The Midnight Summer Festival Starts Today!!

This is a fascinating new literary event, hosted by

the following blogs!

Rabid Reads

Deranged Book Lovers

Mission To Read

The purpose of the event is to highlight and explore

the various world mythologies.

During the time period from July 10th to July 20th,

the three hosting blogs will feature

author interviews, giveaways,

and posts related to mythology.

What a terrific idea!!

If you haven't already joined this event,

you can do so by clicking

on the event button, which you will

find in my sidebar.

Just what is mythology, and how did it originate? 

I have always been fascinated by mythology.  But then, I have always loved the fantastical, the unusual, the surreal and supernatural.  Mythology is all of these things.  As a child, I believed that all the tales of fantasy I read were true, that these things really did happen.  Of course, as I grew into adolescence, I became aware that this wasn't so at all, which only served to heighten my fascination with and attraction to this type of reading material.  So I was quite surprised when I learned that there was a time when adults in ancient cultures actually believed in the gods and goddesses in these tales. 

The human mind, always searching for answers to the puzzles of the universe and existence itself, needs explanations for these mysteries.  The ancients devised such explanations, and they are poetically beautiful, to the extent that the subsequent scientific explanations discovered in later centuries seem pedestrian by comparison.

What could be more beautiful, more sublime, than the idea of a sun god driving a chariot across the heavens?  It wasn't a planet orbiting around the solar system's star that caused night and day.  Instead, a magnificent deity blazed through the ether, with his equally magnificent, fiery horses. 

When Icarus demands to be allowed to fly near the sun, we feel his father Daedalus's anxiety, and when Icarus plunges to his flaming death, we also feel his father's pain... This myth is similar to that of Phaeton, who wanted to drive the chariot of the sun (see picture and link below).

What we moderns know as 'mythology' was once sacred to our ancestors.  Far from being fantastical tales passed down from generation to generation, mythology was once a set of beliefs.  Some cultures at the present time still have what could be termed a mythologically-based religion.  Examples would be Hinduism in India, and Shintoism in Japan.  Wicca, a modern Neopagan religion, also incorporates pantheons from several cultures. 

According to Wikipedia, there are several theories for the origin of myths.  One such theory is named "euhemerism", because the mythologist Euhemerus (c. 320 B.C.) suggested that the stories of the gods and goddesses were really legends about actual human beings.

Another theory proposes that myths originated as allegories of natural phenomena.  Max Muller, a 19th-century Sanskrit scholar, favored this theory, which also encompasses philosophical and spiritual concepts.  Thus, Apollo came to represent fire, Poseidon water, and so forth.

A third theory proposes that the ancients, not understanding the forces of nature, tended to personify them, and thus began to worship them.  This is the theory of mythopoeic thought. 

Yet another theory states that myths are connected to rituals.  This is named the myth-ritual theory, proposed by Biblical scholar William Robertson Smith.  According to this one, people performed rituals for many years, eventually forgetting the reason for them.  They then invented myths which supposedly were the reasons for those rituals.

No matter which theory one wants to follow (I personally believe that they are all equally plausible explanations for the origins of mythology), it cannot be denied that mythology is a fascinating topic even in the 21st century!  Although many of us book addicts love to read 'hard' science fiction, and may be passionate about our computers, cell phones, and iPads, there's still something about mythology that calls to the human soul, that part of us that loves poetry, that is enchanted by the mysterious, the beautiful, the imaginary. 

How interesting that the United States chose the name "Apollo" for its series of lunar expeditions!  Indeed, even the insignia, or patch, chosen for the Apollo 13 mission features the blazing solar horses! 

I hope more of you will join us for a truly fascinating journey through the world of myths!  After all, they are the source of our wonderful tales of fantasy and the supernatural, as exemplified by our greatest authors in these genres! 

Phaeton and the Chariot of the Sun

Apollo 13 Mission Patch

Main Source: Wikipedia article on mythology

  

   

Book Blogger Hop #2 (7/1 - 7/4)

This is a very interesting book meme!

It's hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books,

and runs every week,

from Friday to Monday.

Be sure to check out her blog for

the hop participation rules!

This week’s question comes from Sue,

who blogs at Cookie’s Book Club!

Don't forget to visit her blog and thank her!

“What keeps you reading beyond the first few pages of a book, and what makes you want to stop reading a book and put it back on the shelf?“

Another fascinating question!  This one could easily take up several blog posts, since there are so many factors involved!  However, I will try to be brief, which is not a very easy thing for me...

