Three books this morning, all from Bookmooch!

The Farthest-Away Mountain by Lynne Reid Banks - A book I remember fondly from my childhood and a lovely story about a bright and courageous young woman who rescues her prince, learning a lot about herself on the way

Them:Adventures with Extremists by Jon Ronson - Brand new looking book about fanatics. Wanted to read this for a while.

The Haven Home For Delinquent Girls - Cake and unmarried mothers. Not in my usual line but it looks interesting.

Another book finished today, the Old Bailey book. It was ok, mediocre and not very detailed. Seemed like the author had just gone through the trial annals and picked out the interesting ones and a few interesting judges to relate. The history of the site was good but wasnt really put in any social or cultural context and was just frustrating. I found it almost impossible to read it through in one go, each trial gets about a paragraph and they are all linked together in the simplest possible way. There was enough there that I managed to finish it and I picked up some interesting snippets but only snippets due to the paucity of information given.

Went to the library today and borrowed my first books in about ten years. I'm hoping that this will help me deal with my acquisition tendencies when it comes to printed paper. I got five books on:

Urban Legends
Homosexuality in the 19th century
Sex and Marriage in the Middle Ages
Vampirism
And a true story about a woman who became an escort.

I have until the 20th Oct to read and return!

And just one more today:

Cafe Europa: Life after Communism by Slavenka Drakulic - Insight into Eastern Europe. Looks good

Just one today:

The Blue Sword by Robin Mckinley - YA fantasy

I managed to finish a book last night and another this morning, something that always makes me feel good. I am still reading 'The Old Bailey' (upstairs) but I started 'City of Night' by John Rechy to be my downstairs book. What I have read so far is very well written but I am looking forward to getting to the bits that caused all the outrage and uproar when it was first published!

The book I finished last night was called 'The Fall of Tartarus' by Eric Brown. It was a Sci-Fi I picked up on impulse at a library booksale at the beginning of the month for the princely sum of 20p. It is set on the planet of Tartarus; a strange place under the control of a backwards and unpleasant church, where the population mingle with genetically engineered lifeforms and ancient alien beings under a sun which is gearing up for a supernova which will destroy the planet. Brown has put together eight stories from the planet, beginning with 50 years before the supernova and ending with the catastrophe itself. None of the stories are interlinked so I found it quite difficult to follow what was going on at first, especially as the first few stories seemed to promise more detail and further revelations. I quite enjoyed the stories when I was reading them but I dont think I could tell you what happened in more than 2 or 3 and I only finished the book last night. Brown misses his chance to tell the stories from the point of view of the planets more interesting inhabitants, the Blackmen, the Messengers, monks of the Church of Ultimate Sacrifice or the Slarque, instead focusing on the human characters. I would have loved to have known more about these characters, to fill in the gaps in Brown's storytelling. Ultimately I felt that the planet was merely a cardboard background against which the simplest of themes were played out e.g. son searching for father, old man returning to childhood haunts, lost love (at least three of the stories took this theme). The alienness of the planet seemed somewhat separate, intriguing but not unique or particularly compelling. I wont be keeping this one and will list it on Bookmooch once I have finished this post.

The other book I finished was the Simon Garfield collection of post-second-world-war Mass Observation diaries. This was so fascinating and I really enjoyed it but it is not something that you can skim at all! With usually three short entries on each page, generally from different people I kept losing track of who was writing and saying what, what year it was and what else was happening at the same time. I also didnt really like any of the five diarists personally, so I had no connection to what was being written and no impetus to follow a particular story or empathise. I do recommend it though, super read (although not as good as Can any mother help me? which appealed more to me on a personal level)

Postman just came with two more parcels for me:

Wolf and Iron by Gordon. R. Dickson - Post-apocalyptic pulp. So excited to get this, love this stuff!

Firebird by Mercedes Lackey - Retelling of the Russian firebird myth. I quite enjoy Lackey's retellings of old fairy tales, the Black Swan was enjoyable slush that was easy to read and kept my attention.

3 today

Berlin and Stalingrad by Antony Beevor - from a newbie bookmoocher who kindly spent £5 sending them to me. Love it when this happens as had some bad experiences with new moochers who list lots, accept and then never send the books. Lovely big books too, cant wait to get stuck in to them.

