Tag: blogger

Book Club: Full Dark, No Stars

Posted on by Shawshank

So here is where our chat about the third short story in the book Full Dark, No Stars – Fair Extension would be, had I read it.

And I feel very terrible and guilty about not reading it. This past week has been totally busy and insane. It was my first full week at work, I’d get home from working and just be so mentally tired, I couldn’t read. I planned on reading part, if not most of it yesterday; but it was my first day solo on the shop, I couldn’t even concentrate on a cooking show.

I know, excuses, excuses. I don’t know how y’all other bloggers can manage to balance everything.

So hopefully you guys forgive me. I’ll do better in the coming week to get it read.

Please, stick around. I’m not usually this useless!

And the beer I had for breakfast wasn’t bad – so I had one more for desert

Posted on by Shawshank

It’s Sunday. I allowed myself to sleep in until 7:30 – I maybe could’ve slept longer. It was a good sleep. I needed it.

Yesterday was a good day. After a morning of internally freaking out, because I was solo in the store for the first time. At 1 minute before the store opened, I got a call. “ I want to pick up my chair, because I’m afraid with COVID, you guys will have to close soon. I’m an hour away, I’m leaving now.”

Cue the mini freak out.

After a phone call to the boss, (who I didn’t want to call) the chair was found and the customer left very happy. I could breathe again.

I put on Lite Rock 105 – New England’s Christmas station, and I even enjoyed all the commercials for places that I can remember. Oh oh oh O’Reily: Auto parts! Hahaha

The rest of the day was quiet. Had a couple customers come in and buy some little things. I got a lot of cleaning done, while cursing how slobby women can be. I did the dishes, cleaned the toilets, vacuumed, etc. I cleaned up emails – and got it down to 8 unread ones.

Finally it was time to go. But I couldn’t go home right away I had to go and pick up a free king size mattress from the warehouse that the boss was giving me. I had talked to my dad the night before about helping me build a bed frame for it.

The rest of the family had to go into BiggerTown, to hit up the Walmart for inexpensive cat supplies, and my grandmother surprised me with 90% of the wood that I’m going to need to build the frame, so when I get my first pay check, most of it will probably go to her.

So when they got back my dad sat down and started drawing up the blueprints for the bed. The basic bed frame should be done sometime this week. We’ll be working on it after dinner this week. I’m just happy I’ll be off a day bed. I’ll be able to stretch out.

Back to my coffee, and Assassin’s Creed on TV. Happy Sunday y’all!

5 books I’m glad I read in 2020

Posted on by Shawshank

2020 was a year to be sure. I had a lot of time to read. A lot. Let’s just leave it at that. I wished that I had written down all the books I read this year, but sadly I didn’t. There’s so many books that affected me, and I just can’t remember them.

But here’s the top 5 books I’m glad I read in 2020. And only one made me cry. I’m so damned emotional sometimes. I guess that means I really got into the book, huh?

1. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

This was the first book that Crystal sent me. It was a complete surprise when I got it. I didn’t know a lot about the book before I read it, but I recognized the cover – she had the same copy.

I didn’t want the book to end. I started it over 5 times. I like to say I read it 5 times the first time. I didn’t want it to end. I actually got anxiety when I got to the mid point, so I’d start it over again. My motto for this book, and every book I read after was;

You can only read a book once, for the first time.

This book seriously saved my life. And even now I’ll take it off my book shelf, and. Just hold it and flip through the pages. I gotta move on the the next book, I’m getting a little emotional. This is my favourite book.

2. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Laugh all you want, about the book, but this book (and the rest of the series) really helped me get through a tough time. It holds a special place in my heart.

3. Going Somewhere by Brian Benson

I resisted the whole let’s travel someplace and grow as a person book for a while, and then read 3 pretty much back to back. This one was cool, because yes the main character (real life people) grew, it was and it wasn’t a happy ending. I cried at the end of this. It wasn’t the ending that I expected – books like this have the happy ending. This one didn’t.

4. Honour Among Thieves by Jeffery Archer

This one like literally watching a big screen blockbuster in my mind. I blew through it in about 4 hours. Then read it again. I keep on the look out for this book when I’m at the second hand stores.

5. Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco

This book is dense. So much information about secret societies. I had to read it twice, just to figure out what was going on. I loved every second of it!

So what’re your top 5 books of 2020? I can’t wait to read about them!

Heart breaker, soul shaker – I’ve been told about you

Posted on by Shawshank

Good morning! Happy Saturday! I had some weird dreams last night. Crystal and I were part of the cast of Riverdale. And one of our own was kidnapped, so we infiltrated the enemy compound, which turned out to be an exact replica of the town. It was wicked strange.

Today, I work in the store. Alone. For four hours. I’m nervous. But it is what it is, and I’ll get through it. After work, I have to remember to grab the keys to the warehouse, so I can grab the king sized mattress that I was given.

Most of Shady Acres is awake. They’re going to MostlyBiggerCity to get cat food and other supplies for the two tyrants that run this house. And for some reason they’re talkative. Soon they’ll want to talk to me.

I just want coffee.

Work is going pretty well. I have a co-worker. You know the kind, *holds up spork*. The kind that has no idea how loud they are. This one is even better because she doesn’t know how to use a computer, HER phone, tablet etc. I was telling her about one thing, in case I was in the bathroom or something, and I could tell she had no idea what I was talking about and she was getting stressed about it. All it was, was this:

If I’m in the bathroom when the deliver kid gets here, here’s the slip for him.

That’s it. That’s all.

Yeah, I know.

Anyways, happy Saturday. You’re going to have a great day. You can do this. I love you.

First Line Friday

Posted on by Shawshank

This one is simple. I post the first couple lines from a random book on my shelf, and you try and figure out which book it is. The answer will be posted the next Friday, with another first line! Sounds like fun.

And away we go!

I still get nightmares. In fact I get them so often I should be used to them by now. I’m not. No one ever really gets used to nightmares. For a while I tried every pill imaginable. Anything to curb the fear.

Got a guess? Post it in the comments, and may the odds ever be in your favour!