Sunday, October 14, 2007

Yeah...I watch cartoons and don't knit much.

It would probably be easy for onlookers to assume that I am not the most well-read of individuals. I do seem to spend a great deal of time watching cartoons or taking naps. But, I really do read. Honest. At least a book a week. Usually more. During a school vacation week, I can knock back five. I'll admit that I've never settled in with a tome like "War And Peace" in order that I might join a highbrow book club and discuss it intensely for days on end or anything. But, I'm a reader from waaaaay back.

So I was happy to be tagged with a little book meme that came to me courtesy of Cathy. It's rather fun to think a bit about my literary choices and even more fun to not have to come up with something knitterly to talk about today. For a fiber blog, that topic is certainly a bit underdeveloped these days. Best not to think about it...

Here's some bookish stuff that should serve nicely while I work on these never-ending projects of mine:



1. Hardcover or paperback, and why? Well, both have advantages and disadvantages. There is something so wonderfully solid about a hardcover. But they aren't as convenient for travel and when you fall asleep with them in the tub they get very wet. And bruise your spleen. Paperbacks are reasonably priced and super portable. But they are also more easily damaged. When you fall asleep with them in the tub, they also get very wet. But your spleen remains springy and unsullied.

2. If I were to own a book shop, I would call it... "Go Away! You Can't Have My Books! Seriously. I Will Not Hesitate To Call The Police If You Touch My Books, Miscreants!!!"

3. My favorite quote from a book (mention the title) My "favorite" varies along with my moods or what I'm reading at the time. The one that's tickling me right now is from Dean Koontz's "Odd Thomas:"

"If you don't keep it light," Ozzie said, "I'll sit my four-hundred-pound ass on you, and that's not the way you want to die."

4. The author (alive or deceased) I would love to have lunch with would be... Stephen King? Terry Pratchett? Dean Koontz? Peter Straub? Dostoyevsky? There are so many!!! Choosing would make my head hurt...

5. If I was going to a deserted island and could only bring one book, except for the SAS survival guide, it would be… Too horrible to consider! But, if I must then I suppose any of Clive Barker's books would work nicely. That boy isn't content with accepting the "natural" ending point. He tells "the rest of the story." He tells it until it is well and truly done. And there is more to find each time you read one of them. Sometimes he will find that he has to do a sequel to a 600 page paperback because the story isn't quite done. That should keep me busy while I wait for the rescue planes.

6. I would love someone to invent a bookish gadget that… Automatically marks your page. Especially for those times when you've dropped the book. Maybe in the tub...

7. The smell of an old book reminds me of... The library. Not the newer, better equipped ones, but those wonderful small-town libraries. The places where the librarians know you by name and will remember to set aside a title that they know you'd like. Where they sometimes waive your overdue fees because they know you and your generally responsible ways. If you're really lucky, they have book sales to raise funds for the library and you can buy ten of these wonderfully aromatic books for a dollar.

8. If I could be the lead character in a book (mention the title), it would be…Allie Sorensen from Katherine Eliska Kimbriel's "Night Calls" and "Kindred Rites." She is brave and talented, yet also knows her limits. She is eager to learn and willing to accept her responsibilities in life. And she can do cool things like light fires with her mind and see spirits. That could come in handy at times, I would think. If not Allie, then I suppose Stephanie Plum from the Evanovitch books would be a good choice. Because, well, you know...Ranger. If you've read the books, then you know what I mean.

9. The most overestimated book of all times is…. The value of a book is determined by the hands that are holding it. What makes for a great read in my mind is not so for another. Just read. Don't worry about whether or not what you are reading is estimable.

10. I hate it when a book… Tries too hard Books that use fashionable or awkward means for engaging the reader tend to bore me a bit. The best books are written in the author's voice with no pretensions. There are some writers whose work I can identify even if it is in a film or television script. When they try to hide it or use someone else's voice, it just doesn't work as well.


So there you go! My thoughts on the bookish stuff! As far as tagging goes, you know the drill: take it if you want it. It's a fun one and gives some surprising insights into your thoughts on literature in all forms.

In case you were worried about the knitting content, I am still stitching away on my two current projects. The Invisibility Shawl has given me a couple of bad moments but, as I am considering this a "getting to know the laceweight yarn" sort of project, I am not so daunted by it. I just keep adjusting the stitch count through any number of horrific and dishonest strategies and knit merrily on. I like a happy ending...

The Homespun Scarf has also grown a bit this weekend and is looking good for Christmas. I continue to be prideful of my spinning skills with this yarn to the point where I could use an intervention of sorts. No one should be this enamoured with their own abilities. It is just not healthy.

