Even though I said I was going to be back to regularly scheduled reading this week, I have not been. My honours thesis is behind schedule. I am almost nearly done. So not much reading today. I may read some Othello later this evening. I did read Haruki Murakami’s On seeing the 100% perfect girl one beautiful April morning this morning. I’ve never read any of Murakami’s novels, but I am more interested now.

The week has gone by very quickly mostly because I have a been working, stressed, and productive. It will be good once things start slowing down this week. I have been overloaded for the past month that the transition is going to be a bit odd. I will clean, read some books this week, see friends, maybe watch a couple of films, and knit. Hopefully. I may not be doing the Salon next week because I will be out of town visiting a friend. I am hoping I can at least email a small post to update on my reading.

Literary Links:

110 best books: the perfect library

The New York Books Canon

Alas, almost one month of Sundays of me not reading. Though, I will be back on the horse next week. No updates really. I still have been reading Count of Monte Cristo for six weeks in email installments, and I have not touched Othello for two weeks. I know it ruins the purpose of a Sunday Salon wherein I don’t actually read, but I do like blogging and the wonderful visitors I get through the Salon.

Since the discussion last week worked so well, I encountered another topic I would like to pose the Salonists. Recently, I stumbled upon message board postings about visualization. To my surprise some people don’t visualize books or at least not the degree that others do. I think for the most part people do, but this got to me thinking about how each of us visualize the words we read. If the author is not very descriptive, do you fill in the blanks about the characters’ physical looks, locations, etc.? Even if the writer describes something, does your image of the location change? To what degree? Do film or tv adaptations change the way you read books if you’ve seen the movie/know who has been casted? This of course can lead into questions about adaptations and the visuals from your mind: are they usually more or less the same or drastically different than you would have thought/if you made the adaptation?

For my part, I visualize and do feel in blanks. When reading books that have not been adapted or I have not idea of their adaptations, the characters end up looking like no one I know. I rarely put actors in this movie either so many of my characters end up “generic” looking unless they are described as extraordinarily attractive. It does end up like a movie in my head much like the way I dream. I fill the landscape better than I do clothing or style. The fact that I do watch so many films and remember my dreams contribute to easy and vivid visualization of books.

On another topic of books, my friend L and I decided to have a mini book club this summer between the two of us. She is one of the few friends of mine that is an avid reader. As a Classics and Latin student, she’s more advanced than me in classic and ancient works, but I’ve read more contemporary works than she has. Though, we both share similar authors and tastes. In any case, we wanted to read and discuss some books neither of us had read/finished. Yes, as if I don’t have enough books to read with all the challenges going on. Though, most of these books can be cross posted, in one of my challenges, and one of the reasons we selected some of them is because we own most of them. There is no way we are going to go through the list, but I am posting it here for fun.

Literary Links:

How to Dry a Wet Book

Guys Read – This relates to my post about finding a mate who reads, but this is a site that encourages and support guys reading by giving them suggestions. It’s good if you have little boys who aren’t too keen on reading either.

Busy Bee that I am, I have not been able to devote time to reading or any of my hobbies. I obviously miss it, though I managed to read Blankets by Craig Thompson this week, and I continue to read Count of Monte Cristo in email. I actually read the emails every day now as opposed to forgetting about it and catching up later. There is quite a bit of political history in the book, and it’s just not that exciting as compared to the plight of Edmond who has not graced in the emails for over a week. I have not read Othello since last week. I always find that Shakespeare is fun but requires ample literary concentration. I will be back to reading form in, oh, 1.5 weeks.

Only one literary link this week, and it’s an interesting one indeed. The New York Times has an article called It’s Not You, It’s Your Books, an essay about love and literary taste. Just a few days ago, my close friend S and I were discussing this exact topic. I am quite resigned to the fact that I will probably not find a mate who reads or appreciates books and literature the way I do. Even at present, I can count the number of friends I have that engage in an active reading life on my hand. Finding friends who read is hard enough, I’m not going to raise a high bar for a partner who likes to read classics or–gasp–poetry like I do. So the idea of dumping someone for their literary taste is beyond silly to me because books and reading habits are not the be all and end all of people. They are not deal breakers. Though I can see it being apart of the deal breaker of incompatibility.

