Victoria Zigler's Blog: Zigler News, page 31

Random Ramblings And Rantings - September 25th 2020 Edition

The photo above is one I took when Lilie was looking out of the window so you could enjoy the view of the ocean with her... I'm told it's not all that great of a photo, but I figured I'd share it anyhow.

 

~

 

By the way, this post might get a bit long, and contains some complaining and ranting.  Consider yourself warned.

 

***~~~***

 

Between writing my post from three weeks ago   and it going live, there was an update on the gas and electric situation, but I didn't get a chance to edit the post to update that, so I'll tell you about it today.

 

 ~

 

On the morning of September 3rd, so six days before they were meant to be coming to install the smart meters, I got a message from them saying they were cancelling the job.  Considering it had only been arranged a few days before, and they'd told me even if they cleared the supposed debt it would be incredibly difficult for them to pay me what I'd be owed from paying what I shouldn't have needed to until my smartmeters were installed, I wasn't happy.  So I called them - again.

To cut a long story short, after I yelled at them some more, they eventually agreed that not only was the debt no longer applicable, since they finally considered my tenancy pictures acceptable, so they owed me money (like I'd been telling them all along) but my being on their priority register because of health issues and disabilities and having so little money on the gas and electric at the time because of having lost so much to paying the debt that wasn't mine, meant I was enough of a priority case that since my appointment for the following Wednesday had been cancelled they'd send someone out that very day.

 

~

 

They did as well - eventually.

 

It took them seven hours to get someone they said would be with me in three hours to arrive, our smart meter doesn't have a digital display screen (because they apparently are out of stock of those due to the virus causing supply issues) and I had to phone the company after the guy had left because they hadn't given him the authorization to credit what we were owed on to the meters.  But by the time the post linked to at the start of this one went live, we had smart meters, and they had been credited for the amounts that were already on them when the guy got here, as well as the amount we - the company and I - agreed I was owed from attempting to keep my gas from running out while dealing with this situation.

~

 

We're still waiting for the digital display for the smart meters.  But at least we have them, there are other ways to check the credit, and we're no longer losing money to someone else's debt.

*~*~*

 

Despite having resolved that issue, at the time of writing this, we have no gas.  In other words, we have no heating or hot water.  Though all being well we will have both back by the time this actually goes live.

 

~

 

To cut a long story short, on Sunday we almost ended up evacuating the building because of a gas leak.

 

Thankfully it didn’t come to that, but when the guys came out to check what the problem was, they discovered three breaks in the gas lines, which will take them several days to fix.

 

Meanwhile, we’re off supply.  Though at least they did make sure we had a way to cook for these few days (our cooker is electric, so that’s fine) and lack of heating wasn’t going to be an issue (unless we have a drastic drop in temperatures, that’s also fine, since it’s been quite warm here).  The issue is with hot water, since we have to boil the kettle or heat up a pan of water to do the dishes, and none of us are enthusiastic about the idea of doing that enough times to be able to have more than a quick wash at the sink, so no baths or showers.  Doing Lilie’s paws is hard enough, and we only need a small amount of water for that.

 

~

 

Anyway, they’re doing their best to not leave us too long without gas supply.  It doesn’t help though that they can’t close off the road to do the repairs, because the council will only close off a road if you give a minimum of 28 days notice.

 

Yes, really.

 

Luckily, the gas lines are towards the rear of our property, where the road is a side road rather than the main road.  Not that that makes things easier for the guys trying to deal with it.

 

***~~~***

In other updates from that post I linked to from a couple of weeks ago:

 

Our friends, Lorna and Andy, had some curtains that were long enough for the windows here.  Or, to be more accurate, long enough that they'll do for now, especially since we don't plan to stay here longer than absolutely necessary (so don't want to have to pay out for the extra long curtains the windows could really do with).

