(Image taken from Flickr, property of Courtney McGough)
With the Once Upon a Time Challenge IV winding down (only one week left),
*pause for Public Service Announcement*
“Stay tuned this week for an artist interview and giveaway”
and with temperatures and humidity rising, my thoughts have naturally strayed to summer.
Summer reading to be exact.
Signs are cropping up in libraries all over announcing Summer Reading Programs. I remember the first time I ever heard about them. A neighbor of ours was participating and keeping a list of the books she was reading. It was one of those lightbulb/angels singing moments. Although I wasn’t officially participating in it, I started then and there keeping a list for myself. My best guest, based on where we were living at the time, is that this occurred the summer before I entered the third grade. It is quite possible that my sometimes neglected love of making lists was birthed in that very moment. Certainly the seed was sown for the attraction of keeping lists of books read. That list making has become as natural as breathing to those of us who consider ourselves book bloggers.
Thus it seems only natural that as summer approaches I would find myself making a list of books that I feel, at the moment, an interest in trying to get to this summer. I tried to keep the list from being too long, while knowing all too well that the stars would have to align perfectly for me to get through all these before the fifth annual R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge (R.I.P.) begins on September 1st.
Just for my own self interest, I have included information on whether I own these books or will be borrowing them from the library.
Asari, Jiro ~The Stationmaster [own]
Chandler, Raymond ~The Simple Art of Murder [own]
Daley, Brian ~Han Solo’s Revenge [own]
Fleming, Ian ~Goldfinger [own]
Gaiman, Neil ~Neverwhere: The Author’s Preferred Edition [own]
Harrison, Harry ~The Adventures of the Stainless Steel Rat [own]
Harrison, Harry ~The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You [own]
Harrison, Harry ~The Stainless Steel Rat for President [own]
Harrison, Harry ~A Stainless Steel Rat is Born [own]
Harrison, Harry ~The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted [own]
Harrison, Harry ~The Stainless Steel Rat Goes to Hell [own]
(in anticipation of Harry Harrison’s new book, The Stainless Steel Rat Returns which comes out in August.)
Herbert, Frank ~Dune [own]
Forgive the interruption. I am not overly fond of lolcats, but I saw this while searching for a Dune cover image and it struck me as funny.
Hornby, Nick ~Juliet, Naked [library] (completed audio 6/28/10)
Jones, Shane ~Light Boxes [library]
Martin, George R.R. ~A Clash of Kings [own]
Martin, George R.R. ~A Storm of Swords [on Father’s Day list]
McDonald, Ian ~Ares Express [own]
Milne, A.A. ~The Red House Mystery [library]
Moorcock, Michael ~Elric of Melnibone [own, an unexpected and appreciated recent gift from Richard R.]
Murakami, Haruki ~Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World [own]
Reynold, Alastair ~Revelation Space [own]
Valente, Cathrynne ~Palimpsest [library]
That’s it, 22 books. At my present rate of reading this is certainly doable in a little over two months. But I am also well aware that my whims will carry me away on their own path. In my list making frenzy last night I also made a much longer list of Science Fiction and Fantasy titles that I have yet to read that I would really like to read at some point. It is possible that some of those books may see their way into my hands this summer. We’ll see.
What about you? Any specific summer reading plans? Do you plan ahead, follow your whims, or try to combine the two as I have here? I would love to know what books you plan on reading this summer, AND would love to hear about your thoughts/past experiences with Summer Reading Programs in your youth or adulthood.
If you happen to post your own Summer Reading List, I would be honored to have you link to it here. Otherwise, let the summer reading conversation commence.
I added Milne’s mystery to my list, thanks. I think that will be neat to read. That’s a very handsome copy of Neverwhere. That’s one of the best LOLcats out there.
I’m a big fan of book lists. I usually have an idea of which books I’d like to read sooner than later. Of course, plans to read something change as frequently as the winds. So far the summer lineup looks like: Don Quixote as a read-along, Wildcards, Wilde’s The Importance of Being Ernest and An Ideal Husband, Gertrude Stein’s Tender Buttons, Robert Silverburg’s Lord Valentine’s Castle, and one to five books from the Ender Saga. I’m considering also participating in a read-along of Joyce’s Ulysses and re-reading Palimpsest. OR maybe I’ll break my new book ban and finally get Valente’s Orphan’s Tales. That’s a novel idea.
