A Gradual Resolution.

It’s a New Year, New Beginnings and all that fan fare people associate with a new year. And I couldn’t be any more less excited. Why? Because I miss the two weeks I had off work. I was just starting to relax, enjoy being home and before I knew it; the fortnight was done. And my brother is leaving me sooner than I thought which makes it suck more!
However short it turned out to be; I enjoyed it immensely. I got the chance  to take naps and remembered how waking up from one felt like – refreshing. I think the lack of taking one at work is what drains me most. I should look into getting alone time over there.

My Creations

The creative juices flowed like never before and I made two necklaces which I loved. Not forgetting the one I edited. Drawing, making something and reading are my most treasured moments of free time. They symbolize peace, rest and I get as much out of them as a Zen master would out of meditation.
So it’s the new year. Hmm… I try not to have resolutions because no one ever goes through with them anyway but this time round, I am forced to have one. Yes. I realized last year that I have massive anger issues and might need anger management lessons at some point in my life. I’m pretty much a laid-back girl: the kind that is not fazed by anything for I take people at face value, I rarely let little things get to me so it takes forever for me to become enraged.
Well, I suffered my most enraging moment last year! The kind of rage that is only spent by breaking several things. And I broke some. The sound of shattering glass and ceramic definitely does something for the mind. There is that sense of fulfilment and calmness that overcomes the body after expending those emotions. Last time I felt this enraged was in High School and even then I broke a little something. What’s not cool though is; the muscle pain garnered from the energy and force put behind breaking stuff. I went around with a sore shoulder for two weeks.
Seeing as I can’t go round breaking things; the need to work on my anger is real and as such I am going to try as much as I possibly can. This will, however, be a gradual process. Those of us who take forever to combust take twice the time to work on it. So, wish me luck.
And with that; may you all be able to go through with your resolutions. Happy New Year.

I Love Technology: Adobe Digital Editions.

 Remember the post I did about my love for technology here? Well…I am falling more and more in love as I continue to discover.
A couple of days ago, I downloaded a torrent file collection of all Sandra Brown’s work that is Novels. When I tried to open it and get to reading, the file could not open due to the format and I lacked the proper program to open the .epub and .mobi extensions. I looked at all the titles I’d been dying to read as the thought of having to delete everything reared its ugly head!
I was so crushed, demoralised, tired and frustrated. Downloading the torrent had been done at my last hour of being online. Weird is I cannot spend more than three hours online contrary to some of my friends’' beliefs. It tires me out. Since I didn’t have the proper program to open the books, I put off the attempt to search for one, the prospect of deleting the entire collection and decided to sleep on it.
The first thing I did when I got online the next day was to look for the right program and download it. Don’t you marvel at how everything is available on the internet if you have the patience and will to try find what you want? Moments like these make me more appreciative of our generation’s technology advancements.
So, I read through some of the relevant information and suggested programs in my quest to finding the right one. I came across a list of all the programs one might need to open the .mobi and epub file extensions and Adobe Digital Editions caught my eye. I settled on downloading it simply because I am registered at acrobat and not only familiar but also a user of most of their programs.
After the download and installation, you know what happens next, Right? TESTING!! I got down to it since it was my first time and I love! love! love! it.
It comes with a virtual bookshelf for all the digital books. I was excited! I went on to insert all the books I had so far downloaded like a greedy kid trying to eat everything on the plate all at once! If this had been  a physical feat, I’d be exhausted for days.
Unlike Adobe Reader x, Adobe digital editions also comes with the book mark feature which enables you to bookmark where you left off in the book. You do not have to take a mental note of the page number or search for it when you return to the book. How cool is this? The reader in me is in book heaven though I can’t help but muss the days where I’d curl up with a paperback and lose myself in it til the end.
I love this Adobe Digital Edition because it is exclusively for the .mobi and epub file extensions and not pdf. Adobe Reader X IS still my number one love for pdf extensions and I can do so much with it. I don’t have to keep the book indefinitely on my laptop for one which Adobe Digital Editions encourages with its virtual bookshelf.

The Alchemist…FINALLY!

