February Book Buys?

Yep, I didn't so much as buy books, but get rid of them.

Jeez, that doesn't sound like me, does it? A book collector giving away books? Nope, it really doesn't. But fear not, I didn't just throw them in the direction of the first op-shop I encountered! No, I took them to a book exchange at Browns Plains so I could accumulate points to - yep you guessed it! - buy more books! 

So, there was method in my madness in doing that. 

Otherwise, I have been cleaning out the home office so I can find the floor, the Reading Chair and - hey, look at that - I found the magazine rack! Yeah, It's been a really great thing for me to do. But unlike that last time I cleaned out the books and other bits I did before, it's taking me longer. 

I don't mind. The longer it takes me, the better this room will look. The living room is taking me a long time too; but that's only because there's not that much space there and I have books down there too. 

So, I'm not buying books right now. Okay, people are giving me books, but I'm seriously looking at giving them away after about a week. So, how has your month been? Until my next post, happy reading!

It's Been A Busy Time

Over the last few weeks, I've been busily cleaning out the house - and working on Flash Fiction. I've also been looking at the security of my blogs (if you've been trying to comment and found a few road blocks, I'm sorry about that). 

I've had a stalker online on my Flash Fiction blog. He's a real prick of a person who doesn't give any real criticism, just tells me that I write drivel and shouldn't be writing at all. However, when I've challenged him to get off his duff and write something better, he doesn't. He'd rather dish out the crap than do better than somebody else; or leave them alone. So, upping the security was my best bet. 

This will be permanent. I'm sorry it has to be this way, but to keep him out, those measures are staying. 

Well, that's out of the way (I've been feeling a little guilty about that), I'm hoping to catch you all up on what I've been up to. 

I started another blog (yep, there's more blogs to read!). It's about my journey through my decluttering of my house. I thought that I write about enough on one of my blogs that I ought to make a blog out of it. It's called 'A Work In Progress' and you can find it on my complete profile. There's not much there right now, but it will be getting bigger over the next year or so.

Well over the last month, I haven't been buying books - yay! - that's a good thing! Instead, I've been just writing some flash fiction ideas that have been good and bad (some haven't really taken off but I uploaded them anyway for a laugh). Then, over the last week, my Mum has started doing out her large bookcase and I've scored some books! 

'The MacQuarie Dictionary' This may not seem like a huge deal, but my folks bought this book while I was in high school and it's a real tome! I have always wanted to take off with this book and learn new words - and man have I learned new words from it! I actually used this dictionary while I read 'Lord of the Rings' by JRR Tolkien when I was in my early 20's. There were so many words he used I had no idea of the meaning; but with this book there were three different meanings to the word 'fern'... so that's a positive to having a dictionary over 2 inches thick! I have had to tape it up as it's been used so much.

'The Perfect Journey' by David Dale. I'm not sure where this came from, or what it's about. But Mum and I thought it was weird by the description on the back. Then, we came across a couple of classics: 'I Sing the Body Electric' by Ray Bradbury; which I loaned to Mum and thought she had loaned to somebody else... but when we found it I was amazed and wanted it back! So here it is, back home again. Then we found 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' by Mary Ann Shaffer. Now, I've heard this one is fantastic, but have never read it. So, when I came across it, I thought Mum would love it. But she never got around to reading it; so into the bookcase (aka: tardis) it went, never to be seen again. Then, we found 'The Gun Seller' by Hugh Laurie (yes that one from 'House'). Now, I loaned my Dad this one, but he never read it - he didn't even pop the cover... so much for that. So, I brought it home to read it. I'm a huge fan of Hugh Laurie and hope to see what kind of writer he is. 

So, what have you been up to over the past few weeks. For me, it's been so busy and stinking hot, I'm just taking my time and doing things that make me happy, keep me cool and I'm slowly working on some artwork for myself and an exhibition next month. Otherwise, I'm still looking for a title for my time travel romance book... yeah, still no title for that. Until my next post, happy reading!

May Book Buys???

