Archive
Experiencing books
Once a quarter during college, I’d receive my financial aid and go on a book-buying binge. I’d vow to spend my remaining money wisely enough that I’d be able to keep the books.
Once a quarter, nearer its end, I’d look at my books and wish they were nutritionally as well as intellectually sustaining. I’d then haul them to Smith Family Bookstore, where I’d trade one form of sustenance (books) for cash for the other (food).
Only a handful of books survived my college days. Fewer still moved overseas and back with me. Twice.
Early last year, my dear friend Sarah started recommending books she knew I’d like. A Brief History of Montmaray didn’t just suck me into its own pages but back into reading. By the end of 2011, thanks to copious readwalking, I’d read 40ish books. Most of those were ones I’d bought myself, which meant I was adding books to my shelves* knowing I really would be able to keep them this time around.
Since my return to reading, most of my books have come from Amazon. With time in short supply, it’s been convenient to click straight from a review to my online shopping cart, having to waste time on nothing more than cutting open a box.
It was all so easy, I forgot how I used to enjoy the book-buying experience. In bygone days, I’d spend hours maneuvering through stacks of books and savor the weight, feel and smell of each book I touched, whether or not any given book came home with me. Being surrounded by books was better than being surrounded by anything else in the entire world, and in the presence of so many books I felt the vastness of the world represented across all those pages.
What reminded me of the cost of “ease”?
I’d driven by it many times before I actually stopped and peeked in a couple of weeks ago. With my little one, Li’l D, close at heel, I picked up books based on a combination of color, title and whimsy before scanning their blurbs and selecting some. Unlike the old days, my perusing time was limited.
Also unlike the old days, I was able to partake of the goodness of sharing the book-buying experience with my own little (pre-)reader. I left with five books; Li’l D, three. Sadly but predictably**, Li’l D’s favorite thing about his books was learning that pop-up books are really fun to demolish. (Li’l D: “Mommy, look! I have a monkey!” Mommy: “Sweetie, the monkey was supposed to stay in the book.”)
I had maybe ten minutes to explore. In ten minutes, with a little help from a little helper, I’d found eight books to take home. Each of those books has its own history, from inception in the writer’s mind to agent to publisher to reader to bookstore . . . and then to me. With each book I touched, I touched more than pages. I touched history. I touched humanity. I touched the words of others who make these things accessible and tangible.
Seeing right side up? Upside down? No matter!
As long as I read, I’m granted the ability to see this world and others through others’ eyes. This is the antithesis to loneliness.
I left the bookstore wondering how much time I’m really saving when I use Amazon. Am I saving minutes? Seconds? Is any “saving” worth the loss of really connecting with the individual books I decide to make part of my home, hopefully forever?
I’m not going to answer this question with a timer. I’m going to rely on intuition as I always used to. My intuition says the loss is greater than the gain, in most caess.
If I’m after a really specific book, I’ll still nab it off Amazon. But I’ll not keep making the mistake of thinking only books recommended by friends and available on Amazon are worth buying. There’s a whole world of books out there, and no matter how behemoth any online bookseller might be, its inventory reflects only a portion of what’s out there.
As for the portion in my own neighborhood? There’s little sweeter than seeing my future reader running through the stacks of knowledge that might someday become his own.
Do you still visit book stores? Libraries? What do books mean to you? Your kids?
* The floor counts as a shelf, right?
** “Curse you and your sudden but inevitable betrayal!” — Oh, man, have I ever been waiting for a chance to quote this! What Wash (Firefly) said.
© 2012 Deborah Bryan. All rights reserved.
Duplication in whole or substantial portion is explicitly forbidden.
Twelve times forever
“I’m too straight, mama. I’m too straight.”
My son assuredly meant something by this, but it’s doubtful he meant what it sounded like to me.
I couldn’t help but laugh, but I couldn’t stop thinking about his words, either. And when we drove away from a bookstore with a new Cat in the Hat book in our possession, I found myself imagining a Seuss-style conversation with his older self.
Li’l D, just so’s you know, I’ll love you . . .
twelve times forever
Mommy, mommy, you love me, right?
I love you, silly, bigger than the sun is bright!
Would you love me if I were a girl?
It’s your heart I love, not the parts that show to the world.
What if I were sick? Would you love me then?
Aye, for it’s not a temperature that makes a good friend!
But if I were gay, would you turn me away?
As long as you love, you’ll make my every day.
What If I grow up and become a judge?
I wouldn’t wish law upon you, but my love wouldn’t budge!
Does this mean that you’ll love me forever and ever?
Forever’s too short; I’ll love you twelve times forever.
(And then let’s just add one more little forever.)
© 2012 Deborah Bryan. All rights reserved.
