uniquelyyourscraftjournal

Where do you find your next book?

06 Nov 2019 Comments Off on Where do you find your next book?

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Reading Journals Tags: books, Good Reads, Library

Dear Fellow Journalers,

It occurred to me this week while I was reading the last few pages of my latest read “The British are Coming” by Rick Atkinson, that my book challenge on Good Reads was coming to an end. My list of titles this year was eclectic to say the least: 8 true stories, 3 Cozy Mysteries, 6 Fiction, 3Self-Help, 1Western among others.

I bet your list of read books is about the same as mine. I also can attest to the fact that my TBR (to be read) pile of books has grown also. So I thought I’d take a look at our Reading Journal and bring you an update on articles I have found over the year.

Where do you find your next great read?

According to a recent library article there are (believe it or not) somewhere between 600,000 and 100,000 books published every year in the US alone.Now, if you were to purchase all your favorites from B & N ( Barnes & Noble) you’d be feeding an expensive hobby. Luckily your local library has come to your rescue. Most libraries in the US belong to a consortium which means if they don’t have the latest “xxyy” title, they will check the other 30 or so libraries in the group. There are also hold systems, so you can get your hands on “xxyy” eventually. Also, have you checked your library book sales?

If you have a Kindle or other e-reader you can download. books from apps like OverDrive, Amazon, Libby, or RBDigital. If your community has a used book or Thrift Store, you will find books of all kinds at the fraction of the original cost. Lastly, you can start a book swap with friends.

One of the ways that I have kept prices down are to keep a wish list of books on my Amazon wish list. Once a month I check the prices against my library catalog and other apps. When the price point is close to my comfort level, I buy it or borrow it if I can.

What have you read lately?

~Sallie

November Prompts

01 Nov 2019 Comments Off on November Prompts

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Prompts Tags: Monthly prompts

Dear Fellow Journalers,

November Monthly Prompts follow:

What has made you a stronger person?
When do you feel most at peace?
What is one of the best decisions you’ve ever made?
What are you thankful for and why?
What will have mattered most at the end of your life?

Do you wear costumes?

30 Oct 2019 Comments Off on Do you wear costumes?

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Perspectives Tags: costumes, Halloween

Dear Fellow Journalers,

This is a copy of a post written in 2015!

Today is Halloween. When I was a youngster, the entire month of October was filled with thoughts and planning on my costume for the big event and all the candy we kids were going to get.

I got to thinking the other day about costumes. In a sense, we all still wear costumes. Think about it- costumes make you feel confident ( I used to wear a certain necklace my Grandmother gave me when I went on interviews or had a presentation to make.) can change your perspective and perhaps your life.
Some costumes involve REAL clothing (“Clothing makes the man”.) Clothing can include jewelry, watches, ties, hair coloring, makeup, plastic surgery – all these things can enhance a costume.

Why wear costumes at all? One of my friends says “What you see is what you get” and she is not far off. I don’t think there is a pretentious bone in her body. What are we afraid of? Are we letting our thoughts control our emotions so that we put on fake persona and become other people?
Will the REAL __________ please stand up!

‘Til next time,

~Sallie

An interview with John Grisham

23 Oct 2019 Comments Off on An interview with John Grisham

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Reading Journals Tags: John Grisham

Dear Fellow Journalers,

I always find it interesting to read about authors and their perspectives. Here is John Grisham…

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Long Story Short with John Grisham
By Emma Cubellis|September 13, 2019

When describing your identity, does the word “reader” find a place on that list? Ours, too. Which is why we’re so fascinated by the reading habits, histories, and preferences of other readers. Long Story Short offers a glimpse into authors’ lives as readers — from the people who helped them fall in love with reading to their all-time favorite books. Read on for this week’s installment of Long Story Short with bestselling author John Grisham, whose new book, The Guardians, hits shelves October 15.

The person who helped me fall in love with reading was: my mother. She did not like television, so I grew up in a home filled with library books.
One book I love to give as a gift is: Okay this might sound a bit self-centered, but I kept about 100 first editions of A Time to Kill. They are quite rare. Once or twice a year I give one as a gift.
If I could write like one other author, it’d be John Steinbeck, my all-time favorite because: he wrote about the little guy, and he did so with such clarity.
One book I think deserves more attention is The Little Drummer Girl by John le Carré because: I love the book, and it had a profound impact on me as a writer, and it is still timely.
The friends I always turn to for reading recommendations is Talmage Boston because: he’s a lawyer/writer in Dallas and reads everything. And my wife, Renee. We compare notes on books everyday.
If I’m not enjoying a book, I put it down — too many books, too little time. I will give any book I start 50 pages to hold my attention. Sometimes 100. After that, I will happily toss it and pick up the next one in my pile.
One book that absolutely shocked me was American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins because: I just read an advanced copy. The book will be published in January. It is the astonishing story of a mother and child fleeing Mexico and trying to get to the border.
My favorite place to read is: On the porch, in the summer, with coffee in the morning and wine in the afternoon.
If I could only read one book for the rest of my life, it’d be: Why would I want to do that?
The book I’m currently reading is: The Border by Don Winslow, and the aforementioned American Dirt, and Race Against Time by Jerry Mitchell.

Courtesy of BookBub

Sallie

The Awakening ~ Part 11

11 Oct 2019 Comments Off on The Awakening ~ Part 11

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Perspectives Tags: Listed, The Awakening

Dear Fellow Journalers,

Part 11:

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted; things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about; a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself, by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never settle for less than your heart’s desire. You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind, and you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side, you take a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.

~Sallie