Skip to main content

Books on fire

In this post: Booking Through & Third Sentence



Have you ever read a random book left in a waiting room or on a park bench, etc., and did you like it?

Often I wonder when will I experience this. I mean finding a book left somewhere which happens to be something I would like to read. Yesterday I browsed the latest arrivals at Kinokuniya. By the time I noticed that I have been standing by the shelves for almost an hour on 3-inch heels, I was tired and sat on a bench where I found some YA fiction left by the inventory staff. I read parts of the first chapter, but aware that the book had to be accounted for in only a few minutes, I put it back on the bench and went to discover a very attractive spot - the Charles Dickens Bicentennial Anniversary collection. Ah... party! Now if i found one of those left on a park bench, I would warm that bench.

*More bookish answers at Booking Through Thursday


Book: The Wise Woman by Philippa Gregory

3rd sentence: "The walls were orange and scarlet, with the bobbing light of reflected flames, and I could hear yells of angry, rioting men."

Thoughts: It's like a scene in a movie, or that night when I and my roommates were awakened to be told that the administration building was on fire, a memory one could not easily forget. I remember feeling so worried and terrified for the nearby library. The fire was speeding to its direction. Even now nineteen years later, I could hear the crackling flames and see students running here and there. Much like this opening scene in Gregory's The Wise Woman, I relate with the main character as she woke up in chaos. She in an abbey, I in a boarding college dormitory on a hill.


*Proud Book Nerd hosts Third Sentence Thursday

Comments

  1. I came to read your BTT answer, which I liked...and then went on to read the Third Sentence Thursday. I may have to participate in this one soon!

    Here's MY THEME THURSDAYS POST - and here’s
    MY WEBSITE

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would pick up a random book in a bookstore or something like that sure. But not so sure in public. Here's my BTT.

    Happy Reading!
    Cathy @ Addicted to Books

    Never heard of third sentence thursday, that's cute will have to check it out for next wee.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi: Yes - I haven't found any books lying around either, but I chose to write about another type of "found" book here: http://yearofreadingmybooks.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/empire-state-cakes-and-chatterboxes-booking-through-thursday/ Happy reading, Ruby

    ReplyDelete
  4. Instead of using the word "fire," she describes the colors. It really makes what's happening more frightening. Sorry you had a personal experience with an alert about fire.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That's a great third sentence from that book. I haven't read that one yet, but I love Gregory's writing.

    Thanks for playing along! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I often find yummy books in bazaars---normally costs 8€ but I get them for .50cents. This reminded me of one of my favorite films, Whisper of the heart...a hopeless romantic me would say; while you're reading, the book owner comes back and impossible as it could be - he turns out to be a hunk that looks like Channing Tatum, you talked about the book so and so and the rest is history...hahah so much for imagining. Enjoy your weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  7. wanting to experience the pachinko (slot machine) parlors in japan, i was surprised to see a library in their waiting room. there, i was able to read the complete volumes (tankobon) of some of the animes whose endings were not aired. what i enjoyed most was learning about the furoshiki, like how i could fold an ordinary scarf for a bookbag. best of all, you can read them in a massage chair.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Furoshiki is new to me and sounds very interesting I would research it. Thanks for sharing your story, Jani. I love it.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

That time of year

Musical Monday: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, EHSS Scroll down for Monday Mayhem Right. Good-looking. Talented. Cute. And I'm supposed to believe life is fair? *Kidding* Take note of the final score - powerful thoracic diaphragms belting on. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Ernie Haase & Signature Sound. Amanda @ Bloggin with Amanda hosts Musical Monday XmasDolly of XmasDolly , Lori of Shewbridges of Central Florida , Larry of Cakeblast , and Callie of JAmerican Spice host Monday's Music Moves Me Denise @ Run DMT hosts Music Monday Blog Hop ************************ Monday Mayhem: The Return of Lola's Holiday Meme 1. What is your favorite holiday show/animated show? I know there are so many out there, but my life is riddled with work right now. It also is no help that this country I am in does not recognize Christmas except for commercial purposes. 2. What holiday character do you think you're most like? - pass- 3. What holiday character does your spouse think yo...

Unknown reasons

What spirit is so empty and blind that it cannot recognize the fact that the foot is more noble than the shoe, and skin more beautiful than the garment with which it is clothed? - Michelangelo  Why is the Mom in this family picture smiling? Oh, I know. The Dad is wearing shoes. Old Photo Album But my mother was also smiling in our family photo. All three of us look about the same age as this family. Mama said she explicitly told Papa that day long ago that we would sit for a family portrait so we were to don something formal. But lo and behold Papa came in flip flops! Mama wasn't very happy about it. She still placed our picture neatly in the family album though. Family is family, slippers or stilettos. What is unknown to me, besides the identity of this family, is how Father (rest in peace, Pap) ended up in the photo studio wearing slippers when he wore shoes virtually all the time. In fact we only saw him wearing slippers during his retirement. Ah well, so much for shoes. I have ...

THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!

Tacloban . It's where I spent two months of great adventure with college buddies at about the same age as the young adult artists in this video  We Are The World for Philippines ( Cover by Filipino Artsts ) This is the church where I served as piano accompanist for the 1990 summer student choir, and some of the services. According to reports it was filled with dead bodies when this shot was taken. Photo Courtesy: AUP Network on FB On Saturday, November 24th, Central World management (the former WTC Bangkok) lent space for a Haiyan fundraiser without charge. I'd like to commemorate the highlights:   One Voice: Help Haiyan Victims was a serendipity. Organizing events is something I had to pay money to study in grad school. But it was live learning right there that night and observing the process was free. Skywatch : Mission Tacloban The Bangkok Charity Orchestra   reflected tranquility in their music. Poor typhoon victims would...