The Book of Questions

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Happy December, everyone! And happy Friday. This week‘s #bookishquestion is: do you have a go-to book, author, or genre to get you out of a lousy mood or a reading slump? #BookTalk

CSeydel Wait, did I already ask this one? 🤔 I think what I mean is: Do the holidays slow down your reading? Do you have any go-to books or authors that help you keep reading when you‘re too busy or preoccupied to dig into something challenging? 13mo

CSeydel I myself am feeling quite busy and preoccupied lately!! 13mo

Blueberry Yes, many. Dorothy Gilman, John Grisham, Catherine Ryan Hyde 13mo

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CSeydel @Blueberry nice choices! 13mo

AnnR Alexander McCall Smith, or maybe reading short stories instead of full length books. 13mo

Ruthiella Yes! I was just commenting on @Bookwomble ‘s recent post that Christie, Wodehouse, and Pratchett are my go-to authors for any reading related crisis. 13mo

SaunteringVaguelyDownwards I return to my childhood favorites, which usually means Tamora Pierce or Mercedes Lackey. 13mo

dabbe Sherlock, always Sherlock. Or my Peanuts/Mutts comics. 😍 13mo

CSeydel @AnnR I love a good Ladies Detective Agency installment! 13mo

CSeydel @Ruthiella Oh yes, those always hit the spot! 13mo

CSeydel @SaunteringVaguelyDownwards nice! 13mo

CSeydel @dabbe One can always count on Sherlock! 🧐 13mo

Bookwomble @Ruthiella @dabbe Sherlock was my go-to during my present book lassitude. I have other favourites, but The Master never palls. I'm still unable to turn to anything else at the moment, but perhaps I'll break out of it over this weekend 😊🤞 13mo

dabbe @Bookwomble 🩵❄️🩵 13mo

dabbe @CSeydel #amensista! 🩵❄️🩵 13mo

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Happy Friday everyone! Time for the #bookishquestion of the week! This week‘s question is: do you ever read books translated from their original language? What‘s your favorite? #BookTalk

CSeydel I don‘t know if I have a favorite, but I definitely enjoy reading books from around the world. ‘Nordic noir‘ is really in right now, and I recently enjoyed The Snowman by Jo Nesbø. Another notable one is Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin, who is from Argentina and living in Berlin. (edited) 13mo

Ruthiella Not as often as I could/should. Off the top of my head, I will go with Elena Ferrante‘s Neapolitan quartet, translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein. I got Ferrante fever, for sure. Also, Pippi Longstocking for probably my earliest translated read! 😆 13mo

TheBookHippie I read a ton of French and Russian classic literature so it‘s part of normal reading 🤷🏻‍♀️ Les Miserables is my favorite, Anna Karenina too… 13mo

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TheBookHippie @Ruthiella I love PIPPI!!! 13mo

Ruthiella @TheBookHippie Pippi is the OG girl power! 😂 13mo

Tamra Oh yes! Two recent standouts are Fresh Water for Flowers and Elena Knows. 👏🏾 13mo

vonnie862 I do read books translated from their original language. Books that I've liked: Les Miserables, Diary of a Young Girl, the Count of Monte Cristo, the Phantom of the Opera...However, if a book is originally written in Spanish, I try to read it in Spanish, like Water for Chocolate. 13mo

Larkken There have been a number translated from Japanese that I‘ve really enjoyed lately, especially Kawakami‘s books

Breasts and Eggs

13mo

Deblovestoread Yes! I‘ve loved all 3 Valerie Perrin books and have been enjoying Japanese literature like this one

The Housekeeper and the Professor: A Novel

13mo

TrishB I‘ve read 2 Argentinian authors in the last couple of weeks- in translation. French author Valerie Perrin and a few of the popular Japanese authors. The current translations available open up while new worlds! 13mo

Amiable Have loved everything Fredrik Backman has written in Swedish/translated into English. I too am particularly fond of the Nordic works. Henning Mankel is another favorite. (edited) 13mo

jlhammar Oh yes, love translated literature! Many of my favorites have already been mentioned, but I'll add a few more recs--anything by Tove Jansson, anything by Svetlana Alexievich, The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili, The Emigrants by W.G. Sebald, Baba Dunja's Last Love & Barbara Isn't Dying by Alina Bronsky, the mysteries of Keigo Higashino, A Meal in Winter by Hubert Mingarelli and

Forbidden Notebook

13mo

dabbe Yes indeedy. Love Robert Fagles's translations of THE ILIAD AND THE ODYSSEY. Currently reading WAR AND PEACE (since January! 😳), translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (thanks to @Cuilin). If you want to read books from other countries, you have to find good translations, right? 🧡🖤💜 13mo

lauraisntwilder Yes! I love reading translated books, mostly Japanese and Scandinavian, but not always. Some of my favorites are Fredrik Backman, Dorthe Nors, Natalia Ginzburg, Tove Jansson, Mieko Kawakami, and Hiromi Kawakami. My absolute favorite is Per Petterson. 13mo

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Happy Friday! Time for the #bookishquestion of the week! This week‘s question is: what book has been on your TBR the longest? Do you think you‘ll ever get to it? #BookTalk

Megabooks I didn‘t read many physical books (as opposed to ebooks) until recently, and I bought this in 2016 and finally got to it last month. And liked it!!

Still Life with Bread Crumbs: A Novel

14mo

Megabooks I think I bought this one at the same time as Still Life, but haven‘t read it yet.

California: A Novel

14mo

AmyG I had this, then lost it, then recieved it last year for Jolabokaflod.

Shantaram: A Novel

14mo

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wanderinglynn Of the TBRs I actually own, I added this book to GR in 2008. Not sure how long I‘ve actually owned a physical copy, but a good while now.

The Birthday Of The World and Other Stories

14mo

Deblovestoread I have several unread hardback Michener's on my shelves that could vie for the longest owned title 14mo

Amiable I added this one in 2011 when I first set up my Goodreads account. But there are books in my stacks that I‘ve had for even longer. Like, years longer. 😬

The Known World

14mo

TheBookgeekFrau Damnnnnn, I've got a few that have languished for decades. But the oldest one is from college (sophomore year, I think). To give you some perspective, I graduated Jan 1992. I'll probably never read it, but damn it's part of the family so I can't get rid of it 😂

Love's Executioner: And Other Tales of Psychotherapy

14mo

dabbe The tagged one. I've read McCullough's JOHN ADAMS (loved), 1776 (okay), and BRAVE COMPANIONS (loved). I just can't seem to want to pick up this one, and it won the Pulitzer Prize!

Truman

14mo

Tamra Wow - who knows??? I do a cull of my TBR shelves just about every year, so it‘s hard to say. Maybe the tagged, though I periodically read bits & pieces.

Inferno: From the Divine Comedy (The Divine Comedy, #1)

(edited) 14mo

Tamra @dabbe I loved Adams and Truman is actually quite good. 14mo

TieDyeDude I've actually started going back through the oldest of my Goodreads TBR, and since we've moved, I am finding some of them in our new library system! One I haven't gotten to yet is Charlie, Algernon, and I: A Writer's Journey by Daniel Keyes. 14mo

Karkar Has been on my list for over 10 years

Catcher in the Rye

14mo

Ruthiella I don‘t actually know. For sure there are books I‘ve had for decades here and there. But on my “get to soon” pile is a book I was so excited to find at a library sale over 10 years ago

The Quincunx

14mo

dabbe @Tamra Thank you. You give me hope! 💜🖤🧡 14mo

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

It‘s Friday once more! Time for the #bookishquestion of the week! November means that NaNoWriMo is upon us. My question is: do you write or aspire to write? What kind of writing do you do? Have you ever published anything? #BookTalk

dabbe Well, I had to look this up. What a wonderful idea! However, having spent my entire career reading and grading essays, writing for me now is pure pleasure and pretty much just for me. I have zero aspirations to publish the great American novel or anything remotely like it. 🤗 14mo

kspenmoll I I have been keeping a journal since I was about 12. It‘s a way for me to get my thoughts and emotions on pay on the page and reflect upon them and let them go. I do not see myself writing to publish. 14mo

julesG I write on and off. Fiction. Small vignettes to full length stories. I haven't published anything yet. 14mo

JamieArc I am participating but in a very low-key way. I‘m just committing to write every day, but not a specific word count or even continued subject. Just to get into the practice of putting pen to paper every day. 14mo

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Happy Halloweekend everyone! Time for the #bookishquestion of the week! This week‘s question is: what is a book that actually scared you while reading? #BookTalk

CSeydel First book I remember feeling really truly frightened while reading it was

Misery

Bookwormjillk I stayed up all night in a rickety old cottage on Cape Cod when it was storming because I was so freaked out by

Bird Box: A Novel

CSeydel @Bookwormjillk oh I‘m just about to read that one 🙈 1y

dabbe The Shining by good ol‘ scare-the-pants-off-you Stephen King. 😅 1y

thegirlwiththelibrarybag The inevitability of what happens in The Birds… I‘m not a bird fan so why I watched the movie 🫣 and then decided to see how different it was to the book does baffle me a little bit 🤣 I once got out of my car via the passenger door because I didn‘t like how a seagull was looking at me

The Birds and Other Stories

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Who‘s ready for the weekend? Let‘s kick things off with the #bookishquestion of the week. Time to spread the word about some lesser known titles: what is a book that you rated 4 or 5 stars that has the fewest reviews on GR (or whatever platform you use)? #booktalk

CSeydel A recent one that I gave 4 stars and has only 296 reviews on Goodreads is

Cloudmaker

(edited) 1y

Susanita The Rosie Project with a cat:

Love in Lowercase

Bookwormjillk I‘m not sure how many reviews it has but I always thought this one was underrated

Cataloochee: A Novel

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CSeydel @Bookwormjillk oh, that sounds right up my alley—stacked! 1y

CSeydel @Susanita I haven‘t read Rosie Project, but this looks cute! Stacked 1y

Itchyfeetreader This is a chunkster that I adored that has only 200 other ratings! I also have a children‘s story that set me off on a life of loving historical fiction called the kind ghosts that has only 11 other reviews !

Children's War

Billypar Great question. I think mine has to be this one - I rated it 5 stars, it has 23 ratings on Goodreads, and the only posts on Litsy are my own. It's a short, strange, challenging read - I've never read anything else like it.

They Have Fired Her Again

CSeydel @Billypar Sounds intriguing! 1y

CSeydel @Itchyfeetreader I‘m always fascinated by alternative history! That sounds so interesting! 1y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Happy Friday the 13th everyone 🔪
It‘s time again for the #bookishquestion of the week. Ok, don‘t judge me, but lately I‘ve been listening to celebrity memoir audiobooks. They are easy listening, often fun and perfect for the car. What celebrity memoirs (or any memoir, really) have you loved, which ones have you hated? #BookTalk

Susanita I really enjoyed this, especially the cameo appearances of Patrick Stewart reading haiku.

Yes Please

Bookwormjillk I really loved the Minnie Driver one

Managing Expectations: A Memoir in Essays

5feet.of.fury @Susanita love Amy Poehler! That‘s a good one. 1y

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5feet.of.fury Surprisingly excellent

Paris: The Memoir

CSeydel @Susanita That does sound tempting! 1y

CSeydel @Bookwormjillk oh I really like her as an actress! Stacking 📚 1y

CSeydel @5feet.of.fury I have heard good things about Paris! 1y

LiteraryinPA I‘ve enjoyed ones by Alan Cummings, but they‘re not a light read. Also

Born a Crime

wanderinglynn I really enjoyed

CSeydel @wanderinglynn Oh that‘s tempting! Stacking 📚 1y

CSeydel @LiteraryinLawrence I really enjoyed Not My Father‘s Son! But I read it a few years ago before this current audio jag. I‘ve heard lots of praise for Born a Crime too 1y

GondorGirl I adored this one (Especially on audiobook)

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride

CSeydel @GondorGirl Yessssss! 1y

wanderinglynn I second @GondorGirl — As You Wish is fabulous. 1y

CarolynM I loved

Did I Ever Tell You This?

CSeydel @CarolynM Yes! That one is on my list 1y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Another Friday night is upon us! Finally getting around to posting this week‘s #bookishquestion. Who is an author that automatically gets on your to-read list when they have a new book out? #BookTalk

Ruthiella Kate Atkinson and Sarah Waters 💯 1y

OrangeMooseReads Kate Quinn and Anne Rice (I know it is unlikely another of her books will be released) 1y

TheBookHippie Simone St James, Stacey Lee … 1y

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TheBookgeekFrau Stephen King, Chris Bohjalian, Elin Hilderbrand, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Christopher Moore 1y

thegirlwiththelibrarybag Natasha Pulley, Patrick deWitt & Garth Nix (I buy them immediately and read them… eventually 😅) 1y

AllDebooks Margaret Atwood, Naomi Klein, Robert Macfarlane, Nigel Slater, 1y

jlhammar Oh my gosh, so many! Kazuo Ishiguro, Claire Keegan, Miriam Toews, Alice McDermott, Anne Tyler, Elizabeth Strout, Louise Erdrich, David Grann and Patrick Radden Keefe to name a few... 1y

Tamra Carys Davies! 1y

Ruthiella @jlhammar Oh yes, I‘d add Ishiguro to my list too. 1y

CSeydel @Ruthiella @OrangeMooseReads @TheBookHippie @TheBookgeekFrau @thegirlwiththelibrarybag @AllDebooks @jlhammar @Tamra Such good choices! 1y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Happy Friday all! Time for the #bookishquestion of the week! Today‘s question is: if you‘re in a bad mood, do you read to lift your spirits, or do you avoid reading - in case your bad mood poisons your view of the book?
#BookTalk

Andrew65 I try to read as it can improve my mood, but depending how dark my mood is it can affect my ability to read. Sometimes an audiobook can help. (edited) 1y

CSeydel I have definitely noticed myself taking out my peevishness on a poor unsuspecting author. Sometimes I just have to be in the right mood to roll with, say, quirkiness or certain tropes that don‘t necessarily make the book objectively bad, but that I have no patience for if I‘m grumpy. 1y

dabbe I have to go to my PEANUTS' collection of comics and/or MUTTS. Usually I'll get lifted out of the doom then. 1y

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Tamra I do try to read anyway, but whether it‘s effective therapy depends on why I‘m grumpy! 😅 1y

TheKidUpstairs Like @Tamra said, it depends on why I'm in a bad mood. Sometimes a book is just the right distraction/ comfort I need. But if it's a thought spiral type of bad mood or can be really difficult to concentrate. So I'll either blast music or put something funny on to watch instead. 1y

AmyG Sometimes I can read my bad mood away. But if I am in a bad mood due to stress of a family member (illness etc)…th en I just can‘t read. (edited) 1y

Bookwormjillk Like everyone else it depends on what‘s causing the mood. Often reading is a nice distraction though. 1y

Ruthiella I can read Terry Pratchett or P.G. Wodehouse and they cheer me up. Agatha Christie soothes. 1y

SaunteringVaguelyDownwards I go for a familiar comfort read when I'm in a bad mood, unless I'm particularly driven to find out what happens next in the book I'm currently reading. 1y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Happy Friday! Although I left it so late that it‘s already Saturday for most of you. Who‘s up for a #bookishquestion of the week? This week‘s question is: what‘s a a book you read based on Litsy posts? #BookTalk #blameitonlitsy

Ruthiella So many! The first one that comes to mind is

Notes on an Execution: A Novel

CSeydel @Ruthiella ooh, how was it? 1y

Ruthiella @CSeydel It was very good! 👍 1y

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TheBookgeekFrau Quite a few 😁 The two most recent: The Book of Lost Things; and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop. 1y

julesG Lots! One of the most recent was

Cassandra in Reverse: A Novel

TrishB Sooooo many! 1y

Amiable I‘ve gotten several from posts by @CBee ! Most recently

Notes on an Execution: A Novel

Amiable And also

Fresh Water for Flowers

mabell So many! One in particular -

Sorcery and Cecelia: An Epistolary Fantasy

CBee @Amiable I read Midwives partly because you mentioned you loved it 😊 (edited) 1y

CBee #Camplitsy introduced me to some good ones over the summer! 😊 1y

Tamra Most! 😅😅 1y

Amiable @CBee Litsy is one big mosh pit of book love! 🙂 1y

CBee @Amiable true, except not quite as sweaty and crowded 😂😂😂 1y

CBee @TrishB I‘m reading The Ferryman right now partly because of your review 😊 1y

Amiable @CBee 🤣🤣 1y

CSeydel @Tamra haha true! How did I ever know what to read before Litsy? 1y

CSeydel @Amiable @CBee Yes, a quiet and comfortable mosh pit of book recommendations! 1y

CSeydel @Ruthiella @TheBookgeekFrau @julesG @TrishB @Amiable @mabell @CBee Some great suggestions! 1y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Time again for the #bookishquestion of the week! In keeping with the back-to-school theme the last two Fridays, this week‘s question is:
What‘s a book that isn‘t “required reading” in schools, but should be? What book would you choose for a literature curriculum? #BookTalk

AnnR This is a tough one. I can think of two books off-hand. Both are technically considered to be non-fiction or memoirs: Life Among the Piutes by Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins and

Dust of Eden: A Novel

(edited) 1y

Bookwormjillk I‘m not sure. My daughter‘s English teacher this year doesn‘t have any required read. She just requires reading. I like that approach a lot. 1y

Tamra For elementary students - sometimes you can‘t take back mistakes to make them right. Better to be kind!

Each Kindness

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TheBookHippie High school, college, every teacher -

Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal

Billypar I love this question: the canon should be refreshed with more engaging, contemporary works. I might choose Piranesi and

Another Brooklyn: A Novel

Billypar I'm reading All's Well by Mona Awad right now and part of me wonders whether her prior novel would make for good discussion or just be too crazy:

Bunny: A Novel

dabbe For high school, HOW TO READ LITERATURE LIKE A PROFESSOR. It would make the most interesting and useful textbook (I hate the word textbook, btw!). 😃 1y

SaunteringVaguelyDownwards I second the idea of just requiring reading so students can follow their own interests. 1y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Time for the #bookishquestion of the week! Following up on last week, this week‘s question is: what‘s a book that was required reading in school that you did NOT enjoy at the time, but you enjoyed more as an adult? #BookTalk

shortsarahrose I didn‘t hate it in school, but I revisited it a couple years ago and appreciated it so much more

To Kill a Mockingbird

thegirlwiththelibrarybag The only one that I really hated at the time, I still hated when I reread it as an adult to see if I was an over dramatic teen 🤔 mostly because Tim Winton is a beloved Australian author and people look at me like this 👀 when I say how much of a fan I am not ☺️

Lockie Leonard: Human Torpedo

Amiable I had to get a bit more perspective on life before I could appreciate

The Great Gatsby

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wen4blu It seemed an odd choice for school

My Antonia (Original Classics)

SaunteringVaguelyDownwards I needed time to appreciate the wit and subtle satire in

Pride and Prejudice

Tamra Honestly I‘d didn‘t really enjoy Shakespeare and while I still don‘t, I appreciate his place & influence much better now. 1y

Tamra Isn‘t it funny how so many lit teachers in the past refused to offer contemporary reading selections? That has changed! 1y

Tamra @shortsarahrose there are just books that are hard to appreciate without a bit of life experience & wisdom. 1y

CSeydel @shortsarahrose Yes! That‘s one that really endures. It‘s a great choice for school reading because it speaks to many levels. 1y

CSeydel @thegirlwiththelibrarybag oh no! As an American I‘m not familiar with that one. Good for you to give it a second chance! Also good for you to know your own mind despite popular opinion 😆 1y

CSeydel @Amiable yes, definitely! Somehow I do remember enjoying that one in school, but I think the themes really hit home better now that I‘m older. 1y

CSeydel @wen4blu oh my goodness, yes! 1y

CSeydel @SaunteringVaguelyDownwards Absolutely! I couldn‘t understand why people loved it when I read it as a teen (not for school). Maybe if I‘d read it in school I would have gotten more context and appreciated the social satire. 1y

CSeydel @Tamra it‘s so true! 1y

CSeydel @Tamra I like that teachers seem more willing to present Shakespeare on video rather than just reading the plays. They were intended to be performed and I think it it much more difficult to appreciate the dynamic when you‘re struggling with the archaic language. 1y

Tamra @CSeydel yes! My son actually liked Romeo & Juliet because they watched the 60‘s era film in conjunction with reading it. 1y

CSeydel @Tamra That‘s a really good adaptation! 1y

dabbe For me, it was MADAME BOVARY. I had to do some major growing up to truly appreciate this one. 1y

thegirlwiththelibrarybag @CSeydel, I remember Mum reading it and her absolutely thinking it was the funniest thing. He‘s better known for his books for adults… I haven‘t tried them tho (a few have been made into movies. Simon Baker was in one)

Cloudstreet

(edited) 1y

thegirlwiththelibrarybag @Tamra, Shakespeare is a hard one to appreciate when it‘s just being read out in class. I was lucky that my grandparents took me to see Shakespeare in the Park the summer before I started Romeo & Juliet for English class. I do also remember having to watch both Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrmann movie versions. 1y

Tamra Which is it for you @CSeydel? 1y

CSeydel @Tamra I would definitely like to revisit Hemingway. I‘m pretty sure that even if I don‘t become a fan, I‘ll at least “get it” now. Also, Faulkner‘s “Light in August” went straight over my head in high school, but I wonder if I‘d appreciate it more now. 1y

CSeydel @dabbe oh wow! That‘s one I haven‘t read. 1y

Tamra @CSeydel I‘m not a Hemingway fan, but yes to Faulkner! There is no way I would have gotten anything meaningful out of his books in HS. 1y

dabbe @CSeydel I appreciated it much more as an adult, and I actually enjoyed it! I also struggled with Faulkner. One chapter in AS I LAY DYING: “My mother was a fish.“ That was the whole chapter. 😳🤩🤣 1y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Live from California, it‘s Fridaaaaaaaaaay night! Who‘s ready for the weekend? 🙋🏻‍♀️
This week was my family‘s last first day of school - my youngest is a senior in high school! So for today‘s #bookishquestion think back to your school days and tell me: what‘s a book you had to read in school that you really enjoyed or that made a lasting impression? #booktalk

julieclair I loved this book! And now I live on an island and see dolphins all the time. Coincidence? I think not. 🐬🐬🐬

Island of the Blue Dolphins (Anniversary)

CSeydel @julieclair Perfect! 1y

TheBookgeekFrau Four stand-out for me: Of Mice and Men, War and Peace (high school & college), A Separate Peace, and The Great Gatsby. When I think of school, these are the books that shine ✨ 1y