This is shallow though:

James Collins, whose new novel, “Beginner’s Greek,” is about a man who falls for a woman he sees reading “The Magic Mountain” on a plane, recalled that after college, he was “infatuated” with a woman who had a copy of “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” on her bedside table. “I basically knew nothing about Kundera, but I remember thinking, ‘Uh-oh; trendy, bogus metaphysics, sex involving a bowler hat,’ and I never did think about the person the same way (and nothing ever happened),”

Firstly, I really do like The Unbearable Lightness of Being so there may be bias in this, but I can understand making a judgment on someone based on books you’ve both read, but on the basis of a book you haven’t even read? So I presume is what Mr Collins means when he said he knew nothing about Kundera. Any way, I would like a partner who reads quite a bit, but I agree with Ms Levy in the article when she says it’s a bit of a “luxury” to have a partner who meets your reading habits. Though I am amused that there is a dating site for fans of Ayn Rand. For the record, I don’t post my reading preferences on Facebook profile. While I frequent the site to keep in contact with friends, my profile page is sparse keeping with my private nature. I also do not like answering questions about favourite books and authors. Too many to name!

Thoughts on this article? Have you known others to break up based on books? Have you? Does your partner read as much or read at all?

This week, I continued to read Count of Monte Cristo in DailyLit email installments. I have reached Dantes being jailed. I really like the novel so far. I think I will like it more than The Three Musketeers, and Edmond will probably surpass them as my favourite Dumas character as well.
I started reading Othello this week as I said would, and I read a couple of scenes of Act I today.  This is my first Shakespeare play since high school. I actually miss being taught Shakespeare. It doesn’t feel quite the same reading to myself and analysing the play. I just realized that CoMC and Othello are quite similar. I’ve been attracting some less than happy books of late.

A little meme that’s been going around TSS members.

1) What books do you like to bring on airplanes?

Any books really. Nothing too specific. I don’t have the chance to fly often. I did not read the last couple of times I flew in 2006. I finished The Three Musketeers on a cross Pacific flight in 2004.  On cross atlantic flights, I like to sleep rather so I can ease the jetlag. I would also like to buy magazines next time because I hardly ever normally.

2) Do you have any experiences with public reading?

I read mostly at home. I also don’t care for reading on public transport. Since I use the bus, I pensively look out the window and daydream. I do tend to carry a light book with me just in case I find myself in need of some leisure reading. I always regret not having one when such circumstances arise. For example, I toted Othello this week and will continue. Sometimes, I will read in class during breaks.  In the summer, I will on occasion read outside in a park.

It’s already mid afternoon, and I have not done any work on the honours essay. So I’m off. Happy Easter Sunday!

Literary Links:

Read the Words – Copy and paste words you’d like to be read and make your own audiobook on the go.

Brian Dettmer’s Book Autopsies

Silver Italian Charms

We tell stories – Digital fiction from Penguin inspired by classics.

Another week, mostly the same things. I’m up to chapter 7 of The Count of Monte Cristo and still lots of characters introduced. I finally finished reading One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, and as I predicted, I got into it at the end. Mostly the writing and the character came into such focus towards the end. The review will be up sometime this week, and I want time to read some critical analysis and review with quotes from the book.

I’m quite sad about my stress and my sever lack of time to do anything but stress and work. I miss reading more books on Sunday. I read seven books last month, and it is already half way through March, and I have only finished one book.
I have more than three dozen books borrowed from the library and other sources; this does not include all the books that I own and have not read. I should probably weed books, but I don’t really want to nor do I have time to reflect on what to return or delay reading in the near future.

Though now that I’m finished Ivan Denisovich, I can pick up another small book for my go to read. I’ve decided on Othello by William Shakespeare. Since it is a play, I can finish it relatively quickly, but it is Shakespeare so I will definitely read some critical analysis because it’s fun. One of the things I miss about English or Literature classes is analyzing Shakespeare.

Have a good week everyone.

Dewey‘s negativity meme:

1. When you dislike a book, do you say so in your blog? Why or why not?

In most cases yes because I do want to post often and sometimes due to reading challenges, I am required to make up some reviews. I rather be just a bit honest about the books I read.

2. Do you temper your feelings about books you didn’t like, so as not to completely slam them? Why or why not?

Yes, especially if the book is popular and/or a classic. All things have some positive in them so I try to look for it and consider why I wouldn’t like it but know potentially others could.
3. What do you think is the best way to respond when you see a negative review about a book you enjoyed?

Usually, I ignore it. Some for when people don’t seem to like authors that I like; I just move on. If it’s another blogger who I’ve known for awhile, I’ll express to them while I liked the book. Not often though.