Yeah, I didn't buy any books this month. 

Well, that's not exactly true. I received books, but I haven't bought any - does that make sense? I hope so. 

I've also begun to read some short stories before I turn out the light at night - so I'm getting back into reading again; after such a long stint of not reading and just writing (as you can read from a few posts below). 

But I'm still collecting and my office is starting to become cluttered with books again. Yes, this does mean I have to start on another lot of looking through the collection and figuring out which ones belong and which ones don't. Sad but true. But if I don't, I'll be the crazy book lady of my unit complex... and well, I don't want that.

Anyway, the author I'm reading is Kurt Vonnegut. He put out a few short story books and I found one at the Logan Art Gallery which they were keeping it for art projects and I rescued it! Yay! Now, I'm reading it. Okay, some idiot ripped out the first page of the first story, so I can't read that, but who cares? I'm reading the rest of them.
And besides, I have other books around the place which have poetry and novellas as well - just to get me back into the reading mode again. And I'm hoping to start saving up for another tattoo... this one is going to be book-related and I'm going to get it done next year sometime. 

Well, it's been a good month for me... I've been good in some aspects, bad in others, I'm reading again and I'm also writing some nice, short'n'sweet flash fictions (my last one was around 500 words long; and we had a word limit of 1,000 words). So, until my next post, happy reading! 

Best Bargains at Craft Group

It's been two months since I attended my local craft group and just yesterday I went to it again for our first meeting. And what a stinking hot day to get outside to go somewhere! We did get some rain with a few grumbles of thunder, but that didn't do anything to cool Brisbane down - our city just got hotter and more humid. And seeing I didn't buy any books in January, I thought to skip the 'In My Shelves' Monthly and just jump straight into what I bought yesterday. 

But I seem to find the best books at my craft group. The ladies there have the best things in their bookcases. I think it's because they taste in reading is decades old and I'm the youngest one there who loves the classics; but I did find some great books on the selling table. 

The first book I spotted was 'Gardens in Perspective' by Jerry Harpur. It's a nice big hardcover book on Australian gardens and how to get them to look just they way you want them to look with the right plants. It's an old-fashioned book - and that's what I love; old-fashioned gardening in my little garden. I got this one from the book trolley for only a dollar; what a bargain!
The next two were fiction books from the show table and I dug around for them. The first one is 'The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie' by Alan Bradley and 'The Moon is Down' by John Steinback. I had to judge how much I wanted to pay for these books. So I paid $1.00 for the first one and only .50c for the Steinback one; as it was a pulp fiction. 

I do love getting great books for even better prices; and it's amazing where you find the best books - in the most unusual places, which normally aren't bookstores. So, where have you found the best books in your life? Which one was the best bargain, where did you find it and was it a huge surprise to find it where you did? Until my next post, happy reading.

On The Mend and Still Writing

Well, it's been two days since I arrived home and I've still got the stitches in my arms and hand. But I'm going well. I'm still writing and reading and doing all the usual stuff I'd do as a writer, but my right hand is getting crabby faster due to the overuse of it; and the stitches not being used to being used.

I didn't get to 50,000 words on my NaNoWriMo this past month, but that doesn't matter. I got up to around the 10,000 word mark, and that means I won in my own way - I was writing with one hand and I got in and did my best this year... and that's all that matters, right?

I read 'Revival' by Stephen King... and that was a wonderful thing to get done. Now, I'm able to get in and read something else over Christmas too. If you'd like to know how that book turned out, just read the review below and then race out and buy the book! You'll love its absolutely creepy ending... I did, kinda, sorta... *shudders at the thought of it*... well, you know how it is with SK.

Now, I've got my nose into 'Star Wars Aftermath' by Chuck Wendig... a great writer I've become interested in for a few years now. I've been writing on his blog - well, through his blog - 'Terrible Minds' with my Flash Fiction for 2 years now and have become a regular on there. I either creep people right out or make them cry and laugh... either way, I'm getting really good at writing Flash Fiction; and I'm hoping to publish the work over the next few years.

