1: Laura’s Diary – Laura Sayers* A
2: Waiting – Ha Jin* A
3: A tree grows in brooklyn – Betty Smith* A+
4: Buying a Fishing Rod for my Grandfather – Gao Xingjian* B
5: The Hobbit – J.R. Tolkien* -
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* = Books I have not read before.
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 12:26 am
This list of books Tahlia, once you have “your 50″ are you then going to read them?
“A Tree grows in Brooklyn”. I have never read the book, but saw the film version when I was a teenager, it was good, but nothing special.
I don’t read as much as I used to [this being one of my 2007 resolutions-to start reading voraciously again].
I have always had a passion for Dickens and D.H Lawrence, I shall start there I think, unless anyone can recommend something equally as good?
xebi said,
January 14, 2007 @ 12:31 am
I’m adding the books to the list as I read them =]
A tree grows in brooklyn was recommended to me by this bookclub place. It’s good so far. A lot of the time a book is far better than the film.
I don’t read half as much as I used to, which makes me sad seeing as I used to stay up all night reading. So this year i’m going to read as many as I can.
I don’t really think I could recommend anything to anyone because people have different tastes I suppose, i’ve never read Dickens or D.H Lawrence.
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 12:41 am
You have never read Dickens? That is something you must remedy! Maybe Anne [3.1] who is one of my best mates, could pass on a couple of books from me to you, on temporary loan?
True, people have different tastes, there is a lot of common ground though.
xebi said,
January 14, 2007 @ 12:42 am
Well if you recommend something i’ll see if i like it.
Then I can add it to me list =D
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 12:55 am
Right, Bleak House is very good. It is a damning indictment of the Law. It is basically saying Law benefits Lawyers and no-one else, very contemporary I think you would agree. Rich characterization, beautiful language, twists and turns. A beautiful love story as well.There is both tragedy and celebration at the end of the book.
I also adore Tintin!!!
Yes they might be seen as comic books, but Herge [Georges Remi] was making certain points about contemporary society. Who are your favourite authors?
xebi said,
January 14, 2007 @ 1:01 am
I never really have faveourite authors because whenever people ask me I cant ever think of any.
At the moment im into reading about other cultures so ive been reading… Memoirs of a geisha, Empress Orchid, Mao.
There’s also a series I love called the tales of the otori and thats.. Across the Nightingale floor, Grass for his pillow, Brilliance of the moon, and a new one I cant remember the title of.
I’ll read anything, really so it’s difficult for me to pick particular ones. I like books that I find inspirational. I really enjoyed “The bell Jar”, and also “How I live now”
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 1:08 am
Mao!
It is a strange paradox that you mention Mao, because he was originally a librarian, before joining the communist party.
Apologies for asking a personal question, but are you feeling better today?
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 1:12 am
Don’t have to apologise, i’m pretty open with my feelings.
I’m tired today. I had to work this morning and the usual work abuse wears me down. I also have a soar throat, so I think i’m feeling rubbish more physically than emotionally. Although when I feel ill I tend to be in a crap mood, too haha.
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 1:17 am
I have a sore throat too! Spooky! Have a cough as well, originally I had a cold, which I think was caused by the walk Anne and I had last sunday, which she blogged about. Being ill is awful, but to be ill when you are on leave from work!!!!!
Back to work tomorrow, a 12 hour night shift, which despite the hours, is not TOO bad.
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 1:20 am
Yeah I read that you dragged her around XD
Well I only work 6 hours so now I feel bad for complaining
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 1:24 am
Aww, don’t feel bad!
Sorry, what is XD? 6 hours can quite long enough.
I work on the tube, what do you do? [sorry to be nosy!]
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 1:27 am
XD is a smiley face :p
I work in the book dept of W H Smiths.
I expect working on the tubes is much more fun.
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 1:36 am
Its a smiley, ok!!! I feel like a wally now! On my laptop, I just see the letters and not the emoticons.
