I have a stack of new fiction to plow through as well; guess I'll be cutting back on my television (except for my must sees!!)... I admit I'm a TV addict but I'm feeling the need to read!
About Me
- Krys72599
- I'm happy, married, and looking forward to sharing my world with you! If you're interested, that is!
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Thursday, October 18, 2012
I'll be starting these books this week...
Looking forward to making Simple Abundance a daily read, and can't wait to start the other two as well. Susannah Conway is an Instagram pal, and I follow Dr. Brown as well (on Twitter). I've been feeling the need to appreciate what I have more consciously, and I'm sure a bit more introspection won't steer me wrong!
I have a stack of new fiction to plow through as well; guess I'll be cutting back on my television (except for my must sees!!)... I admit I'm a TV addict but I'm feeling the need to read!
I have a stack of new fiction to plow through as well; guess I'll be cutting back on my television (except for my must sees!!)... I admit I'm a TV addict but I'm feeling the need to read!
Monday, August 06, 2012
Books, books, and more books...
I was in Walmart on Saturday and I bought 5 paperback books.
FIVE PAPERBACK BOOKS!
All at once!
And to top it all off, they're FIVE TRASHY ROMANCE NOVELS!
I haven't done that in a while, probably not since I worked at a local independent bookstore and spent my pay on Wednesday nights on books, leaving just enough for gas money for the week...
I've already finished one, and am on page 71 of the second, and in about 15 minutes, I'll be taking my lunch and I hope to get a lot further into the second one during my lunch break!
Pure escapism, that's what this is. Escapism. Beach reads. Mindless fluff that doesn't require me to think or concentrate.
Which is a good thing 'cause the heat and humidity have been making me feel tired and lackadaisical and listless and not at my best. So bring on the mindless fluff!!!
FIVE PAPERBACK BOOKS!
All at once!
And to top it all off, they're FIVE TRASHY ROMANCE NOVELS!
I haven't done that in a while, probably not since I worked at a local independent bookstore and spent my pay on Wednesday nights on books, leaving just enough for gas money for the week...
I've already finished one, and am on page 71 of the second, and in about 15 minutes, I'll be taking my lunch and I hope to get a lot further into the second one during my lunch break!
Pure escapism, that's what this is. Escapism. Beach reads. Mindless fluff that doesn't require me to think or concentrate.
Which is a good thing 'cause the heat and humidity have been making me feel tired and lackadaisical and listless and not at my best. So bring on the mindless fluff!!!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
2
I bought myself a new book, one I saw recommended on a few blogs that I read. The name of the book is 2: How Will You Create Something Beautiful Together? written by Dan Zadra and Kobi Yamada.
The very first page touched my heart. I'd like to share it with you, and those of you reading this? Those of you whose hearts this will touch? You know who you are... You're welcome!
"From the time we are very small, we know that one plus one is two. But when the right people come together, one plus one is actually more than two. Much more.
We are not made to go through life alone. Everything about us is designed to become stronger, happier, and more fulfilled when we have found our love, our partner, our matching puzzle piece.
The miracle is that sharing life actually makes life bigger. The arithmetic is magic. Real love always adds, it never subtracts. With love, we double our joys, divide our worries, and multiply our possibilities for a life of meaning, romance and adventure.
Yes, life was meant to be shared. It's not what we have in our life, but who we have in our life that counts. If you have found love, you have been given life's greatest gift. How will you celebrate it? How will you use it to grow?
How will you create something beautiful together?"
My 13th wedding anniversary is the 25th. I remember when my nephew got married the year after we did, a friend of my SIL commented to me that I wasn't "the bride" anymore. You know what? I still feel like a newlywed! Maybe it's because I was older when I got married (38) so I have a better appreciation of time and have experienced how it flies much faster when you're older. 13 years is NOT a long time, considering I'm going to be 52 on my next b'day; I've only been married for about 1/4 of my lifetime!
I can't wait to read the rest of this book! And I'm going to make a concerted effort to be a better wife to my absolutely wonderful husband. It's so easy to take unintended advantage. We say "I love you" to each other several times a day: every time we part, every time we talk on the phone before we hang up, sometimes for no apparent reason and out of the blue. But I want to show it. I want to show it in my actions. I want others to see it when they see us together. Especially during the summers: he's home 1/2 the day, every day, while I'm at work, so while I am not on summer vacation like he is, it really is a vacation for me. The laundry is done, he cooks dinner (or at least gets it ready so all I have to do is heat it up if I get home before him), he runs errands (the dry cleaner doesn't see me at all during July and August!), he takes my Mom where she needs to go during the day so she doesn't have to wait until I get home... I could go on and on.
And all I do is live the easy life for two months, then hate having to do any of that stuff the other 10 months of the year! Here's my July resolution: To read this book, take it to heart, make a real noticeable effort to "create something beautiful together."
We'll see how I do...
The very first page touched my heart. I'd like to share it with you, and those of you reading this? Those of you whose hearts this will touch? You know who you are... You're welcome!
"From the time we are very small, we know that one plus one is two. But when the right people come together, one plus one is actually more than two. Much more.
We are not made to go through life alone. Everything about us is designed to become stronger, happier, and more fulfilled when we have found our love, our partner, our matching puzzle piece.
The miracle is that sharing life actually makes life bigger. The arithmetic is magic. Real love always adds, it never subtracts. With love, we double our joys, divide our worries, and multiply our possibilities for a life of meaning, romance and adventure.
