Around the World discussion

Gaeta1 wrote: "I really try not to buy physical books anymore. I went to Borders to buy bookcases but my husband balked and said that they were too ugly. He SAYS he'll make me a nice bookcase this winter. We'll s..."

Good haul Gaeta. Lemon Tree and Invisible Bridge are 5 star reads for me. Favorites too. Doc is on my TBR.

I picked up 15 books at Borders yesterday. I'd rather move to a bigger place than give up paper books. I have good ecological practices in other areas of my life, but I can't do without physical books.

Lifting boxes of books is my major form of anaerobic exercise!

Borders haul:

The Other Barack: The Bold and Reckless Life of President Obama's Father

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope

On the Beach

Rat Girl: A Memoir

The Sheikh's Batmobile

Transition: The Story of How I Became a Man

Rat Island: Predators in Paradise and the World's Greatest Wildlife Rescue

You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas

Tibet, Tibet: A Personal History of a Lost Land

Into Thick Air: Biking to the Bellybutton of Six Continents

Population: 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time

War is Boring: Bored Stiff, Scared to Death in the World's Worst War Zones

Holidays on Ice

On the Beach: the book is much better than the movie, imho. Nevil Shute wrote a lot of good book, some much better than OtB. But I'm not much of an apocalypse fan.

I read On the Beach way too long ago to remember (and I do like apocalyptic fiction).

Sho, Tibet, Tibet sounds interesting. I had to add it, but will check the sample which is availabe in two days! Nice. Thank you.

I very, very much enjoyed The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East. I have recommended that book to so many people that I feel like a tape recorder. Other books have been written since this came out and they do not compare.

What's wrong with the hummingbird's daughter? I have that one at home.

Ha Ha. Thanks for clarifying. I was really wondering how Book Lust To Go could be depressing, but I thought maybe you didn't like their suggestions. Ha ha.

Borders is sad.

When the Borders near me closed last spring I went in a few times and bought a number of books.On the Blue Shore of Silence: Poems of the Sea was one of my favorites. I also got a couple by Alice Munro who I've been wanting to read, a couple of Folger's Shakespeare -- Twelfth Night and As You Like It, Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare, Cloud Atlas, The Turquoise Ledge: A Memoir.

There were more but I don't remember them all, some short stories and poetry. I do love books and always will.

Oh, I made one last trip to my Borders yesterday. I ended up getting 18 books! All my bookshelves have been full for yrs. My boxes of old, already read, books in the basement have made it through 2 floods and 4 moves. But I am hanging on to all of them, and still adding more! I may end up on the hoarding show, buried under a ton of books. I could never give up on the actual book. In my fear that one day bookstores will cease to exist at all, I may be going overboard, currently (sorta like building a shelter against the bomb, full of canned goods and bandaids. Only my shelter is full of books!)

Christi---I know how you feel. My sister and some friends walk into my apartment and sort of shake their heads with books climbing over the chairs and floor. It's not like there's no library in town. I just need personal books. It really is an addiction.

Of course I have other friends who understand entirely as they have the same "problem" or is it.

Some people spend their money on movies, or tailgating, or gold, or shoes. I spend mine on books and travel.

Sue wrote: "Christi---I know how you feel. My sister and some friends walk into my apartment and sort of shake their heads with books climbing over the chairs and floor. It's not like there's no library in tow..."

Lol, I ask myself "or is it" a problem? all the time! My answer is pretty much "no", but then I am not being objective at all :)


I just looked over my recent Borders haul, and realized that of the 18 books I got, 17 countries are represented! I have found the right group!

Christi, so you did join us. NICE!!!! Another good friend here.

Gaeta, I have books stored in three countries. I can never find the one I am looking for..... With an ereader, they are all in one place. No more lugging books around for trips either. But yes I do love the good old books best. And think of picture books, art books, maps!

It's not as if all of this electronic equipment is ecologically cost-free, either.

Sho; I never thought of that! Really?!

Most electricity is not generated cleanly. Even wind turbines can kill birds. Most electronics include toxic components. The world is facing a metal crisis. Most plastic isn't recycled.

Actually there have been a few articles lately about the ecological cost of electronics since these devices are discarded so readily for upgrades. Nothing is kept for long these days. There are ways to recycle. I believe some of the big stores (in the US) like Best Buy, take back at least some electronics.

In my community there are several ways to donate so that the device can be refurbished and given to poor people, but usually there's a $15-25 fee, making electronics, like cats and garbage, easier to dump in the woods.

Ooh, I hate to see that even as a joke.

I believe every community has a fee for getting rid of electronics now. Some recycling doesn't cost such as the multiple cell phone programs for charity. Those are just drop off programs in my experience. I've seen adds for Best Buy's recycling program but I don't know the details of what they accept.

Actually; in Belgium whenever you buy a new electric appliance, (washing machines, vacuum cleaners, computers, printers....) you must pay an added fee. This fee is for the cost of taking care of the appliance when it will be thrown away., ie reutilization and proper disposal of all the different parts. All stores must pay this fee, so all customers must pay it to the stores. So Belgium is quite advanced in this way. This law has been around for several years. I do not know the details, but I do know we have been paying it. A nice big plus for Belgium.

Very sensible.

Here in the US, someone would label it a tax and scream bloody murder about it and everyone would end up apologizing for even suggesting such a thing.

Too sensible to survive here unless some state tried it. In a way some states do things like this as my state of Massachusetts does with the bottle bill, requiring deposits on all drinks bottles. Of course I can get that deposit back by recycling the bottle.

Sue, it most definitely a tax! A necessary tax! There was a bit of a fuss when it was initiated.

I didn't have a Borders within two hours of me that was still open. :(

@Sue: Or "Obama-style socialism!!" Of course, you commies from Taxachusetts know all about that.

I'm so glad I'm from Massachusetts--I've been out of work on disability for over a year and now I have health insurance through the state plan. I wish everyone had the same option for affordable health care. I know it's not perfect, but they are constantly working on it and it's actually OK with lots of options.

but then I have "liberal-commie" tendencies so watch out for me!

I know your type. I worked in the Boston area for several years. But since I went to a commie college, I like your type!

Sue, I like your type too.

thanks guys

Sho wrote: "I picked up 15 books at Borders yesterday. I'd rather move to a bigger place than give up paper books. I have good ecological practices in other areas of my life, but I can't do without physical bo..."

Same here. I couldn't do without physical books, they're my refuge when I need to escape from modern technology and can't stand staring at a screen any longer. I'd go crazy if I could only use e-readers for the rest of my life. I try to be ecologically friendly in other ways of my life.