Books On My Mind... the painting

I love seeing book-related art on Facebook and collecting postcards with book-art on them too.  And bookmarks can be just beautiful as well, can't they?  But, then, you get a wonderful idea about how to put across your own feelings about books and you jump feet first into the deep end just to express yourself.  This is what I've done in this painting I've been working on lately titled 'Books On My Mind'... and believe me, there's a lot of books there to look at!

I started out with books flying through the air, then painted over it and came up writing the titles into lochs of my red hair on the canvas.  Here, have a look and let me know what you think! 

First attempt: Flying Books 

Second attempt: progress

Finished Product! 



Well, I hope you enjoyed the photos of my work about books.  I know this might belong in an art blog, and it does, but really when it's about books I think it also belongs here too.  Until my next post, happy reading.

PS:  And my tennis elbow is getting better... little by little - still hurts a lot, but not as much as it did when I first had it.

Advertising Reading...

I just saw these on Facebook.  Would you love to have these adverts grace your television screens or even be on a billboard in your city or maybe in a magazine or in a newspaper?  They're fun and colourful, and I think they're great!

Book Advertising 

Until my next post, happy reading!

July Book Buys!

This month, I've had access to a car.  However, I haven't been out driving to shopping centres as much as I thought I would be.  This is because Garden City brought in paid parking this month where you could park there for the first 3 hours for free, and then had to pay after that... and this sucks if you wish to spend the day there and want to take your car instead of waiting for a bus; or if a bus doesn't go around your way.
Anyway, I stuck around my own area and found cool books to purchase during this month at great prices; and I didn't have to pay for parking.  Very cool!  The first book I bought was 'How to Survive the Titanic or The Sinking of J Bruce Ismay' by Frances Wilson.  This book is about the man who designed the ill-fated ocean liner and what happened to him; as he didn't go down with the Titanic.  Instead he jumped into a life boat with the women and children and survived.  I thought it would make a good read about what happened to him. I purchased this hardcover edition on 19/7/2013 for $8.00... not a bad price.

Then my second purchase was found at my craft group this past Monday (29/7/2013) where some books were laid out on the table to be sold.  So, not being one to pass up this chance, I thought it would be good to have a look at what was there and found 'Coldheart Canyon: A Hollywood Ghost Story' by Clive Barker.  I paid $2.00 for it and it's a whopper of a book at 606 pages and about an aspiring actor from Ohio who heads off to Hollywood to make his mark in the movies, but he gets used up quickly.  So, he thinks that getting plastic surgery would fix is problems; but when it all goes wrong very quickly, he runs away to Coldheart Canyon, he learns there's people there who teach him about the bitter life that comes after fame and the loss of fortune.  It looks like a good read.  

So, what have you found recently?  Leave a comment and let us know.  Until my next post, take happy reading!

Saying What You Mean

Today, I was perusing Facebook and came across a link one of my friends put up in a chat box while he talked to me.  He thought I'd like it; and I do!  Tell me what you think of it.

10 Words That You've Probably Been Misusing 

It's amazing what you think you've been saying is correct, when in fact it's not quite true.  And before I read the list, I thought I was right in saying some of the words listed there... but I do stand corrected. Until my next post, happy reading.

Places to Read

With my arm not working fully, and having to rest up until the tendon is properly fixed up on its own, I have found there's plenty of time to read more books I have been meaning to get my nose into.  And our Winter days here in Brisbane have fined up a little to do just that. 
And so, I've taken to sitting outside in the afternoons with my cordless and mobile phones next to me while sitting on the cushion reading a book.  I've also been to my optometrist to find out why I've backed off on my reading; and he told me that it's been 4 years since my last eye test!  Wow... too long, I thought it was around 2 years.  He told me that my eyes have been getting tired and I've been getting headaches because my eyes have changed just enough to get new glasses.  So, I spent a good half hour there the other day choosing new frames for two pairs of glasses (and I'll show you what they look like once they arrive there).  I can't wait! 

I'm also working on a new painting about books.  It's a partial portrait of myself with my hair taking up most of the canvas and as many books as I can remember that I have read over the last 20 years written into the lochs of it in purple paint.  So far, it's looking good, and I have over 30 books crowded into the hair... but I'm hoping to get more into it so it goes with the waves of the lochs and will be titling it:  'Books On My Mind'.  I'll upload a picture of it when it's finished.  Well, what have you been reading - and where do you love to read the most? I love reading in the sun in the middle of Winter and in bed late at night before turning out the light.  Until my next post, happy reading!

