Weekend Books

I just glanced by the Book Thing on Saturday afternoon, as I am working Saturdays right now. They seem to have been swept by hoards of book lovers, because the paperback mystery book section was barren!!! I don't watch TV, so reading's my escape. One of the things I like most about the Book Thing, aside from the fact that all of the books are FREE, is that I can get books that I would not normally take home, and if I don't like them, back they go.

I do understand that this concept is similar to the public library system, but they frown on you keeping the books you like, and really hate it when you cut the French-language books to paper a box.

One of my favourite old movies is the classic "Father of the Bride" with Spencer Tracy, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Bennett and Billie Burke (aka Glinda the Good Witch), directed by Vincente Minnelli. I found a first edition of the book from which the movie was adapted, complete with hilarious illustrations. As you may have noticed, I love old line drawings from vintage books. The book was written by Edward Streeter and illustrated by Gluyas Williams. It should be fun to read the original version.

The other fun book I got is "Dry Rot and Daffodils: Behind the Scenes at a National Trust House". The house where the author lived for seven years is in Norfolk, England, where my Auntie lives.

I got an e-mail from my brother-in-law, asking if I wanted his collection of Country Life magazines and auction catalogues. I think I will take them, as long as I can cull through them and give the unwanted ones to the Book Thing. Country Life is very different from the American magazine Country Living. "Country Life is compulsory reading for those who enjoy rural pursuits or who are looking to join the pack." It usually features a debutante or three on its pages, and they're known as "girls with pearls", although some pose in more than that. There's also a funny cartoon called Tottering by Gently, which appears to be based on my friend from the Castle, Lady Pen.