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CSeydel @TheBookgeekFrau Nice choices! Of those, I only read Gatsby in high school, and I loved it. I‘ve been wanting to read A Separate Peace for years but somehow haven‘t gotten to it yet. 1y

wanderinglynn @julieclair great choice! 1y

wanderinglynn Remembering all the way back to HS is tough—it all blurs together! 😆 But I‘d say for enjoyment: HHGTTG, Lost Horizon, Dracula, Frankenstein, & Jules Verne. What made a lasting impression: Great Expectations, the Old Man & the Sea, & Ethan Frome—all deemed classics and I hate each. 1y

Amiable I still remember “Johnny Tremain” and “Rifles for Watie” — for some reason they made an impact on me in middle school. And then when I became an adult and had kids, my oldest son was always fascinated with books about soldiers and war. So I found both books and passed them on to him. He‘s a Marine now. I sometimes wonder if on some cellular level I was preparing to have a son who would someday “go off to war.” 1y

CSeydel @wanderinglynn I read the Old Man and the Sea in grade 9 and I did NOT get it, at all! Put me off Hemingway for the entire life! But lately I‘ve been tempted to go back and read it as an adult and see if it speaks to me more at this time of life 🤷🏻‍♀️ I did read Ethan Frome recently and loved it (though I‘m certain I would have hated it as a teen). 1y

CSeydel @Amiable oh wow! 1y

wanderinglynn @Amiable I work for the Navy & love the Marines (so much more than the blue (Navy) side). 💚 Thank your son for serving & thanks to you and your family who wait on the home front. 🇺🇸 (edited) 1y

Ruthiella I loved Lord Jim which we read in English when I was a sophomore in high school. I picked it up again 25 years later and wondered what I saw in it at 15! 😂 (edited) 1y

CSeydel @Ruthiella oh, funny! 1y

Amiable @wanderinglynn I will tell him! Sometimes the waiting is harder than others. Right now he‘s deployed on an aircraft carrier (he‘s a pilot) and is somewhere in the Persian Gulf until next year. Thankful for technology —I can‘t even imagine what families went through in the days before email. 😬 (edited) 1y

CSeydel @Amiable Yes, much gratitude to your son and prayers for your family. My daughter is in AFROTC hoping to be a fighter pilot. While I would never discourage her, I admit, the idea scares me! 1y

Amiable @wanderinglynn Also, why do you love the Marines more than the Navy? Obviously I do too! 😀 But just curious about your thoughts. 1y

Amiable @CSeydel Good luck to her! It‘s a long, tough road. Especially for a woman in the super-charged male-dominated world of military pilots. But so rewarding! It‘s really a calling for those who pursue it. 1y

Tamra Steinbeck 6th grade - made me an adult reader. 💙 What a bittersweet day for your family. 😘

The Pearl

CSeydel @Amiable Thank you! Yes, that‘s so true. I was secretly grateful when she started talking about “backup” Air Force jobs she was considering, if she doesn‘t get a pilot slot. 1y

wanderinglynn @Amiable it has to do with the difference in approaching problems. The explanation is too long for Litsy, but basically, they‘re easier to work with. Plus, Marines are just awesome! Oorah! (I was made an “honorary” marine & was given permission to say that 😉). Although I‘ve never been ma‘am‘d more in my life than the 2 years I worked on a marine corps base. 😆 1y

TheBookgeekFrau @CSeydel I know and live that feeling for a lot of books 😂😂 1y

TheKidUpstairs Two all time favourites that I first read in high school: Margaret Laurence's The Diviners and Nino Ricci's Lives of the Saints. And it was in a University class that I first read The Bell Jar and discovered the amazing Helen Humphreys with Afterimage. 1y

CSeydel @Tamra ❤️ 1y

CSeydel @TheKidUpstairs Nice!! 1y

28 likes23 comments

CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Happy Friday from Delaware! Crazy week for me, how about you all? I‘m watching more TV than usual this month as we wind up summer break, so this week‘s #bookishquestion is:
what is a movie or TV adaptation that you thought did justice to the book? #BookTalk

Cuilin I just finished reading Lady Chatterley‘s Lover. I then watched the movie which was better than the book as the problematic “isms” were removed. More palatable for a modern viewer. 1y

Leftcoastzen The World According to Garp! 1y

jlhammar Recently watched the Irish film, A Quiet Girl, based on Foster by Claire Keegan. I adored that novella and the adaptation is wonderful. Have some tissues handy though - the ending is so moving 😭 1y

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Ruthiella The movie Sideways. It won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay and deserved it, IMO.

Sideways: A Novel

Tamra Hands down Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins ♥️♥️ in

Remains of the Day

Tamra @Ruthiella my husbands favorite movie - he must watch it a dozen times a year! 1y

Tamra @jlhammar I need to see that one! 1y

Megabooks Definitely this one!

Election

Megabooks @Tamra I need to watch that after I finally read Remains for #AuthorAMonth! 1y

Tamra @Megabooks the book is good, but the film is GREAT! Both actors add so much nonverbal nuance to the characters. 1y

Ruthiella @Tamra Oh, Remains of the Day is another excellent choice and another where I have seen/read both. 1y

AnneCecilie I‘ve loved both the books and the adaptations of Normal People and The Heartstopper 1y

Amiable @Leftcoastzen Absolutely! Love that book —and movie! 1y

Amiable My favorite book-to-movie adaptation is “Mystic River.” It was perfect. 1y

CSeydel @Amiable Oh, I read Mystic River but I haven‘t seen the movie. I bet it works well! 1y

CSeydel @AnneCecilie ooh, good ones! I haven‘t seen either of those. 1y

CSeydel @Tamra YES! Loved the book, loved the movie. 1y

CSeydel @Megabooks oh, nice! I haven‘t read that one but the movie was very well done indeed. 1y

CSeydel @Ruthiella Oh, another one I haven‘t seen! I remember when it won, but somehow I still haven‘t gotten around to watching it. 1y

CSeydel @jlhammar I just read the story! 1y

CSeydel @Leftcoastzen Good movie! I‘ve heard the book is disappointing 1y

CSeydel @Cuilin definitely 😬 1y

Leftcoastzen @CSeydel In the case of Garp , I love book & movie .Another one I love both of is

High Fidelity

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Happy Friday Littens! I for one am ready for the weekend 😅 I‘m getting ready to travel tomorrow to take my kid back to college. So on that note, this week‘s #bookishquestion is: what‘s a book you recommend that‘s set in your home city/state/country? #BookTalk

TheBookHippie Michigan ~ people love or hate this book.

The Virgin Suicides

(edited) 1y

Tamra Minnesota

The Sentence

(edited) 1y

TheKidUpstairs Toronto - there are many, but one of my all time faves is

In the Skin of a Lion

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AllDebooks Derbyshire, UK has to

Pride and Prejudice (Revised)

CSeydel @TheBookHippie ooh I haven‘t read that one but you‘re right! 1y

CSeydel @Tamra yes! I really enjoyed that one. 1y

CSeydel @TheKidUpstairs ooh adding that! 1y

CSeydel @AllDebooks Haha perfect choice 1y

TheKidUpstairs @TheBookHippie put me in the love column! Although not as much as I LOOOOOVE

Middlesex: A Novel

Tamra @CSeydel me too. 😊 It captures a period in the state‘s and nation‘s life so well. (edited) 1y

TheBookHippie @TheKidUpstairs I love that one too! 1y

dabbe Hard to choose. Here's a few where some of the setting is in the Grand Canyon State of Arizona!
-THE BEAN TREES by Barbra Kingsolver ... also ANIMAL DREAMS and PIGS IN HEAVEN.
-THE MONKEY WRENCH GANG by Edward Abbey
-A THIEF OF TIME by Tony Hillerman
-SING DOWN THE MOON by Scott O'Dell
-BLOOD MERIDIAN by Cormac McCarthy
-THE HERITAGE OF THE DESERT by Zane Grey (and a bunch more!)
1y

jlhammar Minnesota - Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger, In The Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien, History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund, Safe From the Sea by Peter Geye, The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal, The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson, Brood by Jackie Polzin and

Girl, 11

Ruthiella For mid 20th century LA and environs anything by James Elroy. For the suburban areas of Southern California where I grew up

Goodbye, Vitamin: A Novel

(edited) 1y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Friday has arrived once again. Summer is flying by for me, how about you? Today I want you to imagine hosting a literary dinner party. What authors (living or dead) would you invite? #BookTalk #bookishquestion

CSeydel Here‘s mine: Andy Weir, Connie Willis, and Agatha Christie. 1y

Amiable John Irving, Wally Lamb, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David McCullough 1y

CSeydel @Amiable Love the nonfiction rep! I was going to add some NF authors but then I realized I the ones I chose tended to be people who have a different primary career, and “also” write books - Richard Feynman, Caitlyn Doughty, etc. 1y

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dabbe Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allan Poe, Shirley Jackson, Ira Levin ... I'd want it to be a Halloween-themed dinner! 🎃 1y

CSeydel @dabbe oh my! 1y

TrishB Sylvia Plath, Robin Hobb, Stephen King and Sharon Penman. 1y

CSeydel @TrishB ooh! I wonder what they‘d talk about! 🧐 1y

TrishB It would definitely be interesting! 1y

TheBookgeekFrau Stephen King, Chris Bohjalin, Isabel Allende, and Christopher Moore 1y

CSeydel @TheBookgeekFrau Chris Bohjalian is on Litsy! 1y

TheBookgeekFrau @CSeydel I follow him. I was going to tag him but it felt weird 😅 1y

Amiable @CSeydel I love nonfiction! Especially history. I‘ve been to lecture presentations by both McCullough and Kearns Goodwin and would have loved to get them in the same room to talk about politics and history. 1y

Amiable Ooh, add Ron Chernow to the guest list! If we‘re going to talk about history. 1y

CSeydel @TheBookgeekFrau definitely!! 1y

CSeydel @Amiable I would go to that panel discussion, but I think I‘d be too intimidated to go to that dinner party 😅 1y

CSeydel @Amiable ok now Im thinking my invitations would include Candice Millard, Hampton Sides, and David Grann 1y

wanderinglynn Jane Austen, the Brontes, George Eliot, Mary Shelley, Kate Chopin, & Louisa May Alcott — I‘d love to hear what it was really like to be a female author in the 1800s. (edited) 1y

Amiable @CSeydel Yes!! I saw Beth Macy at the Santa Fe Book Festival in May —she was fabulous. She needs an invite, too. 1y

CSeydel @wanderinglynn oh yes, count me in 1y

SkateGuard Margaret Atwood, Quentin Crisp and Toller Cranston 1y

CSeydel @SkateGuard That would be lively! 1y

SkateGuard @CSeydel I'm all about lively! 😂 1y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Happy Friday! First Friday of August ☀️🔥 Time for the #bookishquestion of the week!

Seems like people use “unpopular opinion” to share things that everyone else liked but they disliked. Let‘s flip that!

This week‘s question is: what‘s a book you loved that you feel is underrated? Share in the comments! #BookTalk

CBee I loved this book but it only has a small handful of reviews on Litsy (which is how I heard of it in the first place). It‘s a beautiful read!

The Raging Quiet

AnnR I really enjoyed this murder mystery series by Ann Granger. It definitely isn't quite as popular as other similar cozies but I liked the spunk of Lizzie Martin and her sleuthing skills.

A Rare Interest in Corpses

CSeydel @CBee Ooh, nice! 1y

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CSeydel @Ann_Reads oh I‘d like to check that one out! 1y

TheBookHippie If you like WWII this one is very good

The Plum Tree

dabbe I'd have to go with one by Charles Dickens: BLEAK HOUSE. The title's enough to make you want to run for the hills. In fact, I tried reading it a few times and couldn't get past page 100 or so. Then, I doggedly tried again, and M.A.G.I.C. happened. There's a detective story; there's a murder; there's unrequited love. There's history about the English courts. IT. WAS. PHENOMENAL. But, we all know how wordy Dickens can be. Still, this one's worth it. 1y

Ruthiella Jane Harris‘ first two books. For me personally, she‘s a much better writer than Jessie Burton or Sarah Perry, who write similar historical fiction novels. The books are The Observations and

Gillespie and I: A Novel

dabbe Oh, and BLEAK HOUSE also has spontaneous combustion! Seriously! 🤩 1y

CSeydel @dabbe Oh yeah, I‘ve been wanting to read that one! 1y

CSeydel @TheBookHippie it looks good! 1y

CSeydel @Ruthiella Nice one! I haven‘t read any by her yet but I want to! 1y

TheBookHippie A children‘s book I read with students every year very underrated but necessary

Hundred Dresses

Bookwormjillk I feel like I‘m the only one who liked

The Last Word: A Novel

CSeydel @TheBookHippie oh yes that‘s a good one! It‘s a Newbery winner, isn‘t it? But for some reason Eleanor Estes hasn‘t been as much of a household name as, say, Laura Ingalls Wilder, EB White or Beverly Cleary 1y

SassyBookworm This book! I read it a few years ago and I still highly suggest it to anyone looking for a WWI historical fiction! It‘s absolutely great!

Dragonfly

CSeydel @Bookwormjillk I‘ve heard of that one! Maybe I‘ll check it out 👀 sounds creepy! 1y

CSeydel @SassyBookworm oh that sounds riveting! 1y

AllDebooks Absolutely adored

Jonathan Strange et Mr Norrell: roman

Chelsea.Poole I loved this book!

Voices from the Ape House

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Sorry I‘m late with todays #bookishquestion - busy Friday for me! Hope everyone is staying cool and looking forward to a fun weekend. This week‘s question is: do you prefer hardcover, paperback, e-Reader or audiobook? #BookTalk

LapReader Paperback. Not so heavy to take with me everywhere. 1y

readingjedi I read most of my fiction on my Kindle, but prefer my non-fiction in physical form - paperback rather than hardback as space is always an issue. 1y

Amiable Paperback is my preference. I have an iPad with various apps (Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Hoopla and Libby) for heavier chunksters and/or when I‘m traveling. 1y

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Tamra Paperback! But Kindle is ideal for travel. What is your preference? 1y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Hardcover!! 💯 1y

Megabooks Hardcover! But paperbacks are better for travel. 1y

rwmg Paperback or ereader, either is good. I like the sheer number of books available on an ereader and that I can adjust font etc. OTOH, sometimes the formatting of ebooks is not great, especially for poetry, and if there are a lot of pictures or it's otherwise aesthetically pleasing I prefer paperback 1y

Ruthiella Yes to all formats! If I had to pick one, however , I‘d pick hardcover because it‘s important for collecting. 1y

CSeydel @LapReader Portability is key! Got to have a a book handy at all times:) 1y

CSeydel @readingjedi A nice balance! 1y

CSeydel @Amiable Some of them can be very unwieldy in hardcover! 1y

CSeydel @Tamra Nice! I love my kindle because I can always download a new book wherever I am. And I can use it to read in bed after lights out. But I still have a stack of library books next to my bed. It‘s nice to *hold* a book and really look at the cover and have all those sensations that you don‘t have with ebooks. 1y

CSeydel @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks A woman who knows her own mind! 1y

CSeydel @Megabooks Paperbacks do have that going for them! 1y

CSeydel @rwmg Absolutely! But yes about the formatting. I do like how ereaders make it easy to search in a book, or highlight a quote, or check the definition of a word I‘m not sure about. 1y

CSeydel @Ruthiella Collecting is fun! My husband has been hunting down a specific edition of the first book in a series because his old copy doesn‘t match the aesthetic of the later ones he bought. I think for book 1 he got a reprint edition and the others were first editions so the covers don‘t match. Me, I give away my books after I‘ve read them! 1y

Amiable @CSeydel I give away books after I read them, too! I work at a hospital and the Volunteer Services people have a book cart that goes around to inpatient rooms and the infusion areas where patients are getting treatments that last for hours. I drop off books there. 1y

CSeydel @Amiable That‘s a great place to donate them! 1y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Happy Friday, everyone! Who‘s ready for some #BookTalk? This week‘s #bookishquestion is: what‘s a book you enjoyed in a genre you usually avoid?

Megabooks I‘m not usually a fantasy reader, but I still think about

Piranesi

CSeydel @Megabooks oooh I‘ve been wanting to read that one! 1y

BiblioLitten I usually avoid romance but I really enjoyed

The Switch

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AmyG Not a fantasy reader but I loved

The Name of the Wind: The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One

CSeydel @BiblioLitten That sounds really good! I hadn‘t heard of it before. 1y

CSeydel @AmyG I have heard so many good things about that one! 1y

Amiable I normally run in the opposite direction of anything that smacks of romance but I enjoyed

Book Lovers

CSeydel @Amiable Right on! I‘m often disappointed when someone recommends me a romance (looking at you, Un-Honeymooners 🙄) … but this one sounds tempting! 1y

dabbe I'm not a reader of horror, but I did enjoy THE EXORCIST. 😈 1y

CSeydel @dabbe Nice! 1y

Tamra Not generally a Sci Fi or speculative fiction fan, but I loved this one (but not the sequel).

The Sparrow: A Novel

dabbe @CSeydel 🤩 1y

GingerAntics I usually do not do romance, but I did love this entire series!

The Kiss Quotient

SaunteringVaguelyDownwards I'm not a romance reader, but the combination of quirky characters, mystery, and humor in this one kept me hooked. And also hungry for cheese.

Blessed Are the Cheesemakers

CSeydel @GingerAntics oh yeah that one sounds cute! 1y

CSeydel @SaunteringVaguelyDownwards hahaha I love the title! 1y

CSeydel @Tamra I need to reread that one - I don‘t think I quite grasped it the first time. 1y

GingerAntics @CSeydel it was really good. Honestly, it was so validating to read (and even had another book recommendation in the last book). 1y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

How is it Friday again already? Summer is flying by! This week‘s #bookishquestion is: do you listen to any bookish podcasts? What do you like or dislike about them? #BookTalk

CSeydel I will sometimes search podcasts by book title or author to see if anyone has done an episode or interview I‘m interested in. I was listening to From the Front Porch for a while, but I get overwhelmed with all the recs. 1y

charl08 I love Marlon and Jake read Dead People. Mostly because I hardly read any classic fiction, so it's about books I'm probably never going to read, and they know so much about literature. Also a fan of the BBC show which is published as a podcast as part of "Books and Authors". Recently started listening to the Women's Prize one too. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ixpZajY4Zwy84X8mwkqZG?si=Fw8A104VTZuViTSe9pmcI... 1y

Ruthiella @charl08 I LOVE ❤️ Marlon and Jake Read Dead People. I‘ve only read two novels by Marlon James and they were both so filled with brutality and violence, I‘d never have thought he could be so funny. 🤣 1y

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Ruthiella I also listen to The Mooks and the Gripes, One Bright Book, Book Fight, Backlisted, Tea or Books? and BBC Radio 4 Books and Authors. Also a shout out to our beautiful, gone too soon Litten Jenny Colvin @ReadingEnvy and her fantastic podcast. Miss you Jenny. ❤️ 1y

CSeydel @Ruthiella wait, what??? Jenny Colvin died? 😢 1y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I listen to Literally Reading and follow them on Instagram! https://open.spotify.com/show/5U2brrjI72cvWarjLC6ph3?si=H-jc17BZR5-MXhtnMlb5qg 1y

CSeydel @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I have listened to a couple episodes of one! 1y

CSeydel @charl08 @Ruthiella I will have to check out Marlon & Jake, that sounds awesome! 1y

Ruthiella @CSeydel Yes. She died in May 2022. I don‘t know the details other than she was only 43 and it was unexpected. 1y

CSeydel @Ruthiella how awful! I had no idea 💔 1y

Laughterhp I listen to so many bookish podcasts! Basically any podcast by Book Riot, Reading Glasses podcast, Reading through life, Strong Sense of place, 3 book girls, Sword & Laser, the bookstore podcast (so many!) 1y

CSeydel @Laughterhp Wow! 1y

Bookwormjillk I love Overdue and What Should I Read Next. For stupid fun I listen to back episodes of the Baby Sitters Club Club. 1y

CSeydel @Bookwormjillk Nice! 1y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Here we are once again - Friday! This week‘s #bookishquestion is: do you prefer plot-driven or character-driven stories? #BookTalk

Tamra Hmmmmmm 🤔 I think I prefer character driven, but if I‘m in need of some easier entertainment I like plot driven. I think audio books are better plot driven for me because I listen & multitask. (edited) 1y

Tamra What do you prefer @CSeydel? 1y

TiredLibrarian I think I'd have to go with plot-driven, since more character-driven stories sometimes don't hold my attention. But I can't have overly simple, cardboard characters, either! 1y

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TheBookgeekFrau Oh it so depends on my mood 😂 1y

mrp27 I equally enjoy both. 1y

mcipher Depends on my mood! Plot driven helps if I‘m in a slump. 1y

CSeydel @mcipher So true! 1y

CSeydel @mrp27 Both can be done well, I agree! 1y

CSeydel @TheBookgeekFrau Same here! 1y

CSeydel @TiredLibrarian definitely! It‘s nice when there are well-drawn characters in a plot-driven book. Even a small detail can make a big difference in realism. 1y

CSeydel @Tamra I think I‘m with you on that! I asked the question but I‘m not entirely sure how I would answer. It depends on the book and my energy level. I think I like it best when there‘s a compelling plot but also complex characters that develop through the story. Liane Moriarty does this well, in my opinion, such as:

Apples Never Fall

CSeydel @Tamra I tend to choose nonfiction for audiobooks - I usually listen while driving and nonfiction can be easier to put down and pick up at irregular intervals 1y

Ruthiella I think I probably lean towards character driven, provided the character is interesting to me. Having both in one book is kind of perfection though. I think it also depends on the book. I‘m thinking of my comfort reading of Agatha Christie. Her books are virtually all plot and I generally love them. 1y

CSeydel @Ruthiella Definitely! I think Agatha does a good job blending the two. Not necessarily that the characters grow and change over the course of the story, but that the reader gradually learns more about each character and revises our impressions of them. 1y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Happy Friday going into a long weekend for US Littens celebrating the Independence Day holiday! Hope you get a good weekend of reading among any festivities you partake in.

Halfway through 2023, this week‘s #bookishquestion is: how are you doing with your reading challenges? What challenges are you enjoying this year? Which have you given up on?

AmyG Happy holiday weekend! I am doing well with my challenges. I love Bookspin, TBR Tarot, Camp Litsy, my Sunday Buddy Read and Golden Crime Age reads. 2y

CSeydel @AmyG Wow! Nice 👍🏻 2y

Tamra No reading challenges - but I have challenged myself to use the library more and have been pretty good about it. 😄 2y

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CSeydel @Tamra That‘s a perfect challenge! 2y

Tamra How about you? 2y

CSeydel @Tamra Well, for various reasons, I was looking for more social interaction this year and I kind of oversubscribed to challenges and book clubs 😊 I‘m enjoying Camp Litsy because they chose really good books that I wouldn‘t have read otherwise. I tried the Pantone challenge but it got to be a lot of work remembering to try to match the covers with the color palette 😂 I am also doing the 14 books summer challenge to get through my TBR shelf! 2y

CSeydel @Tamra I also joined a bunch of challenges on StoryGraph but for many of those I can just read what I want and then see if it fits a challenge rather than choosing a book based on the challenge criteria 🤷🏻‍♀️ 2y

Tamra Wow, I‘m impressed!! I don‘t consider them challenges, but I enjoy a couple of Litsy buddy reads. 😁 It‘s super easy to get “overbooked” on Litsy. 2y

CSeydel @Tamra it sure is! 2y

kspenmoll I have been mostly keeping up with challenges - more challenging with work at times. #sundaybuddyread #nunlit #goldenagecrimeclub #14books14weeks #literarycrew ( on & off) 2y

CSeydel @kspenmoll Nice! 2y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Better late than never, right? Happy Friday! Time for the #bookishquestion of the week! This week‘s question is: what‘s the best non-fiction book you‘ve read so far this year?

CSeydel Mine is probably

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

Chrissyreadit I‘ve only read 1- but I loved it -

The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World

vivastory Absolutely this one

Follow This Thread: A Maze Book to Get Lost In

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Deblovestoread This memoir is outstanding

The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row

Johanna414 I really enjoyed

Under the Henfluence: Inside the World of Backyard Chickens and the People Who Love Them

Amiable Loved this one for #AuthorAMonth:

Travels with Charley in Search of America: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

Amiable Also loved

All the Young Men

TiredLibrarian This was a great read.

The Teachers: A Year Inside America's Most Vulnerable, Important Profession

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Friday again! Hope everyone is ready to enjoy a fun holiday weekend. This week‘s #bookishquestion is: do you believe in the concept of “guilty pleasures”? For instance, some people consider genre fiction to be less “respectable” than literary fiction, even though they like to read it. For me, if a book is enjoyable (which usually means well-written), I don‘t feel guilty about enjoying it!

Bookwormjillk Nope! That‘s a concept I gave up in my 40‘s. 2y

Tamra That‘s a no for me! ☺️ 2y

KathyWheeler I used to refer to things as guilty pleasures, but somewhere along the way I gave up that concept. Why should I feel guilty about enjoying what I enjoy just because someone else thinks what I enjoy is inferior? 2y

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Ruthiella I like it as a shorthand way of expressing a book that I read which is pure fun, even if it has recognizable flaws or aspects I normally would avoid in a novel. (edited) 2y

Angeles I am puzzed by this concept of feeling guilty about pleasure. Isn't pleasure the point of life? I actually avoid most literary novels because except for Hillary Mantel and a couple of other writers I know are great, literary is plublishers shorthand for pretentious, boring, and overblown. Exceotions: most classic literature which is often quite fun 2y

batsy What @Ruthiella said. Sometimes it's just a not very clever thriller, for example, that might be fun and temporarily removes you from logic and real life but is objectively not a very good book 😁 Something like that is a guilty pleasure. 2y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

What a week! Friday again, and I hope everyone is having a great day. This week‘s #bookishquestion is: do you like to read in bed, or does it put you to sleep? #BookTalk

CSeydel Personally I love to read in bed, but that may just be because my house is small and it‘s the only place I can kinda-sorta get away from it all. I‘m working on making my bedroom more of a refuge but man - it‘s tough. My current decor is themed “laundry baskets full of clothes the kids have outgrown/worn out/don‘t want” 😅 2y

CSeydel But I also love my Kindle (which I didn‘t want in the first place but now it‘s my favorite thing) because when I can‘t sleep, I can keep reading with the lights off after my husband goes to sleep 2y

BarbaraJean Most of my reading is done in bed! Same reason as you—it‘s the best place for me to get away and read undisturbed. I now have a reading chair in the bedroom, so I have options, but it‘s probably 70/30 bed reading vs. chair reading. 😁 2y

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Bookwormjillk I do read in bed and it either knocks me right out or I stay up all night to finish the book. There is no in between 😂 2y

CSeydel @BarbaraJean oh how I long for a bedroom chair 😂 2y

CSeydel @Bookwormjillk isn‘t that the truth! 2y

TheBookgeekFrau I used to read in bed when I still lived at home with my parents, it was the only place I couldn't hear my father's TV. (I haven't lived with my parents for 31 years 😲😂) 2y

Tamra I can for a few pages! 🥱 I remember the days as a teen I could lay around in bed all day and read. 2y

Blueberry I love to read in bed. 2y

kspenmoll I love to read in bed to tire me out. Only fiction though! 2y

Bookzombie I love to read in bed, but have to be careful about staying up too late! 2y

Laughterhp I do like reading in bed! But I have a hard time falling asleep if I stay up reading too long. 2y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Wow, it‘s Friday again already! Time for the #bookishquestion of the week. Yesterday my son was discussing his thoughts on the Roald Dahl re-releases, so my question is: what‘s a book you loved as a kid that you love to recommend to children in your life? Are there books you loved that *don‘t* hold up well for modern readers? #BookTalk

TheBookHippie I read this every year for the past 35 years kids adore it, because it‘s real, no happy ending no resolution to bullies. Great conversations ages 6-18 every year.

Blubber

TheBookHippie I find in my #ChildrensClassicReads2023 (stared in 2019) most hundred year old books have something and even 50 years ago, cringe things. Many of the Dr Seuss did not hold up and the estate actually refuses to publish more. 2y

Bookwormjillk I've loved listening to the Ramona books with my kids. I don't think the Little House books have aged well. They're still worth reading but with a whole lot of discussion. 2y

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Tamra I keep suggesting my kids read Old Yeller and The Red Pony and they aren‘t having it. 😆 Just as well, because my daughter came in crying yesterday because a baby robin fell from its nest and was squawking/squeaking to be fed. My son tried to bring it in the house after feeding it worms. I told him I too tried unsuccessfully to keep a bird alive when I was a kid. Sadly, it seems we all have experience the lesson about the harshness of nature. 2y

dabbe I hold true to my E.B. White favorite: THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN (CHARLOTTE'S WEB is a close second). Third would be WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS. Must go cry now. 🥲 2y

Larkken I recently bought the Beatrix potter collection on audiobook bc I thought they‘d be nice to share, but I don‘t remember them at all, haha, maybe they‘ve aged poorly? I‘d probably look for E Nesbit books and have fond feelings for The Mouse and His Boy (and honestly for many Roald Dahl books ahha )… I don‘t think I‘d go for wizard of oz or dr Doolittle though! 2y

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CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Happy Friday everyone! It‘s #bookishquestion time again. This week‘s question is: do you like to listen to music while you read, or do you prefer quiet? #BookTalk

Deblovestoread Sometimes and it is always classical when I do. 2y

MidnightBookGirl I usually put on ambient videos on YouTube when I read 2y

SaunteringVaguelyDownwards I prefer quiet, but for academic reading (or writing), I absolutely cannot have music with lyrics playing - otherwise my brain focuses on the words of the song instead of what I'm reading! 2y

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TheDaysGoBy I prefer quiet. I‘m the type of person that sings along to music if I know it so it‘s just too distracting for me to try to read while listening to music 2y

dabbe I use the app or website A Soft Murmur (asoftmurmur.com) to create my own mix of rain and water or thunder, etc. Or I'll listen to rain/ocean/fountain sounds on Apple Music--no music, just the water. 💧🌊⛲️ 2y

Tamra Quiet - if I can get it! 🤪 2y

mrp27 I prefer quiet. Music can be too distracting for me. 2y

28 likes7 comments

CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Happy Friday everyone! Time for the #bookishquestion of the week! The question is: is there a series you started out enjoying but just couldn‘t finish? For me, it was Outlander. I read the first 7 or 8 when they came out, but one day, I just couldn‘t get into them anymore. #BookTalk

Deblovestoread I loved Rita Mae Brown‘s cozy mystery series. They were like a snuggle with my favorite blanket that is until she started using them as a platform to share her political views. 2y

TiredLibrarian Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series really seemed to go off the rails for me. DNF
2y

Angeles Most series with more than 5 or in amazing cases six books on them. They become repetitive. This is why I never bothered with Game of thrones. 2y

See All 17 Comments

DGRachel Both Anne Perry‘s Thomas/Charlotte Pitt series and William Monk series. I got into the 20s in both and they just turned into one big conspiracy theory which grew old fast. Speaking of Outlander, though…I‘ve tried countless times and I can‘t get past/through Fiery Cross. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 2y

KathyWheeler @Deblovestoread I was fine with them until I read one that I can‘t even remember the name of, but it involved grape growing. I hated it so much and was so bored that I‘ve never read another one. 2y

Dragon Outlander I may have partially read some but the last one I finished was

Written in My Own Heart's Blood

Bookzombie I gave up on Sookie Stackhouse after book 7. I thought they were getting a little dull. I also stopped reading Stephanie Plum after #25 mainly because I don‘t care for the Diesel character from the in-between stories. #TeamRanger4Ever 😁 2y

CSeydel @Deblovestoread That can ruin a good story for sure! 2y

CSeydel @TiredLibrarian 👍🏻 2y

CSeydel @Angeles It‘s true! I still enjoy the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, but I notice that if I read two in a row now I really start rolling my eyes at the tropes 2y

CSeydel @DGRachel Outlander, man. It turned into a chore and I finally said - why am I doing this! I have had an unread copy of Echo in the Bone sitting here for like 10 years 😆 2y

CSeydel @KathyWheeler 😆🍇 2y

CSeydel @Dragon I thought they were very entertaining, but then … I don‘t know. I just didn‘t look forward to them anymore. Maybe I‘ll try again. I still have Echo in the Bone sitting here! Assuming I still remember who everyone is after all these years. 2y

CSeydel @Bookzombie 👍🏻 2y

Dragon Agreed @CSeydel I stopped looking forward to them and they started to feel too long. 2y

AnnR I did the same with Outlander, only making it through book 3. The stories were too violent for my reading taste. 2y

IndianBookworm For me it was The mortal instruments by Cassandra Clare. I just couldn't go past the second book. The characters, the setting seemed fun by the end of the first book though. Probably someday or never? 2y

43 likes17 comments

CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

It‘s #bookishquestion time again! So, we all know the saying about not judging a book by its cover, but be honest - we do it all the time! This week‘s question is: have you read a book where the cover doesn‘t feel like it matches the book? What would you change? #BookTalk

CSeydel Hahaha and no sooner do I post this than I see @xicanti posting about this exact issue

Eight Weeks in Paris

Tamra

Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel

CSeydel @Tamra oh yes! that one comes up a lot 2y

HeatherBlue This!! This cover drives me crazy. I expected the book to be light…oh so very not. Super powerful story, but I‘ve never felt like the cover does it justice

The Sign for Home: A Novel

CSeydel @HeatherBlue oh wow, yes! That cover does give “fun feel-good rom com” 2y

29 likes5 comments

CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

It‘s Friday again! Hope everyone is having a great week. Time for the #bookishquestion of the week! This week‘s question is: do you have a favorite genre or sub-genre?

