Booking Through Thursday - August 14

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…)

(For the record, I am not a sports fan at all, but I’ll watch almost any Olympics event, have indeed read books about the Olympics–and strongly recommend The Second Mark, which yes, is about Figure Skating, but was a fantastic story and particularly enthralling in its view into life as an athlete in China, so no sneering at the sport, okay? The book was fascinating. I’ve also read a history of the 1896 Olympics (there’s  also a good mini-series which just came out on DVD).)

Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!

You'll have to bear with me these days, our internet connection is intermittent, and until it is fixed I have very little time to update my blog!

I have never read any books about the Olympics, or specific Olympians. I have never been particularly interested in reading books about sports, either fiction or non-fiction. With the exception of extreme sports, like rock-climbing, diving, abseiling, or climbing Mt. Everest. 

However, I do like to watch sports. If we lived in a perfect world, with 100-hour days, I would watch more sporting events, like basketball, ice skating, soccer (futbol), and rugby, to name a few. But we don't, and I have other interests--like reading and cooking, and getting outdoors to hike, bike, or swim--that I enjoy more. I do love to watch tennis' Grand Slam tournaments, since I was a tennis player myself. I love watching both the Summer and Winter Olympics and the World Cup. Sometimes I tune into the Commonwealth Games. I never watch football or cricket, and I only enjoy watching a baseball game in person.

Booking Through Thursday - August 7

Are there any particular worlds in books where you'd like to live?

I think it would be a lot of fun to live in the alternate England of Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series. I would love to be a literary detective, and have that kind of interaction with my favorite books!

Or where you certainly would NOT want to live?

I would most certainly not want to live in the Republic of Gilead, the world Margaret Atwood created in The Handmaid's Tale. Gilead is a totalitarian state that has replaced the USA, and Offred is a handmaid who has the 'privilege' of sleeping with other women's husband's in an attempt to bear them children. A handmaid is treated as a slave, and if they do not become pregnant, are sent to a concentration camp.

What about authors? If you were a character, who would you trust to write your life?(This came to me when reviewing a Jonathan Carroll book - I'm not sure I'd like to live in the world of his books).

I would love for Isabel Allende to write my life. I love her writing style, and it would be nice to see my life touched by a spot of magical realism.

Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!

BTT and Friday Fill-In - July 18

Do you buy books while on vacation/holiday?

Do you have favorite bookstores that you only get to visit while away on a trip?

What/Where are they?

I have been known to drop into fun-looking used book stores if I pass one while on vacation. I found a real gem when we went to Charlottesville, Virginia two years ago. There was another great one in Banff, Canada that I found on our honeymoon. Since we typically always go to new places on vacations, I don't have favorite bookstores I visit while away.

 

1. If I could be a fly on the wall I would be at Woodstock. Except it was outside and there were no walls. So, maybe I would be a fly on the wall of an Egyptian pyramid when they were being built.

2. Jealousy is different from envy.

3. When I see a shooting star my wish would be that a brand new Prius would show up in our driveway in the morning.

4. I'd rather be short than tall any day!

5. Certain songs when I hear them make me wanna dance like there's no tomorrow.

6. If time were in a bottle I would pop the cork.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to hopefully sleeping, but it looks like Maya is teething which means no one is sleeping lately, tomorrow my plans include going to an Italian Festival and Sunday, I want to organize Maya's new toy shelves from Ikea!

Booking Through Thursday - July 10

One of my favorite bookstores burned down last weekend, and while I only got to visit there while I was on vacation, it made me stop and think.

What would you do if, all of a sudden, your favorite source of books was unavailable?

Whether it’s a local book shop, your town library, or an internet shop … what would you do if, suddenly, they were out of business? Devastatingly, and with no warning? Where would you go for books instead? What would you do? If it was a local business you would try to help out the owners? Would you just calmly start buying from some other store? Visit the library in the next town instead? Would it be devastating? Or just a blip in your reading habit?

Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!

I don't even want to think about it! My favorite source for books is the library, and I would be devastated if our local one burned down. Not only would it be a loss of thousands of books, but it would be the destruction of a meeting place for the community. Our (new) public library has children's storytimes, arts and crafts programs, a meeting rooms for all types of community organizations, a location to hold ESL classes, computer classes...the list goes on and on.