 

Anyway, now three of the four windows have curtains up, even if one window the curtains are only just long enough, and with the others there's a slight gap at the bottom of the curtain (which Lilie and Logan say is perfect for peering out of).  Most importantly, we have curtains on the windows we'd put blankets up at, so the landlord and his building manager haven't needed to complain about blankets at the windows, since there aren't any.  There aren't curtains at the living room window, but there's no blanket there either, and it's not at ground level, so never mind.  Luckily, the windows not being at ground level makes spotting the gap difficult.

 

If you're interested, the curtainless window is the one Lilie's looking out of in the photo at the top of this post.

 

~

 

The landlord and his building manager apparently only mind if it's blankets and not curtains up, since I know they've been to the building, and they haven't complained about the window that hasn't got anything up at it.

 

It's just a shame the landlord is still hastling us about other things, like constant phantom smells from pet mess, which only he seems able to smell (nobody else who's entering the building - not the neighbours, not the guys delivering our shopping, and not the workmen - are smelling anything).  I could so do without the stress of him doing this, and am only tolerating it because I'm reluctant to take legal action against anyone - especially a landlord, and especially right now with the threat of a second lockdown looming.

 

  

 

~

 

I could also do without them renovating the hallway, since it means only Kelly can take the dogs out right now, because it's not safe for me.

 

We won't go in to how I almost wasn't warned about it, and then it was a short notice, "Oh, by the way," type text from the building manager.  Or how the downstairs neighbour only had time to move his stuff out of the hallway cupboard because we warned him when I got that text.

 

~

 

It wouldn't be so bad, except it's been going on for a couple of weeks now - and looks like it will be going on a bit longer - and half of it isn't even work that needs doing.

 

Most of it is because he wanted a wall removed to allow better light in to the hallway - which would apparently make it more appealing to visitors.  Thankfully the people doing the work had enough sense to not just knock the wall down, but to just remove part of it where the beams holding up the stairwell aren't.  Yes, he was going to knock down the wall offering support to the stairs that are the only way in or out of this building for the top two flats (our current one, and the one we used to be in).  All in the name of, "Making it look nicer," for potential visitors.

 

~

 

In the meantime, the jobs that actually need doing aren't being done, or - like was the case with the issue we had with our kitchen taps - are taking longer than they should to get done.

 

It took them three days to send someone to look at our tap, which was alternating between not turning on properly and not turning off properly.  It might have taken longer if I hadn't given them a nudge.

 

Plus, our buzzer still doesn't work properly.  Something we've been dealing with since we moved in to this property, which he promised to fix the moment he had the freehold back for the hallway (which we know he now does, or he wouldn't be able to do the renovation work he's doing in it).

 

~

 

Oh, and... On top of everything... The landlord says if we want to stay past the six months our tenancy was signed for, we'll be paying about £155 more rent than we now are a month (that's around $200 US, give or take).  The amount he wants us to pay for rent as from February is about as much as we've seen two or three bedroom houses going for in town proper, and more than it costs for a four bedroom place in some areas.

 

Even without the issues we've been having with him, this place wouldn't be worth that much.  Yes, it's in a good location, but it's also not very big (it's a small two bedroom apartment) and in need of repairs.

 

We  told him we don't feel we can pay that.

 

So, even if we weren't already trying to get moved, we would be now.  It also now needs to be in January.  So we have to hope we can both get the money together and find a place by then.

 

*~*~*

 

 In other news:

 

Someone has moved in upstairs.

 

It’s the family who had moved out of one of the properties that’s part of this building about a year ago, so we know they’re nice neighbours (apparently they missed their local friends, so wanted to move back to this area).  They've got a couple of little kids, one of which is autistic.

 

I’m glad we have nice neighbours living above us – even if the little girl is on the end of the autism spectrum where she’s quite loud and boisterous sometimes, so she can get a bit noisy - so at least we won’t have awful neighbours adding to our stresses while we wait to move.  They don’t even mind if the dogs bark when the little girl’s noise gets their attention (they probably figure a bit of barking is worth the fact we don’t complain about any of her noise).

