Choose your words....

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Five Words to Dump This Year

As a book blogger (who quite honestly struggles to stay on topic) it should come as no surprise that I have a passion for words way past what is sensible.

I love the way they can inspire, influence and even transport me to other worlds.
Worlds that exist only at the whim of words!
I love the way they change, I love the way they make me laugh and I sure as hell respect their power.

Books, while I love them, have been relegated to a relatively small percentage of the words we read.

They are our pleasure and escape ration. The words we read to nourish our minds, escape from our day, inspire tingles in our loins, frighten the life out of us, intrigue us, make us swoon, force tears to leak from the corners of our eyes and sometimes (God forbid), even learn.

The remaining quota of our wordy feast we absorb from an incredibly wide range of sources; which is a joy, an eye opener and sometimes a soul crushing excursion into the collective consciousness.

For this reason, I really wish that some words would disappear.

Not from existence or in an 'out of the dictionary' kind of way; retained in the lexicon but removed from requirement.
No longer in use. Kept as vintage horrors, described in museums, spoken of in hushed whispers by torchlight under covers. Bottom line, redundant.

A girl can dream.

Here is my list of words that can get lost; feel free to comment with yours!

Five Words to Dump this Year:

Vitriol: 'Burning or caustic'. In the social media age the frequent tool of the haters and opinionated. Usually utilized by those with no insight into their own impact. People who could not even imagine a world in which they might be wrong; or shudder, that there are shades of grey.

Hater: 'A person who thrives on the hate of other people or things'. Often found wielding their vitriolic weapons with careless abandon. I find this one especially awful. I mean, 'thrives on the hate'. That just gives me chills!

Clickbait: 'Misleading text or images driving web traffic':  Otherwise known as 'The shocking secret Angelina kept from Brad!".

Sensationalize: 'To make sensational'.  As Taylor Swift put it, 'God this is exhausting'. Can we just read what happened? Is that even a thing?

Last but by no means least in my sites for 'use based' extinction:

Intolerance: 'Unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect beliefs other than your own'. I know I have a theme here, but people. seriously, I think we need to take on board our Mothers wisdom.

'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!'

So there you have it. The words that are getting under my skin.

I find them all.... intolerable? :)

xoxo LMK

Reading Resolutions

The good news: I'm already up to book three!

The bad news? I think I may need glasses.

Yep: Definitely reading till it hurts!

'Big Magic' by Elizabeth Gilbert: A Love Song to The Creative Life

In 'Big Magic', Elizabeth Gilbert's ode to the 'life creative'; there is a lot of spooky stuff going on.
I'm not just talking about Hogworts' style magic (although bless her cotton socks, Gilbert does); rather I am referring to her uncanny ability to nail every single insecurity and phobia held dear by us creative types and then:

 Tear. Them. Apart.

By chapter three, I had book marked eight separate cliche destroying paragraphs designed to free the creative spirit.

Turns out, I (and I'm guessing I'm not alone here) have been beavering away creating a razor wire topped wall between myself and my love of creative expression.
Bricking in fear, doubt, struggle, expectation and perfectionism (which is after all just fear dressed in a gold buttoned coat) until my wall was strong and rigid and such a God Damn waste of time.

If ever there was an example of the Power of Words to remove obstacles and blast away barriers,'Big Magic' is it. Even better, Gilbert manages all this without preaching. Not for her a sandwich board warning of a 'creative apocalypse' or mega phone on the street corner hectoring us to repent of our sins against our god given talent.

So what's inside?

Within the pages of 'Big Magic', Gilbert launches an all out attack on ‘attachment’ in all its sneaky and evil forms; encouraging all creative types to

‘Please try and relax!’

She has no time for attachment to the struggle, noting of the professional creative community;

‘'You would think these people had been sentenced to their vocations by an evil dictator, rather than having chosen their work with a free will and an open heart’

Complaining she says, scares away creative inspiration; making it ‘take it’s business elsewhere’.

