Booking Through Thursday

If you’re like me, you grew up reading everything under the sun, like the cereal boxes while you ate your breakfast, the newspapers held by strangers on the subway, the tabloid headlines at the grocery store.

What’s the oddest thing you’ve ever read? (You know, something NOT a book, magazine, short story, poem or article.) Booking Through Thursday

This was a tough question! What finally came to mind was a series of signs I came across while visiting China. They were meant to "educate" people on safe behaviors. Some examples...don't poke others while biking in traffic, try not to trample people while fleeing, using a mop won't help you put out a building fire. Now, I'm not sure if this is what they actually said since they are in Chinese, but just LOOK at them!

Clubbing (BTT)

A combo of two suggestions by: Heidi and by litlove

Have you ever been a member of a book club? How did your group choose (ot, if you haven’t been, what do you think is the best way to choose) the next book and who would lead discussion?

Do you feel more or less likely to appreciate books if you are obliged to read them for book groups rather than choosing them of your own free will? Does knowing they are going to be read as part of a group affect the reading experience?

Yes, I've been a member of a book club. Our motto..."It's all about the food." That should probably tell you about how in depth we go into discussing our books. It didn't start out that way. I promise. No matter how good our intentions were, it always came back to the food (having a lot of it--and it being sooo good!). We all teach together so naturally this was also a time for us to socialize since we didn't have time at work. So our book club morphed into eat and socialize together. Whoever is hosting the next book club gets to pick the book and we basically talk about if we liked it or not. Nothing major or in depth. Very casual. It works for us. I like having other people pick books as it gives me a chance to read books I normally wouldn't pick up for myself. We meet every 3 months or so. This also relieves the pressure of having to finish up a certain book by a certain date. One of us might buy it and pass it around or it gives us time to get it from the library.

I've often wondered what a more "formal" book club would be like. I'm looking forward to reading some other posts.

Books Vs. Movies (BTT)

Suggested by: Superfastreader:

Books and films both tell stories, but what we want from a book can be different from what we want from a movie. Is this true for you? If so, what’s the difference between a book and a movie?

The first word that came to my mind was escape. I often find myself escaping in books. I don't find that to be true with movies. They are both entertaining but there is just something about a book that I can escape with. I guess with a book you run your own show, you can stop and start when you want, think over things, go back and reread. With a movie, it is meant to be watched in one sitting. No going back, stopping and thinking. You're forced to experience it as it was set forth by the producer/director etc. With a book you have more room to move in your mind. Your imagination can run wild.

I'm curious to hear what others have to say.

Manual Labor Redux (BTT)

Following up last week’s question about reading writing/grammar guides, this week, we’re expanding the question….

Scenario: You’ve just bought some complicated gadget home . . . do you read the accompanying documentation? Or not?

Do you ever read manuals?

How-to books?

Self-help guides?

Anything at all?

I'll admit it...I read the manual. I've just seen my sister and husband break too many things or goof them up by simply not reading the directions. Its so simple. It tells you how to do it. You just start at the beginning and go step by step. That is why they are included. It just seems easier to follow them to then to guess at how to do it or do it wrong.

Have any of you ever put together furniture from IKEA? Now THAT is an adventure!!!!! Those little funny Swedish (I think) cartoon people and no words! That is the best.

How-to books & Self-help guides? I think we have probably all purchased a few with good intentions, myself included. I've never really seemed to get into them though and they sit on my shelf and then end up getting posted on paperbackswap. Boy do I envy the person who said her problems were simple enough that peanut M&M's could solve them. I wish my problems were so simple that M&Ms could solve them! Maybe I'm not buying the right books. lol ; )

I'm not sure why but lately I've found it annoying when companys don't include their manuals and tell you to "go online" to download it. I know it saves paper and storage space but it really is a hassle for me. It seems more difficult than actually having it in your hand for some reason. I think I have a harder time finding the actual sections that I want. They almost seem to be organized differently than the paper manuals.

Manual Labor (BTT)

Writing guides, grammar books, punctuation how-tos . . . do you read them? Not read them? How many writing books, grammar books, dictionaries–if any–do you have in your library?

Nope. Should I? Probably. I actually do NOT enjoy writing. It never came very easily for me. I tend to avoid things I am not naturally good at. My blog is actually somewhat of a personal challenge for me to just write. The only way to get better at something is to practice. I get intimidated a lot reading some of your posts. Those of you who are GOOD writers make me feel like I'm in fifth grade blundering around trying to write. I get my point across though, and for me that is OK most of the time.

