BBAW: Delayed Burnout Post

Oh hey! Hello everyone -- adding my thoughts on avoiding blogger burnout, just a few days late :)

I'm just illustrating the principle. Really! 

Day 5's question was:

One of the unfortunate side effects of reading and blogging like rockstars seems to be a tendency toward burnout. How do you keep things fresh on your blog and in your reading?

Actually, this really is my principle of avoiding burnout and keeping on with blogging: join in on fun and exciting community activities like BBAW... but when life gets busy and you can't keep up, just let it go. I was having lots of fun with the first few days of BBAW, but just couldn't post on time for the last day, on this topic.

So I didn't pressure myself to get on the computer instead of getting my sleep, just to write a quickly dashed off post on deadline. I practiced self-care and slept instead, and then did the things I needed to do. And now that I have time again and I'm still thinking about this topic, I jumped in a little late to contribute what I can. 

And that's my secret: to keep your blogging habit going, keep it fun. Don't place the pressure of expectations and demands on your hobby. Blog when you can, read when you can, and share when you feel like it. Share book reviews, general book talk, community posts, whatever -- sometimes you need to shake it up a little to get out of a review slump (like the one I've just had!) So try something new - and don't apologize for not posting every day - just start again where you are. Remember why you started blogging - probably because you love reading as much as we all do, and love talking about it.

My book blog is my happy place; I'm not interested in killing off my joy in writing it, just so I can say that I'm productive and popular. It works for me, and that's all you need to do, too -- figure out what works for you. 

Happy Book Blogging!

**all photos via The British Library on Flickr

BBAW: Book Discovery via Book Bloggers!

 

Day Three's challenge is to talk about books that you've read due to other bloggers talking about them. There are plenty I could refer to here - over the last decade I have found many, many new titles to explore, some of which have found a place in my all-time favourites now.

But today I want to talk about a whole genre: graphic novels. I would not have started reading graphic novels with such enjoyment - or maybe not really at all - if not for bloggers who were so enthusiastic about this format early on. I'm thinking of people like Andi at Estella's Revenge, Nymeth at Things Mean a Lot, Kailana at The Written World, or Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings -- sharing all the excitement about new graphic novels like Fables or Lumberjanes or Nimona.


I started out picking up Fables and thought they were really interesting -- but graphic novels as a whole didn't catch me until I discovered the many strong women who were writing them. I found Kate Beaton, Noelle Stevenson, Vera Brosgol, Fanny Britt, and more. I read Anya's Ghost, thanks to Carl; I read Nimona and Lumberjanes thanks to the many bloggers who raved about them (and were right); I came across Jane, The Fox & Me and Girl in Dior in my library collection; I discovered others by interesting men, like Harvey by Hervé Bouchard or Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley.


I have to say that I still don't read a large percentage of graphic novels on balance within my overall reading, but I have been enjoying them much more than I ever thought I would, and it is all down to enthusiasm from my book blogging friends who got me started.

I'm so glad to have been led to this very enjoyable new reading habit. If you have a favourite graphic novel, please do leave me some tips in the comments! Thanks!

BBAW: An Interview with a fellow Blogger

It's Book Blogger Appreciation Week again! The Estella Society took over this event and revived it this year, so I'm joining in to say thank you to all the wonderful book bloggers who have made my life richer over my last 10 years of blogging.

This year I signed up to do an interview with another blogger, and I've discovered someone new to me, through strangely enough we have a ton in common....or perhaps not so strangely, as we both spend our time reading and talking about books.... even if she's in Texas and I'm in Ontario, Canada! 

Anyway, let me introduce you to the lovely Kay of Kay's Reading Life.

kay's reading life

"She reads books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live." Annie Dillard

1.       I notice you’ve been blogging for a long time – how did you originally get into the blogging world and what was different about it then as opposed to now?

I first had a blog in about 2008.  It was called My Random Acts Of Reading.  I had it for several years and enjoyed it mostly.  However, this was at the beginning of the book blogging trend and also at the beginning of the ‘expectations’ that started for book bloggers.  Everyone was so excited about the ARCs and review copies because they were FREE!  Then it became sort of overwhelming.  There were fusses and squabbles among the blogging world as a whole.  Somehow, I began to feel like the blogging was not very fun.  I had some family illnesses and deaths.  We sold our house, built a new one, and moved.  Life took over and I decided that blogging was not important to me.  I stepped away and eventually deleted that blog.  

