Laugh out loud

I'm reading a really funny book at the moment. In fact, this post is by necessity going to be quite short, so that I can get back to it as quickly as possible.

Writers who can make you laugh out loud as you read their book have a very special talent. British comedian, Peter Kay, has achieved this for me with his appropriately titled book, 'The Sound of Laughter'. His stories are so down-to-earth, often self-deprecating and about everyday life. It reached a point a couple of nights ago where I was laughing so much as I was reading that I started to wheeze. It was at about this point also that my husband stopped enjoying my mirth and threatened to send me into another room to continue reading.

It's been quite a while since I've been so entertained by a book. Another writer who had this effect on me was Nick Earls with '48 Shades of Brown'. I can remember my husband coming to check on me when he heard strange noises coming from our bedroom - it was me trying not to laugh too loudly so as not to wake our sleeping children.

I've said it before, I'm not a book snob, and this post proves it. If you want to read a really clever book, this one isn't it. However, if you feel like a laugh, try to get your hands on a copy of 'The Sound of Laughter'.

www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au

Want to read a REALLY good book?

Yesterday, my husband gave me a book as a gift for Mother's Day, as well as a can opener I had specially requested and a pair of shoes I chose for myself, but it's the book I want to tell you about.

The book's title is The Word Spy and its author is Ursula Dubosarsky. I haven't finished reading it yet, but I know it's not going to take me long. It is fascinating me. The title appears on the front cover in collage fashion, each letter written or represented in an original manner. Tohby Riddle, the illustrator, adds sweet little silhouettes and animals into the mix. The statement below this title, 'Come and discover the secrets of the English language...', is an invitation to embark upon an adventure, and from cover to cover, that is what this book is. The reader is directly addressed and challenged to participate in unravelling a secret message, clues to each part of the message appearing at the end of each chapter.

With chapter titles such as 'Why is English so strange?' and 'Dots and dashes, interrobangs and cat's claws', it would be easy to assume that the book is a light-hearted look at the English language although lacking in substance. You couldn't be more wrong. It is fun and it is nothing like any English textbook I've ever seen, but it's also very clever, informative and extremely well-researched. As I read, I can't help feeling I've joined a special and very exclusive little club.

I've already learnt a lot, such as being glad I work from the 26 letter English alphabet rather than the 70 letter Khmer alphabet of Cambodia, and I am looking forward to discovering much more about the English language, as well as deciphering the book's secret message along the way.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

The Gift of Sight

Today, I had a moment which made me stop and really appreciate the gift of sight.

As I was racing through the supermarket to grab a couple of quick items from the dairy aisle, I passed an elderly man, hunched in concentration. I realised he was holding a six pack of small yoghurts in one hand and a magnification device in the other, examining the yoghurt label very closely. After I had the items I needed, I came back past him and saw he was still in the same place intently concentrating. I paused and asked him if he needed some help to see something, and he asked me to tell him what amount was in each of the yoghurts in the pack. I was easily able to see the labelling as 200ml, and advised him of the size. He thanked me and we each moved on.

As I walked away, however, I paused, not only the wonder at the challenge that man must face every time he goes to the supermarket and to be glad of my tiny part in helping him, but also to appreciate the precious gift of sight. To me, the text on the label was distinct and sufficiently large, and as I try to imagine how differently the man and others like him must see the world, I am so grateful for this valuable sense.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Are you a snob?

When it comes to reading, are you a snob? Do you judge a book by its cover? Will you only read books of "quality"? Do you have an unspoken standard of reading material below which you will not stoop? Or, do you have a more "open door" policy when it comes to reading?

Where I live, on the Gold Coast, there are several newspapers on offer daily at my local newsagent. There is the local paper, The Gold Coast Bulletin, the state paper, The Courier Mail, and the national options, The Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald. Some say that the quality of news reporting increases as the readership's geographical area grows. That is, the quality of the local newspaper is questionable, while the reporting in the papers which enjoy nationwide distribution is of much higher quality. I know of people who would be horrified at the thought of reading the local paper, where there are others who take their news only from such a source.

Similarly, magazines and journals can be categorised in various ways, including according to their supposed quality. I must admit to being a little bit of a snob when it comes to this type of reading material. I do look down my nose at some of the magazines on offer as I wait at the supermarket checkout and would not want to be seen purchasing one of them. However, I am just as likely to pick the same magazine up if I'm in the doctor's waiting room and, secretly, don't mind if she is running a little behind schedule with appointments, as it provides me with a stolen moment to catch up on the latest gossip!

There is the school of thought that says information can be found in the unlikeliest of places and this is certainly true when it comes to reading material of dubious quality. I guess the real question is, what are you seeking from what you read? You could have any number of reasons for reading - from expanding your intellect to gleaning gossip on your favourite actor to simply enjoying a moment in time to escape the realities of your daily routine. I say, read what you want, not what you think others think you should be reading. As long as you are reading, that's all that matters.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Spell check THIS! Dus speling reely matr?

Wot doo u thinck? Thees daze it seams know won maiks aknee fusss abbout speling rite. Du u get two bothrd iff u carnt reed wot sumwon elz hase ritten? Iff it stil maiks cents isernt that orll that matrs? Sownds arl rite too mee.

Four sum reel phun weeth krasy speling and non cents werds, read Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky" from his sequel to Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass.

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A Blessing for Stripeycat

Today is a very exciting one for our family and cause for a shameless plug from me on this blog. My mother has written a book for children, titled, "A Blessing for Stripeycat", and today we have seen, for the first time, the form for customers to use when ordering the book. It is being published by St Paul's Publications in Sydney and will be available from September of this year. Pre-orders are being taken now!

