about Tractors so I'm going to read it again (yes, even the history of tractors bits, cornbread!) and then post a proper review. I hope you'll join me x<br /><br />Actually, I don't think I'm going to get round to it. I have a new obsession now - knitting. Carry on without me!Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-20714695638655015102009-01-11T09:06:00.009+00:002009-01-13T18:18:41.475+00:00right you lazy lot.... team blog(Lily) Ok, I'll get the ball rolling. The first thing that struck me about Tractors was that some people might think the elderly father contemplating marriage with a much younger compatriot was a little far-fetched. Well let me tell you this ... when my husband's Czechoslovakian father died in his 80s (a heart attack while swimming) we discovered that he had left everything to a mystery Czechoslovakian fiancee that no-one had ever heard of until then! And as for eccentric Slavs - I will never forget the toe-curlingly embarrassing reunion at Gatwick Airport when pa-in-law met up again with his two sons that he abandoned when they were children. I'll spare you the details as its rather personal, but his tirade was delivered in exactly the same broken English as depicted in Tractors, and at full volume!<br /><br />(Josephine) Wow, Lily. Sounds like you related to this book in a much more personal way than I did. That isn't to say that it didn't suck me in, though. My favorite parts were definitely the descriptions of and interactions with the father, and Nadia's reminiscence of her late mother. I loved the way the two generations (kind of three, as Vera was so much older, and more Ukranian, than Nadia) looked at life.<br />Her mother lived in fear based on her very real experiences with tyrants, but had no real reason to fear the British government. She used her fear, though, in productive (I would say even heroic) ways. She never spent money she didn't have to spend, she saved every peice of food she could, and she trusted the earth to provide so long as she put in the time and hard work.<br />The father loved Ukariane but couldn't admit what it had become. He chose to ignore the terrible history and honor the intelligence and creativity that came out of Ukraine.<br />Vera was haunted and therefore rigid. She loved her family but was too protective to actually protect them until she bent a little to be more like Nadia.<br />Nadia was a little too understanding. She was the most British of the family, and didn't understand their Ukranian ways. She finally blended the cultures a little more when she became more like Vera.<br />That horrible Valentina was sooo intriguing, but I also just kind of wanted her to drop dead most of the time.<br />All I got for now :)Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-40515160904313695722009-01-04T21:30:00.003+00:002009-01-04T21:35:36.770+00:00start without me team blogI'll catch up.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-55248260680869951892008-12-26T08:53:00.007+00:002008-12-26T09:07:50.125+00:00Merry Christmas everyone! team blog<a href="http://www.4specialtygifts.com/images2/33703.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 360px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 360px" alt="" src="http://www.4specialtygifts.com/images2/33703.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I hope you're having a happy and peaceful time wherever you are and may the best of 2008 be the worst that 2009 brings to you.<br />Love and hugs from Lily xLilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-26039908400334918092008-12-17T01:03:00.005+00:002008-12-17T23:06:50.288+00:00donesvilleok. i am terribly sorry that it took me so long to read tractors.<br />but i finished last night and it was wonderful!<br />is everyone done?<br /><br />I am. Do you fancy getting the ball rolling, Cornbread, as I think I remember your saying you had a review more or less worked out? Next week might be a good time, it would give Stitchwhiz a chance to catch up. (Lily)<div><br /></div><div>i got nothin'. (cornbread)</div>josephine teresehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07135528899235353113noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-64435017130364124972008-12-13T08:12:00.034+00:002008-12-14T00:15:03.164+00:00EUREKA! team postDid you know that as a team member, you can not only create your own posts for the blog, but <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaVL9i8hlzcCYMVuQnieZyAv9ZDFQchJelSKwYVrozlcQW8J-DCU-BvAiLUF3qlrIexoLL_Dhyphenhyphen7MTBX-bEBn6Ma7MBZogVg0rgfsWCnlHP5NkFoFPiuNKhOqnpncqNpxQa9tLh-33iuk/s1600-h/brain+wave.jpg"><span style="color:#000000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279354372220389858" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaVL9i8hlzcCYMVuQnieZyAv9ZDFQchJelSKwYVrozlcQW8J-DCU-BvAiLUF3qlrIexoLL_Dhyphenhyphen7MTBX-bEBn6Ma7MBZogVg0rgfsWCnlHP5NkFoFPiuNKhOqnpncqNpxQa9tLh-33iuk/s200/brain+wave.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>you can add to existing ones posted by other members?<br />This means that once the first review is posted, we can all add to that post and our thoughts will be immediately visible on the blog, instead of having to check the comments window all the time. It would look and feel more like a conversation. (We'd have to add our names before/after our contributions so we could tell who said what.)<br /><br /><div><div><div>Of course I'm not advocating tinkering with any old post, just the ones that invite co-authors. We could add <strong><em>'team post'</em></strong> or something similar to our post titles to indicate that we'd like others to join in. What do you think guys? Practise on this one!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FsS54ADfY_JCR5DmWTfEmffkgKim7CG7CwHozCVqFbxWNX87Ikw9fLU38mzQ0iL2ida8cvT6VLYNE1Y_mLJJ7JPdNvsnMzdGArR081vkI_O7MRnBJZdKVH1QOdvobX0Y_dEWfn1eZns/s1600-h/elvis.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279361248665468770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 122px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 119px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FsS54ADfY_JCR5DmWTfEmffkgKim7CG7CwHozCVqFbxWNX87Ikw9fLU38mzQ0iL2ida8cvT6VLYNE1Y_mLJJ7JPdNvsnMzdGArR081vkI_O7MRnBJZdKVH1QOdvobX0Y_dEWfn1eZns/s200/elvis.bmp" border="0" /></a><span style="color:#ff6666;">OOPS </span>Cornbread has just pointed out that he can only alter his own posts. My fault - I'd forgotten to give team members administrative privileges. Have ticked the right boxes now (hopefully!) so please try again. </div></div></div><br />i shall call this post a <a href="http://www.world-english.org/practise_practice.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)">practise <span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)">team-</span></span>practice</span></span></a>. (cornbread)<br /><br />There you go! (Lily)Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-24924972031280074212008-12-13T01:54:00.009+00:002008-12-13T09:16:19.047+00:00virtual book reviewhave virtual book review bubbling up in <a href="http://www.physorg.com/news148314290.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)">brain</span></span></a>, but will wait for the lovely josephine to finish partying and post something.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiba06zoFUiY-6_xkBzgm2gg5W5VdFN0cYU_sC1wRsVZybMG8lg1XIk4PV16lkFiY_2ku8jNzEP4RJmJQxqQAfiPAEjU2RKn_tKQLl6CORneRdSnSVD_996hps5S8vqIjyAFKtRskH8j150/s1600-h/crazyjo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279091101531913954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 75px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiba06zoFUiY-6_xkBzgm2gg5W5VdFN0cYU_sC1wRsVZybMG8lg1XIk4PV16lkFiY_2ku8jNzEP4RJmJQxqQAfiPAEjU2RKn_tKQLl6CORneRdSnSVD_996hps5S8vqIjyAFKtRskH8j150/s320/crazyjo.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">(her semester just ended!)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDaxWaoxlAUjJr58gavuC4ISxZo1W8VPIHXRE4PRHmkx52ainV-XUh5mKqsorXrY9lDzIXE7e45wAyJ2yoxMHGvyUkloD4CrUEvO8C8J4eo3j95kybxdLPb8JsJdNbeJQNgzyzQ8I_ddYh/s1600-h/joovershoulder.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279092723954829570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDaxWaoxlAUjJr58gavuC4ISxZo1W8VPIHXRE4PRHmkx52ainV-XUh5mKqsorXrY9lDzIXE7e45wAyJ2yoxMHGvyUkloD4CrUEvO8C8J4eo3j95kybxdLPb8JsJdNbeJQNgzyzQ8I_ddYh/s320/joovershoulder.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />("dad, please don't be such a dork.")</div><div> </div>cornbread hellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04044619147561532271noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-16549768857644715232008-12-10T21:00:00.017+00:002008-12-11T00:26:43.733+00:00is it ok if i do this, ms. lily?hello. cornbread here. no spoilers are included and no animals were harmed in any way in the making of this post. it's more of a vocabulary thing.<div><br /></div><div>when i read a book i make marks and notes in it. ((gasp)) </div><div>pen, pencil, whatever's handy. sometimes it's just a favorite turn of phrase or line, or something i "think" might be a foreshadowing of things to come. (i'm usually wrong.) sometimes it's whole paragraphs that have a certain appeal. sometimes it's a word i either don't know or question if i know the meaning of.