A few years later, last year in fact, I knew that I had missed sharing about books.  I missed the friends I had made and missed the conversations.  So, I began my current blog ‘kay’s reading life’.  I have tried to be much more relaxed about blogging this time around.  I’ve taken breaks when I felt like it.  I’ve read what I wanted.  I’ve posted when I felt like it.  I’ll continue in this manner – taking breaks, reading books that aren’t the newest always, but mostly having a good time chatting about my favorite pursuit – reading.

2.       We’ve both worked in libraries – what is your favorite part of being a librarian?

I miss working in a library – more some days than others.  I am still involved as a volunteer and hope to continue that role for a long, long time.  My favorite parts of library work were probably (1) processing the new books – loved seeing all the brand new materials, (2) reader advisory – finding just the right book for a patron and suggesting other books they might like, (3) managing and moderating the two book groups – one read fiction/non-fiction and the other was devoted to mysteries.  I’m still the moderator of the mystery group as a volunteer and I took a break from the other group, but am now back attending it again.

3.       What is the one book that you’d put into every patron’s hands if you could?  Or several books?

This answer would probably change, depending on the day or week or month.  Right now, I’d suggest Atul Gawande’s book, BEING MORTAL, as a non-fiction selection.  Such a wonderful book about mortality and choices.  As for fiction, I’d suggest Louise Penny’s mystery series, set in Canada, that begins with STILL LIFE.  The most recent book in the series is THE NATURE OF THE BEAST.  This is my favorite fiction series, mystery or otherwise.  I think Louise Penny is an incredibly gifted author.

4.       I love reading books that have vivid settings, almost like another character.  What setting from a book would you visit if you could and tell us the book it’s connected with.

I’ll answer by mentioning two locations (I don’t do very well with singular answers about books!).  I loved Peter May’s trilogy of mysteries set in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland – a very bleak and stark location, but one that is such a part of those books.  That trilogy begins with THE BLACKHOUSE and it’s set on Lewis Island.  The other location I’ll mention is British Columbia.  Canadian author Vicki Delany writes a mystery series set in the fictional town of Trafalger, BC.  I love her descriptions of the mountains and surrounding area.  Just beautiful.  And so you know, that series begins with IN THE SHADOW OF THE GLACIER.  

5.       What do you do when you’re not working or blogging?  Other hobbies or interests?

Honestly, reading and activities related to my reading are really my main pursuits.  However, especially in the last year, I’ve been working on getting more healthy, losing some weight, and being consistently active.  I enjoy listening to audiobooks and I love walking at my local rec center on their indoor track.  So, I guess you could say that I love walking and listening.  I also do strength training there and take a fitness class now and then.  My doctor is pleased and I feel much better as well.

6.       Lastly, and I think this should be part of every set of questions, what’s your favorite ice cream flavor?  Describe vividly.  LOL

My favorite ice cream flavor is Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia!  I love that ice cream.  And I was so pleased when they started producing it in ½ cup portions – those little tiny cups.  I can eat one of those on Friday nights (our dessert night) and not feel at all guilty.  Little chunks of dark chocolate stirred into cherry ice cream with bits of cherries.  It’s wonderful.  Yum!


To find out my own answers to these intriguing questions, pop on over to Kay's blog, right here, to see her interviewing me!

BBAW: An Introduction in 5 Books

Day 1: Introduce yourself by telling us about five books that represent you as a person or your interests/lifestyle. 

Hurrah, Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW) is back again! Thanks to Estella Society for reviving this wonderful week.

