Musing Monday, A book-mark and book club news

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about your tbr pile…

How many books (roughly) are in your tbr pile? Is this in increasing number or does it stay stable? Do you ever experience tbr anxiety in the face of this pile? (question courtesy of Wendy)

Oh...my.....gosh. My "To be read pile" is HUGE!! And I keep buying more books. And going to the library. I used to think I was a fast reader, and I'm faster than average, but not nearly as fast as you BOOK BLOGGERS!!!

I actually think I have a sickness, when it comes to buying books. Truly, my tbr pile is close to 60-70 books and I just keep buying more and more. But to be fair, I do frequent used book stores, so I have my list and I "stock up". But I do it OFTEN. It would not be unusual for me to leave a used book store with 15 books. And because we live in a rural town in Northern Nevada that doesn't have a bookstore, when we travel to Reno and I go to Barnes and Noble or Borders, I feel I must buy some books, even if I don't need them.
It's a horrible obsession. No one needs a pile of books, 60-70 deep, that they haven't read. IT'S EXPENSIVE for one thing. And it's clutter for another... but, oh what nice clutter, books just waiting to be read!!
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Last weeks, Booking Thru Thursday question... ( I know it's Monday, but I've been real busy....food blogging, (sorry, book blogging world) but I still want to put my answer down) :

Which is worse:
Finding a book you love and then hating everything else you try by that author, or
Reading a completely disappointing book by an author that you love?

It's a toss up. I think that finding a book I love and then going and BUYING (see the Monday Musing above) other books by that author, and then being disappointed in them, is a huge let-down.
I love the book "Beach Music" so much, that I'm afraid to try anything else by Pat Conroy. That's a lie. I read and liked "The Prince of Tides" also. But no others.... I'm afraid to.
I guess I would be more forgiving of an author that I already loved, if he/she had a bad one. Loving one book and hating others is a disappointment. It's a hard question to answer.
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Bookmarks on Monday

Oregon Coast Bridges. I love Oregon. I love the Oregon Coast, but I have a love/hate relationship with bridges.
I grew up around bridges. I had to cross bridges all my life...to go to work, to go to school, to come home, to visit friends. We grew up in Southeast Washington State, where the Columbia River and the Snake River and the Yakima River all come together.
These are big rivers. Rivers big enough to have barges and also cruise ships come down. Think the Mississippi of the Northwest, when you think of the Mighty Columbia River.

When I cross a bridge tho, for some reason my heart is in my throat. I don't know why. I love the water. I love the rivers. I love the ocean. I guess I've seen that video clip of the suspension bridge coming down. YIKES. That and there is no where to go on a bridge if you needed to pull over. I don't like knowing that... it makes me feel claustrophobic.
I am weird. That's it.

This book-mark has two sides, because the Oregon Coast Highway has so many bridges to cross. It's very beautiful.

Last week, one of my book clubs met to discuss the book "Snow Falling on Cedars".

It was an older book, and I was kind of disappointed in the choice at first, but once I began to read, I fell in love with it.

That's the whole reason I belong to different book-clubs: to be exposed to different genre's of literature. It was a story of love, and small town life and prejudice and war. Set on an island off the coast of Seattle, Washington in the 1950's.

I am not a book reviewer...as I've said many times before, but I can talk about how wonderful our evening was. We had great discussion, which is always good, but one thing that also made the evening special was our host April. She made up a bunch of oriental appetizers. She had a book theme going on.....some of the characters in the book were Japanese and April had lived in Tokyo. She had just the right dishes and decor. Great ambiance.

While we eat, we discuss.

Check out her appetizer table!
Tomorrow I will post April's fried rice recipe on my food blog. (it was so good---just hit my sidebar button for my food blog)

And our next book is.....

My Monday Bookmark and My Monday Musing

My Monday Bookmark and my Monday Musing.....


Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about 2009 favourites…
Coming towards the end of April, we’re a third of the way through the way through the year. What’s the favourite book you’ve read so far in 2009? What about your least favourite? (question courtesy of MizB)


It was hard to think of what book was my favorite, but I think I have to go with "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" or no, no....maybe one of my old most favorite authors, Margaret Maron's "Hard Row".
It's so hard to pick when you really love a book.
I love Maron's "Deborah Knott" Series, I have never not loved one of her books...and I'm always sorry to see them end.
The Guernsey book was read for one of my bookclubs (see here) and it was loved by everyone there.

The book I liked the least this year, has been "I'm With Stupid". I just couldn't get into it (see it on my sidebar? Well, I stopped in the middle and sent it off to my daughter in law). It just wasn't the book for me.

*****

My bookmark for Monday is a "Lewis and Clark" bookmark.

My husband and I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where the Lewis and Clark trail is everywhere you turn. It's one of the biggest historical things in the area.
Sacagawea park was one of our favorites.
We grew up knowing all about Lewis and Clark.
Sadly, when I went back to Virginia, my sister and law, were flying from Richmond to Atlanta, and we struck up a conversation with a local man and we were discussing what wonderful history Virginia had.
It was a nice visit, but when we started talking about our history, and Lewis and Clark, he was kind of dumbstruck. He knew nothing.
I live in the west, but I LOVE every regional thing about all of the United States. I would love to travel and experience every state, every town, every people!
But it makes saddens me when my friends on the East Coast act like nothing ever happened in the west.
HOW CAN SOMEONE NOT KNOW WHO LEWIS AND CLARK WERE?

Here are two great websites for you to check out. (actually two aspects of the same website)

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

"Hat Rock" is a picnic place that I fondly remember from my youth.

Musing Mondays and a bookmark

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about blog comments
How do you respond to the comments on your blog? Do you try to email individually or comment on post yourself answering the comments above? What do you think is the best way to respond to comments and do you respond to all of them? Do you feel slighted if you don't receive a response back from the blog owner? (question courtesy of Jenn)


...oh the guilt...THE GUILT. I don't respond as often, or how I want to.
When I read the comments people leave to me, I think, "oh wow, I know how she feels," or "how kind of her, I need to let her know, " or "that reminds me of..."

But I don't always answer as I should.

When I do, I either comment on a blog post of theirs, or I e-mail.
At first I felt e-mails were intrusive to people, but I don't think they really are.... are they?
I mean, I don't mind getting e-mails at all from bloggers when I comment. In fact, I rather enjoy it.

I don't feel slighted if I don't get a reply when I leave a comment.... I figure that if everyone ALL THE TIME, commented on everything, it would take up their whole day.
I understand there is some unspoken courtesy in the blogging world about trying to reply to or acknowledge as many comments as we can.... and this is why I am feeling the guilt.
There has to be an easy way. What can it be?
A personal assistant?
LOL

Seriously....
blogging
twittering
facebook
myspace
and on and on......

If we are not careful, the quality of our lives will be solely limited to "techo" things. So, no, I don't feel slighted if someone doesn't answer me. I just like to be pleasantly surprised when they do.
We all have lives!!
I have two blogs....this "semi" book blog and a cooking/food blog. Both things take up a lot of time.
They are my hobbies. I love to read, I love to cook, I love to blog and read other blogs, I like to walk/hike, all these things take time. OH...and I have a full time job also, one that includes being present at "events" in the community, and husband, and children/grandchildren, I belong to book clubs, go to church.

WHAT THE HECK? I don't have time for a blog. I don't have time to comment.... I have to go clean my house, that never seems to get done.... LOL LOL

I will try to be better about replying to comments on my blogs. But I'm going to e-mail them from now on. And like I said, if I don't hear from people whom I've commented to.... it's all okay, there are worse things in the world.

I'll end with my bookmark for today....
with a quote from Tallulah Bankhead

Musing Monday: Lists

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about recording your reading…Do you keep track of what and/or how many books you read? How long have you been doing this? What's your favorite tracking method, and why?If you don't keep track, why not?

Great Question! If you want to play along go here and join in.

