Booking Through Thursday

Indoctrination August 23, 2007
Filed under: Wordpress — --Deb @ 1:35 am

Using a suggestion from Erin today:
When growing up did your family share your love of books? If so, did one person get you into reading? And, do you have any family-oriented memories with books and reading? (Family trips to bookstore, reading the same book as a sibling or parent, etc.)

I think that I have probably answered this question or something like it somewhere before. So I am not going to do a big long post on this. The straight answer is yes I did grow up in a family that shared a love of books. My mum used to talk to me all the time about the books she read when she was little and all her trips to the library. My dad on the other hand didn't begin reading much until he went to college. Funnily that was round the time he started dating my mum so maybe she influenced him a little. When I was little going to the library was a family event. Even my sister who reads sporadically loved going. We would all come away with handfuls of books and the rest of the evening we would all be quietly reading together in the living room. My dad doesn't read quite as much now so it's mainly my mum and I who share a love of books despite our widely differing tastes.

DS9: Season 1

I have made a start on watching Deep Space 9 from the beginning. Unlike TNG I was fairly confident that I would remember all the episodes. I was older when they were first screened and my parents bought the videos almost right from the start. Also I watched them fanatically having a teen crush on one Dr Julian Bashir. So I was more than a little surprised when there were one or two episodes I only vaguely remembered and yet the rest were very familiar. The main episode I couldn't remember was "Vortex" which is the first hint that there are more changelings in the Gamma Quadrant. It also hints that the changelings keep to themselves after being mistrusted by non shape shifting beings. A hint of things to come maybe.

Favourite episodes in the include "Progress" and "Duet" both of which I found very sad especially Duet. A Cardassian pretends to be the once leader of a Bajoran labour camp in order to receive the punishment he believes is deserved. Surprisingly both those episodes were mainly about Kira and she wasn't one of my favourite characters. Normally (especially at that age) I would have looked up to strong female characters. However, I found her to be just too much. Her character did mellow with time as characters usually do and I didn't mind her so much.

This series seemed to end very abruptly. I got to the last episode and was surprised that there was no more. This series was made during TNG season 6 (which might explain TNG's poorer story lines during that season) which was filled with two part episodes. This one had none and didn't even end on a cliffhanger. Something that changes later on though. The last episode is linked to a bigger story line though (the whole Winn/Boriel story) and maybe that was what they wanted. To end it with something a little more open. I have tried to find out if there was any other reason but have came up with nothing.

The one thing the other series of Star Trek has been notorious for is the carry on of the crew. While watching the extras on TNG it was always mentioned that when the whole senior crew got together to film it was a nightmare because there was always some practical joke or other. It sounded like everyone had fun and they always involved their guest stars . DS9 was notorious for being serious and this was mentioned on the extras here. Actress Nana Visitor put it down to the fact that most of them were stage actors originally (although a lot of TNG actors also came from the stage. Patric Stewart being the most famous and the most famous for his practical jokes). From what I have heard actor Avery Brooks wouldn't allow any carry on and the rest of the actors seemed to revere him. Sounded to me a little like Brooks took himself way too seriously. I think it is surprising because there was so much more chance for comic value within the stories themselves. You have the Quark/Odo duo and later the O'Brian/Bashir duo. I guess when you see them being funny on screen you expect the same off.

The one thing this series has over the others is that they have to have more aliens which was also talked about during the extras. They had to have lots of Cardassians, Bajorans and Ferengi as well as a sprinkling of others in the background to make it look like it really is a space station. I did enjoy hearing about their ideas for the station itself. Originally they had wanted to create a large sprawling station which had been built apon again and again over the years. They wanted it to be a station that was centuries old and had changed hands many times. That possibly no one really knew who built it in the first place. I think they were limited though by the size of the set which is why they gave up on that idea. Also due to limitations the promenade only had one level during the first season. They did things to make it look as though there was another level but it didn't actually make an official appearance until later in the show.

Some Monkey Pics

Nothing new to report but I do have some sock monkey pics.

Mr Sparkles preparing to go and see Monty.

Mr Sparkles on the train.

Mr Sparkles and Monty are reunited.

They hang out.

Enjoy the view

Order some food.

And then to bed.

Two days later Mr Sparkles gets a letter

And a photo.

Crazee4books, I do recommend Tamora Pierce. It's basically teen fantasy where the lead characters are all female. Definitely worth reading but you should start from the beginning, the Lioness Quartet.