Funny you should mention Summer Reading Clubs. We are preparing for this year’s at the library; it will be my first experience in many years, much less behind the counter, so to speak. As for my own reading, summer will be classic Swivel-head: whatever gets grabbed from the pile first will get read, unless I spot something in a corner…
Happy reading!
I just picked up Light Boxes from the library today too! I didn’t realize it was so small. I am starting a project where I read the books that inspired some of my favorite classic Hollywood movies. Today I also picked up Sabrina Fair (the play that became Sabrina), Laura, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. I love summer reading lists!
I am digging you lists! Impressive, and several books that I thought… Oooo…Oooo…I want to read that one!! Do you remember Welcome Back Kotter? Every time I think “oooo…Ooo” I am sooo thinking Horshack.
Anyway….
ASOIAF: Cannot wait to read what you think of Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords.
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of the World – this one is on my list, most likely for the fall. I hope you read this one because I want to read your thoughts about it. Currently, I must finish The Wind-Up Bird, like the story but had to set it aside for a period of time (14-year old daughter took it for a read).
I am intrigued by the Nick Hornby and Neil Gaiman books. I really ought to read them at some point in my life. I read Gaiman’s blog, I am finding his posts interesting. I have read Coraline, and am starting Graveyard…he certainly seems to have a niche.
The Stationmaster and Dune both seem interesting.
I am not going there with you on Hans Solo. 😀
So…the Harry Harrison books, have you read them before? The title of your blog matches the title in these books except for droppings which could be related to the rat. Was this purposeful on your part?
I was not going to post my summer reading list, but seeing how you have a Mr. Linky, I think I will write up my list later this week.
Good luck and Happy Reading this summer.
Summer Readings will include may books I’ve started but haven’t finished yet 🙂 :
Magicians by Lev Grossman
Prince Valiant Vol. 1 by Hal Foster
Your Hate Mail will be Graded by John Scalzi
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson ( possibly The Way of Kings )
and some Heinlein … I really need to squeeze a RAH book in.
I’d love to read some more Fleming but I kind of associate Bond with more of fall/winter reading myself.
Dune seems like a perfect summer read.
I have perhaps foolishly decided on this for my summer reading: http://iansales.com/2010/06/01/three-sets-of-five-for-the-summer/
Ian: An ambitious project! I wish you all the very best.
Jeff S: Though my science fiction jones is strongest at the first of the year, Dune has never felt like a book that should be read in winter. It does seem, like you say, a perfect summer read. I’m sure its the whole desert world scenario.
I too put a few books on my list that I’ve started reading already but won’t get done before the week is over.
Ibeeg: Fantastic deductive work! That is exactly what my blog name is based on, with the droppings pointing to the rat and to the quality of some of my posts….ha! I grew up a fan of the rat and have read all of these many times before. I’m sure I won’t get to them all but it would be fun to read a few again before the new book comes out. Especially because it has a good chance of being a mess (as the book before it was) and I’d like to have some enjoyable Rat reading this summer.
Gaiman is great. Graveyard Book is fantastic, Neverwhere is my favorite. I just bought this author’s preferred edition and I’m looking forward to seeing what was added to the story. I’ve read it enough times that I am hoping I will be able to tell.
Don’t blame you on the Solo. Another of my childhood loves that has stayed with me all my life.
And who could forget Horshack? 😉
Kristin M: That sounds like a really fun idea. For Christmas I bought my wife a copy of the play that the Jimmy Stewart classic, Shop Around the Corner (and later You’ve Got Mail) was based on. At some point I want to borrow that from her and read it. I just saw Light Boxes in the store the other day and fell for the cover. I decided to be good and get it from the library rather than buy it. A novel about a never-ending cold February might be just the ticket for escape in the heat of summer!
ds: Love the “Swivel-head” description. List or no, I am sure part of my summer will be exactly the same. I sincerely hope your library program goes well and that you have great participation from the neighborhood.
