Monthly Archives: January 2010

Professionals

Monday, 18.01, I make my order at BookDepository and today, 29.01, I pick them all up at the post office.

Tuesday, 19.01, I make my order at Millennium Press and today, 29.01, I still have no books. No confirmation of departure, no emails with details, no nothing. No telephone number at their website, just an email. Let’s hope they respond to my mails this fiscal quarter.

Saturday, 23.01, I make my order at Nemira and on 26.01 I find out they don’t have the books in stock anymore, even though they were when I ordered them.

Saturday, 23.01, I make my order at Tritonic and yesterday evening, 28.01, I get a confirmation of departure.

Saturday, 02.01, I make my order at Tritonic. They come back from vacation on 11.01. I call for confirmation on 11.01, they say mine will be shipped on 13.01. On 15.01 I email asking for updates, nothing in response. No books arrive so I call again on 18.01 and they say they had a virus and promise they’ll send them tomorrow. On 19.01 I email asking for updates, nothing in response. I call again on 19.01 and someone promises the shipment will leave that day. On 22.01 I finally receive them.

I’m glad I’m leaving the country for a few weeks of R&R. Come march, I’m never ordering books from romanian bookshops ever again.

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Lost

The countdown to February 3rd has begun.

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Best of the decade

In case you weren’t sick of these lists:

10. Oldboy/Sympathy for Mr Vengeance/Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
09. A Very Long Engagement/Amelie
08. The Prestige/Memento
07. Before Sunset
06. Big Fish/Corpse Bride
05. Lord of The Rings (Extended Edition, not the theatrical disaster)
04. A History of Violence/Eastern Promises
03. Zodiac
02. No Country For Old Men/O Brother, Where Art Thou?
01. Kill Bill

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Amazon

Shipping Rates to Romania:

.com: $4 per shipment, $4 per item.
.co.uk: £5 per shipment, £3 item item.
.fr: €13 per shipment, €2 per item.
.de: €6 per shipment plus €0,50 per kg, no cost per item.

Deutschland ftw.

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Eclecticism

These past few days I’ve been cleaning Ava and organizing everything for the big burning next week and here are the results:

> 30+ BBC documentaries (previously missing from my collection, most by the one-and-only David Attenborough);

> some filmographies: Dennis Quaid, Leo DiCaprio, Lou Diamond Phillips, Sam Peckinpah, Steven Seagal;

> 40+ albums from new power metal and progressive rock bands;

> latest editions of Fedora, Kubuntu, Mandriva & Mint;

> Tattoo – IMDB, Rottentomatoes.

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Winds of Change

Dupa cum bine se poate observa, blogul a trecut prin numeroase schimbari. Atat din punct de vedere estetic (tema noua), al hosting-ului (am schimbat serverul in ultimele zile), al continutului (Reading List si Watch List si-au inversat abilitatea, renuntand gradual la filme si mutandu-ma spre carti), cat si titlul (o descriere a noului continut). Asadar o schimbare de directie – deoarece in ultimele luni am incetat sa vad saptamanal cate 50 ore de filme obscure si seriale ignorate (ce e in Watch List si multe, multe altele care nu meritau mentionate) si am inceput sa citesc mai mult, iar blogul a stagnat din cauza asta. Asta va fi ultimul post al blogului in limba romana, iar de acum vor veni doar posturi in limba engleza, > 3/4 despre carti. Acum fiind in sesiune si la 30min dupa ultimul examen plecand spre aeroport, pentru a petrece februarie in Paris, blogul va fi gol pentru ceva vreme, dar imediat ce ma intorc (1 martie), ma pun pe munca. Pana atunci, cititorule unic, iti spun doar lectura placuta.

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Dead End Gaze

Humanitas:

– Matthew Pearl • Umbra lui Poe; 10ron.

Nemira #1:

– Gregory Benford • Timperfect;
– John Brunner • Zanzibar;
– Stephen King • Christine.

10 + 10 + 10 + 6 posta = 36ron.

Nemira #2:

– Douglas Adams • Ghidul Autostopistului Galactic;
– Ken Grimwood • Replay;
– Marion Zimmer Bradley • Avalon, Negurile, Sanctuarul;
– Philip K. Dick • Omul din castelul inalt, Ubik.