4. What is your own most common reaction when you see a negative review of a book you loved or a positive review of a book you hated?

Once again, I just ignore it. Everyone is free to have their opinion on books, and for the most part, my comments wouldn’t really change their minds on how they felt about the books.5. What is your own most common reaction when you get a comment that disagrees with your opinion of a book?

Usually, I leave it. I can agree or disagree. Many comments can be thought provoking. Though sometimes the comment can be trollish and I’ll just delete it.

6. What if you don’t like a book that was a free review copy? What then?

If I were to review books that I received for free, I would be more likely to be positive about it. I usually try to weigh the positives and negatives evenly in those cases.
7. What do you do if you don’t finish a book? Do you review it or not? If you review it, do you mention that you didn’t finish it?

I don’t think it’s fair to review books I haven’t finished. It hasn’t been truly read if I haven’t gotten through the beginning to the end (however rushed or laborious it was). If the book was truly hard to read it, I say so in my review when I finish it.

Literary Links:

100 Best Last Lines from Novels (PDF)

Did they have fanfiction in the Middle Ages?

Two Sundays have passed without me posting a Sunday Salon. I haven’t finished a book since then either because it is the last month of classes, and I am stressed and a bit sick too. The Salons until April will be rather sparse, but I have made some decisions in my reading habits. With the summer holiday coming up (and my imminent graduation), I am going to attempt to read as many unread books that I own this year. I know many people make that promise, and I do too, but I am more serious and dedicated. Similarly, I am trying to avoid buying yarn compulsively and knitting with my sizable stash. 2008 is a year of endings and beginnings or at least transitions. I’m going to declutter my life a bit and explore all the things I do own.I digress. Here are the reading updates. I have been reading Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. The former is 1200 pages and the latter is less than 200.  I’ve been reading CoMC through DailyLit, but I fell behind this week. I caught up just now and am midway through chapter 5.  That’s less than 50p in the Penguin Classics edition which I have from the library. Yes, I do have a hard copy, but I hardly have time to read as it is. I intend to read it normally once I have time in April. I am enjoying it so far. The good thing about Dumas is that there is a lot of dialogue in his writing so it seems the writing goes by quickly, and yet his books are still quite large. It is still early to tell how well this novel will be paced even though I already know most of the plot point and the ending.

Today, I also went past halfway through One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. I’m not sure what I think about this book. It’s not boring, but it’s not exciting either. The prose is good, but I think I’m a bit wary of reading depressing books right now. I am afraid I won’t have much to say about it when I review it. Hopefully the ending gives me things to ponder.

It’s barely the afternoon, but I am going to have to focus on other things and then take a nap.

Literary Links:

The Twenty Science Fiction Novels That Will Change Your Life – Well, maybe not my life, but some of these look very intriguing.

Top 10 Undercover Economics Books – My love/hate relationship with econ continues. Apparently Robert Frost can help me understand opportunity cost.

50 Crime Writers to Read Before You Die – Haven’t read much crime myself, but Telegraph’s list looks good.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman – Not my favourite Gaiman work, but still good and a free novel online so woot.

Planet eBook – Even though I don’t really read them that often, I am always in support of books as public goods. The PDFs on this site seem better than other ebook sites.

International Digital Children’s Library – free children books from all around the world.

30 of the Most Creative Bookshelf Designs and Bookcase Bedroom

In the morning, I read the Saturday Globe and Mail newspaper. I rarely read the newspaper because I get most of my news online or from TV. Unlike my dad only reads newspapers now. like reading the weekend editions because they offer so much more than simple news. I would like to keep it up weekly because I like G&M’s Books section particularly. I said a few posts back that I am not big on book reviews, but reviews provide discovery to new books. I added a lot of books to my library request list as a result. The G&M features a lot of Canadian lit which is something I am not overly familiar with shamefully. Speaking of which, the newspaper told me Anne of Green Gables is turning 100 this spring, and there is already a new tv movie for it. Also, someone has written a prequel to the series.

This afternoon, I finished The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper. I read half of it today; it was the only thing I really read this past week. I skimmed a lot of the book, but I didn’t give up since I had to read it for a challenge. I’m sure Eugene Onegin will be a better read this week.

Actually, I think I will peruse V for Vendetta now.

This is only my third Sunday Salon, but I am really loving the whole routine. It allows me to manage a time when I can read even just a little bit and retire my increasingly busy life. I have managed to read and finish a book since I started this two weeks ago.