'Big Magic' is not all about the what not to do!

Within its pages is a multitude of wisdom aiming to free our creative souls from our self imposed bondage.

My favorite advice?

Treat your creativity like a treasured lover. Delight in it, make commitments to it, dress up for it.

Own it.

Gilbert's book is a balm for all writers and artists, crafty types and chefs, landscape gardeners and Bullock decorators (you'll have to read the book to figure that one out ;).

Whatever form your creative spark takes (and she assures us we were all born to make and create), isn't it a relief to hear that we can approach it with love, unshackle ourselves from doubt and perfectionism and just get on with the job we were born to do?

For me, 'Big Magic' is worth each an every one of five out of five stars.

For all those who are in need of a joy filled guide to conducting a hot and steamy love affair with creativity, then 'Big Magic' is the potion for you!

As always, may your books be long and your reading time (like life) be unlimited:)

xoxox LMK

Buy it, Read it!

Kobo Australia

Amazon Australia

Ebooks.com Australia

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Today

See more like this at Pins to Love and Points to Ponder

'Brave Enough' By Cheryl Strayed: Prepare to be Delighted!

For a self described 'over thinker' it is strange that I had never given any real thought to the power of quotes, other than to tout the ones I love and to blindly believe in their inbuilt power to inspire and uplift.

But the 'how’ behind their emotional clout, I had no real concept. I had never wondered why certain phrases move the collective consciousness with all the efficiency and consistency of a law of nature (like gravity, but more uplifting;).

Why ‘I had a dream’ and ‘We will never give up’ and ‘'Be the change…’ all have the power to resonate across the world and stay inspiring, the soul strengthening impact of their message never diminishing.

In the forward to Cheryl Strayed’s new book, 'Brave Enough: A Mini Instruction Manual for the Soul'; she discusses this ‘why’and her insights into the ongoing power of quotes caused me to have what is called in the ‘self help’ world, an ‘Ah ha!’ moment.

As Strayed puts it;

“Their (quotes) existence is proof that others have questioned, grappled with, and come to know the same truths we question and grapple with too.”

Quotes then, are nothing less wonderful than empathy and understanding, solidified into words that are inked in gold onto the pages of humanity. Little snippets of truth that can be shared across all boundaries of faith and space and time.

'Quotes' - Little Miss Kindle

What's Inside?

In her enchanting little book, Strayed has selected those quotes that continue to guide her and move her.
Most are her own;

‘'I considered my options.

There was only one, I knew.

There was always only one.

To keep walking.”

Some attributed to others;

“If your nerve deny You-;

Go above your nerve”

Emily Dickinson

Some are hard truths and some gentle, all will speak to her readers at the time when they are needed, to offer motivation, solace, inspiration or just a kick in the pants.

I  loved this charismatic book, wrapped like a chocolate in its pale pink cover. Reading it was a 'stop and start' process; with frequent pauses necessary to absorb those lines that caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up.
'Brave Enough' is a must have for any library that seeks to inspire as well as entertain; as all the best libraries do!
For similar reviews, check out my Better Life Reads, it's a theme I love to revisit:)
Happy (and uplifting) reading!

xoxo LMK

Buy it, read it (and support the reading 'work' of Little Miss Kindle)

Amazon UK

Amazon US

KOBO Aus

Things I Clearly Need to be a better Writer.....

'Qwerkywriter' from Urban Outfitters

Well, if I'm honest, this post is basically me advertising to myself.

You see I want one of these gorgeous little beauties so bad!

I can just see me (for some reason in Film Noir style black and white) tapping away on a genre defining master piece late into the night. Coffee on one side, Whiskey on the other.

Of course I have fallen victim to the

'If I  just had this 'one thing' I could move moutains!'

curse before. No, this is definitely NOT my first rodeo.

A testament to this being the water rower currently gathering dust in my spare room, the Kitchen Aid food processor that did NOT revolutionise my cooking (thanks Jamie Oliver) and any number of vitamins slowly shuffling towards their expiry dates in my pantry.

