***MESSAGE BOARD

Just starting off the message board.

Great photo, and great list of books! Thanks.

That's a nice list of international books!

...and even though I've read books by some of those authors, I haven't read any of the books on that pile ^^;

>4 mene:

Perhaps that would be a nice challenge: read a book from the pile.

It would :) But first I'll read everything from my own TBR pile (looking at the amount of books on the pile and the amount of books I read in a year, I should be able to read everything within the next year... Let's see if I can).

I've read about a dozen of those titles. I recently purged my fiction, letting go of a lot of titles I had already read and probably would not read again, so my ratio of TBRs to Already Reads is much greater now.

What reading challenges are you all planning to do in 2013?

Huffington Post offers their picks for 2013.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/20/best-books-2013-our-picks_n_2344874.htm...

>2 avaland: Great photo and great list. I could just read the books I haven't read from that list for a successful reading year.

Maybe we could each contribute 10 titles from our TBRs for a challenge!

Questions for the Avid Reader is back for 2013!

Just pulling this thread back up to the top (or at least the first page)

I am embarrassed to say I have only read one book from that list. The Bluest Eye

I have purged my African fiction collection of a couple dozen books, and am willing to send bunches to one or two readers here in the states. If you are interested in exploring the continent, pop over to my thread for more information.

#13 - well, I've only read one of them too (Middlemarch). I'm not going to be embarrassed though--there are too many books in this world for me to read them all.

Wish I could be there! Maybe someone out there in the LT/Club Read universe can go for me? HA! I'm reading No Ordinary Time now. I did not realize it won the Pulitzer Prize in 1995!

http://www.wickedlocal.com/orleans/newsnow/x871007639/Reserve-a-seat-for-Doris-K...

I love Ms Goodwin. I'm sure that lecture will be packed. Looking forward to your review of No Ordinary Time.

Oh, there's the Message Board.

Just to say that I think the new group picture is an improvement.

>18 edwinbcn: I like the new picture too! Where'd it come from?

I don't know, but anyone can add a picture for this group. Speak up, whoever you are, and take a bow!

Completely off the topic of books, but I think several ClubRead members might be able to help me out. I have two travel questions about London.

1. The best way to get to the city from Heathrow. Our plane (Virgin Air, not sure which terminal) arrives in the afternoon and our hotel is in Hammersmith. There are four of us. In the past I've taken the Tube into town, but I find it exhausting after a nine hour flight (last time we had to queue up for 45 min just to get a ticket). My husband is thinking a taxi might be the better option for us.

2. Oyster Card or Travel Card? I've read up on this and it just makes my head spin. We'll need transit for 11 days.

I trust someone here has figured out these London dilemmas.

1 - Taxi from Heathrow to Hammersmith will be VERY expensive - at least £50 for a mini-cab, and easily £70 for a black taxi.

Best way is the HEathrow Express - which takes you to Paddington direct and very quickly. Not sure how much it is but probably less than half the price of a taxi. Tube is cheapest - but as you know it does take AGES....

2 - Less au fait with the pros/cons of Oyster Cards as I left London around about the time they were phased in. If you plan on using the tube and an occasional bus - on a daily basis - then an Oyster may well be worth it, but I honestly don't know how it works. If you will only have an odd day here and there on public transport then a £12 one day travelcard is good value (I s'pose...). Perhaps consider a one week travelcard?

As an aside, if you're planning on seeing/doing lots of things in the centre - and you are physically able - then the best way in my opinion is always on foot. Yes it IS tiring, but you will discover so many quirky places and corners and tucked away chapels or drinking holes that it will be worth it! And you'll save enough cash that you'll be able to afford one of London's many very fine Michelin star restaurants!

Just thought, from memory Hammersmith is in Zone 2 - so you're 1 day or 1 week travelcards (or Oyster presumably as well) will be a little bit cheaper. Unless of course you're venturing a little further out from the centre (for example to Kew Gardens...?). When are you off?

#22 & 23 Paul - Thanks!

I'm glad you mentioned the Heathrow Express. I had sort of written that one off because I thought it was about 20 pounds each, which makes it 80 pounds for the four of us. And it only gets us to Paddington. We'd do better to just take a taxi. But I actually went to their website to see, and because we're a group, and I'd need a return fare, the total is 85 pounds (both ways). Much cheaper than a taxi. But we're still only at Paddington, so we'll have to think about it.

As an aside, if you're planning on seeing/doing lots of things in the centre - and you are physically able - then the best way in my opinion is always on foot. Yes it IS tiring, but you will discover so many quirky places and corners and tucked away chapels or drinking holes that it will be worth it!

Yes, yes, and yes! Who wants to only see the inside of a tube car? Love exploring cities on foot. As long as my husband's knee holds up, or I can dump him in a pub and collect him later.

We arrive July 25, and are in London until August 3. Then we head south for a few days--Monk's House (Virginia Woolf), Bodiam Castle, Beachy Head, we'll see where we get to. We fly out Aug 7.