Day One's challenge is to introduce ourselves in five books. I pondered this one, as there are many ways it could have gone, but here are the five I ended up choosing.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

I had to choose this Canadian classic, as it shaped my reading habits from a young age. Thanks to Anne, I was introduced to so many classics and the idea of being well-read and using big words :) I've read all of Montgomery's work, and this is still one of my favourite comfort reads. This particular cover was my own edition when I was given the full set by my aunts when I was a pre-teen.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Another book about a young woman with an artistic family, this one introduced me to the concepts of keeping a journal and writing a book as if it were a journal itself. I loved the main character, Cassandra Mortmain, and the way that both Britishness and modernist art and culture infused her narrative even when it was about love and growing up. Also I adored the inconclusive ending; it was so bittersweet when I first discovered that a happy ending isn't always needed to make a great book.

Walking a Literary Labyrinth by Nancy Malone

This is a study of reading and spirituality written by a nun who uses the labyrinth as a metaphor for life. It hits all my points of interest, as I first said in my 2012 review. It's a book that I have used as a way of understanding the power of reading as a means of personal growth & the expansion of a fellow-feeling for others in our world. It's beautiful, thoughtful, and really shares my focus on both reading and labyrinths as a personal spiritual practice.

The Novel Cure by Ella Berthould & Susan Elderkin

While I find much of the tone of this book too flippant & tongue-in-cheek for my tastes, I still find it an important book. It highlights the idea of bibliotherapy for the general reader, who may not have known about it previously. The concept of novels being a way to self-medicate for common, everyday angst is one I am fully behind. I have always believed in the consolations of literature, and by talking about this concept loudly, practically, and yes, a bit cheekily, this book moves this idea forward a little bit more.

The Subversive Stitch by Roszika Parker

This classic in the women's history/textile/embroidery field has been a big inspiration to me this year. I've recently started sewing again, and reading this book got me back into embroidery as well. I love her approach to textiles as women's history, and how she points out that embroidery has been both stifling and subversive in the past. This also got me more interested in craftivism this year, all of which has been influencing my own craft practice.


So there you have it: 5 books that say a little something about me. I'll be visiting other 5 book lists to get a better sense of some of my fellow bloggers this week, too! Thanks, BBAW.

Quick Bookly Survey for BBAW

Day 2: a quick survey -- since I missed on the first topic, mutual interviews....you snooze, you lose! Thanks BBAWers for creating this alternate prompt.

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?

Not usually, beyond a cup of tea... but this summer I've become addicted (yes, that's right -- addicted -- just ask my dh) to sunflower seeds while I read on the porch. I don't know what it is but I must go get my bag of "spits" when I pick up a book and recline on the patio furniture ;)

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?

Horrified. I can't do it. I keep a set of post-it flags nearby to mark things I want to note down later.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?

Bookmarks -- of all kinds. I love thin ribbons, perfume sample cards, and even REAL bookmarks!

Laying the book flat open?

No.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?

Both. My preferences go in waves of one or the other!

Hard copy or audiobooks?

Definitely hard copy. I've tried and tried to listen to audiobooks but it just doesn't work for me.

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?

I prefer to read until the end of chapters, but a natural break in the story will do in a pinch!

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?

Nope, those post-it flags come in handy! Unless I can't figure out a sense of it by context I'll leave it til later.

What are you currently reading?

Some Like it Hot by Gary Paul Nabhan -- an intriguing look at regional food and genetics

Shadow Show: all new stories in celebration of Ray Bradbury


What is the last book you bought?

Let Them Eat Vegan by Dreena Burton.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?

Always have more than one on the go. What I pick up depends on my mood.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?

Love to read non-fiction in the morning if I can, and fiction anytime else. This summer I've been loving the porch as a reading spot, but otherwise, in my cozy reading chair or tucked up in bed will do as well.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?

That depends. Generally I read standalones, but there are a few series I am inordinately fond of (Laurie King's Mary Russell books, anything by Alexander McCall Smith...)

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?

Not really. It depends on the person I'm talking to. But, for literary fiction I do keep recommending Dianne Warren's Cool Water. It's a Canadian novel that I adore. For more of a genre author, it's always Alexander McCall Smith.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)

By when I acquire them. They get put on the shelf in that order and I know where they are -- heaven forbid anyone rearrange a shelf or I'd be at sea.

BBAW 2012

I've decided to join in with Book Bloggers Appreciation Week (BBAW) at the last minute this year! I've been so delinquent with blogging the last few months that I'll jump right back in this way ;)

This is the first day, and today's topic is to"Share with your readers some of the blogs you enjoy reading daily and why".