But this, an old timey key board that wirelessly contects to my device; surely this is real?

I am absolutely confident it will deliver on every writing benefit I am imagining for myself, including but not limited to:

• A sudden ability to write 'romantic' scenes where the word 'throbbing' does not appear.
• An unshakeable commitment to 'doing the work'. Daily, As in EVERY day.
• Stomp all over writers block. (I'll be all like, 'Writers Block, What!?')
• Never ever. ever, getting confused on what tense I am writing in, ever; and perhaps most importantly
• Always having the patience to edit, edit and re-edit before launching my genius onto the world.

So here I go, whipping out my credit card to do a little ESSENTIAL online shopping.

Happy Writing!

LMK

p.s. happy to hear about any actual 'sure things' ;)

pps I still want one.....

Hostage to your book? Escape is possible.....

Do you ever have the feeling that you have been trapped by the book you are reading? 

You definitely have things to do, sometimes even IMPORTANT things. You have been guilty of ignoring repeated requests from family members that you:

 'Shut that Damn book and,

 LISTEN TO ME'!

You haven't done the washing, written that report or seen the sun in days. Your skin is pasty and vitamin D deficiency is looming as a real issue (rickets anyone?).

There's a world out there.... check it out!

It's scary I know, that feeling that the world is passing you by, as you remain mired in an alternative reality.

Slowly sinking into bookish quicksand, suffocation only moments away.                       

Yep. It's time to call in the hostage negotiators; keep the black phone free and come up with some exit strategies.

My favorite: Close the damn book.

It's freeing.

The sun is shining.

The world is out there, pay it an occasional visit!

xoxo LMK

A Gentle Reminder: Just Write!

Thoughts of an Anxious Creative

Let the 'Whole Wide World' Inspire you!

Dear Books......

Books are The Great Romantics!

Pictured is a copy of the 'Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam".

Translated from the original by Edward Fitzgerald in 1859.

'A flask of Wine, a Book of 

Verse - and Thou

Beside me singing in the

Wilderness - 

And Wilderness is Paradise

enow.

I mean, swoon right? I reckon he 'Out Bard's' Shakespeare!

Omar Khayyam was a Persian Poet, Astronomer, Scientist and Mathematician who lived in the late 11th and early 12th century.

He is responsible for a vast body of 'Rubaiyat' (quatrains), his work is both brooding, romantic and spiritual.

I am the proud owner of the lovely little book pictured above, books can be treasures too!

Fifty shades of GRRRRRRRR!

Hi all! Just a quick rant today, primarily because as is my way, I can't keep my mouth shut on this topic anymore!

What has got me fired up? Well in a phrase, Mummy Porn (and no, I am not referring to the erotic Egyption, bandage wearing undead!), the cheekily named explosion of saucy 'literature' aimed squarely at the e -reading female populace of the world.

Since these books somehow move me beyond the ability to speak I have drawn the following informative diagram explaining the source of my angst.

Obviously a career in art is just around the corner.....

Well, I feel better now! Hope the feeling is mutual :)

Reading Addiction Issues

Reading Addiction tote from Society6
Reading Addiction Tote

Sometimes I am guilty of paying too much attention to my book and not enough to the real world.

 In the interests of public service I have compiled the following useful list:

The top 10 reasons to suspect you might have a reading 'problem'.

1 - Your husband (wife/ housemate/ child) 'accidentally' sits on your Kindle three times in one day.

2 - Your husband (wife/ housemate/ child) seems visibly frustrated when your device is still functional after 'accident' number three.

3 - You find yourself reaching for a jumper in the middle of summer because 'Winter is coming'.

4 - You don't sleep for nights at a time because you happen to be reading a trilogy and you NEED to know what happens.

5 -  You take the day off work to finish some DIY at home only to find by dusk you have nothing to show for it but a finished book.

