I won Val's giveaway on her blog Vania's Art a couple of weeks ago and felt so lucky! And even luckier yesterday, when I unwrapped this gorgeous painting and hung her in my studio! Such a beauty and such inspiration!! (And it's the first piece of mail I ever received from Australia.) Thank you so much, Val!Now for my confession (and I don't know why this feels like a confession, but it does - maybe it's my age...). The last couple of weeks, I've been reading, no devouring, the Twilight series. I've been steeped in vampires, humans, shape shifters, teenage love and angst, reading every night until the wee hours of the morning. I so enjoyed these books, not just because they were so entirely engrossing, but I love stories about good and evil, light and dark where my preconceived notions are constantly questioned and redefined, where there are many gray areas and different ways of looking at things. It's a lot how life is to me - a lot of gray areas.
And now that I am done with all four books, I wonder what am I going to read next! Any suggestions for good summer reads? (Not that I don't have stacks of books next to my bed already that I haven't read yet, but one can never have too many books, right?)
In other news, here a photo of of some of our organic produce that came to us today via our sweet neighbor who organizes a sort of coop for several families. When I see all that wonderful food, I can feel the full abundance of life!Here's to great abundance in all our lives!!
Hi Silke, I am so very glad "Autumn is Here" painting arrived, she had a long long way to travel and she took her sweet time too lol!
ReplyDeleteAs far as another set of books for you to read, unfotunatelly, I can only suggest another of Stephanie Meyers books called "The Host" - I have read a dozen books since the Twilight series, but none of them have caught me the way Twilight books did, and I know it will be a long time before a book, just as good, comes out on the market.
Enjoy your new painting - chat soon - Val xo
Okay...you are certainly not the only one crazed about these books and feeling "too old" to be reading them!!! i devoured them as well...as did most of my girlfriends! which was your fav??? i agree with you on the polar opposites these books reflected...it really drew me in and let's be real the romantic tension amongst edward and bella is very addictive. have you seen twilight yet??
ReplyDeleteas for a summer read...i am a book junkie and really enjoyed "Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards as well as "In the Woods" by Tana French - both really good reads!
I also LOVE this painting from Australia -GORGEOUS!
You might try a fantasy series of novels written by Terry Brooks, beginning with "The Sword of Shannara". The ultimate good versus evil book with lots of gray areas thrown in.
ReplyDeleteSorry I have no suggestions for books (even though I am a librarian.) I prefer action and mysteries. Favourite authors include David Baldacci, Lee Child and Ken Follett.
ReplyDeleteYou received a wonderful giveaway. Enjoy.
Congratulations on your painting from Australia!! I haven't read Twilight, but just saw the movie and I must admit that I am not sure about it. Maybe the books are better? Or I am getting old... Have you read the books by Russian author Sergej Lukianenko? Also a vampire based story, but very different. Don't know what they are called in English. German title: Wächter der Nacht, Wächter des Tage, Wächter des Zwielichts.
ReplyDeleteSilke just saw the Egret give away piece. I love the abstract backgrounds you are using with your paintings . That piece was really great!!
ReplyDeleteSilke, I am reading the Carson Spring series by Eileen Goudge, but they are nothing like Twilight, I'm sure, so don't know if they would appeal to you. I have never read any vampire books -- I guess they are just not a match to me.
ReplyDeleteYou have been so lucky with the giveaways lately! Would you pls go buy a lottery ticket for me and solve all my problems?! :]
Oooo, oooo, oooo, what wonderful book suggestions!
ReplyDeleteVal - I did not know Stephanie Meyers wrote another book. Will have to check it out - definitely! I love my painting!! :)
K - You are so right - that romantic tension was something else - all throughout the four books! So well done! Thanks for the other suggestions - We even have The Memory Keepers Daughter on our bookshelf and I haven't read it yet! Thanks!!
Mr. H. - Thanks for the suggestion - I will have to check them out right away! I am a fan of gray areas...
Dolores - I read a lot of mysteries and have always loved them. Mostly I listen to them on my trusty little MP3 player - I love Ian Rankin, Elizabeth Peters, Margaret Coel, etc. So much fun!
Renate - I have the opposite problem. Now that I've read the books, I don't think I can see the movie. It can't possibly be as riveting or as amazing as it looks in my mind... I'll see if I can find the Russian series here, although "real" and dark vampire books might scare me too much...
Julie - Thanks for the compliment on the Egret piece. That was my first ever piece where I used image transfer of magazine pictures to create an abstract background. It was so much fun!!
Beth - Thanks for that suggestions! I've never read any vampire books before this series. But this is less about vampires and much more a story about love, sacrifice, self control, the battle of light and dark within us all, and a great adventure. Most of all, though, a love story! I could not stop reading...
Oh, what fun! So many books -- wonderful! Thank you!! Hugs, Silke
Charlaine Harris writes a series of vampire books featuring Sookie Stackhouse, I believe the first in the series is "Dead until Dark" they are a light fun summer read. Different than the Twilight series but fun just the same.
ReplyDeleteooooh, look at those strawberries! Delish!
ReplyDeleteLove the painting you won! How cool is that?!
ps... doubt you want to reading anything I am reading or I'd give you a good suggestion! Oh I did just finish reading "The Moonspinners" its a bazillion years old but one of my faves!
Hey Silke! Lucky you on winning Val's beautiful piece! Wish I could suggest a good read for you but that is the one thing I haven't gotten into much. Seems when I have free time, I do artsy stuff. I SHOULD read!!
ReplyDeleteIt's good for us to learn :)
Darla
Hi Silke! Such a beautiful piece of art from a land far, far away.
ReplyDeleteWhy is reading Twilight a thing to confess? From the volume of sales, it appears half of the US needs confessing, and I just might join them (after it comes out in audio :).
Organic produce... I am so envious! I am a raw organic enthusiast, juicing and smoothies being high on my list!
Enjoy!
David
Wow - what a stunning painting to have won! It's so beautiful - well done you!! If you ever get fed up with it you know where to send it!!! Reminds me of my beautiful daughter Tess (she's been away for a few days & I'm missing her terribly!) xx
ReplyDeleteFabulous! I am sure you will find a perfect place to hang it!!!!
ReplyDeleteI did a post a few weeks ago and people gave me the best book suggestions! I loved it.
ReplyDeleteThat produce looks great and so does your painting.
Hi Silke,
ReplyDeleteahh tavas... my husband is from Cyprus and his dad had a greek restaurant ... so TAVAS is a typical cypriot dish with potatoes, lamb, in a spiced tomatoe sauce ...it was delicious ... :-)
I love the way you are intuitvely finding images in your mixed media backgrounds.. i so enjoy letting the images "come to me" this way
have a playful day
♥ milliande
If you haven't read Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book, do. It's amazing. Also Diane Duane wrote the Young Wizards series significantly before Harry Potter- great fun. Read Book of Night With Moon and To See the Queen too, they are companions to the series. If you haven't read Diana Wynne Jones, pretty much all of her stuff is great. All of the books I'm recommending are YAs, fun summer reading and quick.
ReplyDeletePS The Sookie Stackpole books that the series True Blood are based on are more "adult" than the Twilight books, but you might enjoy them if you're into vampires. Also netflix the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, if you haven't seen them. I can't remember if you were a fan or not, but they remain my favorites.
ReplyDeleteHello - and congrats on a lovely gift from Austrailia. I love prezzies!
ReplyDeletePlease try Kerri Arther and Kim Harrison. The Twilight Series is fun, but how about some "adult" vampire fiction!