Libraries

After reading The Library Book, I got inspired to find a blogg I wrote in 2007 but still rings true today. So here it comes one more time.

Libraries, what a great concept

A library is such a wonderful place. To whom ever came up with this idea I am grateful. Just take a moment and think of the concept. You can go there and borrow almost as many books, CDs, DVDs, magazines and newspapers that you want. And all this for free. Or, you can sit there all day reading and no one would bother you.

Wherever I live I go to the library for some peace and quiet, being a student, it almost feels like a second home.

In Washington DC I loved the Library of Congress. The tranquillity of the large marbled rooms combined with the vast amount of books to borrow there were amazing.
In Honolulu the design of the library, just fit the climate perfectly. It was built around a courtyard, sprinkled with palms and greenery. On the hot balmy days, which are typical for Hawai’i, I sat outside in the cool shadow studying.
When I lived in Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA they remodelled the library and when it was done, it looked sleek, modern and fresh. An extra bonus was the books and DVDs you could borrow from other libraries in the county sent to your local library at your convenience.
Of course you can borrow e-books online and never have to set your foot in the library, but it won’t beat the feeling of going to the library and browse the many bookshelves and pick out just the one that looks great. Go visit a library and enjoy the free access to a wide variety of reading material.
Josefine

Title: The Library Book Author: The Reading Agency ISBN: 978-1-78125-005-1

Reading Children’s books

I have taken up re-reading some of my children’s book. It is quite interesting to read them again and compare the experience. Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz and Alice adventures in Wonderland, were all stories I loved as a child and have re-read as an adult. The words are the same, but their meaning is different. I see sub-stories I never thought about when I was young. Quite fascinating.
Now pick your favourite children’s book from when you were a child and re-read it.
Josefine

My recommendations: A little princess by Frances Burnett

New Writers

In my quest to broaden my horizon on writers of Non-English speaking or Swedish backgrounds, I picked up The Chameleon by Jane Aadmund. A Danish writer, writing what I would probably classify as chicklit. It was a good book, nothing spectacular but good enough for me to recommend it here.
It is fun to walk into the library with no other objective than to find a book by someone totally new to you. It always brings an interesting perspective. This time I was lucky and it was a good one.
Now take my challenge and find your closest library and pick up a book that you might not have looked twice at before. It could be fun! Be sure to let me know how it went.
Josefine

My recommendations: Teahouse fire by Ellis Avery

A real page-turner

It was a long time since I found a book I couldn’t put down, but this past weekend I found a real page-turner. It was Fannie Flagg’s book Welcome to the world Baby Girl! I was at the library searching for one of her other books (Can’t wait to go to heaven), when I found this.
I started to read it, hoping it would be good. 150 pages later I looked up and realised that it was dark outside and it was late at night. I had to put it down to get some sleep. The next day I couldn’t wait to get off work to come home and keep reading.
It is one of the best books I have read so far this year and the twist at the end was brilliantly set up. I won’t say what it is, you have to find out by yourself, but if you look back through the book you see Flagg carefully placing hidden clues to what to come. Brilliant.
Josefine

My recommendations: Fried Green Tomatoes at Whistle Stop Café by Fannie Flagg

Ps. The writer’s talk last week was a success, but was cut short after an hour even though there were interest to continue.

Europe's smallest library

I live next door to Europe's smallest library, or at least London’s. The library is located in one, octagon shaped room that holds three walls of fiction and fiction crime, a few shelves of non-fiction and a small section with children and young adult books.

But the size of the library is compensated by their nice staff and their customer loyalty card, which gives you one free rental movie after five takeouts and you will be entered for the grand price where you can win a month of free rental movies! Little things make me happy.
Josefine

My recommendations: Goodbye Mr. Chips by James Hilton

Hooked on ONE author

I often get hooked on one writer. I read one of their books, love it and I just HAVE to read everything else they’ve ever written. So, off I go to the library, check out the book and sit down in my favourite chair to be entertained. However, entertained isn’t always the case. Often when I read an author’s different books to close to each other, I get disappointed. It is probably not the book in itself; it is just me being tired of their way of writing. My solution: a system, where I write down all the books and authors I want to read, and save them for later. The list is long of writers and books I want to read, some of them are Alexander McCall-Smith, Stephen King, Philippa Gregory, Antony Beevor and the list goes on….
The Swedish author Kajsa Ingemarsson is one of the many writers I have on my list. After reading one of her books, I wanted to throw myself into all her other books, But I stopped myself and waited. It took me a couple of months before I picked up her next book and it was as good as the first one. Now I have to wait another couple of weeks (at least) before I pick up her third book.

