The Sunday Post #93

The Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, and share news. It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? is hosted by Book Date. I get to tell you what I’ve read recently.

Happy Easter!

Blogging From A To Z

Things around here are a little different this month. I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z challenge. Every day in April (except Sundays), I’m going to write a short post about how books and book blogging have impacted my life. Brace yourself. Posts are coming.

On The Blog Last Week

• H is for “Hunger Games”
• I is for “If Dogs Could Talk”
• J is for “J.K. Rowling”
• K is for “Kids’ Books”
• L is for “Longest Book”
• M is for “Minimalism”

On The Blog This Week

• N is for “Number Generator”
• O is for “Ones I Read Over And Over”
• P is for “Plague”
• Q is for “Quitting”
• R is for “Read All The Things!”
• S is for “Special Ed.”

In My Reading Life

Last week was rough. I was really busy; I injured myself while running; then my phone and credit card were stolen. Not nice, universe. Reading didn’t really happen last week. I finished rereading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. Then I started Smoke by Dan Vyleta and Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.

In The Rest Of My Life

Five things that made me happy last week:

1. I’m halfway through the A to Z Challenge! Some of my posts were more half-assed than others, but I haven’t missed a day yet. Also, is it weird that I’m already brainstorming ideas for next year’s challenge?
2. Pizza, nachos, and ice cream. Yeah, my diet wasn’t great last week.
3. It’s getting warmer outside. I think it’s been 2 days since I last turned on the space heater.
4. One of Saturn’s moons (Enceladus) might be able to support life. 
5. Researchers in western Canada discovered the remains of a 14,000 year old village. The village is older than the Egyptian pyramids. 

Take care of yourselves and be kind to each other! See you around the blogosphere!

M is for “Minimalism”

Welcome to the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Every day in April (except Sundays), I’ll be sharing a short bookish memory with you.

I don’t like stuff. Stuff stresses me out. Many of the surfaces in my bedroom and office are bare. About half of my drawers are empty. I can fit the majority of my clothes into a suitcase. I loathe shopping and do it as infrequently as possible.

Even though I own a lot of books, my dislike of stuff extends to my bookish life. One of the reasons I’m not on Bookstagram is because photo props become clutter when you’re not using them. I’ve been tempted to buy a literary subscription box, but most of them come with “goodies.” Bookish swag is fun to open when it comes in the mail, but what do you do with it once it’s in your house? I didn’t even own a pretty bookmark until my mentor gave me one last year. I just used a fancy advertisement from a bookstore in Denver as a bookmark.

Even my books are subject to frequent purges. I don’t collect books or have multiple copies of anything. If a book gets less than 4 stars from me on Goodreads, it goes to a new home. Still, my shelves are fuller than I’d like. I love being a stuff-purger and can’t imagine living in a place that’s overflowing with stuff.

My office + Little G the dog. (Who doesn't understand what "get out of my picture" means.)

Are you a stuff-purger like me, or are you a stuff-collector? If you’re a collector, how do you manage your stuff so you don’t feel overwhelmed by it? 

L is for “Longest Book”

Welcome to the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Every day in April (except Sundays), I’ll be sharing a short bookish memory with you.

What’s the longest book you’ve ever read? For me, it’s probably some horrible textbook that I no longer own and have blocked from my memory. But, I do remember the longest book I’ve ever read willingly. It’s Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. My copy is 1,168 pages. I read it way back in the olden days of 2011, and it took me three months to finish.

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

This is the story of a man who said that he would stop the motor of the world—and did. Was he a destroyer or the greatest of liberators? Why did he have to fight his battle, not against his enemies, but against those who needed him most? What is the world's motor—and the motive power of every man? You will know the answer to these questions when you discover the reason behind the baffling events that play havoc with the lives of the characters in this story. Tremendous in its scope, this novel presents an astounding panorama of human life—from the productive genius who becomes a worthless playboy—to the great steel industrialist who does not know that he is working for his own destruction—to the philosopher who becomes a pirate—to the composer who gives up his career on the night of his triumph—to the woman who runs a transcontinental railroad—to the lowest track worker in her Terminal tunnels. This is a mystery story, not about the murder of a man's body, but about the murder—and rebirth—of man's spirit.

Did I like the book? Um . . . yes and no. The reason I read it is because of its cultural significance. It’s on many “books that changed the world” lists. I liked the dystopian elements of the story. The characters both intrigued and annoyed me. I was pulled in by their strong personalities, but I hated the tedious speeches they gave. Some parts of their philosophy made me cringe.

The thing I liked best about Atlas Shrugged was the sense of accomplishment I had when I read the last page. Like many people, I often have problems finishing what I start. When a project gets boring, I abandon it. Reading Atlas Shrugged was occasionally dull or intellectually challenging. There were times when I seriously considered giving up. But, I was curious about this book. It has influenced American society, and I wanted to know why. Finishing it was a small way of proving to myself that I do have the stamina to complete projects. If I have questions about the world, I can find the answers. Even if the answers mean reading a 1,168-page book.

What’s the longest book you’ve ever read? How did you feel about it?

K is for “Kids’ Books”

Welcome to the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Every day in April (except Sundays), I’ll be sharing a short bookish memory with you.

For most of my adult life, my goal has been to start a publishing company. I want to publish books that teach kids and teens about the world. I know that "Teach kids about the world" is the vaguest business plan ever, but I’m not going to start a company anytime soon, so I have a while to think about it.

When I tell people that I want to publish kids’ books, one of the most common questions I get is, “Why kids’ books?” For many years, my response was, “Um, I don’t know. Because I like them.” That’s true, but it’s also an unsatisfying answer. I didn’t (and still don’t) fully understand why I like reading books for kids and teens.

Strangely, my children’s book obsession became a little clearer when I saw this photo on the news.

This picture was taken behind the high school that I graduated from. Those kids go to the same school that I did. The photo was taken in Colorado, which isn’t a former Confederate state, so many people around here interpreted the photo as a hate symbol. Some people were surprised by the kids’ behavior, but I wasn’t surprised at all. The students at my high school weren’t very accepting of differences. I guess nothing has changed since I graduated.

One of my most vivid memories from high school is talking to my gay friend in the hallway. As soon as I walked away from him, another boy grabbed me by the backpack and dragged me backwards. He screamed “You’re going to hell, fag lover!” in my ear and then slung me to the floor. It didn’t hurt, but I’ll remember it forever.

I think this memory is a partial answer to “Why kids' books?” I’m not naïve enough to think that books can solve the world’s problems, but children learn from their environments. If they see characters dealing with differences without violence, maybe they’ll be less likely to resort to violence in the real world.

So, why kids’ books? Because I think they can make a difference.  

Do you read books for children or teens? If you do, what do you like about them?