Different standards should obviously be applied to fiction and non-fiction.  In the case of the former, the most important factor that first comes to mind is the believability of the plot and characterizations.  How easily am I pulled right into the story, forgetting where I happen to be as I'm reading it?  How completely am I able to relate to the characters, especially the protagonist?  If the author doesn't succeed in transporting me right into the book's world, then I will not be able to continue reading it.  If the characters are not three-dimensional people, I won't be able to continue, either.  In fiction writing, as most creative writing teachers and literary critics will agree, the crucial ingredient is the suspension of disbelief.  Without it, the reader will be pulled right out of the story, not into it. 

In creating this suspension of disbelief, the writer must have a plot well-grounded in research.   This is always necessary in writing novels that take place in historical periods in the past, or in cultures that would normally be unfamiliar to a reader.   However, it would also be necessary for those writers using a contemporary setting.  There's always some specialized knowledge that must sound authentic to the reader.  With fantasy and science fiction novels, some research will still be necessary, particularly with science fiction.   An SF writer should usually be knowledgeable about science topics and cutting edge technology, so that s/he can extrapolate into how present-day technology might evolve.

I also believe that emotion is very important in fiction writing.  To me, nothing kills a novel faster than reading a scene which is supposed to have a lot of highly-charged conflict, only to have a character act like some robot, unless, of course, such a reaction is part of his character as written by the author.  Two examples come up -- Mr. Spock and Data, from Star Trek.  While these were originally characters in a TV show, they did eventually end up being book characters, since so many Star Trek novels have been written about these and other characters from the several 'generations' of the program.

Another thing I love in a novel is beautiful, flowing prose, and long, descriptive passages, if these are not overly frequent.  A writer should strike a nice balance between dialogue and description.  Too much of either is not good, but I definitely get quickly bored with novels containing too much dialogue, with very short, terse descriptive passages.  

The following is a major turnoff for me: a protagonist acting in a blatantly cruel, unethical manner.  I can tolerate this in a villain, or a minor character.  If the main character in a book acts in such a manner, however, I can't stomach the book.  This is precisely what happened when I read Wuthering Heights.  Heathcliff is the main protagonist, and his behavior throughout the latter part of the novel utterly disgusted me!   Another example comes from a vampire romance novel I read long ago, by a writer named Nancy Gideon.  I don't recall the name of the book, but one of the main characters, a young woman in love with a vampire, chose that vampire over her own father at one crucial point in the story.  This might not seem like much, except that her father was bleeding heavily after being attacked by this very same vampire.  Instead of tending to him, she chose to go off to the vampire's house with him.  Granted, the vampire regretted the attack, since the girl's father had been trying to help cure his vampirism.  Still, the father was left behind, having suffered a serious wound.  That book died for me right then and there, and I ended up getting rid of it!

Yet another thing that turns me off is a lot of foul language, and pornographic sex scenes.  I can enjoy the latter if tastefully done.  This, for me, means that no body parts are referred to by their vulgar names, nor are any 'kinky' elements such as bondage present.  As for foul language, I can't stand it!!  I particularly detest 'the F bomb'.   I have actually gone back to a bookstore to return a book I have just bought, because it contained this word, as well as other, well-known 'swear words'.

So this covers my likes and dislikes in regards to fiction writing.  I can see I would need another post in order to cover non-fiction writing, but I will stop here.  I can always write a 'literary musing' on the topic.  It seems I might be doing the same thing with fiction writing.  I think I need to really expand on this...

Here are some examples of books I find absolutely riveting: 

The Island of Eternal Love

Daina Chaviano

You can find my review of this book HERE.

Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury

You can find my review of this book HERE.

The Hobbit

J.R.R. Tolkien

The Twilight Saga

Stephenie Meyer

You can find my review of the first volume HERE.

Jane Eyre

Charlotte Bronte

 

Book Blogger Hop #1 (6/24 - 6/27)

This is my first time participating in this blog hop!

It's hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books,

and runs every week,

from Friday to Monday.

Be sure to check out her blog for

the hop participation rules!

This week’s question comes from Elena,

who blogs at Books and Reviews!

Be sure to visit her blog and tell her thank you!

"When did you realize reading was your passion

and a truly important part of your life?"