What would I do? I would chip in to help rebuild. I would donate time and energy, and money; I would help organize fundraisers, and share my grantwriting skills to help the library bounce back.

Booking Through Thursday

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?

Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!

I am about halfway through The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I absolutely love it. It is one of those books that, if I didn't have a baby daughter, I would stay up all night or day reading until I finish it. My parents bought it for me for Christmas 1 1/2 ago; I'm not sure why I waited so long to pick it up!

BTT - May 22

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 majority of the times that I watch movies, I am looking only for entertainment. Except for the occasional documentary, I don't watch movies to learn new information. With books, although I do read for 'entertainment only' purposes at times (chick lit and mysteries come to mind), I also love non-fiction, which I read to further my knowledge about subjects that I am interested in. I also read fiction from other countries to help broaden my awareness of other places and cultures.

BTT - April 17

Booking Through Thursday

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?

It is only rarely that I stop in the middle of reading to look up a word. First, I try to figure out what it means by looking at the context. If that doesn't work, sometimes I will write it down to look it up later (I also do this when I come across a historical event I am not familiar with). It has to really peak my curiosity for me to follow through after writing it down. Most of the time, I'll just keep reading.

Out of the books that I have read recently, The Road by Cormac McCarthy generated a lot of visits to dictionary.com. 

BTT and Friday Fill-In - On Saturday!

I am behind on everything at the moment, so it makes sense that my response for Booking Through Thursday and Friday Fill-in aren't posted until Saturday!

Pick up the nearest book. (I’m sure you must have one nearby.)

• Turn to page 123.
• What is the first sentence on the page?
• The last sentence on the page?
• Now . . . connect them together….
  (And no, you may not transcribe the entire page of the book–that’s cheating!)

She didn't notice or care. And then, out of nowhere, Jon appeared. "Morning!" he said. First and last sentence are from The Bright Side of Disaster, by Katherine Center.



1. I love springtime in Baltimore, where I currently live!
2. Bagels, whole grain hot cereals, blueberries, strawberries, fruit smoothies, waffles, eggs benedict, Trader Joe's French Vanilla yogurt with granola, french toast; all are foods I love to eat for breakfast.
3. It seems I'm always searching for my keys and shoes.
4.Reading in bed is a great way to end the day.
5. I think I have too much going on right now!
6. Ice cream is what I've been craving lately.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hopefully having some quiet time after Maya goes to bed to read The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevera, tomorrow my plans include going to the farmer's market, The Book Thing, and spending some time outdoors, and Sunday, I want to go for a walk on the NCR trail!

BTT - March 27

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.?

A book cover doesn't affect what I think of a book, but there is something special about holding a book with a beautiful cover design. If there is more than one edition of a book I would like to buy, I tend to lean towards the one with the best cover (unless I am after a specific translation, or publisher).

I prefer softcovers, but not mass markets. Softcovers are easier to tote around, and to hold while nursing Maya (although I preferred paperback before she was born, as well). Illustrations inside a book are always a wonderful bonus, I wish more "adult" books had them. Font makes no difference - unless it is very tiny. I have 20/20 vision, but often, if I am reading a book with very small type, I tend to get easily distracted. Not sure why that is, but it is.

I am almost, finally, done Gate of the Sun by Elias Khoury, so keep an eye out for a review in the next couple days. It is redeeming itself, so the long reading time isn't necessarily a sign of displeasure.

BTT - March 20

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!)

It really depends on the book, my mood, and what is going on in my life. BM (Before Maya), I would often close a book, sigh, and pick up another one right away. Unless it was at night, or I had something else to do. Sometimes I would reflect on what I just read before picking up something else, especially if it was an intense read. AM (After Maya), I tend to appreciate the fact that I finished a book before grabbing another one! No matter what, I usually like to write my review before I get too far into my next read.

BTT - February 28

Who is your favorite female lead character? And why? (And yes, of course, you can name more than one . . . I always have trouble narrowing down these things to one name, why should I force you to?)

Many of the books I read have strong, admirable, and likable female characters. Here are my top five:

Scheherazade from One Thousand and One Nights- That girl is smart. She was faced with a seemingly impossible situation, and found an ingenious way to overcome it. Plus, she's a great storyteller.