Speaking of writing, I got an idea while I was down the coast. It's hard to explain it. I bought a book of blank paper and what I'm going to do is do one page of writing per day in long-hand. When the end of the year comes due, I'll have a book written. It will be either a success of what I've written or a book of writing that isn't good at all. I'll see how I go.

And because I forgot to write about the November Book Buys, here it is now... I scored some lovely books over the past month. They were great. Early in the month, I bought 'House on the Hill' by Estelle Pinney - a great friend of mine who I used to sing with in the Southern Cross Singers when I was a member of a choir - for a few dollars. This book was almost brand new and I sent it to France at a Christmas present for an ornament exchange... just to cheer up my exchange buddy; who lives near the boarder of Italy. I also got 'Full House' by Maeve Binchy too - it's not a thick book, unlike her others - but it's a nice little book to read over the holiday period. And then, I scored 'Such a Long Journey' by Rohinton Minstry also at my Craft Group. All three books were bought on 2nd, November... not a bad score if you ask me.
Then, at Craft Group again, I found three more books which were great. There was 'Fools Rush In' - Book One by Janice Thompson and 'Swinging on a Star' - Book Two by Janice Thompson. Then, there was 'Facing the Light' by Adele Geras. The first two books (which were the first of a series) were of Wedding Books... so I thought to give them a try; seeing I don't read many women's fictions. Anyway, that's all there is for last month's book buys. Until my next post, happy reading!

October Book Buys!

This month I've been pretty good - honestly, I have! I know, I know that list on the sidebar is making me look like a hoarder, but really, I haven't bought that many books.

Okay, I'll tell you all how it all went down that many books ended up in my collection. The first two at the bottom, 'Human Instinct' by Robert Winston and 'Introducing Quantum Theory' by J.P McEvoy and Oscar Zarate were both given to me by my Birthday Buddy on Bookcrossing. Very cool, don't you think? Yep, me too.

The next huge number of around 15 or so, were from my brother's house. His girlfriend and himself are organising a garage sale and they gave me first pickings at the books... how could I say no? There were so many I loved and knocked back because I already have some along the same lines of them.

Then, in the last week, I found 'Cloud Atlas' by David Mitchell and 'Star Wars Aftermath' by Chuck Wendig. Both books are something I haven't read and both books are books I want to read badly.

This also brings my book collection to over 2,000 books... very cool, right? yeah? Well, I think so. Anyway, I hope you're having a wonderful Halloween, happy reading!

September Book Buys!

This month, I didn't so much as buy books, but I had books given to me by friends and family.

How very cool is that?

I also did a huge count of my book collection and came up the number: 1,271... which has increased by 25 books since the count... so I'm on my way to having around 2,000 books in my possession in my little office.

However, the books I bought aren't that many, and the books I received are big. I bought only one book from my Craft Group for $1.00 and was given the rest of the books by two of my writing friends - Debbie and Shaun Behan - who are making a sea change up north; and they asked if I wanted their books. I said yes and drove to their place after I finished my volunteer work.

I've listed the books on the sidebar and in the blog post below for you all to see them... I have given the Stephanie Myers ones away - as I'm not a big fan of hers - but there are some big names in the list. From Christopher Pike to Tad Williams to J.R. Ward, the authors I've added to my collection are popular and ones who I've wanted to read for some time over the years.

And now I own quite the collection of their works to just sit and enjoy... and isn't that how it's supposed to be?  Of course it is.

Well, how was your month? Did you accumulate books like I did or did you buy them out of your own spending money? Either way, collecting and enjoying the written word is just the most wonderful thing, isn't it? Until my next post, happy reading.

August Book Buys!

I was good this month... really I was!

However, I do enjoy a good bargain, and this month was filled with them; and I have been good enough to not buy books throughout the month, and so not blow my entire budget on something I don't need. But I do enjoy trying to find a place for them in my ever-growing collection (which I will have to sit down and count one of these days!).

