btt: a reader
Q:What, in your opinion, is the definition of a “reader.” A person who indiscriminately reads everything in sight? A person who reads BOOKS? A person who reads, period, no matter what it is? … Or, more specific? Like the specific person who’s reading something you wrote?
A:Well, to me a reader is a person who on a consistent basis enjoys reading books in their spare time. There is obliviously the definition of reader for anyone who can read, and that is understandable too, as in for little kids and such. But, for me I would assume that we are already talking about adults, and those who are literate...so in that case a reader is someone who enjoys the act of reading, and not just a certain series, and then never again, but someone who is consistent with their pleasure in reading, and someone who seeks it out (ei little kid who can never check out enough books at the lib, or adults who enjoy a good book with their evening tea or on the porch). Reading does not need to be snobby, and I think the snobbery of exclusion has lasted long enough...reading is a joy and a reader will know that feeling of blis in picking up a book to read. To me a reader is unlike a knowledge-grabber who is on the constant drive to know more, so they can blast you away with all the titles, all the really boring books, and all the facts....to me readers tend to not feel the need to brag about their books, since their joy of reading comes from within, and not from an external praise they would receive. Don't get me wrong we all need encouragement, but I am talking about reading for show,or for what others would assume of us for having read so much, to me that is not a true reader since their pleasure comes not from books but from the glory. (we all like to brag a little though right!?) 
What do you think? What is a reader to you? Are you a reader? Have you always been a reader, or did something trigger it later on in your life?
ps. all of us bookie bloggers would definitely be considered readers!! We are readers over breathers, hhahaha!!! If we aren't readers...than no one is!
BTT: FLAVOR
Think about your favorite authors, your favorite books . . . what is it about them that makes you love them above all the other authors you’ve read? The stories? The characters? The way they appear to relish the taste of words on the tongue? The way they’re unafraid to show the nitty-gritty of life? How they sweep you off to a new, distant place? What is it about those books and authors that makes them resonate with you in ways that other, perfectly good books and authors do not?
When I enjoy a book, I really enjoy a book it has taken me somewhere. I have hopped on a plane weather the place be real of fictional and have "really been" there throughout the reading process of the entire book. If a book fails to deliver, it has failed to make me believe that I have really "been" anywhere but my own imagination.
The places I most like to be are different from my own, I would love to travel, constantly in real life and visit people and places. But since my husband has a job, and we have two little boys (2 and 4) I travel in my books. However for me, my literary traveling goes much deeper than just being somewhere else...I feel that when I go there I am learning about what the culture eats, some of their special customs, some of the things that are struggles for that country, and what unites me with them. People are the same everywhere in the world, and yet very different as well...depending on what they have gone through (war, famine, complacency, overeating....) but, there is a common human bond, a thread of life by which I feel tied to all the peoples of the world.
Having said that, there are peoples lives that I am not interested in. I find them generaly in classiscs, as most classics are writen about afluent wealthy people who live big and hurt even bigger. I know not all classics fit into this category and there are books that are not classics that would (so don't freak!). The ones I am talking about are where there is a wealthy american/european couple/family/individual and they trample everything around them, their servants, eachother's lives, pretty much any part of the world that they come into contact with and then in the end realize: "there was no point in that". AHHHHH! It drives me crazy. I guess mainly books like Portrait of a Lady and Anna Karenina, and that is where I have stopped counting. I know many of you don't feel this way about the classics...and since I am about to begin my reading for the Classics Challenge I should not be feeling this way either. So do you know of any classics that I could read for the Classics Challenge that wouldn't fit into the conquer and devour section of my library? I have read classics such as To Kill A Mockingbird, and Uncle Tom's Cabin and LOVE them...are there any more like that that you could recommend?? And what about you, what books really take you somewhere that you love and want to go?
HAPPY BTT everyone!
BTT: warning, who cares!
Have your book-tastes changed over the years? More fiction? Less? Books that are darker and more serious? Lighter and more frivolous? Challenging? Easy? How-to books over novels? Mysteries over Romance?
Oh, wow are you sure you want to ask me that!!?!?!?! Well, I am sure! I have developed a security in my reading choices over my (short) years. Especially when starting out at Oregon State University as a lit. major, it was easy to get caught up in the mentality- if it isn't absolutely, insanely boring and horrid to get though you are not punishing yourself enough by reading it, and you should go to the lib. and grab one that will bore you to tears in order for it to be a proper lit read!!!!!!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Now I read what I want, I am secure in my choices and I go by no one elses standards, only my own. I have developed a security that a good book is something you do have to read, but not something that you earn by reading the stupid (sorry) 800 pages until you arrive at. Yes, this is still a common feeling between English majors especially- not so much in my major Spanish Lit. since that is more focused on magical realism and diversity, and immigration and the value of all human beings.
