Confessions of a lame blogger

I'm not a big blogger.  I won't ever be.  I don't intend to be.  And, I'm totally fine with that.  Seriously.

But, every now and then, something pops up as I'm in this world of the blogosphere that makes me realize how lame of a blogger I truly am.  Here's a few examples:

• I have no bucket list...or 101 in 1001, or 30 before 30, or 40 before 40 (because those have come and gone), and I sure as hell ain't about to make a 50 before 50 because we're not talking about turning 50 yet.
  
• I have no cute planner.  I should use one, but I don't.
  
• I have no sponsors, nor have I sponsored another blog.
  
•  I use words like "nor" when I'm not sure I should.  I use a helluva lot of the ellipsis.  I make grammatical errors that I'm not sure I make, yet I'm not sure that I should correct, and I'm too lazy to figure it out.  
  
• I loaded Google Analytics (I think) but I've never used it.  I track nothing.
  
• I infrequently use bloglovin'.  I'm on there.  I follow people.  I save posts sometimes.  But, what I use on a daily basis is blogger reading list feed.  
  
• There are many bloggers who feel that blogger is sub-par.  I don't know what those reasons are and have been too lazy to look into it.
  

In spite of all my shortcomings, I still have some of you that read and interact with me.  For that, I am most grateful.

Sundays Seven Snapshots vol.38

Surprise!  It's a picture of kitties!  (If you only knew how many pictures I take of my cats, you'd realize that I actually restrain myself from posting them all.)

After visiting the Apple Genius Bar, I learned that they can not repair my inoperable power button on my shuffle. R.I.P. my little friend

The greatest scarf in the world - it is filled with Bon Jovi lyrics, and it is made of t-shirt material, so it's nice and comfy too.

Fresh nails make me happy, and I went with hot pink because Spring is just around the corner.

This cat loves me more than I can say...and the feeling is mutual.

Hey!  Look!  It's a Rick in a Box!

A boy and his mutts. Love. 

Ten Things That Made Me Happy This Week vol.1

The lovely Lindsay has started co-hosting with Krysten a weekly link-up for us to remind ourselves and be conscious of "Ten Things That Made Me Happy This Week".  I regularly tell her that the positive message is good for me, so I thought I'd join once a month (at least).  So, what made me happy this week?

• Using my new Urban Decay Smoky eye palette because I love make-up, I love care packages (and it came from my mom's most recent care package she sent me), and I love my mom
• Posting, reading, chatting, and learning about books in the Show Us Your Books link-up
• Having a guy pick up an engagement ring that he put a lot of thought into, deciding exactly what he wanted, and he was thrilled and excited with the result
• Getting a "Save the Date" card for my step-sister, Whitney's wedding...living on the other side of the world, most people don't bother mailing me these important announcements, and it makes me feel really good when someone does
• Stepping on the scale and realizing I've lost five pounds since I met with the nutritionist about two and a half weeks ago
• Astro cuddles
• That feeling of finishing a fantastic book when I closed it, consciously inhaled deeply and exhaled thoroughly and had my heart filled with emotion
• Receiving an unexpected text from my guy that made me feel appreciated
• Wearing a bow in my hair
• Realizing that I've got more than 10 things that made me happy this week, and I had to cut some

 What made you happy this week?  

Never Forget

Girl Defective - Aussie Author Challenge

Hi.  Me again.  Guess what ~ I'm talking about books!  You don't say......

Yesterday, in the Show Us Your Books link-up I quickly re-capped what I thought about this book, but let me tell you a little more about it (because that's what I'm supposed to do to help promote Aussie authors, and I'm such a rule follower).

Girl Defective by Simmone Howell - Why I read it...this description: "It’s about summer, and weirdness, and mystery, and music." 

Skylark is fifteen.  She has a mother who ran off to be a performance artist and an alcoholic father that owns a vinyl record store.  She has an amusing, intelligent, quirky younger brother named Seagull ("Gully").  They live in St. Kilda, the eccentric suburb of Melbourne.  St. Kilda is a mix of hipsters and prostitutes, musicians, tourists, and bohemians.  All of which make appearances in this book.  Sky has a free-spirit friend named Nancy, and she crushes on the brother of a dead girl.  No, I'm not going to say this was the greatest book I've ever read.  But, it was a perfectly enjoyable book with entertaining characters that was a quick and easy read. 4/5

 

I aimed to reach "Kangaroo" status with this challenge, and I'm fairly confident I'll do it! 

KANGAROO
– Read and review 12 titles written by Australian Authors of which at least 4 of those authors are female, at least 4 of those authors are male, and at least 4 of those authors are new to you;
– At least 6 fiction and at least 2 non-fiction, and at least 2 titles first published in 2014 or 2015.

Female authors:
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta - COMPLETED 11 April 2015 - 5/5
Frantic by Katherine Howell- COMPLETED 6 April 2015 - 3.5/5
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (published 2014) - COMPLETED 11 August 2015 - 4/5
Girl, Defective by Simonne Howell - COMPLETED 7 September 2015 - 4/5

Male authors:
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion (published 2014) - COMPLETED 26 June 2015 - 1/5
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan - CUT
The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McGinty
A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley (non-fiction) - COMPLETED 10 February 2015 - 4/5

Authors new to me:
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley - COMPLETED 3 April 2015 - 3.5/5
Strange Places by Will Elliott (non-fiction) - COMPLETED 2 April 2015 - 2/5
All That I Am by Anna Funder - COMPLETED 28 March 2015 - 4/5
Stolen: A Letter to My Captor by Lucy Christopher - COMPLETED 11 March 2015 - 5/5

I show you my books, now you show me yours........ vol.8

Books, books, books, and more books!  Linking up with Jana & Steph to talk about books!

1. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty - This book (and author) has received a lot of hype in the book-reading blogger world.  Deservedly so.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book set in the fictional coastal suburb of Pirriwee, and I can see why there's talk of a movie in the making (except I'm not too sure about the casting rumors). This book is full of fabulous characters and dirty secrets. There are families and friendships; plot twists and a murder investigation; domestic abuse and kindergarten bullies; ex-spouses and single parents.  This will not be the last Liane Moriarty book that I read. 4.5/5

2. Still Alice by Lisa Genova - What a beautiful book. In this fictional gem, Alice, a tenured professor at Harvard for twenty-five years is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. This strong, capable, brilliant, successful woman digresses as the disease takes hold of her. Obviously, no one can know exactly what the thoughts are in someone who suffers from such a debilitating disease, but the author does a tremendous job at expressing the thoughts unspoken.  A book that served as a reminder to not take the life I'm living for granted.  There is no guarantee what tomorrow holds. 5/5

3.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - I read this book as a category for a book challenge to read a banned/challenged book according to the American Library Association.  Does this book deal with some tough topics?  Yes.  Instead of parents or educators who ban it or challenge it, why not use it as a tool to talk to teenagers about those tough topics?  Topics such as alienation, depression, abuse, drugs & alcohol, homosexuality, dating, bullying, date rape, problems at home, problems with friends, sex, and more...all of these topics are realities for most teens today.  The book was published in 1999.  How have I never read this?  Now, I need to watch the movie that I've never seen either.  4/5

4.  The Paris Mysteries (Confessions #3) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro - This is the 3rd book of a series that James Patterson has in his YA collection (because the man obviously doesn't have enough other book series going on in his life.)  I read the first two, and quite frankly, I enjoyed them a whole lot more than this one.  This one was average at best.  2.5/5

5.  Black Dahlia & White Rose by Joyce Carol Oates -  I have never read Joyce Carol Oates and have intended to for years. This is a group of short stories.  Each story was a little dark or morbid or macabre. I don't mind that. But as a collection, it was just okay for me. I found myself enjoying some stories much more than others.  Some, I skimmed. One, I thought was fantastic.  As a whole: 3/5

6.  May We Be Forgiven by A.M. Homes -  There are so many layers to this book: family dysfunction; growth, change, and hope; effed up personal relationships; fulfilling obligations; coming of age; a dash of religion; avoidance; a little bit of adventure; some ridiculousness; and more, with a hint of Wally Lamb's "I Know This Much Is True" and Jonathan Tropper's dark humor in the midst of dysfunction. I felt that there were some parts that could have been eliminated completely without any detriment to the story. For that reason, I give it a 3.5/5.