</div><div><br /></div><div>this post is a list of words i came across while reading "tractors." quite a few are apparently common to the british vernacular. or maybe not. several are easy enough to get from context, but i've included them as well, along with web references and some pictures for your viewing pleasure...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh247c4yGv4GywH7Gm93Ns_zD8ukSD8BTw1SNmZ7QYvgnT0_T45eQLmldNJdT4gbH2hyxIiAIM6uimERhMmZ8Z5ITNekQRK2RPRRrEMq0XtTDi_h_UBv4IJ-QC9ExOOuoJwK7_5n7HB52J1/s1600-h/vendanges_dating.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh247c4yGv4GywH7Gm93Ns_zD8ukSD8BTw1SNmZ7QYvgnT0_T45eQLmldNJdT4gbH2hyxIiAIM6uimERhMmZ8Z5ITNekQRK2RPRRrEMq0XtTDi_h_UBv4IJ-QC9ExOOuoJwK7_5n7HB52J1/s200/vendanges_dating.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278277160515129762" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>like this one of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secateur"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">secateurs</span></a></span> (page 46 in my copy)</div><div><br /></div><div>are you only seeing the "superior breasts"? well look again. the man is holding a pair of pruning shears. is secateurs common nomenclature in europe? i've never heard it before. but what do i know? </div><div><br /></div><div>here's a clearer picture without the superior breasts. (hahaha, read the book.)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMx3D_NFfDqlXYIKwgRNW7KN1DPGfuNV1kNqiHRZU9KxwoFuJtKi30Wr_MRFBmlrZxG8CcuGUuKdbgrObe1_kyZ6CURBjbJDno4rdRSnDYywlKhfnpKk3zLw1By7wvkyBDYpWYC3nqE6lZ/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 87px; height: 74px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMx3D_NFfDqlXYIKwgRNW7KN1DPGfuNV1kNqiHRZU9KxwoFuJtKi30Wr_MRFBmlrZxG8CcuGUuKdbgrObe1_kyZ6CURBjbJDno4rdRSnDYywlKhfnpKk3zLw1By7wvkyBDYpWYC3nqE6lZ/s200/images.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278278606790262594" /></a></div><div>on with the vocabulary list...</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_561512181/j-cloth.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">j-cloth</span></span></a> (pp. unknown) is another one i assume is british. it's basically a paper <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">towel</span></a>.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzE9IEjaycdwpp4QdPzbMCe9pcGgroe_3ykb5cstY_YrAGCoyB0z_U5gK3GgDSAYn4XeENGZGMEZxGVdlhZMPzScOIPWddJF5bmLez_WNg5mNpOJvwbEQqT3z-qxqXwYckc7q_FkA8ZrQ/s1600-h/jdo0600l.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 297px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzE9IEjaycdwpp4QdPzbMCe9pcGgroe_3ykb5cstY_YrAGCoyB0z_U5gK3GgDSAYn4XeENGZGMEZxGVdlhZMPzScOIPWddJF5bmLez_WNg5mNpOJvwbEQqT3z-qxqXwYckc7q_FkA8ZrQ/s320/jdo0600l.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278280382345025954" /></a></div><div> </div><div>in "tractors", much to her sister's chagrin, nadia was partial to <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.oxfam.org/en/about/history"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">oxfam</span></a></span>. (yeah, yeah, but i never heard of it before. and i bet josephine hasn't either.) maybe lily can show us <a href="http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shops/content/shopfinder.php"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">which shop</span></a> nadia most likely frequented. and while she's at it, show us where peterborough and selby are. (if i've done my sleuthing right, i think lily lives somewhere between the two.)</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHMP_enUS301&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=hrivna"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">hrivn</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">a</span></span> = about 20 cents american? i wonder if the dollar hasn't "fallen through the floor" (p. 33) further by today. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://cartome.org/panopticon1.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">panopticon</span></a></span> (p.150) i love this word. never heard or read it before that i remember. it's kinda like "big brother", huh?</div><div>and in more modern parlance, how 'bout this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticon_(Internet_culture)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">"little brother"</span></a> use of the word? cool.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/GCE"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">GCE</span></a></span> (p.154) from context, i assume it's the 1st one in that list of acronyms.