Today is the last day of our first week of rehearsal. Tomorrow is the day off, and then we’re back at it on Tuesday. We finish up table work on Act Five, then Darko has another commitment, so I will do some one-on-one coaching. It will be a long day, but a good one.
I’m not going home this week. I knew this would be an intense week for me and driving home would take a chunk of time that I don’t want to give up on my only day off. I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow and run some errands, as well as just plain take it easy.
I made it to the library yesterday morning. After getting a new library card, I checked out the new releases, which are housed on a series of curving shelves just inside the front door.
They have everything, including many books I’ve recently read as eGalleys. They’ve just been published and they’re already on the shelves. It’s a treasure trove for an avid reader. Careful to not let my reading eyes get too big for my stomach, as it were, I checked out four books.
Starting at the bottom:
• Home by Nightfall – The newest Charles Finch. I’ve read most of the Charles Lenox series that takes place in London in the 1870’s. There’s one waiting to be read on my shelves at home, but I thought I’d grab this one and read it while I’m here. Wonderful series, by the way.
• The Fifth House of the Heart by Ben Tripp – Ben lives in Los Angeles and is married to a former student of mine – both of them work in the entertainment industry. I’ve been reading about his latest book via Corinne’s FB posts. It’s not my usual genre, but it sounds fascinating, so I’m going to give it a read.
• In the Dark Places by Peter Robinson – This is a mystery and an author I’m not familiar with but Louise Penny’s blurb on the cover: “Thrilling – brilliantly plotted, beautifully paced” was all I needed. Part of the Inspector Banks series.
• Murder on the Champs de Mars by Cara Black – I’ve read several books in this Aimee Leduc series. This is the most recent, which will screw up my determination to read them in the order they were written, but heck – I’m saving money by checking it out of the library. Right?
I have two weeks in which to read all of these. And I have to finish my current read. Hmmm.
Don and Scout are doing well. I miss them terribly – the hardest time is in the evening, I think. That’s when I really feel it. But, we’re used to it. We adjust. And I’ll see them soon.
Happy Sunday.
New Releases in the library are my FAVORITE!!! Enjoy your day off.
Thanks, Cindy. I hope to!
Have you ever thought of writing a book?
Sue
Of course. I was going to take a stab at it last year, but life intervened.
Yes. It has a way of doing that.
I have some new books waiting to be read on my Kindle! I buy them when offered a good deal since saving money is always important to me. I love the library, but so many books on my list they don’t seem to have. Resting today. I had a great day with the grands and my family but I’m tired and woke up with an awful cough. At least the sun is shining here!
hugs,
Linda
When I’m home, I order books through the inter-libary loan system. Our little branch is so small, that it doesn’t have many of the books I want. But usually, I can get it through the county system. Take care of yourself, Linda!
You will Love Peter Robinson! I’ve read almost all the Alan Banks series. They had a series derived from the books on PBS for a while.
I’m looking forward to it, Linda!
Looks like you found some good reads there. Beautiful library! ;)
It is very beautiful, Donnamae!
I’ve not read Peter Robinson’s books, Claudia, so will add his name to my list of authors to read. I took a quick look at his website and discovered that many titles were changed for the American market. The book you chose, for example, is call Abattoir Blues on my side of the 49th parallel. Seems like an odd practice, but c’est la vie in the publishing world, I gather. The last Louise Penny is sitting here; I’ll start savouring it this afternoon.
Karen
Why would they feel the need to change the title? After all, we’re right next to each other! It does seem very odd!
The author addressed that very question below; he sounds none too thrilled. I remember when “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” was changed to “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in the United States. I didn’t realize changing titles was such a widespread practice. Back to the author:
http://www.inspectorbanks.com/frequently-asked-questions/
Why are some of your books published under different titles in the UK, Canada and the USA?
The short answer is, “I don’t know.” Usually a title comes early to me, and I’ve lived with it for a long time when the book is finished, so I have become quite attached to it. Changing it is like changing your one-year-old’s name. But Sales and Marketing, in their infinite wisdom, have great foreknowledge about which titles will sell books and which won’t, as you can see from their track record, and the amount of pressure they can put on a writer, usually through his or her editor, can be quite excruciating. Basically, resistance is futile. This problem seems particularly to affect British authors published in the USA, who all have sad tales to tell. Though the information is available elsewhere on this site—and you should always check before you buy—in a nutshell, Dry Bones that Dream became Final Account everywhere other than in the UK; Dead Right became Blood at the Root in the USA; The Summer that Never Was became Close to Home in the USA; and Caedmon’s Song became The First Cut. To add to the confusion, there are two version of Not Safe After Dark. The British and Canadian editions (2004) contain several stories and a previously unpublished Banks novella that do not appear in the earlier (1998) Crippen & Landru edition.
Very interesting, Karen. Thank you for this!
Reading. One of my absolute favorite pastimes. I even have a book holder so I can read while I knit! Enjoy!
