June Book Buys!

I have been good... really! I didn't so much buy any books, but acquired them. Okay, I added to my collection, but I didn't spend any more money.

Alright - I did sin and get some more books, but that's not the point, I bought only one book.

One! That was it! Honestly!

Good, now we got the confession out of the way of how many I bought and ... oh wait, I didn't tell you which ones I bought... here we go.

On 12th, June, I was out and about on a very wet week here in Brisbane.  I should have stayed home, but I didn't.  I wanted to get a few things done that Mum asked me to do, and so I drove out to a friend's house to drop off my late-Uncle's deed to his house (which this friends lives in). 
Well, he offered up some books to me, and I looked at a huge table covered in books he wanted to get rid of for nothing.  A lot of the topics weren't what I was interested in; but there were some that I am passionate about... so I took five books.
'Albatross Book of Verse: School Edition' edited by Louis Untermyer was one which Frank (our friend) had had since he was at school, and didn't mind letting go of. This book - and many like this book - are usually filled with verse you don't see anywhere else; and I love these books because of this.
'Black Gold & Intrigue: The Story of Mt Morgan' by Cyril Grabs. I don't know much about this one, but it's the story of Mount Morgan.
'Please Explain' by Karl Kruszelnicki is a book about science and about things we wonder about which sometimes we don't know the explanation to... so he's explained them to us in the best way he knows how.
'Crop Circles: Signs, Wonders and Mysteries' by Steve and Karen Alexander.  This title explains itself... and I love these things as they are mostly unexplained and very X-Files. 
'Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Home Improvement'. Now this is something I'd love to have a go at... see if it all works.
The book I bought and would love to see if it works on my stresses is 'Animal Kingdom' by Millie Margotta. It's a complex colouring book for adults with patterns and animals for us to colour in and add patterns to.  It was around $25.00 at Riot Art at Carindale Westfield here in Brisbane. I'll be photocopying some of the pages first to see how it goes... then I'll actually colour in the book.

Well, there you have it, the books I came across and now have in my collection this month.  Which ones did you get in your hot little hands this month?  Did you really wish for them, or were they bought just because they happened to be there and you wanted them on the spur of the moment?  Until my next post happy reading!

Adult Colouring-in Books

Okay... I'm jumping on the band wagon!

This is something I very rarely do, and I'm doing it because I have loved to colour in since I was very young; and have been an artist for so long that painting and colouring go hand-in-hand... 

So, yesterday, while I was out at Carindale Westfield Shopping Centre looking around at Riot Art, I bought 'Animal Kingdom' by Millie Margotta. It wasn't a cheap book but it was worth it... and really I was looking for medium-sized magnets, and they were out of stock - it seems all the stores are.

Well, I bought this book after looking at them all and haven't regretted it.  It's filled with so much and I don't want to just jump in and colour it in - as I'm not one to do that to an expensive book.  I'm going to photocopy some of the pages and colour them in and then after a while, I'll colour the originals in properly with good pencils.

I know that sounds weird, but because I don't have that much money laying around, I feel as though I have something here that needs to be savoured, relished and enjoyed to the very end... and that is just what I'm going to do.  Until my next post, happy reading.

The Book I Have Had The Longest

I read online recently an article about books and how some people think that the old traditional hard covers and paperbacks are going to be a thing of the past... something only antiquated bookstores and hard-core collectors will have lining their walls and living rooms to show off when guests drop - kind of like works of art where nobody goes near them anymore.

However, I don't do that. My books are more than just artwork.  Yes they line the walls of my home office and yes, I do make artwork about them. But I make sure I read the books in my collection. I haven't seen books go in the direction of what people think they're going; in fact, it's the opposite.

People want the tactile feel of a real book.

They want to have that book in their hot little hands, to feel and smell the newness of the lovely new book which hasn't had its spine cracked, pages turned, or words read yet.  And many more people love the odour of the old books; the history of these wonderful tomes of where they've been of how long they've been around, what secrets they hold and whose homes, old bookstores, glory boxes and old back wardrobes they've been in for so many years before being found yet again to be read again - to reveal their beautiful secrets within their worn covers.

However, what I have said in the title is 'the book I have had the longest' ... not my oldest book - no, that's easy to point that out. Not my most out-of-print book/s... that's easier still.  I'm trying to pinpoint the book I've had in my possession the longest.

