Month: April 2009

Categories
Other

Booking Through Thursday – How many books do you read at once?

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For something different, I’m borrowing a question from … here! One of the very first questions ever at Booking Through Thursday. Back from 2005 when Laura owned the blog but, because it was so new, it didn’t get as many responses as it does now … so, why not revisit?

Here’s the question:

Some people read one book at a time. Some people have a number of them on the go at any given time, perhaps a reading in bed book, a breakfast table book, a bathroom book, and so on, which leads me to…

  1. Are you currently reading more than one book?
  2. If so, how many books are you currently reading?
  3. Is this normal for you?
  4. Where do you keep your current reads?

I try to only read one book at a time, but will often read one non-fiction and one fiction book together, as I find it hard to read non-fiction for long periods of time. At the moment I am reading three books, and listening to one audio book – see my sidebar. This is unusual for me, but they are all related to Gone with the Wind, so I am trying to read the relevant sections together.

I often read two fiction books at the same time, and this is due to the condition/value of the books. Every day I read in the bath, and so do not take hardback, or valuable books in there with me, in case I accidentally dropped them! This means you will often find one cheap paperback, and one new hardback in my currently reading pile.

My current reads can be found wherever I am! One book is normally within arms length, the other will be by my bed, or by my computer.

Do you ever read more than one book at once?  Where do you store your current read?

Categories
Blog Improvement Project Other

My first week on Twitter

12065792511036325169gerald_g_chick_4_svg_medI finally signed up to Twitter last week, and have found it to be a very interesting exercise. I’ll admit that I didn’t really see the point of it initially. It had been described to me as being like the status updates on facebook, and although I enjoy reading my friend’s facebook updates, I didn’t see the point of reading updates from 100s of people around the world, even if they do happen to be famous.

What no one explained to me was what a good marketing tool it is. Since signing up I have found lots of great articles on the Internet, which I would otherwise have missed. This is because the great people I’m following on Twitter will send a message out whenever they find a post worth reading. I haven’t done this yet myself, as I’m a bit unsure of the etiquette. Is it OK to just tweet about any site I happen to find interesting? Or should I get their permission first?

I know that Twitter automatically converts urls which are over 30 characters to Tiny ones. Should I convert all the web-links I tweet into tiny ones, or only if they are too long?

I’ve heard about Twitter spam, but haven’t come across any yet. Has anyone had a spam problem there yet?

I have also learnt some new words. Did you know that a twoosh is a 140 character tweet? Or that a tweep is someone who follows you on twitter?  I have found this Twitter Dictionary really useful, as there are so many new words to discover.

I’ve enjoyed my first week, but am pleased that I am showing no signs of addiction to it. I just check it once or twice a day, and find it to be a great blogging tool, rather than the enjoyable waste of time I expected it to be.

My Twitter user name is farmlanebooks. If you’re a twitter user then you are welcome to follow me – I’ll try to add more useful tweets in the future. If you’re not yet signed up, then I recommend you give it a try, as it is not at all how I expected it to be.

Remember the Comment of the Week Competition! I’m looking forward to reading your comments!

Categories
Booker Prize

Offshore – Penelope Fitzgerald

Offshore won the Booker Prize in 1979.

From the back-cover:
On Battersea Reach, a mixed bag of the temporarily lost and the patently eccentric live on houseboats, rising and falling with the tide of the Thames.

I actually finished reading this last week, but haven’t written a review until now, as I was trying to think of constructive things to say about it. Despite having had a few days, and the help of the amazingly knowledgeable people over at the Booker yahoo group I am still no further towards my goal. The only positive thing I can say about this book is that it is very short!

This book has to be the most boring one I have ever read! The characters don’t annoy me as they are too dull, the plot is barely existent and the setting is dreary and lifeless. This has to be one of the only books that has failed to elicit any emotion in me other than pure boredom! I read all the words, but I didn’t care about a single one. It is not intellectually challenging, thought provoking or poetic. I can see no reason why anyone would like it, let alone why it won the Booker Prize!