For my answer I turn to a handy quote from Schitt‘s Creek: “I like the wine and not the label, does that make sense?”
#BookTalk

Bookwormjillk I like historical fiction a lot but will read anything as long as vampires aren‘t involved. 2y

CSeydel @Bookwormjillk Nice! I‘m like that with zombies - not interested, thanks 2y

Ruthiella I‘m definitely drawn more to mystery and historical fiction. But I also find I can‘t read too much of any genre at a time because it all gets a little “samey”. 2y

See All 8 Comments

Laughterhp I have a lot of favorite genres! Fantasy and mystery are my 2 top favs though! 2y

dabbe Historical fiction, literature classics, and detective/mystery are my go-tos. Thanks for the question! 🤗 2y

CSeydel @dabbe You and me both! Thanks for answering 😁 Litsy is the best! 2y

CSeydel @Laughterhp Nice! I‘m getting into more fantasy because my husband is a big fan. 2y

CSeydel @Ruthiella This is a real problem for me too! I like to shake things up or else the tropes of the genre start to wear on me. 2y

26 likes8 comments

CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

It‘s Friday again, and time for the #bookishquestion of the week! This week is National Library Week! My question is: how often do you visit your local library? How many libraries are you a member of? I myself have 5 library cards! #BookTalk

Laughterhp I have 3 library cards! 1 is for strictly online use though. I probably visit the library about once a month or so, depending on how my holds come in. 2y

Tamra 2 cards and I‘d say it varies, but for physical books on average 3 -4x month. But I use Libby A LOT! 2y

BethM 2 cards, Libby a lot, our library anywhere from 1-4 times a month based on what the kiddo wants to read usually. 2y

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julieclair 2 cards. I visit the library about 2-3 times a month, but also use Libby and Hoopla a lot. 2y

Bookzombie I have 3 cards. I visit one at least once a week, sometimes more. One card I use just for online. 2y

Ruthiella I have four cards. I use my library(ies) every week I‘d say, whether physical book, audio or ebook via Hoopla or Libby. 2y

Parvez Only 1 card, visit once a month. It's a small library with a limited collection. I do have many books on the TBR section on the home shelf that keeps me busy. 2y

mrp27 I have 3 cards. I visit at the minimum once a month. Although, there have been some weeks where I‘ve gone in twice. I use Libby and Hoopla quite frequently as well. 2y

CSeydel @Laughterhp @Tamra @BethM @julieclair @Bookzombie @Ruthiella @Parvez @mrp27 I love your responses. I definitely use my cards to download from Libby more often than to get physical books, but sometimes the line is a lot shorter for the paper copy! I get fed up with the noise and the traffic but there certainly are perks to living in such a densely populated area. 2y

Ruthiella @CSeydel Yes, I also check to see if the physical copy can be had sooner, and you are right: often the line is either shorter or there‘s none at all! 😂 2y

CSeydel @Ruthiella it always surprises me! 😃 2y

julieclair @CSeydel @Ruthiella How interesting that the line for the paper copy might be shorter! I always go to Libby or Hoopla first, and if they have it, even if I have to wait for it, I don‘t often check for a paper copy. I need to start doing that! 2y

Ruthiella @julieclair It‘s a hot tip! 🔥😃 2y

31 likes13 comments

CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

It‘s Friday once again! Time for the #bookishquestion of the week! This weekend is the LA Times Festival of Books, so today‘s question is: do you go to book festivals/conventions/events? What do you like or dislike about them? #BookTalk

LapReader Been to 1 already this year and off to another at the end of next month. I‘d go to them all if I could. I just love learning but I find it hard to sit on my butt all day as I am not used to that. 2y

Tamra I‘ve never been to one. 2y

Lcsmcat I went to some pre-Covid but haven‘t since. I love author talks, but I always spend too much money. 😂 2y

See All 7 Comments

KathyWheeler I have never been to one. Librarian conventions probably include some of the elements, but I‘d really like to go to just a book one. 2y

Angeles I try to go to the Boston Book festival every year. Love that it is free and you can go to interesting talks. Great for kids because you can hear your favorite author talk and get your picture book or middle grade book autograph. It is priceless when you see a little boy realizing SOMEONE really drew and wrote the story he loves. Never gets old 2y

SaunteringVaguelyDownwards The one thing I miss about moving away from the DC area is not being able to attend the National Book Festival anymore 2y

mrp27 I try to go to the LA Festival of Books when I can. Sadly I‘ll be missing it this year but I‘m going to participate in Indie Book Store Day. I‘ve been dying to try the San Diego book crawl. 2y

32 likes7 comments

CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Happy Friday everyone! It‘s Spring Break week at my house. This week‘s #bookishquestion is inspired by a difference of opinion between my husband and me: are your bookshelves filled with mostly books you want to read, or books you have already read?

5feet.of.fury Mostly HAVE read. But a healthy mix of both. 2y

Bookwormjillk Both, but I aspire to getting them all read! 2y

TrishB I only put books on the shelves once I‘ve read them. (So there are stacks of books everywhere!) 2y

See All 12 Comments

IndoorDame At this point mostly books I want to read. Used to be the opposite, but each time I move to a smaller space I purge everything I‘ve read unless I know I‘ll read it again or it has great sentimental value. Working on flipping the percentages back around though. 2y

SomedayAlmost Both 2y

DrexEdit Definitely a mix 2y

LapReader Once I read a book it goes. Life is too short to read something twice. 2y

Alfoster Agree with @LapReader as once I‘ve read them, I need to make room for more!👊 2y

Tamra Two separate areas. 😊 2y

Traci1 I've got 2 full bookshelves (those tall Billy shelves from ikea) of Have Reads. Then 4 full bookshelves full of TBRs and probably 40 or 50 more scattered throughout the house. So about twice as many unread ones than read. 2y

TheBookgeekFrau Separate shelves. But the majority of my shelves are have reads. 2y

Deblovestoread I have 2 bookcases that are TBR and several that are read. I am at the point where only books I looooove can move to the read shelves. 2y

35 likes12 comments

CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Good Friday is upon us for those who observe 🙏
Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter Weekend ✝️

This week‘s #bookishquestion is: what is a book that you felt started off slow, but eventually you couldn‘t put it down? Let me know in the comments! ⬇️
#BookTalk #FridayFun

Ruthiella I remember starting this book a few times and not getting much further than the first chapter but once I got past that, I became totally immersed and ended up loving it

Foucault's Pendulum (Trade)

(edited) 2y

Billypar I enjoyed all of this one, but it definitely picked up steam as it went:

Inland

Billypar Agreed @Ruthiella - that's a great example! 2y

See All 9 Comments

Ruthiella @Billypar Oh! Inland is also a good example. I liked it a lot but it really doesn‘t come together until the end. 2y

dabbe For me, it was this one. That's why I'm trying to read WAR AND PEACE. I haven't hit that magical point yet, and I've been stuck at 26% for 2 weeks now! (edited) 2y

Susanita I couldn‘t get into Station Eleven at all and it went back to the Libby ether. I decided to try again and LOVED IT. 2y

Tamra

As It Was & World Without End

CSeydel @Ruthiella @Billypar @dabbe @susanita @tamra Good choices 👍🏻 For me, recently, one that started out frustratingly slow but really picked up once it got going was

We Were the Mulvaneys

Ruthiella @CSeydel I read We Were the Mulvaneys and just remember is being so very sad-typical Oprah pick. 😭 2y

24 likes9 comments

CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

It‘s Friday again! Time to bid farewell to March! This week‘s #bookishquestion is: what book 📕 would you like to see made into a TV show 🖥️ or movie 🎥?
Share in the comments⬇️ #booktalk

Susanita Someone on Twitter was lamenting the loss of movie romantic comedies, and I suggested that the Bromance Book Club series would make a good set of movies. 2y

CSeydel @Susanita ooh I‘m glad to hear you say that! I have the first one on my Kindle waiting to be read 😃 2y

Ruthiella I‘d love to see the Amelia Peabody books brought to television, but only if the casting were perfect. 😀🤞 2y

CSeydel @Ruthiella Yes! Casting makes all the difference! 2y

23 likes4 comments

CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Happy Friday, and happy St Patrick‘s Day! This week‘s #bookishquestion is: does the calendar influence your reading mood? Do you tend to choose books that coordinate with the current holiday or season? #BookTalk

Soubhiville The only time I tend to theme my reading is October, when my bookclub‘s topic is always “something spooky”. All other times it‘s a free-for-all 🤣. 2y

mrp27 I definitely read seasonally during Christmas and spooky season otherwise I really don‘t. 2y

TrishB Never. I‘m not sure what influences my mood but not the calendar! 2y

See All 7 Comments

Ruthiella Not at all. I like the idea of it, but can never get myself organized enough to actually accomplish it. 2y

CSeydel @soubiville @mrp27 Yes! I find that Christmas, and Halloween even more so, lend themselves to theme reading, although I do sometimes get on a summer book kick. 2y

CSeydel @Ruthiella right? I‘m like that too! I think I finished A Christmas Carol in February this year 😆 2y

CSeydel @TrishB Read what satisfies you, I say 👍🏻 2y

30 likes7 comments

CSeydel

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

HAPPY Friday! So I was just remembering how #MrBook used to post questions for discussion, and I really miss that! I thought, why not start it up again? Hope you guys have fun with it!

To kick things off, our first weekly #bookishquestion is: is there a particular book that first turned you on to reading? When did you know you were a reader? Share in the comments! #BookTalk

Bookwormjillk For me it was The Baby-Sitters Club and

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

dabbe For me, it was Harold and the Purple Crayon. I followed Harold's crayon the way I follow words today. I can never get enough. 😊 2y

Mandoul The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett, followed by every other Discworld book 🙂🐢 2y

See All 33 Comments

CSeydel @Bookwormjillk Oh I loved BSC back in the day! Don‘t think I ever read Are You There God, but I loved Blubber and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Good picks! 2y

CSeydel @dabbe that‘s so cool! I never read Harold as a kid but I love, love, loved reading him to my kids when they were little! He was a fave! 2y

CSeydel @Mandoul I love this! For me, weirdly, Color of Magic wasn‘t what drew me into Discworld - I got hooked via the City Watch storylines. I keep meaning to go back and read the Rincewind books but … so many books, so little time (edited) 2y

Tamra At about 6-7 when my grandmother who was a teacher & reader gave me the Little House series. Before that I devoured picture books. 😁 Fun question and thanks for posting! 2y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks My dad says I loved The Grape Ape and that I had the book memorized! 2y

Ruthiella @Tamra My mother tells me it was the Little House books that were my gateway too! At around age 7 or 8… (edited) 2y

BarbaraJean I don‘t know if there was a particular book that turned me on to reading, but the Ramona books and Roald Dahl‘s BFG were early favorites. Moments when I knew I was a reader: winning “most books read” in the library summer reading program at age 5 or 6, and finishing all the assigned “readers” at school and being able to choose what I wanted to read from a special shelf. 2y

Tamra @Ruthiella 💜 2y

TheBookgeekFrau There wasn't any particular book, but I Loved when the Scholastic Book Order forms were handed out; and the day when my orders finally came in . . . Heaven!! 2y

CSeydel @tamra @Ruthiella The Little House books are phenomenal! I was such a weird kid though - I never got into them until I was an adult. I kept getting distracted because a character had my same name (baby Carrie). 🤷🏻‍♀️ 2y

CSeydel @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Grape Ape! I remember the Hanna-Barbera cartoon, but I‘ve never seen the book. Fun! 2y

CSeydel @BarbaraJean YES! Beverly Cleary was one of my early go-to‘s. I was partial to Henry and Beezus and Ellen Tebbits. And I also remember the joy of filling out the library summer reading forms! I was a data collector and organizer even then! Good memories 😊 2y

CSeydel @TheBookgeekFrau Ohhh yeah, the Scholastic Book Fair was the best part of school! 2y

TheBookgeekFrau @CSeydel Not just the fairs (which I LOVED), but the quarterly (I think) book club order forms. Loved when they were handed out 💞 2y

CSeydel @TheBookgeekFrau That sounds awesome! I dimly remember circling books in a little catalog… I bet that‘s what it was! 2y