Yes, life was meant to be shared. It's not what we have in our life, but who we have in our life that counts. If you have found love, you have been given life's greatest gift. How will you celebrate it? How will you use it to grow?
How will you create something beautiful together?"
My 13th wedding anniversary is the 25th. I remember when my nephew got married the year after we did, a friend of my SIL commented to me that I wasn't "the bride" anymore. You know what? I still feel like a newlywed! Maybe it's because I was older when I got married (38) so I have a better appreciation of time and have experienced how it flies much faster when you're older. 13 years is NOT a long time, considering I'm going to be 52 on my next b'day; I've only been married for about 1/4 of my lifetime!
I can't wait to read the rest of this book! And I'm going to make a concerted effort to be a better wife to my absolutely wonderful husband. It's so easy to take unintended advantage. We say "I love you" to each other several times a day: every time we part, every time we talk on the phone before we hang up, sometimes for no apparent reason and out of the blue. But I want to show it. I want to show it in my actions. I want others to see it when they see us together. Especially during the summers: he's home 1/2 the day, every day, while I'm at work, so while I am not on summer vacation like he is, it really is a vacation for me. The laundry is done, he cooks dinner (or at least gets it ready so all I have to do is heat it up if I get home before him), he runs errands (the dry cleaner doesn't see me at all during July and August!), he takes my Mom where she needs to go during the day so she doesn't have to wait until I get home... I could go on and on.
And all I do is live the easy life for two months, then hate having to do any of that stuff the other 10 months of the year! Here's my July resolution: To read this book, take it to heart, make a real noticeable effort to "create something beautiful together."
We'll see how I do...
Friday, June 29, 2012
50 Shades of You're Kidding Me!!!
Okay, I've read them. All three of them. On my Kindle. [So not only did I hate the books, I hated the reading experience, too, but I'm not here to harp on the Kindle - if you're reading my blog, you already know how I feel about books vs. e-books.]
Do you know how I feel about the latest go-round of "Mommy Porn"??? Do you want to know?
I was raised in a good Roman Catholic family, no nudity, no drugs, no sex and rock and roll (at least not until I went to college! Rock and roll, Mom! I'm talking about rock and roll!).
But I'm not a prude. I'm a baby boomer, too young to have been a feminist warrior, but old enough to have seen a WHOLE bunch of changes in the way women have been and are being treated in this big world. I can accept that what goes on in your room is your business, not mine, as long as there are no children being hurt.
My very first job interview out of college with with L-hman Brothers (pick a vowel, any vowel, but especially an "e"!) and I didn't get the job because I was young and probably going to get pregnant soon and leave them in the lurch. I wasn't savvy enough to call him on his comments, but I was quick enough to ask why the person they were replacing had left: sure enough, she had gotten pregnant. It was an entry level office position and I explained that despite my College Degree and my obvious Overqualification for the Job, I also had College Loans that had to be paid off so I was really looking to start working right away and I promised I wouldn't get pregant for several years. No dice, no job. Of course, it was an easy promise: hubby-to-be wouldn't be in the picture for 8 more years...
But nowhere, not ever, in all my 50 years, has ANY man asked me to be submissive to him in any way. Not in a job, not in a marriage, not in a relationship, and not in a sexual relationship. And I RESENT the "heroine" (and I use THAT term loosely!) being presented as a 22-year-old college graduate who actually STRUGGLES with the decision: should I sign that contract, agreeing to be his sexual toy to do with whatever he wants, whether it hurts me or not? Should I agree to call him "Sir" and never, ever look him in the eye when we're in his playroom? Should I really agree to KNEEL before him, waiting for him to deign to mistreat me, looking only at his SHOES?!?!
REALLY?????????????????????
It's 2012, people! I am SO offended by the whole idea that a young girl today would even CONSIDER this! And not because the sex bothered me. I read sexy romances all the time. It's a writing style that sometimes adds to the story and sometimes IS all there is in the story. Again, whatever floats your boat if it's not illegal is your business.
You've already heard my rants about Twilight, I'm sure, how a series of books targeted at tweens should NOT, in my humble opinion, include a 16-year-old main character who struggles with how UNworthy she is to be with the hero: "I'm too fat/skinny, not smart/pretty enough; he's so much handsomer and smarter than me..." BLEGGGHHH. I get it: I know tween girls, the target audience, struggle with self-esteem. I know that they would feel some connection with a main character who feels not quite good enough, but she should overcome, she should shake off the self-esteem issues, learn and believe that she IS GOOD ENOUGH IF NOT BETTER than that sparkly vampire! Ugh.
Okay, 'nough ranting.
I read 50 Shades of Gray, #1, #2, and #3. I despised the girl, the main character, throughout the whole book. Believe it or not, by the end of book 3, I actually came to like Christian Gray, self-admitted "50 shades of f-cked up" hero that he is, because HIS character developed. He learned from his feelings and his relationship that love is more important than sex, that love and caring and a relationship don't need the bells and whistles, the shock and awe of his Dominant/Submissive scenario. He grew up, folks, but I never felt like she did.
THAT'S what I disliked most about the books. Oops, someone has to borrow my soapbox now... Later!
Do you know how I feel about the latest go-round of "Mommy Porn"??? Do you want to know?
I was raised in a good Roman Catholic family, no nudity, no drugs, no sex and rock and roll (at least not until I went to college! Rock and roll, Mom! I'm talking about rock and roll!).
