Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Scene of the Blog Featuring Bernadette of Reactions to Reading


This week, pack plenty of provisions and plump up the cushions in your armchair because we're traveling to Australia to visit Bernadette, one of my favorite book bloggers.

When you visit Bernadette's blog, Reactions to Reading, what you'll find is a clean, simple design that showcases first-rate reviews of (primarily) crime fiction. I feel all warm and fuzzy just looking at the spines in her header. "Yup. Got that one. Oh, she's one of my favorite authors! Man, I want to read that one! There's another one I've read." One of the things I love about book blogging is that it's easy to come in contact with people thousands of miles (and many time zones) away who've read and loved the same books. The world united by books. I like the mental pictures that thought puts in my head, don't you?

If you haven't made Bernadette's acquaintance yet, please make time to stop by Reactions to Reading to say hello-- even if you're not a fan of crime fiction. If you are a fan of crime fiction, I'm glad I could introduce you to her. I really value her opinions, and she's helped me discover new (and excellent) authors to read.

Bernadette's ready to show us her blogging spaces. Actually, she's been ready for quite some time, so I'd best get this show on the road! Don't forget--you can click on each photo to view it full size....


Having a laptop and WiFi means I can (and do) blog from virtually anywhere, but this is where I tend to blog from most. The room is full of books which is handy since I write a book blog; the chair is extremely comfortable, and the rug on the floor is one of my favourite treasures that I brought back with me from a trip to Turkey some years ago.

It's summer here right now and we're in the middle of a rather extreme heatwave, so I've got the curtains closed to keep out the sun, but when the weather's nice I open the window and use all natural light. I also read in my comfy chair and find it handy to have the laptop nearby so that when I think of something I want to say about the book I can jot it down in one of the many draft blog posts I always have on the go in my Wordpress dashboard. I do have another spot in the house where I can sit on an ergonomic chair at a table but I much prefer this setup.






















Walking is my only form of regular exercise, and I like to have a purpose when I do it so I quite often combine it with blogging. On weekdays I walk to work (about five and a half kilometres) and normally stop for a coffee and blog preparation (i.e. reading) at a great cafe. (Above left.) On weekends I often throw my laptop and wireless modem in my backpack and head off for a walk along the river, then finish off at a coffee shop to write some blog posts. (Above right.) There would normally be a few more people at the Weekend Coffee Stop, but we're suffering through an unseasonal heat wave at the moment (around 40 degrees C and it's only spring!) so everyone else is inside. I like the different perspective blogging outside gives me and I'm addicted to good coffee! ☺

I don't know about the rest of you, but I love the rug Bernadette brought back from Turkey-- beautiful colors! And that laptop table, too. I've been looking into getting something a lot like that from a local IKEA store.

In case anyone is wondering just how hot 40 degrees C. is, think 104 degrees F. Puts me in the mind of Phoenix, that does-- as well as the bit about keeping the curtains closed in the summer! I need to get out and walk like Bernadette does. I really admire her for packing up her laptop and heading outside. I'll probably have a chance to do that in January, but I can't help but think that I'll be too distracted to do much blogging. (The Internet connection where we stay is very unreliable anyway.)

Thanks so much for letting us take a look at your indoor and outdoor blogging spaces, Bernadette. We really appreciate it!

Who's going to let us feed our Inner Peeping Toms next week? Stop by and find out!



14 comments:

  1. Wow!! Bernadette, you've got a wonderful chair for blogging! It's no wonder you enjoy it. Thanks for sharing your space, and Cathy, thanks for featuring Bernadette : ).

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  2. Cathy, I truly enjoy this feature for the reasons you mentioned. We can connect with people all over the world who share out interests. It is amazing to me to be sitting here at my desk and looking at the pictures of someone doing the same thing in Australia of all places. How small the world has become.

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  3. Two Margots for the price of one!

    I am constantly surprised at how much enjoyment there is to be found in connecting with fellow readers and bloggers from across the globe.

    Happily the weather has cooled off a bit since last week so I can blog outside in comfort now.

    Thanks for featuring me Cathy and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family and I hope you survive the madness of another Black Friday.

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  4. I agree, it is so nice to get a little glimpse of where you do your blogging, Bernadette. I enjoy your blog very much and have picked up a lot of excellent reading recommendations there. It is also great to compare notes on the books we've both read, as in many cases our tastes are similar. Pity not to spot you in any of the pictures but I am very shy about actually appearing in any photos on the web and so I can sympathise. I experienced some heat in Florida this summer but although it was in the 90s I don't think it got quite as bad as you're experiencing now. Here in the UK it is gales, massive amounts of rain, lovely!

    Cathy, thanks for featuring this post from Bernadette and, from what she writes on her blog, my thoughts are with you on Black Friday - I hope it is at least in part fun, and not too tiring. We don't have anything very similar in the UK, I suppose the nearest thing is the "Christmas sales" (usually starting just before Christmas, oddly) but I don't think they are as big an event as Black Friday from what my US colleagues have told me over the years.

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  5. Nice place, and I do like writing outside, even if I can't with my PC

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  6. Love this post! I love to blog at outdoor coffee shops and eateries.... those pictures make me cringe as I want that and this morning I woke up to the light cover of snow. *groan*

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  7. I want one of those laptop tables too!

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  8. I too love to read about readers around the world. We're united by our love of books. I do wish the world could be united by peace.

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  9. Great to see Bernadette's blogging place. I am definitely familiar with Bernadette's great blog, and have visited many times. But I need to be better leaving comments :-D

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  10. Yes Maxine I am a bit wary of putting my photo on the Net. There's no particular reason although I do try very much to keep my work internet presence separate from my personal one and having photos would inevitably make them overlap.

    Sheila I'm quite lucky that there are not many times of the year when it becomes impossible to blog outdoors - we don't get snow here in winter although we do have very (very) hot summers.

    Bermudaonion yes the laptop table is a good one - I also have a little fold up thing that can sit on your lap to stop me getting too hot from the fan on the 'puter.

    Rural View that would be so nice wouldn't it - if everyone in the world could be like book bloggers - friendly and too worried about what's happening to the characters they're reading about to get involved with any kind of nastiness.

    Louise don't worry about the commenting - you are so busy with your studies and I don't always leave comments when I visit you or other blogs - sometimes it's just nice to visit.

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  11. Very comfy Bernadette. But five and half km to work! that would take me all day to get there. even with a coffee stop as a reward.

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  12. I love the rug the laptop table and the idea of blogging from a sidewalk cafe. Wow.

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  13. It takes about an hour to walk to work Kerrie (not counting the coffee stop) which means lots of time to listen to audio books - I am lucky that I live close to where I work

    And Beth I used to blog and drink coffee at home but my fancy coffee machine broke - so instead of buy a new one I now go out to drink coffee and blog :)

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  14. That chair looks so comfy! I could get lost in it.

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