Do I Need a Reading Goal?

Disclaimer: 'Voracious Reader' did not challenge ANYONE but herself.

My friend 'Voracious Reader' has unintentionally thrown down the gauntlet. She plans to read 108 books during 2011, points out that that means 9 books a month, and writes she is ahead of the game even during this short month of February. By my calculations that means she has already read 18 books this year. I have read 6.

I am so far off track for a goal of that sort already that I can't even begin to compete. Being nicknamed 'Random Reader', I find it difficult to keep to any reading plan. A couple of years back I pledged to read the year's top 10 fiction books as chosen by Entertainment Weekly. I kept getting side-tracked and ended by skipping the last two.

Understand I realize it is not necessary to always have a goal but it sounds like such fun and gives weight and meaning to something that is so enjoyable. It gives you a reason to stop other activities and focus on reading. And, of course, now I have the delightful task of finding a suitable goal when two months of the year are already gone. Perhaps the goal will have a totally different concept that treats time differently. Time to ponder.

Never Buy a Self-Published Book at a Car/Craft Show

I have never written a book so I find it hard to criticize someone who has the determination and concentration to do so and then go on to publish it. On the other hand, I just read a slight paperback that I bought at a car/craft show that had a clever  idea for a series (there are several titles) but turned out to be the definition of bland, amateur, and trite. What bothered me most from the very beginning was the shifting of voice and tense. Since it was a short book, I soldiered through until the end. The plot was nothing special. The sentences were short and choppy. (Did I mention the author had been a teacher?) Maybe I SHOULD write a book.

Last Reminder by Stuart Pawson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This British author was recommended to me by the owner of Callan's Bookstore in Stratford, Ontario, Canada this past summer. I brought it along for something to read while we enjoyed a month in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The paperback's cover reads, "Perfect for a long winter afternoon with the rain beating down on the windows" (Independent on Sunday). Unfortunately or  perhaps fortunately, it was in the 70s and sunny although it is February and the surf pounding might substitute for rain. Didn't make a bit of difference. I loved the book. Mostly I love Detective Inspector Charlie Priest. His sense of the what is appropriate and his sense of humor are a delight. Here finally is a new series that makes me want to read all the entries.

The writing, plotting and characters are engaging. With jokes scattered throughout, it is just plain fun to follow Charlie through his day both professional and personal. Check out more at his website HERE.

There seems to be a lot of action surrounding his books these days. He has a new one coming out March 14, 2011 (in the UK) and several of his earlier titles are being reissued. Although I found titles by Stuart Pawson in the statewide database, my local library doesn't hold any of his works. 

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And Now For Something Completely Different. . .

Forget Dewey. This is the way to organize your books.

The Trouble With Bookstores by Rev. Cyn

Rev. Cyn, Minister at the Universalist Unitarian Church in Clarklake, has given me permission to share her thoughts on the closing of Borders Bookstore in particular and bookstores in general. I think she expresses what many of us have experienced as our world continues to change in ways that are often unsettling.

"I wish I could be a purist who would only shop at small, local, independent book stores.  I tried to do that for a while.  It helps if you actually have one, and have the money to routinely pay an extra 20%.  It's not cheap to be idealistic." 

To read more of her thoughts, click HERE.

Public Library Grant Opportunity

Another benefit of reconnecting with Sisters in Crime is that I discovered they offer a small grant opportunity ($1,000)  for public libraries.

All libraries that apply become part of a lottery with a winner being chosen each month. You only have to enter once. Read more HERE if you are interested.

Random Acts of Book-Giving

Reading mysteries has spurred me to consider rejoining Sisters in Crime, an organization of mystery writers and readers who "promote the professional development and advancement of women crime writers to achieve writers in the industry".  As I caught up with the blog, I came across an entry that talked about receiving unexpected books in the mail and what a delightful surprise that can be. It resonated with me because I am reading a mystery right now that seemed perfect for one of my friends. I had already decided to mail it to her when I am finished with it. Storing books on my bookshelves is not as attractive as passing them on to their next reader. That's not to say that there aren't those titles that I feel the need to keep close and reread as necessary.

Kathie Felix suggests you purchase your book from an Independent bookstore and surprise a friend with a book you found wonderful. You can read her blog entry HERE.

A Sea of Troubles (2001)

A Sea of Troubles by Donna Leon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've enjoyed Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti's mysteries in the past and picked up "A Sea of Troubles" this past summer when I was at my favorite independent bookstore in Stratford, Ontario.

The story didn't draw me in and I had to force myself to keep reading although I can't say exactly why. Checking out other reviews on the Internet, writers either loved or were lukewarm to this entry in the series and it didn't matter whether the writer was a regular reader of the series or not.

Overall Leon's stories are literate and well-written. She knows Venice well and gives the reader a lovely feel for the reality of the place. Guido Brunetti is a human being before he is a policeman and has a home life that brings him further to life. Perhaps reading the books in order would let the reader develop more of a love for the series.

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Solution to Loss of Bookstores and Libraries

Here's another idea for how we can get our books in the future! Click HERE.

More on Borders

It has now been announced that Jackson will keep its 'one NEW bookstore', Waldenbooks in Westwood Mall. Ann Arbor, on the other hand, is losing its anchor Borders at Arborland Shopping Center. Although as one person wrote they wondered why Ann Arbor needed three Borders stores in the first place.

It also looks like as many as an additional 100 stores could be on the chopping board as well. Instead of slashing about a third of the stores that would mean half of all stores closing.

Here's an interesting article by a former employee discussing the three things that Border's did better than anyone else.

