Wednesday, 8 January 2020

My Resolutions -- #3: Read More Books!

The Dream . . . .


The Reality . . . .



And now, it's shameful true confessions time --
despite my vow last year to read more books in 2019,
I only completed (*sob*) one book all year!

Yes -- only one -- Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett,
which I read after watching the fabulous mini-series made from it.

And while I enjoyed the book very much,
I did (quite frankly) enjoy the mini-series more.


There are just so many, many reasons
why my reading has dropped off the scale . . . .




A CAT? Wait one DAMN minute!


Time for an INTERVENTION by MOI,
Her Royal Highness the Cat!


I know the REAL REASONS that
Debra She Who Seeks hardly reads
any books anymore!

And I shall expose the whole ugly truth
in the NEXT POST, which shall be . . . 

THE TRIAL OF THE CENTURY!

And you, her readers, will be THE JURY!


DON'T MISS IT!!!!!

56 comments:

  1. My problem is I never finish a book. I get halfway or 3/4 through and then see something else I want to read.

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  2. I was reading coming up in the elevator the other day, someone remarked about it, I hadn't thought about it, three pages enjoyed, 14,997 left to go for the year.

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  3. I don’t make resolutions. That last image: The man kneeling is George Jacobs, SG’s 8-greats grandfather at his trial in Salem, one of few men hanged for being a witch!

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  4. @ Moving with Mitchell -- OMG what a family connection! Very cool!

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  5. I did read a book or two this past year. "Ten Years Behind the Mast - The Voyage of Theodora R" (Fritz Damler) (because sailing around the world was my fantasy and the vessel is dry docked at Tinker Town on Sandia Mountain in New Mexico) and "Christ Stopped at Eboli" (Carlo Levi) (because my family comes from a region of Italy near that described by Carlo Levi as so poverty stricken that even Christ wouldn't have set foot there).

    My excuses for not reading more are
    1) I tend to get distracted or fall asleep while reading so it takes me FOREVER to finish a book; 2) LIFE: walking the dog, grocery shopping, gardening, house chores, cooking, cruising internet, TV, etc.
    3) picture #2 - if I walk into a bookstore or library I just feel overwhelmed and give up.
    4) I still have to FINISH WRITING my book on about a number of people whose paths cross one summer in Provincetown, MA.

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  6. To be honest I do have a TBR bookcase and a list that will never be finished.

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  7. My reading has decreased as my eyesight has deteriorated. Not bad enough for surgery yet however. Reading has always been important to me but not so much any more.

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  8. I read that book, too, and although I LOVE all Terry Pratchett's books I agree that the show was way better.

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  9. Will somebody burn at the end of the trial? Because I only follow lynching trials!

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  10. Hello Debra, I always find the time to read. Right now I am almost finished with The World We Live In, a book of short stories by Louis Bromfield. I admit that Bromfield is sometimes a little hard to take, so I read the stories slowly, interspersed with other books.
    --Jim

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  11. Books are forgiving, friend D. I often read the last chapter first in order to get into a book … just like friendships … Hey, I never said that I wasn't weird:) Love, cat.

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  12. HAHAHA! Love when HRH chimes in. Looking forward to what she has to reveal.

    I have TBR bookshelves. The unread books will outlive me :)

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  13. I listen. I have a hard time sitting still for any length of time (ashamed but true).

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  14. I have a whole library of books I'm reading. David said that I can't buy any more books. If I buy one more the house will cave in on the weight of them all. So I'm visiting the library twice a month now. I spend about 20 minutes looking for something worthy of my attention and then spend half the day reading it while I'm there at the library.

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  15. I bought some books last year. It's a start!

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  16. That "book club bouncer" cartoon reminded me of the Seinfeld episode where George tries to fake a book club reading of Breakfast at Tiffany's by just watching the movie version. He gets tripped up when he mentions George Peppard (whose character is gay in the book but straight in the movie.)

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  17. Can't wait, HRH. Can't believe she can possibly justify it.

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  18. I won't miss it! I promise!!!! This is going to be good! I can feel it in my bones! LOL!

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  19. What happened to Annie Proulx's vast, sweeping, historical epic "Barkskins"?

    The one difference to me doing more reading: not having computers near me. If HRH the Cat conducts a trial to take all my screens away I will be forever grateful.

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  20. Well, at least you read one book, Debra! That puts you ahead of many others. And surely you've read your new book about Teemu Selänne since Christmas morning ~ So you must be ahead of last year's number. I'm currently reading Umberto Eco's "Baudolino." I read the beginning of it several times, the last time restarting after more than 100 pages. I'm so glad that I put in the effort because the book is brilliant and funny. I was missing so much because I lacked the background understanding of what was happening. So I've been googling, googling, googling. I had long ago forgotten about Frederick I and the Holy Roman Empire and the east-west schism in the RC church. Now I'm getting Eco's playfulness and humor. Loved all the funnies, especially the cat sleeping on the statue book. I'll be back for the trial for sure!!!

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  21. P.S. Is it art that's sucking up all your reading time???

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  22. I don't think I'll try to get out of jury duty for this post lol! :)

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  23. I averaged out to two books a month this past year, but only because I started out on fire at the beginning. I really slacked off the last 4 months. My only excuse is that I putter around so much that it's easier to listen to podcasts while I'm on my feet. Time to recommit to reading more.

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  24. @ Fundy Blue -- Well, art IS taking up a certain amount of time but not all THAT much. I haven't started the Teemu Selanne book yet -- I'm reading another book I got for Christmas -- Andrew Shaffer's "Hope Never Dies: An Obama/Biden Mystery." It's a hoot! I'm nearly done it and then I'll start Teemu's memoirs.