 

~

 

On the other hand, I'm both sad for them that they'll have to deal with this guy, and angry with him for moving someone in - especially someone with small children - when he hasn't finished the repair work.  The roof and windows, for example, still aren't fixed.

 

 *~*~*

 

In other news...

I was meant to go to the dentist last month for a checkup, but they cancelled it a couple of days before my appointment.

 

Apparently my dentist was suddenly unavailable, and they weren't sure how long she would be unavailable for.  If I had an issue I wanted/needed looked at, they'd see if another dentist had a spot for me, otherwise they couldn't make me a new appointment right now.  Since I didn't have an issue I knew of, they told me they'd get back to me when they knew when my dentist would be back.

I haven't heard from them since.

 

~

I'm not exactly eager to have a dentist poking about in my mouth.  Though she is a reasonably good dentist (not the best I've had, but one of the better ones).  But it does make me wonder if maybe I got lucky not seeing her (I could have had an appointment a couple of days earlier, but had spacifically asked for the date I did).  Does the uncertainty of when she'll be back mean she - or someone she's connected to - got the virus? Is it because she was sick (or worse) and they haven't found a replacement to take over from her that I haven't heard from them? Worse, did other dentists from the practice I go to get sick too? Honestly, I'm not sure if I do or don't want to know the answers to those questions.

***~~~***

 

After I started seeing the way things were going, I made a point of not discussing too much regarding the virus and current world events in my posts.  However, while we’re on the subject of the virus, I’d just like to say a couple of things:

 

1.      The government were pushing for everyone to get out and visit pubs and such – there was even an, “Eat out to help out,” scheme – and now there’s a huge rise in cases of the virus.  Why are people surprised about this? It wouldn’t have been so bad, except the whole social distancing thing went right out of the window, because people assumed the government switching focus to the economy meant the virus-related danger was over.  Support your local cafes and things, yes.  But bear in mind that the pandemic isn’t over, and you still need to be careful.

2.      While I agree that there are benefits to wearing masks, there are valid reasons why some people aren’t wearing one.  Not everyone, but still.  It’s really getting beyond irritating how people are constantly posting things claiming people who don’t wear masks just don’t care.  In some cases that might be true.  However, before assuming that’s the case, please bear in mind that there are reasons why people aren’t wearing masks besides thinking they won’t be much – if any – help, such as anxiety issues whenever things are put over the face.  If you can wear a mask... Great! Please do so.  If you can’t for some valid reason... That’s fine too.  If you see someone not wearing one when you’re out... Leave them alone.  They might have a good reason for not wearing one, or they might not, but whatever the case, don’t attack them for not wearing one.

3.      How does the government think sending children back to school and people back to work is a good idea, while at the same time insisting we shouldn’t meet in large groups...? How is that logical? If we shouldn’t meet in large groups, shouldn’t schools stay closed, and everyone who can do so keep working from home, too?

4. The government is urging the general public to report their neighbours if they’re violating social distancing rules (in particular the rule about no more than six people gathering together).  So, now they’re trying to turn neighbours against each other? Look, I get that we want to stop this pandemic, but is that really the way to go? I’d hate to think we’d be returning to a time when there was nothing but suspicion and mistrust among neighbours.  I’ve heard stories of how that ended up when people were encouraged to report their neighbours during WWII, and am not eager to see things become like that in my lifetime.  I’m pleased to see that – judging by the comments on the posts I saw about it from local authorities on Facebook – a large number of people feel the same way.  I hope people will be following social distancing rules, but I also hope they won’t be turning on their neighbours if they don’t.  If you don’t like what they’re doing, just stay out of it, and keep as far from them as you can.  Don’t let this pandemic turn potentially cordial relationships in to ones filled with hatred and mistrust.

 

*~*~*

 

Speaking of hatred and mistrust: this racism and discrimination has got to stop.

 

What is wrong with people these days?

