Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

This and That on a Mid-March Day

Wednesday was a spectacular day with glorious sunshine and fluffy white clouds. The sun came out after several rainy days but the temperature was still quite chilly.

On my walk I captured some beautiful flowers outside one of the local grocery stores. I just love the flowers in the foreground and the large store window capturing a reflection of the clouds and blue sky. You can see the leaves haven't come out on the deciduous trees yet.





By mid afternoon it turned mostly cloudy again though we expect sunshine and much warmer temperatures for the next week or so.

I've been keep very busy this month with a lot of small things including sewing alterations,  reading, decluttering, cooking, appointments and so on.  

A small containers of buttons broke open and the buttons scattered all over the larger container they were in.  It spurred me on to do a little bit of a tidy up of some of the most often used sewing supplies.  This will help me as I work on other projects.

3 small containers of sewing supplies sorted and organized

I've been decluttering a bit here and there. Nothing major but it all adds up. I'm also still trying to use up old toiletries. Some of them seem to have a bottomless supply. I'm adding everything to some large recycling bags and will do a count later.

In my reading, I finished reading the 5 fictional books in the photos below and one book on style. I enjoyed all of the books. My favourite pick was Ken Follet's Armour of Light followed by The Nightingale, The Venice Sketchbook, The Cafe by the Sea and the House of Fortune in that order. The Style for Everybody Guide was a very straightforward and well written, simplified guide to clothing and style. I've read a lot of them and I liked this one a lot because it is not so overwhelming in the information it presented.


Also completed in the last few weeks.




I've started reading a few books with a spiritual theme.  Usually this kind of book requires more time for reading, reflection and retention.  I'll probably pick up another novel to read in between study.




That's all in my world for now. 
Thank you for your visit.

Sunday, January 21, 2024

Books ~ Tuesday 4

I'm joining in with Tuesday 4 meme where we are sharing about books and reading this week.

1.  Do you have a favourite place to read? Maybe you can post a photo of it or describe it for us?

I can't really say I have a favourite place to read. I do tend to read in one corner of my sofa because I have a wall sconce above which helps illuminate my book while reading. 

The photo is the most recent photo of my sofa but the look today is completely different. Gone is the black lamp. Instead I have a wall sconce on either side and changed out pillows, art and tchotchkes.  If you look at the photo, I tend to sit on what you would see as the right side of the sofa.  It's actually the left side of the sofa and I sit there because it's further from the window tp avoid drafts and it's closer to answer the phone if it rings.


I've also tried creating a reading nook in the bedroom.  But that idea no longer works because we need room for DH's clothes, shoes and other things.

2.  Some say reading makes a person more educated, more informed.  Do you think novels do this in any way? Do you learn things from novels?  Would you tell us what you have learned?

Yes, I think novels can make a person better educated or informed. Firstly, they can improve one's vocabulary if you choose novels that are a little more complex. I read a lot of novels many of which are historical fiction and many are stories set in other countries. I've been exposed to different cultures, been inspired to learn more about various  historical events and learned how people lived and survived at various times in history.

3. Are there any books on your list to read right now?

My 'to read' list is always very long and I don't keep a comprehensive list of books I want to read. I've downloaded many free books on both Kindle and Kobo for a time when I may not be able to find a book to read at the library, lol. I also recently asked my library to curate a list of books for me to read based on my preferences and desires.  I'm hoping to start on that reading list sometime this year.  The book I'm reading at the moment is called The Covenant of Water, a book of my own choosing (and is pictured below).

4. Which books did you like the most and which did you dislike most?

Like many people do, I track my reading on the Goodreads website.  I've discovered that historical fiction is the genre I read and enjoy most. I've read and loved so many books over the years but I've also read a lot of books that are barely satisfactory. Some of my favourite authors to date are: Ken Follett & Edward Rutherfurd both of whom write historical fiction. I've also enjoyed Khaled Hosseini  (The Kite Runner), Abraham Verghese (Cutting Stones & Covenant of Water) and Rohintin Mistry is another fantastic writer (Family Matters, A Fine Balance). 


Female writers also feature prominently in my reading.  Over the years I've really enjoyed Maeve Binchy and Rosamunde Pilcher, both of whom write novels set in the more recent history in Ireland and Scotland/England respectively. I also really like Lisa See who writes a combination of historical and contemporary stories set in different parts of Asia. All of her books are  very interesting and keep me riveted.  Here is the author talking about her book, Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane which is the first novel of hers I read.


An American-Canadian author I love is Sandra Gulland who wrote the Josephine B. (Bonaparte) trilogy. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian author, is another great writer whose stories captivate me and teach me more about Nigeria and racial issues from an African perspective.  I've read her books, Half a Yellow Sun and Americanah, the latter is about race issues in the UK and USA.