Also The World of Myth: An Anthology by D Leeming - very kindly sent from a moocher in the USA. Its a heavy college book comparing certain world myths eg the flood. Hits the right note for me between non-fiction and fiction.

Coming to the end of the Simon Garfield book of post war diaries and it really struck me how there has never really been a golden age. People back then were just as frightened of disaffected youth, had just as many complaints about crime and bad behaviour and in addition were horribly sexist, misogynistic, homophobic and disgustingly antisemitic (one diarist writes that she wishes Hitler had done a better job at exterminating the Jews). Took my breath away in parts.

Lots of lovely book browsing today. Found out that the PDSA charity shop really prices its children's books low so got a handful for 15p-30p each, including a lovely fairy story one I was looking at in Waterstones last week. Of course ended up putting some money into the dog shaped collection box instead!

Two Bookmooch books arrived for me this morning:

Rhapsody by Elizabeth Haydon- Hurrah, part one of the trilogy!

The Outstretched Shadow by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory - Boo! Part One of another trilogy (dont have the other books yet!)

Plus I also picked up:

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand in another charity shop, so the world is looking very rosy right now!

And another one waiting on the doorstep for me:

The Dressing Station by Johnathon Kaplan - Doctor in various warzones recounts his experiences. Lovely hardback copy.

One this morning:

Blade Runner by Phillip K Dick -I was actually expecting the Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep cover and not the film tie-in cover, but its the same book essentially so I dont mind too much.

Withering look and slow hand clap goes to the Age Concern charity shop in Crouch Street who have moved the children's books from the raised area at the back of the shop (with all of the other books) to the side of the shop. This means I only had time to do a quick skim of adult books before the Child got antsy and I had to negotiate the clothes rails to get to the children's books. I had to get right down on the floor and grub around to get to them, which didnt improve my mood as I really struggled to stand back up again. Whilst I was doing this the two staff members had a lovely public bitch about previous customers, donations and how they had to move the children's books so they could keep an eye on what the children were doing (whilst eyeing the Child suspiciously). Overall they made me extremely uncomfortable and I hurried to pay and get out of the shop ASAP. They wont be getting any more of my donations or money.

I did get a nice book for the Child about Vikings (similar to one I had as a child) and another story book- Nice Work, Little Wolf by Hilda Offen, for 49p each but with all the other charity shops in Colchester there is no need to go to that one again.

Very tiring day in London at the Museum of Childhood (review to follow in due course), lots of walking around, lots of entertaining of the Child.

Got home to the pleasant surprise of three bookmooch parcels waiting for me, they were just chucked on the doorstep though so I am glad a) that it didnt rain, b) that we hadnt gone on holiday for a week and c) that there wasnt a light-fingered book thief around.

Never mind, they arrived and thats the important bit.

Join Me by Danny Wallace (The true story of a man who started a cult by accident)- Looks interesting.

Prophecy by Elizabeth Haydon - Part 2 of a fantasy series all the way from a moocher in Portugal. Part 1 is on its way from the UK (has taken longer oddly).

Destiny by Elizabeth Haydon - Part 3, as above.

Black Thorn, White Rose edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling - Marketed as 'adult' fairy tales they are supposed to be sexier and more sinister retellings than normal.

Today I remembered about the Bookstart program and trotted off to the library to claim the latest pack (sadly we missed getting the other two as we were out of the country). By sheer chance I had the Child's red book with me so getting it was hassle free. The librarian tried to talk to me but we had to give up under the sheer weight of noise the ecstatic Child was producing when she realised the big cardboard box was for her.

Inside was two free children's books, some booklets to help parents encourage their child to read, some book plates, a colouring book, some colour pencils and a pencil sharpener. Not bad for free! There was also a £1 children's booktoken so we went to W H Smiths and then Waterstones to find a good one. It took ages as the price of highstreet bookshop books is always more than I want to pay, so I had to find something that I felt was worth the cover price. I bought a book about the human body that seemed to be pitched at the right level for the Child, and even though she was tired and hungry she was happy to sit next to me until I had read it all which is always a good sign.