On 3rd, August, I was at my Queen Beez Craft Group when I spotted and bought 'The Alphabet Sisters' and 'Family Baggage' by Monica McInerney and 'A Mother's Wish' by Debbie Macomber. I pitched in $2.00 each for those three and brought them home.

Then, on 9th, August, I was at The Crew's monthly meeting and I purchased 'Immortal Espionage' by Debbie Behan - a friend of mine - for $20. I've begun reading this one, but have been busy so it's sitting next to my Reading chair waiting for me to complete it.

So, that's been my month of book buying... not much in the way of spending up big. But I am on the look out for a Wilbur Smith book printed after 2004 with a redhead in the plot. Don't ask me why, I just like redheaded characters and wish to know how other writers use them in their books.  Until my next post, happy reading.

July Book Buys!

This month has been diverse and fun in the way of book purchases; in the way that I bought books I really want to read instead of ones that I might read at some point in the future.

Yes, I'm one of those book collectors.

Well, the first book I bought was at my craft group and it was 'A Prisoner of Birth' by Jeffrey Archer. Now the blurb on the back of this book sounded great and so I grabbed this book for this reason; not because I'm a huge fan (which I'm not). And I've been past his house while I was holidaying in the UK.... and what a house he owned at that time! Well, before he had to sell it to pay for legal fees.

The second book was received through the mail - 'Coffee House Lies' by Carly Berg. It was a Bookcrossing bookray I have taken part in of flash fiction... now when it comes to short fiction, I really savour it and take my time reading it. I love to enjoy these books. So, I'm one of those who will probably take about a month to read something that will take about two weeks to read for somebody else. And being an author of flash fiction - creepy flash fiction - I find this book of light work refreshing.

I got my third book, 'Immortal Espionage' by Debbie Behan off the author herself for $20 at my writer's group. I'm up to page 50 and am savouring this book totally. I've proofread a bit of this book, so have been able to know how some of it goes; however, up until around the part of where I'm up to is all I got up to... after this, I'm on my own.

There's one Stephen King book I didn't own until around two weeks ago. 'Lisey's Story' was the book; and I had heard mixed reviews about it... really mixed reviews. So, when I found this book in a box at my craft group, in amongst a collection of Stephen King books I had already read and collected), I just had to have it. So, I scratched together $2.00 and bought it. Now, it's sitting on my shelf - along with 5 other Stephen King books - waiting for me to open its pages, waiting for me to read it.

So, there you go... my book buys this month!  How did you go this month? Did you buy books just for the sake of buying them or did you buy books you have been hankering for for years? Until my next post, happy reading.

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!

May Book Buys!

I've been good this month with only three purchases over the whole month - and one of them was online - so that was very good.

The first book I purchased, I've had my eye on for a long time, 'Kick-Ass Writer: 1001 Ways To Write Great Fiction, Get Published & Earn Your Audience' by Chuck Wendig. Now I've had my eye on this book for over six months and really wanted it... so I thought to search it out on Amazon; but they wouldn't send it to me because I was outside America.  Bummer!  So, I looked at other sites which did on Amazon and found CherryBooks.  They were in California - which meant it wouldn't take long to get here and the postage would be cheaper for me.  Within the week, I received my second-hand copy of Chuck's book and was reading it.

Then, I went for weeks without buying any books - honestly I did!  I looked through K-Mart where new books came out and walked through second-hand stores filled to the brim with books, but I just wasn't interested in any of them.

But I was out and about yesterday and drove to the Really Good Book Shop at Browns Plains and scored myself 'Labyrinth' by Kate Mosse and 'The Call of Cthulthu - and other stories' by H.P Lovecraft.  Two great books by two great authors. 

I've been meaning to get my nose into a Lovecraftian novel and pull myself out of this problematic slump I'm in, I think this book will do it.  

So, what have you been getting into?  Have you guys and gals bought anything this month newsworthy? Until my next post, happy reading!

Free Books! April Book Buys?

Okay... in the last month, I didn't spend a single penny on books, and yet I came across some to add to my collection.