    Umberto Eco is NOTORIOUS for making the first part of his books impossibly difficult and impenetrable to read and then easing up so the last three-quarters are fast, easy and entertaining. "The Name of the Rose" was the same way. He makes his readers "work" for the later reward.

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  25. @ Old Lurker -- I pissed away SIX MONTHS of 2019 trying to plough through "Barkskins." Made it about a third of the way through, and then DITCHED IT. That sweeping historical epic was just TOO big and had a cast of thousands. So I just said "to hell with it" and donated my copy to the library. If not for "Barkskins," I might have completed more books last year. Alas, we'll never know.

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  26. My name is bobbie, and I'm a book-o-holic! The kind that usually has at least 2 books going at the same time; sometimes even 3!
    Is there any hope for me?!?!

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  27. The one about the book club bouncer... Hilarious. I read 34 books last year. I'm quite proud. Will try to do better this year.

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  28. And I thought I read the whole HP series.

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  29. I have absolutely no idea how you get a moving image on your blog, but I love that one.
    I always have a pile of books on the go.

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  30. I love all of these, but the cat on the statue book is fabulous. Trying to get back to reading books, a desire I lost after Gary's death. Starting with reading blogs again is good inspiration.

    Love, Deborah

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  31. I am trying to get more reading in this year.

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  32. Guess I shouldn't mention that I have only 8 books in my "To Read" pile then.... Can't wait to see HRH in her wig and gown as a Crown prosecutor!

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  33. @ Joanne Noragon -- I will represent myself! Do you think that's a wise idea? No? Oh oh.

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  34. @ Rosemary -- The moving image is a gif which I found on another blog and stole simply by copying and pasting into mine, then adjusting it for size. Easy peasy once you know how to do it! There will be more gifs at my *gulp* trial.

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  35. Always good to see HRH!!

    It's so funny you posted this. I gave my DIL Testaments for Christmas. She sat in our massage chair for an hour while she read it. My daughter gave me Handmaids Tale (the book before Testaments) and I've only read about forty pages. DIL texted me a few days ago and asked what I thought of the book, and asked if I finished yet and I was afraid to tell her no. That's when she confessed she hadn't picked up her book since Christmas. haha At least she can blame my grandbabies. I have no excuse.

    Elsie

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  36. Lifelong die-hard reader here. Very long TBR list/stack/shelf. Here's the thing, though. When I retired I thought I would spend most of my time reading to my heart's content. Instead I find that I am busy with many other interests and hobbies. There simply isn't enough time! I used to read on the hour-long bus ride to and from work and on my lunch break and when I got home. Now, I have to make a conscious decision to forego other things in order to read. Fortunately, borrowing books from the Library means that one must return them in a limited length of time, so they'd best be read at once!

    Love the memes and very much looking forward to HRH's Trial of the Century!

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  37. I have gotten to the point where I don't even try to read any more..I agree with HRH..I spend too much time on my computer and watching Amazon and Netflix...That leaves me no blocks of time in which to read..:(

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  38. Debra, you hit the nail on the head with my Lynx eyes lol! :)

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  39. Books are so overrated these days. I read nothing but books as a child but televised entertainment has ruined me for literature. I still read lots of comics though so that must be the same thing.

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  40. Happy 2020' yippy!
    Nice to visit, I found a space at the back of the auditorium a, hahahaha! Reading before bed, cleans the grid of the day and makes room for better dreaming! My reading has picked up as I Like shutting the reality nightmare out at night for better thoughts & dreams!
    More Reading & Laughing! That's the cure!
    I will read MORE blogs! Stay Off Twitter!
    xoxoxoDebi

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  41. You’re not the only pitiful reader! I blame the internet for my time management issue.

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  42. I’m also the queen of excuses when it comes to finishing a book. I hate wearing reading glasses, so the last few books were large print editions which helps, but I easily lose interest unless it’s a real page turner. I probably should consider reading some classics that I’ve never read before. Looking forward to your trial, Debra!

    Julie

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  43. A book isn't the only writing that is important. You also read blog posts and communicated with the blogging community with your comments. Perhaps you read such short stories and you probably read some articles in magazines and newspapers. How do you choose the books you want to read?

    Love,
    Janie

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  44. @ Janie Junebug -- I just choose books that sound intriguing or interesting to me. Sometimes they are recommended by friends or family or I hear about them in the media. I've read a lot of "classics" back in the day, so I don't tend to choose those anymore. Modern novels are more "my thing" now.

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  45. Love the dream meme. I wish it represented my life. As soon as I get my new glasses I'm going to start reading more. Right now it's mostly craft and how-to books. The rest are all audiobooks, which I enjoy tremendously, but I just feel like I need to hold a real book before they quit making them.

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  46. If you could only get to one book over the year, I think Good Omens was a great choice! The series was great fun to binge!

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  47. Sit and read is very high on my list of "things I like to do". And, I am currently in a time and place when that's a doable thing!

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  48. I don't read as much as I did..3-4 books a week..now? maybe 2 books in 3 weeks..fecking facebook and meme chasing..the little prince and all my volunteering.

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  49. I think you are innocent of all charges!
    If you could see my piles of books!
    Yet I still buy more...for later...
    To be honest though, they are usually really old/Victorian children's books :o)

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  50. haha

    okay now my tummy is aching Debar

    my sympathies are with you

    hope you did not think of me while writing all this lol ,same guilt here :(((

    wishing you more happy readings ahead my friend!

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  51. I love reading too, but life sure has a way of getting between me and a good read! LOL, I doubt I'll ever finish everything on my to-read list.

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