Bestest Friend and I are doing a blog project. Each day we will write a post on a pre-determined theme chosen by a random noun generator. The theme for the fourth day of the month is "Information."
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Last month, I answered some questions about reading that nobody asked me. I shall continue doing so!
1) Have you ever had a crush on a book character?
Owen from Just Listen by Sarah Dessen. Usually I think that fictional characters aren't as good as my own husband, but if Owen were real...
2) Have you ever met a (famous or semi-famous) author face to face? Where?
Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See and Cloud Cuckoo Land, was a grad student at my alma mater when I was an undergrad. One of my best friends was a creative writing major (book club participants, you may recognize her as The Angry Taoist) and so I would go with her to poetry and short story readings sometimes. Tony Doerr did at least one of the readings that I was at. He was a good dude and The Angry Taoist took a class with him, so she has more stories than I do.
3) What's a book that makes you feel seen?
My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout. As a matter of fact, it makes me feel so seen that I never want to read that book again or even really think about it too much.
4) Do you prefer paperbacks of ebooks? Why?
Ebooks, no question. I would read entirely on my Kindle if my library's ebook collection was more robust and I had more ebook holds. I love how easy it is to carry and hold my Kindle as compared to a physical book, the backlight for reading at night, the ability to change font like crazy, taking notes that I can just cut and paste from my notes page, and that it's so easy to download a book (in seconds!). It's great that I don't have to find a physical location to store my ebooks.
There are occasions when I feel like a physical book is handy, like in a bathtub or at the beach, when I wouldn't risk my precious Kindle's electronics (I am clumsy), but those are very rare exceptions.
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| Page from the picture book Soñadores by Yuyi Morales, translated by Teresa Miller. |
5) Are you generally good at guessing twists or being able to see what's coming? Have any stories genuinely shocked you?
I'm really terrible at recognizing foreshadowing. I always look back and wonder if I was even paying attention! I was SHOCKED by the ending of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and still think about how insane I felt when I was reading it. It was amazing.
6) What's the last book you bought?
As I consult my spreadsheet, I have purchased two books this year for myself (I have purchased about a dozen as gifts). One was an ebook by Cherise Sinclair, one of my favorite romance authors (this book was not awesome, though). The other was my very own brand spanking new physical copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
7) When did you last visit a library?
I was at the library on August 28 to check out four picture books in Spanish and Black Sun Rising, a book I've had on hold for months and months. I also returned a few books I'd finished reading.
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When did you last visit a library?
1 - No crushes
ReplyDelete2 - When I was a girl, thanks to a lady at church, I met Tasha Tudor at a tea party.
3 - I felt seen when I read Cheerful Money, a memoir about growing up WASP, written by Tad Friend.
4 - No ebooks, they don’t seem real to me plus I don’t need more time in front a screen.
5 - I rarely see what’s coming, not good at guessing plots.
6 - Oddly enough the last book I bought was My Name is Lucy Barton.
7 - I don’t know when I was last in a library— and ain’t that pip!
A dedicated ereader is not a screen! I will die on this hill. It uses e-ink, so it's not hard on your eyes like a laptop or tablet. There's no internet access (beyond a link to Goodreads). It's for reading and reading only. Calling a Kindle Paperwhite a screen is like calling a physical book a screen. It's just a much more convenient form of a book.
DeleteI was at the library last week! I love our library; it's small but mighty.
ReplyDeleteI loved All The Light We Cannot See. Definitely deserved the Pulitzer and I'm excited for the Netflix miniseries (though I tend not to like TV adaptations, so I'm not sure why I'm excited because it will likely disappoint).
I definitely prefer paper books. But I will admit that the e-reader is AMAZING for travel. Light and you can "carry" so many books at once.
I loved My Name is Lucy Barton, but it was intense. I read two more by Elizabeth Strout and couldn't handle it. I'm done. She's a talented writer, but it's so raw and also I felt like each book kinda felt the same. Intense trauma, complicated interwoven plots (SO many characters and I couldn't keep everything straight).
I so rarely buy books - my last purchase was ATGIB <3
Hmm. I book that made my feel seen? I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott; also Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig.
I'm so-so at guessing plots. Sometimes I nail it and am so proud of myself, and other times I'm completely gobsmacked by the ending of something. I like to be surprised, though. My husband is AMAZING at guessing plot twists in movies. It kinda irks me how good he is...
Sorry. I've answered these in random order. Gah.
I'm surprised by all these preferences for paper books. I literally don't understand it. They're heavy and you have to physically turn pages and you have to consult another book to look up words! Oh, well. I bet you all feel the same way about my adoration of my Kindle.
