Books on the Nightstand - Latest Comments

Re: BOTNS #180: Revisiting Re-reading

Vera — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:44:29 -0000

Recently re-read To Kill a Mockingbird. This is my favorite book. My fiance and I took turns reading to each other. Reading it aloud, sharing our thoughts and impressions of what we read and what we heard added an extra level of enjoyment for me. I first read it many years ago, but it was the first time for him. I didn't discuss it with anyone the first time through, so it made it even more meaningful to discuss the themes, characters and events with someone. We both enjoyed the experience so much we're now reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to each other. This book is a re-read for him and a first-time for me.

Re: BOTNS #180: Revisiting Re-reading

kelaine — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:43:54 -0000

Always up for a re-read of To Kill a Mockingbird ... The Princess Bride never ceases to delight me ... beyond those two favorites, I'm more in favor of paying books forward!

Re: BOTNS #178: BooktopiaVT – Sara J. Henry and Richard Mason

Quirky BookNerd — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:20:10 -0000

Even though I wasn't able to attend the VT retreat this year, I just had to listen to Richard Mason and he did not disappoint! Thank you so much Ann and Michael for putting this on the website. I felt like I was almost there, though I am sad I didn't get to meet Richard in person.

Dani

Re: Ten Books I Want to Read Right Now – February 2012

Kvisoft — Fri, 11 May 2012 07:14:26 -0000

Among the 10 books, The Snow Child is the one I wanna read most.

Re: BOTNS Podcast #179: Fifty Shades of Book Snobbery

Linda — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:49:34 -0000

When I was still teaching (as a Special Educator) some of the Regular Ed teachers used to have conflicts about what is reading - would allowing a comic book or a graphic novel or, or, or count when the rest of the class...

I used to always point out that if it got some one to read, wasn't that the goal? How many of us hate spinach (asparagus, brussel sprouts, etc.) because we were force-fed it as kids?

One more comment about my teaching days, I had a darling student whose mother was a voracious reader, but this gal hated reading. Then, I discovered she loved cats! Thank you Lillian Jackson Braun, Carol Nelson Douglas, Rita Mae Brown, Lydia Adamson, etc.

Re: BOTNS Podcast #179: Fifty Shades of Book Snobbery

bellasera — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:54:36 -0000

The outrage over Fifty Shades of Grey isn't just book snobbery, it's fear. People fear the unknown and don't want to take the time to try to understand a subject before striking it down. It's really much the same as the Twilight haters and the Harry Potter haters and so on and so forth.

The thing that gets me is the banning of the books from a public library. Why is it that we can walk into a library and pick up a Harlequin Romance or a copy of Lolita, or even some of these other books that are out there these days but we can't go in pick up Fifty Shades.

I've read it, it's in sore need of editing for sure, but it wasn't as horrible as it could have been.

Re: BOTNS Podcast #179: Fifty Shades of Book Snobbery

Jason Stuart — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:32:20 -0000

"This led Michael and me to ponder “book snobbery,” and to make a new vow: don’t judge a book until you’ve read it."

This concept is equal to drinking an entire jug of milk before deciding it has spoiled. Or eating a full meal at a restaurant before deciding it makes you nauseated.

If I read enough to determine it has no appeal to me, then I have given it its due.

Re: BOTNS Podcast #179: Fifty Shades of Book Snobbery

Juliet — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:20:45 -0000

I love that quote/proverb: "When is the best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago. When is the second best time? Now."

Thanks for the HOME endorsement. She's my favorite and you just got me even more jazzed to get this one.

Also, SO excited for Booktopia!

Re: BOTNS Podcast #179: Fifty Shades of Book Snobbery

Steve Himmer — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:54:07 -0000

Great episode, Ann and Michael, in particular the compelling thoughts about book snobbery. I've wondered if part of the problem, and part of why conversations about these breakout commercial successes always seem to go in circles, is that as a culture we don't have enough shared critical vocabulary or experience to talk about books (high school English was a long time ago!) simply because books aren't a consistent national conversation. So when reading does flare up on the cultural radar, it's hard to make distinctions about different types of books — novels especially — and what they're doing, leading instead to kneejerk reactions about what is or isn't "good." We get either/or conversations instead of both/and, making fans and critics alike defensive. We're able to make finer distinctions in other areas of culture, but the national conversation about books seems almost uselessly limited in its palette.

Re: BOTNS #176: Book Jackets Uncovered

PamSea — Thu, 03 May 2012 19:37:22 -0000

What I object to is a general disdain for YA (unless it contains vampires or other paranormal activity) when women all around me are falling over themselves for trifle like "50 Shades of Grey". Yet when I mention some lovely YA and tween books by Wendy Maas or even something like Mockingbird (not to be confused with Mockingjay of The Hunger Games trilogy), they give me a shrug as if to say, "my daughter reads those."

I enjoy sharing a book with my daughter.

Re: BOTNS #177: BooktopiaVT – Bill Landay and Leslie Maitland

Guest — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 14:41:10 -0000

http://goo.gl/kKtrn

Re: BOTNS #176: Book Jackets Uncovered

Barbara Kluver — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:02:54 -0000

Loved your information on book covers and I look forward to more in the future. As one who is primarily an audiobook reader, I would like to add to this discussion: I am still VERY influenced by the cover I see on Audible.com when I purchase a book, or when I purchase an ebook. An interesting cover will intice me to "click" into the synopsis of the book, as much as seeing that cover in a bookstore would intice me into picking it up. Hopefully this fact is known to publishers as our way of reading has expanded into audio and ebook format!