 I finally got round to reading Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. I am proud of myself considering the fact it has taken me almost three years since I said I would? The first time I failed because it was an audio book which didn’t work for me. There is no question mark against Morgan Freeman’s voice. I am simply a paperback girl. I decided to wait until I could get my hands on either a soft copy that is Ebook or paperback.

I downloaded the Ebook version, sat on it for months and remembered it after all the fluff reading I had done. I have to say it is a very good book. It reminds us of what we already know, think and teaches us more. I don’t know if any of you believe in omens but I do. I believe in a cock’s crow, the black and white lizard and the odd bird poop on your person. It never crossed my mind that butterflies and crickets are good omens. In fact, I thought otherwise. The book talks so much of believing and following omens such as butterflies etc implying they are good omens and how you must always look out for them to guide you on to the right path in your quest to achieving your dreams.

Essentially, it is about dreams -the beauty of following them and believing in your heart and yourself. We were all created with an intention and a purpose. He talks about Santiago’s journey as a Shepherd from the mountains of Spain to the pyramids of Egypt in search of his treasure. The struggles he faced, lessons he learnt just to achieve his dream, how he finally becomes The Alchemist and also later finds his treasure in the one place he left in the beginning.

I found it quite relative and reflective of human nature. We all have dreams, the strong are the ones who follow their hearts and fulfil their dreams whilst the weak are the ones who sit on them or give up once they encounter obstacles as it says, ‘Before a dream is realised, The Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so we can learn, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we have learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which most people give up.’ and at the end of it all blame the world for all our failures. I can’t say it had a huge impact on me, it was more like an affirmation of what I already know and then some.

The book has so many quotable quotes and profound texts but for me it has to be, ‘Be aware of the place where you are brought to tears…’ Reading this reminded me of the conversation I had with my sister and the post I did about dreams here. I cried during that text session like no man’s business. And the quote brought back the same emotions and a little tear to my eyes. Dreams are everything, they are the driving force behind who we are and without them, we are nothing.You can decide to be like the Arab crystal seller whose dream is to go to Mecca- he’d rather dream about the possibility, work towards it and not see it through because he doesn’t want to find another dream or be like Santiago and go after what you want.

I do recommend the book if you have not had the pleasure of reading it. What next as regards my reading list? I guess Don Quixote. It sounds English which I love. I think English (British) writers are the best!! My aunt recommended it. On to the business of looking for it.

Emotional Strife!

Before my burial in some of Johanna Lindsey’s work, I took a plunge and read The Best Of Me by Nicholas Sparks to my utter regret. There are traits we readers exhibit; some are selective that is only read particular authors, some read the ending before starting the book and others read particular genres. I fall in the first and later categories.
I am a selective reader when it comes to both authors and genres. For example the only mystery I read is from Jeffrey Archer, John Grisham and Sidney Sheldon. I hate detective, medical, thriller genres. I like to know what I am getting myself into before I start a book. Mental and emotional preparedness, baby.
We all know Nicholas Sparks is a master where romance is concerned. The man has 3 of his works in the top five most romantic movies in the world after all.
I had in my life, never read a Nicholas Sparks though I have watched some of the movie adaptations. Armed with the knowledge of how good he is from what I saw in the movies-I took the plunge and read my first and last novel from him.
Why first and last? Because it was sad and I don’t read sad endings as a rule. The essence of me reading is to enjoy the story, escape and sigh over it. Unknowingly reading a book with a sad ending is not my style and I regretted it!
Funny thing though; after reading the book and chatting about it with my friends, I realised that all his works have sad endings. One half of the couple in all his movies die if not both. They are all sad! A fact you realise once the book is done.
The only person out there that I read with sad stories and endings is Danielle Steele. I know people who don’t read her as a rule but I do with a lot of pleasure because I know what I am getting myself into both emotionally and mentally. And I am willing to let her get to the hardest part of me and bring forth the feelings hidden there.
Since I have had too much romance and sadness from Johanna Lindsey and Nicholas Sparks respectively. I feel the need to get out of this emotional strife so the the time is probably right for my attack on the realistic Paulo Coehlo. I have heard good reviews from my friends and the little bit of The Alchemist audio I listened to last year makes me think I shall enjoy some of his work. As long as he doesn’t play on my emotions…

