If you go over to Books At Midnight, you will see that instead of a weekly poll, Jenn has started a weekly debate. Her question of the week is this:
Bloggers, when do you think is the best time to post: morning, noon, evening? Readers, when do you like to see a blogger post?
My initial reaction is that it doesn't matter, but I think that's because I tend to not notice schedules and don't hold other people to them. My own personal preference used to be to write my posts and check for other posts first thing in the morning, but then I started sleeping in, or a crisis or two would happen in the morning, and I had to move my posting/reading time to later in the day. At the moment, I'm digging my evening hours in the blogging world as a way of unwinding from my day, but I'm sure that will change when I've had a bad day and don't feel like posting at night... For me personally, I hadn't given much thought to whether my readers would be upset or turned off if I didn't post during a particular time. But then Jenn brought up an interesting point in her take on the debate: Does the time of day you post affect your ability to get comments from readers? So now I'm questioning my own posting habits and wondering if they should be more regular.
What is your take on the debate?
While I welcome your comments on the debate here, I also encourage you to check out the original over at Books At Midnight and also leave a comment there (or even provide a link to your own posting on the debate).
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Weekly Poll 1/20/10: Reading More than One Book at a Time
Long before I took an unscheduled break from my blog (in other words, before not having a schedule during my break between semesters made me forget to do anything productive at all), I asked my readers how many books they typically read at one time.
I had asked the question because I used to be a staunch believer in starting a book and reading it until I finished it before opening another book. (This policy only counted for "fun" books and not required academic reading.) That had been my policy until about a year ago when I started a book I liked but didn't like enough to have it as my sole reading choice. Okay, and because I was too lazy to go downstairs to get the book I was reading when I had a bookshelf full of unread books right in front of me. I then had an "upstairs" book and a "downstairs" book. I would read one in the mornings (the "downstairs" book) and one in the evenings before going to bed (the "upstairs" book). Since we moved to a one-story apartment, I no longer have that excuse of being too lazy. Somehow in the midst of reading more than one book at a time, I got addicted. I liked having a choice. I liked knowing that I could read a few minutes out of one book before moving on to another book simply because I felt like it. Before I had become a multiple-book-reader, I thought that reading more than one book at a time would take away from my 'joie de lire.' I thought that I'd forget something important about the story or get the characters confused or ... I'm not exactly sure what I thought would happen. Just something negative.
I've found the opposite to be true of my reading experience, though; I've found that reading more than one book at a time forces me to make connections among the materials I'm reading. I start to see patterns in characters' behaviors, word choices, dialogue, and writing styles because the differing authors' writings are fresh in my mind as I go from book to book. I've found that I'm enjoying the books I like more and not feeling as pressured to finish the books I don't enjoy. It has increased the fun factor of reading for me.
You may be wondering what kind of responses I got for the poll. I only got one response, and that response was that the voter typically read three or more books at a time--a fellow multiple-book-reader. I blame the low vote count on my inability to stick to a consistent schedule for posting (one of the major no-nos of blogging if you intend to maintain a following), and so I'm renewing my commitment to this blog.
And with that, I've posted the next weekly poll question in the left-hand sidebar: What is your favorite way to connect with other readers? I look forward to seeing your responses and talking about connecting with other readers next Wednesday. Until then ...
Happy reading and voting on the weekly poll!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Childhood Challenge: THE DOLLHOUSE MURDERS
There are books that I read as a child that have left deeper imprints on me than others; I'm sure my readers can appreciate that simple statement, and I hope you can also agree with it as you look back into your own reading history. What's funny is that many times I remember a book fondly without remembering specifics. I can't recall characters or details about the plot, but I'll remember the feeling I had when reading the book. I decided to give myself a little challenge for the year and read one book each month that I remember enjoying as a child reader to see what my thoughts are now about the book. For the most part, I won't have a problem finding these childhood gems because while I don't remember details, I can remember the title and/or author. Of course, there are those books whose titles/authors I can't remember, and their covers will be haunting my dreams all year long as I challenge myself to find them despite the lack of author and title information.
My chosen book for January is The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright. I can't remember what age I was exactly when I first read the book, but I do know that I had read it at least by the fifth grade. I also know I read it more than once--it intrigued me, and reading it just once wasn't enough to satisfy my 'joie de lire' cravings. Amazon is my bookseller of choice, especially when I'm looking for older books that may or may not still be easily found in bookstores, and I was excited to be able to buy the book to grace my adult bookshelves as a reminder of my younger reading days.
