THE WRITE PLACE…

to find Patti Singleton these days.

Tag Archives: reading


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A-Z April Challenge; R is For Reviews and Ready to Publish?

Is your final product (your book!) a skunk or a rose?

Skunk Cabbage

Skunk Cabbage.
PHALL PHOTO 2014

Autumn Rose

Autumn Rose.
PHALL PHOTO 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Rebecca Lamoreaux wrote a recent A-Z Challenge post about many issues pertaining to writing book reviews. Here is part of my comment, as well as some further discussion and helpful links.

To be honest, these issues make me hesitate to publish. No one is perfect, but I think books need to be as close to perfect as they can be, BEFORE they are seen in public. In a perfect world, I’ve always thought that indie authors should have their books go through an indie author board (or a professional editor) before publishing. It would raise the quality by leaps and bounds. I will write a post and make sure you see it. Thanks for bringing this up.

The comment above, from :

http://rebeccalamoreaux-anauthorinprogress.blogspot.com/2014/04/r-reading-and-reviews.html

Good article about gauging your readiness to publish:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2014/01/are-you-good-enough-evaluating-whether.html

For self-publishers, an excellent article about the different kinds of editing and some awesome links for help finding an editor:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/59767-why-all-self-publishers-need-a-good-editor.html

What are your thoughts?

Patti

Hey, I hope you find time to check out some of the other A-Z April Challenge blogs here:

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2014.html


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Trashy or Treasured Book? Each Reader Decides For Themselves

Stormy day on beach. Not a great place to read:>) SONJON PHOTO 2013

Stormy day on beach. Not a great place to read:>)
SONJON PHOTO 2013

I get asked about what books to read, pretty frequently, but it is so difficult to answer. Unless I know your reading style and preferences, I can’t begin to answer you. One person’s trashy book, is another person’s treasured book. That means I can answer the question for my mom and my aunt. I could make a good guess for a few others. That’s it.

I love many things about technology, and one of them is the way I can easily find books that I would like to read. I hope these suggestions lead you to hours of great reading.

If you go to www.goodreads.com and join, you can quickly zip through, mark and rate the books that you have read. Soon, goodreads magic will give you tons of suggestions based on your top-rated books. Easy-peasy. You can even see what your friends are reading. You can even see what I’m reading. However, my page is not very accurate. I read many books that I don’t mark, and I review books that I win, or books from other writers that I meet. I am lousy at updating with the books I am reading.

Join http://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=24 and look for threads of the genres you enjoy. I randomly chose a thread about end-of-the-world themes WITHOUT aliens, vampires and the like. Oh, and I didn’t join. About a dozen people answered with title and author and a short comment. If you click on the title, you are taken to the book’s page on Amazon.

At http://www.ala.org/tools/libfactsheets/alalibraryfactsheet23 you can chose book lists by age group, and they also have a list of banned books, just for fun:>) My library, Timberland Regional Library, list books the same way. When I click on a book, to read its description, it also has links to the same kind of book, or other books by the same author. Your library probably has some of the same features.

http://bestsellers.about.com/od/readingrecommendations/Reading_Lists_Recommendations.htm has some interesting lists that you might want to check out. Extensive reviews, including pros and cons.

There are many, many more sites, but this should get you started. Happy reading!


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THE READER PLACE; Our Reading Habits and Places 2

reading

My son reading to his son:>) Jon & Hunter
PHALL PHOTO 2013

reading

What a cozy reading spot! Luanne already knows I’m going to tease her about the hat :>)

Here’s what some of our other friends have to say about reading, from comments on original post here.

helenmidgley
As the only female in a house full of men, I read to escape, lol. Although my husband would say I read to escape the washing up, the ironing, the cooking and the polishing, but I don’t believe him

tpolen

As a child, I loved reading in the swing on the front porch right before a storm. Now, my very favorite place to read is on the beach, but if I can’t have that, I’ve enjoyed our covered outdoor patio during this mild summer – the weather has been great! I’m the lone female in my male dominated house and, for the most part, the only reading they do is Sports Illustrated.

Susan Call Hutchison
Initially, I wondered if an eReader could ever match the magic of turning pages to devour a story. I found out the ease of having a Kindle app on my iTouch made it my favorite way to read. I can have a LIBRARY in my pocket, and take it out and enjoy, anytime, anywhere. I read the scriptures every morning for 1/2 hour in bed, before I do anything else. My husband and I read aloud to each other every evening when we were first married (34 years ago), and after our first daughter came. We alternated chapters, and introduced each other to the writers we loved. My husband enjoyed reading aloud to our whole family as the girls were growing up. Now that they are out of the “nest,” Marc and I still read to each other, sharing “the good parts.” And both of us read avidly, silently to ourselves. Wherever we want to.

Judy

Susan, my husband and I also read ‘the good parts’ to each other. And, at holiday time, he reads A Child’s Christmas in Wales (D. Thomas) at the annual family gathering. Wonderful way to bond and share. Think we’ve created a tradition with our kids and grand kids.

coastalcrone

What a wonderful image – a boy reading in a tree house! Better than video games. I read in bed every night or read while I am waiting for someone or something.

Ginny

My son hides in the bathroom to read…lol my hubby reads on the couch and I like to read outside or in bed..I cant wait to hold your book in my hands with a cup of coffee and sit outside and read it.  along with a big box of Kleenex.

