I don't know about you all, but I tend to be a bit of an unofficial librarian to my friends. When we meet up, they return books that I have lent to them, and I bring them new books to read. For the most part this is an arrangement that everyone is happy with and given that they are pretty reliable at returning the books to me eventually I don't mind lending them out. Most of the time, my biggest issue is trying to remember who has already read which books!Last night my friends and I went for cocktails at the local casino which is on the river front in Melbourne. One of those friends returned five books to me. Another friend borrowed two of the returned books meaning I was left with a carry bag with three books in it.
The casino was one of the places where there were big celebrations as part of the Chinese New Year. While we were having cocktails, there were dragons dancing through the casino, food stalls on the riverbank and lots of Chinese lanterns everywhere, with people in costume and drummers and lots of people around, so much so that it took us a several attempts to find a restaurant where we could eat before 11 o'clock at night. Fortunately we got into the seafood restaurant where we have eaten before and all enjoy, and once again the food was awesome! Some time spent in the casino playing roulette was followed by some time in the sports bar listening to live music and spending time out on the balcony with my smoking friends. And all the while I am still carrying around the bag with my three books in!
Thinking about it, the characters of two of the books might have felt right at home on a girl's night out (Jill Mansell's An Offer You Can't Refuse and Miranda's Big Mistake) but I am not sure what Bess de Montacute, the main female character from Susan Higginbotham's Hugh and Bess would have thought of it all! Life in 21st century Melbourne might be a little different than 14th century England.Do you find yourself carting books around no matter where you are and what you are doing? Maybe the question should be where don't you take a book? And for another question, should I buy a whole bottle of Peach Schnapps just so I can make Bellinis occasionally?
On another note, Bookwordlover from Booklover Book Reviews has very graciously awarded me the One Lovely Blog Award! Thanks so much!
Congrats on the award!
ReplyDeleteI've carried too many books around where I go. I know, it's the book lover's job. ;-) But, frankly, I've never tried to think of the characters of the book in relation to the place I carry the book to. That would be a really nice food for thought! For some reason, your post reminded me of the book Inkheart. Good one!
I always carry a book with me which means a bigger purse (I try to keep it in perspective though) and sometimes a sore arm for all the lugging. It's worth it though. Mmm, Bellinis are so tasty. :-)
ReplyDeleteHugh and Bess has been on my radar for awhile now.
ReplyDeleteCool article as for me. It would be great to read something more about that matter. Thanks for posting this info.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like one great night out even if you did have to lug the books to the party.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you all had fun! I wish I could've made it. Next time!
ReplyDeleteI will carry a book if it's a good one i'm in the middle of, but on the whole I'm such a klutz with books, I end up getting the book unsettled in my bag and bending the cover, or first twenty pages and I have guilt. Especially if it's a library book. So unless I know I'm only going to need a small bag (Not the giant back-pack) I keep books safely on my bedside table.
I have often thought of pulling characters and figures from history right through to present just to see what they'd do.
I always have a book with me in my bag - you never know when you're going to get a few minutes to read :o)
ReplyDeleteI'm also a lending library for friens - my trouble is forgetting who I've lent books to LOL. I did loose a few books when an ex-colleague left my work place which really annoyed me as she'd been promising to give them back for months! I'm now much more careful about who I lend to but am happy to lend to people I trust :o)
I am constantly carrying one book or another out with me. The size of the book I choose as my travel companion depends on the size of the bag I'm using, though I have been known to go back into the house and switch bags just to accommodate a larger quantity of books. :)
ReplyDeleteI am constantly giving out recommendations - but I don't usually lend out my books. Sometimes my friends come with me on my book buying extravaganzas and I help them pick out historical fiction for themselves. I like to give books as birthday and other holiday gifts. I think it's a more personalized gift that way because I would only recommend certain books to certain people.
I carry books around with me 95% of the time, and most of the time there will be more than one in case I finish the book I am reading, but I didn't on Saturday night because I knew I wasn't going to be able to read at any point as my friend was with me on the train journey to and from the city, and then we were drinking and eating and dancing.
ReplyDeleteSarah, I lost the first three books of the Outlander series because I lent them to someone and never got them back again. Very annoying!
Lyvvie, I will send you an email in the next day or so about the next two Saturday nights.
Stephanie, I enjoyed Hugh and Bess when I read it a while ago. My review of it is here.
Amy, I would never buy a small handbag precisely because I do need to be able to fit one or two books in.
Aths, I haven't read Inkheart. I meant to, but some how I just haven't!
We all sound pretty much the same don't we! I definitely carry a book with me almost at all times. One the rare occasion when I am going out without one, I have an phone so I always have an ebook on the go on that anyway!
ReplyDeleteAnd i have the same problem as you - I am a lending library and I have so much trouble remembering what books I have lent people. I am such a ners, because of the problem I actually created an excel spreadsheet I call my book catalogue and i email to my friends so if they want a bok to read they can look on the list an see if ther eis anything they want to borrow. then when they borrow it i put their name and the date next to it and then cross it off when its returned. My biggest challenge though is remembering to actually put the detials into the spreadsheet when they borrow the book!
Glad you had a good night at the casino.
Becky, like you I have numerous spreadsheets! I think I need to start a new one with my friend's lending history! LOL.
ReplyDeleteI loved Hugh and Bess. I think Bess would have been utterly perplexed with the concept of going out on the town. LOL
ReplyDeleteYes, of course I carry books everywhere! My son and I keep "emergency books" in the car and I always seem to have at least one in my purse. I find that I often end up somewhere like a bookstore, where I have to remind myself to set that book aside before I go into the store.
Marg, much like you, I am always lending out or receiving books from my friends. I don't ever lend to anyone who I don't know well, because frankly, I have lost too many good books by not being careful that way. I always have at least 2 or 3 books with me, either in the car or in my bag, though I am not sure why I need so many!! I also think you should definitely buy the schnapps because the occasional Bellini sounds wonderful!
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