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I have been a reader for most of my life. I have been a collector of books for most of my life. I have been a library user for most of my life. But it wasn't until just a few years ago, when I started reading series mysteries and/or suspense novels with returning characters, did I begin to keep track of them.

Interestingly, the mystery novels are the only ones I "list". I started doing it, so that I if I was ever at a yard sale, or used book store, I could pick up the "very next one in line" of the many, many mysteries I want to read. (I only read a mystery novel every 3rd or 4th book mind you, and I have to read them in order, so this could take me forever, as the list is quite long.)

On the Library Thing, I have cataloged over 426 books. I have these in my home along with probably 50 more that I have purchased over the last year.
And this does not include my "children's library closet". (now that the idea of listing all my books, or all my books read has taken seed inside my brain...who knows what I'll be doing with my free time this year. Making lists? )

Because I wanted this list of mystery books with me....it is in a little notebook that I have carried around with me for the past 3-4 years. Needless to say it has gotten pretty beat up. And because I grew up knowing nothing of the techo-revolution, I still keep my notebook/list by hand. Kind of.
I did print off lists of books by author and then stick them in the notebook.

And I have a color-coded system.... yellow highlite means I own them, blue means I've read them.

Let me show you.......

First, the front of my notebook, with sticky note attached. The sticky note has the name of a book I want to look for.

Inside cover

scraps of paper with new authors and books that "might" make it into the notebook, if they are worthy. (the trouble with that, is there are always new books, new authors I hear about. I end up with many scraps of paper)

First page

Notice these are in ALPHABETICAL order.....

Middle

Some of my favorite authors!!! The Bloodhound mysteries....great!

At the end is a list of books that one of my book-clubs has read since the beginning of our group. It began typed and then I just started writing them in.

And that is how I list some of my books. Old-school. LOL

and here we are at the end of my notebook with more scraps of paper slipped in!

Musing Mondays

The question for "Musing Mondays" this week is:

How many bookstores do you frequent? Do you have a favourite? If so, which one and what makes it so?


We live in a very rural community in Northern Nevada. We don't have a bookstore. We have a Wal-mart. And 2 grocery stores.
Having said that, I do have to say we are not an illiterate community... we have a effective and much used library system and I am in 4...COUNT 'EM.....4 bookclubs.

Sadly, I do engage in quite a bit of "on-line" shopping. (not so good for the city tax base, but when I want a book, I want it NOW )

When we go into Reno, I don't leave without visiting Barnes and Noble or Borders.
I love them. I've had to get over my guilt about visiting the "Big Chains" of bookstores. They are big, they have a lot of books, and they are convenient for me. As is Amazon.

But when I go home to visit my mom in Washington state, there is an independent bookstore called "The Bookworm". ( I don't see where they have a website )
I LOVE THAT STORE, it is my absolute favorite. I've been going to the Bookworm (used and new books) since I was first married, 31 years ago. It has grown and changed location a few times....but it can never hide from me, I always find it.
I just love it. I don't know what makes it my favorite. Well, it has a rack of "staff recommended" that I always purchase something from. It used to have a rack like that in every "theme" room of the store. Way back when I was first married I used to read a lot of romance, (have since given it up because how can anyone compare to the man I married. LOL ) and I liked having recommedations for romance. And all ther other genres as my reading tastes grew and changed.

When I go to Portland, Oregon to visit my friend, I have to make a stop at Powell's Bookstore. I'm sure you've heard of Powell's. The Original. I could spend a week in that store.
When we went up last May for a wedding, I spent a whole afternoon there. I had tucked $100 bill inside my wallet for just that purpose. I went over!! Which isn't hard to do, but since they were 95% used books, I got a ton...sacks and sacks of them.

Those are the bookstores I frequent, when I can.

If you want to play along with Musing Mondays, check out Rebecca's blog here.

Musing Mondays

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about book reviews…
Do you read any non-blogging book reviews? If so, where (newspaper, library etc)? Do you have any favourites sources you'd like to share?

