I can has library card?

[matgb]

So, today, we did go to the Library. It was shut for renovations most of the summer so I couldn't register, but it's now reopened. It is a typical small English town library, gifted to the town by the effective founder, and has an attached art gallery. It's gorgeous.

I registered (painless process all on computer), but forgot to ask how many books I'd be allowed. Given that when I grew up in Devon it was 4, Exeter uni was I think 6, and Merton in Wimbledon was similar, while browsing I chose a pile, then put several back on the shelves.

When checking out, I did ask the question. 20.

You can take out 20 books at once

Plus it's a gorgeous building, in a nice park setting, and it's less'n ten minutes walk. I need to remember to return my books on time and not get banned from this library. Plus, as SB discovered, they seem to have a complete set of Asterix books. Shrub's likely a little young for them. Probably. Anyway...
[Poll #1286302]
I did see it on the shelf, and made her take it out to read. Pretty sure I leant susannah_banana my copy, else I'd have put it top of her pile already.

Shrub's already read the two books she took out. Which means given it's half term I might have to take her back for more. What a shame. I'll have to force myself.

Comments

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

All right, all right. I have an email from Alex to answer and then I'll read the damn book.

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

"Jonathon Strange & Mr Norrell" is very long - I'd recommend waiting until you are in the right kind of mood to be engrossed.

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

Yes, but it's conveniently divided into these things called "chapters"...

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

Yes, but their bloody big chapters...

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

Oops - they're... THEY'RE - not their.

[davegodfrey.livejournal.com]

I've read The Prefect, it mixes hard sci-fi and film noir, rather like Century Rain, but its set in the Revelation Space universe.

I've got Matter sitting next to me, but I still haven't started it yet.

[matgb]

Sounds good to me—I liked Century Rain a fair bit so I might get into it.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Jonathan Strange takes a while to get into while she's setting the scene and is a bit lengthy in places but the characters are well thought out and it does plod along nicely.
Have you read Clark's collection of short stories? There are some really good ones in there.

[ginasketch.livejournal.com]

I found that anthology at the train station and aim to start it soon.

[matgb]

I got the shorts collection when it came out, think I posted my review just before we met so you didn't see it.

Did like, and it's good the way she'd fleshed out the background and really thought about it, obviously a work of love—hope she can do a good follow up as well.

[strangefrontier.livejournal.com]

Johnathan Strange and Mr Norrell is still in my to-read pile, which just got a bit bigger. I'll see your 20 books are raise you 20... Yep, I do love my postgrad privileges; I can borrow up to 40 books at a time from the uni library and keep them for three months. The fiction section seems to be rather well stocked in general and classic lit, if not scifi.

[matgb]

See, 40 makes sense when you're a postgrad, you need to refer to lots of stuff, but 20 for a normal lending library is impressive.

It's been a few years since I last read it, I might glance through while SB's not about or on t'internet to remind myself, but I really enjoyed it at the time, as did those I leant it to, so give it a shot if you can.

[strangefrontier.livejournal.com]

20 is certainly awesome for a normal library. The local one here in Helensburgh allows 12, but their collection is pretty small and if you kept up that sort of rate you'd end up on the Danielle Steeles awfully quickly. Still, there have been a few unexpected gems in the sf&f racks.

[wieselkind.livejournal.com]

The Church Mouse books by Graham Oakely are great childrens books, non patronising stories, great illustrations and a few jokes for the adults too.

[paulatpingu.livejournal.com]

I've voted for it, but the only problem with reading 'The Family Trade' is that it's very much a serial and buying/reading just the first one won't be enough.

Also, because it's a serial, you might find each individual book slightly unsatisfying, as if Mr. Stross is holding something back for later. Which obviously he is, and in the nature of serialised books there's nothing wrong with that, it just doesn't leave that taste of perfection in your mouth that some of his standalone books (like Glasshouse) do.

So actually, if you haven't already, read Glasshouse instead. :-)

[matgb]

Glasshouse I've read—the Princes is a series I meant to try to get hold of awhileback but not got around to, I'm sure I can order the sequels in if I like the first.

The other book of his I hadn't read was Jennifer Morgue, but I put it back when my pile was a bit too big.

[paulatpingu.livejournal.com]

The Jennifer Morgue I haven't read, mainly because I read the Atrocity Archives and thought it was a bit crap.

I dunno, I think maybe it just tried *too hard* to be different. The slightly more straight up Sci Fi of Glasshouse and Iron Sunrise/Singularity Sky is more my cup of tea.

You'll like the Merchants series though - it's fantasy sci fi written by somebody who knows what they're talking about - what's not to like?

[pink-weasel.livejournal.com]

There's no option for got stuck a chapter into johnathan Strange because I was in a funny mood that day but fully intend to go back and read it properly because I enjoyed what I read.

[matgb]

Yeah, I missed a few options—I've done that with more than one book in the past—Anansi Boys by Gaiman is my only current 'stuck' book for fiction IIRC.

[pink-weasel.livejournal.com]

Anansi Boys is well worth getting unstuck for.

You've inspired me to start again on Johnathan Strange this very evening. When I've read the last chapter of Boris Johnson's bumbling novel 72 Virgins - a guilty pleasure, as is fancying Boris.

[davidnm.livejournal.com]

20 books? Oh my. Is the idea a stealth work-out for the nerds, I wonder? Carrying all those books is bound to be a lot of exercise...

[matgb]

It's other side of the hill for me, so yeah, would be a workout, next time I take my shoulder bag.

[ginasketch.livejournal.com]

There is no option for "want to read it."

[matgb]

Yeah, well, forgot that one.

[springhazsprung.livejournal.com]

Still haven't finished that book. I read about half of it maybe 2 years ago...3 years ago? And put it down..and forgot to pick it up.

[hazeljnutt.livejournal.com]

I think 20 must be pretty much standard these days. When I was working in public libraries, only having stopped a year and a month ago, the max was 20, and there was no book recovery officer to go and chase the b*stards who never bought any back *ahem*
Anyway...
*grins and runs away*

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[http://sim-o.me.uk/blog/ (from livejournal.com)]

You want to get yourself some kids too. At our local library there's no penalty for being overdue either, if the child is under 5.
I thought is was just for childrens books but no, it's for any book.