Booking Through Thursday - Libraries

Here's today's BTT question:

Whether you usually read off of your own book pile or from the library shelves NOW, chances are you started off with trips to the library. (There’s no way my parents could otherwise have kept up with my book habit when I was 10.) So … What is your earliest memory of a library? Who took you? Do you have you any funny/odd memories of the library?

I think I've written about my childhood library experiences before. My parents took me when I was in elementary school to the main library, but my fondest memory is of the Bookmobile that stopped at our school playground in the summer. I could go by myself and get a whole bagful of books. That was the best day of the week in the summer.

When I was a little older, I rode my bike to the library with friends. We'd load up our backpacks with books and stop at Thrifty's (a local drugstore) for 25 cent ice cream cones. The children's librarian knew all our names and saved books she thought we'd like.

Currently, my own daughter went to library story times from the time she was a toddler and the children's librarian knows her name as well. I've rediscovered the library with her and she participated in the library's summer reading program for the last three years.

What about you?

Booking Through Thursday - Olympics

Here's today's BTT question:

You, um, may have noticed that the Olympics are going on right now, so that’s the genesis of this week’s question, in two parts:

First:

• Do you or have you ever read books about the Olympics? About sports in general?
• Fictional ones? Or non-fiction? Or both?

And, Second:

• Do you consider yourself a sports fan?
• Because, of course, if you’re a rabid fan and read about sports constantly, there’s a logic there; if you hate sports and never read anything sports-related, that, too … but you don’t have to love sports to enjoy a good sports story.
• (Or a good sports movie, for that matter. Feel free to expand this into a discussion about “Friday Night Lights” or “The Natural” or whatever…)

I honestly can't remember any book I've read specifically about the Olympics. However, I have read a few sports related books - mostly ice skating with SurferGirl or hockey. One I'd highly recommend is by a former hockey player, now minor league hockey coach called So Your Son Wants to be in the NHL. It was a memoir of Bylsma's early years in hockey including times when he lived with coaches or teams away from his family. It is a very cautionary tale about the need for balance in a kid's life. I have recommended it to sports-crazed parents a number of times.


I've also read a number of books by Ken Dryden, a former goaltender for the Montreal Canadians. One of the best is The Game which is probably the best book about hockey ever written. Dryden is well-written and intelligent and highlights hockey in its golden age.






I'm sure there have been fictional books with sports-related themes but nothing comes to me as being a "sports" book or a great read.

As you can tell, I am a hockey fan. Probably not rabid but I do enjoy watching games, have been to a few NHL games, and had season tickets for a number of years to minor league hockey (like AAA baseball) before the team disbanded.

Good sports movie? Ask SurferGirl and she'd say "Ice Princess" from Disney. I think one of my favorite sports movies was Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner.

So now I'm curious ... what sports are you into?

Booking Through Thursday - HolidayI

Here's today's BTT question:

It’s a holiday weekend here in the U.S., so let’s keep today’s question simple–What are you reading? Anything special? Any particularly juicy summer reading?

It's been a pretty tough week here. My mom is still at hospice. It's a matter of hours or days right now. With that in mind, I have been reading because it keeps my mind occupied, but I don't have a lot of focus so it's lightweight stuff for me right now. I just finished Fearless Fourteen which is a fun summer read.

I actually sorted through my TBR pile yesterday and put a bunch of books on BookMooch because it was so overwhelming. I'm working on a new romantic/inspirational novel set in Amish country. It's not very taxing so perfect for me right now.

I'd love suggestions for quick reads, lots of humor, and not very grim or gory.

Booking Through Thursday - Clubbing

School's out so now I can rejoin the blogging world. What better way than Booking Through Thursday. So here's today's BTT question:

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?

This one is bringing back some really bad memories. Yes, both my husband and I were part of a book club for a while. It was not a great experience.

The first book the club selected was The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl. It was selected by the self-appointed leader of the group. Now, to be fair, the group was his idea. Unfortunately, this is not a very good book, but the leader spent the whole first meeting going into excruciating detail on Dante's Inferno because he thought it was essential to understanding the book. It may also have been that he had taught a course on Dante as well.

It took the group three meetings over four months to finish the book. I hated the book so much that I tried listening to it in the car just to finish it so I wouldn't be left out.

The same person selected the next book which was short stories by Flannery O'Connor. I've read a lot of her stuff since I took a Southern Literature course in college. Unfortunately, this book club meeting felt like a bad college course where the professor is always right. This particular meeting ended in an argument between two very strong willed people who had very different opinions about a story. Neither of them could be wrong so it got very uncomfortable.

Needless to say, this book club failed quite quickly. It also soured me on the idea of book clubs. I like to read what I want to read and don't always want to finish a book I don't like. This particular group felt too "college-y" to be fun.

A group of teacher where I work may start a book club next school year. I'm hopeful that will be a better experience because we are not leaving book selection to one person but the school librarian is going to give everyone input. We'll see how that goes.

So do you have a book club horror story to share?

Booking Through Thursday - Reading Fundamentals

Here's today's BTT question:

What is reading, anyway? Novels, comics, graphic novels, manga, e-books, audiobooks — which of these is reading these days? Are they all reading? Only some of them? What are your personal qualifications for something to be “reading” — why? If something isn’t reading, why not? Does it matter? Does it impact your desire to sample a source if you find out a premise you liked the sound of is in a format you don’t consider to be reading? Share your personal definition of reading, and how you came to have that stance.


I think my answer is going to be short and sweet on this one because I think all of these are reading. I also think reading aloud is reading, as is reading the newspaper, cereal boxes, blogs, and websites.

It's all reading to me because each of these things provides information in some format whether it be visual or auditory. I can't include TV or movies in this because they don't activate the mind and imagination in the way that an audiobook or a comic does.

I also think we do kids a disservice in today's education but not training them to read all forms of media, including comics, manga, and audiobooks. Each of these genres require specific reading skills. We need to equip our young people to handle all of the reading demands that will be placed on them in the future. That;s probably the driving force for my definition of reading. I believe we need to educate kids for the reading they will face in the future.

Do I prefer to hold a printed, traditional novel with chapters and very few pictures. Yes, but that's probably because that's the way I was taught to read. Do I find reading blogs and websites more difficult? Again, yes, because I haven't had as much education in how to read these forms of media.

Do I think one form is better or really reading over another? No. I have my preferences, but I can also see the allure to all of the above.

What do you think?

New Meme

I was tagged for this one by Presbyterian Gal.

Rules: The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about himself or herself. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.


Ten years ago:
1998. I was pregnant with SurferGirl and teaching fourth grade where I still teach. I had also just moved into my current house and was knee-deep in painting and gardening.


Five things on today's "to do" list:
I guess this is the what did I get done and what moved to tomorrow's list:

picked up the house
saw Prince Caspian (which I recommend)
played Nintendo with SurferGirl
talked to my parents
getting old clothes to Salvation Army
caught up on my blog book reviews

Moved to tomorrow's list:

shopping trip to Target
planning the next Girl Scout meeting
laundry


Things I'd do if I was a billionaire:

provide an endowment fund for my church
fund a Service Learning program at my husband's college - young people need to learn how to give back before it's too late!
create a scholarship fund to help students in my area obtain a private education
buy hybrid vehicles
build a "green" house and provide funding for "green" houses and school buildings
fund early literacy programs for people living in public housing
take care of my friends and family

Five places I've lived:
These are all in the Los Angeles area:
Simi Valley, Northridge, Canoga Park, West Hollywood, Sierra Madre

Five jobs I've had:
Receptionist for SuperCuts
Peon worker at fast food restaurant
Headhunter at two different secretarial placement agencies
Executive assistant to magazine editor and owner of a mail order video company (not those kinds ... historical and aeronautical documentaries)
Teacher - everything from kindergarten music to high school SAT prep

Who do I tag?

anyone who'd like to play along as long as they let me know they've played!

Friday Fill In

1. There is absolutely NO way you can get me to go on a tall or loopy roller coaster!
2. Riding in a school bus without air conditioning and windows that don't open reminds me that summer is almost here!
3. I cannot live without my Starbucks!
4. Going to Australia and Europe are two things I'd like to try.
5. When life hands you lemons have a spiked lemonade.
6.Reading Nancy Drew books all summer and riding my bike to the library to get more are my favorite childhood memory.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to driving in traffic with three Girl Scouts for a camping trip, tomorrow my plans include camping with over 1000 girls in over 100 degree heat and Sunday, I want to do anything that doesn't involve Scouts and heat!

Booking Through Thursday - Manual Labor

Here's today's BTT question:

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?

I have read many in my time but I do not look at them now. It feels too much like work since I have to teach these skills every day. The only exception is a dictionary. I do use one every once in a while. I keep one behind my desk at work, and we have a very good two volume one at home.