 

~

 

All lives matter, whether black, white, or somewhere in between.

 

People are entitled to have the kinds of life partners or religious beliefs they want.

 

It’s not for us to choose whether another person does or doesn’t eat meat, processed foods, etc.

 

People should be allowed to identify with whatever gender they want, regardless of what they were born.

 

Disabilities are neither diseases, nor reasons to treat someone differently.

 

People are entitled to their own opinions, whether they differ from yours or not.

 

Women and men are both just as likely as each other to be intelligent, or skilled at something.

 

 

~

 

I would have thought that in this day and age people would have moved beyond the point of discriminating against people who don’t share their skin colour, beliefs, etc.  It saddens and sickens me that not only have we not moved past that point, but some people think it’s acceptable to attack another human being for simply being different – often attacking them physically.

 

That’s not OK! Just stop!

 

~

 

If you don’t like something about someone, whether that be their background, their beliefs, or a physical difference... Fine.  Nobody’s forcing you to be friends with someone you don’t like.  But either ignore those people and avoid them, or – if placed in a situation where you have no choice but to interact with them – at least be civil.

 

Sorry... Just needed to get that off my chest.

 

 

*~*~*

 

In other personal news...

 

My Aunty Joyce (sister-in-law to the Nan who died last month, so my great aunt) died last week.  She died on the evening of September 15th.

 

Like with Nan, it was nothing to do with the virus, but age and health issues catching up with her.  Still sad though...

 

I haven't seen much of Aunty Joyce in recent years, but I always loved her visits when I was younger.  Not only because she was one of those aunties who comes bearing treats and money either.  She was a lovely woman.  Uncle Amos (her husband, who's been dead a couple of years now) was lovely too.  Their visits are all wonderful memories.

 

Rest in peace, Aunty Joyce.

 

*~*~*

 

OK, let's try and finish this post on a more positive note...

 

With that in mind, here are some photos of Logan.  His fur is damp from being in the bathtub here... I love his curls, even if they do make him look scruffy.  Anyway, here you go... Even if the photos are insisting on showing up in reverse order when I preview this... Well, here they are anyhow:

 

    
 

~

 

Logan's going in for his neuter next week (he's going in on October 2nd).

 

On the one hand, we could do with leaving it, because the money would help towards moving.  On the other hand, Logan is already late being nuetered with one thing and another (first the vet asking us to wait a bit to be sure he was done developing, then the lockdown, and then the move to this place) and we don't want to keep leaving it, especially after the near accident where it's lucky the owner of the dog in season had the sense to warn me she was, because aeven with hat warning I only just managed to keep Logan back from her (had both dogs not been on leads, there might have been an accident, if you know what I mean).  So, yeah, he needs to be done, because I don't want him responsible for any unwanted puppies.

 

~

 

Anyway, just because he's super cute, here are some more photos of Logan.  Kelly took the other Logan photos in this post, but these ones I took while I was playing with him when Kelly took Lilie to get her nails trimmed a few days ago (for those who don't know, she's not heavy enough to wear them down during walks, so needs them trimmed between grooming sessions).

~

 

Last, but certainly not least, here's another photo of our beautiful Lilie.  This one was taken by Kelly a couple of days ago.

#AmReading + #AmWatching + #AmListening - Media Shares And #Reviews 24-09-20

That’s what turns young men & women into writers—the happiness you discover living in books
~P Auster

 

*~*~*

 
Welcome to this week's weekly media shares and reviews post!
 
*Disclaimer: no matter what's being reviewed, all opinions in this post are entirely my own, and I reserve the right to have them, regardless of who may or may not share them. Feel free to express your own in the comments, but please respect my right - and the rights of other commenters - to have opinions that might differ from yours, and to express those opinions too.
 
Also, please remember that I read/watch/listen to things in a variety of genres, and for all ages, so you should make sure you check that the book/movie/show/song is suitable for the intended audience before reading/watching/listening to it, especially if children are involved. I take no responsibility for anything  which may happen as a result of failing to do so.
   