Here is a link to the movie based on the book Half a Yellow Sun.  I only just found it on line today. I haven't watched it except for the first 15 minutes or so and I enjoyed it. 


There are a handful of books I didn't like but I'm not going to create a list of them because that would be a waste of time.  Just top of mind though I do remember two books I didn't like much.  One I read recently, and completed, is a popular book with excellent reviews.  It's called, A Grandmother Begins The Story. I've linked it for you if you'd like to read more.  I really wanted to like the book but sometimes things don't work out.  The other book is Barack Obama's Audacity of Hope. I just remember being bored and I never completed it.  Perhaps I will try again another day but there are so many other books to read. I did read an earlier book of his called, Dreams From My Father:  A Story of Race and Inheritance, which I enjoyed very much. 

Thank you for stopping by!




Sunday, January 7, 2024

A Slow Start

I'm still convalescing but each day gets better.

I didn't have the energy to do much this week but a little bit here and there helps.

I haven't even been cooking and don't much feel like eating. There is a Chinese noodle house very near me so when I feel hungry I've been eating congee (rice soup) and the most wonderful fried rice with shrimp and BBQ pork. 

On Friday I went to the post office to pick up a parcel and ran into a friend who had come to check her mail. She lives rather far but retains a mail box in my neighbourhood from the days she used to live nearby. She took me out to dinner as she too wanted soup. So we had an unexpected and very nice catch up.  Another friend called with distressing news. He lost 3 toes to gangrene over the past several years and was calling to let me know his leg will now have to be amputated. He'd been hoping to avoid this but the doctor gave him a stern warning, that it was either his leg or his life.  We didn't get to chat very long because another friend of his happened to drop by to visit him but I encouraged him as best I could for what he is about to go through.

I've set a modest reading goal this year of only 25 books because I want to do other things.  This number will likely go up but I'll keep it low for awhile as it will help temper my reading habit a bit.  This autobiography by Barbra Streisand came available as an online loan so I checked it out.  The book is over 2300 pages long and I think it might be the longest book I've ever read.  At this point, I've only completed 20% of it.  If you are a fan of Barbra Streisand's movies or her music, I recommend this book because she tells her life story in great detail.


I found a series on Netflix called Wild Wild Country which was very interesting. It's about the Rajneeshpuram, a international religious community headed by it's guru, Rajneesh from India who later changed his name to Osho.  I recommend it if you are at all curious. The other film I watched was a documentary on Warren Buffet called Becoming Warren Buffet.  I really enjoyed learning more about him and his family. 

I've been trying to use up bathroom products now for some time as I've got far too much. We've managed to empty 8 containers of various sizes. Some of it can go into recycling and some will have to go in trash. 


I also decluttered some music books and song sheets (4 items). I'll be donating these.


In December, I did a major purge of Christmas decorations and managed to give away a bag of items (36 items in all) to two different friends.  I'm glad to have cut down on the decorations in storage.


I took down the Christmas tree and decorations on December 28th but was only able to retrieve the storage boxes from downstairs on January 5th. I've packed everything away and will take it back to storage in a day or two.


I wrote about my new air fryer/oven combo which was my gift to myself.



I haven't made too much in it yet but did put together this blueberry loaf on Saturday. I was going to make muffins but the muffin tin is too large for the small oven. It's okay because slices are just as nice.



Last but not least, I've thoroughly cleaned the master bathroom and washed all the towels stored there as well as the shower curtain and liner.  I usually put my efforts into the master bathroom. but it always feels good when I can get both bathrooms nice and sparkly clean.

It seems like I've done a lot but really I have been taking everything very slow and easy. I'm just glad to have gotten a few things done so the week doesn't seem like nothing got accomplished at the start of the new year.   It helps when you don't have to cook every day and have all the dishes to wash because those two chores take a lot of time in one's day.  I hope you all had a good start to your week and wish you a wonderful week ahead.

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Notes ~ Reading Stats

  • 24185 words read to date 
  • 67 books read to date 

Last book completed December 19, 2023 Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier 

Currently reading: Beyond the Door of No Return by Senegalese author, David Diop, winner of the International Booker Prize.

Currently reading:  You Could Make This Place Beautiful, a memoir by Maggie Smith (not the British actress). 

Currently reading:  Coming Home to Eat, The Pleasures and Politics of Eating Local by Gary Paul Nabhan.

Currently reading:  Accessing the Blessing of Heaven's Currency by Kerry Kirkwood.

Book on Hold:  Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

I have several other books on hold but I doubt any of them will be ready before the new year.

It will be interesting to see how many words and books I am able to finish by end of 2023.

Cheers and I hope you are enjoying whatever you may be reading.

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Update on Reading Challenge 2023

Hi friends, Every year I set a reading challenge. It helps me keep moving forward in my reading. I remember when I started the challenge I was just coming out of a lengthy period of very poor concentration and could barely read a page before great fatigue would set in. I've come a long way since then.