From My Memory
I can't remember not being a fan of ghost stories--I don't like horror, per se, but I do enjoy a thrilling, well-told ghost story. My favorite segments of Unsolved Mysteries were those concerning the paranormal, and many sleepovers of mine turned into games of telling stories of the supernatural variety. I devoured books that centered around ghosts, but I wasn't a fan of the Halloween-type ghoulish characters. I craved ghosts based on real people with real histories, set in houses or countrysides worthy of those ghosts. When I say 'real,' I don't mean that the ghosts have to be based on historically accurate people--I simply mean that I prefer ghosts to be based on the memory of a character already gone who is important to the story. Of all the ghost stories I read, though, the one that stayed with me most was The Dollhouse Murders.
Thinking back on the book, I couldn't remember anything specific about the story except that a girl found a dollhouse and that the dolls in the dollhouse acted out a murder that had taken place years before. What I could remember about the book is that I stayed up late into the night reading it because I couldn't put it down and that it left me with that deep, 'joie de lire' feeling that made me feel satisfied and wanting more all at once. I thought it a perfect choice for my Childhood Challenge (though it may have been a more appropriate choice for October than January...), and I was excited to get the book to read again. My initial rating of the book (based on memory alone) is a 5-star rating (out of five stars possible).
Current Re-Reading
This morning, I sat down with my old-time friend, one I hadn't read in nearly (gulp) two decades. Maybe more like a decade-and-a-half. It was rather gratifying to finish a book on the same day I started reading it without it taking over my ability to function for an entire day. My first complete thought as I started the beginning chapters was, "I had totally forgotten all this!" The plot was much more complicated than only focusing on the dollhouse; in fact, there were several chapters of important information I had forgotten about. I had forgotten the main character, Amy, had a sister; I had forgotten that Amy resented her sister at times because she had a mental handicap that left Amy in charge of her many times; I had forgotten the dollhouse was in her aunt's attic. In short, I had forgotten the bulk of the story.
The story pushed me forward, and it was like reading a new book because I had forgotten so much. I was hooked and didn't want to stop reading--luckily I started it in the morning, so reading it didn't involve missing out on any sleep. Even as an adult, I was pulled into the story and felt those familiar deep-seated feelings of comfort and addiction as I scarfed the book down. The story was written for readers a couple decades younger than myself, and yet I still love the book.
Betty Ren Wright has an amazing way of presenting the story with just enough detail to engage your mind while not overloading you with details that would take more pages to explore. The information she presents in 149 pages could easily have been expanded to fill well over 500 pages. Even though she skimps on the details, she doesn't make you feel like there is information missing. Instead, she makes it feel like she expects you, as the reader, to fill in the rest. The characters in the book are complex, and the story's resolution doesn't make it feel like part of the story is missing (though it still ends too quickly for my tastes). The ending suggests possibility, which makes me sit here and imagine what the family must be doing now that the story has ended. In short, it has all the elements of what make a book memorable for me while being intended for young readers. It is a gem of a book, and I am glad that I discovered it as a young reader and even gladder that I rediscovered it as a not-as-young reader.
My adult rating is still a 5-star rating--especially if I'm rating it for younger readers who enjoy mysteries and ghosts. The book makes me wish the adult equivalent could be written to further explore the characters and that fabulous dollhouse....
What's interesting is what I will remember about the story now that I've reread it as an adult. As a young reader, the dollhouse affected me most--not only because there was a ghost in it but also because I have a long-standing obsession with miniature things. Everything's more exciting if it's miniature--even those small cans of Coke. The dollhouse in the story is filled with miniatures, and I remember wishing I could have a dollhouse of my own just like it (I even wanted the ghost). As an adult, though, the thing I think I will remember most about the story is the evolution of the characters: Amy's (the main character's) growth in her relationship with her mentally challenged sister and Clare's (Amy's aunt's) growth in her ability to face her past. Sure, the dollhouse is still pretty amazing, but the subtleties of the characters' relationships are what I think sets the book apart as a must-read for young readers.
While I was perusing the internet to find images, I found another blogger who talked about her memories of reading The Dollhouse Murders: Elizabeth of 'Underage Reading' wrote "Nostalgic affection or genuine book ardor?" I hope you enjoy her post as much as I did.