I still have a grammar book from my high school AP English class. Geez, that thing is 15 years old! Do those rules still apply??

I enjoy writing in my blog even if everything is not perfect. I do try to get everything "right" as often as I can.

Mayday! (BTT)

Quick! It’s an emergency! You just got an urgent call about a family emergency and had to rush to the airport with barely time to grab your wallet and your passport. But now, you’re stuck at the airport with nothing to read. What do you do??

And, no, you did NOT have time to grab your bookbag, or the book next to your bed. You were . . . grocery shopping when you got the call and have nothing with you but your wallet and your passport (which you fortuitously brought with you in case they asked for ID in the ethnic food aisle). This is hypothetical, remember….

I'm going to assume that I find out that nothing is seriously wrong and now I can relax at the airport and kill time. If not, I would probably sit and worry. I am a worrier. But now, with a little freedom....

Trash...I would buy trash. Some fashion magazine I would normally never buy myself and some junk food. Probably candy. I would act like I was 17 again and just browse through the magazine and eat junk. Then I would probably try to swap my magazine with someone else who is done with theirs.

Then I would probably buy a paperback. Something mainstream I had been keeping my eye on but putting off for one reason or another. Something light. I would be excited because I love buying books, but then probably annoyed since I had to buy one.

Did I have my iPod in my purse? It didn't say. But if I did I would probably listen to my audiobook and play solitaire as long as my battery lasted.

Happy Thursday.

Springing (BTT)

Well, here where I live, Spring is sprung–weeks early, even. Our lilac bush looks like it will have flowers by this time next week instead of in the middle May as usual. The dogwood trees, the magnolia trees–all the flowering trees are flowering. The daffodils and crocuses are, if anything, starting to fade. It may only be April 24th but it is very definitely Spring and, allergies notwithstanding, I’m happy to welcome the change of season. What I want to know, is:

Do your reading habits change in the Spring? Do you read gardening books? Even if you don’t have a garden? More light fiction than during the Winter? Less? Travel books? Light paperbacks you can stick in a knapsack?

Or do you pretty much read the same kinds of things in the Spring as you do the rest of the year?

I must admit, I did just buy a gardening book. BUT, I won't be sitting down to read it from cover to cover. It is more reference material then anything else. Now that we own a house I decided I better learn what that heck to do with everything outside it.

As soon as the weather gets nice my reading time goes down as my hubby and I do "outdoor" things. We get such "cabin fever" from being cooped up all winter that if we can be outside we get out. I do enjoy reading outside so a lot of my outside time IS reading time.

I don't change what I read or what format it is in. I pick what I'm in the mood for or what is up on one of my challenges. I am logical about it though. I don't take the 700 page hardback on the plane with me, I take a paperback.

This post is making me look at House of the Spirits and how long it is taking me to read it. I think instead of blogging I'm going to read some of it now.

Happy Thursday!

Vocabulary (BTT)

Suggested by Nithin:

I’ve always wondered what other people do when they come across a word/phrase that they’ve never heard before. I mean, do they jot it down on paper so they can look it up later, or do they stop reading to look it up on the dictionary/google it or do they just continue reading and forget about the word?

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I usually just blow right by it. I usually can figure it out based on context clues from the sentence or the sentences that came before or after but I'm just a little too "unmotivated" to actually go hunting for it. The exception would be a "cool" sounding word. Wish I had an example of one of those right now but I don't. Not very teacher like of me. Of course the exception is when I am reading something for teaching when it would be pretty bad if I had no idea what Iwas talking about. I always look everything up then.

My "favorite" is when a kid plagiarizes a paper and uses words I've never heard of before. I'll tell them that I have a Masters and I've been teaching for 10 years and have never heard of word X before and I'd love it if they could explain it to me and how they understood it enough to use it in their paper. This is usually where tears starts and I get the confession. Our kids seem to think "cutting and pasting" from Google is OK. (OK--i'm getting off topic)

Happy Thursday

Writing Challenge (BTT)

Pick up the nearest book. (I’m sure you must have one nearby.) Modern Biology--Teacher Edition

Turn to page 123.

What is the first sentence on the page? Figure 6-11 above illustrates how the light reactions in the thylakoid and the Calvin cycle in the stroma actually work together as one continuous cycle--photosynthesis.