In all honesty, I rely on spell check to fix my grammar and punctuation. I also tend to throw in commas quite liberally because I can never quite remember, or care, where they really go. I also use the Internet to check words etc.

It's a short and sweet answer - basically, I have very few in my library and rely more on the Internet.

Booking Through Thursday - Spring

Here's today's BTT question:

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?

My reading habits tend to change more in the summer than in Spring. I'm not into gardening books so that's never an issue. Since I live in California and have SurferGirl for a daughter, I tend to spend a lot of time in the summer on the beach. I tend to read paperback books on the beach because they are easier to carry and I don't care if they get sand in them. We also tend to do most of our traveling during the summer so, again, paperbacks are the way for me because I can get more books in my luggage. I also leave completed paperbacks behind in hotel rooms and rented condos for other people to find.

I will admit that my tastes get very lightweight and fluffy during the summer. I will admit that People magazine ends up in my beach bag a whole lot. For novels, I tend to stick to fiction that moves quickly. The Janet Evanovich books are a favorite beach read for me. I don't tend to read as much non-fiction. I can't explain it, but it doesn't appeal to me in the summer. My husband always says I don't have any taste in the summer and will read, or watch, just about anything.

I do tend to read some travel books and magazines in the spring, but they are always targeted to planning our summer vacation. This year it's the National Parks of southern Utah. Last year is was Maui and the Grand Canyon.

I'm always interested in summer beach read suggestions so bring them on!

Friday Fill In

1. The last time I lost my temper I had to take a step back and realize that girls tend to be really loud when they are in a group and to keep my temper in check, even though it was really tough!

2. Taxes is what I'm fed up with!

3. The next book I'd like to read is any of the ones on the huge pile beside my bed. I never can decide in advance what to read. It depends on my mood.

4. Summer vacation is what I'm looking forward to.

5. If you can't get rid of the skeleton[s] in your closet, dress them really well!

6. The best thing I got in the mail recently was an invitation to a 100th birthday party from two friends who are each turning 50.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to movie night with the family, tomorrow my plans include a very busy day including a memorial service for my great-uncle and a parent social at the school where I work and Sunday, I want to watch my church's youth group at an ice skating lesson!

Booking Through Thursday - Vocabulary

It's been awhile since I posted. I've been camping for two of the last three weekends and, on the other weekend, hosted by daughter's sleepover birthday party for 9 girls. I think I'm still catching up on my sleep, emails, and blogs.

Good thing this week's BTT is short and sweet:

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?

That's actually an easy one for me. If not knowing the meaning of the word or phrase affects my comprehension, then I'll either stop to look it up, or, more likely, yell out to my husband and hope he knows what it means:)

I can't remember a time, other than in college, when I'd write a word down to look up later. If I don't need to know the word to understand what is going on, I move on and hope I have the gist of the word through its context.

What about you?

Booking Through Thursday - Literature

Today's BTT question is a good one. It's one I've had to think about before answering.

• 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 think when I was younger, I would have responded with Shakespeare or Dante because that's what the professors in my college courses tended to assign as literature. To some extent, being an English Lit major was detrimental to my reading because it led to a "snobbish" view of more current books. Luckily, I took a Women's Literature class which expanded my view of literature to Virginia Woolf and a variety of really good women poets. The thing I've noticed is that the books that are deemed "literature" in college courses seem to have universal themes and are not always recently published. That may well be a disservice to new books because literature studies have to continue to evolve.

Now, I read a variety of things but don't really think about if they are literature or not. For example, I love many of the novels of Margaret Atwood and Isabel Allende. I would consider them literature because they are extremely well-written and deal with universal themes through amazing character and plot development. I also enjoy books by Janet Evanovich and Marcia Muller. Would I classify those as literature? I'm really not sure. For me, literature is so well-written that it helps to define something about the human condition. I really believe many of our current authors, including Cormac McCarthy and Margaret Atwood, will continued to be called literature in 100 years.

I've read my share of "literature" during college. I would be surprised if anyone read The Inferno or Moby Dick for pleasure. I don't pick books because they are, or aren't, literary. I read books that entertain me. Sometimes I tend to read more serious, well-written stories, and other times I select more light-hearted fare. There are many works of literature that are among my favorite books, including To Kill a Mockingbird and The Grapes of Wrath. I think The Book Thief can easily join that list for its quality and humanity.

I'm very interested in what other people are saying about this one. Feel free to chime in and let me know what you think.

