The Book Stacks

This prompt is courtesy of Booking Through Thursday.

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?

When I first read this question, my immediate response was no, I don’t change my reading habits in spring. Who has seasonal reading habits? However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I actually do.

When spring comes around, I do start reading ‘lighter’ material like women’s fiction (not that all women’s fiction is ‘lighter reading’ – it just tends to be), shorter books in general (under or around two hundred pages), and books that are easy to put down and pick up again later. That sounds bad, but in the spring, I like my books to travel with me. Big novels with hard covers don’t exactly make easy travel material.

Spring is, after all, the time when I want to get out and about after spending my time primarily indoors tucked up in the warmth with my big, in depth novels. That is, until I realize once again that I am introverted and start reading in the house more often again. Hehe.

That’s not to say, however, that I won’t read big fat novels or murder mysteries in the spring. I just usually have a transition period of reading the light, easily transported novel.

How about you? What are your seasonal reading habits?

With J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince making its sensational debut last weekend I started thinking about children’s books. There have been a lot of wonderful ones over the years, The Cat in the Hat, Where the Wild Things Are, Bambi, the Mother Westwind stories, the Chronicles of Narnia, the Chronicles of Prydain, Nancy Drew, and on and on.

1. As an adult, do you own children’s books?
2. If you do, do you still read them even when there are no children around?
3. What were your favorites as a child? Now?

It depends where the line between young adult and children’s books is drawn, really. I have a couple books for about eight year olds and beyond. I do own quite a few that tread lines between young adult and adult.

Oh, but I do own a few younger books, having just looked at my shelves. My favourites from childhood.

I still read them now, yes, for many reasons. I still gain pleasure from them and they remind me to enjoy the simple things in life. However, they also serve a purpose in that they are the basics in storytelling. Basic themes, wants, problems, solutions… If you’re a beginning writer, it’s good to start from the basics.

My favourites were The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, The Lorax by Dr. Suess, The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein, and The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. There were, of course, many many more, but those are the ones that immediately come to mind.

Even now I still love those books because they teach bigger lessons for life than most of realize when we read them as children. We learn about unconditional love, taking care of the environment, fighting for what we love…

Does it get any better?

Prompt brought to you by the Booking Through Thursday archives

I’m taking inspiration from the archives of Booking Through Thursday once more here on The Book Stacks. If you’ve been with BTT since the beginning and have already answered this question, please leave me the link in the comments section.

In this blast from the past, BTT says:

Probably most books stand on their own. But a lot of them are part of a series. J.R.R. Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings trilogy comes immediately to mind, as well as Stephen R. Donaldson’s Gap series, Elizabeth Peters Amelia Peabody series, and lots more.

1. Do you read books that are part of a series?
2. Do you collect all the books in the series before starting?
3. What if the series is brand new, and the only book that’s been published so far is Book 1?
4. As subsequent books in the series are published, do you go back and re-read the preceding books?

I’m definitely someone who reads books in a series, but I have never collected (scratch that – I did once with the Sabriel books) all of the books before reading them. That takes too long, and often I find a series before all the books are out.

I’m certainly not going to wait years to read the next ones.

When I read a series, whether I go back and read the preceding books usually depends on how long it has been between one book getting published and the next. If it’s fairly quick then no.

However, I have done it before. I had one book for a couple years before getting the second one, so I went back and read the first one before reading the second one.

I can’t remember exactly where or when it was, but the topic of books people never finished came up. I became curious about what books people haven’t finished because I can honestly say I have finished every book (with the exception of school textbooks – Algebra is just not that interesting) I have ever read.

It doesn’t usually occur to me that I can just stop reading…

As a reviewer who puts up reviews every week, reading a bad book means I finish it so I can give a complete review even if it is a negative one. Before my reviewing days I suppose I held to the hope that the author of the horrid book would somehow figure out to pull it all together so slogging through the mud all that way was worth it.

Needless to say, I was disappointed every time.

Even when I read bad books as a young girl, I would finish it and sit back, wondering how in the world something like that got published. Even so, I always finished.

Maybe I’m just nosey. Maybe even in a bad book I need to know what happens to everyone. Or maybe I’m hopelessly optimistic. Who knows? If/when the time comes that I’m no longer a reviewer, we’ll see if I can wean myself away from wasting my time with bad books.

After all, life is too short to read bad books, right? Unless you’re a reviewer.

What about you? Have you ever not finished a book? Why or why not?

xkcd.com

Last night my husband asked me to look over something he wrote to proofread and check for basic readability. He walked out of the room to do something in the kitchen and I sat down at his computer to look it over.

When he walked back into the room, he said, “Uh oh.”

I asked why he said that and he said that it must be bad if I was still sitting there looking at it. I frowned a bit because what he wrote was actually quite good, and I was still sitting there simply because I hadn’t finished reading.

