I'm glad you mentioned Subject Headings by my friend Alison. As for me, I have discarded several books after starting them and not liking either the writing, the story or the characters. Or all three.
If I could choose another career, it would library sciences. I did work in a book chain for a few months between careers, so I lived that particular life goal. 😁
"The characters of a Scandithriller audiobook left me as cold as the Norwegian snow through which they were tediously struggling." Beautiful writing. Thanks for mentioning my post.
Loving this new approach. Also welcome to the world of audiobooks! They are super engaging and I loooooove listening to them. My favorite narrators are Grover Gardener and R.C. Bray, anything by them is epic.
Libby is awesome - I think I found it in the early pandemic days, and it changed my phone usage from feeding on feeds (I love that observation! So APT.)
Adding “Counterfeit” to my list. 😃
I just got a book delivered yesterday in app, but after a few pages, I realized no one was making me continue and promptly hit the “Return Early” button 😤
I log my reads on StoryGraph; I used to use GoodReads but this one has charts and stats, which lets me nerd out exquisitely 🤓
Yes, it's okay to have a number of books on the go. Authors will love you!!! I usually have one print book, one audiobook and one e-book on the go at any one time. I'm thrilled that you've found your mojo again.
I agree with you about The Salt Path. I loved it and would like to read more of Raynor Winn. I suspect I know the Scandi thriller you're talking about (whisper whisper) and if it is the one (lets not say), I really enjoyed it. Reading is so subjective.
As for reading on the screen, I can't read anything other than Substack and social media on my computer, I read nothing on my phone (it's purely for phonecalls, self-imposed rule) but I adore my Kindle. Wouldn't be without it and have many many titles in the e-library to read and re-read.
I don't often write a review for any books but I do give a star rating on Amazon. That at least keeps books up in the algorithms and authors need to eat. I scan recommendations from everywhere online and often note down books that seem as if they may suit. Books are my life in so many ways and I suspect they're now yours.
I couldn't agree more! Libby has become my best friend and now I always have multiple books on the go whether they be audio, digital, or print. I have learned that not finishing a novel is ok and that maybe when the time is right, I'll pick it back up again.
Gosh, I have a book habit, or rather, I am a book addict. On my own I read mysteries, science fiction, biographies, science and art books. But I have a friend that gives me bodice rippers so I read them as well. My habit started when I was a child, and my mom used to command me to stop reading and go outside and play. So I climbed trees with my book du jour.
luckily for me I am a really fast reader, so even books that are not fast paced are readable.
But like you, I have started to stop reading when I am bored with or irritated by a book. And now as I am getting older I am trying to rehome my books. Which makes me sad, but better to do it now!
What a delightful exploration of the joys of reading! I’m another who discovered Libby during the pandemic. Prior to that, my first act upon moving to a new town was to get my library card, which made me feel instantly at home. Now I visit much less frequently although I still enjoy it.
At any given moment, I’m reading at least one nonfiction book and at least one novel, plus an audiobook to listen to in the car and during moments of insomnia. I quickly abandon novels if they don’t click, but I do discipline myself to finish nonfiction works, going so far as to set a daily page goal. Otherwise I think my enthusiasm for “more stories!” takes over and I don’t make time for learning things which I truly do want to learn. For the same reason I tend to read my Substack first— most of mine is political and as an American there’s a lot to keep up with at the moment!
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences of reading and the public library!!! Thank you for sharing other people's newsletters which contain Bookish Thoughts - I capitalized the latter two words because that category of thinking is special to me. I absolutely love the library and reading printed books and writing my Bookish Thoughts by hand on paper. It goes without saying that books and articles about reading and books are dear to me. Thank you too for including my library therapy posts! I'm still doing my library therapy- my online time has had to support my upcoming art exhibit so I've not shared my library therapy book in a while. I may resume sharing it later... not sure yet 😁
"... I loved the library and its tiny moulded red plastic chairs. I’d flip the large, brightly-coloured shiny books displayed standing up in deep wooden boxes, their hardback covers slapping against each other.." I haven't stepped into a library in so many years. But with this wonderful line, I could actually smell those children's books in the boxes - their plastic covers, their slick paper, their bright print and beguiling illustrations. Thank you Rebecca for the gift of this olfactory memory. I became eight years old again for a few minutes. Lovely writing, as always.
This is great, Rebecca! I'm going to check out the LIbby app. And I know what you mean about Substack reading versus a book. I also recently returned to reading a book and there are only so many free hours in a day to read, so I have to choose wisely. If I'm mindful, I can do both, but not every Substack writer nor every book. Anyway, cheers to reading in whatever form! 💚
Being a scholar of reading or whatever (I see all of my dear Substack friends here talking about me talking about libraries - thanks for the share Rebecca!) there is no right way to read! Whatever and however you want to read is fine.
Libby also integrated with Kobo ereaders, when you’re ready to invest in that tech…
I find it so satisfying to abandon a book when it’s not hitting the spot! For fiction, I love getting really cozy and immersed in a single world, but I have five different non-fiction books going currently 🤣
Bravo to your non-rules! It's good to get rid of the book-guilt. As for me, I read one book at a time because my brain follows so many stories from other sources, I can barely follow the book's plot, to say nothing of following two books. YIKES! I buy both kindle books and hard-copies, switching off to one or the other as I finish each book. AND THEN THERE'S SUBSTACK! Good thing I'm retired and can bounce from reading to chores to reading to knitting to reading to piano practice to ... well, you get the idea. There's just not enough time, is there, Rebecca? Tally-ho!
Libby and I were acquainted some time ago. She's a gem! For a while, I was doing quite a bit of work-related travel and it was a joy to listen to books to pass the time. Now in a new position, I have fewer opportunities, so the list of completed works has dropped off. That said, I received the Substack "Summer Recap" promo yesterday and, if that assessment can be trusted, I read 800+ posts and more than 1M words this summer. So...golly!
I don't know that you want to go to the trouble, but there is a little Substack thingie (a sub-Substack?) that prompts folks to write to specific topics then share to that group. The inaugural topic was LIBRARIES and submissions end Sept 22. Just in case you or any of your lovely, linked authors wants to check it out:
Libraries are essential. I served on the board of ours for eight years and never ceased to be amazed by all that the staff and volunteers were accomplishing each month. Such a range of services!
I'm glad you mentioned Subject Headings by my friend Alison. As for me, I have discarded several books after starting them and not liking either the writing, the story or the characters. Or all three.
I just did that to one I was sadly waiting for from the library. A few pages in, and I realized it was rooted in debunked research. Buh-bye.
I loved libraries but hearing about them from Alison gives me a new and deeper appreciation for the work they do.
If I could choose another career, it would library sciences. I did work in a book chain for a few months between careers, so I lived that particular life goal. 😁
I would love to have a book store with really good coffee and space for art / readings. Emphasis on curation.
"The characters of a Scandithriller audiobook left me as cold as the Norwegian snow through which they were tediously struggling." Beautiful writing. Thanks for mentioning my post.
Loving this new approach. Also welcome to the world of audiobooks! They are super engaging and I loooooove listening to them. My favorite narrators are Grover Gardener and R.C. Bray, anything by them is epic.
Libby is awesome - I think I found it in the early pandemic days, and it changed my phone usage from feeding on feeds (I love that observation! So APT.)
Adding “Counterfeit” to my list. 😃
I just got a book delivered yesterday in app, but after a few pages, I realized no one was making me continue and promptly hit the “Return Early” button 😤
I log my reads on StoryGraph; I used to use GoodReads but this one has charts and stats, which lets me nerd out exquisitely 🤓
Delightfully enthusiastic. No idea how you find the time to read so much, but all life is priorities I guess. Enjoy! 🤗🤗
Yes, it's okay to have a number of books on the go. Authors will love you!!! I usually have one print book, one audiobook and one e-book on the go at any one time. I'm thrilled that you've found your mojo again.
I agree with you about The Salt Path. I loved it and would like to read more of Raynor Winn. I suspect I know the Scandi thriller you're talking about (whisper whisper) and if it is the one (lets not say), I really enjoyed it. Reading is so subjective.
As for reading on the screen, I can't read anything other than Substack and social media on my computer, I read nothing on my phone (it's purely for phonecalls, self-imposed rule) but I adore my Kindle. Wouldn't be without it and have many many titles in the e-library to read and re-read.
I don't often write a review for any books but I do give a star rating on Amazon. That at least keeps books up in the algorithms and authors need to eat. I scan recommendations from everywhere online and often note down books that seem as if they may suit. Books are my life in so many ways and I suspect they're now yours.
Enjoy and keep us informed...
I couldn't agree more! Libby has become my best friend and now I always have multiple books on the go whether they be audio, digital, or print. I have learned that not finishing a novel is ok and that maybe when the time is right, I'll pick it back up again.