This is a truly fascinating question!  I really can't remember a time that reading was not a passion for me, as well as a very, very important part of my life.  I think I was born with a profound love of books! 

I do recall that one of my favorite childhood stories, which I read over and over in a children's book, was "El Mago Silbador" ("The Whistling Magician").  Mom says that I told her the whole story from memory one day!  I don't know how old I was at the time.  Maybe four or five. 

Another little anecdote Mom has told me is that she didn't need anything other than a Reader's Digest magazine to keep me quiet, back when I was two!  She'd put me in a playpen in the living room, with the magazine sitting next to me.  Then she'd watch me as I carefully opened the magazine, and just as carefully turned the pages, scrutinizing each one minutely.  I'd spend at least an hour in this activity, after which I would fall asleep, the magazine at my side. 

I also remember having lots and lots of comic books as a child.  My favorites were Superman and Mighty Mouse.  I preferred them to dolls!

Then there were the "condensed versions" of such classics as A Christmas Carol, Tom Sawyer and The Prince and the Pauper, which I read in Spanish, since that was my first language.  I also read the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen in Spanish, as well as the fantastic tales of Hoffmann, the author of "The Nutcracker". 

When my family came to the U.S. and I knew enough English, I was able to read Tom Sawyer again, in the original language and full-length version.  I did have some trouble, though, with all those Southern colloquial expressions, since I was about ten at the time. 

I used to love going to the library to take out books, but this delight didn't last long, because the day always came when I had to return a book I had greatly enjoyed reading...  This happened over and over.  Each time I read a book, it became a part of me, so the day of its return was always a depressing occasion for me.  I wanted to keep the book!  So then I started bugging my parents to get me this or that book, for my birthday, for Christmas, or just whenever I decided that I just had to have a particular book!  So it was that I got books like Black Beauty, Little Women, Alice in Wonderland, Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates, Treasure Island, and many others.

I have always wanted to dive right into a novel and just be my favorite character!  I don't much like reality, which I find so boring... 

Somewhere along the line, I got into the habit of taking a book with me everywhere I went.  That habit has stayed with me, too.  If I have to wait in line anywhere, I read.  If I have to sit for a while in a doctor's office, I read.  I even used to read a bit when I was at a red light, but gave that up, realizing I was going a bit too far...lol.

I currently own well over 2,000 books.  I don't know the exact number.  Although most of them are in English, I do have some in Spanish.  I've been meaning to read Jorge Luis Borges for a while, and haven't gotten to him yet...

Books have always been my life!  And, as Borges used to say, I hope Paradise will be some kind of library!

Here are some of my bulging bookshelves!

(And my night table...)

 

Favorite Author: Stephenie Meyer

Stephenie Meyer

( Born December 24, 1973)

Some time back in 2006, I was doing my customary browsing on Amazon, in search of something new to read.  This is a compulsive ritual I engage in every single day.  Most of the time, I buy a book.  Other times, I merely torture myself with all the books I'd like to add to my collection, and know I won't be able to.  On that fateful day, I first came across Twilight.

As I've done on so many other occasions, I opened the site's reader, and sampled an excerpt.  As I read, my interest fascination increased to the point that I knew I needed to own this novel!  So I hurriedly closed the reader, and ordered the book .  I had never heard of Stephenie Meyer at the time, but I knew I had found something incredibly good!!

When I received it in the mail, I began at once to read it, falling headlong into Meyer's fascinating, utterly compelling world.  I felt that I was part of that world, somehow.  I lived the novel.  So, of course, I devoured the book in a very short time.  Then I ordered the next one, New Moon, only to have the same experience. 

Five years later, I have read Twilight three times, and the entire Saga twice.  I will never grow tired of the timeless romance of Edward and Bella, nor will I ever grow tired of a certain werewolf named Jacob Black, whom I love almost as fiercely as the vampire Edward Cullen.

The four books in the series are Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn.  They tell the enthralling story of the love between a vampire boy and a human girl, who is also loved by a shapeshifter/werewolf. 

We are introduced to all three of them in the first book, in which Bella also has a chilling, nearly fatal encounter with a ruthless vampire who doesn't share the Cullen family's firm ethical code of not harming humans. 

In the second book, Edward leaves Bella, and she seeks solace in her deepening friendship with Jacob, the werewolf, who ends up falling hopelessly in love with her.  Later in the novel, she must rescue her despairing beloved from the clutches of the Volturi, a coven of ruthless vampires who have no qualms about killing humans for their blood. 