But I'm not a prude. I'm a baby boomer, too young to have been a feminist warrior, but old enough to have seen a WHOLE bunch of changes in the way women have been and are being treated in this big world. I can accept that what goes on in your room is your business, not mine, as long as there are no children being hurt.
My very first job interview out of college with with L-hman Brothers (pick a vowel, any vowel, but especially an "e"!) and I didn't get the job because I was young and probably going to get pregnant soon and leave them in the lurch. I wasn't savvy enough to call him on his comments, but I was quick enough to ask why the person they were replacing had left: sure enough, she had gotten pregnant. It was an entry level office position and I explained that despite my College Degree and my obvious Overqualification for the Job, I also had College Loans that had to be paid off so I was really looking to start working right away and I promised I wouldn't get pregant for several years. No dice, no job. Of course, it was an easy promise: hubby-to-be wouldn't be in the picture for 8 more years...
But nowhere, not ever, in all my 50 years, has ANY man asked me to be submissive to him in any way. Not in a job, not in a marriage, not in a relationship, and not in a sexual relationship. And I RESENT the "heroine" (and I use THAT term loosely!) being presented as a 22-year-old college graduate who actually STRUGGLES with the decision: should I sign that contract, agreeing to be his sexual toy to do with whatever he wants, whether it hurts me or not? Should I agree to call him "Sir" and never, ever look him in the eye when we're in his playroom? Should I really agree to KNEEL before him, waiting for him to deign to mistreat me, looking only at his SHOES?!?!
REALLY?????????????????????
It's 2012, people! I am SO offended by the whole idea that a young girl today would even CONSIDER this! And not because the sex bothered me. I read sexy romances all the time. It's a writing style that sometimes adds to the story and sometimes IS all there is in the story. Again, whatever floats your boat if it's not illegal is your business.
You've already heard my rants about Twilight, I'm sure, how a series of books targeted at tweens should NOT, in my humble opinion, include a 16-year-old main character who struggles with how UNworthy she is to be with the hero: "I'm too fat/skinny, not smart/pretty enough; he's so much handsomer and smarter than me..." BLEGGGHHH. I get it: I know tween girls, the target audience, struggle with self-esteem. I know that they would feel some connection with a main character who feels not quite good enough, but she should overcome, she should shake off the self-esteem issues, learn and believe that she IS GOOD ENOUGH IF NOT BETTER than that sparkly vampire! Ugh.
Okay, 'nough ranting.
I read 50 Shades of Gray, #1, #2, and #3. I despised the girl, the main character, throughout the whole book. Believe it or not, by the end of book 3, I actually came to like Christian Gray, self-admitted "50 shades of f-cked up" hero that he is, because HIS character developed. He learned from his feelings and his relationship that love is more important than sex, that love and caring and a relationship don't need the bells and whistles, the shock and awe of his Dominant/Submissive scenario. He grew up, folks, but I never felt like she did.
THAT'S what I disliked most about the books. Oops, someone has to borrow my soapbox now... Later!
Friday, June 01, 2012
I don't want to KILL them, exactly...
... especially since I do have one. Admittedly I have tried reading on my Kindle Fire, but as my dear readers know, I'm not particularly enthralled. Perhaps I would have liked it better if the e-reader I got was readable in the sun, but I knew it wasn't when I got it so I can't make that the reason I hate it. Because I don't really hate it; I just don't like it for reading books. No new news there...
I am a HUGE fan of the Hay Literary Festival in Hay-on-Wye, I believe the town is called... It's a small town on the Wales border. It hasn't been around for hundreds of years, the festival, I mean, but it's made a great name for itself. I was sorry to run across this article today where a few booksellers are calling for a ban on Kindles at the Festival.
A) I H.A.T.E. that 5 of the 30 or so book indies in the town have closed over the past year.
B) Apple's iBookstore has signed on as a Festival partner for the Hay Literary Festival 2012. If you were so anti e-reader or e-books, you should have said no to Apple.
C) I really do believe that anything that makes people read, and enjoy reading, can't be all bad (Kindles, Goosebumps books, Sweet Valley High books, etc., etc.).
D) Someone in the article mentioned that people attending the Festival are buying books in all formats, including the not-available-in-e-reader-format rare, second-hand books.
THEY'RE READING, PEOPLE! How bad can it be???
Just give us the option to read REAL books, don't take them away! That's all I ask!!!
I am a HUGE fan of the Hay Literary Festival in Hay-on-Wye, I believe the town is called... It's a small town on the Wales border. It hasn't been around for hundreds of years, the festival, I mean, but it's made a great name for itself. I was sorry to run across this article today where a few booksellers are calling for a ban on Kindles at the Festival.
A) I H.A.T.E. that 5 of the 30 or so book indies in the town have closed over the past year.
B) Apple's iBookstore has signed on as a Festival partner for the Hay Literary Festival 2012. If you were so anti e-reader or e-books, you should have said no to Apple.
C) I really do believe that anything that makes people read, and enjoy reading, can't be all bad (Kindles, Goosebumps books, Sweet Valley High books, etc., etc.).
D) Someone in the article mentioned that people attending the Festival are buying books in all formats, including the not-available-in-e-reader-format rare, second-hand books.
THEY'RE READING, PEOPLE! How bad can it be???
Just give us the option to read REAL books, don't take them away! That's all I ask!!!
