“Based on a True Story” – words that stop you in your tracks or make you want to run?
If you, like me, think those words on the cover of a book are magical, how do you feel if a few days or weeks later, you learn that, though it is based on a true story, the author has taken a bit of creative license with his or her book? Are you okay with the author making changes? Or is that a deal breaker for you as a reader?
Continue reading “2016 Library Challenge: A Book Based on a True Story”
I’m going to veer away from my usual routine here, so please humor me.
When I had to pick a book from the bottom of my to-read list, I wasn’t quite sure where to even start. I mean, my to-read list on Goodreads currently has 128 books on it, and that’s not even counting the books I want to read but haven’t added.
I ended up deciding to read Agatha Christie’s 1920 debut novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I love Agatha Christie mysteries–the twisting and, at times, convoluted plots; the witty characters; the atmosphere. I’ve read roughly 40 of her books over the years, but I realized that I’d never read much of her early work, including her very first book. So, I read The Mysterious Affair at Styles and also 4 of her 5 next books–The Murder on the Links, The Man in the Brown Suit, Poirot Investigates, and The Secret at Chimneys–within a couple of weeks.
Continue reading “2016 Library Challenge: A Book at the Bottom of Your To-Read List”
One of the challenges for this year is reading a book you were supposed to read for school but didn’t.
I must confess, this one gave me a lot of trouble. It’s not that I always did my required reading for school. I really tried to, but I would be lying if I claimed that I read every single thing assigned to me. My apologies to any of my former teachers who are reading this blog post.
Continue reading “2016 Library Challenge: A Book You Were Supposed to Read for School”
Are you someone who always finishes a book when you start it? Or are you prone to stopping midway through and never finishing?
Depending on which category of reader you fall into, you may or may not have a hard time finding a book to meet this requirement.
Continue reading “2016 Library Challenge: A Book You Never Finished”
As some of you know, in addition to managing the library’s blog, I also co-moderate our tween book club with my coworker Mary-Esther, which means we’re responsible for picking books, leading discussions about those books, and directing a related craft or activity for a group of 8-12 year olds.
This month marks my one year anniversary of working with the book club, and the experience has been a valuable one for me, not only because it’s fun but also because it’s given me some much-needed knowledge about the current scene of children’s books.
Confession: Before I started working with the tween book club, I always secretly dreaded when someone asked me to help them find books for kids this age. Not because I’m a monster but because I was so out of touch with what was current.
Thanks to everyone who joined us recently at this year’s Books in Bloom Festival!
This year was actually my first time attending, and I’m already looking forward to going back next year!
So many of the author sessions looked interesting that it was hard to pick which presentations to attend. Ultimately, I decided to attend one for an author whose work I haven’t read yet and one from an author whose book I did read recently.
If I asked you who your favorite author is, what would your answer be? Quick! Don’t stop and think about this question too hard.
Was it easy for you to come up with an answer or did you struggle to pick just one favorite author?
Continue reading “2016 Library Challenge: A Book By Your Favorite Author”
One of the questions submitted to me for this series was “What 3 questions would you ask an author?” by Kris. (Thanks, Kris!)
I had to really think about this one because the one time I did get a chance to talk to an author–at a writing conference I attended in college, I got to meet Ron Hansen, who wrote one of my all-time favorite books, The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward R0bert Ford–I couldn’t think of any intelligent questions. I just mumbled something about being a big fan and then brandished my own personal copy of one of his books for an autograph. Because I’m smooth like that.
Continue reading “Ask the Blogger: What Would You Ask A Writer”
Next week kicks off the Children’s Book Council’s annual Children’s Book Week, which champions the benefits and pleasures of reading for kids. That got me to reflecting on some of my favorite books as a child. Perhaps not too surprisingly, I loved reading from an early age–relatives say that as a toddler I could be bribed out of giving people frosty silent treatments with the promise of being read to. However, as difficult as it was for me to pick what books to take to a deserted island, I came up with a list of my 3 favorite books as a child pretty quickly.
Continue reading “2016 Library Challenge: A Book From Your Childhood”
“The play’s the thing”–or so Hamlet tells us.
One of the challenges for this year’s reading challenge is reading a play, and I figured this week being the 400-year anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death was the perfect time to discuss this challenge.
Berryville Book Buzz 