Offred from The Handmaid's Tale - This is one of my all-time favorite books, and Offred is one of the reasons why. She lives in a society that is severely oppressive, but it does not break her. She is a courageous woman who is determined to survive. I also love the fact that she steals pats of butter to use as lotion - to me, a sign that she remains hopeful that someday someone will want to touch her face with a loving touch.

Morgaine from Mists of Avalon - Finally we see her portrayed as something other than evil. Morgaine fights for what she believes, carrying the burden of her responsibilities with poise.

Jane from Jane Eyre - How can you not love Jane? She's honest, compassionate, an all-around sweet, loving girl.

Miss Marple - A genius in an understated way, this "old maid" defies the stereotype. She seemingly goes about her business in an unassuming way, but her keen sense of observation never misses much. She is an amazing judge of character. Thank you, Dame Agatha, for creating such a lovely character!

Booking Through Thursday - February 21

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 would prefer paperbacks. I usually carry my books everywhere I go - and paperbacks (not mass market - I am not a fan of those) are much easier to lug around. However, in a perfect world, I would also like to have one or two book cases of signed, first editions. These would be hardback.

Two Booking Through Thursdays

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?

It's pretty rare that I don't stick with an author once I fall in love with them. The only one I can think of in recent years is Zadie Smith. I read White Teeth and adored it. I couldn't wait to see what she came out with next. Then On Beauty was published. After I read it, I thought "What was that??". It was an extremely disappointing follow-up book, and I haven't been able to go back to her since.

And, here is last week's BTT, since I forgot all about it:

Okay, even I can’t read ALL the time, so I’m guessing that you folks might voluntarily shut the covers from time to time as well… What else do you do with your leisure to pass the time? Walk the dog? Knit? Run marathons? Construct grandfather clocks? Collect eggshells?

Well, taking care of a baby takes up most of my time, so at the moment I have very little free time. But, let's pretend I had more of it, this is what else amuses me:

• Hiking: I am a three seasons hiker. I also used to love going out in the winter, but after living in Australia for 4 years, I learned that I HATE the cold. I would rather hibernate. I'm really looking forward to taking Maya out on some trails in a few months, once I figure out how to change a diaper in the middle of the woods.
• Travelling: I love to travel. Before we started saving for a house, this is where all of our extra money went. We're tentatively planning a trip to Romania and Hungary in early fall.
• Cooking: One of my greatest joys is cooking a huge meal for my friends and families. This is how I socialize. :) I love to cook all sorts of ethnic cuisines I have learned from various friends and past refugee clients. My favorites are Ethiopian and Nigerian stews, Indian and Sri Lankan curries, and various dishes from Central and South America. I have recently been playing around with the Pennsylvania Dutch recipes I grew up with - but giving them a bit more pizazz. I have also been on a bit of a Jewish kick since my husband bought me this cookbook (haha - I still managed to mention a book in a non-book related BTT!)
  
• Sewing. This is a brand new hobby. Well, actually it's a re-discovered one. I liked to sew in my pre-teen years. I just got a new sewing machine, and I am hoping to get back into it.

Booking Through Thursday - January 24

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?”

I have met a lot of people that have never heard of The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, which is one of my all-time favorites. Winterdance, by Gary Paulsen, another favorite, is virtually unknown, even by book lovers. One of my new favorite authors, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, is still not very well known here in the U.S. Some other authors that come to mind are: Tim Winton, Luong Ung, Soseki Natsume, Nick Earls, and Barbara Pym.

BTT - January 10

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?

The first author that comes to mind when I think of my favorites is Margaret Atwood. I first discovered her work when I took a Women's Lit class my sophomore year in college. We read The Handmaid's Tale, and I absolutely loved it. (It is still my favorite of all of her books that I have read). After I graduated, I started reading more of her books, and have loved pretty much everything she has written.

Two other favorites are Isabel Allende and John Steinbeck. In my 10th grade English class, we had to chose an author, and read one of their books each quarter. I picked Steinbeck, mainly because my father had many of his books on our bookshelves. I had read The Pearl in junior high, and did not particurly enjoy it, but I have been captivated by all of his other stories.

