Mareli Thalk ink ......

First of all - Thank you to all the congratulatory messages on my 100th post! Guess what? Here's one more. I really am starting to feel like a Disney Princess here. If I don't prevent you from falling asleep during a long and tedious-to-read blog post, I present you with another post filled with lovely little Ink Spots. (What do you mean,  SHE's  not a Disney Princess??) I wanted to do something special for the 100th post celebration and seeing that Somebody  already stole 100 puppies and gave them away, I had to think of something else. And then it hit me: The sum of the parts are greater than the hole  whole. Let's do a bit of maths and see how you can get to 100!

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by  Caffeinated Book Reviewer . This is a post to recap the past week on your blog, tell  everyone  about books and things you can showcase and share news for the upcoming week. Remember to link your post and to visit others who have linked up. Today's Sunday Post is the 100th post on my blog. Yea! Of course I had big plans for this post. I mean it is 100  and we all know how very important that number is. (Actually, I have absolutely no idea what the significance of 100 is. Will find out though) When I started planning today's Sunday Post, I realized it had that one magical ingredient that one need to write a classic fairy tale like Sleeping Beauty : The reception will bore you to sleep. Too much thalk thalk thalk, tooo much blah blah blah.  

Am I the only one who feels like that? Not complaining at all - just sharing. Meet me on Friday @  Friday 56  for a bit of  Book Blogger Hop   to kick-start the weekend with  Book Beginnings . Friday 56  is hosted by  Freda's Voice . For this date, you will need the following:  Grab a book  (Yes, any book. But it might get you to your other Friday activities a bit quicker if you just grab the book you are currently reading) Turn to page 56 or 56% on your e-reader Find a sentence or two  (your other Friday activities might determine this) Post it! Remember to post your link on  Freda's Voice  and to visit the other guys in the linky. And  don't forget to list the title of the book and the author as well. (With one click on the covers, you will be transported to the magical world of  Goodreads) After requesting a book from Netgalley and it got DENIED (*gasp*) , I visited my Netgall...

I have about an hour to kill, so let's take a coffee break with Book Traveling Thursdays . Danielle and Catia are the two lovely moderators over at the   Goodreads   group. Should you wish to participate, just follow these easy  1,2,3 block(g) myself  steps:  Pick a book. At the beginning of every month, a list of themes will be posted. All you have to do is choose a book that fits that theme. In your blog post, include an explanation of why your chosen book fits the theme. Look at covers from multiple editions and multiple countries for the book you chose. Be sure to tag your posts with booktravelingthursdays so we can all see each other's posts. (Link back on the Goodreads Group) In your post, include the the following:  The original cover The cover from your country (if there are multiple covers from your country, include them all) Your favorite cover Your least favorite cover This week's theme is: Because reading takes us to a ...

Welcome to  Thursday Quotables   hosted by  Bookshelf Fantasies .  This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage during your past reading week. Whether it's something funny, startling, gut-wrenching or just  really  written beautifully - this is where you must share! It is so simple: Write a Thursday Quotable post on your blog.  (We're all busy here, so pick something from what you are currently reading) Link back to  Bookshelf Fantasies  and link-up with the  linky  provided. Make sure to visit the other quotable bloggers and snitch their books. Go read. You need at least one new book for next week's feature. Seeing that it is my third Thrusday Quotables , today I'll give you not one, not two, not three ......

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly link-up/meme hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish   where they provide a prompt and other lovers of list-making   (me! me! me!)  join in with their own top ten list. Feel free to have less than 10 or more if you need to at times and put a spin on the topic if you need to. Just please link back to  The Broke and the Bookish   if you are participating. Link up with your  BLOG POST   (not your blog)  in the linky provided and remember to pay it forward!  Today's theme for Top Ten Tuesday is Ten Books that have been on your shelf (or TBR - let's not kid ourselves here) from before you started blogging.

The devilish parts: Title:  Anna and the King of Siam Author:  Margaret Landon Published by (ebook):  Open Road Integrated Media Publication date (ebook):  23 August 2016 (first published in 1944) Genre:  Literary/Historical Fiction Pages:  395 ISBN:   9781504038553  Description:  In the early 1860's, Anna Leonowens, a widow with two young children, was invited to Siam (modern day Thailand) by King Mongkut who wanted her to teach his children and wives the English language and introduce them to British customs. Inspired by two memoirs written by Mrs Leonowens, Margaret Landon took the first person narratives and enhanced them with details about the Siamese people and their culture from other sources. The book has been translated into dozens of languages and has inspired at least six adaptations into various dramatic mediums. Now, for the first time, it is also available on electronic format. Mareli's rating:  4 stars ...