Since there are sooooo many blogs that I love to read -- many on the sidebar -- I thought I'd narrow it down by highlighting some of my fellow Canadians today. These are blogs that I love for various reasons: the breadth of their reading, their sense of humour, the gorgeous photos they post, and the sharing of new Canadian books!

I'm going to make a simple list so that I can quickly post a few blogs to share with everyone. They are all worth checking out, for all the reasons above :)

Matilda Magtree

Buried in Print

Pickle Me This

Magnificent Octopus

Book Puddle

Book Mine Set (home of the wide-ranging Canadian Book Challenge!)

and of course, I can't neglect my dear husband's literary jottings & musings at Chumley and Pepys on Books!

Final BBAW Day: State of the Blog report

For the last day of BBAW, we are to:

Write in 50 words or less…what do you like best about your blog right now and where would you like your blog to be a year from now?

For me, this question is pretty easy:

1. I like my blogging routine. I'm happy that I finally changed the template even if I still have a few more tweaks to make. I'm happy with my traffic, though I always appreciate comments. I enjoy having a place where I can revel in my reading and other people understand, and care!

2. As for where I'd like to be by next BBAW, probably just caught up with so many new bloggers; update my blogroll and leave more comments. I'd also like to try to review more of the books I read -- I read so many that I don't even mention.

There - just about 50 words each! BBAW has been a great experience this year and lots of fun stuff uncovered. And to think I wasn't planning to participate very much. :)

BBAW: Bloggers' Book Recommendations

Day four of BBAW brings us to a discussion of a book discovered through another blogger.

I have two bloggers who I read pretty much daily to thank for my recent obsession with Penelope Lively, two bloggers who mentioned two different Lively books which started me off on a reading binge.

First of all, Dorothy at Of Books and Bicycles reviewed Lively's Booker winning novel, Moon Tiger in October of 2007. Here's part of what she had to say about it:

[Lively] has a quiet, understated way of writing that can work magic on you and leave you moved and wanting more. ... She’s getting at the idea that how we choose to tell our story shapes the story itself. There are no meaningful facts outside a story told by a particular person in a particular way. This holds true for the narrative of history as well; to study history is to study the manifold ways people have told the story of humanity over time.

As a former history student this intrigued me. I had moved this book up on my mental TBR list, thinking I'd get to it soon. Then, in March of this year, I read a quote about libraries excerpted from Lively's book Consequences, on the Canadian blog Pickle Me This. It was so delightful that I thought I needed to read Consequences immediately, if only to find that quote to add to my commonplace book. And I loved it. That started my infatuation; I read Moon Tiger next, then a few more, and then I was just lucky enough that Lively had a book coming out this fall (Family Album, which I've just discussed). And I am lucky that she has quite a backlist as well, so I still have new books to explore.

Thanks to these two intrepid bloggers, I've had months of a wonderful reading streak, with many more chances to indulge my new addiction in future. :)

BBAW Reading Meme

It's BBAW, Day 3: today's project is a meme, in which brevity is of the essence -- so here are my very brief and to-the-point replies!

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?

No, not generally. I don't like to get stuff in or on my books! My only snack is a cup of tea.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?

I guess my librarian side just can't do it; I do not mark up books. My favourite reading aid recently is a pack of post-it flags -- that way I can mark everything down in my reading journal after I've finished.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?Laying the book flat open?

Again, librarian! So I always use a bookmark, though that can be a receipt, an old slip of paper, or even (gasp) a real bookmark.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?

Fiction! No, non-fiction. No, both!

Hard copy or audiobooks?

Definitely hard copy. I've tried audiobooks but I just can't do it.

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?

I much prefer reading to a chapter break. I'll only put it down in the middle if I have to.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?

Nope, if I can't puzzle it out from the context I'll flag it to look up later.

What are you currently reading?

Let's see, Muriel Barbery's Gourmet Rhapsody, Victor Lodato's Mathilda Savitch, Joan Clark's Road to Bliss, Joseph Gold's The Story Species. For starters.

What is the last book you bought?

Colette Rossant's foodie memoir, Return to Paris

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?