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If you’ve read this book and can see any merit in it, then I’d love to know what it is!

Is this the worst Booker Prize winner? Or have I got worse ones to come?

What is the most boring book you’ve ever read? Can it possibly be as bad as this?!

Remember the Comment of the Week Competition! I’m looking forward to reading your comments!

Categories
Blog Improvement Project Other

Announcing: The Comment of the Week Competition!

2009bip-150x210This week the Blog Improvement Project task is to make your blog more comment friendly. After reading this inspiring post  (Thank you, for drawing it to my attention Kim!) 

 I’m launching:  

  

The Comment of the Week Competition!

The idea is that each week I will write a post highlighting the most thoughtful/inspiring/amusing comments I have received in the previous seven days.

To celebrate the first competition I will be awarding the winner:

 3 bookmooch points, or the choice of any book I have for sale on greenmetropolis.

I have about 200+ fiction books for sale on there, so there is some thing for everyone!

This competition is open to everyone in the world!

Comments can be added anywhere on my blog, and I will choose the best ones added between now and noon GMT on 13th April.

I look forward to reading all your interesting comments!

Good Luck!

Categories
Chunkster

Gone with the Wind – Volume One

Matthew from A Guys Moleskine Notebook is hosting a Gone with the Wind read-along. In theory we are supposed to have finished the book this week, but I am a bit behind. I’ve just got to the end of volume one (p505/1011 in my copy) so I thought this half way stage was a great point to reflect on what I’ve read so far.

I am really enjoying it! Scarlett O’Hara has just become my favourite character from a book. I don’t like her all the time, but her flawed character is endearing, and I’m loving her gradual transformation from a spoilt child, into a hard-working woman. Scarlett’s attitude to her son is shocking at times, but I guess that this was not uncommon in this period of history, as most children were brought up by a variety of people other than their mothers.

I’m finding the story very interesting. The plot is perfectly paced, and holds my attention throughout, despite it’s length. I can’t wait to discover what happens to Scarlett in the rest of the book!

My only criticism of the book is that it lacks detailed descriptions. This means that I am often unable to picture the places mentioned. I haven’t seen the film, and don’t know much about this period in history, so am probably in a different situation to most other readers. 

I found Tara Revisited amongst my stock, and so I decided to read it, to give myself a greater background knowledge of the time.

 

 

 

Tara Revisited gives a insight into what life was like for women during the war, but I found that it assumed a basic knowledge of the conflict, which I’m afraid I’m lacking. So, perhaps foolishly, I have also started reading Battle Cry of Freedom, which won the Pulitzer prize for non-fiction in 2003. This massive 950 page chunkster describes the complete history of the war, and so far I’ve found it very readable. You might not see many book reviews on this blog in the coming weeks, but you’ll be able to ask me anything about the civil war!

Categories
Other Weekly Geeks

The best books for three-year-old boys

This week the weekly geek site informed me that April 2nd was International Childrens Book Day. In celebration I thought I’d share Adam’s favourite books.

When I was compiling the top ten I realised that the books I enjoyed reading to him were very different to the books he liked best, so I thought I’d compare the two!

The books I enjoy reading to my three-year-old son

Gruffalo

The Gruffalo is my favourite picture book. It’s rhyming verse is easy to read, the gruffalo is very endearing, and it has the cleverest plot I’ve seen in a book for young children. Adam enjoys listening to it, and loves the disgusting sounding food the mouse suggests  –  owl ice cream anyone?

The only problem is that it is a little bit too long for him. I sometimes miss out a few pages so that he will sit through to the end. I think this will be perfect for him once he’s four or five.

Adult Rating

3 Year-Old Rating 

Mr McGee and the Blackberry Jam

Mr McGee is a lovely story about a man who decides he’d like to have some blackberry jam, and goes off to search for some blackberries. As with the Gruffalo it is really easy to read, as it all rhymes:

This morning he was feeling grumpy.