Re: BOTNS Podcast #171: Imprints and Underappreciated Women Writers

Michelle@Red Headed Book Child — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:20:37 -0000

First off, WILD by Cheryl Strayed is amazing! I am listening to it on audio right now. Absolutely inspirational. The Expats was, interestingly enough, a possible "next on my list". As for what I would call my very own imprint, I would have to call it Finn First Press, after my son and I would focus on children's books that feature diverse characters either in race, culture, disability or gender. They would deliver a positive message for young readers. :)

Re: BOTNS #176: Book Jackets Uncovered

kategreen — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:43:31 -0000

Just listened this afternoon and groaned when Ann did regarding BATMAN. I have read a couple of graphic memoirs from Michael's recommendations, but I am not a comic book or superhero fan. That is why I love you both; almost every week you help me find and think about my reading in a smarter and fun way. I have found many new authors and genres through you. Ann has definitely pushed me far out of my comfort zone; no longer do I need a "happy" ending to be satisfied. Michael's choices in literary fiction seem to mirror mine; at times I feel he knows better what I should be reading. Thanks for all the hard work guys!!!

Re: BOTNS #176: Book Jackets Uncovered

Tamara Gruber — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:00:59 -0000

Listening to the discussion about Young Adult literature and I can't believe someone would scoff at adults reading YA lit. Let alone reading for pleasure, don't they think it is important to read what their kids are reading so they can discuss it or at least be aware of the content? Err.

Re: BOTNS Podcast #175: Faulknerpalooza

HGKing — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 08:38:01 -0000

I back when I was in college in the late 60's I read 3 Faulkner books. Light in August was my favorite by far. You have inspired me to go back and re-read one or two. The only book I have read multiple times has been Crime and Punishment which I have read 4 times at various stages of my life.

Re: BOTNS #176: Book Jackets Uncovered

Mr. Grumpyhosen — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 23:47:26 -0000

I don't agree with Joel Stein's thoughts on YA fiction in general but must say that anyone caught reading Twilight should be embarrassed. I started reading the series so I could talk with my granddaughter about them and found the writing almost physically painful. Some of the worst dialog to ever make the best seller list. Hunger Games and Harry Potter are not GREAT literature but they are certainly readable.

Re: BOTNS #176: Book Jackets Uncovered

Linda — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:53:00 -0000

And I, read every thing on a book, the flaps, the blurbs, the acknowledgements, often the index, etc.

So it drives me NUTS when the library markings cover parts that I want to be reading.

Re: BOTNS #176: Book Jackets Uncovered

Suzanne — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:12:01 -0000

Most of Joel Stein's writing that I have seen has been very satirical (and funny) so I don't know that I would take him too seriously on the YA issue. That said, I have to say I agree with him to a point. It is is certainly not a problem when adults read YA fiction, but I think it is a problem if that is ALL they read.

Re: BOTNS #176: Book Jackets Uncovered

SunnyPurdin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:33:48 -0000

Yup. Although sometimes it is more involved than that. I often have to cut up more artistic covers.

Don't even get me started on DVD and CD boxed sets.

Re: BOTNS #176: Book Jackets Uncovered

Melissa Wiebe — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:49:53 -0000

I suppose you mean by destroy, you mean having to laminate them and ruin the aesthetic quality that they sometimes have, like with different types of paper, etc on them.

Re: BOTNS #176: Book Jackets Uncovered

SunnyPurdin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:15:04 -0000

I am a processor for a library, and sometimes it pains me because I have to basically DESTROY some of these covers to make them available for checkout.

Thanks for another great episode!

Re: BOTNS #176: Book Jackets Uncovered

Justin Steiner — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:43:26 -0000

Joel Stein's column is just another version of cultural elitism like "I don't watch television" to "Fiction? I only read non-fiction" to "Reading fantasy and science fiction is a waste of time." I sometimes wonder if that is a defense mechanism when you realize you can never get to everything of quality, although it's probably just closed-mindedness.

Re: BOTNS #176: Book Jackets Uncovered

Shannon L — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 06:59:26 -0000

I'm dying over here, Ann -- I think my husband and Michael are twins on some cosmic nerd level, at least when it comes to comic books. If they ever met for coffee, they would close the place down. FWIW, I think you should definitely take Michael up on the Batman challenge. My husband asked me to read Batman: Year One and Brad Meltzer's Identity Crisis. I countered by challenging him to read Emma and Anne of Green Gables. We both blanched. But we did it. I will say, despite my frequent eye-rolling and teasing, I thoroughly enjoyed both of his picks...and have another L.M. Montgomery and Jane Austen convert in my life. Win-win! I used to think, "He is one of the smartest people I've ever met...why is he over there reading Buffy Season 8?!" But having glimpsed a fraction of that world, I feel like I get a tiny bit of why people get so into that stuff in a non-juvenile way. And it gave us some unexpected insights into what makes each other tick...why Batman and Anne Shirley have been meaningful and appealing characters to us, especially during our childhoods. We thought we had each other all figured out, so that was really lovely. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I'd choose to have comic books on MY nightstand--that's why we have two--but I'm glad I dipped my toe in the water before going back to my regularly scheduled programming (just finished Defending Jacob -- thanks for another great recommendation!).

Re: BOTNS #176: Book Jackets Uncovered

Henry Yee — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:15:48 -0000

Great spotlight on the super-talented Matt "LOST-Obsessed and OREO Stuff Stacker Extraordinaire" Roeser!