Welcoem to posts!!
in the future - u will be able to do some more stuff here,,,!! like pat catgirl- i mean um yeah... for now u can only see others's posts :c
Sometimes in life, there are times when you need a quiet book to let the words wash over you without jarring you after youāve been through some shock. Two days ago, we had to put down our beloved cat, Pud. He was always beside me as I read my books in bed - and I miss him terribly.
Up until his terminal diagnosis, I was reading another book but since his passing, I had to put it down and pick up something a little bit quieter, slower. I picked Stone Yard Devotional which is the second time Iāve read it this year.
Admittedly, my mind wanders when I read the words thinking about him or what he thought of me always holding these heavy rectangular things in my hand and peeking over them to make some comment about what I was reading.
Most of all, Iāll miss those bite marks on my pages.
Some videos might be delayed for a bit but thank you for your support of my channel. šš
30 - 12
When youāre reading this book and 306 pages in, you realise that itās the abridged version because thereās no mention of being as such. Nevertheless an interesting read but it means that Iāll need to read the original version one day. š¤£
Lesson: Do your background check into the publisher before you buy or read the book if you want to have the full reading experience. This version is like āThe Directorās Cutā š
26 - 9
Itās Saturday.
Itās a beautiful day. Blue skies. Sunshine. Some clouds. No wind.
What do book lovers do? š¤
Go out and discover their own town visiting little second hand bookstores of course!
Today we visited Canterbury and found a cute book store (cash only - Iām old school so this wasnāt an issue for me š¤£) with a great range of second hand books in excellent condition for $2 each.
Wandering down Maling Road, an antique dealer also had a range of classics and literature too.
Over to you. Whatās your best local second hand store shop in your area? Give them a shoutout. š
14 - 0
What books are stacked up near your bedside?
Itās Sunday morning. Outside, itās quiet and I can see a clear cloudless blue sky through the bedroom window. What are my plans today? Meh. Too hard to think about so I turn my head and look at the stack. Until I decide, I will read a bit more.
Currently, Iām well and truly immersed into Steinbeckās East of Eden.
Whatās in your bedside book stack? Share š
25 - 24
Do you like to go on trips down memory lane?
I havenāt been to my old university grounds for over 35 years. (Donāt do the math to determine my age š¤£). So today I did just that and I was surprised to see how the campus changed so much.
Of course I had to go to the bookshop where I used to buy my text books and I perused the English Literature studies. As well as the usual culprits in the classics like Shakespeare, here was a great selection of books that I had never read.
As I was looking through these, I wondered what these books are about and in particular, WHY they were chosen to be part of the English curriculum?š¤
Well, Iām going to find out. These were put on my TBR list.
I was a science nerd in my old uni days but the science books werenāt even looked at. I went straight for these novels. I do wonder if I had an opportunity to return to university and study in this area if Iād be any good as an English Literature student.
Probably not. Iād read the books and complain about writing the critical essaysā¦..
Have you read any of these books?
12 - 4
The Dymocks Top 101 books results are in. Unsure what to read? Then look through this list and pick something. If youād like to read Australian authors for a change, check out those listed with a little green Australia symbol next to it.
Anything with an (R) that Iāve scribbled against it means that thereās a REVIEW on this channel so itās just a matter of doing a search.
DNF - did not finish
TBR - to be read.
Out of these Iāve read 25 of the top 101 books in Australia.
Book I most recommend to others was: Yellowface (R)
My most entertaining was: Lessons in Chemistry (R)
My most annoying characters: A Little Life
My most freakout book that busted my hero whose books Iāve collected over the years and whose story made me kneel with my fists in the air and curse the heavens about the patriarchy: Wifedom: Mrs Orwellās Invisible Life (R)
My most contemplative: Stone Yard Devotional (R)
Over to you:
How many did you read?
Whatās your favourite and why?
If you were to recommend ONE book from this list, which would it be?
11 - 6
Have you read Dostoyevskyās book called Poor Folk and Other Stories?
When I read any book, I like to glean lessons from it about life. Usually I come away from the book with more questions. As I tag the book with post-it notes and note down quotes and points of interest, I also ask myself some questions.
These questions may be related to the story, the time, the place, the authorās possible state of mind, or questions relating to the themes and how they align to what Iāve recently seen, heard or read elsewhere.
That is, reading allows me to make links and connections in my mind. I donāt see reading as a specific activity but see it as a means to link different ideas, viewpoints, perspectives and contexts. To be fair, some people read for escapism or entertainment but I feel I need something deep and meaningful that I could extract from the book.
I will not be reviewing this book on my channel instead here are the life lesson questions I had coming out of this book by Dostoyevsky.
Over to you.
How do you like to read books?
What are your thoughts about reading?
Would you prefer to be poor and happy; or rich and unhappy?
Happy reading! šš
17 - 10
Every opportunity to meet up with friends around town, I take the time to explore nearby bookstores to chat with the wonderful staff and get some video of bookshop tours.
Today I visited the Collins Bookshop in Puckle Street Moonee Ponds which is in the northern suburbs outside of Melbourne. I bought this book At The Foot of the Cherry Tree by Alli Parker (Australian author) which has been getting rave reviews.
Iām looking forward to reading this but also meeting her at our local book club event coming up in September.
Life Lesson? Take time in your day to explore the book stores in different areas of your town. Chat with the helpful staff and just enjoy and live in the moment.
What will you be reading this weekend?
How do you experience ābookish experiencesā into your day?
Happy reading! šš
14 - 0
So what are you reading this weekend?
Hereās a couple of books Iāve already started. One was highly recommended as a āmust readā to understand the publishing world and the other has been sitting on my bookshelves for many years and Iāve only just decided to read it.
What are you reading?
8 - 10
Second hand bookstores are my downfall. I highly recommend The Salvation Army store in Hampton, Melbourne. All books $3 and hereās the ones I bought. A few well known and prize winning Australian authors of beautiful prose, David Malouf and Kate Grenville. Amanda Lohrey is a favourite of mine and Iāve reviewed her book The Labyrinth in this channel.
Thereās Kerouac and one which is a bit left field for me Naomi Aldermanās The Power.
Have you read any of these books? Share your thoughts. šš
19 - 5
There's always a lesson in every book we read.
Hi! I'm Helen. Reading is one of the best ways to learn about ourselves and empathise with others. Books give us different insights and perspectives that allow us to question why and how we have lived our lives.
Here, I share my life lessons learned through books bought from independent booksellers, second-hand stores and borrowed from friends or libraries. Most of the time I come away with more questions than answers.
As I'm not on social media, nor use any AI (what you see is what you get here) help me build this channel and bring more books to you through:
šClick Like or Subscribe
š Buy the books through my Amazon Affiliate Site: tinyurl.com/3hwpkmrv
š±Share this channel through your social networks
āļøDonate a cup of coffee to: ko-fi.com/lifelessonsfrombooks
š Check out my GoodReads goodreads.com/user/show/7228482-helen-blunden
š§ Contact me: www.activatelearning.com.au/contactme/
Happy reading! š