Tube? Fun? Hmmm, it can be!!. I work in a control room, so dont really work with the public anymore [which is good and bad]
Prior to joining LU, I worked in retail for many years, which looking back on it wasn’t great, though it did pay the bills. I was originally going to be a Biochemist, and go into drug design. However, after finishing my A Levels, I took some time out and never went to uni, and have worked ever since.
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 1:38 am
I see,
Well I don’t live in London, but I loved the underground when I used to go to devmeets =] Is that what you plan on doing with your life, or do you have other plans?
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 1:43 am
Well, if life were perfect, I would be a doctor, have a beautiful wife, whom I would be with till I die and live in a beautiful house in the South of France.
But back to reality!!!!!!!!! Yes, I will be staying on the tube, shiftwork is a pain, but the money is very good. What do you like about the tube?
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 1:46 am
Haha well its not an unrealistic dream… well.. I don’t know about the doctor thing =D
I don’t know what I like about the tube *shrugs* I suppose it’s just something new to me, as we don’t have anything like that in Exeter =p I’ve only been on the tube three or four times but I couldn’t tell you what it is I enjoy, just like I couldn’t tell you why I love London. I haven’t figured it out yet
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 1:49 am
Exeter must be quite nice? You have lines to Exmouth and Barnstaple snaking their way through. So do you have a local accent?
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 1:52 am
A local accent? I hope not! Then I would sound really devonshire! Apparantly I sound posh, although I wouldn’t know.
Exeter is just kind of boring. It depresses me. If there is beauty here then I just cant see it.
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 1:56 am
You sound posh? As posh as Anne? She has a lovely voice I think. Have you been in Exeter all your life? Surely there is beautiful countryside a few miles from you, or does that not do it for you?
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:00 am
Im sure I would love the countryside but unfortunately I was raised to quite a sheltered child.. thats not as dodgy as it sounds.
Basically i’m not that independant and I don’t like to go anywhere on my own. I’m shy, and I don’t like people (as bad as that sounds), crowds and things. I’m also very bad with directions. I’ve been in Exeter all my life and it took me to the age of 15 to actually realise where everything was… and I still get lost now!
I expect going to the countryside would require a car or.. going on a bus and I dont drive and I wouldn’t get on a bus if I didn’t know where I was going. I suppose I should be a bit more daring, but now you know what I mean when I say i’m not independant =p
I love Anne, even though I cant remember what she sounds like because I haven’t seen her in a year. Although she sings, so I expect she does have a lovely voice =]
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:09 am
Yeah I understand. I felt like hugging you when you wrote about dropping your money on the bus, and forgot to take the ticket.
Anne doesn’t sing as much as she used to, the playing [piano+guitar] continues though.
Are you going to university? Are you doing A Levels?
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:11 am
Well hopefully i’m going to university.. but I was supposed to go like.. a year/two years ago. I lost track of time, haha. I wont be going till sept ‘08, either so i’ll be like 23 or something stupid like that when I do go, which isnt that bad.. I guess.
I plan on doing media in uni and then teacher training.
I wanna go to China to gain a bit of confidence, ‘cos I think i’ll need it
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:17 am
Is China the only place that sells confidence?
Tahlia, I don’t really know you, but to sit here for the last…..1 hour is it? and tell a stranger about yourself……well that takes a lot of confidence, so well done.
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:19 am
Well it’s what i’m doing in China. I’m working in an Orphanage that looks after terminally ill children. It should help with my teaching as well because I have no experience when it comes to working with Children.
Thats a nice thing to say =] I like talking to strangers…as long as it’s just one person and not a whole group of people!
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:24 am
That would be a very noble and generous thing to do.
Like I said, depressives are very selfless, always putting others before themselves, maybe thats our downfall…..ultimately.
Again, I dont really know you, but you sound like a wonderful person.
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:27 am
I doubt you would think that if you knew me but thanks all the same :p
well i’m also a pisces and I think that our downfall is that we think of others more than ourselves. That’s always been my problem in any case. I hope that doesn’t make me sound dreadful, saying that I think I care more for others than myself… makes me sound like I think im amazing or something, haha.
