Wednesday, September 12, 2007

This is as far as I can go on A Spot of Tea with the thread that I have.
Just one more large motif to go, and then it'll be done. This motif will have
space for my initials and the date. I could make a serious start on it, but I
am assuming that the thread that I've ordered will be a different dye lot
and might have a noticeable colour difference. So I'll wait and stitch the
final motif entirely in the new thread so it doesn't look mismatched or
off.

Meanwhile, I'll start on LHN's "Faith" which I want to stitch for our
friend Sue who became a minister last year. Years ago she stitched one
of the samplers for DH and my wedding, so I owe her one. Just have to
go through my stash and choose a fabric to stitch it on.

I'm almost done reading Khaled Hosseini's latest book, A Thousand
Splendid Suns. I am enjoying this book even more then I did The Kite
Runner. I don't know if that's because this book focuses on the lives
of two women, but I'm more emotionally involved in the story. Mr
Hosseini really has a talent for creating strong, three dimensional
characters, and also for drawing vivid pictures of the Afghanistan
countryside and cities with his words. It's a brutal story in many
ways, but it helps explain the situation, past and present, over there.
It's a book that takes you out of your comfort zone and transports
you to another world that seems very alien to ours. And then it
presents characters that we find we can relate to, and understand,
which makes their world far less alien after all.

This weekend one of my favourite authors is appearing at the
Indigo Bookstore in the Eaton Centre, in downtown Toronto.
Diana Gabaldon will be signing copies of her newest book, which
is the second of her "Lord John" series. It's funny that Karen
posted a review of her book "Outlander" (called, for some
unknown reason "CrossStitch" when released in the U.K.) on
her blog a week ago. She said that the story wasn't to her taste.
As for me, I've read all of Diana Gabaldon's books, and I've read
Outlander twice. I have it in hardcover. I'm hoping to go to
the book signing on Saturday, which means traveling for about
two hours by Go bus, and TTC and I'm hoping to get my copy
of Outlander signed as well.

The Toronto Film Festival is in full swing as well, and if my
friend Mary accompanies me to the book signing (she's
another D. Gabaldon fan) she wants to go hunting celeb's
afterwards. Don't know about that, but a trip to the World's
Biggest Bookstore, this time sans DH, will definitely be on
the schedule as well. I'm too much of a babbling nerd around
celeb's to want to go trying to meet them in public.

Dani, yes, on occasion I've been known to pick up the odd Johanna
Lindsay book to read. Actually, some of her books that I've got are
over 20 years old I think. Possibly closer to 30. Eek!! I'm
partial to Bertrice Small, and to Judith McNaughton as well.

Lynn, I read Jodi Picoult too. I read her book My Sister's Keeper
when I was in a book club a few years ago, and started to
collect her stuff after that. She's great.

Lelia, I've read all of Anne Rice's Vampire, and Witch books.
Some I've loved (The Vampire Lestat, The Body Thief, Queen
of the Damned) and some I've been decidedly lukewarm about
(Violin, Memnoch the Devil). Darlene and I went to a book
signing of hers about 10 years ago and so we met her, for five
seconds, and had our books signed. I've not bought her latest
book on a year in the life of Jesus (aged 8). My most favourite
book of hers though has to be The Mummy. A really good story.

Karen, I passed on my small collection of Star Wars books too
when I was weeding my library last winter. I'm more of a
Trekker then a Star Wars fan anyways.

As always, thanks everyone for your kind words about my
library. After all, you can never have too many books.

And Phoebe greatly appreciates every one's kind words as well. Rupert,
well, he just takes it all in stride.

Cheers everyone!!

8 comments:

Beatrice said...

Wow your spot of tea is awesome!!!!
Enjoy your reading And....Stitching.

Karen said...

Spot of tea looks amazing. Can't believe how quickly you have stitched it.

I have been wanting to read Kite Runner for a while. A few people I have worked with have read it and recommended. Your the first person I know that has read his second book though. Will have to add them both to my ever expanding list.

It's a shame about Cross Stitch (or Outlander). It sounded so good having read all the blurbs but I just couldn't get into it. I felt there was too much revolving around the romance and not enough on the events of the story. Hopefully my friend will enjoy it.

Karen
xxx

Michelle said...

Spot of Tea looks beautiful! You're so close to finishing!! I love Gabaldon. Lucky you getting to go to her book signing. I love Anne Rice too, and have met her several times. I love visiting your blog and seeing what you're reading and stitching!

Sachiko said...

Thank you visiting for my blog and comment!
Your work is soooo beutiful!!I love red work,too!
And you had many books!!!
I had been went to CANADA.Tronto,Yes!very beutiful country!!

Lynn said...

Spot of Tea is really lovely. I can't wait to see it finished.

I went to a book signing by Diana Gabaldon in Ottawa in '97 when Drums of Autumn was released. She read an excerpt from the book at that time. I love her stuff and got her to sign one of my copies.

Carla said...

Spot of Tea looks fantastic!

Dani - tkdchick said...

Can't wait for your HD hope your thread arrives soon!

stitcherw said...

Cute picture of Phoebe and Rupert together. I never seem to be able to catch more than one of my furbabies in a single picture.

Your Spot of Tea is wonderful. I so hope you don't have a problem with the dye lot, I can't wait to see this one finished.

The Mummy was one of my favorite Anne Rice ones too. Not sure exactly why that one appealed to me so much more than the others, but I loved it. As to her vampire vampire series, I liked the earlier ones the best.
Sue