Booking Through Thursday

What’s the most enjoyable, most fun, most just-darn-entertaining book you’ve read recently?

(Mind you, this doesn’t necessarily mean funny, since we covered that already. Just … GOOD.)

My choice is A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.

It was funny but it was also thought provoking and made me not want to stop reading. Which to me is an Entertaining book!

BBAW Meme

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
Occasionally. And it really depends. Nuts are good 'cause then I don't get the pages sticky. I do always have a cup of tea at hand.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
Depends on the book I'm reading. I have stared doing it more and more since Susan Wise Bauer said we should and could in her book The Well-Educated Mind. It really does help me think.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
To remember where I am? Neither (unless I am running up to answer the phone or something and I will be right back to the book in which case I leave it flat open, then my dad yells at me)

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Both but mainly fiction.

Hard copy or audiobooks?
Both. I like to listen to a book while I'm eating breakfast or lunch or when I am doing some other (boring) household task. And I can also listen to books I have already read when I drive.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
Depends on the book if I want to put it down or just read one more page! I usually carry a book that I can put down at any point for when I am waiting at the bus stop/doctors office/generally waiting but I need to put it down once it is my turn.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
Not unless it really bothers me that I don't know it. Often I can guess the meaning from the context.

What are you currently reading?
Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings, The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs, Running for Mortals by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield and I am currently reading my way through the Bible in a year.

What is the last book you bought?
The Epic of Gilgamesh

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
Well as you can see from my answer above I read several books at once :D

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
Time of day: No. I read all the time. Favourite place: My bed or curled up in the Red Chair of Doom (unfortunately for me the Red Chair of Doom is on a different continent from me).

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
Hmmm...series probably. But only because I have a compulsive need to know what happens next.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
J.D. Robbs In Death Series, David Eddings The Belgariad and The Mallorean, Anne McCaffrey's Pern Series and the Anne of Green Gables Series.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
Right now? Where ever they fit. I am once again running out of bookshelf space. One day when I have my own place (which at this rate is going to need to be a mansion) I would like to organise my books by genre and then author's last name. I like organisation.

Book Review: Pawn of Prophecy

Publishers Blurb: A magnificent epic set against a history of seven thousand years of the struggles of Gods and Kings and men - of strange lands and events - of fate and a prophecy that must be fulfilled!

THE BELGARIAD

Long ago, so the Storyteller claimed, the evil God Torak sought dominion and drove men and Gods to war. But Belgarath the Sorcerer led men to reclaim the Orb that protected men of the West. So long as it lay at Riva, the prophecy went, men would be safe.

But that was only a story, and Garion did not believe in magic dooms, even though the dark man without a shadow had haunted him for years.

Brought up on a quiet farm by his Aunt Pol, how could he know that the Apostate planned to wake dread Torak, or that he would be led on a quest of unparalleled magic and danger by those he loved - but did not know?

For a while his dreams of innocence were safe, untroubled by knowledge of his strange heritage. For a little while...

THUS BEGINS BOOK ONE OF THE BELGARIAD

My Review: I've loved this book since my mother first read it to me when I was about 10 or 11. Back then I think I loved the adventure. Now I can appreciate the insight we get into the confused mind of a teenage boy along with the mystery that the quest presents. It is an easy read that is definitely accessible for most readers but at the same time there are many layers to the book that makes re-reading a pleasure. As it is the first book in a series I will write a longer review once I've read the whole series.

Closing of Philadelphia Libraries

This was never supposed to be a political blog. I do that in other places. This was supposed to be a blog about reading and books and learning. Unfortunately these two worlds have crashed together in the most awful way in my American home town. Due to budget issues (and I do not and will not get into why or how or who is to blame for it) there is a chance, a BIG chance, that the Philadelphia Free Library system will have to close down come October 2nd. This would be devastating to a large portion of the community for whom the library is a life line. I know this because during the last few years of my grandmothers life the Chestnut Hill branch was where she got the books that we firmly believe kept her going for many more years than she should have. This woman read at least a book a day. At least. She was the indisputable heart of the family and from whom we have all inherited our love of books. The library kept her alive and for it to close would be a tragedy of epic proportions (sorry getting emotional here). The library has always been my refuge. It was the place where I felt safe. To take that possibility away from the children of Philadelphia (many who have no other safe place to go in the afternoons) would be offensive and inhumane. I don't want money to be taken from any of the other vital services in Philadelphia (the courts would loose all their funding under the so called Plan C alternative, there would be cuts to the police and fire service). I want them to come up with a workable solution that keeps the libraries open and provides for vital services to the citizens of Philadelphia.

If you live in the Philadelphia area here is some information on how to progress.

Book Review: A Walk in the Woods

I spent the summer in North Carolina with friends and they lent me this book. I loved it. I've never read any of Bill Bryson's books before but now I have an urge to go out and buy all of them.

This book tells the story of how Bryson and his friend Katz hike the Appalachian Trail (AT. Or at least attempt to do so. It also tells the history of the AT and the surrounding areas. It is a story of the loss of biodiversity, the stupidity and remarkableness of mankind and a bit of a buddy movie. It is also absolutely hilarious. Bryson has a great deal of dry wit and his observations regarding life in America are laugh out loud funny (yes I laughed out loud in airports and on airplanes reading this and I will not apologies) .

While reading this book I kept getting urges to pull out my hiking boots and set of on an adventure. Then I remembered that I consider the day trip up Ben Nevis to be one of my greatest accomplishments but that my friend James will tell you I complained the whole way up and whined the whole way down (he resorted to trickery, we were halfway to the summit for a very long time). I am not a thru-hiker by any stretch of the imagination, but one day I would like to hike at least part of it.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a passing interest in hiking, the outdoors, buddy stories or history. It truly is a book for anyone.

Wander My Friend

Lyrics from Bear McCreary's Wander My Friend Battlestar Galactica Soundtrack. Picture is the Blue Ridge Mountains the first weekend in August 2009.

Spring Flowers

I have been bad at blogging here. I have been completely snowed under the past two months, but after next week things should calm down so look forward to more book reviews and nature pictures. Here are some from the past weeks.

Tussilago Farfara


Anemone Nemorosa L.