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DMWT0M26P9f4zNsR2IIFg2ZOb-_8OwzpLnQNBmYEFptGENjjFNO4PusGoXIXj7tJYcPzxEKn7WiIPFnamLvHmf54eWg5A73o-Ncah1N0X1tPSl7wtIw3Kl5xz7D5jbhKm3qylOL6aTDA/s1600-h/gce.jpg"><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 203px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DMWT0M26P9f4zNsR2IIFg2ZOb-_8OwzpLnQNBmYEFptGENjjFNO4PusGoXIXj7tJYcPzxEKn7WiIPFnamLvHmf54eWg5A73o-Ncah1N0X1tPSl7wtIw3Kl5xz7D5jbhKm3qylOL6aTDA/s320/gce.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278286368681560626" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravid"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">primigravida</span></a></span> (p.184) </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">louche-looking</span> (p.196) </div><div>"louche - disreputable or sordid in a rakish or appealing way" (Oxford Dict)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjequYN9_39jzJ8Ow8d8IQXUD_43_noazhO9MdT-9myzv3frw0DbE4Cx8XLBu7jjPlAxaw6-SvyLhgimGRxQEPho3nqhIgSoWlwfJXOFrBe38zd7eVIozjsttkEVJM5gHboQrWiHISISK3o/s1600-h/tdltad.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 195px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjequYN9_39jzJ8Ow8d8IQXUD_43_noazhO9MdT-9myzv3frw0DbE4Cx8XLBu7jjPlAxaw6-SvyLhgimGRxQEPho3nqhIgSoWlwfJXOFrBe38zd7eVIozjsttkEVJM5gHboQrWiHISISK3o/s320/tdltad.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278288187714406098" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">sic transit gloria mundi</span> (p.246) </div><div>(SIK TRAN-sit GLAWR-ee-uh MOON-dee) Latin for “Thus passes away the glory of the world”; worldly things do not last.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/emilydickinson/9955"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">here's a poem of the same name</span></a> by the esteemed ms. emily dickinson.</div><div><br /></div><div>there are too many <a href="http://images.google.com/images?rlz=1C1CHMP_enUS301&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=sic%20transit%20gloria%20mundi&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">cool images here</span></a> for me to choose just one, but somewhere in there is a photo of an ice berg. </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">sick </span>(sic)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> transit gloria mundi, indeed...</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://thesaurus.reference.com/browse/perspicacious"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">perspicacious</span></a></span> (p.267) no matter how many times i look this word up i never seem to remember what it means. is that a tad ironic?</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">DIY</span> (pp. unknown) DIY is just stupid...this must be another english thing. clearly it means, "do it yourself," but who says that??! "DIY"?</div><div><br /></div><div>ok. i give. apparently lots of people do. a google search for DIY shows 121,000,000! results.</div><div>even how to kiss. </div><div>for god's sake, you idiots, DIY!!!! </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">(i'm sure </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">t</span></span><a href="http://www.instructables.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">hese diy projects</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> will change by the time you read this, but when i looked at it there really were instructions on how to kiss, but i was laughing too hard to read them. drat!)</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>so that's it for now, kiddies. i'm sorry if i broke any book club rules by posting without permission. and even sorrier if you already knew all there was to know about these (to me) relative obscurities.</div><div><br /></div><div>p.s. i am not about to proofread this long-ass post, so just tough it out. and happy reading...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>cornbread hellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04044619147561532271noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-14153289232045913362008-12-09T06:43:00.000+00:002008-12-09T06:44:09.278+00:00I've finished reading TractorsLilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-77428054540932127222008-12-07T01:07:00.001+00:002008-12-07T01:07:33.531+00:00I'm about half way through, how's about you?Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-58593628574262964102008-12-02T20:46:00.006+00:002008-12-02T21:15:50.566+00:00Da rulesOk, listen up, Cornbread has fessed up to premature evaluation and has one chapter already under his belt. So to stop the rest of you falling behind, I'm setting down some rules:<br /><br /><div><ol><li>If you've got the book, start reading but keep schtum until you've finished it.</li><br /><li>Then leave a short post to let club members know you're done .