Next weekend: Onegin as mentioned. Possibly Othello, Life and Times of Michael K., and The Count of Monte Cristo. My TBR pile is obscenely high that I have many choices.

Literary Links:

How can I become a better and more prolific reader? – from Metafilter

Best All-Time Children’s Books – from Zen Habits. I’ve read and loved a lot of the books from this list.

Will cell phones save books? – from ComputerWorld.

Twilight of the books – from The New Yorker. I love the New Yorker; wish I had a subscription. This article looks at what low current reading rates mean, a world without reading, and just how words and language have been throughout history.

The Death of Postmodernism and Beyond – from Philosophy Now by Alan Kirby in 2006. Article asserting the end of postmodernism and how literature is now at what Kirby calls “pseudo modernism”.

This week, I started Eugene Onegin and The Last of the Mohicans. The latter is very dry so far; it was not my first choice having heard some very indifferent things about it. Onegin is nice so far because it is a novel in verse. It’s also Russian, and my ardent love of Tolstoy will grow into that for Pushkin (and then Dostoevsky, Pasternak, Solzhenitsyn and Chekhov) soon enough.  I haven’t really read that far into either books, mostly a couple pages in each to pass whatever time I was able to scrape up from the busy week.

Today, I had to do some academia which required me to browse and skim through my research books on Zimbabwe. Then I started, read, and reviewed Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller (review up tomorrow). Most of the  books I read are from the library, and I become irate when books are vandalised. The copy of TDKR had a couple of panels ripped out. I love libraries and especially my own library system so seeing that was not pleasing at all.

I may have some more time to read this week at least after Wednesday. Have a good week everyone.

Literary Links:

A life of their own – Guardian Unlimited Books

The Usborne Book of the Future – Published in 1979. It’s a trip to the year 2000 and beyond.

Ornamental Typography

Red Room

Sunday Salon is a weekly event in which bloggers share their reading and comment on others doing the same. It’s a mini readathon and an excuse for bloggers to find time in the week to read together. January has been a miserly month for reading as I get back to the old routine. I’ll be very busy until April, and beyond that, uncertainty abounds in reading times. I hope Sunday Salon can remind me to blog and take some time to read for fun. I am not going to promise to do this every week, and doubtlessly, the amount read and blogged will probably vary. TSS will also allow me to muse on reading, allow me time to contemplate and note observations as I read, and do some bookish linking.

Today, I finished reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley; the review will be up tomorrow. I started it nearly three weeks ago, and I read two thirds of it today. I much prefer to read books in a couple of sittings rather than spread over a long time in bits. I find I lose the train and sense of the book if I read it in too many sittings. It works sometimes as my life sort of becomes parallel or I start to slowly absorb the book (Of Human Bondage summer before last). Most of the time, I find I hard to get back into the book over such few readings as I like to be engrossed completely over a short period. It can’t be helped that I have books ongoing for weeks on end though, and especially since I am so busy.

I must announce that I am going to actually fail one of my reading challenges. The Seafaring Challenge ends January 31, and I have not touched either Horatio Hornblower books I said I would read. Partly because I only managed to get one of them. Ah well, this will teach me not to join any more challenges less than six months.

There is still some time this evening so I may pick up graphic novel later on in the night. My TBR piles are getting out of hand so I weeded a couple of books today. Not many because I do not like weeding.

Upcoming Books: I just subscribed to read The Last of the Mohicans on Daily Lit. Never used to service, and I am not a big fan of reading books off the computer, but I just had a last minute switch for my Decades challenge. The 1820’s does not seem to be a really enticing literary decade. I don’t have TLotM in book form, but I requested a copy so the DailyLit ones can hold me off til then.

Next weekend, I am going spend a lot of time reading books for school. Life and Times of Michael K is going to be read for an online book group in February so that’ll be picked in the near future. I also have all the graphic novels necessary to finish the Graphic Novel challenge so I’ll wrap it up next week or so.

Literary Links:

100 Books Every Child Should Read (Introduction) – Features a lot books I liked as a child.

Pirate Coelho  – Paul Coelho (The Alchemist) is pirating his own books because he is convinced that free copies of the book increases book sales.

Books that make you dumb – Someone used Facebook and SAT scores to determine people’s favourite books. Are there people in Facebook that actually list “I Don’t Read”? Given, I don’t even add my favourite books when I’m on it. In any case, I have no idea what my SAT scores are any way, but the results are amusing none the less.