*~*~*

 
OK. Let's see what I've been reading, watching, and listening to, and which song I'm going to share this week, shall we? After all, that's the point of this post, and why you're here today, right?
  

*~*

 

Reading:

This week I didn't finish the book I've been reading.  I'm close to finishing it, but didn't quite manage it in time to put a book review in this week's blog post.

 

*~*
 

Watching:

This week I watched more "Friends" episodes on Netflix, since I stil needed that familiarity of a show I know and love, so didn't feel like watching anything else.
  

*~*

 

Listening:

This week I've been listening to a variety of music again, including - but not limited to - country, 80s music, and 90s pop.  None of the songs I listened to feels right for sharing this week though, so I'm going to go with an old favourite that's appropriate for right now, though you may not have heard this version of it.  So, here's Connie Talbot singing "Imagine" - enjoy!

 

#Quotes About Creativity, The Arts, And #Writing

“Every one of us is chosen to be a creator by virtue of being human. If you’re not convinced of this, just step into any preschool and observe the unbridled creative energy of kids as they immerse themselves in fingerpainting, telling wild stories, banging on drums, and dancing just to dance. They’re creative types because they breathe.”

~Grant Faulkner

 

***~~~***

 

“The creative adult is the child who has survived.”

~Ursula K.         Le Guin

  

***~~~***

 

"Oscar Wilde said that if you know what you want to be, then you inevitably become it, that is your punishment, but if you never know, then you can be anything. There is a truth to that. We are not nouns, we are verbs. I am not a thing - an actor, writer – I am a person who does things. I write, I act, and I never know what I am going to do next. Think you can be imprisoned if you think of yourself as a noun."

~Stephen Fry'

  

***~~~***

 

“Get the writing done first, then be the person I want to be in other ways after that.”
~John Edgar Wideman

  

***~~~***

 

“Writing is a job, a talent, but it’s also the place to go in your head. It is the imaginary friend you drink your tea with in the afternoon.”
~Ann Patchett

 

A Fall/Autumn #Book Tag - #AmReading

Here's another I found during a search, and according to the blog I got this from, this one came from Dreaming Through Literature. Just so you know.

Anyway, if you want to play along, feel free to do so, either in the comments, or on your own blog. I'd love to read your answers! In the meantime though, here are the questions, along with my own answers:

1. Apple Picking: A book on your TBR that looks so delicious you can’t wait to take a bite out of it.

There are way too many. If it's on my to-read list, I want to read it. With varing degrees of enthusiasm, true. But if I haven't read it, and it looks good enough to me that it's ended up on my to-read list, then I'm going to be eager to read it.

2. Corn Maze: A book that’s so much fun to get lost in.

Again, this could apply to any book. I mean, what greater delight is there than getting lost in a book?

3. Haunted Houses: A book that scared you silly.

This is a pretty easy one to answer, because it's very rare this happens, but "Dark Matter" by Michelle Paver seriously scared me. It's one of very few books ever to have me scared at all, and did so well it was weeks before I was able to put it out of my mind and stop being scared. Awesome book though, and I've read it again since. Yes, it scared me just as much the second time around, and I bet it will when I read it again, which I totally plan to do!

4. Pumpkin Patch: The latest book you picked up (purchased).

This will have changed by the time this post goes live, because I'm writing it WAY in advance. But at the time I'm writing this my most recent book purchase is "The Hidden Stairway" - the fourth book in the "Abby & Holly" series by Janice Spina. If I remember, I'll try and come back and update this one closer. If not... Well, at least you have an answer, even if it's about a book purchase from quite early in the year.

5. Scenic Drives: A book that is lyrically beautiful.

This could apply to several I've read, but I'm going with "The Snow Spider" - and the other two books in the trilogy by the same name - by Jenny Nimmo. It's a beautifully written and wonderful trilogy.