Friday, March 30, 2012
Friday, December 02, 2011
Oh, Thank Goodness!!!
from Shelf Awareness, Friday, December 2, 2011, Volume 2, Issue 1617
Future of Print Books: 'You’ll Be Neck Deep in Them'
"Will the e-book kill off the print book? Every time I hear that question, I think about the 'paperless office.' Back in the '80s, the rise of word processors and e-mail convinced a lot of people that paper would vanish. Why print anything when you could simply squirt documents around electronically?
"We all know how that turned out.... When you make something easier to do, people do more of it. Now that every office worker has access to a computer and a printer, every office worker can design and distribute elaborate multicolor birthday flyers and spiral-bound presentations.
" 'Print-on-demand' publishing is about to do the same thing to books. It'll keep them alive--by allowing them to be much weirder.... So don’t worry about the fate of print books. Heck, you'll be neck deep in them."
--Clive Thompson in Wired
Future of Print Books: 'You’ll Be Neck Deep in Them'
"Will the e-book kill off the print book? Every time I hear that question, I think about the 'paperless office.' Back in the '80s, the rise of word processors and e-mail convinced a lot of people that paper would vanish. Why print anything when you could simply squirt documents around electronically?
"We all know how that turned out.... When you make something easier to do, people do more of it. Now that every office worker has access to a computer and a printer, every office worker can design and distribute elaborate multicolor birthday flyers and spiral-bound presentations.
" 'Print-on-demand' publishing is about to do the same thing to books. It'll keep them alive--by allowing them to be much weirder.... So don’t worry about the fate of print books. Heck, you'll be neck deep in them."
--Clive Thompson in Wired
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Children really are still reading!!!
My baby sister sent this one to me; I hadn't seen it yet.
I'll sleep better tonight!
From this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/21/business/for-their-children-many-e-book-readers-insist-on-paper.html
Came this quote:
“When we go to bed and he knows it’s reading time, he says, ‘Let’s play Angry Birds a little bit,’ ” Mr. Thomson said. “If he’s going to pick up the iPad, he’s not going to read, he’s going to want to play a game. So reading concentration goes out the window.”
THAT's what frightens me, people! NOT the geeky, dorky, shiny toy - I, myself, am the proud owner of a new Fire (although admittedly I didn't buy it for the books) - but the fear a child will choose the shiny toy over the book... I want them to learn to love books, and choose an e-book, perhaps, when it's convenient, not all the time. And it IS convenient, when traveling or commuting, for instance, but I don't want them to miss out on the pages, the ink, the smell, the experience of a b.o.o.k.
I'll sleep better tonight!
From this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/21/business/for-their-children-many-e-book-readers-insist-on-paper.html
Came this quote:
“When we go to bed and he knows it’s reading time, he says, ‘Let’s play Angry Birds a little bit,’ ” Mr. Thomson said. “If he’s going to pick up the iPad, he’s not going to read, he’s going to want to play a game. So reading concentration goes out the window.”
THAT's what frightens me, people! NOT the geeky, dorky, shiny toy - I, myself, am the proud owner of a new Fire (although admittedly I didn't buy it for the books) - but the fear a child will choose the shiny toy over the book... I want them to learn to love books, and choose an e-book, perhaps, when it's convenient, not all the time. And it IS convenient, when traveling or commuting, for instance, but I don't want them to miss out on the pages, the ink, the smell, the experience of a b.o.o.k.
Borrowing Books from "Amazon Library"
This is a much bigger deal than simply e-books vs. print books...
I don't know enough yet to take sides, but this article and the accompanying comments are enough to spark some serious thought and debate...
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/49430-could-amazon--s-lending-library-end-in-court-.html
I don't know enough yet to take sides, but this article and the accompanying comments are enough to spark some serious thought and debate...
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/49430-could-amazon--s-lending-library-end-in-court-.html
Monday, November 07, 2011
A FUNNY look at e-books...
E-Books: A Threat to Marriage?
"The lightness of the e-book medium, literally and figuratively, holds a terrible allure and an insidious threat to the heavily booked-up among us. How many marriages, seemingly held firm by the impossibility of moving several hundredweight of vinyl or CDs out of a family-sized home, have already foundered post the digitization of music? How many more will break if apparently inseparable and immovable matrimonial libraries become something that anyone can walk out with in their pocket?"
--James Meek in the most recent issue of the London Review of Books
From Shelf Awareness, Monday, November 7, 2011 - Volume 2, Issue 1598
"The lightness of the e-book medium, literally and figuratively, holds a terrible allure and an insidious threat to the heavily booked-up among us. How many marriages, seemingly held firm by the impossibility of moving several hundredweight of vinyl or CDs out of a family-sized home, have already foundered post the digitization of music? How many more will break if apparently inseparable and immovable matrimonial libraries become something that anyone can walk out with in their pocket?"
--James Meek in the most recent issue of the London Review of Books
From Shelf Awareness, Monday, November 7, 2011 - Volume 2, Issue 1598
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Books are magic...
from Shelf Awareness, Wednesday, November 2, 2011 - Volume 2, Issue 1595
The Book as Object: 'A Piece of History'
"You must hold a real book in your hand, smell the pages, examine the type face, the spacing between letters; must note the shape and size of the book, the weight of it. Only then can you experience the book’s full import. And its magic.
"A book as an object is a piece of history....