This year my goal was to read 50 books or 20,000 pages.  Fifty is a much smaller number than I've set in previous years. I was flexible and didn't mind reading more if time permitted; especially since 50 books wouldn't likely reach 20,000 words.  I wanted to read more than a few books but not be so pressured that I didn't have time for anything else. 

I've read 63 books to date for a total of 23,169 pages, thereby exceeding my goal. In fact this is the most words I've read in any given year since I started keeping track over a decade ago.  The good news is I didn't feel any pressure whatsoever to read.  I'm currently reading 3 more books (Project 333: The Minimalist Fashion Challenge (224 pages), Coming Home to Eat:  The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods (336 pages) and Accessing the Blessings of Heaven's Currency:  Withdrawing Power from Your Heavenly Account for Answered Prayers (196 pages).  Once I finish there will be another 756 pages to add making a grand total of 23,925 pages for 2023 if I've done the math correctly.  If I have time I will read another book or two between Christmas and New Year's Day.

I enjoyed a number of books in 2023 and others not so much.  But as each year goes by I'm challenging   myself to read new genres or expand the scope of my reading within a particular genre.  For example,

  • Confederacy of Dunces (hard to classify but seems to fit into comedic satire)
  • The Removes (historical fiction based on expansion of the American west and the mistreatment of Native Americans)  
  • The Sorbonne Affair, (murder mystery),
  • There, There, Valley of the Birdtail, Bad Cree (all written by indigenous authors)
  • Remarkably Bright Creatures (fiction centred around friendship between humans and an octopus). 
  • One Drop (biography written by the daughter of a man who passed all her life and the impact of finding out her real roots).
I enjoyed Valley of the Birdtail a lot, followed by Remarkably Bright Creatures and The Sorbonne Affair, but I would recommend all of the above books for various reasons.

Having reached a reading milestone in 2023, I'd like to say I'll continue reaching new heights.  The truth is, I'm not quite sure what reading goal I'll set for 2024.  I suspect it will be a more modest goal because there are a lot of other projects I would like to get to but we will see.

I hope you too have had a successful year of reading. Happy reading in 2024!

 
YOUR 2023 BOOKS
  • One Drop by Bliss Broyard
  • The Sorbonne Affair by Mark Pryor
  • I'll See You in Paris by Michelle Gable
  • Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor
  • Jacqueline in Paris by Ann Mah
  • When in Rome by Liam Callanan
  • The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict
  • The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult
  • The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
  • Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar
  • The House in the Pines by Ana  Reyes
  • Summer on Sag Harbor by Sunny Hostin
  • The Woman on the Bridge by Sheila O'Flanagan
  • Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See
  • Accordion Crimes by Annie Proulx
  • Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
  • Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict
  • Spare by Prince Harry
  • Chita by Chita Rivera
  • You Can Buy Happiness (and It's Cheap) by Tammy Strobel
  • The Removes by Tatjana Soli
  • Stoneface by Stephen Kakfwi
  • The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
  • Verity by Colleen Hoover
  • Lizzie & Dante by Mary Bly
  • Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly
  • There There by Tommy Orange
  • Small World by Laura Zigman
  • The Song of the Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning
  • Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes
  • If a Poem Could Live and Breathe by Mary Calvi
  • The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant by Kayte Nunn
  • Paris by Edward Rutherfurd
  • The Comforts of Home by Caroline Clifton-Mogg
  • The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
  • Kaffe Fassett in the Studio by Kaffe Fassett
  • His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie
  • The Little Wartime Library by Kate          Thompson
  • Bad Cree by Jessica Johns
  • The Summer I Met Jack by Michelle Gable
  • The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
  • In Royal Service to the Queen by Tessa Arlen
  • Valley of the Birdtail by Andrew Stobo Sniderman
  • I Love You, Send Money by Jordan M. Alexander
  • The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
  • Little Family by Ishmael Beah
  • Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber
  • Riding the Bus with My Sister by Rachel Simon
  • The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking by Peter Reinhart
  • A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
  • Naturally Sweet Baking by Carolin Strothe
  • If Not for You by Debbie Macomber
  • PlantYou by Carleigh Bodrug
  • Little Wishes by Michelle    Adams
  • A Russian Sister by Caroline Adderson
  • The Girl Next Door by Phoebe Morgan
  • Happy Homemade by Yoshiko Tsukiori
  • Lotta Jansdotter Everyday Style by Lotta Jansdotter
  • The Last Debutantes by Georgie Blalock
  • Dear Emma by Katie Heaney
  • Simple Healthy by Jean-François Mallet
  • Revenge by Tom Bower
  • Bakerita by Rachel Conners


It Was a Spectacular Day! ~ Skywatch

Hello friends and fellow bloggers, It was a spectacular, sunny day where I live. It's still rather chilly from my point of view but the ...