A Creative Bibliophile - January 2021

I have been a lover of books my whole life.. I'm sure I got it from my father who was also a book lover. Even before I could read, I would either sit next to him on the couch or in my own little chair and "read" my Little Golden Books or whatever else was handy. As I got older, there were weekly trips to the library in my hometown of Mahanoy City, PA.It was only several blocks from our house. The head librarian - Thelma Faust - was a friend of our family . After I devoured the entire Children's section,  I was allowed to take out any books that I wanted . There was even a note in my file so the other librarians were aware of this. I remember reading many books from the Encyclopedia Britannica - I might even have read them all from A-Z. Each year, I would impatiently wait for the yearbook to be released. I can't remember a time when I didn't carry a book with me - just in case.  I couldn't imagine being somewhere without a book to read if I had an extra few minutes. Fast forward to 2021 and I am just as much a bookworm as I ever was ! I also am a lover of bookmarks. I am not one to dog-ear pages ( the thought makes me cringe ) but I have been known to use the occasional receipt or piece of junk mail. But only when there is NOT a bookmark handy. Because as much as I love books, I am also a lover of bookmarks. So when I decided to start a monthly blog post about books, I instantly knew that bookmarks would play a part also. Each month I will review a book or 2 and also make a bookmark for the post. And that is how "A Creative Bibliophile" was born. 

My logo will be the gorgeous gal from a fabulous stamp set by Unity Stamp Company - Part of the Story . I made 2 bookmarks with these stamps and some washi tape.  I used Strathmore Watercolor Paper , Gina K Jet Black Amalgam Ink and my COPICs. The stamped images were adhered to a thick mixed-media paper and then lined ledger paper was placed on the back. You can keep track of books you're reading or keep a To-Be-Read list.  I sometimes use it to keep track of characters in a book. While making these bookmarks, I used a cool new tool - a Mini Stamping Bug . It glides across the MISTI that I use when I stamp,in order to apply pressure and get a clean crisp image. You hold it in  your hand and move it across the stamp platform  - takes the pressure off of your hand and wrist. There is also a larger original version of this Stamping Bug but this smaller one was perfect for my bookmark images. And to celebrate my new blog post, I will be giving away one of these Mini Stamping Bugs that Robin Hill - their creator - was kind enough to send me !! All you have to do is comment on this blog post if you would like one of your very own.. I will choose 1 person at random  and send them a Mini and also a bookmark !!

The Struggle is Part of the Story

The 2 books I'm reviewing today were the first 2 I read in 2021. Without knowing hardly anything about either book, I was pleasantly surprised that I absolutely loved both of them and their overall messages. 

Photo from Red Nose Studio

All I knew about this book  - The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - was that it was about an orphanage with an odd bunch of orphans . And truth be told, I chose to read this book because I fell in love with the cover !!  In this wonderful book, a  man named Linus is sent to investigate to make sure the caretaker, Arthur is providing a safe home for the strange group of orphans . What Linus discovers about Arthur, the orphans and also himself creates a magical story about putting aside our ideas about people being "different" and also letting people into our lives that we really never would have dreamed of. I fell in love with every character in this book . There are gnomes and sprites and other surprising characters in this book . I do highly recommend it !! 

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you had done something different, made different choices ?? I think that we all have had these  thoughts  about one decision or another. From the big decisions like your career, a big move or who you married to the smaller ones like which route you would drive or store you'd go into , The Midnight Library by Matthew Haig introduces us to Nora, who is terribly depressed and decides to end it all. But that is not the end of the story, it is just the beginning. She finds herself in the Midnight Library, where every regret she's ever had lives and the bookshelves are filled with books about how her life would have been different if she had made another choice at that time.  Having had some of those regrets myself and wondering what things would be like if I'd made other choices, this book intrigued me and I wasn't disappointed.  I think that I also chose this book initially because of the cover. Have you ever done that ?? 

Thank you for joining me for my first book-themed blog post .. I am definitely "A Creative Bibliophile" and look forward to sharing more books and also bookmarks with you .. Is there a particular book you would like to recommend to me ?? Next time I will talk a bit about my To-Be-Read list and my favorite types of books. Don't forget to comment if you would like a chance at some blog candy -- a fun Mini Stamping Bug along with a bookmark. Thank you to Robin Hill for sending me an extra Mini Stamping Bug  to share with someone !!

Mini Stamping Bugs

Until next time, Read a Book & Stay Creative !!