 7.  Always Running by Luis J. Rodriguez - Originally published in 1993, I picked up a copy with a new introduction by the author and published in 2005, printed in 2011.  A firsthand account from a former hardcore Chicano gang member on the streets of L.A. has reformed himself, yet finds his 15 year old son following in his footsteps of the gang life.  That inspired him to write this book.  Why haven't I read this before?  I have a fascination with criminal justice, crime & punishment, redemption & reformation, and juvenile crime.  After reading the intro, I was ready for a gripping read. I was disappointed. Parts were provocative, gritty, and engrossing; other parts seemed self-indulgent. Having worked with juvenile criminals in the past, many who were gang members, I probably have a stronger opinion than others about the topic. Although the author eventually took many steps in a positive direction and saw that the life of "cholo" criminality was a "useless existence", I can't say I ever felt any remorse. I feel like there were a lot of valid reasons he gave to why gangs exist particularly in minority and lower socio-economic communities...but I felt he used these reasons to excuse his own behaviour. Although fessing up to some terrible things that he participated in and witnessed is part of taking responsibility for your actions, having empathy and remorse is another important part of that process. I felt the latter part was lacking. 3/5

8. Girl Defective by Simmone Howell - Part of the summary of this book on goodreads says: "It’s about summer, and weirdness, and mystery, and music."  That all sounded like a good reason for me to read it.  It was better than good and a quick, easy read.  4/5













Didn't finish:  Pride & Prejudice

Currently Reading:  The Collected Works of A.J. Fikry (released as The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry in the USA)

Next Up:  The Power of the Dog, Cutting for Stone, Paperboy, Not Without My Sister

Challenges Update (really for my own personal bookkeeping):

Literary Ladies Book Challenge = 10/10; finished!

Book Challenge by Erin = 10/10; finishes October 31st; this one has a bonus round & I'm 2/10 for that.

Aussie Author Challenge = 10/12; finishes December 31st

The Official 2015 TBR Pile Challenge = 8/12; finishes December 31st

Signs that I am old and out of touch

I've tried pretty hard not to admit that I'm getting older, that I'm in my forties, but I can't run away from some of my old skool ways any longer.  Here's some evidence that I am indeed getting old and out of touch in some aspects of my life...

I've never downloaded a movie.  I'm sure I could figure it out but never done it.  I still rent dvds or watch them on satellite tv.  Nope.  Don't have Netflix either.

I still read books.  No e-books.  No audio books.

Photo Source

I'm not always down with the lingo that the kids speak.  "Miley, what's good?" What does that even mean?

I know she's 18 years old now, legally an adult, but I get very uncomfortable when I see pictures like this from Kylie Jenner's instagram.  (Really, any teenager posting similar pics, but she's the one we see the most.)  Let me clarify that I do not follow her ig, but the entertainment media love to share them.  I wonder if her mother ever thinks "I've created a monster".  Doubt it.  Her mother probably thinks "I've created a cash cow". 

Photo Source

I looked at the Billboard Hot 100 songs - in the top 10, I don't even know who these people/artists/bands are - I know of Selena Gomez (but don't know the song), Adam Levine (but he's just "featuring" in a song that I don't know).  I never thought I'd get to this point when it came to music.

I still buy entire albums.  Not always.  But often enough.  And, I still call them albums.

Most recent purchase.  Of course.  Probably another sign that I am old.

When have you thought to yourself "I'm old and out of touch"?

Sunday's Seven Snapshots vol.37

Surprise, surprise.  A picture of books.  I have a local secondhand bookstore/book exchange that I love to visit.  I get to support a local small business, and I get books on my "to read" list.  It's a win.

Yep.  More books.  I picked up these three babies at the library.  Can I tell you how confused I was that the A.J. Fikry book was released under a different title here in Australia?  In the USA, it is The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, and I saw so many bloggers recommend it, I added it to goodreads but could never find it.  Finally, I figured it out.  

Last week, I told y'all about visiting a nutritionist and trying to get my healthy eating kick into gear.  I tried these vegan rice balls and sweet potato balls this week one day for lunch.  I would have never selected this for lunch.  But, guess what ~ they were tasty and filling! 

I'm just going to throw this out there...the commute for Sydneysiders has some of the best views in the world.  I took this from the train window while on my way to work.

Don't see this everyday when you're driving down the road. 

I'm ready for some football. Whoop!  Not every game is televised here, but today's is. It's on delay. So, I'm avoiding all social media & updates, and it's killing me. 

It's Father's Day here in Australia, and we had a FEAST with beef ribs, turkey, roasted veggies, salad, apple pie, and pavlova. 

Hope you are surrounded by love & happiness this weekend.