Down in the Doldrums…

It is no secret that I am a fan of the written word and an avid reader. I recently downloaded a zipped compressed file full of Johanna Lindsey’s work that is collection of novels, not all but some. Enough to fill my heart with joy.
I am a lover of her books. I read her when in school and going through some of the titles in the collection took me back to those days. I had no qualms re-reading some of the books I had read especially the Malory Family collection. I enjoyed those; so going through them again as a more appreciative literary person was very pleasant.
There is no doubt as to why she is one the best at historical romance. The dialogue, plot , wit, humour and story line not to forget romance all make her books a fun read. And in my opinion no one does sarcasm and humour best than the English. There is nothing like a good dialogue amongst the characters to make the story flow and draw you in without you realising it.
As a sucker for a good romance; I like seeing people in love and read about it in books and this is why I am down in the doldrums. Reading romance makes you reflect on how lacking your life is and wish to be in love… And having read some of her work back to back in a few days makes me want to be in love which is something for another day…

I Love Reading!

It feels so good to finally get back to what I love and am most passionate about in my life, that passion is reading. I am one of those avid readers, if I take long, I feel incomplete, and like something is lacking and I miss it.

Lately, I have been able to do just that; Read. I have read so many books that people get surprised when they find out but it is what I do. I had stopped reading for quite a few years due to a lack of access to novels. The guy I used to borrow from disappeared and also being done with school put a temporary stop to the passion.

 I am the type that hardly spends on a novel but given the chance, I will read it even if from someone else. I don't see the use of buying the book when I am going to be done reading it in a few hours and will probably lend it to a friend.

I used to go to my country's main bookstore, browse through the authors and titles or novels they had in stock.  If I came across a novel I was yet to read. I would take it off the shelf and make myself comfortable in the provided arm chairs, open the novel and read halfway through it. So as not to look suspicious and attract unwanted attention nor give myself away, I would stop midway through the novel, mentally mark the page I had stopped on then I'd leave only to return a few weeks later to finish the novel.

Surprisingly, I was able to carry off the act until one of the shop attendants found me one day, very caught up in the novel! Imagine my shock when she tapped me on the shoulder! She gave me such a fright that I couldn't even pretend or claim that I had been going through the summary! From then onwards, I wasn't allowed to sit in their arm chairs for more than five minutes and I also had to be visible whilst there so they could keep their watchful eyes on me. Due to that, my trips to the bookstore have been infrequent, why go when I can't indulge in my passion?

Where I work, our neighbor happens to sell her collection of novels and rents them out too since few people buy. That is how poor our reading culture is. I used to borrow from her until she refused to rent to me claiming I let my whole family and friends read her books thus returning them in frazzled conditions! I was too surprised because I am the only one that read her novels and aside from my mum, no one else reads in my family. Besides, my mum doesn't read as often as I do. I told her I will never rent from her again. She could as well eat her novels for all I cared!

One of my closest friends ended up giving me a few audio books and one in pdf format. I managed to read the one in pdf format within a few days despite having to read it from my laptop but I have to this moment failed to completely listen to the audio books. Funny thing is; one of the audio books is "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. There are so many rev reviews about the book which should motivate me more but…

Whenever I make the decision to dedicate a day to give it a complete listen, I end up getting irritated by having my earphones on for more than an hour and my mind would keep straying. I am more of a paperback person than an audio listener. It is so weird having a book read to you by someone else instead of you doing it by yourself, having it in your hands and letting your imagination run wild.

I must say, I have some pretty awesome friends. They always try to help me out when it comes to novels and books. One of them recently sent me pdf formats of a few relationship books by Steve Harvey (he is the author of the season) and not only that, he introduced me to online piracy! I should not be proud of that but I am. I have been able to download a few other books and the reader in me is very appreciative because I can satisfy my craving and passion for books. The fact I have to read from my laptop doesn't get me down, much as I am a paperback person, pdf isn't so bad.

Every time I finish a book, I always think of the person that sent it to me and I end up appreciating them more and more. 

xxxShanahxxx