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Comments (0) Nov 28 2011

I won’t quote facts or speculate on why Borders is closing.  Whatever the reasons, and I suspect they are varied, losing them is painful and personal.  I held my first booksigning at a local Waldner’s Books.  In fact, I ran across a photo of it just today.  Coincidence?  I think not.

Businesses failing is a fact of life, but a bookstore closing is like breaking the fingers of a writer.  Or crashing their computer or burning their manuscript.  It’s visceral.  It hurts.  It shouldn’t be.

I’m heartened by the overall state of the book industry, despite this sad news.  I’ve just returned from a four day trip through various corners of Michigan, my home state.  Local bookstores still exist, consumers still buy books.  These visible reminders give me hope.

Epublishing, self-publishing are infants.  The industry is undergoing an unprecedented revolution.  Rejoice in the turmoil.  As with all revolutions, there are losers, but there are also winners.  You are the winner.  You, the reader.

Comments (0) Jul 20 2011

Our writing group (http://bit.ly/GRRWG) has a book exchange every month.  Books for Bucks.  Contribute a book you no longer need (ha! like that’s likely in a group of writers) and buy someone else’s for a dollar.  All money goes to the treasury.

Every month I send out a reminder and pick a handful of paperbacks to take along to the meeting.  It’s like drawing blood from one of my children.  It hurts.

Yes, I know I have too many books.  Too many bookshelves.  But the world is conspiring against us bookaholics.  There’s always a library sale.  And the bookstore’s discount table.  And don’t even get me started about www.paperbackswap.com! Everywhere I go, there’s a book begging me to take it home.

I grit my teeth, think of DH’s disapproval (not really) and remember the towering TBR pile spread across the house.  Sometimes, I’m successful in resisting the temptation.  Sometimes, I’m not.

How do you resist the urge to “buy one more”?

Comments (1) Nov 09 2010

It’s not every day that you’re asked to leave the library.  I wasn’t doing any harm.  No shouting, arguing about overdue fines or practicing my own version of the Dewey Decimal System.  Julie Andrews and I were quietly spending some time together before I picked up DH from work.

But there was a dimness to the light I didn’t notice as I sat next to a wall of windows.  An annoying electronic beeeeep punctuated the silence.

The power had gone out.  No storms thundering overhead, but it’s a brand new building, so I assume two wired crossed.  Or didn’t.  We were politely asked to leave.  My main concern was checking out “Home” by Julie Andrews and “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” by David Wroblewski, but it was handled manually by the librarians.

Where have you been asked to leave?

Comments (0) Sep 29 2010

I’m spending most of my blog time at www.writerslikeme.com, so I might not post as often here.  But you can catch me Mondays and Wednesdays at www.writerslikeme.com, commenting on the latest, the greatest, and just about anything else writing related.  Come join me!

Cheryl

Comments (0) Jan 19 2010

How long do you read into a book before deciding to give up on it?  Or do you “suffer” all the way to the end?  Don’t laugh – if Amazon reviews are any indication, there are tons of reviewers who force themselves to read those terrible books they give 0-1 stars to.

I ask because I recently picked up a new book at the library, a novel I’ve heard good things about.  I’m barely 40 pages into it, and wonder at the wisdom of plunging in any further.  Maybe I’m put off by the daunting size – almost 800 pages.  Or maybe I’m used to the Hero’s Journey style of storywriting.  This book has no gripping hook or invitation to the other world, and I haven’t related to the myriad characters introduced so far.

I once read you should use the following formula in determining how many pages you should read before giving up : 100 minus your age.  I think that’s about right.  There are too many good books out there that are more worthy of my time.  Goodness knows, I have lists and lists of them, not to mention my TBR pile (currently outweighed by my discard pile.)

What is your book “nyet” factor?

Comments (1) Sep 01 2009