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:31 am
Yes it does!!!!!!!!!!
I would say you are amazing, I am USUALLY a pretty good judge of character.
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:33 am
hahahahahaha
I’m not amazing. I’m quite boring… and I judge people before I talk to them.. before i’ve even spoken to a person I will decide how I am going to act towards them.
I ignore people on msn sometimes because I know they will depress me =\
I never know what to say in a conversation so I never like to engage in one with anyone.
I have a really bad temper and I hold a grudge. I get irritated and angry a lot. It’s something I need to work on XD
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:38 am
Ok.
Forgive me for saying so, but I detect you have not got loads of confidence. Very few people are truly confident.
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:40 am
:p Well i could have told you that.
I hate myself. I dislike my personality. I hate the way I look. I hate the way I act and just dislike who I am in general. I spend a lot of my time wishin g I was someone else
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:46 am
Oh, why do you think that?
You are sociable, pretty, intelligent, need I go on!
Like me, various events have occurred over time to “produce” the person you now are.
However, I do believe you are turning the corner, you clearly have a low level of confidence, but you still stay positive. That speaks volumes about your character. What is the one thing that would make you feel better about yourself?
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:47 am
Um..if I looked completely different XD
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:52 am
But your really pretty!!!.
I wish had freckles on my face still, now I have about 3 left, they are still all over my arms though, which I am glad. As for your eyes, well! They are soft and beautiful, you also have gorgeous skin.
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:54 am
Actually i have AWFUL skin. I’m just good at taking photos :p
I just dont like the way i look, no matter what people say.
Im also a hypochondriac annddd i am totally OCD, which also annoys me.
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:57 am
Well, I am sorry, I beg to differ, and they say the camera never lies!
Your skin looks flawless to me.
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:58 am
Well it doesn’t feel very nice :p
Don’t you keep a blog or anything?
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 2:59 am
Me, no, why do you think I should start one?
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 3:00 am
Maybe. It seems like quite a popular thing to do lately. Well, if people have interesting things to say
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 3:03 am
I dont know, there is one thing that is really missing in my life at the moment and that is a partner.
You think I am interesting then?
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 3:04 am
I don’t know enough about you to say whether you are interesting or not. That’s why you should get a blog :p then i’ll know whether you’re interesting or not
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 3:11 am
Start a blog? I really don’t know sweetie.
Maybe Anne and I might come down to see you in the summer?
Failing that, there is always MSN.
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 3:12 am
You can add me on msn if you’d like.
People either love keeping blogs or really hate it. I always used to try and talk my friend Sam into getting one and she got one and detested it, haha
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 3:14 am
It is very much a personal thing I think.
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 3:15 am
Yeah. It depends on whether or not people like sharing their life with whoever is reading.
Nigel said,
January 14, 2007 @ 3:17 am
I think if I said all the dark stuff in my head publically, I would not post any photos of myself. What is your MSN address darling?
Tahlia said,
January 14, 2007 @ 3:18 am
I’ve had about 14 different blogs I think. Started when I was about 14 i believe.
msn is xebi_@hotmail.com
Anne said,
January 17, 2007 @ 2:39 pm
Oh my GOD. Talk about making conversation! XD
Xebbers Xebbers Xebbers… I’m hoping to not be ill this time get out of London a bit more this summer, so maybe I will come down to Exeter. You and I need to play catch-up. I need to visit the Exeter-ish area anyhow – I’m planning to visit Stuart (Do you remember Stuart? Ex-dA-boyfriend?)
You don’t come to devmeets anymore. iCry. You need to come down and see Penguin and I.
Oh. And Nigel.
Nigel and I will show give you a grand tour of the le Tubes de Londres one day.
As for books. Dickens… yes yes. ‘Bleak House’ is very good, and so is ‘Our mutual friend’ – his last fully completed novel – Dark, but lovely!
Much love.