I don't read many, but I do read a few. Most of the non-blogging book reviews I read are to get a feel for what's new and good in Children's literature. I used to be a Children's Librarian in a school library, and have worked in public libraries and I have a deep love for Children's literature.

I try to keep up with the Horn Book

and the School Library Journal

Other than that, I read the Sunday section of our newspaper, which spotlights popular authors and books.

Mostly now, I use blogs to get suggestions for good books and book club choices.

Musing Mondays

I have to put a warning label on this post. A warning to my friends whom I really do let borrow my books....this wasn't meant for you! :~) Just those friend wanna be's. yep, that's it.
read on.....

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about lending books...
The question is....
A few weeks back we had a question about borrowing books, this week I was wondering what your policy was on lending books. Do you lend books to anyone? Just friends? Only big readers? How long are they allowed to have them?
*****

My answer is....
I had a friend once, whose philosophy on lending books was that if they never came back to her, the other person needed them more than she did.

I say...BULL-ONEY. It's my book. Mine. MINE. All MINE. I love my books. They are like old friends. I "make" myself lend to my friends. How can I be so rude to say NO? I hate it tho.
I have over 400 books catalogued on Library Thing... that is ridiculous. I need to be loaning some books out. I need to be giving some books away.
Every once in a while I will...and then I regret it.
One of my book clubs had a "white elephant book" gift exchange at Christmas time. I was responsible for getting the word out, (since it was my idea) but I fell behind on my duties, so I took a bag of books that I had read and liked in case someone forgot and showed up to bookclub without one.
There were about 4 or 5 people who forgot books, so I let them choose from my bag. It was Christmas and I felt in the spirit and that I really should "share" books I loved.
And now I REGRET IT. I lost 4 or 5 of my much loved books. It's a good thing these book club members are my friends, because I'll ask about my books. And see if I can coax them back when they are done reading them. LOL.

Technically, I am a "Book Crosser". But I've never actually left a book of mine all alone on a park bench or in a coffee shop. It makes me sad to think of them there all alone....abandoned.
I like the idea of Book Crossing. I love it. I am very excited at someday trying it.... but not right now. That poor little book.....forsaken, cast off, dumped like yesterdays garbage.

So there you have my answer. Short but sweet. So, you say you want to borrow a book? NO WAY! Well, okay..way. But I'm thinking of making people fill out a contact sheet and put a check out date on them.

*** I have an update for this blog.

from my friend Shelly...whom I DO LET borrow my books. LOL

from Shelly:

Ok, I read your blog and now will NEVER ask to borrow a book again. You may have a nervous breakdown or something if I do!
I had been really good about not ordering from B & N but broke down Friday night...those bargain books got me!

She's joking of course. I've even loaned her books to take out of the country. My books took a trip to Paris.

Musing Mondays

I'm joining in. I'm not much of a book reviewer, ( I can never keep up with all these great bok bloggers) but a big book muser.
This is the first time I've joined "Musing Mondays", it is hosted by Rebecca at "Just One More Page". You should check it out, her blog is very nice.
The question this week is..
How did you react to assigned reading when you were in school/university/college/etc? How do you think on these books now? What book were you 'forced' to read when you where in school that you've since reread and loved?

Don't hate me because I liked to read....but....
I actually liked to read assigned reading. I was always excited for it.
Read: nerd.
That was what I was, I guess.

I enjoyed the reading assignments in high school very much and also in the small community college I've attended. But my daughter in law is in graduate school at YALE and every third week, they don't attend class, instead they have "reading week" because their assigned reading is so monumental along with all other class work, that the school has made time for them to do that hard core reading schedule that they have.
I don't think that kind of assigned reading would be much fun. (neither does she, I'm sure)

My mind was opened up to whole new worlds thru the assigned reading we did in jr. High and high school. I liked Romeo and Juliet. I liked the Diary of Anne Frank. The Lord of the Flies, Animal Kingdom, A Wrinkle in Time!

I loved it.
And that might be why I enjoy bookclubs. I don't mind the assigned reading at all. It's fun to see what other people like and discover new authors, new ideas and new books.