I couldn't do my Sunday Post  yesterday as we were without electricity from Saturday night. Eish. (South African. A n exclamation expressive of surprise, agreement, disapproval, etc. Word Origin. from Zulu.) We live in a part of town where you can be guaranteed of NO  electricity when there is just the slightest hint of thunder. Well, it did appear as if the Dear Lord moved His entire house on Saturday night. Quite a bit more than just the hint of thunder came down on us. And as promised, the lights went out. Until last night. Luckily, (what an unfortunate state to be in) - we are used to power outages in South Africa.  Luckily (what a fortunate state to be in!) there is still  It's Monday! What are you reading?  This weekly feature is hosted by  Bookdate   and it's a great way to get your reading week sorted. All you need to do is: 

Meet me on Friday @  Friday 56  for a bit of  Book Blogger Hop   to kick-start the weekend with  Book Beginnings .

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling My rating: 4 of 5 stars Harry Potter is a generation thing. Like 80's music and movies. Or 60's fashion. Every generation following that eras have a different take on it. Same with Harry Potter. And the last installment, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child , is the generation definer. Following all the reviews, I came to the conclusion that there are two main generations here: 1. The kids who grew up with Harry Potter. In other words, when Harry was 12, they were 12. 2. The "older" kids. Those of us who were in our late teens to twenties or thirties when Harry first entered Hogwarts. (Not as old as Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall - although I do know a couple of "elders" who also read Harry Potter) Closer to Snipe's age.

Welcome to  Thursday Quotables   hosted by  Bookshelf Fantasies .  This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage during your past reading week. Whether it's something funny, startling, gut-wrenching or just  really  written beautifully - this is where you must share! It is so simple: Write a Thursday Quotable post on your blog.  (We're all busy here, so pick something from what you are currently reading) Link back to  Bookshelf Fantasies  and link-up with the  linky  provided. Make sure to visit the other quotable bloggers and snitch their books. Go finish reading your book. I haven't done a Thursday Quotable in weeks. Okay, actually I've only done it twice (counting this one....)  I am more than a bit behind on catching up with my book quotes and book diary. There are a million little papers and notes lying around the house that can't wait to be eternalized by yours truly in i...

Cover Characteristics is a weekly meme hosted by  Sugar and Snark . Every week they give us these gorgeous themes and then you have to pick 5   covers featuring that theme. If you want to participate:  Pick your covers  Post it to your blog Share your post's URL in the linky provided by Sugar and Snark Go and check out the other guys who also posted!  (This might influence your current TBR list a great deal.)

I've had my eye on this tag ever since I saw it for the first time over at  It Starts at Midnight . Thanks for creating this great tag Shannon! Meant to do it last week already, but there were a few hurdles to cross first. I'm not a very sporty person, but yes - there's definitely something about The Olympics that draws all of us together. I am also proudly South African and couldn't be happier about the smashing (no pun intended)  performance of Wayde van Niekerk in the men's 400m. But let's talk books! 

I know, I know. this is not what you are suppose to do. You actually need to list ten books set in or on  X, Y or Z . But when I saw this week's theme, the above graphic immediately came to mind. Books with an X setting = Find X. In a previous Top Ten Tuesday, I've mentioned my utter lack of Mathematical knowledge. Just for today, I've decided to put that prejudice aside and assist Algebra with his/her/it's age-old dilemma by listing 10 Books with a Mathematical setting. I do hope that my efforts will help him/her/it for once and for all to find his/her/it's X .  

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by  Caffeinated Book Reviewer . This is a post to recap the past week on your blog, tell  everyone  about books and things you can showcase and share news for the upcoming week. Remember to link your post and to visit others who have linked up. You have NO idea how bad the past 36 hours (yes, I'm counting) have been. I woke up yesterday morning with a spring in my step. That in itself is amazing, as the past week has been just horrible, horrible (try saying that in a french accent. The impact is so much better). While we were having coffee, my husband asked me what my plans for the day were. It was rather simple: Finish some schoolwork  Do the Olymic Book Tag Finish the new Harry Potter Now didn't that sound like a good Saturday? As I was making breakfast, I asked my dear, oh so dear, husband to see if there are any nice templates on blogger that I might look at in a few weeks time, you know When I have time to was...

I've been to the dentist this morning and finally ,   somebody is listening to me. But I think the anesthetics have done their job now and it's time for pain meds (or wine) and a book on the couch.   Meet me on Friday @  Friday 56  for a bit of  Book Blogger Hop   to kick-start the weekend with  Book Beginnings .

