Keris Stainton's Blog, page 61

Friday favourites

How beautiful is this print by The Sweet Unfolding on etsy. It's one of my favourite quotes and I love the map background. Found via Domestic Sluttery.

Love love love this augmented reality CD pack on Lovely Package.

My Little Pony Generator – the absolute last thing I need when I've got a book to write. Thanks very much, @mssusieday and @stephanieburgis

A Big Creative Yes is one of my new favourite blogs and this post is wonderful and exactly what I needed to read.

Finally, this – about diversity in children's fiction – is the best thing I've read this week: 'We're Here, We're Queer' by James Dawson

What's your most treasured book?

Day 23 of the 40 day book challenge is 'a book that is a most treasured possession'.

I wrote about buying the Tales of the City first editions during our 2001 jaunt around America and they are definitely my most treasured books. (And I still haven't got Sure of You, if anyone sees it anywhere.)

The first one is signed by the author too. Look how happy that made me!

A book for my birthday (in 8 months)

Day 22 of the 40 day book challenge is 'a book I hope I get for my birthday'.

Blimey, my birthday's a bit of a way off, but I suppose it's never too soon to get stuff on the wishlist.

This New York book looks rather nice, yes?

Otherwise I'd love any of the Complete Peanuts collection, apart from the first one (I bought that for myself).

How about you? What's a book you'd never buy for yourself?

Is there a book you're embarrassed to like?

Day 21 of the 40 day book challenge is 'a book I am embarrassed to say I like'.

I'm not sure I'm embarrassed to say I like any books. When I did my English degree, we did a Popular Fiction module (which is where I also read Desperation by Stephen King). We had to read two Mills & Boon books and I dreaded it, but I actually quite enjoyed them.

But when I read them on the train to and from uni, I did try to read them with an air of 'don't judge me, I'm reading them for my degree!' Which is quite tricky to pull off, I'm sure you'll imagine.

How about you?

Which book character is most like you?

Day 20 of the 40 day book challenge is 'a book with a character most like me'.

I don't think I've ever read a book and thought the character was just like me. I love it when I get that "I do that too!" feeling from a book – Bridget Jones's Diary was brilliant for that – and I know I used to think I was quite like Darrell from Malory Towers, but beyond that I'm not really sure.

I do, however, remember a friend telling me that she read Human Croquet by Kate Atkinson and it sounded just like me. I don't think it was that the character was like me, I think she thought it sounded like I'd written it. I'm assuming that's an enormous compliment since it's, you know, Kate Atkinson, but I still haven't been able to bring myself to read it.

What's the scariest book you've ever read?

Day 19 of the 40 day book challenge is 'a book that scared me'.

As you know, I'm a big wuss and I generally don't read scary books. But I wasn't so sensible in the past. Red Dragon by Thomas Harris really scared me – I remember trying to read it with my eyes shut. (It didn't work.)

I had to read a Stephen King book at uni – Desperation – and it totally gave me the heebie geebies. I read Misery voluntarily and although I thought it was brilliant, it still scared me (I should read it now that I'm an author, but it might tip me over the edge! I have had the odd message saying "I'm your biggest fan" and while that's absolutely lovely, of course, I still hear it in Annie Wilkes's voice.). There's another Stephen King book, Insomnia, which I thought was brilliant but terrifying.

I think Stephen King is a great writer and a brilliant storyteller which is why every now and then I scare myself with one of his books. I have tried a couple of his non-horror books but haven't enjoyed them – if enjoyed is the right word – quite as much.

I'm sure there are lots more I've missed – I'm thinking I've surely read some ghost stories, but I can't think of any off the top of my head.

What about you?

Boy quotes (Part 9)

Harry to Joe: "No, your name is NOT Poodreya! That's a girl's name!"

Joe just handed me Harry's backpack and said, "Open!" I opened. Joe is now inconsolable. Toddlers are weird.

Just told Harry to get his pyjamas on and instead he was sitting staring at the TV. He said, "Sorry! My eyes were going screensaver!"

Joe just came home. Ran through house, shouted "Harry!" then flung himself at H, wrapping his arms round Harry's legs. Ace.

An alarm just went off on (Harry's) iPod Touch. When I checked it, I found: "Alarm for Middy and Daddy to go to bed." I'll be off then.

Joe's just had his first ever "time out". He's been apologising constantly – to me *and* Harry – for about 10 minutes now.

Harry pretending to be the emergency services on phone to David: "Which service do you require, Sir? Or… woman?"

Harry: "On my To Do list today I need to say sorry to a pigeon."

{I know the Joe photo is blurry, but it's so cute!}

Do you lie about the books you've read?

Day 18 of the 40 day book challenge is 'a book that I tell people I have read but haven't'.

Hmm, I don't think there is one. I'm not really bothered about books that I should have read – reading is a pleasure not a duty.

I feel very slightly embarrassed not to have read certain classics like Of Mice and Men, Animal Park, 1984, but I'm not that bothered. (I figure I'll get round to them eventually and if not I'll be dead and past caring.)

How about you?

Who's your favourite evil character?

Day 17 of the 40 day book challenge is 'a book with the best evil character'.

Again, the first character that springs to mind is Mrs Coulter from the His Dark Materials series. She's not my favourite evil character, but when David was reading The Amber Spyglass he had to keep putting the book down to flail about how awful she was: "I HATE her and her golden monkeys!!!" Made me laugh a lot.

But who would mine be… I can't actually think of one. I've looked through my GoodReads list and I can't see one. But I know as soon as you start leaving comments I'll say "Oh blimey, of COURSE!"

Friday favourites

I find so many wonderful things online and I often tweet them or post them on Facebook, so I thought I'd start sharing them on here instead (or as well – who knows?).

I read about these amazing Boeing Luxury Flying Boats on one of my favourite blogs, Scouting NY - this lovely post about the LaGuardia Marine Air Terminal actually.

These starry night photographs are gorgeous, but do also watch the breathtaking video.

I love the idea of these pocket libraries, but the whole post is wonderful (and all of those picture books are on my wishlist): Playing by the book

But my absolute favourite post this week is this one – Waking Up Full of Awesome – it's an absolute must-read. (via @LaniDianeRich)