</li><br /><li>When everyone's finished the book, we'll start discussing it.</li></ol>Is everyone ok with this? Anyone got any better ideas? Anyone met my cousin, Luigi?<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275304342132717746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 120px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZneEOgdbXqzcPQtK6DFvd4PDf2VZkv7v6mDssRsQWGLOijo1od4OBgIMFw90u5e4H5hS2npu1e-wVCa3DBPoFzDDxgYKOUKPtDeIfHblfpTaz1bG6SpM9OSO7FzVMEo1QdBT1sXY3kc/s200/233297.jpg" border="0" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYK-35uVbMfqUc2U3y8x9vO4HG0cW6jOpcNaAV-7y7o_IEbHunFF6xSr8j1gbOAwiSLsiuZXakBBlDIjLF3xjxHyW3D7pj5p2SZxkksrvpig9oGc380VpdBXlAKZlvBYDW9yQD2MmSc0/s1600-h/233297.jpg"></a></div>Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-56592592179172405812008-12-02T08:16:00.004+00:002008-12-02T08:32:11.703+00:00Almost there<ol><li>Three of us have acquired copies of Tractors. Would it be rude to make a start or should we wait for our fourth esteemed member? I don't mind either way.</li><li>I think book clubs work by everyone reading the whole book then getting together to discuss it. Of course we could make our own rules up - how about posting your ideas on how we could run ours, eg check in chapter by chapter/set a few dates to meet online and discuss however much we've read by then?</li></ol>Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-69985604453973055252008-11-27T22:09:00.005+00:002008-12-01T13:01:04.680+00:00And the winner is..........<strong>A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian</strong>!<br />(Commiserations to whoever voted for Life of Pi)<br /><br />Now all we need to do is wait until everyone has a copy of the winning choice and then we can start. Over to you guys!<br /><br /><em>Taps foot impatiently...</em>Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-70099922955030800362008-11-27T21:31:00.002+00:002008-11-27T21:35:07.536+00:00I can't wait any longer!My copy of A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian arrived today! As voting seems to have stopped, I've altered the poll to finish in half an hour. Hope no-one minds. See if you can spot the subtle change to the blog picture when the poll ends :-)Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-77579313664061694572008-11-20T03:05:00.009+00:002008-11-27T22:12:23.025+00:00Vote for one of Cornbread's books... one vote per person, mind!<br /><br />Wish I'd set an earlier date for the poll vote to close - I'm keen to get started on reading the first book! Looks like Tractors is unlikely to be beaten.....think I'll take a chance and get a copy from ebay now.<br /><br />Oh no....so many to choose from! Shall I settle for a cheap paperback or shell out a bit more for the tactile pleasure of handling a hardback?.....The deed is done, I have made an offer on a hardback and am now waiting to hear back from the seller.<br /><br />Yay! £3 offer accepted! I promise I won't start reading it until everyone in the book club has their own copy.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-52781407616714459712008-11-19T19:40:00.009+00:002008-11-27T22:51:11.046+00:00and here we go now....Brother cornbread has come up with the following excellent suggestions:<br /><br /><strong>Life of pi</strong> by Yann Martel<br /><em>"After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, one solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The crew of the surviving vessel consists of a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orang-utan, a 450 pound Royal Bengal tiger and Pi - a 16-year-old Indian boy. The scene is set for one of the most extraordinary pieces of literary fiction of recent years. ... Yann Martel's Life of Pi is a transformative novel, a dazzling work of imagination that will delight and astound readers in equal measure. It is a triumph of storytelling and a tale that will, as one character puts it, make you believe in God. Can a reader reasonably ask for anything more?" </em><br /><br /><strong>A short history of tractors in Ukrainian</strong> by Marina Lewycka<br /><em>"A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is set in Peterborough, where 84-year old Ukranian immigrant Nikolai Mayevskyj announces to his daughters that he's in love and will remarry. The object of his affection is Valentina, a 36-year old old Ukranian woman with a visa about to expire and a pair of marvelous breasts. She's determined to use Nikolai to achieve the Western lifestyle she's assured she deserves, and he's willing to let her while he works on his book about the history of tractors. Meanwhile, his daughters, although markedly different in outlook and lifetime