I was pretty unimpressed with the selection in Waterstones for children, lots of TV tie in books, lots of sentimental slush (I am not a fan of 'Guess how much I love you' and similar slop), hardly anything I could see buying for the Child, especially not at Waterstone's prices.

One Bookmooch parcel this morning, In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander Mcall Smith, as I have been collecting the series to read in one go. Unfortunately since the move the other books in the series have been scattered over the five bookcases we have space for, and as they are double and triple stacked it will be very difficult to find them. The answer of course is to read more and get rid of the books I didnt enjoy, but that may take quite some time! I have opted for a (better!) solution and my mother is bringing up another bookcase for me this weekend hopefully. Now we just need to work out where to put it.

I have been gearing up to start writing reviews again for cash, it would be nice to feel like I am contributing to the household. I made about £300 last year, just need to get the motivation up again.

Busy day.....

.....and just one book:

No Mother to Guide Her- Anita Loos - I read and enjoyed Gentlemen prefer blondes a couple of months ago and had this one on both my Bookmooch and Amazon wishlists. I spotted it in one of those grim twirly bookracks of doom that charity shops fill full of brightly coloured rubbish, literally doing a double take in the street! The Child noticed my excitement and squealed 'Mummy's Book Treat!' -when she is a good girl she gets the choice of a food treat or book treat, I guess I was a good girl today!

Bah Humbug

Advent calendars in one shop, a whole aisle of Christmas food in another. What on earth is going on? How can Xmas ever live up to three months of buildup and excitement? Who cant wait a month or two for a mince pie and who cant live without a Xmas pudding in September?

Christmas seems to be the focus of so much consumerism over the last ten or twenty years, with people spending beyond their means and getting themselves in debt to shower their spoiled offspring with hundreds of pounds worth of plastic junk, 90% of which will either never be played with or will be broken by New Year. How sad. What child needs £500 of new toys a year? Even £200 seems madly extravagant for a 3 or 4 year old who is still happy playing with a wooden spoon, a saucepan and some leaves. Last year the Child got £40 of stuff and she only played with half of that!

More books

Number of books that entered the house today:3
Number of books ordered:0
Number of books mooched:2

Three new books today:

Children of the New Forest by Captain Marryat - Loved it as a child, mooched it to read to the Child when she is older but will probably reread it first.

Temples of Delight by Barbara Trapido - Supposed to be quite funny, modern fiction. Will give it a go.

Mr Wroe's Virgins by Jane Rogers - Based on a true story of a religious nut who convinced his congregation to give him 7 virgins. Looks interesting.

We also went to the East Anglia Medieval Fayre which was lovely, lots to see and do, lovely setting and good food. Had a German sausage which made me a bit homesick for Switzerland and bought a bottle of mead. I think the last time we drank it was on our honeymoon (I dont think we drank it for the whole traditional month though) and we ended up with the Child. Bought a different brand this time, maybe it wont have the same effect!

Book Bonanza

Number of books that entered the house today: 8
Number of books ordered: 0
Number of books mooched:1

2 bookmooch parcels through the door and then a knock at the door from the postman with another four parcels for me!

Diary of Mademoiselle D'Arvers byToru Dutt - Slim little Penguin classic translated from the French. I like to seek out literature written by women as the whole 'classic' section seems to be dominated by male authors. The author was apparently the first Indian to write in French and the first Indian woman to write in English. This one was a bookmooch book and is in perfect condition; it also came all the way from a lovely moocher in Finland!

There's no such thing as a dragon by Jack Kent - This one is for the Child. Lovely story I remember from my childhood. Bookmooch from the UK

Mother of Storms by John Barnes - Part of a 3 book mooch from a UK member. Sci-Fi/ Quasi -Cyberpunk according to the blurb on the covers. I have never heard of the author and I am not overly familiar with the genre but this is definitely not the sort of thing I would have read in the past.

Hiero's Journey by Sterling Lanier - Another part of the 3 book mooch. This one had been sitting on my wishlist for a while. Set 5000 years after a great holocaust, it looks to be a sort of futuristic fantasy thriller, one I can really immerse myself in.

Faraday's Orphans by N.Lee Wood - Final part of the 3 book mooch. Another unknown author and the second book that was not on my wishlist. Set in a post-holocaust America it appears to be a sort of futuristic thriller romance.

