Hooked on Jeffrey

Image from Pinterest

I lost the reading bug for a while.  I found TV to be easier but when my granddaughter visited recently in the last week of August, we went to the library and while she was looking for books, I did the same and picked two books.   

I'm a fan of Jeffrey Archer and I had read the first three of the Clifton Chronicles so many years ago.  Unknowingly, I picked the fourth in the series.  How awesome is that???  Anyway, I finished these two books easily.  

Nagisa Tatsumi is brilliant, and I gleaned some pointers from the book, so it was a worthwhile choice!

Jeffrey Archer's "Be careful what you wish for" ended with a cliffhanger but thankfully, I quickly managed to get the next three books.  

I finished reading "This was a man" yesterday.  Okay, done and dusted!  

Image from Bing (search engine)

As an aside, I should add that Stephen is so happy that I am not buying any more books since the local library has thousands of books!  

And Nagisa Tatsumi will be happy to note that I did get rid of many other books which were collecting dust on my shelf.

Overall, I read five books in about a month!  Quite a feat since I retired.  I'm so pleased with myself.  

Reading through the lines

Image from www

 

I used to read a lot.  Since I was in primary school, it was a challenge to find the time for leisure reading because of school, homework and activities.

Even when I was working, I still read quite a bit.  Often, I would give up a bit of my night sleep just to finish a chapter.  

Now when I am retired and able to read at any time I want, I haven't.  I did when I first arrived, but circumstances were such that I couldn't concentrate.  Eventually, I stopped reading but didn't stop buying books, though.  

Despite buying whenever I saw some book that I wanted, I still went to the library to borrow books and very often, with a tail between my legs, returned some without having touched them.  Thankfully, there was a drop-off box where we could just deposit the books without having to face the librarian.  It would have been so embarrassing if she had asked, "how was the story?".

Just when I was free to just stay home and begin reading, Netflix arrived, and I got snatched into the world of TV series (10 seasons or limited) and movies.  Recently, we also subscribed to the Disney channel, and this opened up a new world of other documentaries and shows that we enjoy.  I'm not complaining as this kept me happy during the covid times.

Today, I am going to pick up a book and see if I can revive my love for reading.  I have some in my Tab but there is nothing that comes close to holding a book and leaving a bookmark between the pages.  I'll be wise and choose the right book.  Let's see if I can reduce my intending-to-read list by one book!

Select Editions

I've been busy clearing all the Christmas things and also re-organising some of our stuff.  Somehow despite many attempts at decluttering, the books are always my weakness.  This is only one set of some books that I have.  

I have a small bookshelf with more books and two other piles which I hope to slowly dispose of, when I find the right mood.  Stephen generously asked if I wanted some rotating bookshelves.  I may look into it. 

I haven't been reading much lately.  Somehow I find it hard to concentrate for too long.  Too many distractions at home and also the digital world makes it harder with incoming messages.  And I always have tons of them.  Add the video chats with my beautiful grand-daughter and that about eats up my waking hours.  Okay, I also binge watch Netflix.

Anyway, I make an effort to check every message but I do admit that I skip quite a number of videos.   Sometimes when I get to "delete" mode, I am amazed at how many I have saved for watching later.  Saved but which I eventually decide are not really that interesting.

Anyway, I took this picture, so that I'll remember this set, in case I decide to give it away.  These books were given to me by a neighbour.  I remember him very fondly. 

Love Magnificent

So so very blessed to belong to a church that teaches about how wonderful our God is and that His magnificent love is for us.

We are ready for the first service at 8.30 am.  I can't remember when I had this kind of excitement for a church service.  

There has never been a Sunday service that hasn't left me awestruck and better informed about the Grace of God.  

We've been swept up by the Grace Revolution.  We just bought the book but I haven't started reading it yet.  I can't wait to start but I'm a stickler for finishing the ones I'm on before I begin a third book. Yup, I have two ongoing books at any one time.  I'm weird like that.

I can't wait for morning!!!!!  We can't wait for morning!!!!!

Close to Perfection

Image picked up from Facebook

If only...

It really would be wonderful if I could find a bed like this.  

And while I'm dreaming, I'd need a cook to prepare  and serve my meals.

~ ~ ~

June has been a very busy month for me.  I hadn't realised that I neglected my blog.  But all is well, a short holiday took up my first week.  I intended to blog about it but didn't get around to putting my thoughts in words.