Isn't it fun when you get freebies and you don't have any less money in the pocket?

Sure it is!

Well, I came across all three of my books on the same day - 11th, April - so this will make this post a lot easier than any other month.

The first one I picked up was 'Faylina' by D.L. Redshaw.  This is a children's book and I read it that night before turning out the light.  What a sweet, charming little book!  I do recommend it to anyone who has children who love fairies (and what little girl doesn't?).
The other two were picked up at the Logan Art Gallery - of all places - while I was doing a workshop there.  They were the unwanted books at one of the Logan City Libraries which were given to the gallery to destroy in the name of art.  These were 'Bagombo Snuff Box' by Kurt Vonnegut and 'The Cold One' by Christopher Pike.  I've heard of the Vonnegut book, and know it's really expensive to purchase; so this only saved me money to have it given to me by the gallery.  And the other?  Well, I've seen it on the inside pages of his books, but never came across it.  So, to find it in hardcover in a toss-out pile at an art gallery - and to be destroyed as well - was just my good fortune!

So, there you have it, my three books which didn't cost me a single penny to buy.  'Faylina' was given to me by the author herself, and I've added it to my 'I Have Read' Pile here in my office.  And the others?  Well, I'm trying to find a place for them here... um.. somewhere in this small office.  Until my next post, happy reading!

March Book Buys!

This month has been a big splurge on buying books; and mainly it was from nerves.  So, I bought them because I was nervous and stressed out.

Yep, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

At the beginning of the month, I went out and bought three books for $16 at Lucky Charms Newsagents at Springwood: 'The Copper Beech' and 'This Year It Will Be Different' by Maeve Binchy and 'Wicked Business' by Janet Evanovich. Those three were bought on 13th, March - the day before the World's Greatest Shave.  Yep, I was nervous alright!

After the big shave, I didn't do any book-buying at all.  I was kind of relieved it was over and done with.  I jumped in and got ready for a market at Murarrie; and with all the heat and storms around, my hair was so easy to look after and dry, I was happy to have the length of it so short.

Then, yesterday, I found a really lovely cookbook.  I love collecting cookbooks, they can show you so much to do in your kitchen; making to see what you're missing out on - you know, the forest for the tree bit.  Well, I found 'Fresh & Easy' by Marie Claire sitting on the table for just a $1.00.  This book was brand new and I saw so many vegetarian recipes and other great ideas in it I could adjust, that I knew I wanted it immediately.  So, I found a dollar in my purse and grabbed it.  
Well, that was my book-buying for this month.  I've been reading a few bits and pieces, but otherwise I'm too tired lately to read, and have been just turning out the light and going straight to sleep.  Until my next post, happy reading.

November Book Buys!

Over the last month, I've been pretty good... honestly I have!  

Okay, I bought three books.  That's not bad really, is it?  Nah, didn't think so.  It could have been worse - like my wish list for next year, where I went through 'Good Reading' Magazine and put a dot of biro next to each book I wanted (how naughty of me to want those nice new expensive books, eh?).  Yeah, I love dreaming about having books and yet I have so many on my shelves that need to be read already!  Hahaa... only kidding... it's okay to have books and yet have a lot of them you love still waiting to be read.

But yeah, I book about 3 books... and I'm okay with that because they all only cost me around $1.00 each.  There was 'Tomorrow When The War Began' by John Marsden, 'The Writers HARBRACE Handbook' (this is from a course in writing, so there's only a publisher and no writer really) and 'The Writing Class' by Jincy Willet.  

Now, I've heard of the last one and it's had some great funny reviews, and so when I saw it on the shelves of the Super Life Line Store at Logan Central, I knew I just had to have it.  Anyway, I'm hoping to read it over the holiday/Christmas period while I'm down the coast.  Well there you go... the three books I've added to the collection.  However, I'm getting rid of around 5 others through a bookbaggy on Bookcrossing; so really they just cancel each other out, don't they?  Until my next post, happy reading.

October Book Buys?

Buying books haven't really been a big thing this month... but winning them has.  