It is a lovely story, in which Stripeycat's owner, Grace (my daughter's name - no coincidence!), tries to take Stripeycat to church for a special blessing on St Francis Day, but the cat has other plans. Children will love this book for its focus on animals and the chaos created by Stripeycat. It is lots of fun (and based on the real pet my mother had as a child!).

The book is in hardcover and retails at $17.95. Don't forget - it is being published by St Paul's Publications and pre-orders are being taken now - go to http://www.stpauls.com.au/ and happy reading to the children in your life!

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

When is a 'special' not so special?

Today, I was doing our supermarket shopping and, like a lot of people these days, I had my eye out for 'specials'. I love a bargain as much as the next person. The problem is that 'special' does not always equal 'bargain'.

The particular supermarket at which we shop has a lot of specials where, if you purchase two of the same product, you save a certain amount of money - eg. "SPECIAL - 2 items for $4.00 - save 48c - Single price - $2.24" type specials.

Sometimes, however, it pays to look carefully at how much you will save and work out whether this makes it worth the additional up-front cost to purchase the two items. Today, I could have bought two tins of crushed pineapple for $4.00, where the price for a single tin was $2.02, so I would have saved a grand total of 4c. Call me a spendthrift, but I managed to resist the urge to grab that second tin! It really wasn't very 'special' at all.

There's the rub. How many times are we, as consumers, enticed by the 'special' signage alone, rather than reading the fine print to understand how special the special really is? I know I could have stockpiled that second can of crushed pineapple and saved myself 4 cents in the process, but I certainly couldn't class saving 4 cents (or 1%) as special. For me, a saving is 'special' when it's worth mentioning to a friend. Despite all this, I wonder how many cans of that crushed pineapple moved out of the supermarket today...

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Twilight Tension

There is a tense stand-off occurring in our household at present, revolving around the 'Twilight' series and the happy relationship I have enjoyed, up until now, with my daughter.

I mentioned a while ago that I had 'Twilight', the first book in the series (as if you need to be told this!), sitting on my bedside table waiting to be read, at my daughter's recommendation. The problem which exists now is that I have read 'Twilight', then 'New Moon' and have caught up to my daughter so that we are both sharing a copy of 'Eclipse'.

As you would appreciate, this is a sticky situation. I have employed all of my negotiating skills to no avail. The only time I have been able to get my hands on the book is after she has fallen asleep at night or before she wakes up in the morning. She has insisted I am NOT ALLOWED to overtake her in reading the series, but, as the two bookmarks sitting in 'Eclipse' attest, I have ignored her command. I know I could be dicing with death to so blatantly go against the awesome might of a 12 year old's will. Such is my fascination with the story, I am willing to take the risk.

Right now, in fact, is my chance! She has a friend over for the day and is suitably distracted. What am I thinking to be sitting here writing my blog, when it's the perfect opportunity to conduct a stealth mission into her bedroom. If you don't hear from me again, assume the worst...

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Too Busy Reading to Write!

A while ago, I listed the books and other reading materials that were sitting on my bedside table and among these was 'Twilight', the first of the Stephenie Meyer series. Since that post, I have devoured 'Twilight' and I am about three quarters of the way through 'New Moon'. Now I understand what everyone has been talking about!

I am at the stage where I read for as long as I can when I go to bed at night before I start nodding off to sleep, but keep trying to read on despite my drooping eyes! Last night, I actually gave in to the need for sleep, but within about 15 minutes, I had turned the lamp on again and picked up the book, my desperation to keep reading to find out what happens next outweighing my need for sleep and the knowledge of how miserable I was going to feel the next morning. Predictably, I did feel pretty average when I woke up this morning, but it was worth it!

I'm still somewhat surprised at how 'into' the series I have become - it's a story about vampires and werewolves, for goodness sake! It is testament to the skill of the storyteller, Meyer, that she has been so successful in the creation of such characters and integrating them into a believable context. The best part is that once I'm finished this book, there are still more to look forward to reading in the series.

Anyway, I hope you understand if I seem to be rushing off. I have some reading to do...

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Books I'm Reading Right Now

I could say that I read to improve my ability to work with the written word, but that would not be true. The real reason I read is because I love to read. It doesn't matter what I've done during the day, or how exhausted I am when I go to bed at night, I will always pick up a book, magazine or newspaper (sometimes even the latest batch of junk mail) to read. Some nights I only last a minute or two, but most nights I'll spend at least 30 minutes reading.

Right now, I have the following on my beside table:

* 'House and Garden' (March 2009) - for renovation ideas

* 'Lilian's Story' by Kate Grenville - which I am very close to finishing. I recently read 'Dark Places', the companion novel to 'Lilian's Story'. Both have been excellent. In fact, I've nominated 'Lilian's Story' for my bookclub later this year when I am scheduled as discussion leader.

* 'The Regeneration Trilogy' by Pat Barker. Reading this one has been an ongoing project. At present, I'm close to the end of the second book, 'The Eye in the Door'.
I've found myself needing to have breaks from it since I began reading it in October last year, but I am compelled to finish it - sometime...

* 'The Other Hand' by Chris Cleave - I've finished this, but haven't yet put it onto the bookshelf. It's an amazingly well-written story. In fact, it was my first choice for my bookclub nomination this year, but someone else in my group nominated it first!

* 'Count me the stars' by Kylie Johnson - a beautiful collection of poetry which I received from a very close friend for my most recent birthday.

* 'Twilight' by Stephanie Meyer - my daughter has just finished reading this and tells me it is the best read she has ever had! With such a recommendation, how can I NOT read it?

* 'The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society' by Mary Ann Shaffer - a Christmas gift from my son which I have not yet opened, with every intention of doing so very soon. Sitting closed, the book has one of the prettiest dust jackets I've seen for a long time!

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/