TheBookgeekFrau @CSeydel Yes! 😊 2y

BarbaraBB I‘ve read a lot since I was 4 years old and never stopped. One of the books I vividly remember is

Pippi Longstocking

Tamra @CSeydel the fairs & fliers! 👏🏾 2y

Tamra @TheBookgeekFrau yes, I so loved Scholastic! 2y

TrishB Just read since I can remember - I do remember The Wind in the Willows when I was very young. 2y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @CSeydel 💜💜💜 2y

Deblovestoread I loved The Boxcar Children books. Wanted to be one 💜 2y

CaitZ I remember being fascinated by The Boy Who Drew Cats by Lafcadio Hearne. I don't know how old I was. 2y

CSeydel @TrishB Same here 😊 Wind in the Willows was one of the first books I remember reading for school and enjoying! I was probably in middle school by then. 2y

CSeydel @BarbaraBB Yes! I had a copy of Pippi Longstocking when I was little. I thought she was so cool! 2y

CSeydel @Deblovestoread Oh yeah! I missed these when I was a kid, but I read some of them to my kids. 2y

CSeydel @CaitZ Wow! A classic for sure. (edited) 2y

Dragon I really didn‘t get into reading until grade 7 ( around 12) when I discovered Agatha Christie and my great love Hercule Poirot💚🐉 2y

CSeydel @Dragon I love this! Agatha is truly a great observer of human nature, and Poirot is a delight. 2y

Dragon Thanks 🙏 @CSeydel and I still enjoy rereads 💚🐉 2y

39 likes33 comments

MrBook

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Time for the bookish discussion question of the day 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! Here it is: Which book series have gotten better for you as you work through them? #BookTalk

Scochrane26 The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo series—the original trilogy, HP 4y

CSeydel Inspector Lynley series by Elizabeth George 4y

Jari-chan The Nr. 1 Ladies Detective Agency 4y

See All 24 Comments

Susanita Inspector Gamache 4y

CSeydel Oh I know — The Dark Tower started out kinda 🤨 but got a lot better 4y

rwmg Discworld. I think Pratchett only really hit his stride with

Equal Rites

wordslinger42 Enola Holmes! I honestly prefer the movie to the first book (very unusual for me), but the series really gets stronger as it goes on! 4y

JamieArc Just checking in - Miss your posts! Hope you‘re doing well! 4y

CoffeeAndABook Hey @MrBook you alright? We‘ve been missing your posts around here! 🌈 4y

wordslinger42 @CoffeeAndABook I second that! I hope you're doing well, @MrBook 💜 4y

CoverToCoverGirl I hope all is good. You are missed. 4y

LazyLibrary Miss your posts! Hope all well! 4y

Branwen Miss you so much, friend! 🤗💕 Hope you're doing okay! 4y

MamaGina Missing your presence here, hope you are doing okay! 🤗 4y

TK-421 Hope all is well with you - we miss you! 🤗 4y

DivineDiana Thinking of you. 📚❤️📚 4y

TheSpineView I was thinking about you. Hope you are doing OK. Miss your posts! Sending hugs!💞 4y

MamaGina Missing seeing you here!💙 4y

Suet624 I hope all is well. Thinking of you. I‘ve missed seeing your posts. 4y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Miss you!! 4y

Branwen Missing you a lot, friend! *hugs* 💕 4y

quietlycuriouskate I had TATER TOTS for the first time yesterday! Thought of you, of course, and realised I'd not seen you here in a while. Hope all is well. 3y

Bklover Thinking of you. Miss you here. 3y

Cortg Hope you are well! Just wanted to say Hi 👋🏻 3y

44 likes24 comments

MrBook

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Time for the bookish discussion question of the day 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! Here it is: Does the snow or the rain get you to read more? #BookTalk

wordslinger42 Both. I don't discriminate 😅 4y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @wordslinger42 I second that!! 4y

Lynnsoprano If I saw snow I‘d be out in it😂 I haven‘t lived where there‘s snow since 1976! 4y

See All 12 Comments

Copwithabook The snow had me isolated at home alone so I ended up reading more 4y

DGRachel Usually the opposite-storm systems, whether they bring rain or snow, are typically migraine triggers for me, so I end up unable to read due to pain and other symptoms. 😔 4y

Aims42 I always think they should, but I sometimes just end up staring out the window watching the snow or rain with my book closed on my lap 😂 4y

DogMomIrene Living in AZ, the summer sun gets me to read more😅🤣 4y

AmyG Absolutely. We usually get alot if snow where I live...so I just stay in and read. 4y

Lizpixie I love curling up with a book & blanket when it‘s bucketing down outside. Unfortunately we don‘t get snow here😢 but I‘m sure if we did, I‘d be in front of a fire reading to that too❄️ 4y

SaunteringVaguelyDownwards The snow always gets me in a reading mood! 4y

Kappadeemom I live in Florida, when it rains, it‘s a great day to read! 4y

FlowerFairy Rainy days in Florida are the absolute best for reading. If it snows here, I‘m moving somewhere more tropical. 🤣 4y

41 likes12 comments

MrBook

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Time for the bookish discussion question of the day 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! Here it is: Which are some great foodie books? #BookTalk

Prairiegirl_reading My favourite is Jacques Pepin‘s memoir despite its unfortunate title. Also Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver is great. Julia Child is wonderful too.

The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen

Leftcoastzen A unique book from a unique restaurant & chef

Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin

Leftcoastzen Loved the book before I saw the movie , love both

Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen

See All 8 Comments

Sharpeipup Or anything by Ruth Reichl

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

Copwithabook For good wine stories

Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste

Copwithabook And this is one of my all time faves

The Omnivore's Dilemma: The Search for a Perfect Meal in a Fast-food World

Susanita

Day of Honey: A Memoir of Food, Love, and War

AllisonM89 REDWALL. 4y

31 likes8 comments

MrBook

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Time for the bookish discussion question of the day 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! Here it is: Is there a story inside you that yearns to be written down and shared with the world?! 🙂 #BookTalk

quirkyreader I already let it out and it was published in 2000. 4y

jb72 Yes there is. Hopefully I‘ll finish it this year. 4y

KathyWheeler Nope. There‘s one in my husband though, and I‘m trying to encourage him to let it out. At 66, he thinks he‘s too old. I don‘t understand that; he‘s got nothing to lose and plenty of time since he‘s retired. 4y

See All 8 Comments

Lizpixie There‘s a few actually. I have very lucid dreams and there‘s a few I‘ve written down as soon as I woke up, the bones of the story are sitting there waiting for me! 4y

BookishRedhead A few, I start but never finish 4y

Lynnsoprano Several in my head, maybe some day I‘ll try transferring one to paper. 4y

wordslinger42 So many! Another soon to be published in spring! 4y

FlowerFairy So very many. 4y

38 likes8 comments

MrBook

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Time for the bookish discussion question of the day 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! Here it is: Are there any biographies that you found surprisingly enjoyable? #BookTalk

TEArificbooks I like biographies that focus on a small but significant specific part of someone‘s life (not their entire lives). For example, I read one about Roosevelt‘s trip to explore an Amazon tributary with his son. 4y

wanderinglynn Becoming was incredible. I also really enjoyed Oliver Wendell Holmes A Life in War, Law, and Ideas by Stephen Budiansky and Wolves at the Door by Judith Pearson, which read more like a spy thriller than a biography. (edited) 4y

LibrarianRyan

Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick (Original)

CoverToCoverGirl Washington and Hamilton ❤️ 4y

Skyler Robert Caro‘s Lyndon Johnson series is hands down the best set of biographies I‘ve ever read. Lindbergh by A. Scott Berg is also really good. 4y

34 likes5 comments

MrBook

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Time for the bookish discussion question of the day 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! Here it is: What‘s your order of preference for reading accompaniment: coffee, tea, hot chocolate? #BookTalk

sblbooks Hot chocolate! 4y

LeahBergen Tea, hot chocolate, coffee. 4y

TEArificbooks Tea, hot chocolate, never coffee 4y

See All 18 Comments

wanderinglynn Usually I just drink water, and sometimes tea or coffee. 4y

SaturnDoo Pepsi, hot chocolate, iced tea, hot tea, mocha frappe 4y

Lynnsoprano Coffee in the morning, ice tea or water in the afternoon, a little bourbon in the evening 😄 4y

Tera66 Cold weather- Coffee, tea, hot chocolate. Hot weather- Iced coffee, Iced Tea, Coke Zero. 4y

tjwill Coffee in the morning, wine in the evening 4y

WanderingBookaneer Tea, hot chocolate 4y

Scochrane26 Hot chocolate, no coffee or tea 4y

Aims42 Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate during the day, but after 5:00PM it‘s wine time 🍷 4y

Lreads Tea hot or iced, water, Cherry Coke. No coffee or hot chocolate. 4y

rwmg Tea at home, coffee out 4y

maich I'm coffee addicted☕ But before sleeping I drink calming herbal tea. 4y

MrT Tea, coffee if in a cafe reading, water. 4y

wordslinger42 Coffee or tea! 4y

MyNamesParadise I don‘t drink hot beverages; I‘ve never liked them. I know, I‘m weird! So none of them. I always have water by me though. 4y

FlowerFairy Hot chocolate, coffee. 4y

37 likes18 comments

MrBook

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Time for the bookish discussion question of the day 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! Here it is: Do you have a reading spot in your home with a view outside? #BookTalk

Andrew65 It may seem strange but I often go and read in the motorhome which makes the most of the outside and the light. 4y

TheSpineView Yes. At my lake house I have a sun room I love to sit in n and read. I have a very comfy couch to assist with reading. 4y

AmyG Yes. My little reading room looks out to the mountains. 4y

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ShelleyBooksie My cozy couch looks out the picture window. 4y

kspenmoll I am very lucky- have viewable windows in spaces where i read. 4y

WanderingBookaneer No, I have a hammock outside. 4y

Patchshank I can see the window from my couch. 4y

Susanita Weather permitting, I read outside. 4y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick My couch is about 6 feet from the huge living room window so I can look out at the parking lots behind my building. It's not a great view, but being on the 3rd floor at least gives me a good view of the sky or blooming trees. 4y

Lizpixie My library has a west facing window that lets in plenty of light but doesn‘t have a great view, it‘s of carports & next doors house unfortunately. My house is weird, it used to face a south aspect laneway & the north street side was my backyard so my living room doesn‘t get much light & the north side where all the light is in Aus. has only one small window in the kitchen so my living areas are pretty dark. I‘d love to pick it up & turn it round! 4y

Copwithabook Our back yard butts up against a cow pasture so sitting out back reading is pretty pleasant. 4y

azulaco Yes. My couch is next to big windows in the living room. Squirrels at play in the front yard all day long. 🐿 4y

Angeles Hammock outside 😄. Not in the winter of course, but it is my favorite reading spot and I miss it out of season 4y

FlowerFairy Disappointingly, no. 4y

49 likes14 comments

MrBook

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Time for the bookish discussion question of the day 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! Here it is: Do you prefer to read during the day or at night? Or does it not matter one iota to you? 🙂 #BookTalk

Libby1 I read whenever possible - no matter the time of day. I hope you‘re well, @MrBook ! 4y

MrBook @Libby1 , I am! Thank you for asking 🤗! I hope you are as well! 4y

Scochrane26 I read whenever I can. 4y

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Sargar114 Does not matter! 4y

Viji My favorite time to read is in bed before I go to sleep. 4y

Prairiegirl_reading I‘ll take it whenever I can get it. 4y

KathyWheeler It doesn‘t matter. 4y

Karisa It's almost mandatory for me to read at night in order to sleep 💤 but I love to read during the day on days off 🤷‍♀️ 4y