My husband is a faster reader than I am. He got through his books from Christmas at a rate that amazed me. Still, like anyone with an ego, just because I’ll freely admit he’s a faster reader than I am it doesn’t mean I want to call attention to the fact that I read slower than he does. (How is that for a strange, run-on sentence for you?)

Admittedly, I take longer when I’m in editor mode, but I still was a bit irked that he thought I was still there because there was something wrong, not just because I wasn’t done reading yet.

I don’t think reading faster or slower holds any particular advantages unless you’re a reviewer on a schedule. Still, I can’t help but feel a little slow when attention is brought to my reading speed.

What about you? Are you a fast reader or a slow reader? Do you get annoyed with people who comment about your reading pace?

Some people, like my mother, only read paperback books. Others prefer hard cover books. Some read hard cover books because they come out first, but prefer paperbacks otherwise. And you?

1. Do you prefer to read hard cover or paperback books?
2. Why?
3. Do you read books in the other format anyway?

What an excellent question.

I have always been one to read paperbacks because, frankly, they’re cheaper. The hardcover copies of books are almost always enough money more to make you think twice about whether or not you truly want the hard cover.

Also, given I got a lot of books during my childhood through book drives at school (do they still do that these days? I certainly hope so) and the book drives only provided paperbacks.

I read the book for the story, so I don’t mind either, but I do prefer paperback. They get worn out faster and the spines become lined, but the flexibility is nice – especially if you have any problems related to your hands or wrists.

Hard covers, depending on the size, can be a bit hard to deal with. Larger hardcover books are great, though, if you want to leave them open on a certain page. The weight of the cover can help keep the sides down.

I read books in any format they come. That comes with being a book reviewer. My order or preference will likely always be PDFs/ebooks last. Then paperback before hardcover.

But like I said, I read a book for the story, so…

Prompt courtesy of Booking Through Thursday

Some people prefer to read one book at a time while others prefer to keep more going at once. One for before bed, one for lunch breaks, one for the train/bus, so on and so forth.

Personally, if I keep too many books going at once, they all run together a bit. I feel like if I can’t put a good amount of my focus into what I’m reading, then I’ll have to read the book over again whether I like it or not because I won’t remember enough of it after the first read.

However, I don’t mind reading quite a few books if they are of different subject matters. I don’t want to read five fantasy novels at once, but I have no problem reading one thriller, one horror, one fantasy, one self-help, and one political. They are a lot easier to keep straight if they are vastly different.

But even so, I don’t like keeping more than five on the go at any one time. I am a multi-tasker, but not so much that reading so many books at once would be enjoyable. (It would be great for when I need to get ahead on my reviews, though…)

This is completely different to how I write, though. I like keeping as many projects going as possible until one steps ahead as my favourite to work on.

How about you? Do you like reading more than one book at a time? Why or why not? What does your reading list consist of right now?

This post was inspired by Booking Through Thursday May 26th 2005

Did you know:

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was banned in China (1931) for portraying animals and humans on the same level.

Four members of the Alabama State Textbook Committee (1983) called for the rejection of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl because it is a “real downer.”

Gulliver’s Travels was denounced as wicked and obscene in Ireland (1726).

James and the Giant Peach has been challenged at the Pederson Elementary School in Altoona, Wis. (1991) and at the Morton Elementary School library in Brooksville, Fla. (1992) because the book contains the word “ass” and “promotes” the use of drugs (tobacco, snuff) and whiskey.

Le Morte D’Arthur was challenged as required reading at the Pulaski County High School in Somerset, Ky. (1997) because it is “junk.”

The Lorax was challenged in the Laytonville, Calif. Unified School District (1989) because it “criminalizes the foresting industry.”

Where the Sidewalk Ends was challenged at the West Allis-West Milwaukee, Wis. school libraries (1986) because the book “suggests drug use, the occult, suicide, death, violence, disrespect for truth, disrespect for legitimate authority, rebellion against parents.”

Where’s Waldo? was removed from the Springs Public School library in East Hampton, N.Y. (1993) because there is a tiny drawing of a woman lying on the beach wearing a bikini bottom but no top.

Harry Potter tops the list of the most challenged books of the 21st century.

Celebrate your freedom, and remember to join me tomorrow to talk about your favorite banned books.

Information sources: The Forbidden Library & ALA

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, Gulliver’s Travels, James and the Giant Peach, Le Morte D’Arthur, The Lorax, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Where’s Waldo?, Harry Potter

Those of you who know me may be aware that I am prone to fangirl-ness. I went to a Doctor Who convention early this year and I was very entertaining to be around. Last Thursday, as part of the introduction for my Thursday 13, I mentioned that any of the audiobooks Barbara Rosenblat does should be listened to. I personally own Crocodile on the Sandbank and I’ve listened to it 20 times at least. Well, Ms. Rosenblat e-mailed me to tell me that she’d just finished doing Amy Bloom’s “Away” and to wish me a Happy New Year.

