From Rebecca at Just One More Page:
With the holiday season now upon us, how does it affect your reading? Do you have more, or less, time to read at Christmas? Do you read Christmas themed/related books?
In years past, when I've tried to do too much (and made myself thoroughly insane), the winter holidays definitely had an effect on my reading (for the worse). This year, I'm hoping that the family and social obligations have diminished enough (they've learned to cut me lots of slack now that I have kids, especially now that one is "special needs") that I can escape into a few good books. What affects my reading more is the advent of reruns on tv; the more I've kept up, the less I'm in front of the tube (although that time is not without its usefulness--I can clip coupons and mend clothing while shows are on). Between the family stuff taking time away, and the hours freed up by not needing the tv, I think they balance each other out.
I'm more likely to read a Christmas-related book at this time than I am at any other time of the year, but I don't make a habit of seeking them out. Our family doesn't really celebrate Christmas, except to put on a good front for DH's family. Last year, I read two holiday-themed books, and I think I have a few left from the challenge that I didn't finish. I have an audiotape of Patrick Stewart's version of A Christmas Carol that I still haven't listened to yet, and I also have Lost by Gregory Maguire, which has been waiting for a read for a few years now, and I think I have a Christmas collection of mysteries. I probably make time to read more picture book holiday stories to my son than I do for myself.
Showing posts with label MM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MM. Show all posts
Monday, December 1, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Musing Monday (11/24)
How do you feel about wide-spread reading phenomenons - Harry Potter, for instance, or the more current Twilight Saga? Are these books so widely read for a reason, or merely fads or crazes? Do you feel compelled to read - or NOT to read - these books because everyone else is?
Early on, I take it with a grain of salt, and ask "who is doing the hyping?" As more of my friends and other people whose judgement I trust (in terms of what makes good reading) chime in with their opinions, I'm more willing to check out the book (literally--from the library). By and large, I think that whatever gets people reading something other than a magazine or a screen can't be all bad, but then there's those series that have either jumped the shark or deteriorated into one long sex scene (and if you don't know which ones I'm talking about, I won't ruin it for you)...
I don't feel compelled either way on "faddish" books. A new series of books isn't likely to get bumped ahead on my wishlist or TBR shelves. Truthfully, if they really are looking like new classics or must-haves, I'd rather wait until libraries are purging their overstock and selling that to make room for new items.
I didn't post a Mailbox Monday this week, as I didn't have anything come through the mail, but there will be at least one item to talk about next week!
Early on, I take it with a grain of salt, and ask "who is doing the hyping?" As more of my friends and other people whose judgement I trust (in terms of what makes good reading) chime in with their opinions, I'm more willing to check out the book (literally--from the library). By and large, I think that whatever gets people reading something other than a magazine or a screen can't be all bad, but then there's those series that have either jumped the shark or deteriorated into one long sex scene (and if you don't know which ones I'm talking about, I won't ruin it for you)...
I don't feel compelled either way on "faddish" books. A new series of books isn't likely to get bumped ahead on my wishlist or TBR shelves. Truthfully, if they really are looking like new classics or must-haves, I'd rather wait until libraries are purging their overstock and selling that to make room for new items.
I didn't post a Mailbox Monday this week, as I didn't have anything come through the mail, but there will be at least one item to talk about next week!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Musing Monday (11/17)
WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW?
Sisters in Crime 3, edited by Marilyn Wallace
WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING, and WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT?
Arts and Crafts by Mary Jo Adamson (first story in the above-named collection)
It was an enjoyable short story. The bad guy "got his" all on his own, and blamed everyone else to the very end. [will link to longer review once I get it posted]
Last night, I finished listening to The Awakening by Kate Chopin. The story itself was beautifully executed, but I was very disappointed (although not surprised) with the conclusion.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WILL READ NEXT?
The next story in the collection: Listen and Listen Good by Marcia Biederman, and for my audiobook, I will probably start Jeeves and the Song of Songs this evening.
WILL YOU READ ANY HOLIDAY-THEMED BOOKS SOON?
I'm not signed on to any holiday challenges, so if I do crack one open, it's likely to be a picture book that I read to my son at bedtime.
Sisters in Crime 3, edited by Marilyn Wallace
WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING, and WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT?
