Sunday, April 22, 2012

The Written Word

     It's a grey, rainy, COLD Sunday morning. Actually it has been that way all weekend, again. Beautiful during the week while I'm at work, crappy and rainy on the weekend. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. Kind of amazing how the weather can affect your mood. I just don't feel like doing anything.

     It's not even like I'm lacking for inspiration. I got tagged, Listicles about one of my favourite things, books, Coffee Chat  on Tuesday about another fave, what tv show would you spend a month in, Movita's contest still, premiering the new 'do, endless family updates. The posts could practically write themselves.

     Maybe that's the problem, too much going on in this poor head of mine. It can't handle the strain so a time out it is. Time to de-clutter, free up some brain power.
 
     One more thing before I try this Listicles post, comments. It relates, written word and all. Stasha, I love looking at how you see the world through your pictures. I only ever comment on your Listicle posts, not sure why that is but.... Seeing your photography inspires me to try, stress try, to take better pictures myself.

     Jacqui and Jamie, your comment systems hate me. If you ever wonder if I drop by, I do. I just can't always let you know. There are a few others but you two seem to be top of the charts right now.

     Some processing power freed up, let's try that book post.

     I love to read. If you've followed along you already know that. I have hundreds of books, have read thousands. I read everywhere, feel lost if I leave the house without a book, just in case. Narrowing down to 10 is kind of impossible. The most meaningful, helpful, enjoyed? What category, fiction, non, how to, instructional? Oh the choices

1 Swimmy     
I know it's a DVD cover, I couldn't find a picture of the book.

If you're wondering WTF, a kid's book? It's the first book I remember wanting to read. I saw the cover sitting on the bookshelves in the hall that served as the library at Montague Central, my primary school, and it called to me. It began a love affair that has lasted my whole life, reading.

Me in primary school.
Can you find me?
Bonus points if you can find my cousins Sherry, Linda and Shenda

2. That love of reading has translated into full blown word nerd-ism. The how and why of language fascinates me. Needless to say. I have a few books around on the subject.


I also love Scrabble, my cousin and I used to play in three languages. These days I'm more of a Monopoly man but that's another story.

3 I have my books for the kitchen.


4 And for the garden.


I read everywhere. 

5 You will always find a book or two somewhere in/on the never made bed.

Fantasy and Sci Fi are my favourite genres
Two of my latest reads

6 Where I do my deep thinking, and reading. It pays to be prepared.

Yes, first shot of the new 'do.
It's quite a versatile cut.

My taste in books varies depending on my mood.

7 Sometimes I feel a little high brow.
The classics and sporting "the quiff".
All the rage for 2012

See how au courant I am?

8 Sometimes a little "devil may care".

Kicking back with a little Fitzgerald,
or Kafka, O'Neill, Miller, Carroll, Marquez...

9 And after a hard day modelling and primping, well, nothing beats a relaxing soak in the tub. With a good read or two of course. And a beverage. Just to take the edge off.


10 Which brings me to talking about books. A favourite subject.

I recently finished The Hunger Games.
I didn't Love it, I liked it.
Don't get me wrong, I thought it had a good Huxley-esque, Orwellian, Wyndham-ish sort of vibe.
Having previously read The Long Walk and Battle Royale
It was just another take on the subject.
A good one but... not unique.
Sorry.

What happens when two of my favourite authors team up?
The hilarious romp that is Good Omens.
The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter. Witch.
Gaiman and Pratchett are genius.

If you like vampire fiction, this is the best.
No Anne Rice or Twilight here.
Hard to find these days but worth the read.

     Wow, I got to talk about my books, show off the 'do, play with my camera. My head is practically empty. Speaking of which, thank you for the support last week and for not pointing out I was a week early in my gushing about Movita's cake. And now the secret is out. More on all of that this week before the deadline on the 27th.

     This post wouldn't be complete with out a little praise for Minion #1. He suffered through the process and took pictures for me. I had my hands full being the model, art director and editor. But I did spring for sushi so don't feel too bad for him.

     Don't forget to drop by Stasha's and see all the books that made the list this week.




  

42 comments:

  1. A very thorough list (though I'm guessing it's still just the tip of the iceberg. So many books... so little time. Hubby loves Jasper Fforde - one day I'll find the time to read one of his books.

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    1. You have no idea, tip of the iceberg indeed. Jasper Fforde cracks me up. Worth the read. When/if you ever get time.

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  2. LOVE your list/pics. I do my best reading on the toilet...

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    1. Sometimes it's the only place I get a moments peace. LOL

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  3. OMG Love this list, love book - geeks, and that pic of you reading Fitzgerald is priceless!

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    1. I am a bona fide book geek, that's for sure. Looking at the pics I realized I should have shaved.

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  4. Your new do is wonderful. Looks great on the loo. Tom Holt is my all time favorite author. Seeing him on your nightstand made me want to play monopoly with you :)
    Oh and comments and posts, same here my friend. I see so many more posts then I comment too. I read blogs because I like spending time like that. So I do not feel the need to 'check in'. Also there are many post out there that are brilliant but I have nothing useful to report back, You know?

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    1. Thanks Stasha. after reading her Monopoly post I may never be able to play the game again without laughing. Tom Holt is genius.
      I feel the same way about comments but was looking at your pictures, again, and realized I never actually say how much I enjoy them, Glad you understand.

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  5. I love how you did this list. I had a hard time thinking of how to narrow my list to 10, I love to read as well as there are so many good books to talk about. This was creative and very fun to read!

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    1. Thanks Anna. LOL, this was the only way I could figure to cram as many books in as possible in 10 steps.

