On A Cover Spoiling A Book, Library Crisis, The Dangers Of Forgotten Wells And On Avoiding The Wodehouse Until Now

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

Since I last chatted a number of books have been finished. Time to take a deep breath and begin.

Totally Wired by Andrew Smith. The first book borrowed since I joined Sully library is now read. Here's my suggestion about it.

Avoid the cover.

On the cover of the book I borrowed it implied a general investigation into the dotcom crash of the early nineties. But although there is an explanation of events at that time, it's to put in context the creator and company that it focuses on Josh Harris and Pseudo.com. I didn't realise this until a third of the way through. Thinking "Well I get Josh Harris when do I get to the others?" felt quite irritated until it dawned on me that the cover had led me astray.

Perhaps (I don't know) the UK publishers felt that unless you were that technical geek interested in internet American history the book would be avoided by the great British public. This could be true. But for me it spoilt the book as my mindset was on one route because of the cover whereas it was taking a slightly different journey.

(As a quick aside the only internet or even information technology advice I will give people is. If a geek describes to you a high tech future in whatever form then believe in the geek. It will happen. You might not want it to happen, you might not want your life to be monitored by a mainframe in Vladivostok, but it will happen. However it will never, ever, happen at the speed they will tell you though. That one piece of advice that was given to by a geek and I pass it on to you).

Totally Wired is actually worth a read once you realise what it's really about. I'd recommend it.

Had a library crisis last night. Came home after the afternoon/evening shift knowing amongst other things I'd be off to the library tomorrow to borrow the next non fiction book. But, disaster.....my library card was missing.

That's right the library card I had waited for, made an effort to get, was gone. WAS IN A PANIC! Before I pinged myself a microwave meal at ten forty five pm was hunting it down and accusing wife/daughter of having hidden it. Why am I like this? Why am I obsessing over a library card? Is there a hidden meaning? Where is Freud and Jung when you really want them?

Anyway I gave up last night when hunger took over as a concern. Then, as it eventually does, sleep.

What did I do first thing this morning? Hunt for the card again. And you will be happy to know my mental state is back on track as I found it, sticking out behind a furniture cabinet like a naughty schoolboy. Must have dropped after the wife moved pile of papers it was on. Panic over. Better put it in the wallet now. Don't judge me. At least it's not drink or drugs.....it's reading.

On the ebook side of things finished Our Italy by Charles Dudley Warner. Italy in this case meaning California. I won't repeat what I've written before about it except that if you want to give a present to a Californian Geography teacher with a taste for local history then this is the book to get. Otherwise avoid..

Next up turned out to be a ghost short story from H G Wells about a man who knowingly spends the night in a room. I won't spoil it further except to say that once finished you will be severely underwhelmed. Unless he wrote it for money it was the most pointless ghost story I've ever read. It was as if he was thinking "I'm H G Wells. I've revolutionised science fiction novels, I done works of social commentary, I can write a ghost story. How difficult can it be?"

Well if The Red Room is anything to judge by very difficult.

H G Wells is remembered for specific Science fiction novels as well The History Of Mr Polly and Ann Veronica. A lot of his other stuff is forgotten. Having read the bonkers and racist When The Sleeper Wakes and now this could it be that most of his work was forgotten because it was rubbish? An experiment for another day perhaps.

So am now reading The Man With Two Left Feet And Other Stories by P G Wodehouse. I've never read a P G Wodehouse book before. No let me be even more clear. I've avoided them. Whether it was in the library,bookshop or online Wodehouse works were to be swerved from. Why? Well the impression the covers (we come back to that again) as well as short snippets on TV whilst channel surfing gives is that it's the chocolate mousse of literature. Easily consumed and as quickly forgotten. There always seemed to be better things to read.

As for Bertie Wooster and Jeeves. Well if Jeeves really was the one with the brains he would've thrown Wooster into jail whilst taking part in the glorious revolution of the masses against their capitalist oppressors. Instead he serves an idiot.

But I haven't read the books....this is just an impression....and this collection was free.

Will chat properly when I've finished it but on a scientific survey of having read two short stories....my prejudices remain.

Until the next time.

Let's Talk About The Regeneration Of An Old Friend.....The Library. Plus Pictures From A Bay

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

Bet you thought for a moment I was thinking of Doctor Who. Ha! Just quickly to say not bothered by the gender change one way or another. Except perhaps to mention that the Doctor has probably become the ultimate transsexual.

Anyway yesterday I got a call from Sully library. My library card is now ready and would I collect it? Is the pope Catholic? Yes of course I would.

And so an old friend has been regenerated. Sully Library. Let me remind you of the new form it has taken.

Magnificent No?

So at long last I get a library card.

The Route Of Knowledge

The next is to pick the books. One of the extra quiet pleasures a library produces. As it's a small place I aim to read all the most reasonable books I can. So for example as I'm currently living in rental accommodation no garden or home tomes will be read. Or, as it was the first in the non fiction category travel guidebooks are a no no. Getting a permanent place is a priority.

First book then on the non fiction shelves I could read was this then.

Totally Wired - Andrew Smith

This is about the companies that tried to get onto the internet bandwagon too early and its consequences. Seems like an interesting read.

I could have picked ten books but instead settled for two. So if I've finished the book and Sully library (which remember is just open for three days) is closed then this is the backup.

The Assassination Of Margaret Thatcher - Hilary Mantel

I've never read a Mantel book before so should be interesting.

And in case you're wondering I'll read the library books during daylight and the ebook at night.

During the evening we went out to have a dinner as it was my mother's birthday in Cardiff Bay. When we finished (a nice meal at an Italian restaurant called Bellinis) I took the following pics of Cardiff Bay as the day turned to dusk.

Bay in Action

The subsequent rain and thunderstorms seemed to have had brought the seagulls in when we were there.

No a fan of Seagulls...Avian Bullies

More dusky shots

Plus added rainbow

And finally. Penarth on a Tuesday night. Quiet.

A Pier View

Cliché Seaside Grey

Until the next time.