A Trio of Cubs, A Telephone Box And The Love Of Reading

I thought of Hugh when I took the photo below thinking how much he would like this door, as every Thursday he takes part in Norm’s Thursday Door Challenge.  I love doors and windows and probably drive hubby mad when I keep stopping to take photos ~

There is a bird hide on one side of the lake, made of beech, now in its natural autumnal glory ~

I was in for a surprise when I went inside and found this rustic bench. Perfect for Jude and her Bench Photo Challenge I immediately thought. November’s theme is a bench with a message/plaque or autumn.  Hopefully I can get away with the ‘message’  even though is isn’t actually on the bench ~

A different kind of ‘beech house’ warning ~

During a recent trip to Exmoor Zoo, a delightful family owned and award-winning zoo dedicated to extensive conservation, this gorgeous trio of cubs had me mesmerised.  I hoped to get a photo of them looking the same way, just in time for the prompt for the Weekly Photo Challenge as it turned out ~

The cubs had something far more interesting than me to keep them amused ~

But after a quick shift around, I became more hopeful ~

And then at last, they granted me this pose ~

This is the third successful litter of Nicco and Fu, all with three cubs, all boys until now; one of these beauties is a girl.

Thank goodness for my mobile phone camera the day we drove through a quiet village and came across this telephone box.  Once a familiar sight on every street corner in the Britain I grew up in, the few left now stand empty and abandoned.  But not this one.

‘Stop the car!’, I yelled politely asked hubby.

Because you see, this telephone box is filled with books, donated by villagers to encourage reading in the name of one of their own who tragically lost his life too young ~

What a beautiful gesture.

And speaking of books, lovely Julie of An Unexpected Life Chosen nominated me to answer a few questions for a Reading Habit blog hop. Thank you so much Julie for thinking of me…and for your wonderful patience (it’s only July since she asked… *hangs head in shame*…).

I find it impossible to know who to nominate, and I know there are many of you who read avidly.  So I nominate any and all, looking forward to reading your answers should you join in.

The questions are in bold, my answers in italics:

READING HABIT

You have 20,000 books on your TBR. How in the world do you decide what to read next?  I would ask Eldest Son for his recommendation; he is always saying ‘Mom, you would really like this book…’ And he’s right.

You’re halfway through a book and you’re just not loving it. Do you quit or commit? Quit. No question about it.  If I lose interest I can’t keep reading, no matter how hard I try. Reading should be a pleasure, not a slog.

The end of the year is coming and you’re so close yet so far away on your GoodReads challenge. Do you quit or commit?  I’ve never done a GoodReads challenge, but if I was so close yet so far on anything, I would keep going as best I could.

The covers of a series you love DO. NOT. MATCH. How do you cope?  I never judge a book by its cover, literally.  I admire the good ones, yes, but it’s the story inside that counts for me. 

Everyone and their mother loves a book you really don’t like. Who do you bond with over shared feelings? I don’t give much thought to what’s popular or not, sticking to what I like, which includes a lot of True Crime, which I know isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.  I’ve read every one of Ann Rule’s  books (she sadly died in July this year) thanks to my dear friend in California introducing me to her years ago.

You’re reading a book and you’re about to start crying in public. How do you deal?  I’m weird, I don’t read in public as I can’t concentrate.  Even when travelling, I prefer to zone out, watch the world go by. But I always carry a pack of tissues with me, for lots of reasons…

A sequel of a book you loved just came out, but you’ve forgotten a lot from the prior novel. Will you re-read the book? Skip the sequel? Try to find a summary on GoodReads? Cry in frustration?   I would read the sequel and hope it would jog my memory…

You don’t want ANYONE borrowing your books. How do you politely tell people “nope” when they ask? I’ve lent paperbacks happily, not worrying about getting them back. We can all be forgetful at times.   But a special book?  That’s a bit like asking to borrow your granny’s vintage porcelain tea service. Awkward…

You’ve picked up and put- down five different books in the past month. How do you get over the reading slump?  I only read one book at a time, but my cure to getting over any slump is to keep writing.

There are so many new books coming out that you are dying to read! How many do you actually buy?  Lately, I’ve bought a few (Kindle) recommended and written by blogging friends, but I’m slow to get to them while focusing on writing my memoir. 

After you’ve bought a new book you want to get to, how long does it sit on your shelf until you actually read it? I love the idea of knowing it’s there, ready and waiting, that I can pick it up anytime I want to.  I like to savour the wait, something special to look forward to later…

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I would like to wish my dear American friends a very Happy Thanksgiving.  It’s a celebration I embraced with my family when I lived in California, and I miss it.  But this weekend is my ‘Thanksgiving Baby’ middle son’s birthday, so I’ll be taking some time out to prepare for a family celebration.  I’ll be hanging around blogland for the next couple of days to catch up with you all, and then will be back next week.

Happy, safe travels to all, near and far, and see you soon!

Love Sherri xxx