"Of course, new books are not quite the same, but you can be a book's 'first' owner, the first to hold, read and study it. You can learn from its binding and paper and weight and lettering and smell. You can hold a new book in trust for its future owners. You can become part of its history.
"Give your e-reader a rest, grab a real, printed book: and feel the magic."
--Helen Selzer, owner of Farshaw's Too, South Egremont, Mass., in a post on her blog Books Books Books.
This quote touches my heart. This is a great way to explain how I feel - I'm not really ANTI e-books, I'm just so much more passionately PRINT books... It's the magic I refuse to give up...
The Book as Object: 'A Piece of History'
"You must hold a real book in your hand, smell the pages, examine the type face, the spacing between letters; must note the shape and size of the book, the weight of it. Only then can you experience the book’s full import. And its magic.
"A book as an object is a piece of history....
"Of course, new books are not quite the same, but you can be a book's 'first' owner, the first to hold, read and study it. You can learn from its binding and paper and weight and lettering and smell. You can hold a new book in trust for its future owners. You can become part of its history.
"Give your e-reader a rest, grab a real, printed book: and feel the magic."
--Helen Selzer, owner of Farshaw's Too, South Egremont, Mass., in a post on her blog Books Books Books.
This quote touches my heart. This is a great way to explain how I feel - I'm not really ANTI e-books, I'm just so much more passionately PRINT books... It's the magic I refuse to give up...
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Pirating Books
Ran across this article in Publishers Weekly. For a change this has nothing to do with e-books vs. print books.
This is just an article about a lawsuit that hits close to home. It's not a long article. Check out the punchline: "The company did note that Bit Torrent users on the demonoid.me site downloaded Photoshop CS5 All-in-One-for Dummies more than 74,000 times since June 6, 2010." 74,000 TIMES!!!
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/copyright/article/49342-wiley-goes-after-bit-torrent-pirates.html?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly%27s+PW+Daily&utm_campaign=a5b452b3ed-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email
This is just an article about a lawsuit that hits close to home. It's not a long article. Check out the punchline: "The company did note that Bit Torrent users on the demonoid.me site downloaded Photoshop CS5 All-in-One-for Dummies more than 74,000 times since June 6, 2010." 74,000 TIMES!!!
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/copyright/article/49342-wiley-goes-after-bit-torrent-pirates.html?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly%27s+PW+Daily&utm_campaign=a5b452b3ed-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email
Friday, October 28, 2011
Yea, e-books AGAIN!!!
From Shelf Awareness, Friday, October 28, 2011 - Volume 2, Issue 1592
Used Bookseller 'Not Afraid of E-Books'
"My customers still have all sorts of reasons for purchasing printed books. The collector of modern first editions; the new mother passing her childhood favorites down to the next generation; the reader of forgotten and esoteric texts unavailable digitally--all are seeking out an experience greater than the words on the page. The e-book can't replicate that experience, and it doesn't have to.
"E-books are fantastic at keeping us reading; traditional books are great at reminding us why we started in the first place. We're fortunate to live in a world where we don’t have to decide on one or the other."
--Michael Popek in his Wall Street Journal piece headlined "I'm a Used Bookseller, and I'm Not Afraid of E-Books." Popek is the author of Forgotten Bookmarks and a bookseller at his family's used bookstore in Oneonta, N.Y.
You all know how I feel about books vs. e-books. This perhaps is the most even-handed clip I've ever posted on the topic... And believe it or not, this TOTALLY is my opinion!
I CHOOSE print over e-books, but I would never tell YOU to make the same decision.
That's probably what annoys me about other people who have such strong opinions - they try to force me to feel the same way or they tell me I'm wrong.
But e-books, in my personal opinion, are just like politics: I'm NOT wrong, I just don't agree with YOU!
Just like I will never tell you not to be a Democrat or a Liberal or not to be Green, I don't expect you to tell me e-books are the bomb and I'm wrong to be against them.
Signed,
Proud Republican print book supporter!!!
Used Bookseller 'Not Afraid of E-Books'
"My customers still have all sorts of reasons for purchasing printed books. The collector of modern first editions; the new mother passing her childhood favorites down to the next generation; the reader of forgotten and esoteric texts unavailable digitally--all are seeking out an experience greater than the words on the page. The e-book can't replicate that experience, and it doesn't have to.
"E-books are fantastic at keeping us reading; traditional books are great at reminding us why we started in the first place. We're fortunate to live in a world where we don’t have to decide on one or the other."
--Michael Popek in his Wall Street Journal piece headlined "I'm a Used Bookseller, and I'm Not Afraid of E-Books." Popek is the author of Forgotten Bookmarks and a bookseller at his family's used bookstore in Oneonta, N.Y.
You all know how I feel about books vs. e-books. This perhaps is the most even-handed clip I've ever posted on the topic... And believe it or not, this TOTALLY is my opinion!
I CHOOSE print over e-books, but I would never tell YOU to make the same decision.
That's probably what annoys me about other people who have such strong opinions - they try to force me to feel the same way or they tell me I'm wrong.
But e-books, in my personal opinion, are just like politics: I'm NOT wrong, I just don't agree with YOU!
Just like I will never tell you not to be a Democrat or a Liberal or not to be Green, I don't expect you to tell me e-books are the bomb and I'm wrong to be against them.
Signed,
Proud Republican print book supporter!!!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Reading - make 'em love it!
My mom is a huge fan of James Patterson. She loves his short chapters, the quick action, the fact that you can't get bored - something is always happening.
