Conversation about Books

Today's musing: do you keep your books pristine or abuse them (folding pages, writing in, hi-lighting, doodling, etc.)?

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26 SepRara ‏@rarabesh

@-------- Used, but not abused. Loved, but not worn out. Each break on the spine reminds me of each time I read and re-read a story.

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26 Sep

@rarabesh I love your poetic response <3

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I tend to look at my books as my collection. Collection in the same way someone would collect action figures, and keep them in a box for value. My books, my collection, has a very high value to me. In this way, I prefer to keep them as clean as possible - I want to have them forever. I'll never sell off or put a monetary value to them, and to me they'll all be priceless. 

Having said that, I like looking at a section of worn books (my Anne Rice paperback novels) and see the multitude of cracks in the spine and just know I had read them over and over and kept them in arms reach throughout a time. There might possibly be a chocolate or a candy stain, but that's alright, because it's MY stain. It is MY book and it's okay for ME to mess up MY book. 

I have a book, Bitten - By Kelley Armstrong. It is tragic how battered this book is. I would be upset, however!; I've lent this book to about 5 different girls and got them all hooked on a fabbbulous series. So, even though it pains me a little to see an unfamiliar stain, and that someone had dog-eared the book to keep place, it shows how enjoyed the story was. Would I buy another Bitten to look good on my shelf? No.  Had I lent the latest of her books out and it came back battered - yes, yes I would have. 

I like to go 'treasure hunting' (thrift store hopping) to find hardcover editions of books/series I discovered too late. Harry Potter, for example, I had discovered when my grandmother bought my brother the softcover of Philosphers Stone.  As I caught up to new released, I would buy the hardcover, and I've been digging for perfect looking hardcovers to complete the series.  Likewise, I've been searching for AGES for a hardcover of City of Bones/City of Ashes.

I love to collect books of stories I've read. There are very few, in fact, I think only 3 books total that are on my shelf that I haven't read - yet. This gives me the missing motivation to read them so I can confidently say EVERY book on my shelf has been read and enjoyed by me.

What do you think?

xox

R

Book Review: Fathomless - Jackson Pearce

Fathomless - Jackson Pearce

I drowned in this book.

If I was a twin, and this book was an 'angel', I'd be an ocean girl right now.

I don't know how to put my feelings of this book into a coherent paragraph that flows point to point.  So, I'm not going to do that. I'm just going to word-vomit wearing my fan-girl outfit. There are spoilers, btw.

I enjoyed the multiple-personality of Nadia. I'm not sure if this was intentional, but it was a great way to showcase the difference between a human with a soul, and something that's not 'human'. While Nadia/Lo shared the same skin, hair, eyes, and toes, there was a distinct difference between them. You could 'hear' it in their voice.  You could see it in their actions. And if I were to over-analyze the differences, I might therein see what Miss Pearce thinks the difference of a human to a non-human would be.

For example: Nadia is embarrassed when Celia sees her naked. Nadia will wear the towel/dress Celia offers her.  Lo doesn't care.  That difference of proprietary is significant to Nadia being a human and Lo letting go of her soul.

Another example: Nadia fights with her life to remember her past. Lo wants to forget, accept life as it is, and look toward the beautiful ocean and the angels that will bring her beyond.

What I really like, is that Lo isn't completely devoid of her humanity. While it's in her nature/instinct to kill, she doesn't want to but moreover; she CHOOSES not to. She CHOOSES at a point to save a life, as LO. As this non-human personality.

This makes me believe that perhaps, Nadia/Lo hasn't completely lost her soul, if that is where her humanity is kept. If she did lose her soul, then the humanity part must be part of something else that isn't so easily forgotten; and that part might be the key to bring down the antagonists.


I enjoyed the constant ebb and flow (get it) of water illusions in the book. I, too, feel drawn to the big blue waters, and I quickly got lost in the feelings of gargantuan power the oceans can have over a person. I loved it.

The nuances that connect the twisted fairytales books - While each of her previous books (Sisters Red, Sweetly) can be stand alone stories, each of these 3 stories are connected in the same universe. Miss Pearce connects and weaves them together like a subtle spiderweb. If you aren't diligent, you could miss it. I'm going to re-read all 3 books again until I can catch every connection.


From all this random fangirl word vomit, I loved this book, I continue to love Jackson Pearce, and I am already experiencing readers-frustration (a la sexual frustration) waiting for her next book; COLD SPELL.


Time to go for a swim...

Book Review: Heat, Bill Buford

Are you a foodie? Do you remember this guy?

The book basically follows an 'amateur' Bill Buford following the culinary discoveries of Mario. Mario had/has two restaurants in New York City that gained 3 stars. So it's serious business.

I got a glimpse into a world I would never, ever, otherwise peek into. Lack of interest, mainly, but lack of desire, lack of being a carnivore, lack of being a foodie.   If you tell me this dish you're about to serve me has chocolate in it, I'm good to go. That's about it.

It is disgusting. Very, very, disgusting. Want to know how your food is made, behind the scenes, when you pay $50.00 per entree? Want to really, realllllly know?  I'm warning you; you really don't. But, if you do... read Heat.  Then go to the restaurant.

What I liked about this book;

- I felt it was honest, unlike the Hells Kitchen TV show I never watched, but figured it's emphasized reality TV.  In Heat, Bill does tell you that there are some people who are screamers, and there are chefs who will tell you to 'Replate' if you did it wrong, even if you have a hundred orders behind you. But mostly, people are crazy, and passionate.  I believed that. I believe you have to be a little nutso to truly belong to your craft. Especially when your craft has you standing over fire for 14 hours a day.

- Bill spoke about vegetarians, and choosing to be vegetarian, with respect. He is CLEARLY a meat eater; but he KNOWS his meat. He went beyond the menu, learned about the calf, the cow, the bones, the muscles, the tissues, raw, cooked, brined, cured... he knows his meat. But, he talks about choosing to be vegetarian like it is a real choice. If you see/read what Bill has done, even he understands why a person would become vegetarian.

Here is a short excerpt I really liked;

"To my mind, vegetarians are amoung the few people who actually think about meat - at least THEY know what it is. I just believed people should know what they're eating. After all, at the green market, you overheard discussions about fertilizers and organic soils and how much freedom a chicken needs before it's free-range. Wouldn't it follow that you'd want to know what your meat is? And that's what I thought I was doing."
Bill Buford, Heat, Page 256.

He goes on to describe how people were being grossed out that he was carrying a freshly killed pig to his apartment. For the next week, he chopped and sliced and used -every- part of the pig, save the lungs. Only because, he needed a day off.

This book was thrust into my hands by someone I dearly love and trust, and even though she knows about my choices in life, if she wanted me to read this book -- I was going to read it. And I did. And I'm glad I did.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/139220.Heat