A Little Princess – Sally Allen

April 23, 2016May 30, 2017

Dewey’s Readathon Wrap-Up

My Readathon staples: A full mug of coffee and fully charged Nook

Before Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon started, I set myself the goal of enjoying the experience, no matter how many books and pages I read and how many hours I lasted. Since this was my first go, I knew I’d be figuring things out and exploring the social media communities. For me, the point of participating was to engage not only with books (which I can do on my own anytime) but also with the awesome book people participating.

I had a chance to do that and adored it. Readathoners are the nicest people on the Internet (if not the planet). Full stop. One of my other favorite parts was doing mini-challenges. They gave me a little break from reading to process my experience. Next time, I will try to organize my time in advance. I don’t want to be too regimented but do want to make sure I’m giving myself structured time to engage, read, and write.

And now for my end of event survey and (at the end of that) my perfect reading day (another mini-challenge after my heart): Continue reading “Dewey’s Readathon Wrap-Up”

March 3, 2016May 30, 2017

Why read children’s literature?

Children’s literature holds a prominent place on my reading list. Seven of the 16 books I’ve read this year are classified children’s or young adult novels. That tally will increase when I finish my current read, Alison Uttley’s charming A Traveller in Time.

I’ve been thinking about what draws me to children’s literature because of a Guardian article I read, loved, and shared widely last year that came back into my life recently through Facebook memories. It was written by SF Said and is called “Children’s books are never just for children.” I agree! Obviously. Continue reading “Why read children’s literature?”

February 16, 2016May 30, 2017

#BBAW: 5 books that inspired me to do and be better

Today I feel inspired by The Estella Society’s Book Blogger Appreciation Week, going on Feb. 15 – 19. The day one challenge: “Introduce yourself by telling us about five books that represent you as a person or your interests/lifestyle.”

I love this because it feels so impossible. At first, I couldn’t think of any books and then I couldn’t narrow down the list. In the end, I picked five whose characters and stories have inspired me to do and be better, in some way. In my heart of hearts, I’d like these books to represent me as a person, but I’m happy for them to represent what I aspire to live up to and be. Continue reading “#BBAW: 5 books that inspired me to do and be better”

January 3, 2016May 30, 2017

When the choice is between e-reading and not reading, I choose my Nook GlowLight Plus

My favorite place to read as a child was under the covers with a flashlight. While the pleasure of being subversive and sticking it to The Man (who, in this case, happened to be a woman: my mom) no doubt played a role, more compelling was that I appreciated the sensory deprivation that facilitated disappearing into the world of a book.

My bedroom, with its white furniture and riot of stuffed animals, vanished from view, and I could submerge myself into the alternate reality of wherever I was traveling to—the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Claudia from From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, London with Sarah Crewe from A Little Princess or Paddington from A Bear Called Paddington, turn-of-the-century Manhattan with the five sisters from All-of-a-Kind Family.

This memory had slipped into my subconscious until I happened to mention to a friend, as a jokey aside, that what I most appreciate about my Nook GlowLight is how it facilitates reading in the dark. (And the “Plus” version is waterproof, should I wish to read in the bathtub by candlelight!)

Continue reading “When the choice is between e-reading and not reading, I choose my Nook GlowLight Plus”