Then I enrolled in a six-week course which really ate up all my free time.  But I am enjoying it and feel a tad sad that it's ending soon but I solved that by signing up for another one scheduled in October this year. 

When all is said and done and when life seems perfect, there really isn't much time to sit and write.  But I force myself so that I can return one day and remember the blissful moments.

June has been near perfect. July promises to be even better.  I can't wait!

Look! A book!

Pic from WWW

I said I wouldn't buy any books in 2014.  It's not even half a year and already I've reneged on that.  

I've tons of books in Malaysia and some more in Singapore.  Add to this, the fact that  I live near a very good library which has books in large print (for easy reading) and you can understand why I didn't really need to buy any.

But I'm like a book junkie.  I find it almost irresistible to pass a bookshop without going in to buy and/or browse.  

No hope for the book weaklings!  :( 

Booked. Part 2

Pic from FB

In  2012, I think I read maybe three books over a nine month period.   The euphoria of being retired took such a strong hold on me that I just enjoyed doing nothing.

In 2013, I doubled that to maybe six books over twelve months.  This is still way below what I could have read since I now have all the time in the world.

I envisioned my retirement as maybe reading at least a book a month.  This didn't happen.  When time was a precious commodity during my working days, I was always stealing moments to read in between my home, office, chores, TV, Computer and whatever else that took place in my life. 

Most times, I caught up with reading while I was on my way to or from Singapore.  It was a welcome luxury at that time. 

While I was working, reading was like a guilty pleasure.  Once I pick up a book, I can forget everything else.  This meant that all chores were set aside and I would become blind to whatever was not urgent.  I would forego even my seven to eight hours of sleep. 

Pic from FB

There were days when I would read until I could no longer open my eyes.  I always consoled myself by saying I would nap as soon as I got home after work.  It was always worth being tired for a day or two.  I know that those who love reading will know what I am talking about: especially those who start reading even when they know it isn't a good idea to begin just before bed time.

Anyway, I'm on track at the moment.  I'm half way through my first book and its just the middle of January.  Let's see if I make it to twelve books  this year. 

Booked. Part 1

Pic from WWW

This was me!

"WAS" because I think the last book I bought was prior to retirement.  I thought it would be a good idea to stock up on books for when I had all the time in the world to read.  This cleared my conscience to buy three bags of books (some for gifts). Plus, I wanted to max the rebate for tax purposes in 2012. 

Since moving to Singapore, I discovered our local library has a wonderful selection so that put paid to my buying any more books! 

Subsequently, a neighbour gave me a whole stack of condensed books and that certainly sealed the lid on my wanting anything else for 2013. What did they say about abundance? LOL

Pic from FB

Anyway, despite promising myself that I wouldn't buy another book till I catch up with the ones I have here and in KL, Stephen took me by surprise and suggested we get "Destined to Reign" by Pastor Joseph Prince.  As it turned out, we'd end up buying two more books: "Unmerited Favour" and "The Power of Right Believing".  

We're  both on the last book now and savouring every word.

How long does it take?

After reading a book, how long does it take before you can start the next one? 

Sometimes I need at least 24 hours before I can pick up a new book to read.  I get so wrapped up in the story I read that I almost need a debriefing and some time to unwind so that I can start fresh on a new story.

My neighbour generously gave me a set of Reader's Digest books.  Albeit condensed stories, they are easy reading and I have so far only ticked off two from the thirty-two titles.  The reason for not attacking these is only because I had four borrowed books from the library.  Now that I'm done with them, I shall continue with the remaining stories.  The first on my list in the set was "A Prisoner of Birth" by Jeffrey Archer and then I went on to Nicholas Sparks. 

I broke out of the OCD mindset to read the stories as they appeared in the book by starting with one of my favourite authors and then jumped to the next one who was  recommended to me.  Ordinarily, I would have read the stories in order of how I stacked the books.  The defiant gene in me is still strong.  

There are many authors in the series that I had never read before. Hence, this would be a good way to find out if I will like their style of writing.  I don't think I have a favourite author.  I read whatever catches my interest these days.  When I retired, I thought that I would read biographies because now I have the time but some of them put me to sleep.  It felt akin to studying history.  Hence, I've put them aside for now and am into light reading of fiction novels.  

I just finished my book yesterday and haven't felt able to pick up the next one yet.  Sometimes when the story is riveting, I am left with wanting more.  I don't want it to end.  

While I announced to Stephen that I finished my book, I also told him that I couldn't start the next one yet.  He found it amusing!  

So let me know how long it takes you before you can move on to the next book?