But, with the workweek upon me, things will slow down a bit. This is going to be a busy one with Parent/Teacher Conferences Part I on Wednesday, several meetings and a few changes in my caseload that promise to make for some interesting weeks ahead. I suspect I'll be more than ready when the next weekend rolls around. But, that's what pays for the yarn and the books so I suppose I should go forth and educate the masses with vigor and enthusiasm.

Have a good start to the week, everybody!

SA

20 comments:

Alwen said...

Heh. Of course, War and Peace not only has knitting in it, but knitting two socks at once on one set of needles. The nurse, Anna Makarovna, knits them.

And that's allll of War and Peace I've ever read. The good part.

We just got two bags of books at the library book sale ourselves, this weekend. :)

Emma said...

I don't know how you read so many scary books! Don't you ever get frightened? Or is that the fun of it?

And to answer your question, yes, he does clean out the litterbox. Did it today, matter of fact.

sheep#100 said...

You won't sell many books in a store with that name! ;o)

Mel said...

You must have a very delicate spleen, is all I'm sayin'.

Actually, that's not all. I second you on Clive Barker - fantastic, excellent stuff. And, of course, he's one sexy fella.

Faren said...

Yeah, I like this meme too. Interesting to do, interesting to read. Course, probably helps that I love books. So it is already ahead of all the other memes. I might have to read Night Calls and Kindred Rites, sounds like my kind of books!

Anonymous said...

Personally I quite like to read that you are proud of your spinning. A good healthy dose of self-esteem there. I'm sick of knitters and spinners displaying lovely garments and yarn and then complaining that their knitting or spinning looks like ass. You go, girl.

Yeah, I think I'd like to be Stephanie Plum, too. Ranger AND whathisname, the cop -- woot!

Jeanne said...

I used to be able to read scary books and was a huge Stephen King fan. But not since living alone. No way. You are very brave. Nowadays I read chick lit and Harry Potter.

Mia said...

oh yeah.. King and Koontz. That's all ya need :) I read Odd Thomas, good book. But about Stephen King's book The Cell.. you're right it was good! But I didn't like the ending. Not one little bit *grin*

And what you said about fibery content made me laugh. I think I'll change the name of my blog to just "Stoned" ::lmao::

Anonymous said...

Reading is good!!!
Good luck with the parent teacher conferences.
Karen
http://nothingbutknit.blog-city.com/

Anonymous said...

I'd like to be Stephanie Plum for the very reason you mentioned. Ranger is just so HOT! I know, I know, we've never actually seen him, but the picture in my head is H.O.T.!

Oh, and really catchy bookstore name you've chosen ;-)

Cathy said...

Yeah. Ranger is what changed my mind on the SP novels.

Scuse me. I need to review a couple chapters.

Did you notice how no one mentions Joe as a dish? Yet he's not bad either. Just that mysterious Ranger.

Yum.

Tearing my eyes from fantasy - I do love Stephen King too. Loved him from the first book. We'll all 3 do lunch. And if he wears black... well. He won't mind being called Ranger, would he?

Anonymous said...

What a great post!!! Thanks for all the Sheep reading facts, tres interesting. I know what you mean re: the small town libraries, they really are memory makers.

debsnm said...

Don't you live "just up the road" from Stephen King? I think he'd be the most fun EVER to have a meal with! I love that your taste in books runs to the scary side. There's a group in Ravelry that you should check out - Horror Movies (or something like that) they like all scary movies - even zombies!

Knitting Linguist said...

Ooh! Now I'll have to try Kimbriel's books (haven't read any of them). I'm loving reading everyone's answers to these meme (now if only I could find a way to read paperbacks and knit at the same time; I swear I'm considering getting an iPod just for audio books...).

Cursing Mama said...

It's teacher convention week in MN - I'm sure you can hear the excitement all the way in Maine.

lobstah said...

Wow, great answers! I might actually consider doing this one, if I ever catch up on my actually knitterly blogging.

The Kelly Green Rogue said...

wow you did really well on those questions! I thought some of them were hard. Like what character would I be? BTW I tried to see if my library had those titles so I could read them and we don't. bad library bad!

Donna Lee said...

I could so be Stephanie Plum, I'm a Jersey girl and everything. And almost everything by Clive Barker or Stephen King or Harlan Coben or...the list is numerous. I also want to take Charlaine Harris' Grave series with Harper and Tolliver. But I think the book I've read that actually scared me the most it Dean Koontz's Intensity. No supernatural, just plain natural scary.

Anonymous said...

If I was stranded and could only have one book, it would be The Swiss Family Robinson. That whole book is a survival guide for living on a deserted island. In fact, I had to stop reading it because I got so bored with all the "how to" stuff. But if I ever have to fly over an island-dotted ocean, I may carry it on with me - just in case. :)

I gave up most of my reading when I started to knit. :)

Unknown said...

Best bookstore name EVER.