In the third book, the two groups -- the Cullen family and the werewolf members of the Quileute tribe -- have to form an uneasy alliance in order to deal with the Volturi, and a renewed threat to Bella's life. 

The fourth book portrays the wedding of Bella and Edward, as well as the birth of their very gifted, very unusual daughter.  Things come to a head with the Volturi as well, and the series reaches a satisfactory resolution, leaving its devoted fans happy, and yet wanting more...

Some of us -- myself included -- have even written Twilight-inspired fan fiction, so as to savor our beloved characters as many times as we wish...  We simply can't get enough of them!

Meyer hails from Hartford, Connecticut, USA, but grew up in Phoenix, Arizona.  She graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, with a major in English.  She and her husband, Christian Meyer, whom she married in 1994, have three sons -- Gabe, Seth, and Eli.

In addition to The Twilight Saga, she has written Midnight Sun , which tells the story of The Saga from Edward Cullen's perspective.   The book needs more work, but Meyer has put the project on hold because several chapters were leaked and appeared on the Internet.  It is available, however, on the author's official website, which you can access HERE. 

Other books include The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, a novella set in the Twilight universe,  The Host: A Novel, a science fiction novel for adults, and The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide, released in April, 2011.

A graphic novel adaptation of the first book has also been released --- Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1, as well as The Twilight Journals, which are blank diaries adorned with quotes from The Saga. 

There are several critical analyses of the series, most of them favorable.  The one I consider best so far is Spotlight: A Close-Up Look at the Artistry and Meaning of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga.  The book, written by John Granger, who has also authored an analysis of the Harry Potter series, presents a penetrating look at The Saga, discussing it as serious literature. 

I was delighted when I discovered, about a year ago, that the story had started with a dream that Meyer had one night -- a dream in which she clearly saw Edward and Bella, standing in a meadow, discussing their unusual relationship.  Edward was sparkling in the brilliant sunlight...

This dream refused to drift back into the recesses of her mind.  Instead, it blossomed and grew.  As she went about her daily duties at home with her children, it stayed with her.  So she sat down one day and began to write...and the dream flowed...

The magic of literature always begins with a dream, whether the dreamer is asleep, fully awake, or in some kind of in-between state more receptive to images from the unconscious.  In this case, Meyer's unconscious proved especially fertile!

This is the beautiful white edition of The Twilight Saga,

released only in the UK.

Of course, I own one of them!

(As well as the original one, with the black covers!)

Stephenie Meyer has profoundly touched the hearts and souls of millions of girls and women.  There are those who will disagree, criticizing the books as "cheesy", poorly written, and of no literary value whatsoever.  Stephen King, for instance, whose work I enjoy detesting with every fiber of my being, has stated that Stephenie Meyer, in contrast to J.K. Rowling, "...can't write worth a darn."  These are very unfair words indeed.  Those of us who love The Twilight Saga pay such critics no mind, however.  We have been indelibly marked by the beauty and magic of these four books, and will always treasure them!

The first three books have been made into movies, and the fourth is being filmed in two parts, the first of which will be released in November of this year. 

Many of us fans would be thrilled, of course, if Meyer published more books.  However, I would venture to say that for us, there will never be anything to equal The Twilight Saga.  It will firmly retain a place in our hearts as a testament to the power of true, unconditional love!

Musing Mondays #3

This is a weekly book meme hosted by Miz B at

 Should Be Reading.

Each week, she poses an interesting question

related to books and reading preferences.

To join in, simply visit her blog, grab her logo,

and add your blog link in the comments section.

Today's question is:

What’s the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn’t put it down?

I definitely have to go with Lisa Bergren's Waterfall!  I really and truly couldn't stop reading until I finished.  Well, if you don't count such things ad having to go to work, having meals, and other necessities.  However, when I wasn't doing these things, I was reading this book.  I did stay up until 3:00 AM one Saturday night in order to finish it. 

The story is a beautiful fantasy, with a combination of time travel, adventure, and romance.  It revolves around two sisters, Gabriela and Evangelia Betarrini, whose parents are archaeologists.  While on an archaeological site with their mother, the sisters are accidentally transported through time to 14th-century Italy.  There, one of them, Gabriela, finds her true love, and astonishes him as well as everyone else with her expertise with a sword, as well as her uncanny ability to scale castle walls! 

