Charlotte's Library has her regular reading round-up, and one of the links discussed the writer's recent discovery of Carbonel, a book I much loved sometime between being 6 and now. It's about a cat, and includes a verse which ends 'minion of the twiggy broom' which is something I quite enjoy saying from time to time.
I don't think the Noodle has read Carbonel, and I don't think I have read it to him either, but I have certainly told him bits from the story at different times. I quite enjoy telling him stories from books (and films, too, sometimes) out loud, as if they are just stories for telling. I do honestly attribute them all, despite the temptation sometimes to have a little, domestic, Australian-style literary scandal.
Sometimes it means telling all the fun bits without the sad bits or that we might be in a mood for talking only about things with elephants in them or scary things. Sometimes it's just that the book as a whole really isn't all that great, but something about it is utterly fabulous. Sometimes we just don't have that book available, for unknown reasons (where are all my Little House books, anyway? And if anyone has my copy of We didn't mean to go to sea I would be super pleased to have it back again. My life is a wasteland without it.) And sometimes it's just that stories struggle to be told, they want to get out there into the brains of others like toxoplasmosis worms.
Anyway, next time I go to Canty's secondhand bookshop in Fyshwick (the best secondhand bookshop in Canberra, which is saying much, because Canberra is full of wonderful secondhand bookshops in the same way it is full of dryness, acorns and people in suits) I expect I'll find a copy of Carbonel sitting there, ready to be read (aloud or not) as well as talked about. It's time for a cat tale.
On an unrelated note, sorry for all the spelling and typing errors recently. It is not lack of love, it's complete lack of copy-edit-ability. It's deserted me utterly and I am bereft. (Would rather be desserted at this point, possibly with mint slice biscuits or a nice rhubarb and apple crumble).
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6 comments:
I do that too! Mostly for books that I love, and haven't had the courage yet to actually read to them, for fear they will be rejected...
I haven't read Carbonel either, perhaps I should.
I have read We didn't mean to go to sea though, many times. And I know where it is, which is more than I can say for my copy of Bujold's Mirrordance which I have searched for on several different occasions.
Goodness that post has left me full of plans. I have been intending to go to Canty's for ages (we have a couple of hundred dollars credit there from when we did a mega book cull) and now feel that I must.do.so.immediately.
I also have some stewed rhubarb in the fridge that must be turned into crumble immediately (along with the green apples that I bought at the markets).
Finally, I want to read a really good novel. Something that takes me far far away. Fortunately this plan follows quite nicely from my first.
Thank you for the inspiration!
I do it, too! I used to tell my sisters stories out of books, and there was more than one domestic literary scandal... now it's mostly my husband who hears them most.
the baby is a little bit little, still. so instead, has to listen to me sing : )
Oh, I miss the days when the Noodle would listen to me singing without comment. And Charlotte, me too. I think you are just more honest than me.
See you all (locals) at Canty's.
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