Arts and Crafts by Mary Jo Adamson (first story in the above-named collection)
It was an enjoyable short story. The bad guy "got his" all on his own, and blamed everyone else to the very end. [will link to longer review once I get it posted]
Last night, I finished listening to The Awakening by Kate Chopin. The story itself was beautifully executed, but I was very disappointed (although not surprised) with the conclusion.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WILL READ NEXT?
The next story in the collection: Listen and Listen Good by Marcia Biederman, and for my audiobook, I will probably start Jeeves and the Song of Songs this evening.
WILL YOU READ ANY HOLIDAY-THEMED BOOKS SOON?
I'm not signed on to any holiday challenges, so if I do crack one open, it's likely to be a picture book that I read to my son at bedtime.
Mailbox Monday, Nov 17
I didn't bring many books into the house, which is just as well, but there were two surprises I was happy to receive:
InterLibraryLoan: Cerulean Sins from Tallahassee, Florida--technically, it didn't arrive in my mailbox, but it did come through the mail to my local library. I've been wanting to make better progress with this series (this is book 11), and only just found the company that records these. [description from PW:] "Having gained immense supernatural powers and become an important force in the vampiric and lycanthropic communities of St. Louis in the 10 previous books, Anita begins this fantastic dark adventure by raising the dead and ends it by tackling a murderous monster. In between, she wades (literally) into a bloody investigation of a preternatural serial killer and (metaphysically and physically) into dangerous vampire politics. šber-vampiress Belle Morte has sent her dreaded surrogate, Musette, to demand that Anita's paramour, Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the City, return the vampire Asher to her-a fate worse than a stake through the heart. In order to save Asher, Anita must be both sexually and psychically creative. Anita and the vampires also need head werewolf Richard to help defeat Belle Morte's designs. But can Richard, who recently dumped Anita because she was more "monster" than human, be relied on? Meanwhile, cop Dolph Storr, who's gone violently anti-preternatural, won't let Anita (now a federal marshal) help stop a series of gruesome murders. If this all seems complicated, it's nothing compared to Anita's sex life. There's plenty of the hot stuff, but it's presented with a certain morality and definite hilarity."
Buffalo Gal, by Laura Pedersen from Marcia at Up For Grabs. [description from BoB:] "Growing up in the snowblower society of Buffalo, New York, Laura Pedersen s first words were most likely turn the wheel into a skid. Like many families subsisting in the frigid North during the energy crisis, the Pedersens feared rising prices at the gas pump, argued about the thermostat, fought over the dog to stay warm at night, and often slept in their clothes. While her parents were preoccupied with surviving separation and stagflation, daughter Laura became the neighborhood wild child, skipping school, playing poker, betting on the horses, and trading stocks. Learning how to beat the odds, by high school graduation Pedersen was well prepared to seek her fortune on Wall Street, becoming the youngest person to have a seat on the American Stock Exchange and a millionaire by age 21. Combining laugh-out-loud humor with a slice of social history her hometown was a flash point for race riots, antiwar protests, and abortion rallies, not to mention bingo, bowling, and Friday night fish fries Pedersen paints a vivid portrait of an era."
InterLibraryLoan: Cerulean Sins from Tallahassee, Florida--technically, it didn't arrive in my mailbox, but it did come through the mail to my local library. I've been wanting to make better progress with this series (this is book 11), and only just found the company that records these. [description from PW:] "Having gained immense supernatural powers and become an important force in the vampiric and lycanthropic communities of St. Louis in the 10 previous books, Anita begins this fantastic dark adventure by raising the dead and ends it by tackling a murderous monster. In between, she wades (literally) into a bloody investigation of a preternatural serial killer and (metaphysically and physically) into dangerous vampire politics. šber-vampiress Belle Morte has sent her dreaded surrogate, Musette, to demand that Anita's paramour, Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the City, return the vampire Asher to her-a fate worse than a stake through the heart. In order to save Asher, Anita must be both sexually and psychically creative. Anita and the vampires also need head werewolf Richard to help defeat Belle Morte's designs. But can Richard, who recently dumped Anita because she was more "monster" than human, be relied on? Meanwhile, cop Dolph Storr, who's gone violently anti-preternatural, won't let Anita (now a federal marshal) help stop a series of gruesome murders. If this all seems complicated, it's nothing compared to Anita's sex life. There's plenty of the hot stuff, but it's presented with a certain morality and definite hilarity."