I know he's a huge supporter of reading and that he's involved in various literary endeavors... And I found this... "How to Get Your Kid to Be a Fanatic Reader."
http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/28/opinion/patterson-kids-reading/index.html?hpt=op_t1
Thanks, Mr. Patterson, for pushing reading, books, and literacy...
I know he's a huge supporter of reading and that he's involved in various literary endeavors... And I found this... "How to Get Your Kid to Be a Fanatic Reader."
http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/28/opinion/patterson-kids-reading/index.html?hpt=op_t1
Thanks, Mr. Patterson, for pushing reading, books, and literacy...
Monday, August 08, 2011
From Shelf Awareness...
Good Advice: Live with More Books than You Read
| "He should live with more books than he reads, with a penumbra of unread pages, of which he knows the general character and content, fluttering round him. This is the purpose of libraries.... It is also the purpose of good bookshops, both new and secondhand, of which there are still some, and would that there were more. A bookshop is not like a railway booking-office which one approaches knowing what one wants. One should enter it vaguely, almost in a dream, and allow what is there freely to attract and influence the eye. "To walk the rounds of the bookshops, dipping in as curiosity dictates, should be an afternoon's entertainment. Feel no shyness or compunction in taking it. Bookshops exist to provide it; and the booksellers welcome it, knowing how it will end." --Economist John Maynard Keynes, as quoted in a Canberra Times piece headlined "Bookshops about more than just purchasing." From Shelf Awareness, Friday, August 5, 2011 - Volume 2, Issue 1525 |
Monday, August 01, 2011
I'm Not Alone!!! Thanks, Kelly!!!
One of my favorite scrapping bloggers feels as I do about books vs. readers... Just thought I'd post a link to Kelly Purkey's post about her love of real books...
I especially love when she says: "Give me my books!!! I admittedly sleep with books in my bed and call me old fashioned but who wants to wake up face to face with a computer. Give me my books. Let me keep my bookstores."
I especially love when she says: "Give me my books!!! I admittedly sleep with books in my bed and call me old fashioned but who wants to wake up face to face with a computer. Give me my books. Let me keep my bookstores."
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Posting... Finally!
It's been a while... But I was traveling. To St. Louis for business, to Atlantic City for vacation, then to the lake for the rest of the week...
Timing is everything and I managed to time a last minute trip to STL around a surprise party for my best friend from college. I flew into STL in the morning, businessed as I had to, then checked into my hotel. It was 2 blocks away from historic downtown St. Charles, so I spent Friday night eating at The Mother-in-Law House Restaurant, and wandering along the MO River and into some stores that were still open. [Surprising to me was the fact that so many of the boutique-y stores closed before 8pm on a Friday night, while it was still light out and while tourists galore were still tourist-ing around town...
On Saturday, I went downtown again (a nice walk in some very hot and humid weather, although it didn't hold a candle to my current 101 degrees and 75-degree dewpoint) and decided at the last minute to go get my toes done for the party. I went into the Chamber of Commerce/Tourism Office and the closest pedicure to my hotel was $56. Yea, right. So I hopped in my 2011 red Impala and drove to the big intersection near the hotel (it was a bit too scary to walk!) and went into Walgreen's. I looked for a nice lady to accost and ask directions from and of course, the very nice lady I chose wasn't a local! But she pointed me to Zumbehl Road, two exits west of where I was, off Interstate 70, and said there were lots of malls there and she was sure I'd find something...
So I went. I found boats, tons of boats parked in the parking lot outside a sporting goods store! They looked so odd in the parking lot; there were more boats than cars! I found a spa/salon who charged $46, but that included a $5 bottle of polish (so I wound up with a stocking stuffer for Mom!). They could take me within 45 minutes and of course I wanted to go back and shower and get ready for the party, so I caved.
To kill 45 minutes I went to the St. Louis Bread Factory, aka Panera Bread in the rest of the world. Apparently the "St. Louis Bread Factory" store name didn't cut it outside of St. Louis... Had a delicious strawberry and poppyseed salad and a large iced tea. Then I went and got probably the worst pedicure of my life for one of the highest costs I've ever paid, but they were cut and clean and polished, even if not as well as I get done here in NJ! I also popped into this knitting store in honor of my middle sister and my mom - they're going to be opening a website and an online store soon...
I got ready, went to C's house, and he was being treated to a day'o'bowling by his 3 sons, since the bowling alley was way more air conditioned than the golf course (their original plan was a day'o'golf!). He came in and was suitably surprised, especially when he saw his ex-roommate T and T's wife, who had come from Kansas City. He commented about the distance, that he couldn't believe they came! Then C's wife said something about them not winning the longest distance travelled award, and she pointed at me.
C was FLOORED! He couldn't believe I had come to MO for his party! He ate dinner with T and J and me, and the three of us stayed the latest, after the rest of the party left. I was the last to leave, at a little after 11pm; his youngest son was falling asleep in the living room! We could have talked all night, but didn't. I wanted to get a shot of the family before I left, so I asked them to pose for me. I couldn't get them to look at me; well, DANNA couldn't get them all organized and in place so I just took a shot. The flash got their attention and they IMMEDIATELY turned to the camera and smiled!
They invited me over for breakfast the next morning but I had to get to the airport so I couldn't. It was so nice to see him - and apparently he, too, feels 6 years is too long between visits. I only wish J had come with me...
