Letters of an Indian Judge to an English Gentlewoman by Anonymous
Poltergeists and Other Hauntings by Rupert Matthews
Eye for an Eye by William Ian Miller (177 pages)
Fast-Tracked by Tracy Rozzlyn
The Old One by Todd Brabander
Asimov’s Aurora by Mark W. Tiedemann (36 pages)
Crawlers by Sam Enthoven
The House of Thunder by Leigh Nichols

Letters of an Indian Judge to an English Gentlewoman by Anonymous
Poltergeists and Other Hauntings by Rupert Matthews
Eye for an Eye by William Ian Miller (177 pages)
Fast-Tracked by Tracy Rozzlyn
The Old One by Todd Brabander
Asimov’s Aurora by Mark W. Tiedemann (36 Pages)
Crawlers by Sam Enthoven
House of Thunder by Leigh Nichols
Elegy: Book 1 of the Arbiter Codex by Christopher Kellen
Rippler by Cidney Swanson

On TV, it seems like everybody has an annual, or at least a bi-annual holiday – even if it’s only to visit the rellies. But who can afford that in real life? I see my mum once a year only because she visits us. Otherwise I would be limited to a voice on the phone. And I’m quite sure I am not the only one in this situation. Everybody is tight these days.

When was your last holiday? Where did you go and who did you go with?

However, if by some strange miracle, I were to someday own my own home, I would have it decorated in a fairly unique but tasteful new age vintage goth style. This may sound strange at first, but I love all three styles – new age, vintage, goth – and I believe that these three styles can be blended quite well. For example, a beautiful twenties lamp would not look out-of-place in a dark gothic room, and a pair of fairy candlesticks would suit quite well a Victorian style parlour. Thus, with a few innovations to cleverly disguise such modern items as home theatre systems and refrigerators, I believe that a new age vintage goth home would be a perfect blend of my tastes (vintage, goth) and those of my husband (new age). This way we could both be comfortable in our own home without feeling as though our needs were not being met.

Some examples of the kind of stuff you might spot in my ideal home:

Of course, there would also be plenty of bookshelves and at least one library. I just didn’t bother searching for pics of those, since they are pretty much a given.

What would your ideal home look like?

My main source of information is www.bookcrossing.com and, by extension, the BookCrossing Australia group on LibraryThing. On the BookCrossing site itself, there are several forums where people either discuss books or offer them up as gifts or bookrings. The BookCrossing group on LibraryThing is where those of us who utilise both sites discuss the books we have recently read – what they were, what we thought of them, how they compare to other books, the usual drill. If I see a book mentioned or discussed that seems like it could be interesting, on to my wishlist it goes. LibraryThing is also useful in another way. Every month they have a service called Early Reviewers, where authors and publishers offer free copies of new books in exchange for an honest book review. They also have a section for member giveaways, where members can give away their newly published or pre-loved books. This is an excellent way to find new books to read (with an opportunity to obtain a free copy).

Another way to find out about good books to read is by browsing bookstores – an activity I engage in at every opportunity. Most of the time I don’t actually have any money to spend, but I carry a little notebook to list any book that catches my interest. Bookstores are good, in that they have their books divided into different categories, and they usually have a shelf devoted to new releases. It is also a great place to find out if your favourite author has released anything new recently. Libraries are also a great place to browse the shelves, especially if you like older or out-of-print books.

When combined, magazines and Amazon are a great source of inspiration for non-fiction reads. For example, when I see a book mentioned in a magazine, I will look it up on Amazon. If the blurb on Amazon sounds interesting, I will add the book to my wishlist. Then I will scroll to the section called ‘Customers who bought this item also bought’, and check out the suggestions there. If something seems of interest, I click on it, read the blurb and perhaps add it to my wishlist. I then repeat the process until I run out of books that interest me, or time, whichever comes first. It can be interesting to see how different the subject you finish up on is from the one you originally searched.

My final source of good books is the oldest source of all time – word of mouth. Recommendations from friends and family comprise the smallest percentage of my wishlist books. However, they generally turn out to be the most reliable – probably because they know my taste in books as well as I do myself. Or maybe they just share my taste. Maybe both?

In any case, if you are stuck for something to read, or are simply looking for something outside your usual genre, why not give one of the above methods a try? You just might find yourself pleasantly surprised. As for me, I’m off to work on my goal of reducing my wishlist by at least 5% before I die. Wish me luck – I’m going to need it!

Tomorrow, I will be shopping, using the grocery list provided multiplied by 5. But you are a family of 6, I hear you cry! True, but I have been seeing people on the challenge forums commenting that they are struggling to finish their meals. Therefore, I figure I can probably get away with giving half serves to Yasmine and Storm. After all, if an adult can’t eat a full serve, an eight year old surely won’t!

While we are shooping tomorrow, we will actually be starting the challenge on Sunday. This is because Saturday is the big day of the Toastmasters Contest. Lunch will be provided and the day will be finished off with a social dinner. Rather than blow the challenge before it even properly begins, I decided it would be best to simply wait until after the conference to begin the challenge.

And a challenge it will be! I am used to skipping breakfast and eating a late lunch, and don’t generally eat again until dinner. Looking at this menu, I will be eating breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper. Granted the portions will probably be smaller (and will definitely be healthier), but eating so many meals will definitely take some getting used to!

Have a great evening, and don’t forget to support the Kids Helpline here:

http://www.everydayhero.com.au/inner_beauty_thinner_me

Elegy: Book 1 of the Arbiter Codex by Christopher Kellen
Rippler by Cidney Swanson

Bitten: Bites and Stings from Around the World by Dr. Pamela Nagami
Why do Men Have Nipples? by Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg, M.D.
The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
The Reunion by Sue Walker
The First Time by Joy Field
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd