Life in progress

Tag Archives: reading


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JusJoJan25 the 27th – Glamour

This post is part of Just Jot it January, and the prompt word, “glamorous,” comes to us from Sadje. Check out her blog here!

Myself being one of the least glamorous people I’ve ever met, I enjoy writing characters who are glamorous occasionally.

Characters who live in always clean huge houses with dozens of rooms and giant kitchens.

Characters who dress up and go to parties, balls, expensive restaurants.

Characters who go shopping for cars and furniture like it’s nothing.

Characters who wear makeup and own more than one pair of shoes …

Okay, maybe that last one is a bit close to home.

Aside from the makeup, cars, parties, balls, and restaurants, I dream of a lifestyle in which I could afford the things I write about.

I think that’s why I write it. It allows me to live vicariously through my characters.

I believe that’s what we do when we read about things we can only dream about, too.

What do you think?

This dreamy post is part of Just Jot it January! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link. It’s fun!

Thanks again to Sadje for the prompt!


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One-Liner Wednesday – Trigger Warning

I’m listening to the audiobook version of Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman, and his voice is absolutely mesmerizing. (Yes, it’s narrated by the author.)

That is all.

If you would like to participate in this prompt, feel free to use the “One-Liner Wednesday” title in your post, and if you do, you can ping back here to help your blog get more exposure. To execute a pingback, just copy the URL in the address bar on this post, and paste it somewhere in the body of your post. Your link will show up in the comments below. Please ensure that the One-Liner Wednesday you’re pinging back to is this week’s! Otherwise, no one will likely see it but me.

NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, like Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

As with Stream of Consciousness Saturday (SoCS), if you see a pingback from someone else in my comment section, click and have a read. It’s bound to be short and sweet.

Unlike SoCS, this is not a prompt so there’s no need to stick to the same “theme.”

The rules that I’ve made for myself (but don’t always follow) for “One-Liner Wednesday” are:

1. Make it one sentence.

2. Try to make it either funny or inspirational.

3. Use our unique tag #1linerWeds.

4. Add our lovely badge to your post for extra exposure!

5. Have fun!

Badge by Laura @ riddlefromthemiddle.com

 


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#SoCS & #JusJoJan 11/20 – Books

Looking around for a book to find a quote for this post (it was actually “Looking around for”), the first book I came across was the dictionary. Figuring I didn’t have much of a chance of opening it to a random page and actually finding a sentence, I kept going. The book I finally settled on, which was actually the next one I found, was Transcendent, a book I have a short story in.

To be perfectly honest, I haven’t read all the stories in it yet. But I will! It’ll take a while though. It’s a hefty volume!

There are so many ways to read a book these days. I’m quite taken with audiobooks, now that I’ve finally discovered them. But there’s nothing quite like reading a physical book. I might be more enamored of ebooks if I didn’t spend all day staring at a screen … although I do still read them.

It’s beginning to sound like reading a good old fashioned book will be the only thing to do tomorrow. The wind is gusting and the freezing rain is due to start any time, if it’s not already doing it now. I’m in my PJs–I ain’t going out there to check. Anyway, we might lose our power, so if I don’t show up tomorrow, you’ll know why. I have the entire week’s prompts scheduled already, except for Wednesday and Saturday, so you’ll be good for a few days at least.

Wish us luck, as I wish everyone who lives in this wet, frozen part of the world the same.

 

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

This post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday, and

 

Just Jot it January! Click the following link and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/01/10/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-2020-daily-prompt-jan-11th/

Love quickens beneath the moonlight …

Get your free copy of The Magician’s Sire: A Paranormal Romance → Click here


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#SoCS – Leave it alone

Why do we have such a hard time leaving some things alone?

In my case, a book. Used to be if I started one, I had to finish it, no matter how boring it was or how much I disliked it. I couldn’t stop until I’d read the painful last page. But the older I get and the more books I want to read, I’m getting better at it.

In Alex’s case (he’s my son), something that hurts. If he has a scab, he’s gotta pick it. No matter how much I tell him to stop (that actually makes him do it more), or try to explain to him that he’ll make it worse and possibly the body part will fall off, he can’t leave it alone. He’s covered in scars from tiny scratches that he turned into major wounds.

No, nothing has fallen off. Yet. And maybe the fact that I tell him it might and it never does is why he never believes me and, thus, never stops picking. Unfortunately, I can’t cut off any of his body parts while he’s asleep just to show him I’m right (he’ll wake up if I do and then the whole experiment will be ruined), so instead I’m stuck with a kid with scars. And I have to watch him make himself bleed, which might actually be more painful for me than it is for him … If it hurt him that much, he wouldn’t do it. Right?

I’m rambling.

I’m just going to leave this here.

Here are some leaves.

baby maple leaves

This post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday! Click the following link to find all the other posts linked in the comment section and join in yourself. It’s fun!

SoCS badge by Pamela, at https://achronicalofhope.com/


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One-Liner Wednesday – Books

There’s nothing better and nothing worse than finding a really great book to get lost in. While you’re reading it, it’s pure escapism. When you finish it, it’s a mad scramble to find something as good. Problem is, really great books are rare.

 

If you would like to participate in this prompt, feel free to use the “One-Liner Wednesday” title in your post, and if you do, you can ping back here to help your blog get more exposure. To execute a pingback, just copy the URL in the address bar on this post, and paste it somewhere in the body of your post. Your link will show up in the comments below. Please ensure that the One-Liner Wednesday you’re pinging back to is this week’s! Otherwise, no one will likely see it but me.

NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, like Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

As with Stream of Consciousness Saturday (SoCS), if you see a pingback from someone else in my comment section, click and have a read. It’s bound to be short and sweet.

Unlike SoCS, this is not a prompt so there’s no need to stick to the same “theme.”

The rules that I’ve made for myself (but don’t always follow) for “One-Liner Wednesday” are:

1. Make it one sentence.

2. Try to make it either funny or inspirational.

3. Use our unique tag #1linerWeds.

4. Add our lovely badge to your post for extra exposure!

5. Have fun!


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335. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Wednesday, August 1st, 5:00pm
Michael (and DeeDee)

 

Michael sits at the window, reading a book. DeeDee takes the seat beside him.

DeeDee: Excuse me.

Michael: (glances up) Oh God, not you again.

DeeDee: Yeah, me again. I’ve got something to ask you.

Michael: I’m not interested.

DeeDee: Oh, I think you will be.

Michael: I’m trying to read.

DeeDee: I can wait ’til you’re finished.

Michael: I’m only a quarter of the way into my book. Good luck.

DeeDee: That’s fine. I’ll count while I wait. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, ni…

Michael: (snaps the book closed) Okay, what do you want?

DeeDee: Did you know that peanut butter was first patented by a Canadian?

Michael: (stares at her) You interrupted my reading for that?

DeeDee: It’s something everyone should know.

Michael shakes his head and goes back to his book.

DeeDee: (singing) Peanut butter jelly time, peanut butter jelly time.

Michael: (closes his book) Do you hate me?

DeeDee: A little. (starts singing again)

 

Next stop: Thursday, August 2nd, 5:00pm

Click here to learn all about this series, how it works, and where to find your favourite characters.


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Random, oh Random

Drinking a glass of wine tonight. Something I don’t do often anymore.

Thinking about shutting off the laptop. Something I never do before it’s time to go to bed.

But it’s been so long since I last listened to music and read a book.

With a glass of wine.

They forgot to put tartar sauce on my Filet-O-Fish yesterday. It’s still pissing me off.

Enya. I think I’ll listen to Enya.

No more editing today: I’ve been doing it non-stop all weekend. Between Candy Crush.

I hate Candy Crush.

If you say, “Well then, just stop playing it!” you’re showing you just don’t understand Candy Crush.

Stephen King is good. I think I’ll read Stephen King.

I haven’t changed out of my pyjamas today. I’m drinking wine in my pyjamas. Pyjamas that I put on last night.

Joyland. I started it a few nights ago. Enya and Joyland and wine.

Sounds like an excellent combination.

With no laptop.

Yeah.

May never forget the Filet-O-Fish. Dry fish. Oh, the irony.


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41. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Wednesday, October 11th, 4:00pm
Michael (and Agatha)

 

Michael sits at the window, reading. Agatha takes the seat beside him.

Agatha: Hello.

Michael glances away from his iPad and smiles.

Agatha: I’m going to my granddaughter’s house for dinner. (gestures to a dish on her lap) I’m bringing the bread pudding.

Michael: (mumbles without looking up) That’s nice.

Agatha: My great-granddaughter Kitty will be there. Such a precious thing she is, though the clothes she wears! I don’t know what children are thinking these days. What’s that thing you’re holding?

Michael: This? It’s an iPad.

Agatha: (sighs) All these newfangled gadgets. Why, in my day we used to read things like newspapers and books. We wore things that covered us up and we baked our own bread pudding!

Michael shrugs and stares at his iPad.

Agatha: (after a few minutes) I’m going to my granddaughter’s house for dinner.

Michael: (rolls eyes) And I bet you’re taking bread pudding.

Agatha: How did you know?

Michael: Lucky guess.

 

Next stop: Thursday, October 12th, 2:00pm

Click here to learn all about this series, how it works, and where to find your favourite characters.


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18. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Monday, September 18th, 8:00am
Michael (and Phil)

 

Michael sits beside the window, reading a book. Phil takes the seat beside him.

Phil: My car broke down.

Michael: Excuse me?

Phil: I don’t usually take the bus, but my car broke down today.

Michael nods and goes back to reading.

Phil: I had a feeling it wouldn’t start.

Michael begrudgingly looks up from his book.

Phil: It’s just one of those days when you know something’s going to go wrong. Know what I mean?

Michael: Yeah. (glances out the window for a moment, then goes back to the book)

Phil: Do you own a car?

Michael: (lets the book drop in his lap) Nope.

Phil: You wouldn’t understand then.

Michael: Understand what?

Phil: What it’s like to have to take the bus.

Michael frowns but Phil doesn’t notice.

Phil: I mean, what do you do on the bus? When you’re driving to work, you have something to do.

Michael: I like to read a book. (lifts the book up and shows Phil)

Phil: Oh yeah? That’s a good idea. What are you reading?

Michael: Deadly Karate Blows – The Medical Implications, by Brian Adams.

Phil: Oh.

 

Next stop: Tuesday, September 19th, 5:00pm

Click here to learn all about this series, how it works, and where to find your favourite characters.


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Why do you read?

Excellent question.
Note: Comments here are turned off. Please visit Ionia’s original post and let’s see your answer!

Ionia Froment's avatarreadful things blog

books and flowers

As an author, I am always curious about what motivates people to read. I’ve done posts before about how people choose books, about covers and colors and what you seek in a blurb, but this post poses a simpler question with perhaps an opportunity for more complex answers.

Why do you read?

Sometimes I read to learn, sometimes to go on an adventure in a far away place I will probably never get to in real life. Occasionally, I read because it is such a part of me. Whereas some people enjoy movies, music or the theatre, favourite sports or socialising with others, I like books. I love the feel of them, the scent of them, the way they make you feel like someone understands when no one else does.

Sometimes I read to improve my craft. There are so many reasons. I also love the feeling of finding a…

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