Not to be outdone, her sister, Lia, shows her own expertise with bow and arrow, and is admired by her own true love, who will probably make a move in the second book, titled Cascade, which I will soon start reading!

This is an exciting fantasy trilogy, and I really can't praise it enough!

You can find my review of Waterfall HERE!!

Follow My Book Blog Friday Hop #3

This weekly feature is hosted by

Rachel at Parajunkee's View, which you really must

go and check out!!

She not only has fabulous features,

but is a web designer

'par excellence'!!

You can find the rules at the link above.

Join in the fun and make new blogging friends!!

This week's featured blog is:

Nicki J. Markus!!

Here's today's fascinating question!

The magic book fairy pops out of your cereal box

and says:

 "You and your favorite character

(from a book of course) can switch places!"

Who are you going to switch with?

This is an incredibly easy question for a Twilight lover like me to answer!  I would switch with Bella Swan, of course!  In fact, when I read Twilight for the first time, I felt that I was, indeed, Bella Swan.  I could relate to her very well, because I tend to be a bit klutzy myself, although not to the degree she is!  I could also relate quite well to a lot of her feelings, with one notable exception -- I don't like hot weather at all!  I much prefer the cold weather, although I must admit, not quite as cold as it gets in the northern states.  (I'm in Miami, Florida, USA, and it gets pretty darn hot here every year, even before we start June!)

Edward is the type of man I wish I could have met, too.  He is very attentive, kind, and a great listener!  Adding to all this, he makes a girl's knees go weak without even touching her!  And, as if this weren't enough, he's a GREAT kisser!  However, the one thing that makes him totally irresistible is the fact that he's completely crazy about Bella!  What girl wouldn't want a guy to feel like that about her? 

I'm a hopeless romantic...so I'd give anything to have a guy look at me the way Edward looks at Bella!!  I'd also love to hear the things Edward tells Bella....sigh....

Not that I don't love my husband, but he's a regular, real guy.  I understand that Edward is an ideal, a fantasy.  He is what most of us women want, and no real-life man can ever quite measure up to him.  But a girl can still dream, can't she?

 

Musing Mondays #2

This is a weekly book meme hosted by Miz B at

 Should Be Reading.

Each week, she poses an interesting question

related to books and reading preferences.

To join in, simply visit her blog, grab her logo,

and add your blog link in the comments section.

Today's question is:

Where is your favorite place to read?

I guess I'll have to say I prefer to read in bed, although I really don't.  The bed doesn't have a "traditional" headboard, so I'm not all that comfortable.  I have to put two pillows under my neck.  But I have no choice -- this is the only place at home I can do any reading at all, unless my husband isn't using his special recliner, which, unfortunately, puts a crick in my neck after I've been sitting in it for a while...

I love to read at the beach!  I stay under an umbrella, well-protected with a slathering of SPF 30 lotion, and just lie back in a lounge chair, relaxed and mellow...  the sound of the surf is very soothing, and somehow I'm able to tune out the sounds around me.  This is soooo heavenly... 

If I can, I try to get to a big, beautiful Barnes & Noble on Sundays.  It's located quite a few miles from us, in the Kendall area (we live in Miami, Florida).  When I arrive, I go on a little excursion to find a book (I always have to buy a book when I go there!), and then head for the snack bar, where I will usually grab a whole-grain bagel with cream cheese, a solo espresso macchiato, and look for an empty table, preferably in some cozy, little corner.   Then I settle down there, eat my delicious bagel, drink my macchiato, and dive into the book, which, of course, I have already paid for when buying the bagel and macchiato.  At such times, it seems like everything's right in the world...

I am able to lose track of time in all three of these places, even the bed.  That's what really counts.  Unless one is able to realize, with a shock, that several hours have gone by, one hasn't really been enjoying one's reading!       

Musing Mondays #1

This is a weekly book meme hosted by Miz B at

 Should Be Reading.

Each week, she poses a thought-provoking question

related to books and reading preferences.

To join in, simply visit her blog, grab her logo,

and add your blog link in the comments section.

Today marks my very first time with this meme!

Today's question is:

Describe the last time you were stumped for something to read, and you took measures to remedy that — either by going to the bookstore, the library, or shopping elsewhere. What book did you choose? Did it get you out of your slump?

This has happened to me on several occasions, but, since I practically live in a library, it's not too hard for me to find something to read right away!  There have been times, though, when I have felt either very anxious, or a bit depressed, and have not had a book handy.  Books always give me some sense of relief, whatever I might be feeling at the moment.