The last sentence on the page? But the Calvin Cycle usually proceeds during daytime, when the light reactions are producing the materials that the Calvin cycle uses t0 fix carbon into organic compounds.

Now . . . connect them together….(And no, you may not transcribe the entire page of the book–that’s cheating!)

Figure 6-11 above illustrates how the light reactions in the thylakoid and the Calvin cycle in the stroma actually work together as one continuous cycle--photosynthesis. Through a series of complicated reactions occuring in the chloroplast carbon dioxide and water utilize the energy in sunlight to produce glucose giving off oxygen as a waste product. But the Calvin Cycle usually proceeds during daytime, when the light reactions are producing the materials that the Calvin cycle uses to fix carbon into organic compounds.

***************

Not my fault my biology book is sitting out and I'm planning lessons while I'm out with my stupid broken foot! :) Did anyone actually read that?

Lit-Ra-Chur (BTT)

When somebody mentions “literature,” what’s the first thing you think of? (Dickens? Tolstoy? Shakespeare?)

Do you read “literature” (however you define it) for pleasure? Or is it something that you read only when you must?

I do think of the "classics" when I hear the word literature. I'm taken back to my AP English class in high school and our dissection of books for themes and ideas etc...

I have to admit I shy away from the classics as I find them difficult to read. Probably because I'll be waiting to get out my fine tooth comb and start inspecting every little aspect of them as I had to do since 7th grade...some habits die hard. I probably should give them another chance since I'm much older now and can simply read them to enjoy the story.

Cover Up (BTT)

This week’s question comes from Julie, who asks:

While acknowledging that we can’t judge books by their covers, how much does the design of a book affect your reading enjoyment? Hardcover vs. softcover? Trade paperback vs. mass market paperback? Font? Illustrations? Etc.?

Oops...sometimes I do judge a book by it's cover in wheter or not I'll pick it up to read the back description. Overall aspects that tend to catch my eye and therefor my interest on the cover...

• I'm looking looking for a pleasing design
• Interesting titles
• Pleasing, "non-cheesy" pictures

Now for the book in general. Hardcovers look great on the shelf and you get them faster, but they don't fit nicely into a hand bag and are a little more difficult to curl up with at night. I love the feel of a good trade paper book. I can almost say they are fulfilling to hold. They still look pretty good on the shelf. I'm starting to dislike the ole mass market paperback. Perfectly readable. i just think it looks and feels "cheap." They don't tend to hold up as well.

The font should not be so tiny I feel like I'm reading a college text and not so large I feel like i"m reading a young child's book are a large print/text book. I've cracked open "bigger" books that have been wall to wall tiny text and have sighed with disappointment at the eye strain I know will eventually be coming.

Illustrations? I could take them or leave them. I really think it depends on the story. I know some stories that describe art in them I would have love to have seen the painting or sketches without having to go to Google (for famous ones). If you are going to bother with illustrations they should be in color (unless they were specifically black and white by the artist)

The End (BTT)

You’ve just reached the end of a book . . . what do you do now? Savor and muse over the book? Dive right into the next one? Go take the dog for a walk, the kids to the park, before even thinking about the next book you’re going to read? What?

(Obviously, there can be more than one answer, here–a book with a cliff-hanger is going to engender different reactions than a serene, stand-alone, but you get the idea!)

I usually just start right in on another book. Pretty soon I'll write a review for my blog about the book I just read. I'll probably also go and try to find some other blogs that reviewed the same book so I can see what they thougt about it. I usually don't keep the books I read so when I'm done writing my review I'll go post it on paperback swap.

Playing Editor (BTT)

Suggested by John :

How about a chance to play editor-in-chief? Fill in the blanks:

__________ would have been a much better book if __________.

Alright, lets see...

WHITE OLEANDER would have been a much better book if IT WOULD HAVE HAD 200 HUNDRED LESS PAGES!


MIDDLESEX would have been a much better book IF IT HAD TALKED MORE ABOUT THE MAIN CHARACTER AND LESS ABOUT HER FAMILY

LAST BOOK OF THE DARK TOWER SERIES BY STEPHEN KING would have been a much better book IF SOMEONE WOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN AWAY THE ENDING ON THEIR BLOG (SPOILER). I was soooooooooooooo mad. I had spent years reading that series and in one sentence it was undone! If I could have crawled through the screen and choked that person I would have. No warnings any where. The book had just been released--I should have known better.

OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA would have been a much better book IF HE DIDN'T TALK SO MUCH ABOUT CORN. Chapters and chapters about corn. I couldn't each corn for a month.

This was fun this week. I'm going to see if I can think of anymore.

After the Honeymoon (BTT)

I had a post ready for today, but I liked this suggestion from Chris even better, so … thanks, Chris!

Here’s something for Valentine’s Day.

Have you ever fallen out of love with a favorite author? Was the last book you read by the author so bad, you broke up with them and haven’t read their work since? Could they ever lure you back?

Since I don't really have any "favorite" authors I would have to say that Stephen King and I have just drifted apart. The Stand is one of my top 10 books. I'll read his books again. There are just others I would prefer to read now.

Quirky (BTT)

This week’s question is suggested by (blogless) JMutford:

Sometimes I find eccentric characters quirky and fun, other times I find them too unbelievable and annoying. What are some of the more outrageous characters you’ve read, and how do you feel about them?

I had a hard time thinking of characters tonight. Maybe I'll come back and add to this tomorrow.

Louis: The Ninth Life of Louis Drax (Liz Jensen). OK--if you read it, you know quirky may be a stretch and weird may be a better word. Isn't that the beauty of quirky though? That fine line... Louis was outrageous because he was so weird. That also made him a little scary. His character wasn't fun or unenjoyable, but it was necessary for the story.

Any of the characters from Donna Tart's: The Secret History. Though sometimes they were annoying I generally enjoyed them.

BTT: "Huh? Never heard of it?"

What’s your favorite book that nobody else has heard of? You know, not Little Women or Huckleberry Finn, not the latest best-seller . . . whether they’ve read them or not, everybody “knows” those books. I’m talking about the best book that, when you tell people that you love it, they go, “Huh? Never heard of it?”

Geez, I'm pretty late this this week.

Eveyone around here is pretty well read and I'm just starting to branch out so my choices may not be as obscure as some of the other's I've been reading. The two I've chosen are...

The Gallery of Regrettable Food by James Lileks (my review here). This one I picked from a challenge and was fantastic and unique.

The other is Poison Study by Maria Study. Choose: A quick death or slow poison. About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She’ll eat the best meals; have rooms in the palace- and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia. And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. I enjoyed the combination of magic and fantasy in this one.

Have a great week everyone!

May I Introduce (BTT)

How did you come across your favorite author(s)? Recommended by a friend? Stumbled across at a bookstore? A book given to you as a gift?

Was it love at first sight? Or did the love affair evolve over a long acquaintance?

When I was a teenager my favorite author was Stephen King. I was babysitting and found Pet Semetary sitting on the shelf and started reading (I was probably 13). I was scared shitless and I loved it. I've read every book of his that I could get my hands on. However, I wouldn't call King my favorite author. His book The Stand does rank as one of my all times favorites and I loved his Dark Tower series. I haven't read a lot of his recently published books. I read a lot of Koontz, Robin Cook etc. I guess I was afraid to venture outside of that genre (until recently)

Now I read all over that place. I've read all of Katherine Neville's books, Phillipa Gregory and Dan Brown, but wouldn't call them faves. I want to try a little of everything from everyone.

I think I have commitment issues.

Anticipation (BTT)

Last week we talked about the books you liked best from 2007. So this week, what with it being a new year, and all, we’re looking forward….

What new books are you looking forward to most in 2008? Something new being published this year? Something you got as a gift for the holidays? Anything in particular that you’re planning to read in 2008 that you’re looking forward to? A classic, or maybe a best-seller from 2007 that you’re waiting to appear in paperback?

Ahhh...so many books....

I'm looking forward to

1. The $64 Tomato (William Alexander)--it was on my Paperswap wishlist since July and I just got it!


2. The Giver (Lois Lowry)--heard nothing but good things about this one


3. Parasite Rex (Carl Zimmer)--I can't help it, I'm a bio geek.


4. The Thirteenth Tale--Diane Setterfield


5. The Quincunx (Charles Palliser)--my first chunkers, I swear this book is 4 inches thick and my first "Q" book.


6. Middlesex (Jeffrey Eugenides)


7. Fire Study and Magic Study (Maria Snyder)

I could go on...and on...and on...

Looking forward to checking out your list and adding to my pile.