Needless to say, in true fangirl fashion I started running around saying “Ohmigod, Barbara Rosenblat e-mailed me.” My husband got tired of it after a bit.

Just thought I’d share my squee with a wider audience. Happy New Year, Ms. Rosenblat!

Hello again. Today I’d like to acquaint you with some of the things that are happening on some of the blogs here in 451 Press.

I will begin with The Book Stacks because…well, I can. I am still accepting submissions of Favorite Reading Spots. Do you have a spot where you love to curl up and read? Why not tell me about it? Also, you have until 11:59pm tonight to participate in my “A Book By Any Other Name” Game. Will you manage to make me post my forfeit this week?

JM over at Fiction Scribe is interested in your Creative Spaces. Where do you do you writing? What about that space inspires you? She is also holding a discussion of Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. This week, the discussion began with Chapter one. Stop by and join the discussion.

Kelly over at Tiny Treasury has been debating censorship this week. Why not stop by and weigh in on this controversial topic?

The theme this week on Write Anyway is gratitude. Write Anyway is a great place to go when you need a little something to jump start your writing.

And finally, I offer you a Monty Python skit featuring a Gorilla Librarian. It was too silly to resist. Have a great weekend!

The Book Stacks, Fiction Scribe, Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott, Tiny Treasury, Write Anyway, Monty Python, Gorilla Librarian

It seems that I’ve been running across the Thursday Thirteen meme everywhere lately. When I encountered it over on JM’s Write Anyway a couple of weeks in a row, I finally gave in. I’ve decided to try it out this week with a list of thirteen classic books that I have read. I’m curious to see if we have any books in common. You already know about some of the books I haven’t read, so here is a list of ones that I have.

Classics I Have Known, or How to Redeem Myself For Last Week’s List:

1. The Odyssey by Homer (Read it to annoy my teacher. Loved it.)
2. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott (Read it in 7th grade. Loved it)
3. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (Had to read this for High School English. Hated it.)
4. The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson (Read it in 7th grade. Loved it.)
5. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Had to write a poem about it for English. It was okay.)
6. The Purgatorio by Dante (I was originally a Medieval Studies Major. Liked it.)
7. Paradise Lost by John Milton (Still think it should have been called “Paradise Misplaced.” Not too bad.)
8. The Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare (Saw the play and liked it so much that I went home and read it. Loved it.)
9. L’étranger by Albert Camus (I’ve never read this in English. It was okay.)
10. Candide by Voltaire (Yes, I was a French Major. Interesting.)
11. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse (Read it in High School. Found it intriguing.)
12. The Epic of Gilgamesh by someone in Mesopotamia (I wish that the Pre-Assyrian version still existed. Liked it.)
13. Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare (Acted in the play, so there is a special place for it in my heart.)

Thursday Thirteen, The Odyssey, Homer, Ivanhoe, Sir Walter Scott, Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, The Black Arrow, Robert Louis Stevenson, Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte, The Purgatorio, Dante, Paradise Lost, John Milton, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, William Shakespeare, L’étranger, Albert Camus, Candide, Voltaire, Siddhartha, Herman Hesse, The Epic of Gilgamesh, Mesopotamia, Titus Andronicus, William Shakespeare

I got this link from a friend recently, and I liked it so much that I had to share. Do you enjoy the lure of the forbidden? Do you make it a point to read banned books? Yes? Then you may wish to peruse The Forbidden Library. It provides a title list of banned and challenged books, complete with the reason why (and the occasional witty comment by the Webmistress.) It’s forbidden. You know you want to check it out.

Forbidden Library

I have been working my way through my files and stacks of paper lately for a myriad of reasons. I have been looking for my “Mice are Nice” poems and I just generally want to find the various surfaces in my office. Before you ask, no I still haven’t found the poems. I have, on the other hand, located one item of particular interest to me. You see, I have all of the files that my parents kept while I was growing up. I have a folder containing random pieces of art from Preschool up through the infamous painting class I took in High School. There is a folder containing every sort of award imaginable. And also in this stack I found my report card from first grade.

Now, I expect that some of you folks are now saying to yourselves: ‘Big deal. What does your report card from so long ago have to do with writing?’ Well, I’ll tell you. When was the last time you took a look at your old report cards? Do you remember those little notes that teachers used to put at the bottom? You know. The ones that said things like: “runs with scissors” or “plays well with others.” Remember those? On my First Grade Report Card, Ms. Martin wrote, in the spot set aside for the 2nd quarter: “Elisa is generally a hard worker but is slow in completing written work.”