Then on Monday, J and I left for AC. He had to be there for a credit union seminar, and spouses always tag along. I lost a little, then broke even, but I prefer to come out ahead. It just didn't work this time; the slots were against me! I sat on the balcony outside their meeting room for a few hours and got a nice sunburntan. We had a nice dinner at Casa de Napoli in the Showboat Casino and Hotel and then came home on Wednesday.
We hung around Clifton for a day or so, then went to see Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows, Part 2 in Real-D! It was awesome! My favorite one ever! (We just went to see it a 2nd time this past Tuesday, for free, courtesy of Optimum Triple Play's benefits card.)
This weekend we went to the lake; there's central air there, so staying home where only my bedroom has a small air conditioner is not really an option. I would have to shop in the mall, or sit in B&N for hours...
Speaking of B&N, which leads me to think of Borders... How sad. 10K+ employees are losing their jobs. 10K! In one shot. Not 10 here, 20 there, a few hundred in our building when my company closed down... 10K! I've never been a Borders fan; I didn't like the way their stores were arranged. I feel as though in recent years they looked more at book "stuff" than at "books." At least that was my feeling in-store... I know someone who got their start in a Borders store, worked their way up to shift manager, or store manager (I forget), but then came to work at SDC and we became friends and I know she's hurting over the people she knows from her years there losing their jobs... Do you realize that with the exception of a handful of independents (compared to years ago, and they're going the way of the wind, too, these days), B&N is all that's left?
We spend hours in B&N a week NOW. Guess it will be a bit more crowded soon...
P.S. I gave mom the polish as soon as I got home! And the TSA officer thought my toes looked GREAT when she body scanned me in the airport...
Timing is everything and I managed to time a last minute trip to STL around a surprise party for my best friend from college. I flew into STL in the morning, businessed as I had to, then checked into my hotel. It was 2 blocks away from historic downtown St. Charles, so I spent Friday night eating at The Mother-in-Law House Restaurant, and wandering along the MO River and into some stores that were still open. [Surprising to me was the fact that so many of the boutique-y stores closed before 8pm on a Friday night, while it was still light out and while tourists galore were still tourist-ing around town...
On Saturday, I went downtown again (a nice walk in some very hot and humid weather, although it didn't hold a candle to my current 101 degrees and 75-degree dewpoint) and decided at the last minute to go get my toes done for the party. I went into the Chamber of Commerce/Tourism Office and the closest pedicure to my hotel was $56. Yea, right. So I hopped in my 2011 red Impala and drove to the big intersection near the hotel (it was a bit too scary to walk!) and went into Walgreen's. I looked for a nice lady to accost and ask directions from and of course, the very nice lady I chose wasn't a local! But she pointed me to Zumbehl Road, two exits west of where I was, off Interstate 70, and said there were lots of malls there and she was sure I'd find something...
So I went. I found boats, tons of boats parked in the parking lot outside a sporting goods store! They looked so odd in the parking lot; there were more boats than cars! I found a spa/salon who charged $46, but that included a $5 bottle of polish (so I wound up with a stocking stuffer for Mom!). They could take me within 45 minutes and of course I wanted to go back and shower and get ready for the party, so I caved.
To kill 45 minutes I went to the St. Louis Bread Factory, aka Panera Bread in the rest of the world. Apparently the "St. Louis Bread Factory" store name didn't cut it outside of St. Louis... Had a delicious strawberry and poppyseed salad and a large iced tea. Then I went and got probably the worst pedicure of my life for one of the highest costs I've ever paid, but they were cut and clean and polished, even if not as well as I get done here in NJ! I also popped into this knitting store in honor of my middle sister and my mom - they're going to be opening a website and an online store soon...
I got ready, went to C's house, and he was being treated to a day'o'bowling by his 3 sons, since the bowling alley was way more air conditioned than the golf course (their original plan was a day'o'golf!). He came in and was suitably surprised, especially when he saw his ex-roommate T and T's wife, who had come from Kansas City. He commented about the distance, that he couldn't believe they came! Then C's wife said something about them not winning the longest distance travelled award, and she pointed at me.
C was FLOORED! He couldn't believe I had come to MO for his party! He ate dinner with T and J and me, and the three of us stayed the latest, after the rest of the party left. I was the last to leave, at a little after 11pm; his youngest son was falling asleep in the living room! We could have talked all night, but didn't. I wanted to get a shot of the family before I left, so I asked them to pose for me. I couldn't get them to look at me; well, DANNA couldn't get them all organized and in place so I just took a shot. The flash got their attention and they IMMEDIATELY turned to the camera and smiled!
They invited me over for breakfast the next morning but I had to get to the airport so I couldn't. It was so nice to see him - and apparently he, too, feels 6 years is too long between visits. I only wish J had come with me...
Then on Monday, J and I left for AC. He had to be there for a credit union seminar, and spouses always tag along. I lost a little, then broke even, but I prefer to come out ahead. It just didn't work this time; the slots were against me! I sat on the balcony outside their meeting room for a few hours and got a nice sun
We hung around Clifton for a day or so, then went to see Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows, Part 2 in Real-D! It was awesome! My favorite one ever! (We just went to see it a 2nd time this past Tuesday, for free, courtesy of Optimum Triple Play's benefits card.)
This weekend we went to the lake; there's central air there, so staying home where only my bedroom has a small air conditioner is not really an option. I would have to shop in the mall, or sit in B&N for hours...