I recall one such occasion.  I had to be at the airport one afternoon, because my first husband was leaving for a trip abroad, to see some of his relatives.  I was feeling distraught because I couldn't go with him.   I had not taken a book with me, for some reason.  As we waited -- the plane had been delayed -- I started getting restless.  This is what invariably happens to me when I have to be somewhere with time on my hands.  I have to be reading something on such occasions!  Adding to the problem was the fact that I didn't even want to be at the airport that day.  I didn't want to say goodbye to him.  (I am now happily remarried; life is full of ironies!)

I figured that buying a book would ease my tension.  Besides, I wanted to remember the date.  Yes, I know...love is blind.   I excused myself -- a couple of my husband's relatives were with us -- and hurried into the nearest store, which had a large newsstand section.  I began feverishly looking through the paperbacks and....I found my book!

Unfortunately, I can't remember either the title or the author, and only recall some vague things about the plot.  (I suspect this is because the book is connected to this event with my ex.)  The story had something to do with a young American woman starting her first job in the tough working world of New York City.  The time is the late twenties, if I remember correctly.  She is very naive.  I believe she has a bad romance.  Parallel to this is the story of a young man named Joseph, who is Jewish.  He elopes with a girl named Rachel, whose family was against their marriage.  They end up in a desert setting somewhere in Africa, with a group of some sort, led by a ruthless, tyrannical man.  By this time, Joseph and Rachel have had two children -- a boy and a girl.  Well, the leader of the group wants to have their son for himself, to raise as a warrior for his group.  So he poisons Joseph's wife and daughter, making it look as if they had succumbed to an unknown disease.  At the same time, he also makes it look like Joseph's son has died right along with his sister and mother.  Joseph, heartbroken, leaves the area, never knowing that another man has now taken his place as the boy's father.
 
Somehow Joseph ends up in Paris, where he meets the young American girl.  They fall in love and eventually marry.  However, the specter of the Nazis now arises, and, again if I remember correctly, she helps him to hide when the Nazis occupy Paris.
  
This is obviously a work of literary fiction. As you can tell from my synopsis, the mood is very melancholy throughout, although I'm pretty sure there was a happy ending -- Joseph was not captured by the Nazis, and stayed happily married to the young American girl.
   
I wish I could remember the title and author of this book, because it was very compelling reading!  I do recall not being able to stop reading it until I finished.   I can see the cover pretty clearly in my mind -- except for the title and author's name!

Did the book take me out of my "slump"?  Well, in regards to reading, yes.  In regards to my emotional state, not really.  It made me even more depressed than I already was.  Paradoxically, I felt better at the same time.  I got lost in the troubles of these fictional characters, and that took my mind off the fact that I wouldn't be seeing my husband for the next two weeks.  However, I went back to feeling down when I finished the book...

This would make a great "Musing Mondays" theme, by the way: "Have you ever read a book with a fascinating plot, but couldn't recall either the title or author's name, years later?  Describe the plot as best as you can.  Perhaps another blogger can identify the book."  Well, Miz B, here's a suggestion for your book meme!  (Unless, of course, you've already done this type of thing!)

So now I am putting forth the question to anyone who happens to read this.  If any of you know exactly which book I'm referring to, please let me know!  I wouldn't mind reading it again, in spite of its unhappy association...  

Follow My Book Blog Friday Hop #1

Well, I have finally decided to go for it!

Yes, this is my very first "Follow Friday Hop"!

This weekly feature is hosted by

Parajunkee's View,

and many blogs participate!

Here are the rules:

1.  You must follow Parjunkee's View, and any other blog you want to follow, from the list of linked blogs.

2.  You also need to follow each week's featured blogger.  This week's blogger is Book Bliss!!

3.  Put your blog name and URL in the Linky widget.

4.  Grab the "Follow My Book Blog Friday" button and place it in your Follow Friday posts.

5.  Follow as many blogs as you want, or just follow a few.  Always say "hi" when you start following a blog.

6.  It's nice to follow back when someone lets you know they're following your own blog.  Spread the love and the follows!!

7.  If you're new to the Follow Friday Hop, please comment on Parajunkee's blog, so they can go check out your blog!

8.  You also need to answer each week's blog hop question.

This week's question:

How many books do you read in a week? And in what format do you read them, or listen to them?