Mini Ode To Timewarden

Timewarden has decided that he won't be posting anymore which I think is such a shame. I will very much miss his posts which I always looked forward to reading. I do actually remember his first post which he again mentioned not that long ago. The post was about the new animated series of Captain Scarlet. I remember reading it with interest as I had loved Captain Scarlet as a child. I especially enjoyed the weekly posts on Doctor Who and taking part in what almost became a weekly discussion. I will also miss his thoughts on music as he has such a wide and varied taste and this was clearly shown in his posts. Timewarden I hope that you consider coming back at some point in the future!

This is what I am listening to just now. It features a lot of covers and live performances by various artists. I am enjoying the covers more. I can't help but like hearing current artists singing classic hits (providing of course they don't make a complete hash of it). One of my favourite's is KT Turnstall's cover of "I want you Back". Mind you it helps that I do enjoy listening to Turnstall's own music.

Lili, don't worry, I will make sure your card is special (and protected since it will be going further afield), lol. I know how you feel. It was the kitchen table I had to use too and of course I had to have it cleared for dinner.

Christmas already?

I bought some Fimo clay a few weeks ago with the intention of having a go and hopefully making something I could add to my Christmas cards. The plan was to make little stockings and attach them to the front of the cards with those glue dots. They would also have ribbon so that the stockings could be removed from the cards and placed on the recipients tree. Well I attempted a stocking and it went disastrously wrong. Should have started with something simple. So I next made some candy canes and I am thinking of attaching this to peoples gifts. These are fairly easy to make and I did have fun doing it. Here is my top tip if you want to try using clay. First of all have a packet of wipes handy. Colours transfer to other colours just through touch alone. This isn't exactly ideal when working with red and white. The black is the worst for it though. You need to wipe your hands, clay knife and surface before starting on a new colour. I also advice that you work with the paler colours first. One other tip which is probably just common sense, keep your window open while baking the clay and then air your oven after words. The smell is awful. It's not pungent but you will be aware of it. Other than that it is a lot of fun though.

Speaking of Christmas I really should make a start on my Christmas cards this year. My theme is going to be snowmen. I think snowmen will be easier to make than the stockings. I have been in the mood to make Christmas related items so I should use that feeling while I can to get all my cards done. I managed to make handmade cards for everyone last year and I am hoping to do the same again.

Another reason to look forward to the Christmas season is that a few weeks ago I finished another scarf. I used another pattern from the knitting bible. This one is called eyelit rib. The pattern was very easy to follow. I quickly got into the rhythm of it and knitted away while watching the last of the Star Trek episodes. This scarf I have decided is for myself. I have knitted many scarves since taking up knitting and this will be the first thing I have made for myself. I'm looking forward to wearing it as the yarn is so soft.

Here is the last felt mascot I made. A friend requested the alien from the book but in brighter colours (the one in the book was done in gray). Since passing it on to her she has decided that it is an elf rather than an alien. I haven't made any more felt mascots but plan to make more at some point. I'm thinking of making some Christmas related ones to attach to presents along with the candy canes. They don't take too long to make so I am hoping that it is possible.

Crazee4books, it probably does make us book fanatics but I'm proud of the title. I bet most people who come under that category are proud of it.

Timewarden, I have been tempted to buy the magazines with all the different Dr Who covers such as the radio times. I just don't have the space to store it all. Being a crafter, book fanatic and DVD collector leaves you limited in space unfortunately (doesn't help that I tend to hoard things).

Lili, I tend to get rid of the books I don't enjoy too. Generally by giving them to charity shops. I also give them away if I read the book, enjoyed it but have no intention to ever read the book again as it was just a light, trashy read. Admittedly the last type are few and far between as even some books I class as my trashy reads I find difficult to give away. I also am more likely to read a book I have never read before than reread a title. There are so many books I would love to read again but so many more I would love to read for the first time. I wish there were more hours in the day.

I am missing my sister but we are on the phone to each other all the time. I think she gets lonely all by herself too which isn't helped by not having a television (she plans on getting one but is low in her list). I also see her at least once a week. She has been requesting her days off so that one of them matches mine which is nice. So I am seeing her today and going over to her place tomorrow. As I said the only good thing is that I now have a craft desk which I have been making full use of. I have been loving having the things that I am working on at hand. Usually everything is stored away as I don't have the space to leave them out.

I apologise for not commenting on everyone's blogs. I have been reading them but need to catch up on my comments. Will do so soon.