Speaking of B&N, which leads me to think of Borders... How sad. 10K+ employees are losing their jobs. 10K! In one shot. Not 10 here, 20 there, a few hundred in our building when my company closed down... 10K! I've never been a Borders fan; I didn't like the way their stores were arranged. I feel as though in recent years they looked more at book "stuff" than at "books." At least that was my feeling in-store... I know someone who got their start in a Borders store, worked their way up to shift manager, or store manager (I forget), but then came to work at SDC and we became friends and I know she's hurting over the people she knows from her years there losing their jobs... Do you realize that with the exception of a handful of independents (compared to years ago, and they're going the way of the wind, too, these days), B&N is all that's left?
We spend hours in B&N a week NOW. Guess it will be a bit more crowded soon...
P.S. I gave mom the polish as soon as I got home! And the TSA officer thought my toes looked GREAT when she body scanned me in the airport...
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
OH, OH, OH - I was going to ask J to design me a table that fits what I need it for and I saw this one!!!
This would be an AWESOME way to use some of those books I was going to give away 'cause I had no room for them - what do you think??? (Yes, I'd have to do something about how it seems to sag a bit in the middle, but I like the idea of the legs... Saw something similar recently using books for the base of a nightstand lamp...)
One of the comments on the blog was from someone who couldn't stand the thought of the books being damaged. Okay, trust me, I GET that! But I have such a hard time giving up any one of my books to the great big void that is the world that this would be a way for me to keep it, and use it, even if I couldn't ever read that particular one anymore... and of course, there are plenty of old editions and $1 books you could save from the trash heap...
http://blog.hgtv.com/design/2011/07/17/daily-delight-stacked-book-desk-and-a-design-mystery/
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This would be an AWESOME way to use some of those books I was going to give away 'cause I had no room for them - what do you think??? (Yes, I'd have to do something about how it seems to sag a bit in the middle, but I like the idea of the legs... Saw something similar recently using books for the base of a nightstand lamp...)
One of the comments on the blog was from someone who couldn't stand the thought of the books being damaged. Okay, trust me, I GET that! But I have such a hard time giving up any one of my books to the great big void that is the world that this would be a way for me to keep it, and use it, even if I couldn't ever read that particular one anymore... and of course, there are plenty of old editions and $1 books you could save from the trash heap...
http://blog.hgtv.com/design/2011/07/17/daily-delight-stacked-book-desk-and-a-design-mystery/
Monday, July 18, 2011
Why Librarians 'Need to Be More Like Lady Gaga' - NEVER thought that would be a title of one of my posts!!!
Why Librarians 'Need to Be More Like Lady Gaga'
"This is one of the most exciting times to be a teacher-librarian in our country and is also the scariest. A revolution is at hand, and we need to be nimble, daring, digital and shift both our practice and the way the world thinks of school librarians and libraries. Some revolutions compel you to throw everything out. This revolution is easy... keep what you love but just make a shift....
"Shift perception! We need to be more like Lady GaGa than Lady Bird Johnson. We need to establish a clear, pervasive, vibrant, and involved presence in their school, community, and on the web. The more visible librarians are the less likely that they’ll be taken away. Those teacher librarians who are hiding their brilliant programs under a bushel, that's when they're most likely to get cut. We need to stay positive, be proactive, and always be professional!"
--Gwyneth Anne Jones, a teacher-librarian in Laurel, Md., who writes the Daring Librarian blog. Jones's piece was featured in yesterday's Washington Post.
From Shelf Awareness, Friday, July 15, 2011, Volume 2, Issue 1509
"This is one of the most exciting times to be a teacher-librarian in our country and is also the scariest. A revolution is at hand, and we need to be nimble, daring, digital and shift both our practice and the way the world thinks of school librarians and libraries. Some revolutions compel you to throw everything out. This revolution is easy... keep what you love but just make a shift....
"Shift perception! We need to be more like Lady GaGa than Lady Bird Johnson. We need to establish a clear, pervasive, vibrant, and involved presence in their school, community, and on the web. The more visible librarians are the less likely that they’ll be taken away. Those teacher librarians who are hiding their brilliant programs under a bushel, that's when they're most likely to get cut. We need to stay positive, be proactive, and always be professional!"
--Gwyneth Anne Jones, a teacher-librarian in Laurel, Md., who writes the Daring Librarian blog. Jones's piece was featured in yesterday's Washington Post.
From Shelf Awareness, Friday, July 15, 2011, Volume 2, Issue 1509
Friday, July 08, 2011
Books as Part of Your Every Day
I live with books. Books are part of my home. They're in my kitchen, in my living room, in my library, in my bedroom and in my bathroom. They're in my dining room, in my car, in my pocketbook, and in my laptop bag.
I'm worried because there is no library at the lake - how will I be able to bring all my books with me? Where will I put them? Will I donate the ones that don't make the cut? Will I sell them or auction them off?
There are so many ways to include books in your every day life. Here's one way I never thought of...
http://blog.hgtv.com/design/2011/07/08/daily-delight-penguin-cover-deckchairs/
I'm worried because there is no library at the lake - how will I be able to bring all my books with me? Where will I put them? Will I donate the ones that don't make the cut? Will I sell them or auction them off?
There are so many ways to include books in your every day life. Here's one way I never thought of...
http://blog.hgtv.com/design/2011/07/08/daily-delight-penguin-cover-deckchairs/
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