Thank you all for participating and please keep sending them in!  1writeplacewordpress at gmail dot com I need them by Sunday. Add a link if you have a business or book you want us to visit. I’m still looking for some that Paul took of me reading…

Thanks Peeps,

Patti


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THE READER PLACE; Our Reading Habits and Places

READING rooster alaska

Bob the reading rooster. This photo has not been touched or retouched. This story is real.
Alaska, USA
PHALL PHOTO 2012

The first Monday reader photo for our first weekly feature, The Reader Place, is Bob the rooster.

Bob came into my life just when I needed a good friend. I was in Alaska for 4 months last summer, because my mother had an accident that left her unable to care for herself. I was there for mom and Bob was there for me.

I had briefly met Bob the February before, when my family gathered to mourn the loss of my sister. Bob and I bonded over our grief out on the cold porch, while I smoked and cried. (He was not allowed to smoke due to his burnable nature) I kept us both warm with blankets, and occasionally, Mom’s 100 lb Rotty mix, Sophie.

When I returned in May, Bob rejoiced. His was a solitary life spent sitting on the deck that overlooks a busy road, waving at all the passersby.  That’s why I taught Bob to read; he needed a diversion from his lackluster days on the deck.

Next thing I knew he was stealing my mocha’s and my books. People came to visit and he would pull every conversation over to the book he was reading. I’d created a monster! The final straw was when I caught him as you see in the picture; he has my reading glasses (Bob has perfect eyes!), the mocha that sis Laura brought by for me, and my latest murder mystery.

We finally agreed on some ground rules.  Bob got his own library card, reading glasses and an empty mocha cup, since with Bob, it was all about image.  He meets with a readers group every week to discuss his books and him and Mr. I.V. Poley text each other often. That’s enough about Bob, let’s move on to the next photo.

Hope for school photo challenge in Bavaria. Photo by Nicola

Hope on a snow mound for her school reading challenge in Bulgaria.
Photo by Nicola

Mom Nicola says, “Here’s the pic, as promised. My nine year old (Hope) did it for her school, as they were having a reading challenge of the most interesting place to be snapped whilst reading.  It is taken in Pamporovo, Bulgaria.
Nicola Young
nikkiyoungwrites.wordpress.com

A very creative young lady. Look at that snow falling! Oh, Bob just wrote in to say he’s seen the snow in Alaska all the way up to his deck! Bob has attention issues, excuse him everyone. Thank you Hope & Nicola, and make sure you all stop by Nicola’s WP blog. Next photo, please.

Cousin Jimmy reading.

Cousin Jimmy reading.

Another reader in our family. I love the picture of a window on the wall.  How can he read that tiny thing? He doesn’t even have glasses on. He MUST need them, he IS five months older than me:>) Is this staged or not?

The next photo is his sis, Elizabeth. My cousins have the wonderful habit of coming through for me when I need them:>)

Cousin Elizabeth reading in bed.

Cousin Elizabeth reading in bed.

Looking cozy, Cuz! I think I’m going to save the comments that people sent in for next Monday, I bet you’d all agree that Hope wins for most unusual, Bob wins the mascot award and my cousins get the loyalty award. Thank you all for participating and please keep sending them in!  1writeplacewordpress at gmail dot com I need them by Sunday. Add a link if you have a business or book you want us to visit.

Thanks Peeps,

Patti

 


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Flying Readers Found In A Tree and On A Bed

Nephew Graeson reading in a tree house he helped his dad build. GHALL PHOTO 2013

Nephew Graeson reading in a tree house he helped his dad build last year.
GHALL PHOTO 2013

From down on a bed, to up in a tree, every reader has a favorite place to read.  My mother and my nephew are just two of the avid readers in our family.  My favorite place is a rocking chair; my aunt sits up in a hard-back chair at the kitchen table. Mom likes to read in bed before she goes to sleep.

Mom reading, Hawaii Island cottage. 2012

Mom reading in Hawaii Island cottage. 2012

My daughter reads a snippet at a time (between mothering duties) on the front porch. When she was younger, she read in a big field next to our house. My nephew reads in a tree or on the couch.  I almost always have a book in my truck, to read whenever I have to wait for something or someone.

Mom, my oldest sis and I read on vacation, but I’m not sure about the others. My youngest sis has a bulging bookshelf waiting for the day she is done with college and work. The house I raised my children in had no walls in the large main room; I divided areas with book shelves filled to capacity. I have since weeded them down to about 12 small boxes. They patiently wait for a space in my daughter’s home (in between the children).  My oldest sis saves up her favorite author’s newest books for her and Captain Honey’s long vacation in Costa Rica every year. That takes some serious will power.

There are not many male readers in the family, but a few. All of my best girlfriends are readers; none of my boyfriends or husbands were. Sometimes I think about all the people who don’t have the means, ability or opportunity to read. Then I wonder how those who do have the means, ability and opportunity to read, can choose not to.  It would be like having wings to fly, but choosing to walk everywhere. If I were Queen, everyone would read and everyone would keep a journal. The world would be a better place, I’m sure of it.

What about your family? How do books and reading fit into your lives? Share your family’s book and reading stories and photos in an email to me and I will post them next Monday. 1writeplace dot wordpress at gmail dot com   If not, feel free to leave a comment instead.

Meanwhile, check out Marilyn Armstrong’s blog post on the subject here, which inspired me to write this post.

Thank you,

Patti