ShelleyBooksie Warm summer days in the sunshine. In reality, I read when I can. This is usually lunch break and evenings. 4y

AmyG I mostly read during the day. But it doesn‘t matter. (edited) 4y

jb72 It doesn‘t matter to me at all. I do read at night to relax on bed a bit before trying to fall asleep. 4y

rwmg Any time possible 4y

thegirlwiththelibrarybag I don‘t mind - but generally not during the day if I‘m working because I‘m bound to get to a very interesting bit just as my break ends 😅 4y

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Whenever I can find the time. 4y

ShananigansReads Whenever I have as much as 2 minutes I open the kindle app 4y

Leftcoastzen I try to fit it in anytime , but mostly early when I first get up or before bedtime. 4y

maich It is not the matter. But at evening I have more time when baby fall asleep. 4y

veritysalter I like and enjoy reading through the day, but I have to read before I go the sleep. My Kindle Paperwhite was a game-changer, no longer do I annoy my husband with rustling pages and lamp light or stay downstairs to read only to be wide awake by the time I get upstairs. 4y

MrT Anytime but do like to be in bed reading at night 4y

Beccas During the day. If I read before bed I find I can‘t get to sleep because my mind speeds up, maybe some boring books? 4y

Kappadeemom I read at night during the week (durn.work.) and all day and night on the weekends ;) 4y

mrp27 Both! But most my reading generally occurs at night. 4y

Lizpixie Definitely night. I‘ve always been a night owl, something about the quiet of 3am makes me happy🦉 4y

Copwithabook I either want to read really early in the morning or late into the night- basically when people are asleep and will leave me alone to read 4y

48 likes24 comments

MrBook

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Time for the bookish discussion question of the day 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! Here it is: Do you read romances? Do you have a particularly favorite kind? #BookTalk

AmyG Not if I can help it. Sometimes it‘s a book club choice. Not much of a fan. (edited) 4y

Angeles Yep I enjoy regency and fantasy romance (think werewolves and witches) especially. Contemporary is the only one type I am not into. There is nothing better than a low stakes story with lots of angst where you KNOW everything will be great at the end and all of the women will be happy ever after!! 4y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I only read Nicholas Sparks and I have to be in the mood!! 4y

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MrT I do read the odd rom com and do enjoy them, its usually modern contemporary like Lyssa May Adams, Nina Bocci. I found that sometimes I need some 'popcorn' reading 4y

wanderinglynn Yes, I find romance to be a nice, light read. Great for when life is happening or after I‘ve read something heavy. 4y

RainyDayReading Nope. I stay as far away from romance as I can. 4y

Kappadeemom Noooooooo. Murder for me 😂😂😂😂 4y

Jaimelire No. I like most genres, but just can‘t do most romance books. Sometimes book club selection makes me do it, and some are ok, but nothing I would pick for myself. (edited) 4y

valeriegeary Sometimes...I like contemporary, humorous ones. Reading Take A Hint Dani Brown right now and it's 👍🏻

Take a Hint, Dani Brown: A Novel

Scochrane26 I read them more often lately. I like a lot of the newer romances & sometimes I‘ll read a historical romance. 4y

Palimpsest I don‘t enjoy contemporary fiction romance, but I love Jane Austen and other classic romances. I do love romantic poetry. 4y

LazyOwl I don't tend to read romance, but don't mind if it's woven into another genre. But I did recently enjoy reading The Infernal Devices series, which some describe as supernatural fantasy / romance 🤔

The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel; Clockwork Prince; Clockwork Princess

wordslinger42 I enjoy classics, like Jane Austen, and I'm currently reading North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (though that has much more to it than the love story). Aside from those, romance is not really my genre! 4y

ShelleyBooksie I enjoy paranormal romances and also open door, modern romances. I most enjoy when romance is woven into.other genres. 4y

Cailey_Mac I think I like surprise romance, where you weren‘t really sure if a romance was going to happen but certain characters just click and you become so invested that you need to know every detail 4y

Beccas All the time. Particularly historical romance. Maybe I need that historical hook as most of the more modern romances I‘ve read I just find a bit blah. 4y

Lreads Yes. I love reading romances (not Contemporary). They are happy and entertaining reads that lift my spirits. 4y

mrp27 I do enjoy a good romance now and then. 4y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I enjoy them when I'm in the mood for one. I tend to like the steamy ones or sweet YA stories. Historical, contemporary, vampire... I'm game for anything. They tend to move quickly and don't require a lot of brain power. 4y

46 likes19 comments

MrBook

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Time for the bookish discussion question of the day 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! Here it is: In honor of Chinese New Year, do you have any Chinese books or authors to recommend? I‘m looking forward to reading Liu Cixin‘s works! #BookTalk

xicanti I‘m currently reading Chinese-Canadian author Xue Yiwei‘s short fiction collection and it‘s fabulous. It‘s centred on Shenzhen, the youngest city in the world.

Shenzheners

OutAndAbout I haven‘t read it yet but am looking forward to Interior Chinatown.

Interior Chinatown: A Novel

Jaimelire Canadian Vietnamese author Kim Thuy....love her books! Ru is amazing. Happy year of the Ox. 4y

rwmg If a 5 volume family saga set in the 18th century appeals, I recommend

The Story of the Stone: Volume Four : the Debt of Tears

rwmg For a more contemporary flavour, I recommend the Inspector Chen mysteries by Qiu Xiaolong 4y

45 likes5 comments

MrBook

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Time for the bookish discussion question of the day 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! Here it is: Where do you for book reviews? Or do you not give them much attention? #BookTalk

Skyrimir I don‘t give them a lot of attention unless I‘m hating a popular book, then I look for bad reviews for some validation. 🤣🤣🤣 4y

kspenmoll I usually read them after reading a book if i am interested. I want to respond to the book@on my own.... 4y

Lynnsoprano I don‘t go out of my way to read reviews. I read the Washington Post, so on Sundays I‘ll skim the reviews, mostly to see if there‘s something that I want to add to the never ending TBR 😂 4y

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Crazeedi I get emails from various bookish sites, sometimes that spurs me to read one. Also various litsy posts by people who read books similar to my tastes! 4y

LazyOwl I try not to give them much attention, after I realised there were scathing reviews of some of my most favourite books. My opinion sometimes doesn't align with popular opinion. 4y

rjsthumbelina I get ideas from booktube and list about what I might want to read based on others' reviews. But once I'm actively thinking about starting a book, I don't go looking for reviews anymore. I have found that they can dampen my intrigue or excitement for a book, and sometimes can lessen my enjoyment of it. Anymore, I don't even normally re-read a blurb before diving in! That way the story takes me by surprise 4y

MrT Mainly Litsy, Lovereading.com. The Sunday Times and The Guardian. If its an established author and one I've read before then I take no notice of the reviews. I very rarely take book reviews as 'read' (🤔pun) as a review is so subjective and personal... one person can love a book whilst the next can hate it. Think I'm more swayed by the plot blurb on the cover than the actual writing style and people raving about how good a book is. 4y

Adventures_of_a_French_Reader The summary or what the book is about is more important to me than what people thought about the book. If the subject interests me, then I'll read the book. Mainstream books tend to disappoint me or to be too marketed to my taste, and most of my book crushes are not to the taste of mainstream reviewers (who are plenty). Then, I hate sheeps, so if I was interested in a book, I will read it and make up my own mind. 4y

veritysalter I always mean to, but I feel self conscious of my opinions - I want to do more than summarise the story, but I find I either love or hate most books. When I‘ve done reviews before on Amazon and Waterstones I find I‘m littering them with “in my opinion” or “perhaps it‘s just me”. 4y

41 likes9 comments

MrBook

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Time for the bookish discussion question of the day 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! While I was shoveling today, I was listening to an audiobook, which got me thinking about them. Here it is: If you like audiobooks, is there a particular service you prefer? Do you like the cd sets or a playaway? I‘m totally digital now, and I listen to Audible, Libro.fm, and Hoopla. #BookTalk

KVanRead Libby, Hoopla, and Audible if I can‘t borrow it for free 😂 4y

Patchshank I only use Libby. I do have a few from audible I got for free from some of their promotional things. I'm a cheapskate. I won't pay audiobook book prices. 4y

Curiouser_and_curiouser @Patchshank me too! I won't pay either. I use the library apps Libby and Borrowbox. They are both awesome. If I can't get the audiobook on either app then I'll search in them for the ebook, otherwise is goes on my wishlist and I may come across it at a used book store one day. Cheapskate plus. Although I will pay a dollar or two for a physical book at op shops. 4y

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Prairiegirl_reading Libby, Libro.fm and audible but I want to get away from audible. 4y

LibrarianRyan I like hoopla, but lately I‘ve been on Netgallys player. But I hate that they updated the platform and it‘s streaming only. I can‘t download anymore, but there are places I frequent don‘t have cell or internet service. 4y

DGRachel I canceled my Audible account because I‘m trying to avoid putting more money in Bezos pocket. I use Libro.fm, Hoopla, and Libby. 4y

Kimberlone I still use Audible because it is an easy to use and streamlined service, but u have quit and restarted my account so many times. But I try to use Libby or Hoopla first. My sister still listens to books on CD but that is just too cumbersome for me. Unless I can stream it from my phone I‘m not gonna listen. 4y

TheRiehlDeal Libby and Libro.fm. It‘s an awesome feeling not giving a billionaire any money. 4y

Hooked_on_books My library (Libby) and Libro.fm are my main sources. I also sometimes use Chirp books. I don‘t and will not use audible, no matter how good the price. I won‘t support Amazon. 4y

CoverToCoverGirl Digital 4y

webhau1 I mainly use the Libby app for audio books. You didn‘t ask for this but I will throw out a good audiobook recommendation The Clancys of Queens by Tara Clancy. It is read by the author and I really enjoyed it. 4y

tessavi Audible and I have used Librivox for some classics. 4y

Jgotham I use Libby and Star Wars audiobooks are so amazing! Production value is *chefs kiss 4y

rather_be_reading I LOVE Scribd. It is 8.99 a month for “unlimited“ which is normally 8 “good“ audiobooks and then the rest are like “B“ list books. 4y

kspenmoll I use Libby, libro.fm., audible. 4y

44 likes15 comments

MrBook

The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics | Gregory Stock

Time for the bookish discussion question of the day 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! I‘ve asked this before more generally. Here it is: Are there any types of books you like background music for? I listened to this playlist while reading Lucy Foley‘s “The Hunting Party”, and it worked well for me. 🙂

Penny_LiteraryHoarders Cool idea for that particular playlist! I have music playing in the background all the time. Can't read in silence. The music in the background varies, but it's generally lighter, softer music. 4y

BookishMarginalia I‘m not very musical, so... no. 4y

LazyLibrary No music for me! But I do read with TV background noise, usually something I‘ve seen a million times, like The Golden Girls or Buffy! 4y

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TheSpineView Not really. But I sometimes I do listen to classical music with my headphones to drown out noise so I can read. 4y

CoverToCoverGirl Hi! You‘re back! 😁 4y

Vansa Definitely! Specially books where music plays an important part in either setting the context, or a plot point like tagged book and We ride upon sticks.

Utopia Avenue

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I usually read in silence or with classical/lo-fi instrumental in the background but sometimes I'll look for music from the country my book is set in for a bit more absorption into that world. Music in short language played low enough doesn't distract from my reading. It might have been you that introduced me to a jazz cafe playlist that works well when I "visit" Paris! 4y

MrBook @CoverToCoverGirl 🤗 4y

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