I came across Isabel Allende one day at the library about five years ago. Her novel, Paula, caught my eye, as that is my mother's first name. I picked it up, knowing absolutely nothing about the author, and have since gone on to read many more of her books.

BTT

Okay, I'm very late this week, but I wanted to answer this one!

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?

There are quite a few books I am looking forward to this year. In fact, I am looking forward to all of the ones on my challenge lists, but here are a few highlights:

• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Jewish Lit Challenge).
  
• Red Poppies by Alai (What's in A Name Challenge, Reading Across Borders and Expanding Horizons Challenge)
• The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevera (Expanding Horizons Challenge)
• Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser (TBR and Chunkster Challenge)
• The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (Chunkster and TBR)
• First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde (Themed Reading Challenge)

And, not on any challenge list, I really hope I get a chance to read The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur by Daoud Hari, to be published in March 2008.

Booking Through Thursday (On Friday)

I always seem to be a day late with these!

1. What fiction book (or books) would you nominate to be the best new book published in 2007?
(Older books that you read for the first time in 2007 don’t count.)
It is rare that I read a book the same year that it is published. I would say it is a toss-up between HP and the Deathly Hallows, and a lesser known book, God is Dead.
2. What non-fiction book (or books) would you nominate to be the best new book published in 2007?
(Older books that you read for the first time in 2007 don’t count.)
I haven't read any non-fic published in 2007 yet. I'm a few years behind in that genre. :)
3. And, do “best of” lists influence your reading?
I may learn about books I had not hear of when they are on "best of" lists, but I don't pick a book solely on that reason.

BTT - December 13

Do you use any of the online book-cataloguing sites, like Library Thing or Shelfari? Why or why not? (Or . . . do you have absolutely no idea what I’m talking to?? (grin))

If not an online catalog, do you use any other method to catalog your book collection? Excel spreadsheets, index cards, a notebook, anything?

I used to use Bibliophil, but I haven't updated it in a long time, and we have Delicious Library on our Mac to catalogue our whole collection, although some of my recent acquisitions haven't made it in yet. Checking out Library Thing is on my list of things to do someday, but it is admittedly not very high on the priority list. I use a spreadsheet for some of my challenges, such as Reading Across Borders and Book Awards. But I found a fun little notebook two years back that I have been using to keep track of all the books I read and my TBR list.

Booking Through Thursday

Would you say that you read about the same amount now as when you were younger? More? Less? Why?

I have always loved to read, but the amount that I read tends to wax and wane depending on what is going on with my life. I read a lot when I was a kid, usually as much as a book or two a day in the summer months. In high school, working, sports, and other extracurricular activities took up a lot of my time, and I had little time for pleasure reading. This continued through college and postgrad, I only had a chance to read non-academic books in the summer months, but I treasured those times. For the past few years, I have been catching up on a lot of that lost time. The only major gap of non-reading took place in the months surrounding my wedding and our move from Australia back to America.

Booking Through Thursday

There was a widely bruited-about statistic reported last week, stating that 1 in 4 Americans did not read a single book last year. Clearly, we don’t fall into that category, but . . . how many of our friends do? Do you have friends/family who read as much as you do? Or are you the only person you know who has a serious reading habit?

I've had a chance to think a bit about this statistic since it came out in the news report last week. One thing it doesn't mention is whether or not people were only polled about books they read for entertainment?

My husband reads a lot. But, the majority of what he reads are medical journals and surgery textbooks so that he can stay on top of things, and prepare for the board exams he takes each year of his residency. Working approximately 80 hours a week, he rarely has time to read anything else except when we are on vacation. He only reads 3-4 books each year for fun (mainly fantasy and science-fiction, some non-fiction), but he is still reading constantly (well, not when he is operating on people. He tends to focus on the operation and patient care!).

My family is a mix. My father rarely reads,;my mother is starting to read a lot more than she used to (mainly self-help books and christian non-fiction, with some of my recommendations thrown in). My friends are also a mix, but most of them read to some extent. Many of them read quite a lot, and we seem to have similar reading tastes, which makes it easy to share books! One of my friends is an editor, so she reads constantly. And, to counter the CNN article, all of my male friends are avid readers, of both fiction and non-fiction.