Booking Through Thursday

Multiples August 9, 2007
Filed under: Wordpress — --Deb @ 1:13 am

Do you have multiple copies of any of your books?If so, why? Absent-mindedness? You love them that much? First Editions for the shelf, but paperbacks to read? If not, why not? Not enough space? Not enough money? Too sensible to do something so foolish?

There is only one book that I have multiple copies of and that's "Jpod" by Douglas Coupland. The reason I have three is that two of them are limited editions (in different formats). The third is also limited edition in the same format as one of the others but it is signed. I had no intentions of buying three copies of the book. It's one of my favourite books and while I am a collector of books I just never thought of collecting editions of one particular title. The first copy is actually a proof copy. Publishers give these out to book stores in the hopes that they will read them and therefore be able to sell them better when it comes to them being released to the public. They are also given to proof readers to spot any printing errors. I usually don't bother all that much with proofs. I have a couple but being such a Coupland fan I practically snatched this one out the reps hands when he handed it over. I had no intentions of buying a copy of the book but then they brought them out as a limited edition and I couldn't help myself. About 3 months after the release of the book and I had already bought my second copy we were sent signed editions and I couldn't resist then either. It's the only time I have ever done that though.

I do have a friend who actually collects editions of one book title. She loves books as much as I do but unlike me she can actually say that she has one ultimate favourite book. She's a "Pride And Prejudice" fan. She has always loved the story even before the days of the television adaption (although it did help fuel her addiction). I wouldn't even like to guess how many copies of the book she has. She once saw an edition of the book in a film. The leading lady was reading it. She took one look at the cover and then was straight on the net trying to hunt a copy down (luckily enough she did find it). She also reads the book again every time she buys another copy of it. I think it is sweet. I have loved many books but not enough to go out and do that. Or at least I couldn't single just one out to do that with. "Jpod" was an exception.

My sister has just about finished moving her things out and I have all but finished tidying and gutting out. Would have went a lot quicker if I hadn't been working. There are still things that I need to do but I am having crafts withdrawal. I am itching to work on something, anything, as it feels like days since I have worked on anything. I have decided that tonight I am going to take a break and do something crafty.

Lili, I am glad that you liked the mascots. I very much enjoyed making them. I have since made another which I will post later. I also found a bag of felt that I forgot I had so I will have to make more with that. "Magician" was a great read. I hope your DH likes it when you track down a copy of it. How are you getting on with "First Among Sequels"? I finished it last week. Plan on posting my thoughts on it soon.

Timewarden, I haven't read "Stark" or saw the adaption. I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of Ben Elton himself. I tend to switch over if I catch him on television. It put me off trying any of his books. The only reason I really read that one was that a friend has recommended it and made it sound interesting. I did like it and I will probably try more but who knows when that will be. I loved "Preemptive Strike" too. Ro was never a favourite character of mine (although she had a major role in some of my favourite episodes) but I loved this one and I did like her character in it. It was great to see. The main reason they did that episode was partly to tie up loose ends with Ro but also to introduce the Maquis. Chasing the Maquis was how "Voyager" started and they used both Next Gen and DS9 to add in the background they needed. I didn't actually realise that until I watched the extras.

Crazee4books, I loved Salem's Lot. I am also a bit of a King fan (I think that has probably come across in a few of my posts, lol). I am not a horror fan on the whole though. I think the genre is a very difficult one to write for. You either do it very well or very badly and King does it well. His books tend to stand out amongst all the others. I have tried James Herbert who I feel is a bit in your face with his books. The sex and violence stand out more than the story does at times which is off putting. I have also read a number of Dean Koontz and I now feel that after reading a few I could probably guess the rest just by reading the blurb. Richard Laymon is the same in that sense but he also uses sex as a bludgeon in his books. I would almost class his books as soft porn. Mind you I have heard the same said for a lot of horror writers. I tend to rarely bother with horror these days unless something really catches my eye or it's King.

Busy Times

Thank you everyone for all your comments. I'm afraid I can't reply to them all just now. My sister has moved out and she is still half at home half at her new flat. Most of my time is taken up with helping her clear out all of her things. I am giving my own things a whole new spring clean in the process (helped by the desk sis is leaving behind which is now my craft desk). Who would have thought all this clearing out and cleaning would take days. My sister is a mucky pup. Anyways, I will try to post soon. In the meantime here is a pic of Mr Sparkles in his new home atop my craft books. He is missing his cousin Hector Montgomery.