Comments | bookgirlwa: A wonderful Christmas story

bookgirlwa

A wonderful Christmas story

Dec 19, 2005 18:51

At this time of the year I’m very much a bah humbug Grinchy type of person - it’s hard having no family (and the worst kind of no family - if that makes sense), and the family togetherness ethos is really rammed down one’s throat at Christmas time. This year has been very rough, with few bright spots - just hard work and weariness and loneliness ( Read more... )

books

Comments 10

wolfette December 19 2005, 12:33:12 UTC

It's a funny thing, but when I lived in a small Scottish country town the library had a much bigger and better children's section than the one in the big city I live in now. The librarian there had ALL Andre Norton's juvenile stories - and now that I'm adult and can (sometimes) afford it, I've been collecting them all again. Unfortunately they're not all still in print so it can be a hunt.

bookgirlwa January 4 2006, 13:56:41 UTC

(Answering comments very late as usual :-)

I think that small towns have decent libraries often because there isn't necessarily much else to do - except play sports! It could also be the lack of computers and internet in those days as well. Whatever the reason, it is a blessing to have those resources.

The librarian there had ALL Andre Norton's juvenile stories - and now that I'm adult and can (sometimes) afford it, I've been collecting them all again. Unfortunately they're not all still in print so it can be a hunt.

The hunting is part of the fun!!

splodgenoodles December 19 2005, 12:45:41 UTC

That's really lovely, I'm glad for you.

meardaba December 19 2005, 16:37:11 UTC

That's a beautiful story. I've never heard of that author, but the books sound fantastic. I am also an inveterate reader, and that was a perfect ending for booklovers everywhere. Thanks for sharing.

bookgirlwa January 4 2006, 14:48:04 UTC

Oh, Rumer Godden is wonderful - you must try her. She also wrote a lot of adult and YA novels as well - but check out the kids books too, they are beautiful.

opakele December 20 2005, 03:43:00 UTC

I read voraciously as a kid, and for many of the same reasons you did. I was not an abused child, but my parents were neglegent. We had everything we needed, but nothing we wanted...attention, positive praise, support.

Lovely story about your bookseller. You mentioned Abebooks, is that the website? With that kind of service, I'm willing to give them a whirl when I'm book hunting. Let me know.

Oh, Merry Christmas!

bookgirlwa January 4 2006, 15:42:51 UTC

"I read voraciously as a kid, and for many of the same reasons you did. I was not an abused child, but my parents were neglegent. We had everything we needed, but nothing we wanted...attention, positive praise, support."

Books are a life-saver in those situations. Have you ever seen the movie "Matilda" (from the Roald Dahl kids book), it's a lovely - and funny - variation on that theme.

"You mentioned Abebooks, is that the website? With that kind of service, I'm willing to give them a whirl when I'm book hunting. Let me know."

Yes, AbeBooks was the site, the bookseller is "Nanny's Web" http://www.abebooks.com/home/NANNY/, it's an Australian bookseller, but if you are willing to buy from overseas and they have anything you are looking for, I would highly recommend them... obviously! ;-)

piyarna December 20 2005, 04:28:29 UTC

You read Astrid Lindgren? Cool :)

This gave added depth to your choice of pseudonym. It also reminded me of something. I had to change to another school starting seventh grade, and it turned out to be an infamous, violent school where you got bullied for not looking like an immigrant.

But they had quite a large library, and no one ever went there. Except me ( ... )

bookgirlwa December 20 2005, 23:03:05 UTC

"You read Astrid Lindgren?" Absolutely! She's one of the *best* children's authors ever. Loved the Emil books (just bought a first edition Emil off ebay for $8), and there was one, `Lotta Leaves Home' or Runs Away - not sure - that is one of my favourites, just wonderful. It's really hard to find Lindgren's books secondhand here in Aus, but I will track a copy down, one day.

Now, are you familiar with Maria Gripe? `Hugo', and `Josephine', if you know these books you will make my day. :-)

Thank you for sharing your memory - I enjoyed it.

"My best wishes to you this Yuletide." Thank you - and the same to you.

piyarna December 21 2005, 00:26:49 UTC

Absolutely! She's one of the *best* children's authors ever.

That she was. I remember Emil, Mio, my Mio, Pippi Longstocking and Ronia the Robber's Daughter (feels so odd using the translated names) being among my favourites, some of them rather obsessive ones :)

Emil and Pippi were also wonderful television series here in Sweden. Not sure if they were ever exported, though. It's sometimes easy to forget that the rest of the world reads her books as well.

(I used the Wikipedia article to translate the titles. It might be interesting to you.)

Now, are you familiar with Maria Gripe? `Hugo', and `Josephine', if you know these books you will make my day.

I recognise the name of the author and the original title (Hugo och Josefin), but I can't remember reading it. Sorry, I'll have to make someone else's day this time.