Blessings,
Betsy
I will. I wouldn’t be able to read while I knit – I have to watch my stitches. You must be an excellent knitter, Betsy!
You might like the author Nevada Barr, writes a mystery series about a forest ranger. Really good – most if not all set in National Parks. I still need to read Louise Penny.
I’m familiar with Nevada Barr and have read most of the books in that series – though probably not the latest few.
I like the look of that library! When the original library of my town, a Carnegie library, started aging and a water leak damaged much of the collection, the library was moved to the local high school while money was raised to construct a new library. Our “new” main library building was built in 2006. I love going there…comfy chairs, plenty of table space, study rooms for students, a cafe….what’s not to love? Oh yeah, and lots of books! I never went into the original library building, but a local entrepreneur is working towards reimagining the building into a pinball museum but not destroying the building’s original architecture.
This library has a cafe, too. There’s also a gallery and a jazz series every Sunday. But I had to work today!
Happy reading!
What a plus to have a car in Hartford this time around; I’m sure it makes everything so much easier.
Well, I haven’t had to use it yet. I’ll use it tomorrow to shop. But I can walk to the library. The library is downtown, we stay downtown and the theater is downtown. Just a few blocks of walking and I’m there.
Such a beautiful library. Hope you enjoy Peter Robinson’s books as much as I do.
An Alan Banks premiere of series 4 started last night on PBS Buffalo.
Not here, unfortunately! Though I think I wouldn’t watch it at this point because I like to keep the character I’ve imagined in my head – not the one onscreen!
I’m sure you will be more rested by staying in Hartford and running your errands. Oh, how I hope it doesn’t get as cold there as it is here. It is a cold that takes your breath away.
Sounds like you are looking forward to your work this week. That is a good thing, indeed!
Enjoy your day off tomorrow. Are there any Thrift or Antique stores to visit in the area?
It’s very cold here now! And I walk to work and back!
There probably are stores like that, but I have to shop for groceries, etc. and do my laundry, so that will take up most of the day.
Ah, libraries. MAJOR sigh. Just about one of the best ideas human beings ever came up with, right? I still remember – like it was yesterday – my first-ever visit to our town’s library. A LONG time ago. August 1960 – Eisenhower was still President [yikes]. A wicked hot [mid-90s] day, and my Mom thought she’d kill 2 birds with one stone. Introduce me and my 2 little brothers to the library and storytime hour – and beat the heat as well. I’ll never forget how luscious the air-conditioning felt when we walked in, and then something even better. The magical scent of books all around. And then seeing jillions of children’s books at kid-level. Right where I could get at them. Better than a candy store for THIS 4-year old. Still makes me feel that way today too.
Nothing better than the smell of a book, Janet! Nothing!
I don’t think that I have ever, ever left a library with less than four books ;-) I can pass up lots of things, but books, never. I understand.
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
I’m with you on that one, Susan! Anything less than four books? No and no.
I love all the Peter Robinson’s Banks books
Looking forward to starting this one, Barbara!
Oh, my! I just cant keep up with all the great recommendations you give us. I’m reading the Susan Hill books now. We have a small library, but it has all if the series.
I see from the comments a PBS series I should look into.
Thanks so much!
A small library that has Susan Hill – that’s a good library, Diane!
Yes, it is! I utilize the ILL, too. And, of course, some books I just have to own such as the Louise Penny books.
Exactly!
What a great library. We need to use our libraries…and I don’t. I intend to and then I just don’t. I’ll sound mean and not compassionate when I say this, but our local library has had a difficult time keeping the homeless people out of there; they camp out all day. Maybe they’ve found a way to control it now but the last time I was in the library, it disturbed me; made me feel uncomfortable. Unfortunately, I’ve been approached by too many homeless people in my life over the past 30 years in Southern California in various places where I’ve lived (they like our temperate climate where it’s mostly sunny all year) and some have been aggressive (so, I’m wary). We have a really significant homeless population in my small town…and it’s a problem because within that population are a lot of addicts, so they vandalize and steal to get money for drugs/booze. I could highlight several recent stories where they’ve caused a lot of destruction, but I won’t. One thing I actually COULD support, though, in terms of the library, are the Friends of The Library book sales, which happen periodically and also in a far location of the building.
I’ve imagined how much you miss ‘home’ and Scoutie/Don. You have such a great attitude about it and I’m glad you’re able to enjoy the time away.
A lot of homeless people hang out at the Main Branch of the HPL, too. I don’t mind it. It gives them shelter, access to a computer, and warmth in the winter weather. After all, our libraries are for all our citizens. I’ve lived in cities most of my life, so I’ve had encounters with and talked to many, many homeless people. All I’ll say about that, without trying to be preachy, is that they are people with the same needs and wants and desires that we have and it’s all too easy for us to look away when we see them. I understand what you’re saying, of course, but there’s an equal amount, if not more, destruction and vandalism done by those with a roof over their head.xo
Books, beautiful books. Never too many, just not enough time!
Take care – Mary x
I agree, Mary! xo