6. Pumpkin Carving: A book you didn’t like and wouldn’t mind carving up.

There are very few books I've disliked after having read them. However, having said that, I would never want to carve one up. Generally the fact I didn't like it doesn't guarantee it's a bad book. Besides, think of the work the author put in to writing it. Being an author myself, I know how many hours of writing goes in to producing a book, and then there's all the other things you have to do before you can publish it. No. There are no books I would want to carve up, even though there are books I haven't enjoyed.

7. Hiking: A book that was a highly enjoyable romp.

Again, this could apply to a lot of books. However, "Bogamus In Space" - in fact, any book in the "Bogamus And Friends" series - by Nathan A Jones practically leaps to mind, and is highly amusing.

8. Drinking Apple Cider: A sweet book to curl up under the covers with.

Depending on your genre preference, pretty much anything could be a perfect book to curl up under the covers with. However, if you spacifically want one I think is sweet, "Winter Solstice" by Rosamunde Pilcher is a good one.

9. Jumping In A Leaf Pile: A book that reminds you of your childhood.

"The Tale Of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter, because it reminds me of the Sunday afternoons we'd visit my Dad and Nan when I was really little, and my Nan would read the Beatrix Potter books to us.

10. Scary Movie Night: Your favorite spooky read.

Apart from the scary book I mentioned a few answers ago, the one that springs to mind is "Sarah" by Teri Polen, which is one of those few books to actually scare me. So, since I don't want to pick "Dark Matter" again, I'm going to go with "Sarah" for this one.

11. Bonus! Costume Party: A book with an eclectic cast of characters.

There are several I could pick, but I think I'm going to have to go with "Fatemarked" (- the first in the series of the same name by David Estes. It has a fair sized cast of characters, and they really are quite the eclectic bunch. Actually, David is always pretty good at including a diverse cast of characters in his books.

#MondayMotivation - #Quotes + Words Of #Wisdom 21-09-20

You can have anything you want if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose.
~Abraham Lincoln

Whatever you’re meant to do, do it now. The conditions are always impossible.
~Doris Lessing

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination.
~Tommy Lasorda

It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
~Walt Disney

Work hard for what you want because it won't come to you without a fight. You have to be strong and courageous and know that you can do anything you put your mind to.
~Leah LaBelle

It's not about having the skill to do something. It's about having the will, desire & commitment to be your best.
~Robert Hernandez

The most effective way to do it, is to do it.
~Amelia Earhart

Mistakes - call them unexpected learning experiences.
~Richard Bach

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
~T. S. Eliot

It's hard to beat a person who never gives up.
~Babe Ruth

If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. It's the hard that makes it great.
~Tom Hanks

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything.
~Vincent Van Gogh

#AmListening - Drummers On The Seafront

Living where we do, in past years it's been common to hear and see parades, or simply hear music, coming from somewhere along the seafront during the summer.  Not so much this year though, as I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear.  However, a month ago - and it really was a month ago, since it was the evening of August 18th 2020 - we randomly heard some drums, and discovered there were some drummers on the beach.

 

We're not sure if they were there for any kind of event, if they were part of something bigger going on, or whatever.  All we know is they were nice to listen to, and were some welcome entertainment for while we enjoyed our evening meal.

 

Anyway, we thought we'd share the music, so here are the photo and video we got that evening.  Enjoy!

 

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#AmReading + #AmWatching + #AmListening - Media Shares And #Reviews 17-09-20

Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.
~Carlos Zafón

 

*~*~*

 
Welcome to this week's weekly media shares and reviews post!
 
*Disclaimer: no matter what's being reviewed, all opinions in this post are entirely my own, and I reserve the right to have them, regardless of who may or may not share them. Feel free to express your own in the comments, but please respect my right - and the rights of other commenters - to have opinions that might differ from yours, and to express those opinions too.
 
Also, please remember that I read/watch/listen to things in a variety of genres, and for all ages, so you should make sure you check that the book/movie/show/song is suitable for the intended audience before reading/watching/listening to it, especially if children are involved. I take no responsibility for anything  which may happen as a result of failing to do so.
   