Duplication in whole or substantial portion is explicitly forbidden.
A book giveaway & a lot o’ reviewer love
Yesterday was an incredible day for reviews of my first novel, The Monster’s Daughter.
In one review, a reader wrote:
If The Monster’s Daughter is read as simply a coming of age story for a heroic young woman (and you will have to read the book to see just how heroic she acts for I refuse to spoil it for you), you will love it. If, however, you read it as an allegory for the life of an abused child and young woman, then you will find great satisfaction and perhaps even catharsis as you read this amazing first novel by author Deborah Bryan.
In the book’s first iTunes review, another reader wrote:
This is the coolest vampire book I have read yet! I truly loved it! I never expected this book would tug at my heartstrings like it did.
In the final review of the day, one reader wrote:
If you’re thinking that vampire stories are not for you, that’s okay. This book is much more than that. It is the story of a girl who overcomes many obstacles to find herself stronger and more capable than ever.
Other reviews are available here, but you should only check those out after entering the book giveaway below!
On December 19, 2011, I’ll give away a signed copy of The Monster’s Daughter and a $15 Amazon gift card to the first randomly drawn winner. A signed copy of The Monster’s Daughter will go to the second randomly drawn winner. If you live in the United States and would like a shot at winning one of these three copies, do at least one of the following prior to 12:00 AM Pacific Time December 19, 2011:
1. Send me an email with the subject: “Free books FTW!”
2. Tweet about this giveaway, mentioning @deb_bryan, and send me an email with the subject: “I tweeted it!”
3. Share this link on your blog and send me an email with the subject: “I blogged it!”
4. Share this link on Facebook and send me an email with the subject: “I pimped it on Facebook!” For an additional entry, tag my author page when you share the link.
If you’d like more than one shot at winning, do more than one of the following! You’ll be entered once for each of the above actions you take.
Y’all are winners in my eyes, but book winners will be announced by first name on or shortly after December 19, 2011.
And, reviewers? Mad love to you. For you I am so, so very thankful.
–
(c) 2011 Deborah Bryan. All rights reserved.
Duplication in whole or substantial portion is explicitly forbidden.
Reading While Walking
Not ready for readwalking in an outdoor setting
If you’ve ever seen someone reading while walking (“readwalking”), you might’ve made any number of reasonable assumptions:
- They’re reading a really good book
- They’re probably lacking a little in safety consciousness
- They spend a lot of time walking every day and have realized that reading while walking maximizes their reading time
- They spend a lot of time taking care of day-to-day life and realized that reading while walking (the dog) maximizes their reading time
Most of the folks who’ve approached me about my readwalking habit have assumed there’s a direct correlation between the awesomeness of a book and my readwalking: “Wow, that must be a fantabulous book!” Numerous times in my youth, I’d smile and reply, “No, this book is actually pretty awful. I hope the next one’s better!” Then I’d bury my nose in my book and continue on my merry way.
In other words, in my youth, there was very little correlation between the awesomeness of a book and the fact I was readwalking.
Now that I’m an octogenarian, you’re less apt to see me reading a book I’d deem “awful.” There’s definitely a clearer correlation between me liking a book and readwalking, but it’s not a causal one. Instead, it’s a reflection of the fact I spend about fourteen hours a day engaged in working, driving or caring for my (delightful) little one. If you see me readwalking these days, you can assume the book I’m reading is captivating because I wouldn’t waste scarce reading time on anything else.
With time, a reader becomes skilled in the art of checking for traffic, obstacles and other external bars to readwalking, performing these split-second checks without even being conscious of them. A skilled readwalker might occasionally experience readwalking hiccups, such as eating a mouthful of leaves or realizing they’re on the opposite side of a busy street from where they performed their last check.
Such incidents become rarer with practice, which is why an unskilled readwalker should practice the art only in small bursts on empty walkways.
These days, if you see me wandering the streets in half-darkness, leash (hopefully still affixed to a dog) in one hand and book in the other, you’d probably be right to assume the book in my hand is a good one. Still, you shouldn’t necessarily rush down to your local bookseller to buy that book.
As is true of a book’s cover, you can’t necessarily judge a book by its readwalker!
Smashwords
A Season in Korea and One Time, One Thing are both free on Smashwords through March 12, 2011. Many other titles–fiction and non-fiction alike–are also free or heavily discounted during this period. Smashwords has loads of different options for reading, even without an e-reader, so I’d recommend giving it a look no matter what your reading tastes are!
Speaking of reading, my friend Sarah needs to stop recommending such riveting YA books. The urge to devour them all, pronto, is making it hard for me to engage in non-reading activities. Like typing, which I’ve done quite enough of for this morning. I have more Will Grayson, Will Grayson to read!
Recent Posts I Dug