Greetings from London, Joyce! According to the Heathrow Airport web site, Virgin Atlantic from Vancouver arrives in Terminal 3. I take Delta to LHR, which arrives at Terminal 4, and from there I've always taken the Piccadilly Line of the Underground (Heathrow Terminal 4 station), which stops at Heathrow Terminals 1, 2 and 3 station (one station for all three terminals) next. From there it travels eastbound toward central London, and it calls on Hammersmith station, which is before central London, unlike the Heathrow Express or the Heathrow Connect trains. Both trains terminate at Paddington, but the Heathrow Connect makes intermediate stops en route. Paddington station is past Hammersmith, so if you took either of those trains you would have to backtrack toward Hammersmith, by taxi or tube.

Unless Heathrow Airport has multi-passenger shuttle service (similar to SuperShuttle in the US), I suspect that your shortest route to the hotel would be to take the Piccadilly Line, which I think would be a 15-20 minute ride. (I traveled much further, to the King's Cross St. Pancras station, but it was still a comfortable and pleasant trip even after an overnight flight from Atlanta.) It would easily be the cheapest journey, and you can buy Oyster cards from the machines or ticket counters at the station, which could also take care of the Oyster card (which I have) vs Travel Card (which I'm unfamiliar with) question.

From Terminal 4 it is very easy to get to the tube station, as the escalators and lifts to the Underground are within sight after you enter the receiving area of the terminal from Customs. I don't know the proximity of the Terminals 1, 2, 3 station to Terminal 3, though, as I've always departed from Terminal 4.

I'll be in London from now until July 26th, so let me know if I can help in any way.

Taking the tube in definitely tells you you're now in London! I imagine in the current heat wave they're having there would be nothing like it.

Watch your zones. Often you can avoid that extra zone charge if you're going somewhere just inside the border of a higher zone by getting off in the lower zone and walking the extra bit.

Agreeing with Polaris, walking is wonderful and don't miss Kew Gardens.

The Oystercard daily spend is capped at the price of a one-day travelcard, so if you won't be using public transport every day an Oystercard would be better value. If you are using public transport every day, a weekly travelcard would be better value.

Second Kew Gardens!

25, 26, 27 - THANK YOU so much! You're all so helpful.

Darryl - great info. Looks like the best option is also the cheapest. How often in life does that happen?

Taking the tube in definitely tells you you're now in London! I imagine in the current heat wave they're having there would be nothing like it.

When we sweltered in London in 2009 we were told the Tube cars were getting air conditioning for the Olympics. Does anyone know if that happened? I know last summer when we were in New York, the AC in the subway was our respite. I have a feeling that it's going to be hot when we're in London and I don't look forward to sweating in the Tube.

If you are using public transport every day, a weekly travelcard would be better value.

I think that's my answer then--we'll definitely be using public transit every day we're in the city.

Thanks again, everyone.

When we sweltered in London in 2009 we were told the Tube cars were getting air conditioning for the Olympics. Does anyone know if that happened?

The new stock that was introduced last year has air conditioning, but they only operate on some of the lines that run just underneath street level, such as the Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and District lines. The true tube lines that run much deeper underground, such as the Piccadilly, Northern and Victoria lines, don't have A/C, as far as I know.

The problem with AC in the cars (not that I'm complaining; it's wonderful since we got it in NYC) is that the stations become unbearably hot, because all the hot air that's exhausted from the AC in the train is entering the tunnels and the stations. So if you have any wait at all, you're dripping by the time you get into the air-conditioned cars.

Rebecca -- I know exactly what you're talking about! Last summer the stations truly were unbearably hot. I didn't realize that was because of the air conditioning in the trains. Thanks for that bit of information.

Darryl - thanks. Now I know how to plan my trips around town ;-)

I was up in London a fortnight ago for a wedding, and used the Victoria and Central Lines. The warm weather had started and I was wearing a dark suit. I don't think those cars had AC - see Daryl's explanation - but I didn't really feel too uncomfortable on the tube. Top Tip: Stand as close as you can to the ends of each car as there are the opened windows within the car-to-car interconnecting doors, and always a good breeze there.

ETA - And avoid the rush hour(s)!!

Club Read newbie question here:

What's the deal with continuing your thread into a part 2, or beyond? Most threads seem to continue over to a new one around about the 200 mark - why? It can't be about the inconvenience of having to scroll through so many posts to get to the most recent ones, as LT kindly zooms you down to your first unread post. What am I missing?

Hi Paul. i think there are several reasons for breaking threads into parts. Long threads might discourage readers either because they take a lot of reading to catch up with or because it may take time to load, depending on your machine and connection. Also, sometimes it's just nice to have a clean slate to post in.

As for the 200 hundred number, LT offers continuation link that only kicks in when a thread reaches 200. (At that point everytime you visit your thread you see that link...)

Aha! Thanks Dan.

Does anyone know if LT still does the "Hot Reviews" section? I can't seem to find it. Considering how many Club Readers end up having hot reviews, it was always interesting to look at.

On the home page, to the left, there is a link to reviews. "hot reviews" are there

36 & 37 - Hmmm, I forgot about that, but mine are gone too. It must be in the settings somewhere.