Yep, I've been winning books left and right!  This is always fun, don't you think?

Sure it is.

Well, I won a copy of 'The Watcher' by Jo Robertson through Audible and have been listening to that - I'm currently up to chapter 22.  It's fantastic!  I'm totally hooked! 
Then, out of the blue, I won a copy of 'The Black Box' by Michael Connelly.  Now, I didn't know I had won a copy of this - just knew I had won one of his books - and so I found a second-hand over-sized copy of it at my craft group... and what should show up in my PO Box?  Yep, the same book.  So, I gave the bigger copy to my Dad and kept the brand new book for myself.

Then, I scored 'Tomorrow, When the War Began' at my craft group for around $1.00.  It's the first book in the 'Tommorrow' series - something I didn't know - and so I might see how this one turns out.  If I don't like it, off to the charities it goes.

In writing news, I have finally finished 'Fry Nelson: Bounty Hunter - Book 3'.  I wrote the ending of it at around 12:09am on a Tuesday morning mid-October... and damn it feels good to have finished it!  Now, I have to get it all looked at, edited and worked on to get published.  There's another three years of my life to go.
'Angel Love' is going well.  It's becoming more complex as each chapter passes by.  The bad guys are bad-ass... the good guys have dug themselves into a hole they have no idea how to dig themselves out of and everyone else in between are - as always - caught right there in the middle of the whole thing:  good, evil and otherwise.

So, what have you been up to lately with book-buying?  I have something to write for the end of the year, and into Christmas, and there's always something new for next year to read - as you all know about my huge collection of books is ever-growing.  Until my next post, happy reading!

Book Purchases....Um... Not This Month....

Yep, you read right.  I haven't bought a book this month... I'd love to say I did, but really, I'm trying to read through my collection, so I've kept my book-buying habits to a minimum.

Yes, I'm saving money... mainly for the rego on my car.  I know that sounds so responsible, so adult... so... so... wow... conforming of me.  But really, I love my car and don't wish to lose the use of it.  So, there's where most of my money is going:  into an account to save up for rego and insurance. 

Anyway, I'm also writing, so there's time going into that.  I've spend the last hour and half researching local, historical cemeteries... yeah... creepy, right?  But in one of my books, a big battle goes down in a cemetery, so I needed a pioneering cemetery away from the public, away from the city, and located near the country.  And you know?  I found one in my local area.  Seeing my book is based in a real place with fictional characters, I thought to use real places right to the end, to give it the punch it needs for my readers to keep going with it.

I hope it works.

Otherwise, I'm preparing my Crafty Pegs stall and products for 18th, October.  I still want to buy a few more things before my stall is completely finished, otherwise, I'm hoping to wait until next year to have that special something for it to be totally finished and I can just sit back and work on what I want it to be - perfect.  Otherwise, I'm going to splurge on a medium sized esky/cooler for the markets so I can have food, lunch and milk with me that won't go warm during the days I'm working in Summer.  I do work on things at the markets though... I get an idea in a lull during the day, I work on a book, read a little and write a little, but not for long!  Before long, I have a customer arrive and I'm there serving them.  Well, until I can get back to my book - which is... well, the next time I can sit down again.  

Yep, I'm writing more and reading from my collection more too.  That is a change.  Until my next post, happy reading!

August Book Buys!

Last month, I bought a couple of books, but I didn't keep track of when I bought them.  That's strange of me, but then, I have been very busy with new work and new stock with my hobby business.  And I've also been away from the house at my brother's house too.

So, here are the two books I purchased while I was all around the place:

There was 'Robin Williams' by Andy Dougan.  This is a biography written about this great man in 1998.  I bought it for $10.00 at The Really Good Book Shop at Browns Plains soon after Robin's passing.  I wanted to read about him.  And seeing I have only one movie about the man, I'm going to build a collection of his movies too.

Then, there was a hot and heavy romance book 'Blush' by Opal Carew.  I haven't read this author before, but from the reviews, the stories are wonderfully, well, hot!  With a hot pink cover of two people intertwined with each other, I'm sure I'm in for a real treat!  

