read all of the books on my bookshelf before buying anymore!

About a month ago I finally finished ‘The Underpainter’ by Jane Urquhart. I had had it for quite a while and found quite a few connections to it. Like when I saw the original art work on the cover at the Art Expo in Nathan Phillips Square last year. Or how in the last days of a Senior Arts AQ course, while I was finishing off the last pages, my prof. talked to us about it.

It was actually quite a sad story and it made me think of the regrets that we make for ourselves. The way we take things for granted. The way we abuse people because we’re selfish and think that they’ll forgive us, especially because we know that they’ll forgive us. The way that our choices effect other people. The way that our choices effect ourselves. The fact that you can have money and fame and perhaps be fine, but that you can never not have family or someone that loves you and be fine.

It was beautiful to read and the poetic images deserved a re-read just for pleasure.

I know that there had been all that controversy in reference to how authentic this “memoir” is, but honestly, that made it that much more interesting to me. I couldn’t put it down! And while I’m disappointed that a few key things were skewed, it made for a memorable read. I’d recommend it to anyone.

That’s 17 books on my bookshelf that I have yet to read…one of which I’m plowing through now, so it’ll be 16 soon enough. Once I get to 0 I’ll allow myself to go and splurge on something, even if it’s just a great big coffee and a stack of magazines in Chapters.

...the whole reason for this goal was to stop spending money where it wasn’t necessary…but I really liked this little book filled with classic 50’s images and some really funny quotes about love…it also gave lists of classic movies, so it’s given me motivation to watch a few…can you believe I have yet to watch “Casablanca”? And besides, if $2.00 and a few funny quotes can bring such happiness, why not buy it!

Some fav. quotes:

“You should be kissed and often and by someone who knows how.” -Gone with the Wind

“Anytime you got nuthin’ to do and lots o’ time to do it, come up!”
- My Little Chickadee

Flo: Hold me closer, closer, closer.
Dr. Hackenbush: If I hold you any closer, I’ll be in back of you.
- A Day at the Races

“Listen, Sweetheart, you shouldn’t listen to what a woman says when she’s in the throes of passion. They say the darndest things.”
- Bull Durham

But in my defense, they were a dollar each…and I only bought three. What’s $3.42 in the grand scheme of things?

at the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) and I’ve decided to read through The life and Works of Michelangelo as a quick overview of his work to help with my other goal of studying all that I can about the Sistine Chapel. The library has also helped with this goal…it’s going well.

I swear that I could live in there…give me some tea and a few yummy cookies and I would be a very happy little piglet. Honestly, I know of no one who is as sick as I am…but I love it.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves a great book! It’s about punctuation and how we do or do not use it. Unfortunately I have a lot left to learn about it all. It was very interesting and witty, and I look forward to sharing it with others…kudos to Lynne Truss for writing such a great book. Oh, and the forward is written by another great author, Frank MaCourt of Angela’s Ashes…good reads all around.

...on this goal, but I technically had to buy it. Yes, I had to! The book in question, Color: A Course in Mastering the Art of Mixing Colors by Betty Edwards, was a necessity for my art class. Sitting and looking through all of the really beautiful art books in Chapters the other day, I was intrigued by this books lesson ideas that I can bring into the classroom. So I didn’t really buy it for me to read…it was more like an educational investment…which is always good.

I finished Tuesdays with Morrie yesterday afternoon…it was a quick and wonderful read. It wasn’t one of my original three books on the go…but it became a part of my rotation of books after a great friend had given it to me for my birthday this past June. I had wanted to bring it with me on vacation, but I knew that it would only last me a day or two tops, because from the first afternoon that I had started reading it I zipped through well over half of the book…tears swelling up in my eyes and all! The life lessons and teacher talk really got to me. I enjoyed this one.