Buying Books

I loved the idea of The Book Depository  sharing with us what books people are buying around the world. It was amazing!  The ones who love literature, just love, no explanation. Some may wonder what’s the point of looking at a map with names of books popping up all the time. However, I find it absolutely fascinating trying to figure out who those people are and why they’ve chosen this or that book. Were they motivated by personal interests? Is there any connection with current events in their countries? Media influence? Buzzword? Any connection with age? Profession? There is someone from Malta who bought Animal Farm , a fellow from Australia has just grabbed Waking The Tiger, whereas someone from Chile preferred Rede de Computadores and Ice Man was the favorite to someone in Poland, Cliffs of Insanity was just purchased  in Ireland, Art of the Japanese Postcard – Masterpieces  from Th Leonard A Lauder Collection (Hardback) has just been bought in Germany (might be gorgeous this one, I am curious). My choice was Once Upon a Time: on the Nature of Fairytale which I strongly recommend. That’s enough for a while, before they find out there is a crazy lady spying on their books, check the site, you might enjoy it  http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/live

Three Cups of Tea

A few years ago, I was at the book shop and couldn’t resist the temptation to grab this book and start reading it straightway. It was my first contact with Pakistani people and their suffering in the hands of the Taliban, specially women. When I saw the sad episode of Malala Yousafzai in the news I had to write about it and also share with my readers that there are people who fight to change this situation. Express our indignation to what happened to young Malala might be a starting point to put an end to it. She refused to keep silent and set an example to us all. I would like to recommend some sites for more information http://www.gregmortenson.com/, http://www.threecupsoftea.com/, http://www.ikat.org/ and also http://www.stonesintoschools.com/. I hope you enjoy the books as  much as I did and Pakistani girls have the chance to attend school as it is their right.

Fancy a good reading?

The day is claiming a good book. What’s your suggestion?

Let the Great World Spin

This photo came to me through Facebook. It impressed me so much how these men could feel perfectly at ease in such space. I had the immediate thought that perhaps they wouldn’t feel so comfortable at their own homes, so at peace. Sharing with each other what they have to share, only their friendship and fellowship, with some beer and cigarettes and laughter. While they are there upon the city,  city life goes on and nobody pays attention to them apart from the photographer. Then, the moment is registered forever. Their harmony, the feeling of belonging of these men to the city that hosts them, protects them and at the same time explores their workforce as it happens in every place. However, similarly to the movie ‘Dead Poets Society’ these men seem to whisper ‘carpe diem’. A whisper that creeps inside my ears directly to my soul.

By one of these fortunate coincidences of life, when the top picture found me at Facebook  I was reading the fantastic book ‘Let the Great World Spin’, by Column MacCann, which brings  exactly this sensation of life going on in its infinite ways without our noticing, passing by our distracted, indifferent eyes. The book starts in 1974 when the tightrope man defied human laws and the laws of physics and dared the first step. Philippe Petit walked a tightrope wire between the Twin Towers on August 7, 1974. From this point on the story unfolds itself bringing numerous characters of the city with their anonymous dramas that compose the immense mosaic of a world that won’t stop spinning. The sight of Petit’s face in this pic produces the same effect of a piercing question: ‘Can’t you see me? What are you gonna do of your day?

Well, I’ll put one foot in front of the another and keep going.

The first chapter of this book is available on http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Free-Book-Download-Let-the-Great-World-Spin-by-Colum-McCann

You can also find additional information about the documentary Man on Wire on http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1155592/ and finally, you can join a very interesting discussion about this book on http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/13-fiction/546-let-the-great-world-spin-mccann?start=3

By Cora Coralina, Brazilian Writer

‘We Cannot add days to our life,

but we can add life to our days.’

See also her biography http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cora_Coralina

 

I know an old lady who swallowed a fly

I would like to share this amazing story with you all and also invite you to take a look at my students photo album of this story on http://brazilianfriends.multiply.com/photos/album/58/I-Know-an-old-lady-who-swallowed-a-fly and see how they enjoyed it, perhaps even more than I did. Maybe you want to take a step further and get some wiki information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_Was_an_Old_Lady_Who_Swallowed_a_Fly.

London Diary, July 19.

Reading seems to be a fascination here, the number of bookshops and people reading everywhere demonstrates it. There are places that simply invites to a good reading, all over the city. The picture says: ‘Grab your book and join us.’

In this coffee shop they lend you a book and you can get a free coffee when you donate yours.

Even if you do not have anything to read, believe, the city provides a wide assortment of touristic information everywhere!

This one reminds me a lot of São Paulo. People reading in buses and trains.

So, if you have a book to recommend us, leave your suggestion here.

Canterbury Tales

If you like storytelling, you must visit Canterbury. The city is famous for the Canterbury Tales and it is amazing visiting the theatre where small groups move into different scenarios to listen to them. In the picture I am imitating the powerful ‘Wife of Bath’, one of the tales you can learn more about on  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wife_of_Bath’s_Tale and visit also the site http://www.canterburytales.org.uk/home.htm

Castles,  the Cathedral of St Thomas, the boat trips and the very streets of Canterbury make you feel yourself in medieval times.

Learn more: http://www.ecastles.co.uk/index.html

Andrew Articles and Stories

Fantastic material for storytelling in ELT. According to the author:

‘This site is mainly intended to act as a library of stories and articles which I would like people to use if they find them of interest.

By offering what I have made I hope to put a grain of sand in the balance set against all the selfishness and greed, violence and prejudice in this world of ours.’

‘Modern technology is bringing down dictatorships…lets use it to build up companionship as well!’

Andrew Wright

The How to be British Collection

by  Martyn Alexander Ford, Peter Christopher Legon

Very funny way to describe British life.Drawing on their many years’ experience of teaching English as a Foreign Language the authors also offer the wider world a tongue-in-cheek guide on how to get around in English and at the same time make sense of our ‘funny ways’.  It’s a gentle brand of satire, and although there’s the occasional barbed arrow for bland food, fashion disasters or dubious standards of hygiene, the tone of The “How To Be British Collection” is more nostalgic than scornful, and the pet-loving, royal-watching, tea drinking characters that populate its pages are viewed with wry affection.

Learn more http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/martyn+alexander+ford/peter+christopher+legon/the+how+to+be+british+collection/3466442/