Climbing Mt TBR

I've made my supply run, gone through my list of what's needed in my pack, and am dressed to climb with my spiked boots, harnesses, clips and an oxygen tank or two to climb Mt To Be Read!  It's next to my office door and I'm in the position to read it right now.
You see, I scored myself Tennis Elbow; and I'm not sure how I got that, but I did.  So, once the doctor told me I had it, she ordered me to not do anything strenuous or lift anything heavy for the next month or so... bummer!  And I was just getting into working on my front little garden too.  So, I inspected how big that mountain was by my office door and knew it was Fate... it was time!... to begin reading each book I had carefully chosen to read and placed there. 

I began reading 'Kiss of Steel' last night and got up to chapter 2 and didn't want to put it down - but it was past midnight and so had to.  I had grabbed 4 other books to get my nose into from Mt To Be Read to get into and through - all of them I had won from The Romance Bandits - and so I've found, been forced to find, the time to sit down and stop long enough to read them.  Until my next post, happy reading!

Office Photos Time!

In my original post, I didn't show you guys any photos of what the office looked like from beginning to end.  So, here they are:

The Beginning 

The Beginning1 

The Beginning2 

A bigger mess to clean up 

Such a difference! 

Available books for Bookcrossing 

So, there you go, from beginning to end... and it's all done.  The rubbish has been thrown out, and the charity stuff has been given away.  I'm so pleased with the result, it's amazing what a big clean up does. Until my next post, happy reading!

Not In A Slump! Yay!

I've figured out why I'm not reading as much as I want to... and believe me, I do want to!  It's my glasses.  Yep, I haven't had my eyes looked at for around 2 1/2 years and really do need to get them checked up.  

So, besides the one e-book I've read 'Finding Pride' by Jill Sanders and 'The Wastelands' by Stephen King that I'm working my way through, I have been trying to read other books as well lately but failing because my eyes are becoming tired faster than they used to; and I can't read as fast as I used because of my glasses.  Don't you love it when it's your eyes and not a focusing problem that's been the fault all along?  

Yeah, me too. 

Well, until my next post, happy reading.

A Bit of a Slump

I haven't been posting here about books or book reviews as much as I normally do.  Yep, I'm in a slump; both in writing and reading.  I'm trying to read books, but my focus has been off and it's because I've been unwell for the last 3 weeks. 

However, I'm getting better as time goes by and I'll be back in the good ol' reading chair again soon, ploughing through the books and talking up a storm about authors, books and publishing before you know it.  

I'm really sorry if what I've been putting up here is a little boring and not as exciting as it usually is... but I'm looking at getting more fun stuff here over the next week or so.  Until my next post, happy reading.

'Finding Pride' by Jill Sanders

Megan is in Pride to attend her brother's funeral.  Matt had been trying to get her to this lovely little town for years, but she wouldn't come to see him, for reasons of her own; which she kept hidden from him.  But now she's here she with her arm in a cast and covered in bruises, she feels horrible she had kept her own secrets from him.
But the people of Pride have welcomed her with open arms and helped her whenever she needed it.  She quickly became fast friends with Lacey Jordan and her brother Iian; and she totally fell for Todd, their older brother, who she just can't seem to stop thinking about!  But is it too soon after her dreadful divorce in Boston?  
And speaking of which, the trial to put her ex-husband away has yet to come around.  The stress of it has put Megan on edge.  However, her lawyer has ensured her that he's not going to bother again; but really, how secure are their prisons?  And will he get out?  With the arrangements of her new life in Pride, with a new business her brother, Matt, left for her to pick up and her new love interest in Todd (who scares her as well as excites her at the same time), will her new life turn out just as it's supposed to?

I downloaded this book when I was at Brighton recovering from my surgery at Greenslopes Private Hospital.  I didn't want to read anything too heavy; and a light romance seemed just the ticket.  However, as I got into this book - which has a great storyline - I found Jill Sanders had a fair bit of proof-reading to go on it.  There were some major grammatical and spelling errors all the way through the book (dessert - not desert - is for after dinner).  Some words were mixed up and in place of others making otherwise great sentences sound dreadful and off; and they weren't small errors either with these sentences - like leaving 'the' or 'a' out.  Some words were added in when they should have been removed.  Italics undone where it should have been left in as well (which is probably not her fault).  But like I said, the storyline was fantastic... however the love and sex scenes were a bit lost on me and could have done with a bit more description as they weren't as hot as I thought they'd be.  Yeah, Todd was gorgeous, but I couldn't feel the sex or heat between the characters.  It's the first of a trilogy... and it was free off iTunes.  Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be getting the others as they cost money (and I don't have anything in my iTunes account).  Until my next post, happy reading.

Office Clean-out Time

It's the middle of Winter here and the perfect time to get in and clean out my house; because it's not too hot and not too cold.  So, I've grabbed some rubbish bags and got in to work on the office over the last 2 days.

And boy, do I have a lot of rubbish in this room!

So far, I have tossed out 3 bags of rubbish and 1 bag of charity items.  My wheelie bin is almost filled up!  I'm so happy I've thrown out so much, and I have found so many things and books!  Wow, have I found books.