*~*~*

 
OK. Let's see what I've been reading, watching, and listening to, and which song I'm going to share this week, shall we? After all, that's the point of this post, and why you're here today, right?
  

***~~~***

 

Reading:

This week I read two books. So, here's what I read, along with my book reviews.
  

The Last Guardian (Artemis Fowl, #8)
by Eoin Colfer
My rating: five out of five stars

This was an excellent ending to the series. I know this is a short review, but there's not really anything to say beyond that other than what I've said
while reviewing the previous books.
 

~

 

The Morning Star
by Gita V. Reddy
My rating: five out of five stars

This is a wonderfully written and touching story. The mentions of the pandemic hitting around the time it's set were very skillfully incorporated in to
the tale, and the whole plot flows at a nice pace. Also, the characters are fantastically portrayed well-rounded people, and the ending was just beautiful.

 

*~*~*
 

Watching:

This week I watched some episodes of "the Simpsons" via Disney+, and some episodes of "Friends" via Netflix.  Yes, they're both shows I've seen countless times - well, other than some episodes of "The Simpsons" I know I haven't seen from the later series - and there are several shows I want to watch that I haven't seen yet, so perhaps I should have been watching one of those instead? But I felt like watching those familiar shows, so that's what I did.

 

*~*~*

 

 Listening:This week I've been listening to a variety of music, including country, 90s POP, and 80s music, which meant I had a few genres and time periods I could have picked from for this week's tune.  I decided though to go with a reminder to us all that if we want to see change in the world, we have to start at home.  So, here's "Man In The Mirror" by Michael Jackson.
 

#Quotes About The Enjoyment Of #Books And #Reading

“Books had instant replay long before televised sports.”

~Bern Williams

 

*~*~*

 

“Books are the perfect entertainment: no commercials, no batteries,hours of enjoyment for each dollar spent.”

~Stephen King

 

*~*~*

 

“The best cinema in the world is the brain, and you know it when you read a good book.”

~Ridley Scott

  

*~*~*

 

“I love books because I don’t have to wait for the commercials to be over to find out what happens.”

~Unknown

 

*~*~*

 

“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.”

~Groucho Marx

  

*~*~*

 

“There is no pleasure so cheap, so innocent, and so remunerative as the real, hearty pleasure and taste for reading.”

~Robert Lowe

  

*~*~*

 

“Just the knowledge that a good book is awaiting one at the end of a long day makes that day happier.”

~Kathleen Norris

  

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“When I think of all the books still left for me to read, I am certain of further happiness.”

~Jules Renard

  

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“Men must read for amusement as well as for knowledge.”

~Henry Ward Beecher

 

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“Reading is a way for me to expand my mind, open my eyes, and fill up my heart.”

~Oprah

  

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“The best advice I ever got was that knowledge is power and to keep reading.”

~David Bailey

  

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“Reading in bed jumpstarts dreams.”

~Terri Guillemets

 

The 'What Makes Me Pick Up A Book' Tag - #AmReading

I've got another book tag to do today, which I got from Cat over at The Strawberry Post when she did it a couple of months ago.  Check out her post for her answers to the tag, as well as some details about where she got it from.  Then check out the rest of her blog for some wonderful poetry and fantastic book reviews, among other things.
 