I challenge you to also pick up some books you loved as a young reader and to further recommend those books to young readers around you.
Happy reading (or re-reading, as the case may be)!
My chosen book for January is The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright. I can't remember what age I was exactly when I first read the book, but I do know that I had read it at least by the fifth grade. I also know I read it more than once--it intrigued me, and reading it just once wasn't enough to satisfy my 'joie de lire' cravings. Amazon is my bookseller of choice, especially when I'm looking for older books that may or may not still be easily found in bookstores, and I was excited to be able to buy the book to grace my adult bookshelves as a reminder of my younger reading days.
From My Memory
I can't remember not being a fan of ghost stories--I don't like horror, per se, but I do enjoy a thrilling, well-told ghost story. My favorite segments of Unsolved Mysteries were those concerning the paranormal, and many sleepovers of mine turned into games of telling stories of the supernatural variety. I devoured books that centered around ghosts, but I wasn't a fan of the Halloween-type ghoulish characters. I craved ghosts based on real people with real histories, set in houses or countrysides worthy of those ghosts. When I say 'real,' I don't mean that the ghosts have to be based on historically accurate people--I simply mean that I prefer ghosts to be based on the memory of a character already gone who is important to the story. Of all the ghost stories I read, though, the one that stayed with me most was The Dollhouse Murders.
Thinking back on the book, I couldn't remember anything specific about the story except that a girl found a dollhouse and that the dolls in the dollhouse acted out a murder that had taken place years before. What I could remember about the book is that I stayed up late into the night reading it because I couldn't put it down and that it left me with that deep, 'joie de lire' feeling that made me feel satisfied and wanting more all at once. I thought it a perfect choice for my Childhood Challenge (though it may have been a more appropriate choice for October than January...), and I was excited to get the book to read again. My initial rating of the book (based on memory alone) is a 5-star rating (out of five stars possible).
Current Re-Reading
This morning, I sat down with my old-time friend, one I hadn't read in nearly (gulp) two decades. Maybe more like a decade-and-a-half. It was rather gratifying to finish a book on the same day I started reading it without it taking over my ability to function for an entire day. My first complete thought as I started the beginning chapters was, "I had totally forgotten all this!" The plot was much more complicated than only focusing on the dollhouse; in fact, there were several chapters of important information I had forgotten about. I had forgotten the main character, Amy, had a sister; I had forgotten that Amy resented her sister at times because she had a mental handicap that left Amy in charge of her many times; I had forgotten the dollhouse was in her aunt's attic. In short, I had forgotten the bulk of the story.
The story pushed me forward, and it was like reading a new book because I had forgotten so much. I was hooked and didn't want to stop reading--luckily I started it in the morning, so reading it didn't involve missing out on any sleep. Even as an adult, I was pulled into the story and felt those familiar deep-seated feelings of comfort and addiction as I scarfed the book down. The story was written for readers a couple decades younger than myself, and yet I still love the book.
Betty Ren Wright has an amazing way of presenting the story with just enough detail to engage your mind while not overloading you with details that would take more pages to explore. The information she presents in 149 pages could easily have been expanded to fill well over 500 pages. Even though she skimps on the details, she doesn't make you feel like there is information missing. Instead, she makes it feel like she expects you, as the reader, to fill in the rest. The characters in the book are complex, and the story's resolution doesn't make it feel like part of the story is missing (though it still ends too quickly for my tastes). The ending suggests possibility, which makes me sit here and imagine what the family must be doing now that the story has ended. In short, it has all the elements of what make a book memorable for me while being intended for young readers. It is a gem of a book, and I am glad that I discovered it as a young reader and even gladder that I rediscovered it as a not-as-young reader.
My adult rating is still a 5-star rating--especially if I'm rating it for younger readers who enjoy mysteries and ghosts. The book makes me wish the adult equivalent could be written to further explore the characters and that fabulous dollhouse....
What's interesting is what I will remember about the story now that I've reread it as an adult. As a young reader, the dollhouse affected me most--not only because there was a ghost in it but also because I have a long-standing obsession with miniature things. Everything's more exciting if it's miniature--even those small cans of Coke. The dollhouse in the story is filled with miniatures, and I remember wishing I could have a dollhouse of my own just like it (I even wanted the ghost). As an adult, though, the thing I think I will remember most about the story is the evolution of the characters: Amy's (the main character's) growth in her relationship with her mentally challenged sister and Clare's (Amy's aunt's) growth in her ability to face her past. Sure, the dollhouse is still pretty amazing, but the subtleties of the characters' relationships are what I think sets the book apart as a must-read for young readers.
