books | Pam Webb

Archive for the tag “books”

07 Mar 2014

Biblio-profiled

Gotta HaveBooks! (Photo credit: henry…)

Book Boosters. That’s my term for those of us that love books, love reading, love to promote reading and books. Reading–rhymes with breathing. Can’t go through life without either. Actually, make that a day. Something as wonderful as reading books tends to get knocked about: Bookworm, Get Outside, You’re Reading Another Book. You know the gamut.

Apparently we bibliophiles (very different from being a bibliomaniac) are profiled as being loners, hoarders, idolizers of authors, browsers–I shall not continue. An article in the Huffington Post entitled “These Stereotypes About Book Lovers Are Absolutely True, and That’s a Good Thing” lists 31 stereotypes. I’ve pulled the Top Ten I’ll admit to:

1. I never leave home without a book (I count the one I got going on my iPhone)

2. I don’t loan out books for fear of having them returned in a shabby condition (do not dog ear, please oh please)

3. I give books as presents (even if they would rather have a Red Robin gift card).

4. I would actually collect author trading cards (I’ll trade you my Vonnegut for your Whitman).

Author trading cards available? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

5. Yes, I do read about how famous authors became so well-loved because I do believe myself to be a page away from writing the Great American Novel (okay, I’ll amend that to Novel)

6. Bad movie adaptations can crease my day (perhaps not my whole summer, just a couple of weeks worth)

7. Finding a typo is irritating (though I live in a glass house, I’m afraid)

8. Yes, I do have strong, unwavering opinions about e-books (never mind what I said in #1)

9. Being located near a library is more important than other aspects of moving (Libraries rate over Starbucks proximity)

10. Audio books are marvelous road trip companions (Will it bother you if I plug in my book?)

Then in a December 2013 post, BookRiot blogger Dr.B busted a move and dispelled some very important points: not caring about dog earing books *gasp* or cracking spines *be still my heart*; rarely giving books as gifts *but, but, they would like this one–I’m sure they would*; not caring about bad adaptations *oh, to have such strength*; typos? no big deal *again, to have such a cavalier attitude*.

Just another fool reading a book (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What leanings do you have towards your profiling? Are you the Huffington style of traditional or more of the forgiving Dr. B?

Posted in Blogging, Books, Reading, Reflections and tagged Bibliophile, Book Booster, books, Huffington Post, Library, reading

01 Mar 2014

1 Comment

Life Long Loving of the Library of Congress

Main Library of Congress building at the start of the 20th century (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And yet another reason I continue my praises of the Library of Congress. In recent Internet research sleuthing I stumbled across their Festival Author Booklist. Yippee! I love bookish gatherings, especially when I don’t have to do much traveling to enjoy it. If you do want to travel, then get your arrangements made for Washington D.C. because that’s the happening spot. Last year the festival ran the weekend of September 21 and 22. For more information: National Book Festival

Author and Reading Celebration

Since 2001, authors, illustrators and poets make presentations on the National Mall in various pavilions. In 2013 over a 100 authors represented Teens & Children, Fiction & Mystery, History & Biography, Contemporary Life, Poetry & Prose, Graphic Novels & Science Fiction and Special Programs.

Library of Congress Pavilion

If a person has longing to know all about the Library of Congress, then a visit to their LOC Pavilion is in order. There is so much moAt the Library of Congress Pavilion than books.

Wait!

There is more bookish good stuff from the LOC. Want handy access to classic reads? Then you need to click on the Read.gov link and start enjoying a range of reading from the John Carter series to Aesop Fables and what lies in between.

Contest!

Are you a teacher, a parent? If books are an important part of your education input, you will want to perk up and take time to read the guidelines about the LOC contest Letters About Literature. Prizes too! I look forward to introducing this to my students.

Stay tuned for more love notes about the nation’s library.

New Document: Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program Publishes ‘Best Practices in Literacy Promotion’ (infodocket.com)
11 Rare Children’s Books from the Library of Congress (mentalfloss.com)

Posted in America, Books, celebrations, Libraries, Reading, Teachers, writers, Writing and tagged authors, books, education, Library of Congress, Literature, National Book Festival, reading, writers, writing contests

24 Feb 2014

4 Comments

Libraries All Over

Libraries. We think of them in terms of brick and glass with rows of shelves and some comfy chairs. Yet, they can appear in many places and in many forms.

A Works Progress Administration Bookmobile visits Bayou De Large, Louisiana. Photo from the New Deal Network.

Pack horse librarians pose in Hindman, Kentucky. From the University of Kentucky’s Goodman-Paxton Photographic Collection

A booketeria in a Nashville supermarket. Photo from the Nashville Public Library.

A vending machine library at a Bay Area school. Photo originally from Inside Bay Area.

A former Wal-Mart photo from the McAllen Public Library.

Pop-Up Library known as the BiblioTreka (image: libraryasincubatorproject.com)

IKEA shelves. Bondi Beach. Books. Perfection. (image:PeaceandNoise.blogspot.com)

A true book is never phoney. (image: PeaceandNoise.blogspot.com)

This gives me hope books ae not on the wayse as technology encroaches on book-in-hand versus book on-screen. Any unusual libraries spottings?

Posted in Books, Libraries, Reading, Uncategorized and tagged books, libraries, reading

30 Jan 2014

1 Comment

Continuing the Love for LOC

Cover of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Pi...

Cover via Amazon

Visiting the Library of Congress is high on my BIG list, yet that one wish won’t be actualized until time and funding match up. For now I continue visiting it on-line for research and serendipity surprises. For instance, as I browsed for Idaho pioneer entries my screen popped up their Books that Shaped America entry. I’m thinking somewhere there is a book about pioneers in Idaho? It didn’t matter because I became lost through the eras as I browsed, read, and absorbed. Fascinating, illuminating, and enlightening how the books reflected the times and influenced future reading. For the entire link go to Books That Shaped America.

Here are some titles to ponder:

Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard Improved (1732) and The Way to Wealth (1785)

Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820)

L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Upton Sinclair, The Jungle (1906)

Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936)

Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man (1952)

Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat (1957)

Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird (1960)

Ralph Nader, Unsafe at Any Speed (1965)

César Chávez, The Words of César Chávez (2002)

I know, I know–I’m hearing the “what about _______!” I was surprised at what made the list and what didn’t. I hope you check it out and let me know what you think should have made it.

Interior Library of Congress, by G. D. Wakely (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Posted in America, Books, education, Literature, Reading, Reflections, Uncategorized and tagged authors, books, history, influencial literature, Library of Congress, novels, reading

Pam Webb

a writer's journey as a reader