This question makes me feel a bit sad... I work two jobs, so I don't have as much time for reading as I wish I had.  Therefore, I usually read one, perhaps two, books a week.  I'm one of those weird readers who pronounces each word in their mind as they read, so that also slows me up!  I've tried to break this habit, which has been with me for as long as I can remember, but haven't had much success.  It's like I can't get into the story if I don't sound the words out in my mind.  I wonder if this happens to other people.  However, I don't like the idea of trying to zip through books as fast as I possibly can.  I want to truly enjoy the story.  This involves savoring the descriptive passages, so that I can picture them vividly.  It also entails feeling the emotions of the characters, thinking their thoughts.  So I do think that reading more slowly helps one to accomplish these things.  Even when I can't put a book down because it's an enthralling read, I still can't read any faster than I do.  Of course, speed reading courses are completely out for me!  

As for reading formats, I totally prefer print versions.  I must hold a real book in my hands as I read.  I totally abhor ebooks!  Part of the pleasure of reading, for me, is having a physical book to read from.  I prefer turning pages to scrolling, no matter how wonderful the technology of ereaders is nowadays!  I can't get into a book I'm reading on a screen.  I can and do read blog posts, but reading an entire book on a screen, no matter how glare-free, is another matter entirely!  So, of course, I do not review ebooks, either.

I have no such problem with audio books!  In fact, I love them!  I do have to say, though, that I will usually listen to an audio book after I have already read the print version.   This is what I did with The Twilight Saga.  So, in any case, hard copies will always be my first reading preference.  The great thing about audio books is that we modern readers can in this way connect with the age-old tradition of storytelling.  The music and flow of language, the various voice intonations -- these are things that add to the plot.  Descriptions become much more vivid, too, when read aloud.  These are the reasons I will listen to a beloved book after I have read the hard copy.  It heightens and prolongs my aesthetic pleasure in the original work.  It's almost like savoring a fine wine!



For the Love of Books....

"You fall in love with every book you touch. You never break the spine or tear the pages. That would be cruel. You have secret favorites but, when asked, you say that you could never choose. But did you know that books fall in love with you, too? "


The quote above is from an essay written by an author I have just re-discovered.  The title is "Just So You Know".  The author's name is Sarah Addison Allen. 

I had seen one of Allen's novels in a Barnes & Noble store about a year ago, and made a mental note to purchase the book later.  The book's title is Garden Spells.  I had somehow forgotten the book and its author, however.  Inexcusable behavior for an inveterate bookworm like me!  In a rather serendipitous manner, the book has now gotten my attention again, and I now know I am meant to buy it.  How else can I make sense of this little coincidence?

Before I am tempted to digress further, I have to explain how I came upon this wonderful quote, how I found the essay and read it in its entirety, discovering the author anew.

As I read, my eyes filled, even as I began to smile, for the author's delightful words touched my core -- my heart of hearts, where the love of books swells and swells, until I am nearly bursting with it.  Books, to me,  are mysterious, wonderful portals to worlds unknown, ideas about to blossom and take flight.  They bring me the deepest happiness I have ever known on earth, comparable only to the happiness of union with one's beloved.

I hadn't meant to post anything tonight.  It's the end of another long, tedious work week, after all.  I was feeling tired.  However, I had to come check out the blogosphere, to see if yesterday's Great Blogger Blackout  had at last ended. It had, thankfully, so I settled in to catch up with my own blog, as well as others.
 
So it was that I discovered the wonderfully eclectic blog An Armchair By The Sea, in which Bex, the blog's owner, holds forth on any and all genres, from the very literary-looking town of Broadstairs, located in Kent, England.   Bex featured this quote in one of her posts, linking to Allen's essay as well.  I followed the trail, which led to the author's website, found and read the essay, which is full of very vivid, whimsical imagery, and felt inspired to write a post about it, since it touched that special place I have for books.

Before I knew it, it was nearly midnight.  I put the finishing touches on my post, and published it.  I had run over into Saturday.  My bibliophile's passion had carried me away...

