The Serpent's Books
04/04/2012 10:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
izmeinaFor a long long time, managed to keep away from those infernal institutions of temptation known as public libraries.
Got so many books in boxes and shelves in the Lair that a lifetime would not be long enough to read them all. But for some inexplicable reason, other people’s books always look more interesting
Gawking at the recently returned offerings in the Fremantle library just could not go past a rather worn looking copy of a book by Stanley Milgram - the Dr Milgram of the infamous ‘learning experiments’ in the 1960s. There was also the book “Merchants of Doubt” about the reuse and recycling going on amongst the big tobacco lobbyists and their spin on science
Done little more than peeking and realized that the time to get some reading glasses is going to be sooner rather than later.
Then the serpent found herself slithering into yet another public library last Thursday. That little first chapter booklet of “The Hunger Games’ had whetted an appetite for more. Most unlikely indeed as there would be lots of cheapskate sorts thinking exactly the same thing as Izzie. There were however plenty of a certain vampire series still on the shelves and even the Vampire Diaries. Thanks to the Cat for the tip off not to bother.
So still wanting a proper spooky story, headed to the old reliable middle alphabet section of the mainstream fiction offerings. Found something interesting that wasn’t the size of a house brick or the weight of one either. It is hard to believe that the book “Carrie” is 30 something years old.
Today was time for some more cheap entertainment. There was a 3 hour “Great Gardens’ workshop in the local council hall. These workshops are free as they are sponsored by assorted environmental organizations. They are trying to get locals to give up their habits of lawns, obsessions with English style gardens and plants which are completely unsuitable for our climate and especially the addiction to nuking their gardens with all sorts of chemical quick fixes which invariably find their way into the rivers and waterways
But the hall being right next to a library, the chances of slinking straight on by were next to nil. Firstly wanted to book a place on next week’s free author’s talk “How to live a champagne lifestyle on a beer budget” and secondly wanted to see how long the reservation list was for those terrible tales from The Capitol. It was 16 for the first and 3 each for the other two books.
Of course just had to peek at their collection of Stephen King stuff. They had the one we never expected to find “Desperation” Unfortunately it is a bit of a brick.
It is strange how all the glitterati sneer at Stephen King stuff but so many of the nanowrimo folks are fans. One was describing her favourites with brief descriptions of the story lines. One about a spooky abandoned mine site pushed all the right gloom and doom buttons. Had taken the odd peek in libraries and second hand book shops here and there but no trace to be found. It seemed to be gone and forgotten and fallen down the mine shaft along with the other book “On Writing” that is much lauded in squigglers’ circles but is never on the shelves
So now greedy Izzie has got a choice of two spooky stories for Good Friday. Carrie is ‘slim’ and the daughter of a born again Christian so her chances are pretty good. But having already started reading last week, it doesn’t quite count. So will maybe just bring both to read while sitting outside the old historical graveyard on the hill on the eastern end of town
Tomorrow will be visiting the annual art exhibition in the Wesley Church in the city. For the last few years they have commissioned 14 different artists to do the stations of the cross. Last year was the first time seeing it. The Stations of the Cross could be kind of described as Tarot cards for Christians.
One of the artists this year is an 'out of the closet' atheist so his interpretation should be intriguing.
So with all the books, gardens, art works and this week’s ‘street art festival’ in Fremantle, there should be no excuse for lack of inspiration in the next few weeks
Got so many books in boxes and shelves in the Lair that a lifetime would not be long enough to read them all. But for some inexplicable reason, other people’s books always look more interesting
Gawking at the recently returned offerings in the Fremantle library just could not go past a rather worn looking copy of a book by Stanley Milgram - the Dr Milgram of the infamous ‘learning experiments’ in the 1960s. There was also the book “Merchants of Doubt” about the reuse and recycling going on amongst the big tobacco lobbyists and their spin on science
Done little more than peeking and realized that the time to get some reading glasses is going to be sooner rather than later.
Then the serpent found herself slithering into yet another public library last Thursday. That little first chapter booklet of “The Hunger Games’ had whetted an appetite for more. Most unlikely indeed as there would be lots of cheapskate sorts thinking exactly the same thing as Izzie. There were however plenty of a certain vampire series still on the shelves and even the Vampire Diaries. Thanks to the Cat for the tip off not to bother.
So still wanting a proper spooky story, headed to the old reliable middle alphabet section of the mainstream fiction offerings. Found something interesting that wasn’t the size of a house brick or the weight of one either. It is hard to believe that the book “Carrie” is 30 something years old.
Today was time for some more cheap entertainment. There was a 3 hour “Great Gardens’ workshop in the local council hall. These workshops are free as they are sponsored by assorted environmental organizations. They are trying to get locals to give up their habits of lawns, obsessions with English style gardens and plants which are completely unsuitable for our climate and especially the addiction to nuking their gardens with all sorts of chemical quick fixes which invariably find their way into the rivers and waterways
But the hall being right next to a library, the chances of slinking straight on by were next to nil. Firstly wanted to book a place on next week’s free author’s talk “How to live a champagne lifestyle on a beer budget” and secondly wanted to see how long the reservation list was for those terrible tales from The Capitol. It was 16 for the first and 3 each for the other two books.
Of course just had to peek at their collection of Stephen King stuff. They had the one we never expected to find “Desperation” Unfortunately it is a bit of a brick.
It is strange how all the glitterati sneer at Stephen King stuff but so many of the nanowrimo folks are fans. One was describing her favourites with brief descriptions of the story lines. One about a spooky abandoned mine site pushed all the right gloom and doom buttons. Had taken the odd peek in libraries and second hand book shops here and there but no trace to be found. It seemed to be gone and forgotten and fallen down the mine shaft along with the other book “On Writing” that is much lauded in squigglers’ circles but is never on the shelves
So now greedy Izzie has got a choice of two spooky stories for Good Friday. Carrie is ‘slim’ and the daughter of a born again Christian so her chances are pretty good. But having already started reading last week, it doesn’t quite count. So will maybe just bring both to read while sitting outside the old historical graveyard on the hill on the eastern end of town
Tomorrow will be visiting the annual art exhibition in the Wesley Church in the city. For the last few years they have commissioned 14 different artists to do the stations of the cross. Last year was the first time seeing it. The Stations of the Cross could be kind of described as Tarot cards for Christians.
One of the artists this year is an 'out of the closet' atheist so his interpretation should be intriguing.
So with all the books, gardens, art works and this week’s ‘street art festival’ in Fremantle, there should be no excuse for lack of inspiration in the next few weeks