The feelings of insufficiency creep in every once in a while when I am asked (by my book club) to read books such as Anna Karenina, or what we are supposed to have read by this Saturday Portrait of a Lady by Henry James....My insecurities creep under my pillow at night and I feel that if I were a true reader I would EARN my stripes, in a self punishment type of way. However deep down I have learned that I need not punish myself for reading, I will read what I enjoy and have developed the security to back that up! No more do I have the need to it-would-look-good, or then-you-would-have-read-that-classic! I do enjoy some classics, and if I enjoy them, I read them....if not...I have realized in my life I have no one to please, not need to match up, and I can even read chick lit and not feel brainless. I read what I choose, not what will make me look good.
Sorry to load emotion to this answer...but it was there, asking to be spoken for.
How do you feel, why do you read a book, do you secretly hope that someone sees the cover and thinks of you in a certain way, or are you embarrassed to read a brainless book because then you could be considered an average reader??
compilcated? nope.
Suggested by: Thisisnotabookclub
Q:What is reading, anyway? Novels, comics, graphic novels, manga, e-books, audiobooks — which of these is reading these days? Are they all reading? Only some of them? What are your personal qualifications for something to be “reading” — why? If something isn’t reading, why not? Does it matter? Does it impact your desire to sample a source if you find out a premise you liked the sound of is in a format you don’t consider to be reading? Share your personal definition of reading, and how you came to have that stance.
(Two weeks late for Reading is Fundamental week, but, well…)
A: I don't think even I can go long winded on this one, reading is simply the act of following the letters on a page, while trying to comprehend what is being said by the words. Kids can do it, I can do it...it really is pretty simple. I am not into classifications, and hoops to jump through, yes cereal box reading is reading too!!! I am not exclusive, but inclusive when it comes to most things, why not let everybody in?!
Do you feel differently, the same?
manuals-shmanuals
Following up last week’s question about reading writing/grammar guides, this week, we’re expanding the question….
Scenario: You’ve just bought some complicated gadget home . . . do you read the accompanying documentation? Or not?
Do you ever read manuals?
Yes, almost always actually. I read instructions for putting bookshelves together, and that way I get it right on the first try. I don't have the time or patience to waste on figuring things out. If it is something like a TV or a DVD player or a computer...I don't. Those are easy to figure out for me.
How-to books?
yes, right now I am reading one on chickens, actually two. I have "Living With Chickens" and another one too. I enjoy knowing about things that I am interested in, but when I move on to something else then I will read about that until I am sick of it too.
Self-help guides?
not so much.
Anything at all?
well, I am not one of those people who will read anything that is before them, just to be reading....nope. I sit and think mostly, especially while eating breakfast. It is too early for my eyes, and for sure for my mind!
That is the way I am! What do you do?
BTT: what would YOU do?
<img src="http://btt2.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/btt2.jpg" alt="
Question: Quick! It’s an emergency! You just got an urgent call about a family emergency and had to rush to the airport with barely time to grab your wallet and your passport. But now, you’re stuck at the airport with nothing to read. What do you do??
And, no, you did NOT have time to grab your bookbag, or the book next to your bed. You were . . . grocery shopping when you got the call and have nothing with you but your wallet and your passport (which you fortuitously brought with you in case they asked for ID in the ethnic food aisle). This is hypothetical, remember….
Honestly I would just sit...probably wander, and people watch. I am a blatant people observer, and the pickin's are especially rich at the airport. I always think it is funny that people actually dress up to fly! I am the opposite, but to me comfort is more important than the appearance I will display when I arrive at my destination. I know, i know sometimes business people fly and need to look nice, but there are tons of people who are not going to a meeting when they land and it seems they still look uncomfortable.
Anyway, yes...I people watch, and in this situation that is what I would do too. I am not lost without books, at least not for short intervals...and that is not all I think about. Huh, I guess I could head over to the duty-free shop for some chocolate.
vocabulary!!
Suggested by Nithin:
Q: I’ve always wondered what other people do when they come across a word/phrase that they’ve never heard before. I mean, do they jot it down on paper so they can look it up later, or do they stop reading to look it up on the dictionary/google it or do they just continue reading and forget about the word?
A: Uhm, yes I am the breeze-right-through-it person. I try to figure it out by context, but I am too lazy to look words up in a dictionary! I tend to not really even think twice about it if I don't get it, then I don't get it...no worries.
I actually know someone who does sit there with a dictionary and he literally stops every couple of pages even if he knows what the word means, but it interested in the dictionary definition of it!!! That is my hubby, not me. I am the opposite.
BTT: Writing Challenge
Q:
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Pick up the nearest book. (I’m sure you must have one nearby.)
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Turn to page 123.
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What is the first sentence on the page?
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The last sentence on the page?
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Now . . . connect them together….
(And no, you may not transcribe the entire page of the book–that’s cheating!)
A: The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
first: I went to the kitchen and washed my glass.
last: "He's got nothing to do with me. He can become a diet member or an astronaut, for all I care."
So for all of you BTT readers out there....I am going to connect the sentences together by writing my own story, yes , this is not part of the book (only the bold is on the actual p 123 of the book) Check it out!