While I was perusing the internet to find images, I found another blogger who talked about her memories of reading The Dollhouse Murders: Elizabeth of 'Underage Reading' wrote "Nostalgic affection or genuine book ardor?" I hope you enjoy her post as much as I did.
I challenge you to also pick up some books you loved as a young reader and to further recommend those books to young readers around you.
Happy reading (or re-reading, as the case may be)!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Why I Changed My Mind on the Kindle
I love books. I love the way books feel in my hands, the sound of turning pages, the smell of new books, and the look of the covers. There is something magical about looking at an unopened book, knowing that between the covers are the words that build possibility. In fact, my "happy place" is being curled up with a book in my hands. With my deep-seated feelings about books, I am a loyal collector. Every time my family moves, the first thing we have to look for in a new house/apartment is whether or not there is enough wall space to support our many bookshelves. So when I first heard about the Kindle, I was appalled that people would choose to read books on an electronic device rather than in real form. I had never had any experience with electronic readers, and beyond using them to read newspapers or magazines or other documents, I couldn't imagine why I'd ever consider getting one. One of my good friends, Sarah, brought hers on her trip to visit me last May, and I chided her for selling out. I'm not sure why I felt that Kindles were signs of selling out, but that's how I felt. I played with hers and shrugged, saying, "What's the big deal?"
Later that summer, I was getting ready to pack for a week-long vacation in Alaska. Since I know I can't sleep on planes, I wanted to make sure I had plenty of entertainment for myself for the six-hour flight from Houston to Anchorage, but at the same time, I refused to pay to check baggage and was determined to fit everything into a carry-on. The stack of books I had sitting by my duffel bag taunted me; I wanted to take them all but knew I'd have to stuff the bag to fit even one or two in. Over the next few days, I found myself being drawn to the Amazon Kindle page; finally one afternoon, my compulsive index finger hit the "buy" button.
When my Kindle arrived, I still had mixed feelings about whether or not I would actually enjoy reading on my new device, but I trudged on and downloaded some books to prepare for my Alaskan vacation. Out of curiosity, I started reading one of the newly downloaded books to take it for a test drive. Once my eyes adjusted to the blinking dark screen when you hit the "next page" button, I found that reading on the Kindle felt like reading a book. The actual feeling of the device is obviously different--there are no pages to be turned, and sometimes you feel like you fly through a Kindle page because only so much can fit onto the screen. Yet, the words were still there that took my mind on an adventure and allowed me to revel in my 'joie de lire.'
Six months later, I regularly use my Kindle and appreciate the many free books that are offered (not to mention the books that are much cheaper on the Kindle than in hard copy). And yet, I still hold a love of books--when I read a really good book on my Kindle, I have to stop myself from going out and buying the hard copy to have sitting on my shelves (though I'm still considering buying The Help because it was too good to not have on my bookshelves). While I still buy books at bookstores, my bookstore-perusing habit has slowed as our apartment has reached its limit for book space. It's nice to know that I can still buy the books I want to read without overflowing our small apartment because the Kindle doesn't take up much space.
I'm not sure if it's actually the case or not, but I feel like I read books faster on the Kindle--there's something about it measuring your progress for you, with a percentage bar at the bottom of each page telling you where exactly you are in the book, that makes reading feel more fluid. I also like the features that allow me to bookmark pages, highlight passages, and take notes; I have issues with marking up my copies of books because there is a certain voice inside me that tells me all my books need to be kept in pristine condition (when I finish reading a book, it looks exactly like it did before I opened its pages). The Kindle lets me get past that since the pages are on a screen, and any marking can be deleted without showing traces of it ever having existed. The one major drawback to digital books is that you can't lend them out to spread the 'joie de lire' with those around you unless you lend out your entire electronic reading device.