See above. No, seriously, I prefer having at least three on the go for different moods and times of day.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?

If I have the day off I love to read on my front porch in summer, or in a sunny window in winter. Otherwise, anywhere will do! And I can not fall asleep without reading something first.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?

Generally stand alone, though I have read a few series I enjoyed.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?

Right now I am going through a serious Penelope Lively craze. Read her!

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)

Um, bad librarian... I don't organize them at all. I get enough of that at work. ;) I just pile them on to the first available space in the bookshelf.

Interview with a Blogger

As part of BBAW, today's celebration includes interviewing another blogger: today Kailana of The Written World and I are exchanging a quick set of questions. It's the Insta-Interview version, as we decided to interview each other since our original partners hadn't replied. We've asked each other the same questions: here are my answers; then pop on over to her blog for her replies.

1. As a Canadian blogger, do you make an effort to read Canadian or does the 'nationality' of a book matter to you? What is your favourite Canadian novel?

I do make an effort to keep up with Canadian fiction, as I feel it is important to know what is going on in my own milieu. (also, it’s important for my job!) I also love participating in the Canadian Book Challenge and finding out what everybody else is reading and enjoying. But I also like to read books from elsewhere, so that I’m not restricted to a view of only what is around me. I guess nationality would affect my reading in that I’d be more likely, not less, to pick something up if it was from somewhere else that interested me.


2. 'Do your real life friends/family know you blog/read your blog? Does this make any difference to how you write?

I never thought that my family read it until my dad started asking me things about it!  So now I know that they read it, but it doesn’t really change what I write. I’m close to my family and we talk a lot so they probably know everything I’m likely to say, anyway! I do tell everyone about my blog now, but when I started it I wasn’t saying anything. Now that I’m more comfortable with it even my coworkers know and look at it.


3. I was reading at work the other day & someone asked me what I was reading. Before I even had a chance to answer, he said 'a romance'? Do reading stereotypes bother you? Do you prefer/avoid any genres due to lurking stereotypes?

Well, I can’t imagine what I would have said to your co-worker! ;) I only had that happen to me once: one summer I was working in a mall selling raffle tickets and to keep myself sane I was reading a lot. This particular day I was reading a textbook for a course I would be taking in the fall, on Feminist Theory. An older man came up to buy a ticket and asked if I was enjoying my smut novel. Then I closed the book and he saw the title and backed away slowly…

But I read nearly every genre according to my mood. Except horror, I generally avoid. I like creepy and ghostly but gory I can’t take. I didn’t realize until now that I do make an effort to keep reading intellectually challenging work partly because I don’t want to be pigeonholed as reading only ‘women’s fiction’, with all the sexism that carries with it. Don't know if that is buying in to the whole stereotype, though!


4. How do you feel about covers of books? Do you judge books by their covers? Is there something that could appear on a cover that would make you not want to read the book or be seen in public with it?

I like good design that reflects the story. And if there’s a nice cover it might suck me into to checking out a book I might not have otherwise – at least to read the summary and a page or two. And an ugly cover can put me off even if I do want to read the book! As for appearing in public… well, when I was younger I would never have appeared in public with a romance novel, even though I do read them relatively often. Now, I don’t care, if I feel like reading a Regency romance I will. The only things I’d be hesitant to appear with in public these days would probably be erotica with sexy covers (just embarrassing to have strangers ask you about it!) or books about any specific health concern, for the same reason. Otherwise I don’t have any real concerns about what the books I read look like.


5. What's the biggest change in your reading habits since you started blogging, if any? Reading choices or ways of reading?

I’d say the biggest change I’ve noticed is that I read more carefully; I will take notes sometimes, and think about the story as I’m reading, trying to figure out what I want to say about it. And I find I can recall the books I’ve reviewed quite clearly also. It’s nice.

The other big change is in the range of my reading. Since I began blogging in 2006, I’ve found most of my reading through other blogs. I read the newspapers / online reviews also, but most of the titles that are new to me come from bloggers. And I feel like I know a lot more about the genres that I don’t read as regularly – graphic novels and science fiction in particular. It’s been enriching to my own reading life as well as my professional knowledge. Blogging has been a wonderful experience!