Mish: Oddly coincidental–we just watched An Ideal Husband last night. Wilde is fantastic. I’ve read Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband and they are both a real hoot. The old classic film version of Importance of Being Earnest is a cherished film in our house. Came home from work to find my daughter watching it again the other day.
I saw the Milne mystery mentioned in an essay at the front of the Chandler book I have listed and decided to check it out from the library and give it a go. I’m such a fan of the Pooh books and had no idea he ever wrote anything else. Hadn’t ever thought to check! 🙂
Neverwhere is my favorite Gaiman book and I knew for years they were going to be putting out a limited edition of it. Couldn’t resist spending the money when the time came. Thankfully I had the money set aside to spend.
Thinking more about it I have few more books that I have started that I want to try to finish this summer:
Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larson [library]
Heat Wave by Richard Castle [own]
Someplace to Be Flying by Charles de Lint [library]
oohh, so many purty covers there, and I smirked at the lolcat so its all good 🙂
That edition of Neverwhere looks very very shiny indeed!
*wipes away drool* I really like your reading list! I don’t usually make one up for the summer – that is my relaxation and read whatever time, which is usually a whole bunch of mysteries. I don’t know why I read more fantasies in winter and spring, and mysteries in the summer and fall, but I do. This year I’ve been trying to mix it up a little, to see what happens. I have a lot of mystery series I want to catch up on, and then I see your list of Palimpset (which I’ve been trying to find for a while now), A Storm of Swords (I think I started this and stopped, so I need to pick it up again, I really like the series); Dune, which is on my list of books to read soon! (a reread, I love this book). I do have two books I am waiting for anxiously – Blackout by Connie Willis, and The Dome by Stephen King – I ordered them for my birthday and they should arrive any day now 🙂 Maybe I’ll do a post about summer reading, this is a good idea, Carl! I hope you enjoy your books and read many on your list as well as some that find their way to you, this summer.
Susan: I think list making for me is a way to exercise my reading whim demons. At the end of any challenge I host I tend to get this whirlwind of reading desires and a ton of the unread books in my possession are all crying out for face time. I was happy to see that my list, which really was pretty spontaneous, included a fair mix of sci fi, fantasy, and mystery/detective. I have a couple of book-related-essay volumes ordered from the library and I have no doubt they will find themselves among my summer reads.
Fence: It is shiny! And I’m glad I’m not the only one who appreciated the dunecat.
Ibeeg: More like Gaiman has niches, writing for all ages and tastes. I bought Coraline for a friend partially with the intent of borrowing it, but have yet to do so. Graveyard and several other books of his are in my TBR pile. I second Carl’s notion that Gaiman is great.
Carl: Wilde was one of a kind. Lady Windermere’s Fan is really humorous. The Picture of Dorian Gray is fantastic and my favourite Wilde. Reviews here if so inclined. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the films you mentioned. I’ll look for them at a friend’s library- I know I won’t find them locally.
I think a lot of people (myself included) don’t look to see what else Milne wrote because he’s so heavily associated with Pooh. Therefore his only mystery and other works slip through the cracks. Now that I know about them, I’m curious to check out his fiction, plays, and poetry. The nonfiction, not so much. You’re a really good “bad” influence. In other words, thanks for bringing Milne to closer attention and adding to my Dread Pile o’Reads. 🙂
You must tell me how Elric is. It’s one of those fantasy standbys that I am kind of ashamed to admit I have never read.
Oh, and I hope you enjoy Chandler. I spent a fair bit of time with him in recent months and have enjoyed it immensely. I keep pointing people to his “The Simple Art of Murder.”
Rampant: I will. Jeff read them all when he was younger and is not sure how they stand up, but I’ve had at least one friend read many of them recently and is a big fan of the Elric stuff.
This Chandler was recommended to me and I’m looking forward to trying him out. The essay at the beginning of the book is of as much interest as the short stories.