I work in an English department, and many of my colleagues feel like I once did about the Kindle: They turn their noses up at it and shake their heads that people would use such things. I smile and nod, saying, "I used to think that, too." After breaking down and trying out the newfangled device, I now have two places in my heart for reading: one for my shelves of books and one for my Kindle books. If you find yourself rolling your eyes at anyone professing their love of an electronic reader, keep in mind that reading comes in many forms and that you, too, may find yourself using such a device one day. It's a good thing my friend Sarah doesn't bother throwing around the phrase "I told you so."
Happy reading, whether you're reading a hard or digital copy of a book!
Later that summer, I was getting ready to pack for a week-long vacation in Alaska. Since I know I can't sleep on planes, I wanted to make sure I had plenty of entertainment for myself for the six-hour flight from Houston to Anchorage, but at the same time, I refused to pay to check baggage and was determined to fit everything into a carry-on. The stack of books I had sitting by my duffel bag taunted me; I wanted to take them all but knew I'd have to stuff the bag to fit even one or two in. Over the next few days, I found myself being drawn to the Amazon Kindle page; finally one afternoon, my compulsive index finger hit the "buy" button.
When my Kindle arrived, I still had mixed feelings about whether or not I would actually enjoy reading on my new device, but I trudged on and downloaded some books to prepare for my Alaskan vacation. Out of curiosity, I started reading one of the newly downloaded books to take it for a test drive. Once my eyes adjusted to the blinking dark screen when you hit the "next page" button, I found that reading on the Kindle felt like reading a book. The actual feeling of the device is obviously different--there are no pages to be turned, and sometimes you feel like you fly through a Kindle page because only so much can fit onto the screen. Yet, the words were still there that took my mind on an adventure and allowed me to revel in my 'joie de lire.'
Six months later, I regularly use my Kindle and appreciate the many free books that are offered (not to mention the books that are much cheaper on the Kindle than in hard copy). And yet, I still hold a love of books--when I read a really good book on my Kindle, I have to stop myself from going out and buying the hard copy to have sitting on my shelves (though I'm still considering buying The Help because it was too good to not have on my bookshelves). While I still buy books at bookstores, my bookstore-perusing habit has slowed as our apartment has reached its limit for book space. It's nice to know that I can still buy the books I want to read without overflowing our small apartment because the Kindle doesn't take up much space.
I'm not sure if it's actually the case or not, but I feel like I read books faster on the Kindle--there's something about it measuring your progress for you, with a percentage bar at the bottom of each page telling you where exactly you are in the book, that makes reading feel more fluid. I also like the features that allow me to bookmark pages, highlight passages, and take notes; I have issues with marking up my copies of books because there is a certain voice inside me that tells me all my books need to be kept in pristine condition (when I finish reading a book, it looks exactly like it did before I opened its pages). The Kindle lets me get past that since the pages are on a screen, and any marking can be deleted without showing traces of it ever having existed. The one major drawback to digital books is that you can't lend them out to spread the 'joie de lire' with those around you unless you lend out your entire electronic reading device.
I work in an English department, and many of my colleagues feel like I once did about the Kindle: They turn their noses up at it and shake their heads that people would use such things. I smile and nod, saying, "I used to think that, too." After breaking down and trying out the newfangled device, I now have two places in my heart for reading: one for my shelves of books and one for my Kindle books. If you find yourself rolling your eyes at anyone professing their love of an electronic reader, keep in mind that reading comes in many forms and that you, too, may find yourself using such a device one day. It's a good thing my friend Sarah doesn't bother throwing around the phrase "I told you so."
Happy reading, whether you're reading a hard or digital copy of a book!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Weekly Poll 12/16/09: Favorite Genres
Getting back on my blog feels like coming home after a long trip--I've missed my blog while I've been busy the past week grading, preparing for finals, writing a presentation, and presenting at a conference in Poland. Even though I returned from Poland just in time to attack ten stacks of grading work that I need to do, I feel quite calm now that I was able to take the preparation work for the conference off my to-do list. I can return to a more normal schedule, one that includes visiting my beloved blog more often. It's so lovely to click on the website and know that my blog will be there waiting for me. . . And I thank all my readers for their patience while I was away (both physically and mentally).
The poll question from two weeks ago was this:
When it comes to your reading choices, do you have a favorite genre?
Naturally, the two answers to choose from were "yes" and "no." The results are in (and have been in for a week), and 100% of responders answered "no."