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann - A blockbuster novel and according to the cover a cult classic. Looks trashy, ideal for the bath. Bookmooch again.

I cashed in my ipoints on Monday and ordered two new books which arrived today:

Stardust by Neil Gaiman - LOVE the film, broke my rule by not reading the book first. Has potential to become a new favourite.

From the Beast to the Blonde by Marina Warner - Lovely, lavishly illustrated book on the most delicious shiny white paper. Explores famous fairy tales, their history, tellers and the contexts in which they were written. Just begs to be opened and read.

Amount spent on books today- £0

Nestle again

I had this article bought to my attention recently which only reaffirmed my decision to boycott Nestle (which was extremely difficult to do in Switzerland).

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/337/sep09_2/a1379

For those who cannot face reading the article (even though it surprisingly readable) the gist of this is that Nestle have been marketing a coffee creamer in Laos. The logo is of a bear cradling a baby in the breastfeeding position. The research undertaken in Laos suggests that people have been led by their interpretation of the logo to think that it is suitable nutrition for children and in some cases as a substitute for breastmilk. The report concludes that:


"The Bear Brand logo’s non-verbal message implies that the product contained is intended for infants. The powerful visual message is not mitigated by the addition of warning text or by the confusing symbol of the feeding bottle with a cross through it. The sale of coffee creamer with this logo places the health of infants and children at risk in a developing nation that already has extreme levels of malnutrition"

I have disliked Nestle for many years, thanks to their agressive marketing of formula in third world countries undermining breastfeeding and putting babies at risk. Formula is too expensive for much of the population leading to it being dangerously watered down and access to sterile bottles and clean boiled water are limited, leading to many infants dying from diarrhoea.
More info can be found on the babymilkaction site.

I also have a instinctive dislike of big faceless corporations, much prefering to deal with smaller retailers who can give me a much more personal service and who actually seem to care about their customers. These big corporations can afford to screw over everyone else, beat down producers and are partly responsible from our dislocation from how the things we use get produced. We have so much choice but no idea where any of our choices have come from or what they have been through before they get to us, from abused chickens, to perfect apples to 200 different types of pasta sauce. I think this dislocation is one of the saddest things about modern life, I really do, and I hope things start seriously swinging back the other way soon

Bookshops: 1, Me:0

Number of books that entered the house today:1 (for the Child)
Number of books ordered:0
Number of books mooched:2

Went out to explore the town again today and came across one of my biggest temptations, a proper second hand book shop. I couldnt withstand the lure of its close-packed shelves and rummage boxes on the floor and was inside before the thought of my tbr pile could enter my head. Once I was inhaling that curiously intoxicating scent of dusty and aged printed paper I just couldn't leave and ended up sitting on the floor with the Child going through one of the boxes. There were so many books that I would happily have bought before, but my new more discerning self was able to be relatively restrained (although the bored Child pulling at my sleeve after 20 minutes helped too). Lots of books were examined and replaced, mainly because of the price-none of them came under the categories of 'desperately want to read' or 'total bargain in favourite genres-worth a punt'. Sum total spent-50p on a ladybird version of The Elves and the Shoemaker' which the Child thoroughly enjoyed as a bedtime story this evening. I feel oddly proud of myself.

First Post!

Number of books that entered the house today: 0
Number of books ordered: 0
Number of books mooched:10+

Current reads- Hidden Lives by Simon Garfield (downstairs and handbag); Old Bailey by Theresa Murphy (bedside table).

I am in the wonderfully difficult position of having rather a lot of Bookmooch points and very little to spend them on. Having saved them up for the last two months (not voluntarily but due to the international move) I can have potentially 147 books in my hand. The problem is finding those books when I have been actively trimming my wishlists both on bookmooch and Amazon. As I have got older I have been letting go of my desire to define myself by the books on my shelves and what they might say about me. I have been actively searching out books to read for pleasure rather than out of some twisted sense of duty and wanting to impress others. In the process reading has become more of a pleasure again rather than some sort of endurance challenge and there have been glorious rediscoveries of long-ignored genres. Books that I loathed or even just didnt enjoy can now be skimmed out of my library and passed on, there is no longer that need to hold onto them to impress others. Here's hoping that this can continue!