Gosh, I have a book habit, or rather, I am a book addict. On my own I read mysteries, science fiction, biographies, science and art books. But I have a friend that gives me bodice rippers so I read them as well. My habit started when I was a child, and my mom used to command me to stop reading and go outside and play. So I climbed trees with my book du jour.
luckily for me I am a really fast reader, so even books that are not fast paced are readable.
But like you, I have started to stop reading when I am bored with or irritated by a book. And now as I am getting older I am trying to rehome my books. Which makes me sad, but better to do it now!
What a delightful exploration of the joys of reading! I’m another who discovered Libby during the pandemic. Prior to that, my first act upon moving to a new town was to get my library card, which made me feel instantly at home. Now I visit much less frequently although I still enjoy it.
At any given moment, I’m reading at least one nonfiction book and at least one novel, plus an audiobook to listen to in the car and during moments of insomnia. I quickly abandon novels if they don’t click, but I do discipline myself to finish nonfiction works, going so far as to set a daily page goal. Otherwise I think my enthusiasm for “more stories!” takes over and I don’t make time for learning things which I truly do want to learn. For the same reason I tend to read my Substack first— most of mine is political and as an American there’s a lot to keep up with at the moment!
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences of reading and the public library!!! Thank you for sharing other people's newsletters which contain Bookish Thoughts - I capitalized the latter two words because that category of thinking is special to me. I absolutely love the library and reading printed books and writing my Bookish Thoughts by hand on paper. It goes without saying that books and articles about reading and books are dear to me. Thank you too for including my library therapy posts! I'm still doing my library therapy- my online time has had to support my upcoming art exhibit so I've not shared my library therapy book in a while. I may resume sharing it later... not sure yet 😁
"... I loved the library and its tiny moulded red plastic chairs. I’d flip the large, brightly-coloured shiny books displayed standing up in deep wooden boxes, their hardback covers slapping against each other.." I haven't stepped into a library in so many years. But with this wonderful line, I could actually smell those children's books in the boxes - their plastic covers, their slick paper, their bright print and beguiling illustrations. Thank you Rebecca for the gift of this olfactory memory. I became eight years old again for a few minutes. Lovely writing, as always.
This is great, Rebecca! I'm going to check out the LIbby app. And I know what you mean about Substack reading versus a book. I also recently returned to reading a book and there are only so many free hours in a day to read, so I have to choose wisely. If I'm mindful, I can do both, but not every Substack writer nor every book. Anyway, cheers to reading in whatever form! 💚
Being a scholar of reading or whatever (I see all of my dear Substack friends here talking about me talking about libraries - thanks for the share Rebecca!) there is no right way to read! Whatever and however you want to read is fine.
Libby also integrated with Kobo ereaders, when you’re ready to invest in that tech…
I find it so satisfying to abandon a book when it’s not hitting the spot! For fiction, I love getting really cozy and immersed in a single world, but I have five different non-fiction books going currently 🤣
Bravo to your non-rules! It's good to get rid of the book-guilt. As for me, I read one book at a time because my brain follows so many stories from other sources, I can barely follow the book's plot, to say nothing of following two books. YIKES! I buy both kindle books and hard-copies, switching off to one or the other as I finish each book. AND THEN THERE'S SUBSTACK! Good thing I'm retired and can bounce from reading to chores to reading to knitting to reading to piano practice to ... well, you get the idea. There's just not enough time, is there, Rebecca? Tally-ho!
Libby and I were acquainted some time ago. She's a gem! For a while, I was doing quite a bit of work-related travel and it was a joy to listen to books to pass the time. Now in a new position, I have fewer opportunities, so the list of completed works has dropped off. That said, I received the Substack "Summer Recap" promo yesterday and, if that assessment can be trusted, I read 800+ posts and more than 1M words this summer. So...golly!
I don't know that you want to go to the trouble, but there is a little Substack thingie (a sub-Substack?) that prompts folks to write to specific topics then share to that group. The inaugural topic was LIBRARIES and submissions end Sept 22. Just in case you or any of your lovely, linked authors wants to check it out:
https://open.substack.com/pub/smallstack/p/seed-pod-1-libraries?r=a37hv&utm_medium=ios
Libraries are essential. I served on the board of ours for eight years and never ceased to be amazed by all that the staff and volunteers were accomplishing each month. Such a range of services!