You can also add it to your home page (which is now called your Dashboard) by locating it under the "reviews" link as Colleen says, then in the title bar (to the right of where it says "Hot Reviews") click on "Add to" then select "Dashboard" and click on "Save."

Thank you, Steven. Even better.

Thank you, that was very helpful. I've added the module to my dashboard.

Does anyone know why the prices at bookdepository.com and bookdepository.co.uk are different? I've selected Canadian dollars for both my searches, and everything on the two sites looks identical. I'm finding the .com is consistently cheaper.

I don't know why, but I always check both of them, because I've also noticed that they can be quite different from each other. I often find the co.uk is cheaper. Incidentally, I've also noticed that when BD lists a title as "unavailable" I can frequently order it from ABEBooks with the Book Depository as the seller! Go figure!

I've also heard that the price on BD goes up if a lot of people are looking at a book, but I don't know if that's true.

I know that many of you enjoy the Archipelago Books translations. I received an e-mail from them letting me know that today only Archipelago Books is having a 50% off sale. As their promotional e-mail said:

"Today ONLY, enjoy 50% all books purchased on our website.

At checkout, use Coupon Code: ITD2013

Established in 1953 by the International Federation of Translators, International Translation Day falls on September 30th, the feast day of St. Jerome, translator of the Bible and patron saint of translators. In celebration, consider hunting for international literature on our website -- and receive 50% off!"

Visit them at www.archipelagobooks.org.

Thanks for the reminder, Rebecca. I just ordered Spring Tides by Jacques Poulin, and The Rule of Barbarism by Abdellatif Laâbi.

>42 Nickelini: Is .com shipping from the US, versus shipping from the UK by .uk? That would be cheaper to Canada. I know shipping is "free" but it must be factored into the price, although having said that, I often find the .uk cheaper.
I'm one of those convince that the price is adjusted by the number of hits a particular title gets. If I am comparison shopping, or look at the same book a few days in a row, the price will always go up.

No, they both ship from the UK. It appears to be completely random, although they must have some sort of algorithm that determines the relative prices.

I was wondering about that, but when my packages arrived, everything was exactly the same. As Rebecca said, they both come from the UK. I don't get it.

Just wondering how everyone in England is weathering the storm?

Dunno, but in Wales we're all fine :) (The strongest winds veered away from Wales and hugged the south coast along the English Channel. I think it's up over Finland now...

I heard this evening that 50,000 homes are still without power. Mainly in the south-east corner of the country. I think in the grand scheme of things it wasn't half as bad as feared. Some poor souls did meet their maker, but it wasn't as bad as bigger storms we had in '87, 02' '07, or '08.

For those of you interested in Reading Globally theme reads, I've posted the thread for suggesting themes for next year. Let's hear everybody's ideas!

The Reading Globally voting thread for 2014 theme reads is OPEN

If you are a global reader and would like to join us next year, come on over and cast your vote!

There are two days left to vote for next year's Reading Globally theme reads! If you are interested in joining us in 2014 and haven't done so already, please come over to the voting thread and let your voice be counted!

Today is November 22, 2013. Did you know that the assassination of JFK wasn't the only thing that happened 50 years ago today?

Nov 22/63 was also the day that Aldous Huxley (b 1894) and CS Lewis (b 1898) died, and it was also the day that the Beatles released "All My Loving."

On the BBC today: "CS Lewis honoured with Poets' Corner memorial" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25031909

Too bad for Huxley and Lewis -- they would have probably made the front page, otherwise.

I remember reading that C.S. Lewis died on November 22, 1963, but I didn't know that Aldous Huxley died on the same day. The Beatles had been scheduled to appear on the CBS Evening News that evening, as well.

Beatles bumped: Fab four were supposed to be on CBS News the night of JFK assassination

Now that it's December, it's almost 2014! I've posted a Planning for 2014 thread and look forward to your thoughts about how to make Club Read 2014 even better than this year's group!

Through today (Dec 1) at Amazon (at least the US site): extra 30% off one book (max discount $10) when you enter “BOOKDEAL” in the gift card/promotional code box at checkout.

Thanks, MJ! I just ordered Paul Klee: Making Visible, the catalogue for the current exhibition at the Tate Modern, and I saved $10.

Oh you enabler, you, MJ. Off to Amazon!

For those of you with Kindles, Amazon's Cyber Monday deals include more than 4,000 titles. The blurb says "Today only, save up to 80% on more than 4,000 titles and find a gift for everyone on your list."

I am off to check it out now.

Club Read 2014 is open! Come on over, but don't neglect Club Read 2013 for the rest of the year!

Do we have a Best of the Last Quarter or Best of the Year list going yet? I'm sure we must, but I can't see it and don't want to be silly and duplicate. If not, let me know and I can start one later today.

We don't have a best of the year yet so if you want to start one go ahead. (I did PM the person who's been doing them but only this morning.)

ETA Sunday: I am going to start one now because I see people are starting to post their best books on their own threads. Last year, it also included reading stats for those who were interested in including them, so I'm going to encourage that this year too.

The best of, worst of, thoughts, and stats thread is here!