When I re-read this report card that little note struck me as quite amusing. I was slow at completing written work all of those years ago, and it really hasn’t changed. Ms. Martin was the coolest teacher. She taught us to weave, and there was a loft in her classroom. It was in her class that we put on the play in which I got to play General Border. If there was anyone I would have worked hard to excel for, it would have been her. So I am left with the knowledge that, as in the slightly mangled quote above, some parts of me have not changed in all this time. I still spend a lot of time deciding what to write. I argue with myself over word usage and the sure knowledge that I am starting too many sentences in the same way. I take a long time completing my written work, because I want the end product to be perfect, or as close as I can make it. Sometimes I’ll even hum a song Mr. Rogers used to sing to remind myself that faster isn’t always better.

“I like to take my time. I mean that when I want to do a thing, I like to take my time to do it right…” - Mr. Rogers

Yes, I am a bit of a perfectionist, but I try not to let that stop me from finally getting those words on paper. Because if you work hard on your writing, perhaps someday you will receive the grown up equivalent of the note from the fourth quarter of that same year.

“It has been a pleasure having Elisa in my class this year.”

And really, how much more can you ask for from life?

I write therefore I am…even if it takes me a while.

Kwai Chang Caine, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, poems, writing, Mr. Rogers

I know that you’re asking yourself: King Elvis and the Alien Space Ducks?!? What do they have to do with books? Well, let me tell you a wee story, and all will become clear. Well, mostly.

Once upon a time, I was a Young Adult Librarian in Vacaville, California. During my five and a half year tenure, I designed, helped with, and ran many different kinds of library programs. One of these programs was the Teen Book Club. We read our way through many different books over the years (mostly Fantasy, though, because frankly we liked Fantasy.) Now, after the Teen Book Club had been going on for a while we realized that we had a little problem. Our members were incredibly busy folks. Sometimes they couldn’t quite make it all of the way through the book before it was time for the Book Club meeting to begin. And sometimes those folks didn’t want the ending spoiled for them. I mean, they still wanted to come to Book Club to talk about the parts of the book that they had read, eat cookies, and socialize. What were we to do?

Well, one night we began to invent crazy endings for the books that they had obviously missed by not finishing in time. I believe that it was Mike who originally suggested that Elvis appeared just in time to save the day. Well, over time Elvis became King Elvis. (Because Elvis is King, you know?) Not long afterwards, Elvis acquired some helper ducks. Wouldn’t you know it? Those ducks turned out to be aliens! That’s right, Alien Space Ducks! Before long we started discussing where Elvis and his friends could be located in each book we were reading. How did Over Sea, Under Stone end? King Elvis and The Alien Space Ducks swooped in with their space ship and defeated the bad guys, of course! I’m sure that you realize King Elvis and The Alien Space Ducks defeat Voldemort at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The book isn’t even out yet, and I know that.

Last Christmas I gave my folks each one “Alien Space Duck” (Devil Duckies from Archie McPhee were the closest I could get). A couple of months later I left to take a job closer to home, but I will never forget my Teen Book Club folks (I miss you guys!!)…or King Elvis and The Alien Space Ducks.

Now, I hear that our intrepid heroes did not make an appearance at the last Book Club meeting (yes, my spies are everywhere), so I have decided to make sure that they are not forgotten by using them for my book club on The Book Stacks: Cover to Cover. Henceforth, when I do not wish to spoil the ending of a book, or really, just for fun, expect the appearance of King Elvis and his feathered friends during Cover to Cover discussions. Be sure to join us tomorrow for a conversation about The Eyre Affair. See you there!

Vacaville, California, Teen Book Club, Devil Duckies, Archie McPhee, King Elvis, The Alien Space Ducks, The Book Stacks, Cover to Cover, The Eyre Affair

Well, apparently I’ve been tagged in an ongoing meme, by JM over at Fiction Scribe. JM has asked that I post 7 random facts about me. In an effort to keep this post on-topic, I will attempt to make that 7 vaguely Book-related facts. Hmmmm. Well, here goes…

1. My Favorite book is Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key.

2. I have never yet finished writing a novel, but I have a couple that I’ve begun.

3. I write poetry. I even have one titled “Heirloom Tools.”

4. My first story was called “My Favorite Characters Meet.”

5. The single most driving factor behind my desire to be a published author is a guy in 7th Grade who said I would never be a writer. I plan to dedicate my first book to him.

6. I am a librarian, like my parents before me.

7. I have never read the Da Vinci Code.

Well, there you go, JM. I hope that’s what you were looking for.

I Tag:
The Folks at Book Chronicle
Catslyn at SCA Life
The Folks at Silliness.org
Juli over at Juli’s Cinema Spot
Mallory over at Mallory in the Middle
Bess from Tea and Complexity
DaveP at Pop Buzz UK

The rules:

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to then report this on their own blog with their 7 things as well as these rules. They then need to tag 7 others and list their names on their blog. They are also asked to leave a comment for each of the tagged, letting them know they have been tagged and to read the blog.