 |
| "So many books. So little time." - Frank Zappa |
I love books and believe they will be with us forever, regardless of any technological advances past, present, or future.
In many ways I find books better than computers.
- Books are lessons in single-task focusing and enjoyment. Computers are multi-tasking nightmares.
- Books can be used freely without expensive electricity.
- Books don't have distracting advertising.
- Books are made of paper and retain the spirit of the trees of which they are made.
- Books are historical documents with a link to thousands of years of the written word.
This year I will use the computer less, and read books more.
What books are you reading this week?
Note: All of the above books are from the public library except for the Bukowski which was a gift from a dear friend.
Note: All of the above books are from the public library except for the Bukowski which was a gift from a dear friend.
That's right! I've decided to read from a book every morning before switching on my computer this year. I'm starting with an interview with Vandana Shiva about seed freedom, and enjoying it a lot.
ReplyDeleteMarion,
DeleteA very good habit to get into. Vandana Shiva is doing awesome things for the world. Enjoy your book morning moments.
This week I shall be reading / have read:
ReplyDeleteLittle Woman & Me (a tween book, to see if my daughter will like it. She will, but we'll have to read Little Women first, but before we can read that, we have to finish the Harry Potter book we've started. Reading a bit every night, HP has taken us three months so far. Reading out loud to her is really good for me, as it means that I have to read every word. I've realised that I read so fast that I miss out on a lot)
A Men's Health Guide - Your Best Body at 40+ (for my husband)
Think Like a Freak (fascinating)
Bleed for Me (I'm delaying starting this because I know that I won't be able to put it down once I start, and I've got things to do)
The Book of Negroes (before my son gets it)
The Book Thief (after my son's finished it)
I love our local library. I love the anticipation and surprise when an inter-library loan comes in, it's like Christmas. My children and I are at the library several times a week, it's always a struggle to keep our non-purchases in one bag.
My friend put me onto this:
http://www.brainpickings.org/2015/01/05/resolutions/?utm_content=buffereeb5b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
which has opened up yet more books to order from the library.
Jess,
DeleteThat is quite the reading list. I have been reading Game of Thrones out loud to Linda since the summer (we are going slowly, and there are multiple books). Harry Potter is good fun, and would be a great book to read out loud with someone.
Your kids are very lucky to have a parent that reads and shares that passion with them. Some of the fondest memories of my childhood are of being read to by my parents, other relatives, and teachers.
It is enlightening being a public library patron - an incredible resource, and available to ALL. It has to be one of the last public institutions that still actually works for and improves the lives of the people that use it.
Brain Pickings is a great site - Terri, who comments regularly on NBA, introduced us to it and we find it fairly addictive reading.
I am in agreement here. I simply cannot read on a tablet preferring a book. I live in a small rural town where our library is lovely but the choice is limited. I go there for my 4 year old and get loads of books in order to keep a minimal home. I also read the local paper there and save 1.40 and many trees :)
ReplyDeleteI am reading "The Big Book of Angels" this week. I have just finished Wayne Dyer's "Wisdom of the Modern Masters". Amazing book. On vacation in a few weeks, going to the beach and have a stack ready to go!
I like to have books find me and have found some classics this way. Op shops and yard sales are the best place I find books. Thanks for the post.
Vee,
DeleteIt is amazing how books find the readers that need them, when they need them (if you're open to them, and so many sadly are not). Books have made such a difference in my life at some really critical times - life changing stuff.
Someone that chooses not to read is no better off than someone that can not read. Literacy is a gift that should be cherished and used extensively.
Enjoy your books on the beach. Some of my best reading moments have been on various beaches around the world. Peace.
This week I'm reading A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle; good, but I liked The Power of Now even more. Your Ancient Trees book looks promising!
ReplyDeletePS Two of our largest supermarkets (Sainsburys and Tesco) have started displaying a large table of secondhand books near their entrances, on sale for charity...remarkably civilised of them!
DeleteCharlotte,
DeleteI really enjoyed The Power Of Now. I can't get enough tree-related reading.
Second hand books and raising money for a good cause are a great combo. Books can help in so many ways.
A friend of mine who works in media says that there is a coming "dark age" as all the information is only as accessible as the technology that created it. 8-track, VHS, Windows is only accessible when the technology supports it. When not, the info is gone. He says that the "universal technology" is paper. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteI love that outlook - it makes a lot of sense to me. What happens when the power goes out?
DeleteThe future will look a lot like the past and we will be living on less than in the past 50 years whether we want to or not.
We will need our public libraries.
I've just gone back to read this post—book talk catches my eye! I'm reading The Way of the Rose and The Road Back to You (Enneagram) currently. I treasure my home library and my public library. Reading is such a joy and a gift. -Erin
ReplyDelete