McCaffery 20th Century Greatest Hits Reading Group discussion

A place to rant and unload. You know you want to. :P

Off to play taxi for the girls - on the plus side they did manage to get jobs up until Christmas. Let's not complain.
Winter just arrived in Scotland - a severe frost yesterday killed all colour in the garden. That's us in the dark until March next year.
Time to turn to LED induced brightness as a substitute. :D

Sorry to hear its so cold there. It doesn't snow in South India but during winter it can get a bit chilly. We're celebrating Diwali right now which means sunny mornings and fireworks at night!

Wooo, that's sounds great. How long do Diwali celebrations last?

I'm so unfamiliar with traditions from India. A festival of lights? That sounds beautiful. Celebrating the spring and moving towards summer? Are there other things people do beyond fireworks, i.e. within families, friends etc?

It varies from region to region but usually it lasts for about 5 days.Apart from fireworks, we celebrate Diwali by lighting traditional diyas or candles and decorate houses with rangoli artwork, share sweets and gifts with family and friends etc.

I might be mistaken but isn't it uncommon for festivals to be so lengthy in western culture?

poorvi wrote: "It varies from region to region but usually it lasts for about 5 days.Apart from fireworks, we celebrate Diwali by lighting traditional diyas or candles and decorate houses with rangoli artwork, sh..."

It sounds like a beautiful tradition Poorvi! Thinking about, and celebrating, the coming of light as a seasonal aspect makes so much sense. Besides, it is inspiring!

Today, not much happening. I should be working for work next week, but instead I am on Goodreads. I must have spent a few hours this morning sorting out the books I want to read for part of the Winter Seasonal Challenge - bliss!
No reading yet either. That's next. :)

Lots of rain here and a perfect weekend for reading.....! :)

Tuesday and all I want to do is go to bed, read and fall asleep.
I have got the mother of all colds. Started this weekend and now in full swing!
I am not reading 'Pale Fire' because my brain would not be able to cope with it. So as per doctor's orders, ligher reads until further notice. Arg! :P

I thought you had been a little quite.
Please get better soon!
m. :-)

Thanks for your thoughts, feeling a bit better today, but coughing really bad - gone to chest now. :(
The weekend is in sight ... :D

Manda wrote: "You poor thing xxx

Ive had a heavy work week but day off today. Hoping to finish pale fire then want to start ulysses"

Woot! Feeling a bit better tonight - I am planning a whole day on catching up with Pale Fire tomorrow. I 've ordered the Boyd book (expensive eeks!) but won't come till later. It will just be me and 'mad' Kinbote! :D

Did you pay £22?!! *gasp*

no, but I paid 14 pounds for it (used). Still quite expensive. I made it work in my mind by telling myself I got 'Ulysses' free on Kindle. I hope it's worth it. :D

Poor Fidel. Farewell brother.
"Viva la Revolucion" Always!

I wonder how the US - Cuba relationship will unfold?

I hope we just leave them alone! But based upon the response of our media, we'll probably "bomb them back to the stone age".
(I apologize for writing about politics. It was just a spur-of-the-moment reaction.) :-)

I feel things won't change very much with Fidel's brother in charge. Let's hope they move to a democracy at one point. Maybe too much to hope for!

"Of all the goods, the greatest good, is to live in a well-governed state."
Plato.

Manda wrote: "I have a chest infection after a cold so on antibiotics. Feel lousy but day off today"

I hope you bounce back quickly, Manda. Read some Joyce! You are probably having Nabokovitis.... ;-)

Mark wrote: "I hope we just leave them alone! But based upon the response of our media, we'll probably "bomb them back to the stone age".
(I apologize for writing about politics. It was just a spur-of-the-momen..."

Yes, the people of Cuba are human beings like the rest of us. I always felt like our politics made the people suffer. I wouldn't mind visiting there one of these days, but I need to brush up on my Spanish.

Mark wrote: ""Out of all the goods, the greatest good, is to live in a well-governed state."
Plato."

I'm reading so many articles lately that are focusing on the theme of failing democracies. It is unsettling to read them, but I can see how the global situation triggers this type of journalism. Ah, Plato, where are you....?

I'm glad. Infections wandering downwards in the lungs are not to fool around with at any age. Yikes. So the jovial dosage of Joyce helped...? ;-)

Manda, so sorry to hear you were ill, hope you're doing better! :)

Manda wrote: "Joyce is still acting as a bedside coaster! I'm just starting War and Peace as my Christmas read! ."

Watch out so you don't get a Tolstoy/Joyce hybrid!!!

Probably! :)

You guys!!! Oops! You gals!!!
Having a laugh at Jimmy's expense.
At least it makes a good coaster...?
- )
(ps. Note to Manda: please be fore-warned: Borodino is both very famous, in European history, but also very bloody.)
- )

hi! got bogged down with work lately, sorry not to be too present for the last weeks or so. I'm having a very quiet Christmas - not going to France this year, just staying here with hubbie and the girls. Should be nice. I really like just a day lounging on the sofa and reading! A bit of snow next week should be nice as well and could tempt me to go outside for a while.