You may have noticed that I haven’t been posting as much lately. Part of the reason is how crazy busy life always is, but there is also another reason. I have an addiction but one that I just can’t look at in a negative light. I am addicted to reading! Since I learned how to read as a small child, I could always be found with my nose in a book, and that hasn’t changed. However, I seem to go through stages where this wonderful addiction comes above every other hobby I enjoy, and that’s where I am right now. I just can’t get enough of reading, and I get really annoyed when I can’t stay awake at night to read into the wee hours like some people can.
I will read pretty much anything, and I actually do book reviews for a company where sometimes I am challenged to read something that normally wouldn’t tempt me, but no matter what I am reading I figure that it is stimulating my brain, and that’s a good thing. I would have to say that my favourite genre is fantasy, but historical would be a close second. There is just nothing better than the smell and feel of a book, and although I do have a couple of devices for reading ebooks, I still prefer to buy the real thing for the ones I love the most. I have even been known to read the ebook and then go out and buy the physical book because I need to have it as part of my collection.
I have, however, been missing blogging, so since I just finished a book last night I decided to do a quick post before I become lost in another. I keep thinking back to our visit to the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa last November and the beauty of the architecture. I was especially entranced and fascinated by the multitude of intricate carvings on and in the buildings which you just don’t see on modern architecture, and I wanted to share some of my favourites with you. I hope you enjoy them.
photos from the loonybin 
Love the architecture! Don’t worry about not posting – we all have our reasons.
Thanks for understanding :). But wait, did you just say something normal and serious? This can’t be the same Hotspur I know LOL!!!
I am multifaceted. I’m every woman. Or man. I’m serious – when life gets in the way of blogging, you’ve gotta drop the blogging and take care of life!
You give great advice :).
I have an addiction… its blogging… but I restrict my hours doing it… and concentrate on other things… but reading is a good past time, educator and relaxer who the hell needs blogging…
I have always thought if I had to give up all my material goods except for one thing, I would keep my books, no questions asked, which is saying a lot because I am also an electronics addict. However, books have always been the closest to my heart, and I can’t imagine my life without reading :). I am really glad I found blogging though because I also can’t imagine my life without my blogging family :).
I believe the more one absorbs, the more one has to offer in quality of expression. Anybody can do quantity. Rock on. 🙂
Thanks Graham :). Your words express it exactly. If one just posts for the sake of posting on a regular basis, there may not be as much meaning to it. You have to post when inspiration hits you. And I do believe that reading enriches the mind which allows me to offer more.
tink 🙂
I love all the details. You’re going to love your trip this summer!
You addicted to reading? don’t believe it.
Oh, I know we will :). There was a show on TV last night about an antique guy in England who drives around buying items from different places, then fixes them up for resale. There are shows like that from the US and Canada too, but the English one was so much more fascinating because the items he was finding were so much older and with much more character. He was going into these buildings from the 1800’s, and my jaw kept dropping at the beauty of the architecture.
I knew you would have trouble believing I am addicted to reading LOL!!!!
I loved this post! Woohoo for reading, I’m so glad you are enjoying it right now and I definitely sympathise with this post. I got into a similar frame of mind last summer where I could not untangle myself from books no matter how hard I tried. It was my way of making up for so much lost time during semesters. I hope it continues for you, although at the same time we do of course miss you in the blogging world. 🙂
These pics are utterly beautiful, they’re so grand and imposing, I can’t stop looking at them!
Becky, you deserved to totally immerse yourself in the literary world last summer after how hard you worked at school. I know it would have provided much needed relaxation for you like it does for me :). I’m so glad you liked my pictures. Wait until you see the ones of the ceilings inside!!
I am addicted too but it is not something I am going to get help for. The last pic reminds me of my cat
Your cat has horns and big teeth like that?? Oh my! Book addicts unite :).
I really like how you’ve focused (no pun intended) on the details in these images. Great job. Now to tempt you with a little reading. I was in a little bookstore the other day (because I love to browse in bookstore and actually flip through books) and a title caught my eye. The book is “Pictures from a Darkroom Floor.” Now you understand why the title caught my eye but when I started reading the back cover and the first few pages I was really intrigued. I haven’t been able to put it down. The book is by Heather Cook and it’s about her time living in France in the 60s. It’s fabulous and I highly recommend it.
Oooh, I will look it up on Goodreads right away! Thanks Edith. My “to be read” list is getting wayyyyy too long LOL!
LOVE,LOVE,LOVE these images..truly!
Now…who do you read books for? I’m thinking about having a few people in the blog world read just a page of my novel .. Hoping that I will get absolutely honest feedback..
I will read one of your books any day!! I just did a beta read for an author, and he loved the suggestions that I made. I’m very picky too, so little errors jump right out at me :). I do reviews, beta reads, and I even proofread a manuscript for a new author. I can’t say I edited it because I am in no way a professional, but I would call it proofreading. I’m glad you liked my photos – there are more to come.
Ok! I will keep working on cleaning the manuscript up…is reading just a page, ok? This is SCARY!!
Sorry, I wasn’t ignoring you. The weather got really crappy again, and I left work early to get home before all the roads are closed. I will read whatever you want me to read, but it might be hard to get into it with only one page :). Feel free to send me whatever you want.
We’ve been missing you Cindy! I don’t think it’s a bad addiction to be addicted to reading because I’m somewhat the same way – I have to put limits on myself though or I wouldn’t get anything else accomplished in my life. I won’t allow myself to read unless I’m in bed (I just can’t get comfortable reading in any other position anymore). Now sometimes this means I read till the wee hours of the morning because I just can’t put the book down & other nights Kelvin has to come in & turn off the light because I’ve fallen asleep with the book open on my face. And sometimes (just a few times a year) I allow myself an afternoon in bed with a particularly good book. I so understand!
My limit is that I usually fall asleep before it gets too late, although I would love to stay up until the wee hours of the morning reading if I could :). I should have stayed home today to read all day because the weather started out really stormy this morning, but then it cleared up so I went into work late. It ended up getting really bad again in the afternoon, so I came home early. What a waste of a good reading day LOL!
I’m glad that when you do get the urge you send out such wonderful posts and photography. Those carvings are astounding. As for your reading addiction, I think it’s a good thing. You may even become a walking encyclopedia. My Mom was like you though. She loved loved loved reading. It’s a very nice habit. And I agree with you about the joy of reading a “real” book too.
P.S. WP will not allow me to “like” anything now. Forgive me for not being in the lineup. I have no idea why.
WordPress is a strange beast some days :).
I don’t think I will ever become a walking encyclopedia because I read so much that I forget the details of the books very shortly after finishing them LOL! The carvings filled me with awe, and I’m really glad that we made this spur of the moment trip to Ottawa. Mike and I want to go back someday to see more of the landmarks.