How many readings do you think books should stand up to?

So, I recently tattled on myself, here:

ReadingTraditionalBooksComparedToEbooks

I was commenting about how inept I now feel when it comes to reading traditional books and protecting their condition. I use my ereader for most of my reading now. Only 11 of the 25 books I have read this year have been traditional books; that's only 44% of my reading for the year.

This post is all about the life expectancy of books versus ebooks:

Developments with regard to ebooks and library lending...

So, I've admitted that I was tough on that recent book.
What I won't admit to is a disregard for books and their condition.
I take good care of my books.

I was very disappointed as I began reading a decent paperback edition this week. I bought the book new while living in England. It was in top condition. It remained in excellent condition as I read it the first time.

I was happy to pick it up and read it again this week... However, the second time I sat down to read this week a split began forming along the inner spine of the book.
In just moments a page fell out completely.
I continued to read because that was my only option at the time.

Know what I did? I gave up. I purchased the book as an ebook. The book was worthy of another read or I wouldn't have chosen to read it again.

I made it over six months without purchasing any books for myself. I made a conscious effort over the past six months to read the books I already owned but hadn't gotten around to reading. I also borrowed ebooks and traditional books from our library.

I wish I could say that the book I broke this streak with was a book I haven't read before. I feel a bit of dissatisfaction at having spent twice the money to enjoy a single title.

I wish publishers would begin offering an ebook version with each traditional new book purchase, even when the book is purchased on sale. I think this would work out to be a win-win situation for publishers and readers.

Back to my original rant though...I really think that even a paperback should withstand more than two uses.
I suppose that my move to ebooks is a smart move. I just hope that further developments with regard to digital media will be fair to readers and writers as well as publishers.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: & Selections from His Other Writings (Modern Library)

What do you know of Benjamin Franklin? You are probably aware that he was a well known statesman, influential in America's founding. You are probably also aware of an experiment he did with a kite and a key. In fact, he is lucky he survived it!

He was born the fifteenth child of twenty. His father was married twice and had ten children born to each marriage. Benjamin was the youngest son of the family. He only had two years of formal education; most of his education was self imposed. At age twelve he was apprenticed to an older brother who owned a printing shop. His most famous pen-name, Silence Dogood, was created in an attempt to see his letters to his brother's newspaper published, for his brother would not allow him to write for the paper! He "became" Silence Dogood, a middle-aged widow, at the tender age of sixteen.

Some things you may not have known about him are that he was also: a writer; journalist;  printer; publisher; philosopher; patriot and (oldest) signer of the Declaration of Independence; diplomat; arbiter; humorist, and quite a ladies' man. He was: a proponent for and one of the first to suggest the first true fire department whereof men would be assigned to a particular fire engine rather than goodwill and amateurs continuing to be the force with which fire was fought. Being an entrepreneur he also established the first fire insurance company! He proposed that the firefighters would practice and share information and that their skills at fighting fires would therefore improve. Franklin urged the licensing of chimney sweeps and proposed that homeowners should be required to keep leather fire-fighting buckets at their property.   

For Men Only by Jeff & Shaunti Feldhahn

Wow! This is as great as her other book, For Women Only. 

The things I learned from FWO were life-changing and have stuck with me. 


It was so life-changing I knew I had to get this book (FMO). 
And, yes, I read it myself. I read it because I wanted to be sure that Hubs understood which responses truly reflected ME. 


As I read I highlighted all that had meaning to me and I asked Hubs to read it in that context. It really helped us even though communication is a strong point in our marriage. It's that good! I would recommend both books to people wanting to better understand relationships.


Here are the chapter titles:


1 Rethinking Random (Why You Need a New Map of the Female Universe)


2 The Deal is Never Closed (Why Her "I do" Will Always Mean "Do You?"~ And What To Do About It


3 Windows...Open! (What You Should Know About the Fabulous Female Brain (A Guide for Lower Life Forms))


4 Your Real Job is Closer to Home (How Your Provider/Protector Instinct Can Leave Her Feeling More Unsafe and Less Cared For)


5 Listening IS the Solution (Why Her Feeling About the Problem is the Problem, and How to Fix Your Urge to Fix)


6 With Sex, Her "No" Doesn't Mean You (How Her Desires Are Affected by Her Unique Wiring, And Why Your Ego Shouldn't Be)


7 The Girl in the Mirror ( What the Little Girl Inside Your Woman is Dying to Hear From You~ And How to Guard Your Answer Well)


8 The Man She Had Hoped to Marry (What the Woman Who Loves You Most, Most Wants You to Know 


You can read the first chapter online here:
ForMenOnlyFirstChapter


I LOVED the way the Feldhahns explained the differences in the ways men and women think. I tend to be very analytical, which tends to be a trait of men more than women. Even so...I am much better at multi-tasking (Hubs just can't do it) and sometimes feel that I have to multi-task in order to get anything done. 