Friday Fill In

1.Spring Break is so exciting!
2. Strawberry fields forever (who can resist a Beatles reference).
3. Breakfast out on a Friday morning sounds like it would taste delicious!
4. Why does sleep and reading make me feel so good?!
5. Washington D.C. in Spring is something I've always wanted to see.
6. It's sad when a good book ends.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Disneyland with friends, tomorrow my plans include running sound for a wedding and Sunday, I want to enjoy Easter with my family and get ready to leave for Las Vegas and Death Valley!

Booking Through Thursday - The End

Here's this week's BTT question:

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!)

There are many different answers to this one. It really depends on the book. There are some books that I need to talk about, or write about, as soon as I'm done. For those, I either get a blog review going or talk to a book loving friend.

I don't tend to muse too much about a book once I've read it. I'm normally eager to move on to the next book in my TBR mountain ... it's not even just a pile anymore:)

As part of my daughter's nightly homework, she's required to read for twenty to thirty minutes so we've instituted "Family Reading Time." Everyone sits quietly and reads books together to support her reading progress. That tends to force me to move to the next book so that I always have a book going for these nightly reading times.

Sometimes, if the book was made into a movie, I'll add it to my Netflix queue because I'm always curious, and sometimes disappointed, in the movie versions of books I've read.

I guess I've answered that I do just about everything once I finish a book. How about you?

Negativity Meme

I found this one floating around at a few blogs. Since I haven't posted in awhile, I thought I'd play along.


1. When you dislike a book, do you say so in your blog? Why or why not?

Yes, I do. It's pretty rare but I have taken great dislike to a few books since I started my blog. It actually leads to some great discussions in my comments section.

2. Do you temper your feelings about books you didn’t like, so as not to completely slam them? Why or why not?

I try to be balanced and give strengths and weaknesses for each book I review. I do realize that authors work very hard and are very proud of their work. There have been a few where this was not possible. I did slam at least one book that I can think of.

3. What do you think is the best way to respond when you see a negative review about a book you enjoyed?

Sometimes I'll leave a comment pointing out something I liked from the book. However, each reader brings their own opinions and life experiences to a story so it's important to acknowledge that as well. Every one is entitled to their opinion. I welcome debate on my own blog and have had some great comment exchanges with people who disagree with me.

4. What is your own most common reaction when you see a negative review of a book you loved or a positive review of a book you hated?

I think that's part of the last answer. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

5. What is your own most common reaction when you get a comment that disagrees with your opinion of a book?

I love when that happens. It means that someone read what I wrote and really thought about it. I would never delete a comment like that. Sometimes, those type of comments will make me think and readjust my opinion. Other times, they make for some great debate. That's part of what I enjoy about book blogging.

6. What if you don’t like a book that was a free review copy? What then?

I haven't had the chance to get any review copies yet. I have gotten some free books directly from authors. I haven't reviewed them yet but will note that I received the book from the author as a part of my review. I still intend to be honest because the authors deserve my honest opinion.

7. What do you do if you don’t finish a book? Do you review it or not? If you review it, do you mention that you didn’t finish it?

That hasn't happened recently. I tend to put a book aside and come back to it. If I truly don't finish it, I wouldn't review it. I would probably just write a short entry indicating that I gave up on the book. Hopefully, someone who liked the book might give me a good reason, or encouragement, to try and finish it.

Booking Through Thursday - Heroes

Here's today's BTT question:

You should have seen this one coming … Who is your favorite Male lead character? And why?

I didn't get a chance to play last week when the question was easier for me. I tend to read a lot of novels with female leads. As a matter of fact, my first real connection to reading was Nancy Drew. I just wanted to be her growing up.

Anyway, a male lead character is harder because I don't tend to identify with the men in the stories as much as the women. There are a few characters that do come to mind:

• Quoyle from The Shipping News - He's almost the anti-hero because he doesn't really fit the stereotype of a male hero. Maybe that's why I like him so much. He was human and showed real human emotions. I ended up admiring him for the choices he'd made in the story.
• Henry from The Time Traveler's Wife - He is the same kind of sympathetic male character. I may be putting him on the list because I read the book so recently. I found him to be an intriguing and likable character. I was really drawn in to his emotional life in the story.
• Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird - This was the first time where I realized that people can change things in our society. I read this one in junior high, and my strongest reading memory is thinking how brave Atticus was and how much I wanted to meet men like that in my life. It was almost like I wanted to find men who had that strength of their convictions. It really changed how I viewed people.
• the father in The Wall by Eve Bunting - Today was "Thinking Thursday" at my school. We were talking to the kids about books that make us think. This is the book I always come back to. It's the book that I can't read to kids without crying. The father is unnamed but he's everyman. He's the man who takes his son to the Vietnam Wall to find his own father's name. Somehow, this man touches something essential in my soul and personifies the effects of war in a very human way.