I didn't realise I had so many books hiding around the place.  I have around 5 bags of books I can't shelve, honestly, there's no place for them - and I have tried looking for a place for them all.  So, I have them sitting around and I'll find a place for them eventually, but it just seems that I'll have to squeeze them in at some point - I don't know when.

So, are you doing out your office or library?  If so, how are you doing at it?  Until my next post, happy reading.

You've Got Mail

I've got some books on authors' letters where they've sent letters to everyone and anyone - even their wives.  These books aren't the most interesting reads, but they show how the author thinks, feels and goes about their everyday life.

Yesterday, I started cleaning out my house again.  This time, it's going to work better as I have access to a car here at my house that I'm going to drive to a charity to drop off things I don't want.  
Anyway, I found old birthday cards from when I was young and a set of old love letters from my first boyfriend.  I read the letters and am amazed at how hard we tried to stay together even though we were so far apart - an 8 hour car drive from Brisbane.  And no, the relationship didn't work out.
I won't tell you who hurt who, we're still friends all these years later.  Dan and I talk on Facebook and he's still got my love letters locked away in his room at the family home where nobody can get at them.  The funny thing is that we still laugh about silly things and he and I talk about everything and anything again... it's as though we're beginning over again but we're not strangers.  The letters have bridged that gap and so has our past relationship.
Even though we don't write letters - traditional letters - to each other anymore, I'm happy to know he wants to talk to me despite the distance.

In your life, have you had something like this happen, where you've got letters from friends and yet you still keep in touch with them?  Whether they're your old boyfriend or another friend from across the miles, are you still friends or have you lost touch with them over time?  Until my next post, happy reading.

Reading Rules

Reading rules alright!  Sure it does!  I love it... but there's rules I also stand by with books and how I read them.  I mean, there's a certain way you have to treat a book so the next owner after you can get as much enjoyment out of that same book as you did... and so I follow a good set of rules which I haven't changed in around 20 years.

1.  Never dog-ear or fold a page in half in books.  My Grandpa used to tell me it kills books when I was little and that scared me enough to use a bookmark.  I cringe when I see somebody I don't know turn a corner... that's how much I hate dog-earing.

2. Spine-cracking is only for humans.  Cracking a spine of a book is a big no-no for me; leave that for a chiropractor to take care of.  Besides, I don't like to find a book with half its pages falling out because the glue has been cracked from its spine.

3.  Eating around a book is against the rules.  I don't eat around a book.  Being a bit of a clutz, I make it a rule that I don't because I might spill something on it.  So, it's a good idea not to either.  

4.  Writing or highlighting words, lines or paragraphs.  I don't care if you're using the book for your senior year in school, don't do this.  If you want to make a point, take note of the page number, paragraph number and write it out by hand, dammit!  I don't want to have your old high school notes cramming up the margins either.  I wouldn't do it to your new second-hand copy of 'My Place' by Sally Morgan, so don't do it to mine.

5.  Dust covers are used for a reason.  They protect the book... so while you're reading it, take the cover off and put it to one side.  Once you've finished reading it, put it back on and it'll still look great, new and pristine.  I do.

6.  Reading more than one book at a time... yep, I never used to do this, but I do now.  It's good to keep the mind in on more than one book.  I'm currently reading 'The Imaginings' by Paul D. Dail, 'The Wastelands' by Stephen King and 'Finding Pride' by a romance writer I don't remember the name of which I downloaded off itunes while I was recovering at Brighton.  Yep, three totally different types and styles of writing, and I'm reading them all now.  Weird, huh?

So, what are your rules you stick by?  Are they ones you've had for yonks? Or they new ones you've learned recently?  Do tell... loved to know your sworn-by rules.  Until my next post, happy reading! 

Travel Reads

I was at the airport yesterday seeing off my parents on an overseas trip.  They're going to be away for 4 months enjoying themselves and having fun!  While Dad was rummaging through his hand-luggage, searching for a pen, I noticed he pulled out a book.  Well, he is going to be on a plane for a long length of time and then, he'd probably read before bed each night - much like he does here.  But once he finishes that book, what will he do with it?  Leave it in the hotel?  Go to a Book Exchange or Second-Hand Book Store for another?  Or will it sit in his bag unfinished and at the exact same place he left it as before?

Now, when I travel, I take a book or two with me - traditional books - and then I'll take a few e-books on my iPod with me too.  The traditional books are for when I'm going to bed, but the e-books are for when I'm out and about and just want to read little snippets when I'm eating at a cafe or waiting for somebody.  
Otherwise, I usually only take about three books with me on holidays, or traveling long distance - and this doesn't include my Dream Dictionary.

So, what do you take on holidays?  Do you take anything on holidays to read?  Or do you totally enjoy your vacation and keep reading for home only?  Would love to hear from you all.  Until my next post, happy reading!