I find this interesting because going into the question, I thought that most readers would have one genre that they preferred reading in over others. My initial response to the question was that I was sure I had a favorite genre--I just had to put some thought into which one I preferred most. I thought and thought and realize my so-called favorite genre changed with my reading mood. Some days I prefer reading young adult books, other days I prefer reading any kind of fantasy book, and yet other days I prefer reading books that fit into a genre all on their own. I used to be the type of reader that picked up one book and read it from start to finish before starting another book. Now I've turned into the type of reader that has several books started and reads whichever book suits her fancy for the day. I'm currently reading The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman (and still loving it), Sherlock Holmes by Sir Conan Doyle (I'm making my way through the complete works), and City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. These three books only have one thing in common when it comes to genre: They are all works of fiction. So perhaps my favorite genre is simply "Fiction," as I tend to read much more fiction than non-fiction when I read for fun. But can "Fiction" be a label for reading choices? I feel like it's entirely too broad to say much about my reading habits (and I feel like using it as an answer is kind of cheating), yet it's the only one broad enough to fit in all my favorites.
The next poll question is up (or will be in about five minutes), so be sure to head over to the left-hand sidebar to get your answer involved in the next weekly poll discussion.
Happy reading in whatever genre suits your fancy!
The poll question from two weeks ago was this:
When it comes to your reading choices, do you have a favorite genre?
Naturally, the two answers to choose from were "yes" and "no." The results are in (and have been in for a week), and 100% of responders answered "no."
I find this interesting because going into the question, I thought that most readers would have one genre that they preferred reading in over others. My initial response to the question was that I was sure I had a favorite genre--I just had to put some thought into which one I preferred most. I thought and thought and realize my so-called favorite genre changed with my reading mood. Some days I prefer reading young adult books, other days I prefer reading any kind of fantasy book, and yet other days I prefer reading books that fit into a genre all on their own. I used to be the type of reader that picked up one book and read it from start to finish before starting another book. Now I've turned into the type of reader that has several books started and reads whichever book suits her fancy for the day. I'm currently reading The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman (and still loving it), Sherlock Holmes by Sir Conan Doyle (I'm making my way through the complete works), and City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. These three books only have one thing in common when it comes to genre: They are all works of fiction. So perhaps my favorite genre is simply "Fiction," as I tend to read much more fiction than non-fiction when I read for fun. But can "Fiction" be a label for reading choices? I feel like it's entirely too broad to say much about my reading habits (and I feel like using it as an answer is kind of cheating), yet it's the only one broad enough to fit in all my favorites.
The next poll question is up (or will be in about five minutes), so be sure to head over to the left-hand sidebar to get your answer involved in the next weekly poll discussion.
Happy reading in whatever genre suits your fancy!
Friday, December 4, 2009
My Love Affair with THE ICE QUEEN
Read sometimes for the story.... Don't be like the book-snobs who won't do that. Read sometimes for the words--the language. Don't be like the play-it-safers that won't do that. But when you find a book that has both a good story and good words, treasure that book. --Stephen King, Hearts in AtlantisThis quote from Stephen King makes my breath stop--it does more than just take it away, it makes it impossible for me to breathe while my body processes the words. I am the type of reader that gets carried away with books and their words and their stories. When I read a good book, I forget that there is a world outside, and I crawl inside the book and live there until I'm finished with it. I have posted before about how my favorite books are those that have both content and style; I take King's advice and treasure those books. A while ago, a colleague of mine recommended that I read The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman, and I started reading it a few weeks ago. The book is so beautiful that I find I'm picking it up in spurts and enjoying it slowly, much like I would a gourmet dessert that I want to make last as long as possible. I read a few pages, type out all the memorable quotes I encountered in those pages, and then reflect. I can't push myself to go any faster because I don't want the book to be over too soon. It's 'joie de lire' at its best.
The book is about a woman who is struck by lightning and survives; her story really begins after the lightning strike, which allows her to open herself up to another person--a fellow lightning strike survivor. The story is intriguing because it revolves around a woman whose life is mundane at best, yet Hoffman crafts it with such love that I find myself drawn to this woman's story. The book is so well written, that I find myself wanting to know what it feels like to be struck by lightning so that I can better commiserate with the main character. I think that's one of the highest recommendations I can give a book--it makes me want to be struck by lightning, and not in a bad way. The book has rendered me speechless, so instead of focusing on my own musings, I'm going to let Hoffman's words speak for themselves.