I have always loved and treasured them, these objects that carry the thoughts and imaginings of humans who feel compelled to pour their inner being out on the page, sharing their hidden longings, passions, ideas, and invented tales with their eager readers.  These objects have a long, honored history.  They have a special presence in the world.  They not only beckon, but entice.  Yes, Allen is right -- books fall in love with us, too.  How many times, for instance, have I felt the siren call, and, as if mesmerized, found my way to the nearest bookstore, only to find just the book I wanted, waiting for me?  How many times have I stumbled upon a fantastic new author, whether of fiction or non-fiction, and started to read, only to find myself waking to the real world two or more hours later, then making a mad dash for the cash register to pay for my newly-found treasure, just before the store closed for the night?

Yes, books fall in love with us.  They seduce us.  So it is that we find ourselves suddenly possessed by them, almost without realizing just what has happened....  

And what of those times, as mentioned by Allen, in which, in a futile attempt to "stop spending so much money on books", we turn our backs on a volume that has unerringly wooed us, and walk out of a bookstore with a heavy heart?  Have we not always inevitably returned, rather desperately, hoping almost against hope that no one else has snatched up the precious one?  Have we not felt that delicious wash of relief at seeing the book still sitting on the shelf -- or wherever we had hidden it, as I have frequently done -- silently and smugly waiting for us, sure that we would return to correct our ridiculous mistake? Have we not then even hugged the treasure to our chests, triumphantly marching toward the cash register, where we then eagerly divested ourselves of our hard-earned money in order to own said treasure?  Ah.....and then, once out in the parking lot, and in our car, we stopped for a moment in wonder before putting the key in the ignition, pulled the treasure out of its plastic bookstore bag, with the Borders logo on it, or perhaps B&N, or Books & Books, or Sandy's Attic Treasures, or whatever the name of the bookstore happened to be...we pulled out our new book, reverently, staring long and lovingly at it, caressing its shiny, beautifully-designed cover... So we reveled in looking at and holding this wonderful object, and sighed....at last, it was ours, and only ours.  It had already become part of us.

For those of us who must satisfy our addiction as soon as possible (although we have to wait for our wonderful objects to arrive on our door), there's always the Internet, of course.  In that case, who has not known the thrill of "sniping" on eBay at the very last minute, snatching a coveted book in an auction we weren't sure we would win?  Which of us die-hard bookworms have not searched and scrolled on Amazon or Goodreads, analyzing reviews, and then happily pulled out our almost maxed-out credit cards to place an order for a book we "simply must have"?

It's a great relationship, that of humans and books.  It's an eternal marriage, for those of us that truly love them.  Neither divorce nor annulment are an option.  A book calls out to us, and we respond with love.  We strive to own it, as it strives to own us.  If a book is not for us, we will not feel this call.  There will be no relationship, no marriage.  But when a book exerts its mysterious pull on us, it is calling to the depths of our being, and there is something in us akin to that book.  If there weren't, we would not feel the pull, the call.

Some of us are born with this love, this vulnerability to the siren call of books.  Some of us are not.  For those of us who are, a book will always be preferred as a present, on any occasion.  Other presents will be enjoyed, but a book will always be a very special gift, one that, if it matches our soul, will be a life-long companion,  never to die, always part of our inner being.

It is with a long sigh of satisfaction that we close a book that we have finished reading, one that we have truly enjoyed.  We have loved it, and it has loved us.  But the greatest wonder of all is that we can come back to our beloved.  We can open its portals again and again any time we wish, inhaling its heady fragrance, and jump into its world, or ponder upon its theories and ideas.  It's a magical relationship, that of humans and books -- real books, that is, the ones that can be held in one's hands, the ones with pages that can be turned, instead of scrolled.  There's nothing to compare, at least for me, with the joys of owning and being owned by a physical book.  Captain Kirk, in the original Star Trek series, fully agreed with me.  He was a citizen of the 23rd century, a time in which books were no longer printed on paper, but found only on computers.  He wistfully and lovingly kept a small hoard of beloved "antique books" on a shelf in his cabin aboard the Enterprise.  In his moments of leisure, when not dealing with devious Romulans or aggressive Klingons, he would dip into this sacred well, smiling with that peculiar satisfaction known only to the insatiable bookworm...

It's rather ironic that I'm upholding the value of printed books through this medium that uses no paper...  Yes, I have a blog, and it's on a machine, after all.  Still, one must profess one's love in whatever way one can!  So I profess my love of printed books on a computer.  Kirk would have smiled at that.

What more can I say at this point, except that I'm heading over to Amazon, as soon as I finish posting this bibliophile's dream, in order to buy Garden Spells?  (The printed version, of course.)  After all, I simply must have this book...and why not, every other book she's written, too!