Mish: They remade The Importance of Being Earnest a few years back but I am not as fond of it as the 1952 version, which is more charming. The dialogue is delivered with more grace in the old one. Here is a link:
http://www.amazon.com/Importance-Being-Earnest-Criterion-Collection/dp/B00006673M/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1276530811&sr=8-7
An Ideal Husband, on the other hand, is a newer release (oddly enough also stars Rupert Everett) and it is brilliant. The lines are delivered with perfect timing, all the better to appreciate Wilde’s wit. Here is a link to that one:
http://www.amazon.com/Ideal-Husband-Rupert-Everett/dp/6305692696/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1276530928&sr=1-1
You are quite right in that Gaiman has more than one niche. He has books published for children, young adults, teens, and adults. He has had a huge impact on comics with Sandman. His books cover mythology, folklore, fantasy, fairy tale, horror, and (in a few short stories at least, sci fi).
I’ve made that same error with other authors. Bram Stoker is a favorite because of Dracula and it wasn’t until I stumbled across another novel of his at a bookstore about 10 years ago that I ever bothered to try any of his other stuff.
Same with Gaston Lereoux. I knew he wrote Phantom of the Opera, but it took much longer to discover he wrote some great mysteries: The Mystery of the Yellow Room and The Perfume of the Lady in Black, both starring the same main character.
I do want to read more Wilde sometime. I know I haven’t read Lady Windermere’s fan or Picture of Dorian Gray, although I had read some of that awhile back. I believe I’ve read A Woman of No Importance as well, but I don’t remember anything about it other than it being in the collection that I read the other two in.
Well here’s a fascinating post, who doesn’t like lists of books? This feels like walking through a pine forest and having someone tell me I can pick a few pine cones out of the vastness around me. Here’s what I’m pretty sure I’ll be reading during the next 2-3 months:
The Pillars of Earth by Ken Follett (novel about the building of a cathedral in 12th Century England)
The Van Rijn Method by Poul Anderson (short story collection plus 1 novel)
Relic by Preston and Child (novel)
The Spider versus the Empire State by Norvell Page – 3 novel trilogy, Nazi/police state allegory
The Philosophical Corps by E.B. Cole (SF short stories)
The Curious Cases of Cyriack Skinner Grey by Arthur Porges (short story collection)
Locked Rooms by Laurie King (mystery novel)
something by James Lee Burke (either a novel or short story collection)
Take A Murder, Darling by Richard Prather (a Shell Scott novel)
South of Sulu by George F. Worts
Orange County Noir edited by Gary Phillips (short story collection)
There you have it for now, eleven books, and there will undoubtedly be other things that slip in or bump some of these, but these are what seem to have percolated to the top of the TBR for now (the Follett book has been hanging around for a couple of years now, and I think it is time to read it).
Carl, Jeff, I suppose you have already seen this?
http://www.graspingforthewind.com/2010/06/13/video-a-game-of-thrones-teaser-trailer/
Richard: I hadn’t seen the teaser trailer, off to watch it now.
“This feels like walking through a pine forest and having someone tell me I can pick a few pine cones out of the vastness around me” that is exactly the way I feel looking at my own book collection, more so when I factor in local bookstores, the library, and all the books that bloggers write about that make my mouth water.
Ha, that Dune cat is funny. Summer reading list, eh? I hope to finish The Eye of the World soon, as well as Donald Miller’s revised Searching for God Knows What. Then I’ll probably dive into the next Star Wars Legacy of the Force book, Backlash, or the short-story anthology edited by Neil Gaiman Stories. I do have a little stack of graphic novels to read, too. And One Hundred Years of Solitude is on the soon-to-be-read list.
I think I should stop. I could just go on and on.
Great post today.
Thanks Logan. I put my name on the holds list in my library system for the Stories book edited by Gaiman. It shows that they are purchasing several copies. There is another anthology coming out July 6th called Gateways that has a Gaiman story in it. It is an anthology that pays homage to the works of Frederik Pohl. Has a good contributor list.