My husband read this book while our kids and I were traveling for four weeks without him on an international vacation. When we returned home to him we discussed the book and his reading of it. He was amazed at the fact that my responses to many of the questions was outside the norm. I was SO glad I had highlighted MY responses. Even though we know each other extremely well I think his reading of the book without highlights could have muddied things for us. Since I indicated my responses for every topic he was left with NO question as to how I felt about each item. And he felt very fortunate with regard to some of my responses. He knows that I love our sex-life but now he knows that I tend to enjoy sex more than most women seem to. He appreciates that I am different in that regard.

The depth of this book is unbelievable. Even if marriage/intimacy books are not really your thing you may still gain tremendous insights from this book.

For Women Only: What You Need to Know about the Inner Lives of Men by Shaunti Feldhahn

EXCELLENT. My husband and I are VERY similar and communicate wonderfully but this opened my mind to a couple things which I will always see differently from now on. 


This is my FAVORITE marriage/intimacy-related book.

Even a read through the titles will give you a glimpse at the depth of the contents of this book:


1 Lightbulb On! (How I Woke Up To What I Didn't Know About Men)


2 Your Love is Not Enough (Why Your Respect Means More to Him Than Affection)


3 The Performance of a Lifetime (Why Your Mr. Smooth Looks so Impressive but Feels Like an Imposter)


4 The Loneliest Burden (How His Need to Provide Weighs your Man Down, And Why He likes It That Way)


5 Sex Changes Everything (Why Sex Unlocks a Man's Emotions (Guess Who Holds the Key?))


6 Keeper of the Visual Rolodex (Why it's So Natural For Him to Look and So Hard to Forget 
What He's Seen)


7 Chocolate, Flowers, Bait Fishing (Why the Reluctant Clod you Know Really Does Want Romance)


8 The Truth About the Way You Look (Why What's on the Outside Matters to Him on the Inside)


9 Words for your Heart (What Your Man Most Wishes You Knew About Him)


This is NOT a book written by a woman even though the author is a woman.

This book was written by doing a great amount of research and asking MEN what there responses to marriage/intimacy-related questions would be. The author then compiled the results and explains them in depth.


The major insight I gained from reading this title was financially related.


I asked Hubs if he felt the way that was described in the book (on that particular topic)...
He replied "Yes. Without a doubt. It never leaves my mind." This means that first and foremost he sees himself as a provider.


From that moment my approach to our family's expenditures changed drastically even though I never felt I was far outside any bounds. He noticed my changes immediately and told me so. One thing we used to occasionally argue about just a bit was...finances. 
No more.


Now, there are still times when there is more month left than money but Hubs knows that I do my best to budget our spending so that he doesn't have to worry about things.


This book is VERY INSIGHTFUL!

Even if you have never read a book on marriage and intimacy you might really enjoy this selection. Its depth and frankness is tremendous. It's my favorite book in this category, for women.


Read the first chapter here:
ForWomenOnlyFirstChapter

Biographies...do you have any favorites?

I love reading biographies/autobiographies. My favorites are of film/tv actors and popular musicians, especially those who were famous from the 40s through the 60s.



Here are some that I've read, including my rating out of 5*, in ascending order of my appreciation for them:


I'm Chevy Chase... and You're Not: Revised & Updated 
by Rena Fruchter 3*

I've always loved Chevy's acting.
After reading this book my lasting impression of him is that he always seemed to have an excuse when something turned out to be a box office failure; he never took ownership of any failings.






Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice 
by Maureen McCormick 3*

Maureen McCormick is not Marcia Brady.












Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse: My Life in Comedy 
by Phyllis Diller 3*

Upon reading this I found out she became an outspoken advocate for plastic surgery. Want to see why? (here's my favorite photo of her:
http://tinyurl.com/PhyllisDillerPlayboyShoot )
(there's a hint of a nude bottom; it's more suggestive than anything)






After All 
by Mary Tyler Moore 3*

Mary's book is laid out chronologically. She doesn't sidestep any of the tough or ugly parts of her life, having come to terms with such things over the years. She has lost her niece, her son, and both of her parents, as well as having gone through two divorces. 'AfterAll' she appears to come out of it okay.




Nobody's Fool 
by Martin Gottfried 3.5*

I was disappointed by this book. Not really the book, though, as much as the subject. Danny Kaye must have been a very depressed and searching man to have behaved in the curious manner in which he did. I have to say that I am sorry that it destroyed the false vision that I had of him.

The Tom Hanks Enigma: The Biography of the World's Most Intriguing Movie Star 

by David Gardner 3.5*

The author never convinced me that he had ever spoken directly with Tom or had his permission to write the book. This is the most poorly edited book I have read in many years! The quality of book construction was also the poorest I have seen in years. Both were so severe that I contacted Amazon to give them feedback and to request the ability to send the book back for a total refund. I have to believe that my affinity for Tom Hanks must have added 1/2 to a full 1* to my review of this title.

Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me 

by Howie Mandel 3.5*

Howie Mandel has OCD; I didn't know that before reading this book. While being a talented and loving guy he admits to not thinking through the results of his actions fairly often...and he apologizes for the things he feels he should apologize for (for the most part).






Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball 
by Stefan Kanfer 4*

 I learned a lot about Lucy, Ricky and even Cuba from this book. 

A Pirate Looks at Fifty 

by Jimmy Buffett 4.5*

I enjoyed this book a lot. It gives a lot of insight into his life.

Cash...The Autobiography 
by Johnny Cash 4.5*

Cash writes in a very relaxed, conversational tone. He told truth as he saw it without it seeming as if he was gossipping. In fact, he told most stories about himself. He was frank and open about his wrongful trek into drug abuse. He was also open about his faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour. I hope to meet him, one day, in Heaven.




Lucky Man 
by Michael J. Fox 4.5*

This selection has great depth. He explores his life in general as well as his battle with Parkinson Disease. I truly enjoyed the section about his role in the Back to the Future films.

We've reached the middle of the year. How many books have you read?

So, we've reached the beginning of July 2011.


I have to say I haven't read nearly the number of books I normally read by this time of the year.
Reading a certain number of books hasn't been as much of my focus this year though.
I intended to focus on reading more classics this year.


Last year, for instance, I read 78 books. That would be 39 books by mid-year.


So far I have read 25 books in 2011.
One contributing factor to that is that I have read five classics this year.
Last year I read six classics but two of them were very short and not even equal the effort of one complete classic.


Here is the breakdown of the books I have completed reading this year:


Memoirs ~ 4
Non Fiction ~ 4
Classics ~ 5
Humor ~ 2
Juvenile Fiction ~ 5
Fiction ~ 3
Biography ~ 2
______________
25 Titles


Classic titles I've read this year:
Emma by Jane Austen
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
My Man Jeeves by Wodehouse
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens


 

I'm not very good at reading as a member of a book club.

Generally I find that I simply read much more quickly than everyone else.
If I try to keep apace with everyone else I tend to lose interest.


But, hey, even if I've been looking forward to reading a title I tend to lose interest once I "have" to read it. 


That's a bit different this summer. Actually, it's really different and I'm happy for it.


I told my best friend about a book I knew would be perfect for her. She said "I'll read it if you read it again, with me." And so I am reading it a second time. I am really enjoy it. It's the right time for me to reread it.


I am rereading another title. This one is because my husband and I decided I would homeschool our 16 year old in literature and writing this summer. I gave him ten titles from which to chose two or three depnding on their length. We are in the midst of the first selection. We'd be finished but we postponed our reading while he took a summer Russian course at the local university; his first college course. We are both really enjoying the book; him for the first time and me for the second.


Our daughter has a summer reading assignment for her upcoming sophomore Honors Literature course. She's been assigned a book that I previously read and really appreciated. The book was on my list of books that I would suggest our kids read during high school. That would be a "must read" list if I were still homsechooling. 


The results of all of my joint reading adventures will eventually be posted here!


Titles:


A Fraction of The Whole by Steve Toltz


I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak


The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak


(It's just a coincidence that two of the titles are by Zusak! In fact, both titles were given to my son as part of his ten titles for choice. The two titles are so very different from each other in writing style. Both were really terrific books in their own, differing ways.)

For the love of words...

Reading is all about the creative use of words. Words convey messages between people. They allow a person to speak their thoughts or to convey their imagination to people across time and space. They're about the closest thing we have to time travel.


I not only enjoy reading, I also enjoy words in general. I love the creative use of words. I love wordplay. I love words.


Do you have favorite words? I know I do. Sometimes it is simply the sound of a word that garners interest. Often, for me, my love of a word is attached to its ability to convey deep meaning.


Developing a list of those words would be a challenge. I think I will just list my top favorite word.


Comment and tell us your favorite word/s.


serendipity ~ I love the meaning of this word:   the phenomenon of finding agreeable things not sought for...

The man behind the curtain...(at Barnes and Noble).

I had no knowledge of the exact genius behind Barnes and Nobles' successful move into the ereader market. I have been impressed by their transition into the market though.


My search for information led me to this article:
RobertBrunnerAndBarnesAndNoble


Robert Brunner was director of industrial design for Apple in the late '80s and early '90s. 


It is interesting that he wants to make ereading more of a social event; possibly allowing people to connect with other people who are reading the same book, or even the same passage. I love the teaser in the final paragraph about the lack of corners on human beings and his wonder at why ereaders seem to require rectangular formats! What alternate shapes can you imagine? I can't wait to see something develop from this!

Ereader news...

Some interesting facts gleaned from the link I'll give at the lower part of this page:

Ereader sales have increased 105% over last year.

NOOK Color has ousted the Kindle as the top-selling ereader; this being the first that Amazon has lost that distinction.

Rumor is that Amazon will release its own version of a tablet device in a few months.

http://venturebeat.com/2011/07/08/idc-tablet-sales-slow-nook-color-ousts-kindle-as-lead-ereader/

If Amazon comes out with a tablet and it's priced right I will have to try to determine if our 10 yr old son would be better off with the Amazon product or with the NOOK Color that tops his Christmas wish list...