I didn't go for some obvious choices like Hamlet and Macbeth. While I love Shakespeare, these are the male characters who changed something essential in me as I was reading about them. Who are your heroes? Any thoughts on mine?

Booking Through Thursday - Format

This week's BTT question is a short, but sweet one. This is a hard one for me because I don't tend to keep a large library of books, as many of you already know. Anyway, here's the question:

All other things (like price and storage space) being equal, given a choice in a perfect world, would you rather have paperbacks in your library? Or hardcovers? And why?

I think in a perfect world I'd want two copies of all my books. One in hardcover (autographed, of course) for the shelves of my cozy reading room. I'd want the paperbacks for bathtub and travel reading. I also prefer to read paperbacks in bed because some hardcovers are just so heavy.

If this is truly a perfect world, I'd be able to leave my paperbacks behind in my travels for others to read. I'd also get to pick up other people's paperbacks, and have the corresponding hardcovers waiting for me in the home library.

I guess I'd need either magic or a personal book assistant for that one. Actually, that sounds like a great job. Personal book buyer for a voracious reader who loves to share. Anyway, that got a bit off track, and I'm not sure I really answered the question.

I'd love to know what other people thought so leave me a comment.

Six Unimportant Things About Me

I got tagged for this one by Brie at Cupid's Chokehold.

I guess I've already done numbers 1 and 2 so on to number 3!

Rules:


1. Link back to the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog

3. Share six unimportant things about you

4. Tag six random people at the end of your blog entry

5. Let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blog.



1. I am a coffee addict. I always have coffee with me in the morning. I carry a cup to work, my students give me Starbucks gift cards, and my husband has bought me numerous travel mugs because I leave them everywhere.

2. I hate white walls. I think every wall in my house is some color. I can think of blue, purple, green, clay, tan, and a variety of stenciled and sponge painted treatments.

3. I can reupholster simple projects like dining room chairs. I'm a whiz with a staple gun.

4. I love Disneyland. My personal best is 35 rides in one day (leaving at 7:00 not closing) and never waiting in a line more than 30 minutes.

5. I have heard my name called across Las Vegas casinos, Disneyland, California Adventure, and a variety of airports by numerous students both past and present.

6. I have been in the first ten rows of a Bruce Springsteen concert, dancing on the chair the whole time, and have been to an acoustic Bruce concert - just the man and his guitar.

OK .... now I'm supposed to tag people, but I don't like that part so ... if you're reading this and want to play along ... consider yourself tagged.

Friday Fill-In

1. Snowdrops are annoying - can you tell I'm a sun and surf gal.
2. I'm going to write a book one day.
3. Let It Be and If God Was One of Us (are) is a song(s) whose lyrics have meaning to me.
4. Just one sip and my headache will feel better as long as it's Starbucks!
5. Any beach - local or Hawaiian is where I'm happiest.
6. I believe that laughter is a necessary part of life.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to SurferGirl's final practice before an ice skating competition, tomorrow my plans include the two performance ice skating competition and Sunday, I want to relax at the beach knowing there are still two more days in my weekend!

Booking Through Thursday - Valentines

Here's today's BTT question. It wasn't the one I was expecting, but it was quite easy for me.

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?

I recently fell way out of love with Patricia Cornwell. Her last book, Book of the Dead, was simply awful. I am still ranting about it. I really don't think anything could lure me back to this author. I know I won't read anything else she's written.

I also went through a period where I was hooked on Dan Brown. He's the author if The Da Vinci Code. I got to the point where all the books and characters started to run together. I don't think I could be lured back, because I don't think he can change. If he were to publish something that was remarkably different, then I might, notice might, be tempted to read it.

There are a number of authors where I've never been able to read a second book. E. Annie Proulx is a great example. I loved The Shipping News, but haven't liked anything else. I haven't even gotten to page 30 of anything else. But I don't think that really qualifies as an author I'm in love with. I took it to be an author I'd read a lot of and then became disenchanted.

I'm curious to know what other people picked!