Yeah, I didn’t want to buy Stories, so I submitted the request to the library for purchase. Thankfully they decided yes and now I’m first on the list for whenever it comes in, which should be soon. I haven’t heard of the Gateways collection.
That is a fantastic list and is inspiring me to make my own list! Will post when I do. The Han Solo book is cracking me up but I have to say I’d be tempted to read it if I owned it!!
By the way, I am reading Ghost In Love and am not loving it.
Daphne: All three Han Solo books by Daley are a lot of fun. They are all set in a time before the events of Star Wars and are just nice buddy stories, with Han and Chewie getting themselves into and out of the kind of scrapes you would expect to lovable rogue smugglers to get into.
Sorry you aren’t enjoying Ghosts in Love. I was ultimately disappointed with the way the story played itself out, though I am hard pressed to remember why now. Need to go back and read my review to see if it jogs a memory.
Looking forward to seeing your list.
I have an add, just came in the mail: RETRIBUTION FALLS by Chris Wooding. This SF novel has gotten starred reviews and tons of praise, and has been billed as “rip-roaring space-pirate adventure”. If that doesn’t sound like summer reading, I don’t know what does.
It does indeed.
Ahhhhhhh, summer reading. Alas, I have no list. I don’t ever have a list. Maybe a book or two I have my eye on, but that is the extend of list making for reading (though I make lists for EVERYTHING else in my life). I do have fond memories of the summer reading club at the library. I couldn’t wait for school to be out to take my three readers to the library and pick up the card with the rules and instructions for summer reading. They would read a book and we would head back to the library to get the page stamped by the librarian. Such excitement when the full card was stamped and an ice cream cone or a ticket to the zoo was earned! Out of those three, only one is a big reader today. Sigh. Maybe the other two will get it someday.
You’ve a delightful and varied list, Carl. That’s a lot of books for two months! I have reserved at the library Shoot to Thrill by P.J. Tracy (great series set in Minnesota – check it out), and The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith. There you go, that’s almost a list!
Happy summer, happy reading. 🙂
Wow!! So many fantastic things on that list!! I had no idea there was a new Stainless Steel Rat book coming out! You must be thrilled 😉 The A.A. Milne book sounds too cool for words…I’ve gotta add that one onto the wishlist. The other one that I truly want to read is Light Boxes…Darren reviewed it the other day and it sounds fantastic. I started Juliet, Naked not long ago and had to return it to the library. I was so upset because it was really good! Definitely plan on returning to it.
Man…when I was a kid I used to love summer reading programs so much! I remember getting so excited going to the library once a week with my aunt and picking out all of my books. I don’t think you can ever recapture that wonderful feeling of being a child in a library.
Chris: I’m so glad they still do the reading clubs today. At least that hasn’t changed much since I was a kid.
I just got notification that Juliet, Naked is at the library for me to pick up. Look forward to reading it. Hope you can get back to it soon.
I just stumbled across Light Boxes in the bookstore the other day and knew it was one I wanted to read. Hopefully the libraries copies will come in soon.
Qugrainne: two is a list in my book. 🙂 One reader out of three probably isn’t bad. We only had one and she isn’t a reader. Hopefully that is just a recessive gene that she’ll pass on to her kids. I’m sure my wife will be reading the McCall Smith book, as well as the Laurie King book that Richard mentioned earlier.
I’m an heading out on vacation next week and am thinking about grabing a copy of Justin Cronin’s The Passage, which I hear is really good (and at over 700 pages should keep me reading quite a bit)!
Mish: you said, “More like Gaiman has niches, writing for all ages and tastes.” Yes true…I guess what I meant by niche is that it seems that most of his works is well received AND honestly, I was thinking about his horror niche most specifically. I have not read much of Gaiman, but the little that I have…I really like.
Carl: I was truly stunned with Coraline, it is a horror book for kids, for sure. This is a great niche for those horror lovin reading kids such as my 12-year old daughter. My 10-year old read this book with me, and um…when I was 10 there would have been noooo waaaay that I could have made it through this one. Yeah, I am not a horror fan…I scare to readily especially when living in a home with a full basement of scariness. LOL
I like reading the comments on your posts, such great comments you receive.
