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Reluctant Hero · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:08 pm Post subject: Books - Has anyone read one!

Following on from the thread by Pip about Crnjanski's Migrations we thought it would be good if we had a thread devoted to books.

Which ones have you read? What were they like etc....

The last book I read was The Berlusconi Bonus by Allan Cameron. It is about a society that offers the super-rich the chance to apply for a Berlusconi Bonus (BB).

If successful, the BB exempts you from paying tax, you can murder, you can rape, you can bribe. The BB is named after a certain Italian Prime Minister and makes you almost above the law.

This has been one of the best books I have read in ages an offers up a lot of questions about the society we currently live in as well as having a pop at current political regimes.

I have now moved onto a book called Heartfelt by Aidan Smith, in which he being a staunch Hibs supporter, takes on the task of following arch rivals Hearts for a season. It is a good read so far.

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Babygael · Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:07 am Post subject:

Well yes, I have this thing about hiking from Lands end to John O' Groats, LEJOG.Anyway I came across this book by Bill Bryson...A walk in the woods, about his intention of walking the Appalachian trail which is like 2100 miles long.
I was interested to learn that

azzuri · 'Our Scotland' Fossil Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 3793

It's not surprising at all BG, since north of the great glen was part of Canada until 70 million years ago. It floated over here and crashed into the lowlands about that time, creating the wonderfully diverse country we have now.
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Rinty · Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 11:54 am Post subject:

Dont you mean that Canada was part of Scotland? Wink

azzuri · 'Our Scotland' Fossil Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 3793

I suppose technically...

It's thought that the modern day highlands were part of modern day nova scotia - how ironic!
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Rinty · Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 2:52 pm Post subject: g

Actually both of them would have been one place but its not that one place moves and the other remains static, the combined land mass would have been somewhere else on the globe back then.

for instance, When people talk about britain once being tropical, its not that we had different weather, its that the land mass we were part of was in the tropics, probably somewhere near where the persian gulf or indian ocean is now.

azzuri · 'Our Scotland' Fossil Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 3793

...yep, the rest of Scotland was once located where Morocco is now!
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Hazel · Nationalist Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 153

Blackadder · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:00 pm Post subject:

It's called Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics, first described in 1920 by Alfred Wgener.

At one time all land masses were part of the great supercontinent of Pangaea (pan jeeah) surrounded by the world-girdling Mirovian Ocean.

It later broke up into a Northern Continent, Laurasia and the Southern, Gondwana, separated by the Tethys Sea.

Google these names and see for yourself all the connectivity in Wikipedia articles.

Hazel · Nationalist Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 153

And, isn't Scotland two separate land drifts?
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kathyv · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:12 pm Post subject:

I read all the time, in fact, I just came from the library with 4 books. . .
Frank McCord's Teacher Man
Patrick Denis' Memorirs, Around the World With Auntie Mame
The first book of The Jewel in the Crown
and for fun one of Lillian Jackson Braun's 'Cat Who. . .' murder myeteries!

Have started the Denis book as I just finished the
first one last night, Auntie Mame.

We have a 2 week spring break which for me actually begins Thursday as soon as my grades are turned in, and I plan to read!
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Hazel · Nationalist Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 153

Don't you absolutely love those Cat Who books? Nothing greater for a good relaxation. Do you know that the author is in her 90s and still doing one book a year? For the last two years, her son has worked with her but you can still sense her presence.

Is Jewel in the Crown very good? I have been wondering. Please let us know what it is about. Thank you.
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kathyv · Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 7:04 pm Post subject:

I haven't read the Jewel in the Crown yet. I am off on a plane ride this weekend and am saving it for that. I remember when it was shown on Masterpiece Theater but was young enough that I didn't really get into it too much. I liked the scenery though!

I've gone through all the Cat Who books now, they are very cute even if a bit predictable, the characters are very interesting. I like the older ones better than the newer ones, as I liked the main characters moving to different locations and all the supporting personalities, where she has them all pretty much stuck in one area, though interesting, it adds to the predictability issues! I bet she's a fascinating lady to visit with!
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Hazel · Nationalist Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 153

If you enjoy that type of light reading, there are two other authors you might check into. Rita Mae Brown whose cats talk to certain very special people. And, Shirley Rousseau Murphy.
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Pip · Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:03 pm Post subject:

I've recently finisehd reading the Great War for Civilization by Robert Fisk, which I've been reading in spurts for a while. A little of Fisk can go a long way, and at times he can be quite maddening, but still a valuable book on the Middle East. He has been accused of having a pro-Arab/Muslim bias, so if anyone's offended by that, it's probably best to let it alone.
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Babygael · Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 11:52 am Post subject:

Another book that I just finished reading "Finding Peggy" by Meg Henderson, who is /was a Scottish journalist.Its about her life growing up in Glasgow during the 50's and 60's. The tenement block in which they lived collapsed and they were moved to the notorious Blackhill district,where religious sectarianism,gang warfare and hostile bureucrats was part of life on a daily basis.

I really enjoyed this book as I love social History and about peoples everyday lives in the past, she somehow reminds me of Catherine Cookson's novels about her upbringing in Newcastle.
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Hazel · Nationalist Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 153

It does sound good. Social history is so often missing from our history books which are mostly a list of wars and rulers. Thank you. I just happen to be going book shopping this morning. I shall add it to my list and hope it is available "over here".
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Babygael · Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:45 am Post subject:

S` e do bheatha Hazel ! Hope you can find the book "Finding Peggy" Razz

Have you are anyone read "The Clan of the Cave Bear" Series by Jean Auel? There are I believe five book in all,some I have read a couple of times over!
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Hazel · Nationalist Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 153

I have read "Clan of the Cave Bear" books. Yes. They are very good although the last one got a bit weary to me. Has she never written the sixth? She was planning to move right up into "modern" times. Maybe that was asking too much. It would have been an entirely different type of book by then.

We were not able to find "Finding Peggy" but the bookstore manager is going to continue to search.

There are three other publications from UK that we could not find. It is very hard to find UK publications unless an American publisher picks up on them. And, last I knew, B K Smith had stopped shipping overseas. I do understand why but it was a loss. I must check to see if they have changed this policy again.

Have a happy day. Hazel
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Babygael · Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 3:51 pm Post subject:

Hai hazel as I was passing through......again! Very Happy

"Finding Peggy" is "Corgi Books" http://www.bookpost.co.uk

Unfortunately the above doesn't seem to be available on this website but at least you can access others if you so wish!

Book service by post,p.o box 29,Douglas, Isle of Man, IM99 IBQ...UK
Here's another address associated with the book.

Yes, I know what you mean about finding the last cave bear book same old,same old.I haven't come across no:6 yet!

I think if Jean Auel wants to write a continuation, she'll have to retire "Ayla" and co. I didn't realise that she intended to bring the whole series forward to today.That would be a hugh task! And the books would be something else altogether. I'm not really a concrete and Tech type myself!
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