More Than One Book at a Time

Do you read more than one book at a time? Apparently this is a shocking concept to some people.

I’m always reading more than one book at a time. Plus magazines. I don’t give it much thought or think this is unusual but when it comes up in conversation a lot of people are surprised. Most people say they could never read more than one book at a time and that they would never be able to keep the stories straight.

I like to have options depending on my mood or the time of the day.

Reading nonfiction is very different for me than reading fiction. It’s easier pick up a nonfiction book and put it down because I don’t get as caught up in it like I do fiction. I can read a paragraph or a page or two, put the book down and do something else while I absorb what I just read. I read nonfiction out of curiosity and the desire to learn.

With fiction my goal is to escape. I tend to lose track of time and motivation to get things done so I try not to read it when I need to pay attention to what is going on around me or if I only have short amount of time to read. I get lost in the story and sometimes find it jolting when I have to put the book down and deal with real life.

Variety is important depending on my mood. If a day is going badly it’s wonderful to be able to lose myself in a made up world for a little while. It’s a mini vacation. And that comes in very handy when waiting for something like a doctor’s appointment. It makes the wait easier and keeps me from getting as nervous.

I don’t like to waste time so I always have something handy to read; like during commercials while watching TV. There are so many commercials now that I can get a lot of reading done! I don’t watch a lot of TV but the few shows I do watch are loaded with commercials. I used to be able to watch shows on demand and fast forward through the commercials but can’t seem to do that much anymore. Keeping a book ready passes that time in a good way.

Often I’m reading something for a book group. I don’t want to stop reading any other books so I just add another one. This reading involves taking notes for discussion or making up trivia questions for fun at the group.

I like to have something lighter to read before going to sleep at night. I avoid anything really scary or full of graphic violence before drifting off. Those are not the kinds of thoughts I want to have dreams about!

Usually I have at least three books going at a time. Often more.

I know I’m a bit book crazy but wonder if other people do this as much as I do. I’m more surprised when people tell me they never have time to read. I find that amazing!

How about you? Do you read more than one book at a time?

Book Vlog

I’m going to start by saying that this is a shameless plugging of my daughter’s video blog, or vlog. She reviews books and since I know a lot of you love books I thought you might be interested in taking a look.

I also need to explain that I am not one of those moms who automatically thinks everything my kids do is wonderful. In fact, I am very skeptical until proven otherwise. (Sorry kids!) So when Chelsea told me that she was doing book review videos online I watched the first one not expecting much. Much to my delight, it was good! She’s really good!

So if you are looking for something good to read, head over to see what books she talks about. I know my to-read list has grown since I started watching. Sigh. So many books and so little time! It’s a great problem to have.

Chelsea Palmer Book Reviews, Recommendations & Hauls

I hope you enjoy!

Unclaimed by Erin McCole Cupp

If you like Jane Eyre and science fiction/dystopian stories you need to read Unclaimed!

Who is Erin McCole Cupp? Well she’s one of my favorite visitors to the library I work in and a few years ago I learned that she’s a writer. After we talked writing and books for a while I couldn’t wait to read her books. First I read Don’t You Forget About Me which is a mystery and it was good! After reading that she told me that she had written a book called Jane_E, Friendless Orphan: A Memoir. When she told me it was a science fiction take on Jane Eyre I was in! I read that and really liked it.

Now Erin is re-releasing Jane_E’s story as a three part e book series. She has updated and revised it and part one is now available. Erin has sprinkled Unclaimed with so many wonderful details like perks rings, woven codes, interesting cultural mannerisms and people being re-keyed to fix any flaws they may have. The world of Jane E goes from sleek futuristic technology to gritty real world issues. The book is written in the first person so the reader is immediately pulled into Jane’s world. Jane is a strong and feisty ten-year-old at the beginning of the book and I found myself rooting for her right from the start.

So here is a summary of  part one which is called Unclaimed (The Memoirs of Jane E, Friendless Orphan Book 1).

Born not in a past of corsets and bonnets but into a future of cloning and bioterror, could Jane Eyre survive? This Jane is an “unclaimed embryo,” the living mistake of a reproductive rights center–or so her foster family tells her. At age ten she is sold into slavery as a data mule, and she must fight for freedom and identity in a world mired between bioscientific progress and the religions that fear it. What will happen to a girl without even a name of her own?

This is a fun book to read which I want to share with you and help Erin spread the word about its release.

10 Interesting Facts about Libraries and Librarians

I’m feeling a bit guilty about not blogging as regularly as I should be. I am so caught up in work, new house, new yard, work, making time for family and friends, work… well, you get the picture. I look forward to getting back to a writing routine but until that happens I will sneak in a bit here and there.

In the meantime I am enjoying other blogs so I’ll share the posts that I find inspiring, funny educational, and interesting. I hope you enjoy them too and will discover some great writers.

I’ll start with this one since I have a weakness for libraries.

Interesting Literature

Great facts about famous libraries and librarians around the world

We thought it was about time we saluted that noble institution, the library, with some of our favourite interesting bits of trivia about libraries and librarians.

Jacob Grimm, Philip Larkin, Casanova, David Hume, Jorge Luis Borges, and Lewis Carroll all worked as librarians.

