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Wednesday, February 5, 2020

How can I dismiss Travels in Siberia?

Probably I'm half through this long, long book. Why can't I quit it? It's only a 6,000 mile journey, or the equivalent of a lot of Iowa cornfields, or a lot of Utah salt flats, or a trip across the United States and back, nonstop, in a mad uncle's vintage Volkswagen camper, not restored. 

No, wait, we get to stop. Russia and Siberia are a trash dump. Now that I know that every mile so far traversed has population but no trash collection, I guess I can understand why industrial, agricultural and personal refuse is becoming the substrata of Russia. Let's just sit on junk and eat lunch or supper.

Page after page is packed with tidbits of Frazier's vast knowledge of Russian history, musings on the language, economics, politics, the exiles, the people, from prehistoric to the sister of a friend of a friend whose home they are in tonight.

I will plow on, in spite of the new stack of books that arrived yesterday and today. I'm afraid I may find myself reading Great Plains or On the Rez.



The batch of kiwi towels went on the shelf today, too:



I just wrote a mini review of The Gentlemen, that I saw this week with Cathy. I was expounding on the play within a play when I managed to delete the entire paragraph. No better place to stop.

29 comments:

  1. Only a 6,000 mile journey--the place where I work is about that far away.

    Love,
    Janie

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  2. Beautiful towel
    Long books are a source of great accomplishment, and balance on a bookshelf.

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  3. I’ve lost the desire to travel but a book about it is just as good.

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  4. Your book selection looks extremely good. I don't see a single one that I wouldn't care to read! I shipped off six of my metaphysical/meditation books to a friend, wrapped each one in white tissue--she got them and said it was like Christmas all over again! LOL I'm just picky about the way I treat my books. All books deserve care.

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  5. Loving your books.
    No trash collection? And no enterprising citizens to start one.
    Sigh.

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  6. Looks like a good pile of books to read. They'd probably take me about 4 years to get through!

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  7. Well done on this big book. When I fall in love with a book I wear it all day and all night. I wish it happened more often.

    XO
    WWW




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  8. A trip in a VW could be fun but I would want a bathroom. Sounds like an interesting book.

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  9. The white thread really dilutes the colours in your placemats - not a bad thing, a GOOD thing - I'm just surprised over and over by how the finished products are so much calmer than the yarn alone. Those kiwi towels are beautiful.

    Of all the books in your pile, I'd head for "Don't Let's Go To The Dogs Tonight" the very first :)

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  10. Not sure I would have the fortitude to read that book! Though it does sound interesting! You have lots of good reading to occupy some days and evenings! Such a pretty color with those towels!

    betty

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  11. It sounds like a book I wouldn't want to even start. I am thinking of looking up The Salt Path next time I'm at the library though.

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  12. You have a lot of courage and perseverance to tackle this!

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  13. I’ve just started on Midnight in Chernobyl and found it fascinating. I watched the mini series on my last long haul flight, and I’m learning so much more from the book!

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  14. It sounds like a good book or one I'd be interested in reading. I also have The Salt Path on my list. Right now I'm reading The Goldfinch in large print. Not so large I don't need reading glasses. I'm on page 875 of 1128. I have to finish it quickly and another book I picked up tonight (The Overdue Life of Amy Byler. It seems these two are very popular and renewals wouldn't be available. The other book I picked up is The Other Windsor Girl, about Princess Margaret.

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  15. My days of reading great big long books have just about finished - I'm not sure I'd even open this one but I like the idea that there are those readers willing to give it a go.
    And much to a lot of my friends' dismay I did not enjoy The Salt path - in fact didn't finish it. I could only take so much of her (and his) discomfort, she just went on and on and I was fed up 'listening' to it.
    Good job we don't all like the same thing isn't it:)

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  16. Hari Om
    ...yes,I may have given up at mile ten... &*> YAM xx

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  17. There are many parts of the world that I have visited that have a less than satisfactory relationship with garbage. I thought it was ironic recently when someone was talking about a bird's nest being messy!

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  18. I admire your perseverance in reading those long books!

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  19. I think you will very much enjoy Alexandra Fuller's books.

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  20. I think that I could only handle about a thousand miles of that book.

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  21. so now I'm wondering if you read any fiction at all.

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  22. You certainly have enough books to keep you reading for a while! We have an excellent charity bookshop nearby, so we could get a stack of books for about £10. And before you ask, yes, we also donate books to them.

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  23. You deleted a post. I deleted a memory card. Such is life.

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  24. A few years ago I read Colin Thubron's In Siberia with astonishment at how alien it sounds. A place to catch the imagination, but I wouldn't want to go myself.

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  25. Chuck it out of the window Joanne, life is just too short to plough through such an epic tome. Think of all the more pleasurable books you have to read before you die.

    LX

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  26. I'm not sure if you are enjoying this book about Travels in Siberia. Maybe you are not sure either? It does sound like an interesting book. I have a problem when I start a book and do not like it. There is a part of me that doesn't want to give up on it. I'm not sure if I feel I owe it to the book or to myself. You do have some excellent books waiting for you. Enjoy.

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  27. Bill Bryson books are always a taste treat.

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  28. The kiwi towels look great......does your towel page tell us Canadians how much money to send? I had a tea towel adventure tonight as you'll see on my blog.

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  29. I recall a documentary with motorbikers on a long trip, much of which included heading east across Siberia.

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