Paperback  390 pages Read 09 August 2016 Published February 2016 Goodreads Blurb: Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets. Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted and haunted by tragedy, lies and war. As thousand of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff,  a ship that promises safety and freedom. Yet not all promises can be kept. Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys lifts the veil on a shockingly little-know casualty of WWII. " The shoes always tell the story"  

Yes, it is as bad as it seems. I am absent. Absent minded, distracted, fully occupied and no time for blogging. I do try to read . It does appear as if I've fallen victim to the age old disease of Headless Chicken syndrome . I am running around with my head on the block(g), but my body is constantly elsewhere.  But I really, really, really  want to start doing the Book Traveling Thursdays weekly feature. Let's see if I can do this without my head... I can still manage to copy/paste, so let's have a look at what Danielle and Catia have to say about this meme. Danielle and Catia are the two lovely moderators over at the  Goodreads   group. (I know they're lovely - you can see their photos on Goodreads!) Should you wish to participate, just follow these easy 1,2,3 block(g) myself steps:  Pick a book. At the beginning of every month, a list of themes will be posted. All you have to do is choose a book that fits that theme. In your blog post, includ...

I've had my eye on this weekly feature for quite some time and decided that today is the day to join It's Monday! What are you reading?  This weekly feature is hosted by  Bookdate   and it's a great way to get your reading week sorted. All you need to do is:  Tell us what you are currently reading What did you finish reading last week What do you plan on reading next Add your link to the linky provided by your host Visit the other bloggers who also deal with terrible Mondays, but still find the time to prioritize their reading schedules Make sure to read really awesome books in order to increase the above mentioned bloggers' stress levels by adding even more books to their TBR list Pop a Rescue for your own nerves or pour a glass of wine and get reading    

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by  Caffeinated Book Reviewer . This is a post to recap the past week on your blog, tell  everyone  about books and things you can showcase and share news for the upcoming week. Remember to link your post and to visit others who have linked up. This week's predominant event in my little corner of the world was the SA Local Government Elections 2016. It is a historic time in South Africa, leaving the ANC bruised and the DA galvanized. ewn.co.za A picture says a thousand words. This photo was taken in Port Elizabeth where a new dawn sure is breaking.  But enough about that. I'm not one to talk politics, lets talk books! 

It's the weekend! I've got a long weekend coming up and I really plan on not giving a damn about the outside world or universe, I'm spending it reading.  Meet me on Friday @  Friday 56  for a bit of  Book Blogger Hop   to kick-start the weekend with  Book Beginnings .

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly link-up/meme hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish   where they provide a prompt and other lovers of list-making   (me! me! me!)  join in with their own top ten list. Feel free to have less than 10 or more if you need to at times and put a spin on the topic if you need to. Just please link back to  The Broke and the Bookish   if you are participating. Link up with your  BLOG POST   (not your blog)  in the linky provided and remember to pay it forward!  Today's Top Ten Tuesday's theme is: Ten books you'd buy right this second if someone handed you a fully loaded Gift Card.  Need to take a deep breath here. That sentence is way to long to utter in one breath. Especially when talking about books - which as you know, tends to leave us breathless to start with. So I just shortened it to my own preference: Ten books I've just bought!   (for real, I can show the receipts)

Welcome to another edition of Cover Characteristics ! This week we will be joining Dr Sheldon Cooper on his hit show: Fun with Flags No, not really. But wouldn't that be fun? Cover Characteristics is a weekly meme hosted by  Sugar and Snark . Every week they give us these gorgeous themes and then you have to pick 5   covers featuring that theme. If you want to participate:  Pick your covers  Post it to your blog Share your post's URL in the linky provided by Sugar and Snark Go and check out the other guys who also posted!  (This might influence your current TBR list a great deal.)

I love being part of the blogosphere. The past (almost) 4 months have been the most fun in ages. The only negative thing I can say (so far - don't make me regret this statement) is that I get distracted way to easily. (As if you haven't noticed)   Every month I spend hours on planning my Library Card.  I make endless lists of the books I want to read for that month: List all the books featured on the Goodreads Groups for that month Bring all the new books in the Book Club home Match books up with the 'Word of the month' featured in SA Booklovers Find a book that matches the 'color challenge' Highlight books to be read on the yearly challenge(s) Go read

July was definitely not the best reading month in recent history.  My Great Expectations turned into A Tale of Two Cities . The best of times - the worst of times. Okay, it wasn't all that bad, reading was just bad. Especially on the paperback/hardcover front. But I blame it on this unusually cold winter we are experiencing. I've never been a fan of winter. I know it is the perfect time to snuggle up with a nice book, but then  holding the book seems to be problematic. Both hands need to be above the blankets and your nose are freezing too. With a kindle you only need one hand outside and it's easy to have everything else covered in fur.  Enough with the excuses, I didn't read as much as planned and didn't stick to my  Library Card  once again.  Here's what I did finish in July: