I always regard text book as a commercial good which is different from other books.
For one thing, who can say 'reading text books is a great joy or enjoyment'? Or, 'I have a hobby of reading text books'? Ok, admit it, we all hate text books!
In Australian,text books are changed every year. The content may haven't been changed a lot, but the cover, footnotes, questions and presenting order may be changed. Students have to spend more than $300 to buy text books every semester which is a great burden to family. But we can't find 2nd-hand text books--will booksellers keep those text books which can't be used in the next year?
Moreover, text books are heavy, over weight, fat and large, in need to keep fit. I really don't want to carry a text book for reading! I have to say I only use my text book when I prepare the exams.
Text books have no value to keep, generally speaking. Few text books are kept for they will increase value in 5,10 or 100 years.
I always seperate text book from my real worth-reading books. I hate to mix them together. But when I mention that I love reading, lots of my Chinese friends would said 'wo!!' and normally think that what I love to read are text books and I must be a boring guy. Maybe Chinese people are poisoned by too many text books and tent to regard all the books are in the purpose of studying.
So evil the text books!
2009-05-05
2008-12-29
Fun of book search
‘When people are united by a common love of books, the transaction between salesperson and customer can become one of life’s more memorable experience, perhaps not in large bookshops but certainly in the smaller, independent bookshops.’(Left Bank Waltz--Elaine Lewis)
I like to search second-hand books through many little bookshops. When I live in Narwee, there is a second-hand bookshop owned by an elder Australian man, Mick. He has great favor of books. Even when he has cancer, he never stops working and reading. He said he sleep for 4 hours a day and spends times mainly in reading.
I can’t read as crazy as him. But I really admire his passion about reading. So I often go to his bookshop to chat with him or help him do some simple work. He is so generous to give me great discount to buy books, sometimes for free.
With his help I buy some good books, like April Fool’s Day by Bryce Courteney, Sgarlett, a sequel written by Alexandra Ripley. I become interested in Australian books and decide to read more in the future.
Several months later, I move to Arncliffe, and start a new experience of book search. There is a local second-hand item shop run by several elder ladies. The revenue they gain will go to the charity or church. Lots of second-hand books are sold at very low price, sometimes 1 dollar each, sometimes 1 dollar a bag! I have caught a large book sale in the early December and have brought 34 books for 3 dollars!
It is crazy! After buying so many books, I start to read them every week and share my opinion with my family and friends.
I will continue my book search in my life. A booklover will never say there are too much books!
I like to search second-hand books through many little bookshops. When I live in Narwee, there is a second-hand bookshop owned by an elder Australian man, Mick. He has great favor of books. Even when he has cancer, he never stops working and reading. He said he sleep for 4 hours a day and spends times mainly in reading.
I can’t read as crazy as him. But I really admire his passion about reading. So I often go to his bookshop to chat with him or help him do some simple work. He is so generous to give me great discount to buy books, sometimes for free.
With his help I buy some good books, like April Fool’s Day by Bryce Courteney, Sgarlett, a sequel written by Alexandra Ripley. I become interested in Australian books and decide to read more in the future.
Several months later, I move to Arncliffe, and start a new experience of book search. There is a local second-hand item shop run by several elder ladies. The revenue they gain will go to the charity or church. Lots of second-hand books are sold at very low price, sometimes 1 dollar each, sometimes 1 dollar a bag! I have caught a large book sale in the early December and have brought 34 books for 3 dollars!
It is crazy! After buying so many books, I start to read them every week and share my opinion with my family and friends.
I will continue my book search in my life. A booklover will never say there are too much books!
2008-12-28
All about escaping
I have found out that Australian People have great passion of France. It’s easy to pick up a book which talks about new life in France. I don’t particularly like France for its famous stiff government operation. But I enjoy seeing people explore new life in another land.
Escaping-Henrietta Taylor (Australian)
As the book title indicates, the theme is about escaping the life in Australia. The author (Hen for short) is a language teacher in her early years. She likes traveling all the time. But after meeting Norman, her later husband, then gives birth to the two children, she spends time at home. She is quite content about the family life until Norman has cancer and his temper change while he is fighting with the disease. Though Australian people have great humor about dead, Norman still feels upset and frustrated when he comes near the Dead Angle.
Hen suffers a lot and leaves no time for herself for years before Norman die. She try to do what mother should do, but she meets lots of difficulties. She takes a brief visit in France and found the way to get along with her son and daughter. This trip makes her becoming stronger and leaves a great impression in Hen’s mind.
After returning to Australia, Hen realises that she desperately want to start a new life in France and escapes the existing life. By chance, she finds an rental ad and rents a house in a tiny village in Provence. She finds a new circular of friends, an unexpected role of proprietor of 3 houses and relationship with a man.
I don’t think it’s France that change her way of life. I regard that it is the new environment apart from old friends and family makes her to be independent and responsible.
Back to the book, the former chapters are good but the last few parts seem prolix. I just skip them quickly. It is a book that unfolds the course of an Australian woman becoming mature and it help me to look into Australian life.
As the book title indicates, the theme is about escaping the life in Australia. The author (Hen for short) is a language teacher in her early years. She likes traveling all the time. But after meeting Norman, her later husband, then gives birth to the two children, she spends time at home. She is quite content about the family life until Norman has cancer and his temper change while he is fighting with the disease. Though Australian people have great humor about dead, Norman still feels upset and frustrated when he comes near the Dead Angle.
Hen suffers a lot and leaves no time for herself for years before Norman die. She try to do what mother should do, but she meets lots of difficulties. She takes a brief visit in France and found the way to get along with her son and daughter. This trip makes her becoming stronger and leaves a great impression in Hen’s mind.
After returning to Australia, Hen realises that she desperately want to start a new life in France and escapes the existing life. By chance, she finds an rental ad and rents a house in a tiny village in Provence. She finds a new circular of friends, an unexpected role of proprietor of 3 houses and relationship with a man.
I don’t think it’s France that change her way of life. I regard that it is the new environment apart from old friends and family makes her to be independent and responsible.
Back to the book, the former chapters are good but the last few parts seem prolix. I just skip them quickly. It is a book that unfolds the course of an Australian woman becoming mature and it help me to look into Australian life.
Au Revoir-byMary Moody (Austalian)
This is another book talking about leaving Australia for France to experience new life. Why so many Australian fall in love with France?
Mary has a full life in Blue Mountain and leads a successful career as a writer and TV presenter. At fifties, most women satisfy with a life as grandmother, while Mary decides to live in Lot, a remote and beautiful place in France. She has never live alone, so she long for picking up a different life as a single person.
Her writing of people she meets, scenery she sees, and the food she eats is very vivid and beautiful. She not only talks about the life in Lot, but describe the history and stories of it. The words inebriant me to love every detail of the views presented.
Her escape does not draw her apart from love. As she says at the end of the book:‘It dawns on me that no matter where I am in the world, I will be surrounded by people and laughter and food and wine at gathering such as this. I may have run away with the idea of being alone. But that was never going to happen.’
This is another book talking about leaving Australia for France to experience new life. Why so many Australian fall in love with France?
Mary has a full life in Blue Mountain and leads a successful career as a writer and TV presenter. At fifties, most women satisfy with a life as grandmother, while Mary decides to live in Lot, a remote and beautiful place in France. She has never live alone, so she long for picking up a different life as a single person.
Her writing of people she meets, scenery she sees, and the food she eats is very vivid and beautiful. She not only talks about the life in Lot, but describe the history and stories of it. The words inebriant me to love every detail of the views presented.
Her escape does not draw her apart from love. As she says at the end of the book:‘It dawns on me that no matter where I am in the world, I will be surrounded by people and laughter and food and wine at gathering such as this. I may have run away with the idea of being alone. But that was never going to happen.’
My escaping
It is comfortable to live in the same place for the whole life. But we sometimes want to get out of the comfort zone to take challenge or refresh ourselves.
For me, I have escaped the life in China; I try to breathe freely in another country far away from my family and friend. It is hard, sometimes lonely, but I have time to be true self and take challenge.
Out of protection is a way to grow up. I like moving form one place from another one. It is the life-style I really enjoy.
It is comfortable to live in the same place for the whole life. But we sometimes want to get out of the comfort zone to take challenge or refresh ourselves.
For me, I have escaped the life in China; I try to breathe freely in another country far away from my family and friend. It is hard, sometimes lonely, but I have time to be true self and take challenge.
Out of protection is a way to grow up. I like moving form one place from another one. It is the life-style I really enjoy.
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