rivals, band together to thwart Valentina's ambitions. Valentina's turns their family home inside out, digging up old family secrets in the process. It's a battle of wills with all the participants shaped by their own pasts through recent Eastern European history. Marina Lewycka's novel is a comic look at family bonds and Western lifestyles and has received mostly positive reviews. The Telegraph says, "Lots more happens but the plot is really a vehicle for social satire, some good jokes and an overdose of slapstick. It adds up to a clever, touching story." </em><br /><br /><strong>Rites of passage</strong> by William Golding<br />"<em>An ancient ship of the line converted to general purposes is making her way from the South of England to Australia. She carries a few guns, some cargo, some animals, some seamen, some soldiers, some emigrants and a few ladies and gentlemen. There is a clergyman of the Church of England. There is Wilmot Brocklebank, lithographer, marine artist and portrait painter. There is a young army officer.<br />"Representing the higher echelons of administration is young Mr Talbot, setting out with the utmost confidence towards a distinguished career. But the voyage teaches him some unexpected things. It affords him more opportunities for observing the ceremonies that mark a progres through life - more chances for a mixture of acute observation and sheer misjudgement - than he could possibly record in his journal; though, for his godfather's entertainment, he tries his best. Though Talbot is mistaken in Deverel, instructed by Mr Summers, seduced by Miss Brocklebank, and shocked by Miss Granham, he finds it unnecessary in the event to keep an eye on Mr Prettiman. But it is a sadder and more responsible man who learns from the Reverend Robert James Colley what a bitter taste there is to remorse when it is unavailing. "</em><br /><br />Any one of these three sounds promising. Unless anyone else is desperate to get started on a different book, all we have to do now is figure out a way to make the first choice! Any suggestions?<br /><br />(Taking Cornbread's lead, we could take turns at proposing three titles each which should ensure we don't stay within our comfort zones!)Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-8804502615713909972008-11-19T18:41:00.003+00:002008-11-19T19:04:04.680+00:00Woo-hoo ... lift off!Two brave souls have given me their e-mail addresses, so soon there will be three posters on here! Cornbread, I agree with you that it would be best to choose something we've never read before, so we come to it fresh.<br /><br />There is the potential problem of all team members not being able to get hold of the same book, given that we're spread out a bit, so I thought a good way to get over this, would be to pick something from this year's Booker Prize list - I've included a link to the website in this blog. I'm going to try find 2 or 3 likely candidates and if everyone else does the same and names their choices in a post, we can have a vote on which to tackle first.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-41553824882308487112008-11-19T08:10:00.002+00:002008-11-19T08:24:06.544+00:00First stumbling blockI'd like to make this a team blog so that members can put their own posts up and don't have to keep checking long lists of comments to see what each other thinks about the current topic. Here's the catch....Blogger says I need e-mail addresses to create members. I realise folk may not be comfortable about this. If you're happy to let me have your details, put them in a comment - I won't publish it. <br /><br />I suppose the alternative is to create a post out of each comment. Que sera, sera.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263811556497139839.post-63908859346567778632008-11-18T22:47:00.000+00:002008-11-19T00:59:34.654+00:00Help!I'd love to be a member of a book club, it would kick start my old love of reading (which has to be good thing, right?) and it would be fun and fascinating to share opinions with others. I can just imagine myself retiring to bed at a sensible hour and reading a chapter or two of the chosen book before drifting off to sleep. Much better than the current routine (11pm time check)!<br /><br />The trouble is, I just don't have space in my life to fit in book club get-togethers. So I had this idea...I will create a blog where my very own book club bloggers can meet and choose books to read and discuss. What do you think? Good idea, daft idea?<br /><br />Would anyone like to join me? Any thoughts on the first book?<br /><br />Oh crikey, its 00:59! Goodnight xLilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07674290059708540185noreply@blogger.com6