As Cat says, this is quite a short tag compared to many, but with some great questions.  Let's see what they are, and what my answers to them would be, shall we? Maybe then you'll consider playing along, either in the comments section of this post, or via your own blog.  If you do the latter, please make sure to let me know, since I'd love to read your answers, and hate to miss them just because I didn't know you posted them. ~
 
1. Do you judge a book by its cover? 
No.  Though I admit that's probably at least mostly because I can't see the cover, since images on the cover would have been the thing that first got my attention when I could still see, so I expect I judged books by their cover a lot when I could.  Although, a nice cover would have only grabbed my attention, and not guaranteed the book would come home, since I'd need to like what I saw on closer inspection too, so would have looked at the things I now use to judge a book by: title and blurb. 
2. Focusing on just the cover, what attracts you to pick it up? When I could still see, something bright that stood out would have gotten my attention, or something with an animal or fantasy creature on it.  Basically, if I thought the picture was pretty, the colours were bright enough to catch my attention, or I spotted a picture of something I liked, I'd be interested.  That's not to say I didn't look at books that didn't have those kinds of things on them, but those would have grabbed my attention quickest. 
3. Do you read the synopsis first, or do you prefer to go in knowing nothing about the book? 
If by "synopsis" you mean blurb, then yes, I'll read that first.  At least, I'll read it before I buy the book.  If I've had the book for a while though, I might not remember what the blurb said by the time I'm reading it, and don't bother checking it out again.

 
4. Do you have any auto-buy authors? 
David Estes and Michelle Paver.  I've read stuff of theirs from a couple of different genres, and it's all been excellent, so I wouldn't hesitate to buy something just because they wrote it, regardless of genre, and without checking the blurb.  Most authors I'll at least want to take a look at the blurb first, but not them.
 
5. Are you more likely to buy a book if it has specific elements/themes? Yes, but isn't everyone? Whether we mean to or not, we all have themes or elements we revisit through our various favourite books.  Which ones I look for depend on the genre though.  Like how acceptance when you're different (such as if you have a disability) or coping with circumstances out of your control (such as an apocolypse or war) are themes in a lot of what I read, and I'm more likely to pick up a paranormal about werewolves and witches than angels and demons, and adding talking animals to a fantasy will get my attention quicker than not.  That's not to say I don't stray from those elements and themes.  I definitely do.  But including one of my favourite elements or themes in something is more likely to get me to read something than if you didn't.
 
6. Do you ever read a book that has generally negative reviews just to form your own opinion on it? Not intensionally for that reason, but I won't let negative reviews stop me from reading something if I like the look of it.  Although, I will go in to it with pretty low expectations if any of those negative reviews came from someone who I know has similar book tastes to my own. 
7. Do you ever buy a book just because another booktuber/blogger has talked about it a lot? Sometimes, but not just because they were talking about it.  If I like the look of something, and people I know - and trust the bookish opinions of - are talking about it a lot, I'll buy it.  In fact, I've heard about many a great book that way.  But I won't buy it just because they liked it if I don't like the sound of it from the blurb.
 
8. Is there anyone who’s book recommendations you always trust?
 Yes.  I trust the opinions of a couple of people I'm friends with on Goodreads.  They've steered me in the direction of many a great book in the past, so I'd be willing to trust their opinions in the future too, and always keep a close eye on what they're reading - and what they thought of it - in case it sounds good enough that I want to read it too.  That's not to say I'll buy it just because they enjoyed it, since the blurb has to make it sound good too.  But a good review from one of my Goodreads friends, combined with a book blurb that gets my attention, will guarantee it makes it on to my "to-read" shelf, and maybe even mean it will be something I buy and read very soon.

#MondayMotivation - #Quotes + Words Of #Wisdom 14-09-20

Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.
~Buddha

You can do anything if you have enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars.
~Henry Ford

Don't wait. The time will never be just right.
~Napoleon Hill

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
~Thomas Edison

The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs . . . one step at a time.
~J Girard

No matter what happens, no matter how far you seem to be away from where you want to be, never stop believing that you will somehow make it.
~Les Brown

Failure doesn't mean you are a failure... it just means you haven't succeeded yet.
~Robert Schuller

I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying.
~Michael Jordan

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.
~Tim Notke

Success seems to be connected to action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit.
~Conrad Hilton

Don’t just ask whether you’re proud of what you’ve achieved. Ask whether you’re proud of how you’ve achieved it.
~Adam Grant

Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.
~Unknown