Buffalo Gal, by Laura Pedersen from Marcia at Up For Grabs. [description from BoB:] "Growing up in the snowblower society of Buffalo, New York, Laura Pedersen s first words were most likely turn the wheel into a skid. Like many families subsisting in the frigid North during the energy crisis, the Pedersens feared rising prices at the gas pump, argued about the thermostat, fought over the dog to stay warm at night, and often slept in their clothes. While her parents were preoccupied with surviving separation and stagflation, daughter Laura became the neighborhood wild child, skipping school, playing poker, betting on the horses, and trading stocks. Learning how to beat the odds, by high school graduation Pedersen was well prepared to seek her fortune on Wall Street, becoming the youngest person to have a seat on the American Stock Exchange and a millionaire by age 21. Combining laugh-out-loud humor with a slice of social history her hometown was a flash point for race riots, antiwar protests, and abortion rallies, not to mention bingo, bowling, and Friday night fish fries Pedersen paints a vivid portrait of an era."
Monday, November 10, 2008
Musing Monday (11/10)
If you keep your books, where do you keep them? And, if you give them away, who do you give them to? Do you participate in Bookcrossing, BookMooch, PaperbackSwap, or the like? Do you give your old books to family & friends, or donate them? Are any of your books in storage due to not having enough space for them all? Or, are you one of the lucky ones who has their own “library”? Feel free to share pictures, if you have them!
Unfortunately, they're all over our house: dining room, bedroom, hallway, utility room/office, and there's still some in Morgann's room (that aren't hers). I couldn't bring myself to put them in the attic, nor in garage storage. The heat would have destroyed them.
I still belong to Bookcrossing, and I've resumed going to MeetUps, but my days of trading are over for now.
I've passed several on to friends, my my family doesn't really have the same tastes as I do.
I think I have all of my books out of storage, but it's possible there's a box buried under other things.
A big part of my future office space will be for the library, but that building is several years out.
Unfortunately, they're all over our house: dining room, bedroom, hallway, utility room/office, and there's still some in Morgann's room (that aren't hers). I couldn't bring myself to put them in the attic, nor in garage storage. The heat would have destroyed them.
I still belong to Bookcrossing, and I've resumed going to MeetUps, but my days of trading are over for now.
I've passed several on to friends, my my family doesn't really have the same tastes as I do.
I think I have all of my books out of storage, but it's possible there's a box buried under other things.
A big part of my future office space will be for the library, but that building is several years out.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Monday's Musings
Do you know of any young boys who do not like to read? Why do you think boys so often don't? What can we do to encourage them to read more?
My kids (and the few children in our peer group) are technically too young to be concerned about this issue--the oldest is a girl who will be 5 in May--so I don't have any current personal knowledge of reluctant readers. My son (who just turned 3) is well on his way to making the letter-sound-word connection. I can only answer this from 2 perspectives: evolutionary and former teacher/librarian.
For starters, reading is not a natural activity. Written language is a comparatively new construct when one takes a long view of human development. Knowing this, I can readily see how individuals (regardless of gender) might not be able to achieve the fluency necessary to enjoy the process itself, or appreciate the information available through books. In my opinion, many of the same kids who "do not enjoy reading" seem to do just fine when the same material is presented via the internet. Said opinion is prejudiced by my observation of DH, and confirmed by commenters all over the web., so YMMV.
For those personality types for whom "action" is the preferred mode of being, reading is mostly likely too passive to be considered a legitimate activity. For those whose nervous systems aren't wired for prolonged periods of concentration, reading can be painful and torturous. And, for those who believe they don't need what books have to offer (true for both fiction and nonfiction), reading is a waste of their time.
Since there are various sorts of reluctant readers (those by choice and those not), there is no one solution. In general, though, I'd find reading material geared to their interests, I'd encourage them to advance their gross-motor skills through reading, and I'd find good role models (people they already respect, or ones they would be likely to) who could be a direct or indirect influence. For ann older (10+) child, I'd start having conversations about livelihood, whether that would necessitate a college degree, and talk about the literacy needs of a functional citizen (filling out job applications, reading operating manuals, understanding what issues one votes on, etc.). [ok, maybe that last one is asking a bit much... *wink*]
My kids (and the few children in our peer group) are technically too young to be concerned about this issue--the oldest is a girl who will be 5 in May--so I don't have any current personal knowledge of reluctant readers. My son (who just turned 3) is well on his way to making the letter-sound-word connection. I can only answer this from 2 perspectives: evolutionary and former teacher/librarian.