10 + 10 + 30 + 5 + 5 = 60ron.

Polirom #1:

– Georges Simenon • Maigret se insala, Spinzuratul de la Saint-Pholien, Cazul Louise Laboine, Maigret si mortul, Maigret si ucigasul, Domnul Gallet a decedat, Prietena doamnei Maigret, Nebunul din Bergerac;
– Bret Easton Ellis • Lunar Park;
– Graham Greene • Comediantii;
– Hari Kunzru • Virusul.

40 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 posta = 60ron.

Polirom #2:

– Christopher Moore • O treaba murdara;
– James Ellroy • Marele niciunde;
– Philip Kerr • Berlin Noir I: Toporasi de martie, Berlin Noir II: Criminalul din umbra;
– Steven Hall • Amintirile rechinului;
– Thomas Pynchon • V.

10 + 10 + 20 + 10 + 10 = 60ron.

Polirom #3:

– Georges Simenon • Maigret si omul dublu, Maigret si prietenul din copilarie, Memoriile lui Maigret, Cine a ucis-o pe Cecile?, Raspintia mortii, Maigret si gangsterii, Maigret in Arizona;
– James Ellroy • L.A. Confidential;
– Jonathan Franzen • Al 27-lea Oras.

35 + 10 + 10 + 5 posta = 60ron.

Tritonic #1:

– China Mieville • Cicatricea, Consiliul de Fier;
– Richard K. Morgan • Carbon modificat;
– Camille de Angelis • Mary renascuta;
– Jeff Vandermeer • Veniss Underground;
– Ken Macleod • Vinatorii de fulgere;
– M. John Harrison • Viriconium.

20 + 10 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 50.

Okazii:

– KJ Bishop • Orasul Gravat;
– Neil Gaiman • American Gods, Nicaieri.

10 + 20 + 20 + 5 posta = 55.

Okazii:

– Phillip K. Dick • Cele trei stigmate ale lui Palmer Eldritch;
– Greg Egan • Carantina (SH);
– K. Stanley Robinson • Marte Rosu (SH);
– Ursula K. Le Guin • Mana stanga a intunericului (SH).

10 + 3 + 4 + 3 = 20ron.

BookDepository:

– Peter F Hamilton • Pandora’s Star, Judas Unchained;
– Stephen King • The Talisman, Black House.

30 + 27 + 24 + 24 = 105ron.

Hodder:

– Stephen King • Cell, Misery, The Shining. 50ron.

PravaliaCuCarti:

– Chuck Palahniuk • Bantuitii;
– Paul Aster • Nebunii in Brooklyn;
– Serge Brussolo • Haita, Krucifix;
– Phillip K. Dick • Furnica Electrica.

10 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 40.

606ron, 63 carti. Pozele curand. Aparent am terminat cumparaturile pentru intreg anul. Sunt constient de faptul ca asta intra in contradictie cu dorinta mea de-a avea un Kindle, dar in ultima luna mi-am amintit motivele pentru care nu poti renunta complet la carti: ieftine, flexibile (majoritatea sunt mass market paperback si pot sa iau trei cu mine oricand fara macar sa stiu ca le am intr-un buzunar sau altul, pe cand cu monitorul e-ink… o miscare gresita si s-a dus), pot fi date la schimb sau vandute (o buna parte din tot ce-am luat anul trecut am dat la schimb pentru alte carti de citit, iar din ce am vandut am luat alte carti) pe cand ce iei pe-un e-reader ramane vesnic blocat acolo, pot fi imprumutate (oriunde, oricand, fara fite • din cele sus mentionate deja a luat mama una sa citeasca si doua o amica) si e si mai usor la lecturile gargantuane • ma sperie numai gandul de-a vedea numarul de pagini la ceva de Peter F. Hamilton (pentru amatori • e-reader-ele dubleaza sau chiar tripleaza numarul de pagini al unei opere din cauza ecranului modest). Desigur, am uitat un element crucial, oricat de superficial ar fi • bucuria despachetarii unui colet tocmai ridicat de la posta. Nu e absolut nimic in lume ca asta.

Camille de Angelis • Mary renascuta
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