To read one writer or one genre is good in a way, you feel safe and know what you get. But there is also the feeling of reading the same book over and over again. I think it is important to every now and then, take a chance and throw yourself into the unknown. Pick up an author or genre you haven’t read before. (I know I have used those same words, not long ago, but I really believe it) Explore the unknown, or simply do like my sister, join a book club and see what new books they will send you each month.
Josefine

My recommendations: Small yellow lemons by Kajsa Ingemarsson

Summer reading II

It is this time of the year again. It is time for those lazy summer days spending the days in the hammock reading. Those lazy days when you have all the time in the world to enjoy a book and catching up on all the books you have neglected during the year.

My recommendation for this summer is to use your library. During the summer months at my local library, the expiration date for the books are longer, which makes it possible to go on long vacations without being stuck with late fees on my books.
Use your library to revisit old books you read in another period of your life and see what’s changed in them, or perhaps in you. If that isn’t interesting enough, take a leap into the unknown and find a new author or genre. If you can, unlike I, don’t make yourself go through a book if it is boring, put it down and find a new. This is a time for leisurely reading, not heavy plowing.
Josefine

My recommendations: The three musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

New Technology II – e-books

Last post I talked about CD books, I have now moved on to the next technological advances in the book world. E-books. Lately there seems to have been an increase of interest in e-books. An example is the libraries in Sweden, where you can borrow e-books. Also, there are publishers who only give out their books as e-books, meaning there is no official printed version of the book.

Despite the advantages of technology, I am a bit old school when it comes to books. I like to hold the book in my hand while I read.
There is however, one place where I think e-books can be very useful, at universities. As it is now textbooks are unnecessarily expensive and the book will be used for one semester only. Yes, you can resell it and someone else can use it, but I do think that e-books have better features than your printed textbook. Not only would it cost less, but you can also more easily search within the text to find the passage you need. At the end of the semester, you simply save the chapters you need and delete the rest (of course there are restrictions concerning copyright but as e-books become more common, this will be more clear)

Now to a somewhat different subject.
One of the most printed books in the world has gone online – The Bible. You can find it on voxbiblia.com. Here you can listen to the whole thing or for a fee download verses to your i-pod. It is not really an e-book, in the traditional version but I still think it is worth mention for those who like technology. I wonder if there is anything like that in other religions? Can you get the Koran or the Veda books online?
Josefine

My recommendations: Go to your library and see if they offer e-books, if not persuade them to do so!

Libraries, what a great concept

A library is such a wonderful place, to who ever came up with this idea I am grateful. Just take a moment and think of the concept.
You can go there and borrow almost how many books, CDs, DVDs, magazines and newspapers that you want. And all this for free. Or, you can sit there all day reading and no one would bother you.

Wherever I live I go to the library for some peace and quiet. In Washington DC I loved the Library of Congress. The tranquility of the large marbled rooms combined with the vast amount of books to borrow there were amazing.
In Honolulu the design of the library was great. It was built like the letter O, with a courtyard in the middle. During the hot balmy days, which are typical for Hawai’i, I sat outside in the cool shadow studying.
When I lived in Waukesha, they remodeled the library and when it was done, it looked sleek, modern and fresh. I loved the fact that you could get books and DVDs from other libraries in the county sent to your local library at your convenience.
The library in my hometown got a real facelift when it moved into the spacious halls of the old firehouse.

I must admit that my bias towards libraries might come from my mother who works at one and so am I at the moment. Every time I come to work I browse the shelves of returned books to find something interesting to read. This leads to my nightstand being overcrowded with books that I am about to read but it also means that I will never run out of books.

Yes, of course you can borrow e-books online and never have to set your foot in the library, but it won’t beat the feeling of going to the library and browse the many bookshelves and pick out just the one that looks great.
So to everyone, go visit a library and enjoy the free access to a wide variety of reading material. It is just a bike ride away.

As always check out my Swedish blog if you want at bokstolen.
Josefine

A recommendation from my current readings: In Cuba I was a German Shepard by Ana Menédez.