Wednesday 14 August 2013

Bibliophile



Greetings fellow Bibliophiles.

I love books and I make no excuse for my paper back filled heaving shelves and my need to have my kindle in my special compartment of my handbag.  And yes, I did choose my bag just for that space.

I read before I go to work, whilst walking to work, at lunch time, on the way home and before I go to bed.  Lets not forget that I also read what feels like a billion peoples blogs.  If I was a robot, my name would be Johnny 5, need input.

I have commented on various blogs and to the people I work with that I think and feel to my very core that being able to read, is one of the single most exquisite gifts a parent can bestow a child.  If you can read, you can learn another language, teach yourself maths, how to sew, how to cook... The possibilities are endless. 

When I read magazines or see house programmes on TV I tilt my head to read the titles to see if they have books that I have read.  This will tell me if they are "my people".  On blogs it can be hard to know if people read the same books as you, as I have found on a lot of the decorating blogs they seem to buy them for the colour of the spine of for coffee table books.

After reading some blogs I came across this site.  Have you used it?  I think it is a mixture of the way Amazon give you 'your recommendations' and a magic 8 ball.  Have a go see what it tells you.  I popped on Twilight, to see what it said and it came up with The Hunger Games.

I have actually just finished The Salem Witch Society, by K N Shields.  I really quite liked it.  It gets shocking reviews.  Maybe people pick it up as they think it will be like Twilight or Dead Witch Walking, I don't know.  It is more like Sherlock Holmes, the new addition with Robert Downey Junior and Jude Law (phwoar)

I am now reading Umbrella, By Will Self.

Do you believe reading is important?  What's your favourite word?  Your comments please...

I love how this is worded.

9 comments:

Raybeard said...

Could say LOADS about your post here, Sol, but I'm off in a few mins to see 'The Lone Ranger', so will have to come back to it another time. But, as one bookworm to another, you may be able to see from my profile where my reading tastes lie, which are really quite catholic.

Btw: A couple of days ago I finished Michael Connelly's detective murder thriller 'The Narrows'. Can you believe that it was only when I'd got two-thirds through that I realised that I'd read it before - and as recently as 2011! LOL, yes, but also unforgivable! Shows how much attention I must have been giving it first time round.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you, wholeheartedly, about the ability to read.

I hadn't heard of that site before but I might have a little play with it. I am a member of Goodreads.

Favourite word is probalby 'zephyr'.

Sol said...

Ray you crack me up. maybe it had a different jacket picture?

Toffeeapple reading is something fantastic.

Oh Zephyr is a good one. I like Rhododendron. I think that is a fine word

Raybeard said...

Sol, it was the very same book! (The Narrows) Hadn't put it in my 'give to charity shops' bag so had assumed I hadn't read it.

Toffeeapple? Zephyr? Rhododendron? All new names to me. Must investigate.

Btw: I don't like using Amazon since their tax evasion policies have become public knowledge, and they have become, like Starbucks and other big names, 'persona non grata'. But not using them does rather stymie one.

Currently reading Alan Strachan's 'Sweet Dreams' - a biography of Michael Redgrave. Don't usually read that many factual books but I do enjoy life stories of those I know of and admire - and this is a biggie at 550+ pp.

Sol said...

Hi Ray

Toffeeapple is her moniker. And her favourite word is Zephyr

I myself think the word Rhododendron is a very fine word. Do you have a favourite word?

Unknown said...

Teaching children to read is a great privilege and I love giving them reading time at school and seeing what library book they've chosen to take home.

And me? Learnt to read at 4 and haven't stopped. I love being part of another world. At the moment I reading The Crimson Petal and White so I'm inhabiting the sleazier side of Victorian Britain.

A great post!

Sft x

Sol said...

oooohh SFT, great book.

books are pretty special to me. I have actually viewed houses and been weirded out by them. And the reason? Not a single book or magazine in the place. I find that odd and strange.

Anonymous said...

Oooh, you know me and books! Love 'em.

Like you, I always love to look at what books people have on TV programmes, and I do hate that the ubiquity of the Kindle these days stops me from seeing what other people on public transport or around the pool on holiday, are reading!

Had a go with the site you linked, was a bit unimpressed, though, as I put in the last three books I've read and all it came up with was a list of other books by the same author. A similar idea is Lovereading website's Author 'like for like' recommendation, which I've found useful in the past.

Sol said...

Ohhh Mrs M I haven't seen that website. I will have to have a look at that.

I have just bought the Ranulph Fiennes biography. I hope it is exciting