Category Archives: Thoughts

I’m a fangirl

Posted in Bookish, Media, Social Media, Thoughts by

Fangirl; n.: a female who supports an idea, trend, company etc, with an intensity bordering crazy.

Here’s the deal, I’m not crazy (sorta, kinda). I just love books, and because I love books, I love the people who write those books. With the entry of Twitter to the world of Social Media, it’s become easy to have a conversation with authors who were otherwise unreachable – except when they tour. So when one of my favourite authors respond to my tweets well, I usually have a moment of excitement, then I carry on with whatever I’m doing.

So when Scott Westerfeld retweeted my Behemoth tweets? *yay*

BTW, the last book in that trilogy comes out this Fall! I hope Mr. Westerfeld goes on tour with his wife!

Then Justine Larbalestier responded to me when I made a comment about her name. I like Justine for a lot of reasons, she’s the reason I got into YA lit as  much as I currently am. I was looking for a Harry Potter fix between books and one of my friends mentioned a controversial book geared towards young people and of course, I had to check it out. After reading Magic or Madness, I decided to read the rest.  It’s also where I picked up the word widdershins. That’s a cool word.

Once I was finished with the Magic or Madness trilogy I found her blog and realised that she was the wife of Scott Westerfeld, whose Uglies books I remembered seeing on the shelves in the bookstores, but always passing them by because the name sounded superficial (yes, I was judging the book by its name). However, realising that Justine was made of awesome, I decided that her husband was probably made of awesome as well and bought the first Uglies book. I’ve been devouring his stuff ever since. Scott is most definitely made of awesome.

Then I started reading Scott’s blogs, and reading the blogs of the authors Justine and Scott recommended and the rest is history.

I’m not sure who did it, but somewhere along the line Libba Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty was recommended. I bought it. I read it. I loved it! Then I became a Libba Bray fan. I don’t know what goes on in the mind of Libba Bray, but I can hypothesis and it’s scary but wonderful. After reading her Going Bovine novel, I wondered if that wasn’t more an autobiography than a work of fiction. She’s insane. She’s funny. She’s ingenius.

Enter Holly Black. I saw her books in the bookstore a number of times, then one day started thumbing through Tithe. I got as far as the title page, I’ve been reading Holly’s books ever since. She’s a master of world crafting, faery lore and now, mobster fantasy. Wow. Impressed. *hat off* *confetti*

This can go on, but I’ll conclude now with …

Two fangirl moments etched into my brain.

2nd moment: I cannot tell you how happy I was that Maureen saw my Ginny European Tour map and loved it! I spent a lot of time on that map and I seriously want to visit all the places she described in her book 13 Little Blue Envelopes. So, to see your work appreciated by an author who worked hard to present a good book? Priceless.

1st moment: Not only did Holly Black say that she loved my steampunkesque necklace during the ZvU debate signing, but Justine Larbalestier, yes, THE Justine, recognised my twitter handle (first name) and even remembered my profile picture. I might have been smiling like a loon, I don’t know, but it was the best. fangirl. moment. ever.

Anxiety; Attack of the Telephone

Posted in The Observer, Thoughts by

My car needed an oil change. I looked at my phone, willing it to make the appointment for me. How difficult is it to pick it up, dial the number, go through the motions? It’s not very hard, but, just the idea of speaking to a stranger on the phone brought on unwanted anxiety.

I took a moment to compose myself. “You can do this, just pick up the phone and dial the number.” My little pep talk to myself.

I punched the numbers into the phone as quickly as I could, trying to keep them straight and not mix them up as I sometimes do. It rang, the automated voice came on. Following the prompts I reached the servicing department, “Services, how can I help you?”

Once the appointment was made, I ended the call, put the phone down and let out the breathe that I was holding, finally relaxing.

I noticed my anxiety and wondered, why. Why, after all these years, do I still not want to talk on the phone? Why is it so hard to talk to a stranger, even if it’s to make an appointment? I don’t know the answer, but it’s something to think about.

He is Risen Indeed.

Posted in Religious Musings, Thoughts by

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”

He is not here, he has risen – this is key of my belief. 

Hello Blossoms!

Posted in The Observer, Thoughts by

I have a new hobby.

Well, it’s not so much a hobby as an appreciation of my new mobile phone camera. Along with that came the want – and sometimes urgent need – to use that camera. Then, I downloaded FXCamera and with THAT came an even greater want to capture images.

Lately, I’ve been noticing trees. Trees are interesting, especially in a place with four seasons.

In the summer they are green and alive, waving their branches in the wind. Some of them look a little overweight, their branches practically choking with leaves.

In the autumn their leaves begin to change colour and fall. The odd thing is, the process of the leaves dying actually looks beautiful. Yes, there is cleaning up after them, but there’s something about driving down a highway lined with changing leaves that makes me want to pull over, sit on the hood and stare. There’s also something to be said about stomping through a pile of fallen dry leaves.

In the winter they are bare, yet, majestic. There’s just something regal about them as their branches stand, stark naked in the air. There’s also something beautiful about a tree after a snowfall. The way the snow clings to the branches, softening the barrenness if only for a moment.

Then comes the spring.

The days are a little longer and little buds begin to form on bare branches. Then, almost suddenly, the tree blossoms and there’s an excitement about them, like a girl putting on a new party dress. Like they are preparing for a dance.

And then comes the spring.