Another word for a librarian is ‘bibliothecar’.

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The Librarian Who Writes

Guess what? I got to write a guest post for published author Erin McCole Cupp. She is finishing the sequel to her book Don’t You Forget About Me (which is a really good book!) and needed some guest posts for her blog so she could work. I’ve never done this before but figured I would give it a try. So please visit her blog to read what I had to say about how being a librarian informs my writing:  http://erinmccolecupp.com/?p=1563.

And while you are there, please check out Erin’s blog and her books. I’ve read her books and she is a terrific writer.

And Erin, if you read this, hurry up and finish that sequel! I can’t wait to read it!

 

Picture Book Meditation

I work in a library and patrons ask for recommendations all of the time. I try to read the new picture books as they come in. That made me think about how much I loved picture books as a child. Which led me to wonder why I didn’t seem to enjoy them as much as an adult.

The most obvious answer about why I loved them as a child is the memory of my mother reading to my sister and me. We belonged to a Dr. Seuss book club and I vividly remember whenever a new book arrived in the mail we stopped everything to sit on the couch while Mom read us the story. As she read, I devoured the illustrations. It was wonderful. When the story was over, I sat with that book practically memorizing every illustration. Then the next time the story was read to me I followed along more fully engaged.

Today, when I read a picture book I’m at work and busy. So I read it as quickly as I can and move on. It was making me a little sad that I didn’t seem to enjoy them as much and I wondered if it was one of those childhood things that we lose as adults. It eventually occurred to me that I wasn’t reading them the way they are meant to be read!

I checked out a few of the books that appealed to me and brought them home. Picking the books depended on the illustrations, the title and what the story seemed to be about. I’m a sucker for watercolor drawings but have since learned that when done right the style of the illustration should compliment the written words.  And now I’m more open to many different styles of illustration. There is greatness when the pictures enhance and deepen the story. It’s art.

Recently I sat on the couch and tried to put myself in the same frame of mind I had as a child. Reading silently didn’t work because I read too fast. I discovered that the words needed to be read out loud so I could savor each word and each page of illustrations. Slowing down to enjoy a book is something most adults forget how to do but doing this adds a depth and dimension to the story you don’t get with a quick read. The great thing about a picture book is that it’s short so it doesn’t involve a big time commitment.

Then a wonderful thing happened. I lost myself in the story. Despite the fact that picture books are only 32 pages on average, the combination of the right words with the right illustration becomes magical.

As adults we all need to slow down and be in the moment. Savoring picture books can be a form of meditation. Of losing yourself in the story. Who could have guessed that picture books are a wonderful way of doing that and we can still enjoy them as adults.

I can’t wait for the new books to arrive!

Here are just 3 of my favorite summertime picture books today:

The Raft by Jim La Marche

Water is Water by Miranda Paul 

Raindrops Roll by April Pulley Sayer

 

A Gift From Harry Potter

The Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling have been a part of my life from the beginning. I started reading them with my daughter when she was about the same age as Harry.

I remember reading that first book and being pulled in from the first page. The writing was fantastic and the world of Harry Potter was magical.

I started working at a book store and got to be a part of the Midnight Release Parties for the last three books. I became Professor Trivia and was in charge of the trivia games. I also started book discussion groups while there where we would meet and talk about all of the books in anticipation of the next one coming out.

These books are loved by people of all ages. There were kids from about the age of five all the way up to grandparents in these groups. The excitement about the new books, the bonds that people had made with the characters, the amazing memorizing of details and the fun of guessing or hoping what would happen next was so much fun. By the last book, everyone was curious to see how it would all end but felt sadness in it being over. I think everyone knew that we were a part of a historical event and nobody was taking it for granted.

Now I work in a tiny library and the love of the Harry Potter books and movies is going strong. Last year I decided to split the series in two and hold two discussion/trivia groups. I had a great turnout and the excitement is still there. It is wonderful to see that people are still discovering these books. I’m a little jealous of them getting to experience it all for the first time.

Did I mention the creative snacks we enjoy?

What I learned is that people still want to talk about the books in detail and those two groups weren’t nearly enough time. So after a few requests, I am now doing one book a month.

We just met to discuss Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second in the series. Most of the same people were there but there were some new faces too.

What was surprising was how creative these kids are! Not only did they know their stuff about Harry and the gang, they brought their own surprises. One young man showed us his magic card trick which I thought was amazing! Another played the theme music on his tablet. A girl introduced me to Potter Puppet Pals by playing one of these videos on her smart phone for the group. I realized that not only were the kids having fun but I was too!

My favorite thing that happened was that two of the kids admitted that they aren’t big readers but are having so much fun and enjoying these books so much that they are going to continue reading them and attending these groups. I don’t think I can fully express how excited I was to hear this!

These groups started out to be fun but have turned into so much more. Seeing young people getting excited about reading is just the best. It makes me feel like I am doing the right thing and that is a feeling we all could use more of. If you follow this blog you know that reading and writing are my passions in life. It is so fulfilling to be able to share with others and see them get it too.

So how about you? Do you have a passion for something and share it with others?