Well, that's all there was in the month of August for book-buying.  How was your month in this way?  Until my next post, happy reading!

July Book Buys!

It's a hot day here in Brisbane - and so it's a touch of Summer for what's supposed to be the middle of Winter - so I thought it would be apt to let you know what I've bought last month to add to my collection.

I've been pretty good on the book-buying front over July.  Actually I've been too busy to go book-shopping, and so when I found the next 3 books I was surprised I bought them.
There was 'Ten Big Ones', 'Sizzling Sixteen' and 'Explosive Eighteen' all by Janet Evanovich.  This writer has been writing the Bounty Hunter series and it's been such a success that I don't know anyone who hasn't read it and loved it!  So, I've waited until now to get myself some of the books.  Yep, I'm getting my nose into a few book series and beginning to work through them.

I still have Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Series to get finished - only have gotten up to the fourth book - and I'm looking forward to finished the next four.  So, what have you gotten your nose into over the last month?  And what have you splurged and bought lately too?  Until my next post, happy reading!

June Book Buys!

This month, Winter came to Brisbane, and I have been reading and buying all kinds of books around at all kinds of places.

Early in the month, I went to Garden City and found my ultimate hall table for my house.  While I was there, I had a coffee at the Book Cafe and found 'The Widows of Eastwick' by John Updike and 'Killing Willis' by Todd Bridges.  Both these books were $10 each.  What great finds!  I never thought the actor who played Willis from 'Diff'rent Strokes' was still alive, but when I found this book, it seems I've been corrected.

Then on the 16th, June, I picked up two more books at the Queen Beez Craft Group I attend each Monday.  Some of the ladies bring along books they've read, and don't want anymore and they get sold for around $1.00 each.  The money goes back into the kitty for the craft group; not a bad deal really seeing we all bring along bric-a-brak to get rid of.  Anyway, I found 'Amy & Isabelle' by Elizabeth Stroud and 'Getting Even With Fran' by Christine Stinson.  Both of these are women's fiction and I hope to read them over Christmas time or when I get the chance over the big chill of Winter (which we're shivering through right now).  

So, what have you scored over the last month?  Do please let us in on your most recent purchases from anywhere you've found them.  Until my next post, happy reading. 

May Book Buys!

It's been a while coming, I know.  But I've been really busy around my house.  I've been cleaning out the living room and looking for a hall table (better known as a sofa table - why do they change the way we say things?  So confusing!). 

Well, anyway, here are some of the books I bought last month.... better late than never, right?

First off, I went well.  I didn't buy any; well right up until I took Mum to The Really Good Book Shop at Browns Plains... and you all know how that turned out.  She loves the place.  And I scored a copy of 'The Slaughterhouse 5' by Kurt Vonnegut out of the visit; on her as I didn't have the cash.

Then I visited another time on my own to look around for gardening books; as I had inherited a terrarium.  Okay, for all of you who don't know what that is, I've done mine up and it's this picture here.  Isn't is lovely?  Yeah, I think so too.  Well, I went in search for a book only on these things; and failed.  However, I found a book on indoor gardening and gardening from the 1970's and they had 3 pages on terrariums.  So, there you go!  It was titled 'Reader's Digest Complete Book of the Garden'... well, they'd know everything there is about anything to do with what we need, right?  Yep, I thought so too.  I bought it with some store credit and got going with my research on terrariums.

Then, later on that week, I bought some white pillowcases and thought to do some embroidery on them; but had no idea about how to go about that!  So, off to the bookstore at Browns Plains I went again!  I found so many books about that particular subject; but I wanted one on beginners stuff, and I found one!  'Decorative Home Embroidery' was just the one I was looking for with basic stitches, telling what I'd need and how to get the designs I'd need in it.  How cool!  Now I can stitch just about anything onto anything.  Well, that's all I had bought for May.  I wonder what I'll be doing for June?  Who knows?  Until my next post, happy reading!