I went to the Kitchen and washed my glass. While doing this chore I could hear her in the background. I am amazed by her unceasing. I raised my eyebrows to myself, and smiled a sad, sad smile. It isn't that she only did it at times, it was a continuous flow of jabber that I soon would not be able to bear even with my newly installed flesh-tone earplugs. Life has changed, it was not this way when we were married, we used to lust after one another with our eyes fixed, we used to take turns, we used to care. I remember thinking, "how did I know to choose so well? How did she?" Now she is unceasing and I am constantly waiting, just only for one thing: that she would cease. That she would give up and let me say only one word. I know, that may not last me forever, but it would buy me some good time.
I don't think she even believes that I am still here, I am uncertain as to where I would go, but I am sure she has come up with many exciting ideas, ideas much better than our current reality. Maybe she doesn't even think of me anymore. Life should be better. I will just say what I want to, so that she cannot forget that I am here, I will be here, I have chosen to belong to her and her to me until death do us part, right? Well the death has not yet taken place, so I must exist here with her. This is what I am thinking when I burst into my wives unceasing conversation with herself only to say: "He's got nothing to do with me. He can become a diet member or an astronaut, for all I care." And then I wonder why that is what I waited so long to say.
BTT: LIT-RA-CHUR!
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When somebody mentions “literature,” what’s the first thing you think of? (Dickens? Tolstoy? Shakespeare?)
Answer: To me literature is much more than the very famous, sometimes hard to read classics. Tolstoy, Dickens and Shakespeare are definitely literature, but I would refer to them as classic literature not just lit in general. Lit-ra-chur to me is the written word, it is as much from European kings and queens as it is of the slaves and peasants. I believe literature are those that move you, change you. Lit is not for the wealthy to call their own, or books written about the wealthy (as in many of the classics), to me it is worldwide and classwide and encompasses much more.
Here is wikipedia's answer:
The word "literature" has different meanings depending on who is using it and in what context. It could be applied broadly to mean any symbolic record, encompassing everything from images and sculptures to letters. In a more narrow sense the term could mean only text composed of letters, or other examples of symbolic written language (Egyptian hieroglyphs, for example). An even more narrow interpretation is that text have a physical form, such as on paper or some other portable form, to the exclusion of inscriptions or digital media. The Muslim scholar and philosopher Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (702-765 AD) defined Literature as follows: "Literature is the garment which one puts on what he says or writes so that it may appear more attractive."[2] Panghilito Luigi added that literature is a slice of life that has been given direction and meaning, an artistic interpretation of the world according to the percipient's point of views. Frequently, the texts that make up literature crossed over these boundaries. Illustrated stories, hypertexts, cave paintings and inscribed monuments have all at one time or another pushed the boundaries of "literature."
I agree with this definition, it encompasses much more than we seem to give it credit for, this is my favourite quote that I found when looking into this topic, it is by philosopher Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (702-765 AD) who defined Literature as follows: "Literature is the garment which one puts on what he says or writes so that it may appear more attractive."
This is my main ramble:
It could even be said that the title"literature" is actually taken from worthy subjects to elevate others to a more valued and reverenced place. Literature is the voice of the people, weather told in the oral tradition of passing down through generations, or in the written form and so on. I believe westerners, and those brought up in a western education system need to be careful to not exclude all things unknown, or those not originating from high-class Europe or the US, that is to be an elitist...and that is no good. There is so much amazing literature worldwide! That is what I have to say about that. (sorry, I think this struck a deep place in my heart...)
- Do you read “literature” (however you define it) for pleasure? Or is it something that you read only when you must?
So, since my definition is very broad for literature...I do read literature all the time. I read it every day, and I love reading it, I love submitting myself to the author and entering new places, and far-away lands.
BTT: I choose books by their covers!
Q:While acknowledging that we can’t judge books by their covers, how much does the design of a book affect your reading enjoyment? Hardcover vs. softcover? Trade paperback vs. mass market paperback? Font? Illustrations? Etc.?
A: Well, honestly I do pick up books for their cover. I am won over by a well designed cover. This mainly has to do with my interest in aesthetics...and my value of graphic design and art...but also if a book looks really boring...I'll leave it be. Covers are important in picking up a book, but once i am into the book I don't even think about it. So, I guess it is more advertising to me...a good book has a good cover right!?
Softcover...DEFINITELY...with a matte finish for sure!
I am not sure I understand the difference between a trade paperback and mass market. I think the trade paperback is done on better quality stuff, and if that is the case trade paperback...mass market seems like it is the glossy cheap-o cover, but that is just what I am guessing. Am I right?
Font- I haven't ever even noticed a difference in fonts...what is wrong with me?
Illustrations- this is a hard one...if I am reading kids books to my two little ones illustrations are a HUGE part, because they are too young to read, but for me illustrations must be done right or they should just be left out. I don't like the silly little drawings that are in some books...they lower the quality...but if an illustration is stunning, well, then I am all for it!
What did you think...sorry I got this up so late!!!!