6 - You ask someone to hide your book from you so you can cook dinner.

7 - You search the house, find your book and read it while stirring the pasta sauce. (The bottom of the pan is supposed to be black, right?)

8 - You pretend to go to the toilet to read 'just a few more pages'. Your family suspects irritable bowel.

9 - If you find yourself 'bookless' for more than a day, you begin to exhibit symptoms similar to those of a panic attack.

and

10 - You lie awake at night worrying that you are addicted to reading before downloading a book on the subject of addiction.... just to be sure.

The Zombie Apocalypse... sponsored by the NRA?

It is not my usual style to be controversial, but it has occurred to me recently that every Zombie book I have read (and I have read and LOVED a lot of them) could have been written by a gun toting NRA promoter.

Here are the top signs that the Zombie Apocalypse (in fiction at least!) is sponsored by the NRA:

- Ammunition caches are the centre of every surviving colony.
- No one shoots a gun, without first a description of its caliber and specs.
- The hero's all pack heat, a hockey stick, apparently, is a poor substitute for a rifle.
- True preppers may prefer sling shots, but not in Zombie fiction! There is always a handy stack of weapons and ammo at hand.

I often wonder, living as I do in a country with strict gun controls, how exactly am I expected to survive the coming of the Zombie?

According to popular Zombie reads, the answer is simple.

I'm not.

Scary!

 I have just returned from sneaking into my bedroom to retrieve my Kindle from beside the sleeping form of my husband.
When my fingers found the shape of my Kindle in the dark I distinctly heard myself think the following words.

'My Precious'

Scary stuff!

'Little Bee': A poignant tale, with a very dark 'sting'

I purchased 'Little Bee' from a Balinese book store while on holidays, imagining,  for some reason, that it would be a relaxing diversion for one of my eyes, while the other one watched my children splashing in the pool....

Now, there is unquestionably more than one way to be 'wrong' in this world, for example you could be;

Wrong in a way that causes nasty and unwanted consequences to wreak havoc on your life, or

Wrong in that your expectations were 'wrong' and you have ended up with a different kind of benefit, unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome.

When it came to my choice of book, I was wrong, very wrong; happily though, my mistake fell into the second category of error.

'Little Bee'  (also published under the name 'On the other hand'), was NOT a relaxing holiday read, rather it is an upsetting and brutal tale where two worlds (one civilised and safe, one desperate and violently misogynistic) collide, sparking a series of events possessed with the unstoppable momentum of a runaway train.

While, the cover of the book rather coyly insists on not giving the plot of the story away, I think some details are required before the decision is made 'to read, or not to read'; especially for younger readers:

Little Bee: read this, before you read that...

• 'Little Bee' centres around the life of a Nigerian Refugee, Little Bee. Little Bee lives in fear of 'The Men Coming'. In her world, when the men come, it is better to be already dead.
• Little Bee's life entwines with that of Sarah, a hopelessly (if temporarily) sheltered English woman whom she meets on Beach in Nigeria. Horror (and no, there is no other word for it) accompanies Little Bee to the beach for that fateful meeting.
• Cleave alludes to this horror for much of the book, but be warned, an unflinching, graphic and shattering description of the events on the beach is eventually given. For me, I found reading these pages difficult and upsetting, I also found myself thinking; 'If only more people would read this book. How could people remain 'cold' to the plight of so many refugees when faced with this reality?' 

You might be wondering, where exactly is the benefit to be found in reading a book like this on a holiday, or anywhere, for that matter? Again, while not giving the plot away I say this; Cleave has produced a powerful and thought provoking novel, highlighting with a terrible clarity the plight of the dispossessed and helpless in our world. He has shown us their fear and desperation, while shining a light on our own indifference and, ironically, our own fear.

Read it to challenge your thinking and world view, though perhaps don't make it your first choice for a relaxing pool side read!

Little Bee is available for purchase through amazon.com via the following link:

'Little Bee' by Chris Cleave

Important Travel Advice