For starters, reading is not a natural activity. Written language is a comparatively new construct when one takes a long view of human development. Knowing this, I can readily see how individuals (regardless of gender) might not be able to achieve the fluency necessary to enjoy the process itself, or appreciate the information available through books. In my opinion, many of the same kids who "do not enjoy reading" seem to do just fine when the same material is presented via the internet. Said opinion is prejudiced by my observation of DH, and confirmed by commenters all over the web., so YMMV.
For those personality types for whom "action" is the preferred mode of being, reading is mostly likely too passive to be considered a legitimate activity. For those whose nervous systems aren't wired for prolonged periods of concentration, reading can be painful and torturous. And, for those who believe they don't need what books have to offer (true for both fiction and nonfiction), reading is a waste of their time.
Since there are various sorts of reluctant readers (those by choice and those not), there is no one solution. In general, though, I'd find reading material geared to their interests, I'd encourage them to advance their gross-motor skills through reading, and I'd find good role models (people they already respect, or ones they would be likely to) who could be a direct or indirect influence. For ann older (10+) child, I'd start having conversations about livelihood, whether that would necessitate a college degree, and talk about the literacy needs of a functional citizen (filling out job applications, reading operating manuals, understanding what issues one votes on, etc.). [ok, maybe that last one is asking a bit much... *wink*]
Monday, October 27, 2008
Musing Monday
Todays MUSING MONDAYS post is a question from “Scobberlotch” who asks:
How has the economy impacted your book buying? Do you think it’ll change the reading and book-buying habits of the country? Will it increase your library visits? Will it make you wait for the paperback edition instead of buying the hardcover?
It's been quite a while since I bought a new book for full price, and a few weeks since I gave a friend some money for some books she was purging (to get by until her first paycheck came through). With all the books I have, I really have no business buying more for the household until I do my own giveaway (and that in the dozens, if not hundreds) and clear some shelves. Of course, that excludes gifts for others, and the other exception will be for books relating to our son's developmental delay.
Reading, no; buying, most likely. Those who love books will find ways of making deals for the "keepers," and will borrow or trade for those they won't. My hope for the near and middle future is that I'll be able to catch up on many of my long-due reviews, and I will be getting those books (at least 100, mostly BookCrossing-labeled) out of the house. [Which reminds me: I need to take another bagful with me to the BookFest like I did last year. Will have to check schedule so I can leave them near appropriate sessions. I should check the forums to see if they'll have an official presence again; I left several at their table last year.]
It won't increase my library visits by much. I already go weekly, but I might request more through the interlibrary loan process, and get my name on the reserve lists for new (or missing) books in the series I read.
As to waiting for paperbacks, nope, no more than I already do. By the time I'm ready to read something I don't have in hand, it's already come out in paperback.
How has the economy impacted your book buying? Do you think it’ll change the reading and book-buying habits of the country? Will it increase your library visits? Will it make you wait for the paperback edition instead of buying the hardcover?
It's been quite a while since I bought a new book for full price, and a few weeks since I gave a friend some money for some books she was purging (to get by until her first paycheck came through). With all the books I have, I really have no business buying more for the household until I do my own giveaway (and that in the dozens, if not hundreds) and clear some shelves. Of course, that excludes gifts for others, and the other exception will be for books relating to our son's developmental delay.
Reading, no; buying, most likely. Those who love books will find ways of making deals for the "keepers," and will borrow or trade for those they won't. My hope for the near and middle future is that I'll be able to catch up on many of my long-due reviews, and I will be getting those books (at least 100, mostly BookCrossing-labeled) out of the house. [Which reminds me: I need to take another bagful with me to the BookFest like I did last year. Will have to check schedule so I can leave them near appropriate sessions. I should check the forums to see if they'll have an official presence again; I left several at their table last year.]
It won't increase my library visits by much. I already go weekly, but I might request more through the interlibrary loan process, and get my name on the reserve lists for new (or missing) books in the series I read.
As to waiting for paperbacks, nope, no more than I already do. By the time I'm ready to read something I don't have in hand, it's already come out in paperback.
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