Booking Through Thursday

Booking Through Thursday

* Do you read e-Books?
* If so, how? On your computer, or a PDA?
* Or are you a paper purist? Why?


I don't read e-Books, although I did participate for a while in the Project Gutenberg proofreading project.
I am intrigued by the Sony bookreader, but only because it looks like the notepads they used on Star Trek. I think for now I'm a paper purist - can't beat it for portability, no batteries, no software. I love the smell and feel of books, and to see them all lined up on my shelf or piled by my bed.

When do you give up?

When you are starting a new book, how long do you give it if it doesn't capture your interest right away? I think I give it about 50 pages, if I'm intending it to be a 'fun' book, and it turns out not to be so fun, then I though in the towel. If it is supposed to be "educational" or serious, then I might struggle through more of it to see if it picks up, or because it's "good for me." I used to feel guilty if I didn't finish a book once I started it, especially if I purchased it rather than borrowed it from the library. I no longer feel guilty - there are too many books to waste time on one I don't enjoy. Reading for fun should be fun, not work.

The Secrets of Mariko - Elizabeth Bumiller

The author spent a year interviewing a family in Japan and this is her account. I thought the chance to peek into the life of a family in a whole different culture was fascinating. I would be curious to see if her findings of the differences and similarities hold up today, as this book is about 15 years old now. Her style was conversational and easy to read. She was frank about the limitations of her interviewing, but she was able to get her subjects to be open with her. I enjoyed this a lot, and will be looking for more of her work.

Range of Motion - Elizabeth Berg

I zipped through this in about a day. I enjoyed her stream-of-consciousness style. I thought her portrayal of "inner life" was realistic - all of the random thoughts that go through our minds. The main character's husband is in a coma due to a freak accident, and all of the book takes place while he is in the hospital. Having been through the experience of having a family member in the hospital, I could relate to her experiences with the nursing staff, etc. This is the first book of hers I have read, and I plan to read more as soon as I get my hands on them.

Booking Through Thursday

From: Booking Through Thursday:

Here’s an idea from Julie:

I had an idea for a BTT question when I was taking a peek at one of my bookcases yesterday and spotted my old copy of the Aeneid in Latin sitting there. Maybe this question has already been done—but if not… Do you have any foreign language books and if so can you (still) read them?

I have a copy of "Nine Princes in Amber" by Roger Zelazny in Russian. I don't read Russian - never have - but a friend of mine who shared my obsession with this series went to Russia for a semester in college and brought this back as a gift. The mysterious characters make the book seem even more magical, and I smile whenever I catch sight of it on the shelf.

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I bought this book yesterday, and sped through it. I loved her informal style (very like a blog) as she chronicled her spiritual journey through divorce to peace. I laughed out loud as she recounted eating pizza in Naples, and felt her struggles as she learned to meditate and accept herself as she was. Her descriptions of the people she met made them all seem real. At times she tried too hard to be informal and clever, but overall this was a memorable book, and one I think I will read again.

The first post

Hi there! I created this blog to have somewhere to post my opinions on books (and probably television, movies and music, too, before I'm finished). I read almost anything, and I like to share when I find good books (and warn you off of bad ones), so a blog seemed to be a good fit. I also wanted somewhere to keep track of what I've read.

So to start:

What I'm Reading:
Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
Reading Lolita in Tehran - Azar Nafisi

I usually have several books going at once.