Borders Bookstores Files for Chapter 11

I remember when it wasn't Borders Bookstores (659 stores) but simply Borders Bookstore (1 store). What was special about the store when there was just one location in downtown Ann Arbor was that it was larger than other independent bookstores and it was said to administer a rather difficult test to prospective staff. In other words, the employees had to be highly knowledgeable about literature and books. When the store was sold, I suppose it could have been predicted that the life cycle would be shortened. Still it makes me sad to see it on the downside although I haven't been in a Borders for years and couldn't tell you where one is located. Plans are to close 200 stores, but that could be just the beginning.

You can read more about the situation at CNN by clicking HERE. And if you want to know what 'declaring' Chapter 11 means, see what Seth Godin has written by clicking HERE.

Update on ONE DAY

I  loved the book One Day by David Nicholls and was excited when I found out there was going to be a movie with Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. There's no trailer yet but you can find some still shots and more information HERE.

Emma and Dexter meet on the evening of their graduation from college. The story checks in on them every July 15th as their lives converge and separate over the next twenty years.

Another Creative Use for Old Books

Via Boing Boing

There seem to be an unending list of possible creative uses for unwanted and unloved old books. Check this one out.

Nancy Pearl's Rule of Fifty

I met Nancy Pearl briefly after hearing her speak a number of years back. I even own one of her action dolls. But today was the best when my friend Kathy suggested I deserved my own action figure. Wow! The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it would have to have creaking joints and greying hair and that might not be particularly attractive.

But now I realize how much more I love Nancy Pearl. It's here rule of fifty, which adjusts to fit those of us who are aware of our limited time for reading. YOU DON'T HAVE TO FINISH EVERY BOOK YOU START.

"This rule of 50 worked exceedingly well until I entered my own 50s. As I wended my way toward 60, and beyond, I could no longer avoid the realization that, while the reading time remaining in my life was growing shorter, the world of books that I wanted to read was, if anything, growing larger. In a flash of, if I do say so myself, brilliance, I realized that my Rule of 50 was incomplete. It needed an addendum. And here it is: When you are 51 years of age or older, subtract your age from 100, and the resulting number (which, of course, gets smaller every year) is the number of pages you should read before you can guiltlessly give up on a book. As the saying goes, “Age has its privileges.”

And the ultimate privilege of age, of course, is that when you turn 100, you are authorized (by the Rule of 50) to judge a book by its cover."

Read the whole article at THE GLOBE AND MAIL site.

Thanks for this, Kathy. The first Ann Holt action doll will be yours.

A Discovery of Witches (2011)

Another title has caught my reluctant attention. A Discovery of Witches: A Novel by Deborah E. Harkness, a debut and the first in a planned trilogy, has received attention from Entertainment Weekly, who gave it a B+. That grade alone would have informed me to give it a pass, which was reinforced by the fact the series is about witches and vampires. But the EW reviewer also ended the review referring to a 'satisfying ending' and pages that turned 'as if on their own'.

From the author's website:

When historian Diana Bishop opens a bewitched alchemical manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library it represents an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordinary life. Though descended from a long line of witches, she is determined to remain untouched by her family’s legacy. She banishes the manuscript to the stacks, but Diana finds it impossible to hold the world of magic at bay any longer.

If this book sounds fascinating, reading an interview with the author will only enhance your interest. I love the fact that Deborah is an historian, which reminds me of the other book I devoured a few years ago by Elizabeth Kostova called (unexpectedly) The Historian. I didn't expect to like that book either but was swept away by the author's beautiful descriptions of  foreign locales and the mysterious plot. From what I've read, Witches becomes a love story as well. We shall see. (I just checked my library and only one copy is on order. That probably isn't sufficient. I placed a 'hold'.)

Carver's Manual on Community Theatre Directing (2010)

Carver's Manual On Community Theatre Directing by James C. Carver

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a must read for everyone interested in directing community theatre. Although I have forty plus years of experience, I read every page of Carver's book. In his preface he writes, "I always want to hear other director's thoughts on directing, because I steal anything that works." I can see myself pulling my copy out every time I agree to direct a show in the future just to feel I haven't forgotten anything. And Carver stresses that there is a particular list of issues associated with community theatre primary of which is the fact that "most of the people who come to us have talent, but no craft".

The other thing he mentions briefly at the end of the book, which made a big impact on me, was that we don't have a national theatre in our country. He proposes it should be our community theatres, which are in nearly every community, and involve more people than any regional or professional theatre!

It was reassuring to hear from someone else that my experiences over the years are normal and that my instincts are right. Thank you, James Carver.


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George Bernard Shaw's Rotating Shed (Boing Boing)

Apparently rotating sheds were popular in the early 1900s. Here is information about writer/playwright George Bernard Shaw's with some interesting and funny comments from Boing Boing and the site's clever readers.

Love, Loss and What I Wore (1995)

Love, Loss, and What I Wore by Ilene Beckerman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There doesn't seem to be much substance to this slight volume. Illustrated with cartoon - like drawings by the author, she chronicles clothes worn either by herself or someone close to her that connect to her memories. I chose to read it in preparation for possibly directing a staged reading of the play.

Since I grew up roughly paralleling the same time period (40s, 50s, 60s, etc.), many of Ilene Beckerman's choices resonated with me and recalled outfits and memories of my own. For that reason alone, the book and its drawings were charming and affecting.

When you stop to realize that the brief stories taken together present a picture we easily fill in, it is quite an achievement. Now it's time to read the play, which is presented by five women through a series of monologues.

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