DeleteMy husband is a genius at guessing who the murderer is in murder mysteries. In Knives Out, he whispered to me a major plot point in the first few scenes and he was right. I'm jealous of his ability!
I was at the library about a week and a half ago, to pick up several holds that came in. We used to go ALL the time, but now that the boys are older, sadly, those days of just browsing and leaving with HUGE stacks of books is mostly over. :( Lately they have not been reading nearly as much and I feel borderline panicky about it. They used to devour many books per week, but now, it seems one book takes.... much longer for them to complete. Sigh. I have heard from some other moms of teens that this does tend to happen, but that many times since that reading foundation is in there somewhere, it tends to circle back around as they get older/ college aged.... I hope so. I think it's a little harder for them to find books that are as gripping or exciting as when they were younger and reading those youth series that are very quick paced and action packed. Books for "older people" tend to have ebbs and flows, of course, since most adults can appreciate the complexities! But I feel like they read the most when they are totally locked into a page turner. (I guess, don't we all like that? :) )
ReplyDeleteYes, I feel like even my reading ebbed a bit in high school and college. I remember once when I was working my first full-time job and having a whole weekend off with no plans and just getting really excited about having two whole days to read. It just hadn't been a possibility for so long! I bet they'll come around because, like you said, you've laid the reading foundation.
DeleteWell, nobody asked but we're all fascinated by the answers so keep 'em coming.
ReplyDeleteI'm Team Kindle all the way but we're complete opposites with our kindles on the beach! I would never take a physical book near water, but I have a long history of popping my kindle into a ziplock bag and living large.
I hardly ever see the twists or figure out Whodunnit. At best I'll think "huh that's weird" or "huh that doesn't add up" but I usually don't get the right answer. My mom and oldest stepson can pick up a detective story and tell who the killer is as soon the character is introduced.
The last book that I bought was The Chateau. It ended up being a slow read and I would have DNFd except that I had the sunk cost of the book so I stuck with it. Oh well.
Can I count going to the pickup window as my last library visit? If so, then my last visit was a few weeks ago and it's special because it was when my stepson was learning how to drive stick so I had him drive me there. If no, then my last Actual Go Inside the library visit was this spring when I went to my childhood town and went to my childhood libraries. Either way you look at it, both of my last visits were very special.
Ha. I'd much rather destroy a physical book at the beach than chance my Kindle.
DeleteOh, your stepson drove you to the library. That's such a sweet story. Also, your library has a pickup window? That sounds amazing.
I'm fascinated by your answer to "What's a book that makes you feel seen?" because I would have assumed that feeling seen would be a good thing, but you're right, thinking more about it, I can see how it wouldn't necessarily be!
ReplyDeleteThe last book I bought was an ebook, The Missing of Clairdelune (The Mirror Visitor Book 2), by Christelle Dabos, which I own a paper copy of but this was on sale (these days I'm buying more ebooks, for travel and for trapped-by-a-cat-on-my-lap reading). The last physical book I bought was A Theory of Haunting by Sarah Monette, which features her Kyle Murchison Booth character, whose stories are just about as creepy as I can stand, but so well done that I have to read them anyway.
I was at the library about two weeks ago. I don't tend to go in and browse, since our branch is so small, but I pick up books I've requested from the system all the time. In fact, I also borrow ebooks, so if you count those, I was using the library system yesterday!
Well, I tend to browse the Libby Available Now feature nearly daily, so in that way, I definitely use the library services every day! I love the library so much.
DeleteThe library is still a sore spot for me as I still don't have a card here, but hopefully I will be able to rectify that very soon as I am going to get my new license next week. What a hassle. However, my Kobo is still linked to the CPL so that has been a lifesaver. I vastly prefer paper books but again, this Kobo has been my saviour for this move and also for travel.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I will read an essay collection and feel very seen - the one that is coming to mind is These Precious Days. However I'm rereading Nora Ephron's I Feel Bad About My Neck (I know you don't like it but bear with me) and her chapter on "Maintenance" makes me feel very seen.
Yay for the new library card soon!
DeleteApparently, in order to get some sort of license (maybe his provision driving license), my nephew needed a piece of mail addressed to him, along with his birth certificate, etc. He is a teenager and rarely gets mail, so they used the last postcard I sent to him! LOL. I laughed so hard at that, but really felt like I was providing an important service.
I can see how Ephron would make people feel seen. That was another book where maybe I felt TOO seen and I was uncomfortable with it!
Sadly, I've not been to the library in years! I've often thought about converting to an E Reader, but I still love the feel of a book in my hand. That being said, you mentioning back lighting perked up my tired eyeballs.
