Then you should eat blueberries and learn a new skill. That's what an article by Elaine Jarvik in the D-news the other day said. Which is why I have decided to take up the air guitar. I've been practicing riffs by the Black Keys all morning. Yes! I know! I'm amazing!
In other irrelevant news, I ate a steak salad at the Tin Angel for lunch. It wasn't as good as the life-changing steak salad I ate at the ESPN Zone this summer, but dude. A steak salad is a steak salad is a steak salad, and all of them make my life worth living.
Now onto the real business of the day. I appreciate your posts about boys and readings. Am looking for further enlightenment, so if you haven't contributed, please do. Meanwhile, I have another question. Am currently reading a collection called PARIS STORIES by Mavis Gallant, which I think a certain friend of mine would ADORE. But I hesitate giving it to her for this reason--do books as gifts feel like burdens? Or not?
I realize this is a strange question for a former bookseller to be asking, but it has occurred to me that when people give me books, I always feel obligated to read them and guilty when I don't. At the same time, I would have never read one of my favorite books--THE LOST GARDEN by Helen Humphreys--if Betsy hadn't given it to me one year for Christmas. So I am double-minded on the subject.
Your thoughts?
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13 comments:
You're still talking about your mom? Booooo!
And by the way, does the "I" button not work on your computer? Just kidding.
I'm so into books as gifts. When I get a book it means my friend/family member was really thinking about me as a reader, which feels very thoughtful. Love books.
I am going to give it a go with a few of the questions you asked about boyz. The boys in my classes have liked science fiction books and some fantasy (dragons, knights, and wizards). They also really like graphic novels. They will read non fiction if it's turned into a graphic novel. But what they REALLY love is World Record books. If you could somehow write a novel about world records, boys would eat it up!
I think part of the reason children and YA is mostly female because they have all of that hannah montana garbage that they love, and boys don't have anything like that. I feel like there is a huge market of really cheesy crap out there for girls. I don't know if there is one thing you could do to get all boys to read, but I think most boys have something that they are really interested in and when you find out what that is, you should buy them every book about it. I bet they'd read them.
Love you and really miss you ann!
I wasn't going to (because I like to just lurk) but it's your second request and I have an 11 year old boy who finally started reading for pleasure. Hooray. Until last year he would only read with serious encouragement and then mostly nonfiction. Then something clicked (I don't know what) and he is devouring all the boy stuff: Hardy Boys, Alex Rider, 39 Clues, Ric Riordan stuff, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Fablehaven. Doesn't like Harry Potter.
And he has started writing his own episodes of "Star Wars the Clone Wars." His dialogue is pretty good.
So I've been wondering if this is a developmental thing. That he just hit the age where he wanted to read. Or some chemical finally developed in his brain that made him appreciate stories and language.
I have a 7-year-old son who is following this pattern now, too.
As for books being burdens. There would have been a time that I agreed to this, but I recently have decided that books have a time and a place for life. Some sit on my shelf for days, months, maybe even years, and then one day it calls to me. Books are not burdens, but doors, and I would appreciate any friend that gave me the key to unlock it.
And I must say (though you didn't give me the book, but assigned it), I would not have found my passion in life if it wasn't for you and the book you had me read 10 years ago.
I love getting books as presents. Even if it's not my favorite, I like understanding why the book seemed like a good present for me from someone who loves me.
Everyone seems to be ignoring the greatest part of this post which is, Ann on the Air Guitar.
Books as presents? I'm all for it. Just know, if you're a book gifter, don't follow the person around asking, "did you read it? did you read it?"
Cuz I buy books myself that I don't always get around to reading.
It's a standing joke in our family. If you are female and related to me you get a book. If you are male and related you get socks:-)
Air guitar. That will keep those nasty plaques from forming.
Here's an idea, read the books you get as gifts BACKWARDS. You won't have time to get Alzheimers.
There are some books I love to get and I read right away, then there are the others that I just smile and say, "Yeah...um... thanks for the book, I loved it." So I guess it depends on the person and the book.
p.s. rock on. =)
My family says I am a book slut. I love them, for any reason, at any time! And just like any other gift I receive, I refuse to feel guilty if a book sits on the shelf for a while. Or forever. It's my gift. I get to do what I want with it.
Don't be a guilt-monger. Be a book slut. That's so much better.
I love to get books from other people even though I don't always read them. Ann usually gives me books that she wants to read and thinks that I would like to read, too. The problem is that no one would give me the books that I usually read (example, I am currently reading The Power Broker, a 1300-page biography of Robert Moses, that I have been summoning the stamina for three years to read). I just don't have as much time to read as I would like and usually end up reading what I want when I do have the time. There are notable exceptions (and they tend to be books that Ann gave me).
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