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  6. Yay for new books to look for! I used to have books every where, and I still do to some extent, but I find I lack the ability to finish books most of the time. I blame it all on the kids.

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    1. I'm always on the hunt for new books. Have got some great recommendations from this listicles. Blame everything on the kids, you know they'll blame everything on you later LOL

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  7. I really like #9, that is my favorite place to read and with 2 little boys just about the only place I can truly expect a little bit of peace and quiet to read!

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    1. I don't do 9 much any more. Very alarming to wake up with one of my books floating in the bath with me. I've ruined a few that way.

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  8. Love the new cut!
    I've been waiting to see it for so long.
    m.

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    1. Good things come to those who wait, right?

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  9. What a fabulous what a wide variety of pics!
    Leo Lionni's Swimmy was one of those books I remember teaching in K, and for the record seemed to be loved by most of the kids too!
    Nice hair!

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    1. Thanks Jackie. I can't believe how much of that book I still remembered after aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall those years.

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  10. It's really hard to believe my comment system could hate you! With the new haircut and all the books and cooking...I have no idea what disqus is even thinking!

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    1. I know? I did the word verification, checked the box to prove I was a human, hell I even had to pinky swear. Nothin'. Then I thought maybe you were trying to send me a secret message, you know like, take a hike, then I realized you'd just say take a hike so I kept trying. Maybe if I send cookie proto types for your new business?

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  11. Love your take on things and your list. The new do is rocking. I have books all over the house too. I try to contain them to my shelf system but it never happens. They are all over.

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    1. Thanks Susi. I try to contain them but they creep out all over the place eventually. I can live with that, sort of.

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  12. If you weren't family and I didn't already big, fluffy pink heart you so much already; this list and the pic of you with one of my all times faves, The Great Gatsby, would surely make me fall in love you. ha ha
    the new do looks great.
    so.....half way through a 12, or 1/4 way through a 2-4? LOL

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    1. At least I don't look quite so much like a homeless guy now. Mom will be happy.
      You know it's 1/4 of the way through a 2-4 ROFL
      I had so much fun running around the house thinking of ways to stage those pics. Who knew balancing a book on your face was so hard, especailly while trying to give Ferd instructions on taking the photos?

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  13. Fun list! I used to keep so many books with me in various places - but now I just take my Kindle :)

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    1. I really do need to get one. I still like the feel of holding a book though. Nothing quite like it.

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  14. "Huxley-esque, Orwellian, Wyndham-ish sort of vibe". Awesome, really. And the pics and the new hair do. Totally fun. Erin

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    1. I suppose I could have said dystopian but then I would have really looked like a word nerd. Besides, I had just finished re reading the Chrysalids so it worked, for me.
      The pics were a blast to set up. Glad you enjoyed them.

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  15. Hey Paul, can I ask one teeny-tiny favor? Would you mind enlarging your pics a little? I would love it!

    And....another thing that should be in your brain is TWITTER!

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    1. Done and done. If you click on the pictures they should pop up and enlarge, then you should be able to see me in all my glory. LOL
      What's that you say? Twitter, sorry my poor brain is getting overloaded again. Can I handle on more platform?

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  16. Tag, you’re it! Somehow, I ended up in a game of tag and I’m now tagging you! Here is the question I asked you; http://triedtestedandtruemommy.wordpress.com/2012/04/23/tagged/

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  17. Great post! I love your new hair and the pics; that must have been one interesting photo shoot! I love books too, and have piles of them lying around the house. I see you mentioned a vampire book; I'm wondering if you read The Passage, and if so, what you thought about it?

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    1. Thank you. Actually the photo shoot caused a bit of a domestic originally. Took a bit for minion #1 to warm up to the idea. I haven't read The Passage but looked it up and now am going to have to give it a read. Thanks for the recommendation.

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  18. I don't know Jane Doe but I thought the Passage was great & really scary in places, and then in others a bit of a Stephen King the Stand ripoff. But good and a nice antidote to that damn edward cullen. Great list, nice hairdo, and I think Fitzgerald might have wanted you to shave. He would've very much approved of the bathtub picture though (if you're soaking in bathtub gin, that is). What I appreciate about this post the most is the way that books are so fully a part of life - they're not segregated off to this part or that part...without books, we got nuthin.

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    1. I was really surprised how much the stuble showed up in the pics. It didn't look quite that heavy IRL
      Bath tub gin, and the bubbles are seltzer water LOL
      You and Jane should check each others blogs. Reading both of you you're clever and funny. I think you'd like each other. without books, we got nuthin, couldn't agree more.

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  19. I love the piles of books for each topic, rather than trying to pick 10 books! Nicely done. And the pics are priceless. Very well done. :)

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    1. Thanks. I knew I couldn't even begin to narrow my selection to 10 books so ...
      Thinking up those pictures was a blast, glad you liked them.

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  20. First, I hope I'm not the Jamie with the comment stream that's not playing nicely?
    Second, Scrabble in THREE languages?!? WOW! Impressive! Babe and I play all the time. Once in Mexico it took us a while to put two and two together to figure out why there were so many e's in the game!

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    1. No yours seems to like me LOL. We played in English and French(Canadian, eh) then threw in Spanish (hers was way better than mine so challenges were a tough go) I still like Scrabble but no one to play with and these days, English only. I'm not sure I would have clued in, Scrabble being country/language specific, but it does make sense.

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  21. I know what you mean about feeling like your brain is full. Great list and great pictures and hair do. :) I like to have books everywhere, too. My nightstand is kind of a nightmare because of it.

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    1. My nightstand, desk, drafting table, tv stand... LOL

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Thanks for your comment, I hope you enjoyed your time in the "Kitchen".