ReplyDeleteIf you give an e-reader a chance, you'll never go back. I don't understand what's great about the feel of a book - it's clunky and hard to read in bed!
DeleteI knew you did some of your reading on your kindle but I didn't realize you had such strong feelings. I don't even own an e-reader. which I know is hopelessly old fashioned. I just love holding the actual book and turning pages!
ReplyDeleteI feel like I get crushes on book characters all the time. If a book is good I get very emotionally involved. And, I'm usually very good at guessing twists- TOO good, because sometimes I feel like I ruin the book for myself. Sometimes I'll be reading and I keep telling myself "don't think about it- don't try to figure it out- stop!" But I LOVE it when an ending is really shocking- it doesn't happen often for me.
I was probably at the library a couple weeks ago, and I'm due for another trip. I think the last book I bought was Vita Nostra- remember that weird one???
You don't have an e-reader?! How did I not know this?! I would not be able to survive without one! I do have very strong feelings about this.
DeleteVita Nostra! Since we've read it, I feel like it's all over r/fantasy. They LOVE that book on that subreddit.
Now I have to read the Dessen... Owen is giving me Park vibes (from Rowell's Eleanor and Park).
ReplyDeleteAnd that's so cool about Anthony 'Tony' Doerr! Love his books, so extra glad to know he's good people.
Owen is sort of Parkish! I highly recommend Just Listen. I think about the carwash scene from that book more than I should admit.
DeleteI like doing a mix of e-books and print books. I do love the convenience of my e-reader and read mostly romance novels on it these days, but I'm the opposite of you in that I LOVE the hefty weight of a book in my hands. I mean, if it's going to be a tome, I'll do it on e-reader since I don't want to lug around something that's super heavy but a paperback book or a 300-some page hardcover? It's not that heavy that I feel like I'm lifting weights while reading, ha. There's something soothing about turning the pages myself and feeling the paper.
ReplyDeleteI've met Lisa Unger and Taylor Jenkins Reid... I think those are the only authors I've met!
I'm fascinated that not everyone is swayed by my defense of ebooks. LOL. I mean, I do read a lot of physical books, but it's just not what I'd do in a perfect world. I'm glad there are paper books out there for people who enjoy them!
DeleteI stopped at the library a week ago Thursday to pick up some holds but I was in and out in a matter of minutes. We haven't been to the library on a Saturday for 2 weeks. The last 2 weekends were atypical kind of weekends since I brought Paul to the lake 2 Saturdays ago and then went up to get him last Friday. I am ready to get back to our routines this weekend!
ReplyDeleteI went to an author event for Adriana Triggiani (might be butchering the spelling of her name) with a friend a couple of days before that friend's wedding! I haven't read one of her books in quite sometime, but at the time my friend and I both read a lot of her books so it was fun to hear her talk and meet her at the signing.
I much prefer ebooks. I do not like the heft of books. I find that they are uncomfortable to hold at times, especially the chunkier books. I have memories of reading some physical books during my pregnancy with Will and how painful it was to hold books since I often had flares in my hands. I will only read physical books to my kids, though. I am not interested in childrens ebooks! I may change my mind when we read more chapter books, though.
I think we are exactly the same page re: ebooks. I love them! But you're right that if you want to see the colorful pictures or maps or whatever, the physical book is better!
DeleteWho are these odd people who all prefer regular books? The ONLY time I prefer them is for a very specific group - books of poetry or essays and my old childhood favorites (e.g., ATGIB). You already know that I am a complete slacker re: visiting the library. Sigh. I also tried to do some audiobook holds and despite having my email in the system it did not notify me so I lost them. Double sigh. I shall have to try again...
ReplyDeleteI know, right?! Regular books are HARD TO HOLD. I think that's my biggest beef. My Kindle is my favorite device!
DeleteHow did I miss this post? Specially when you are showing spanish picture books and I am looking for some to get for myself. Can you recommend any now that you obviously read those?
ReplyDeleteI love my kindle too and I prefer ebooks. But some books I need to hold in my hand and read.
I have never read a Strout book but I put that one on the list and see if I can get a copy.
I don't know what level your Spanish is, but the Bitmax & Co. books are right at my level (slightly more advanced than a five-year-old - lol). Otherwise, I just go to the Spanish area at my local library and take out books that look good and/or I'm familiar with. You can check out picture books you already know in English or some with English on one page and Spanish on the other.
DeleteThank you. I think five year old might be a bit far fetched maby 3,5 for me right now. I need to check the library but spanish is not as common here so we'll see if I can find something. Ihave seen lots of Turkish and Russian in the library.
DeleteHmmm...well, I couldn't read at 3.5, so maybe we're on the same level.
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