And you know something? I don't know... It could be 'The Sly Old Cat' by Enid Blyton in a little white hardcover that Mum gave me when I was little about a horrible little cat who tricked a mouse into being its meal (I mean, who writes this stuff?).
It could be 'Dips'n'Doodles' which is about a young girl who gets snow skis for her birthday, but is too scared to go on her first skiing lesson - especially when she finds out that the biggest thing stopping her is herself.
It could any of my 'Debbie' books... oh they're real collector's items.  They've been with me since I was around ten years old; and the illustrator passed away only a few years ago. The books were about the writer's daughter - I found out recently - and she looks just like the little girl in the book! They are lovely stories with a moral in the end.
So, any of those books were my first, and longest-kept books in my collection.  Which book has been with you the longest? Please do tell us by leaving a comment below, we'd love to know.  Until my next post, happy reading.

'Harry Helps Grandpa Remember' Book Launch

Yesterday, I was at the book launch of 'Harry Helps Grandpa Remember' by Karen Tyrrell at the Logan North Library.  

There were families and children there from all backgrounds and fun was had by everyone as it was launched by a pantomime of the story!  The characters were loved by all as they took on the stage at the children's section in the library and the author herself, Karen Tyrrell, read out the book the all the children.

This book does have a serious message though. It carries a message that Grandparents get old, slow-moving - and sometimes - they have memory problems.  These memory problems can become very serious if they don't keep up with their favourite things, like reading, crosswords, Sudoku and socialising with others as well as cooking, gardening and dancing. 

If you'd like a copy of this book, go to Karen Tyrrell's site here and you buy yourself a copy, and you can find her other books there as well. Until my next post, happy reading.

Slowly, But Surely...

Over the last few months or so, I've had a few problems with writing - and reading - books.  It's been annoying the crap out of me to no end, but I can feel the block now loosening and see the tiny, growing light at the end of the tunnel.  That light is called 'Creativity' and my Muse.

Yeah, us writers have Muses and mine has been sulking somewhere and I have finally been able to not think about my work long enough to get in and do some creative work.

Now, I'm not writing, but I've gotten back into my painting.  Okay, it's not the written word, but it's the visual arts; which is similar, because I do book art, and it's great... I love painting about books and doing works on books.

Well, I've been working on two little paintings of books; and just yesterday, I placed a creepy eye behind some of those painted books, and left it alone for a bit to see how it goes - I hope it works out for me and I'll see how to put a nice eye on the other one.

Now, I'm thinking of going back over some of my flash fiction and working on editing some of my work there... yep, my creative side is coming back from the desert of Writer's Block - but it's a slow process, a really slow process - as I haven't been completely blocked for this long in both ways (reading books and writing them).  Usually, it's one or the other, not both.  Well, until my next post, happy reading.

Book Score!

Yesterday, I was out and about in the rainy day here in Brisbane, and I found myself at Holland Park West at a friend's house.  He's been cleaning out his house - calling out to friends on Facebook to come and get things he doesn't want - and I called him to see if he was home.  Fortunately he was, and I so dropped around to give him something Mum asked me to drop off.

Well, what started out as a general conversation turned into us going into the downstairs basement area looking at his books he no longer needed or wanted.

A lot of them were from his naturopath days when he ran a business at Stones Corner; but being retired now, he finds he no longer needs them. But there were other books there too.  From anatomy to herbs, to gardening and meditation, he had books on pretty much everything!  I picked out a few books to bring home with me that I am extremely happy with!

'Albatross Book of Verse: School Edition'
'Gold: Black Gold The Story of Intrigue - the Story of Mount Morgan' by Cyril Grabs
'Please Explain' by Karl Kruszelnicki
'Crop Circles: Signs, Wonders and Mysteries' by Steve and Karen Alexander
'Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Home Improvement'

Now, there were many more books piled up there under his house, but I only chose those six... which I think is quite good of me; seeing how I really can't control myself around books normally. 

Well, that was my score for the day... what have you been getting your nose into lately? Until my next post, happy reading!

My Reading Chair Is Home!

I'm so excited!

Yes me!  

For one thing I'm reading again... yes... it's a lot of being excited for that first thing.  I'm reading 'The Call of Cthulhu: And Other Weird Stories' by H.P Lovecraft.  What a wordsmith!  Really, he suckered me right in on the first story of this book - when really I normally just dive right in the middle of books which had short stories in them.

The second reason why I'm so excited is because my Reading Chair is finally home!  Yesterday afternoon, Ash Chapman Upholsterers delivered my chair and it's now sitting in my home office looking very sassy and regal.  I love it... but I love it more because I put a lot of care into fixing it up and getting it done up.

Oh!  Photos!  Here's a photo of the sweet chair with a brand new table next to it I scored at Far Pavilion (a place with all kinds a wild and interesting things for the home).  Isn't it a 'come and sit in me' kinda chair?  Isn't it a gorgeous, beautiful chair?  I love it.

Well, there's enough my gushing about my Reading Chair.  Now, it's your turn, show us all your favourite reading chair - now I've shown you mine. Until my next post, happy reading.