Hoffman's descriptions of characters rarely rely on physical traits but rather on personality quirks and beliefs and actions. One such instance of character description through thought is the following paragraph, which is told from the main character's viewpoint:
I didn't believe that people got what they deserved. I didn't believe in a rational, benevolent world that could be ordered to suit us, an existence presumed to fit snugly into an invented logic. I had no faith in pie charts or diagrams of humanity wherein the wicked were divided from the good and the forever after was in direct opposition to the here and now.As a person who doesn't regularly focus on outward appearances as the definition of people, I appreciate her attention to providing truer descriptions. Later on in the book, she describes a man as beautiful, but never once stops to justify that description physically but instead focuses on how he is beautiful because of his energy--his raw magnetism.
The main character is a librarian, so Hoffman also provides descriptions of books, reading habits, and libraries. One description that got my attention is how the character defined her brother in terms of his reading choices; while she is a fan of fairy tales (Grimms' fairy tales--not Andersen's), her brother is not.
He'd always had some comment to make: Genetically impossible for men to turn into beasts. Ridiculous to imagine that a woman could sleep for a hundred years. Absurd to think the dead could speak in rhymes and the living could make wishes that come true. But the logic of fairy tales was that there was no logic: bad things happened to the innocent, children were set out in the woods by their parents, fear walked hand in hand with experience, a wish spoken aloud could make it so.
I like how she boils it down to "the logic of fairy tales was that there was no logic." This analysis provides more description of the character by showcasing her belief that life is not fair and people do not get what they deserve. It also shows the distinction between her and her brother: her brother prefers logic while she prefers the illogical.
Hoffman's descriptions of events are also spell-binding. In the following passage, she describes the moments just before a man (a roofer) got struck by lightning:
Halfway through his work, he heard a hissing sound, and he found himself thinking of hell and whether or not he might end up there, if such a place existed. His fingers started to tingle. And then he saw what he thought was the moon falling from the sky. But the moon had a tail, and that was surely a bad sign. It was ball lightning; it fell on the roof and rolled down toward him. It looked like a comet headed straight for him, a blue-black thing that was as solid and real as a truck or boot or a living, breathing man. The roofer thought he might be face-to-face with the devil himself, that fallen angel. He thought about everything he hadn't yet done in his life. All of a sudden owning a dog seemed like the most important thing in the world.Hoffman is realistic in her depictions of what people think, and I love how the man's last moments before being struck go not toward his family or his life or anything of great importance but instead toward the fact that he had never owned a dog. I tend to wonder if lives actually flash before people's eyes or if people who say that are just too afraid to admit that their thoughts zoomed in on something insignificant during what could have been the last moment of their lives.
Hoffman also poses fascinating questions through the character's thoughts:
Could you walk into fear as one person and come back as someone else entirely?
If an ice age could be triggered by trivial shifts in the earth's orbit, what might be wrought by a woman in tears?
Are people drawn to each other because of the stories they carry inside?When I come to questions in the book, I have to stop reading and put the book down to give myself time to think about what is being asked and how I would respond. Oftentimes, the questions will be followed by the character's thoughts on the issue, and I like to work out how I feel about the questions before I find out how the character answers them. It's a great thinking practice, and the book is making me more philosophical than I often am.
Happy reading and savoring your treasured books!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Weekly Poll 12/2/09
The question asked what you would like to receive if you were to win a contest on a book blog (one much like mine); out of the four choices, which were a book, book paraphernalia, a gift certificate, and other, all the votes were for the same one: a gift certificate. I find that a wise choice, seeing as how it's not much fun to win a book if you've already got it or if you're not interested in reading it. With a gift certificate, you get the power to choose, and isn't that something we Americans treasure?
The reason I asked that particular question is that I'm toying with the idea of doing a contest on my blog, and I wanted to find out what my readers would be most interested in receiving as a prize. With only two votes, I only know what two of my readers want, but I have a sneaky suspicion most readers would agree with the assessment that we'd rather get money to spend however we'd like than get a specific prize. It's like being on a game show and having the ability to take $15,000 in cash rather than the car that you don't really want. When I decide exactly what I want to do with the contest, I will keep in mind the fact that my readers would appreciate gift certificates.
Thank you to those who voted, and remember to check out this week's question, which is posted in the left-hand sidebar.
Happy reading and voting!
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