He’d made the porridge and it was lumpy.

He’d put two sugars in his tea,

then spilt the lot and burnt his knee.

The plot is simple, but Adam finds a lot of it very funny. He has read it so many times that he can recite it. I highly recommend this book for three-year olds.

Adult Rating

3 Year-Old  Rating

The Incredible Book Eating Boy

Adult Rating

3 Year-Old Rating

This picture book is a must for all book lovers. It’s about a little boy that decides to eat books. He discovers that by doing so he learns everything that is inside them. In the end he realises that it is better to read them though!

Adam is happy to read this, but never requests it. I think it is much more appreciated by the adult than the child, but if you get the chance you should have a quick read of this one, as I love it!

Whiff

You’ve probably never heard of Whiff, but I don’t know why, as he should be a classic! Whiff finds it hard to find friends, as he smells and is surrounded by flies. These flies tickle everyone leading to all sorts of trouble, including Adam’s favourite –  jelly and custard getting stuck to the ceiling! It flows nicely, is a great story, and makes toddlers laugh. If you’re after something new, then this book is a good choice.

Adult Rating

3 Year-Old Rating

Very Lazy Ladybird

The Very Lazy Ladybird is another classic. It teaches young children about lots of different animals, and they love the sneezing pop-up at the end. Adam still enjoys reading it, although it is probably best for children under three.

Adult Rating

3 Year-Old  Rating 

My son’s favourite books

Steam Trains

Adult Rating stars1

3 Year-Old Rating 

 

 

This non-fiction book on steam trains is my son’s favourite book by a long way. Published in 1978, it is packed with photos of trains from around the world. He spends hours comparing relative chimney sizes, the colour of traction rods and how many carriages each train is pulling. It bores me to tears, and it doesn’t matter how many times I hide it at the bottom of the pile – he always manages to find it!

Mighty Tugboats

Adult Rating 

3 Year-Old Rating –

This large, bright board book is another favourite. Six plastic tug boats are visible through holes in the pages, and each one has it’s own page, explaining the job it is going to perform that day.  Each tug boat has a name and my son want to know it, and why it is helping the tourists/going to the docks/helping the sail boat etc. I think this book is OK, but I don’t really understand his fascination with it. I have now read it so many times that I can recite it without the book!

Harry and the Dinosaurs Romp in the Swamp

Adult Rating 

3 Year-Old Rating 

Adam loves all the Harry and the dinosaur books, but this is his favourite. They build a swamp in the garden using plants and pretend the hose is a snake. He thinks it is really funny, especially when they capture the snake in a basket. I quite enjoy it too. It is a nice gentle book, which is easy to read, and has the added benefit of explaining that it is not scary to go and play with new friends.

Bedtime Bear

The Bedtime Bear is a very confusing book to read. There is no real plot; instead each page is crammed with little pictures, flaps to lift up and a few words to describe what is happening. Adam finds this book funnier than any other. He is literally crying with laughter when he reveals the skunk in the bunk or the wombat in a bath hat. I find it quite annoying to read, but it is worth it for the pleasure it gives him.

Adult Rating 

3 Year-Old Rating 

One Day in the Jungle

This book has a very simple concept – basically each page consisits of animals sneezing. As the book progresses the animals and the sneezes get bigger. Children find it hilarious, but pretending to sneeze can only be fun for so long. I don’t like reading it more than two or three times a day, which unfortuanetly isn’t enough for my boys. Only buy this if you enjoy sneezing!!!

Adult Rating 

3 Year-Old Rating 

Writing this list has just emphasized the differences between books that children love, and books that adults like to read to their children. I think it is important to read a wide range of books, but just remember to ensure that the children are getting to read books they really enjoy too!

Do you agree with my ratings? Does your three-year-old agree? If you have a three-year-old girl I’d love to know her opinion of the books – do they like the same ones as the boys?

 

Edited to add: See my new post on the Best Books for Four-year-old Boys.

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