By the way, I thought your list of 22 books was impressive, to say the least. AND I thought, there was no way i would have that many on my list that I would seriously think I could read or attempt. Well, the laugh is on me, I counted my list (which was already made up on index cards and listed under the months that I think I could accomplish the read…yeah, I am a bit nutty in this regard…always making book lists and scheduling them…crazy) Anyway…I counted 24 books with 2 additional book looming around just wanting me to plug them in. Haha… that was a shocker to me that I had that many. Fun times…
ibeeg: I agree. There are many kids who not only can handle this kind of book but want that delicious experience of reading something that is scary that doesn’t resort to adult horror topics to do it.
Ha! Glad your list is as long as mine. It is an ambitious list for two reasons, one because I know I won’t read all of these. There will be replacements that just come as a natural part of where reading takes me. And two, it might be too much to think I can get through this many books despite how prolific my reading has been this year. The Martin books, for one thing, are like reading 4 of the normal size books that I read! And summer brings its own set of good distractions that sometimes take away from reading time. Like you said, “fun times”.
Stephanie: Yes, keep you busy and give you a good workout. I feel like I’m exercising just trying to hold up George R.R. Martin’s paperbacks when I am reading them. I cannot imagine if I was trying to read these in hardback. 🙂 Have a wonderful vacation.
I’m not that great at seasonal reading (except when I go on holiday) but your list looks great. Some interesting titles there!
Sakura: The list is a little bit all over the place, but that is pretty much what summer feels like to me. I personally don’t feel as on task during the summer as I do during other seasons. Feels more like a free for all. Which is okay, and fun.
Yes Carl, I agree and feel the same for my list in that it is ambitious and also… “There will be replacements that just come as a natural part of where reading takes me”…this happens to me frequently. I have book four of the Martin series on my list as well as a couple other chunkster type reads…that plays into effect as to how much I will read on my list overall.
I am going to post my Summer Reading List this afternoon.
Ooooh, as Chris mentioned, I’ve just read Light Boxes myself, and it’s really good! I think you’ll love it. 🙂
Although, I’m more jealous of your copy of Neverwhere!
Darren: I hope so, that cover has my expectations pretty high! 🙂
As for Neverwhere, if it weren’t for being on a budget for a year that allowed for savings for stuff like that, it never would have happened. I feel pretty lucky about the timing, to be honest with you.
Ibeeg: I saw your review of Storm of Swords and of course skipped right over it. I will be checking it out once I get that far. I’m wondering whether or not I’ll feel so compelled to keep reading Martin that I’ll get to Feast during the summer or if I’ll end up slotting other things in. I figure I’ll definitely be doing that, but not sure how much. My chunkster issues still hasn’t went away with my newfound love of Martin’s world, but darn it if it isn’t hard to put down once you get started. I’m still in that “just one more chapter” mode.
Posted my link on Mr. Linky to my Summer Reading List.
Don’t Know why, but MR. Linky decided to keep the last book’s title that I used with him. :/
Mr. Linky always autofills with the last thing you typed in it, regardless of where you added it, so you’ve sometimes got to go out of your way to change it. It is annoying. 🙂
Carl, what a fantastic list! I don’t really have a list for the summer, but I tend to gravitate to SF during the summer months. I will be re-reading Dune this summer. In fact, I will be starting it just as soon as I finish my current read. Dune Cat! (yes, I am lol right now; glad you included it) My husband will be reading Ares Express this summer (he really liked the cover). OK, pardon me for screeching, but … HARRY HARRISON HAS A NEW BOOK COMING OUT IN AUGUST??? That is so awesome. Not sure how I missed that news. Happy reading!
Terri B.: Did your husband already read Desolation Road? If not, I believe this is a sequel of sorts. And Desolation Road was very good too! The covers of both, by Stephen Martiniere, are some of his best work yet. I’m looking forward to finally getting to Dune. I may host some kind of Dune group read since I am not the only one who has made a commitment to get to it this year. And yes, HH is doing it again. I just hope he can recapture the old magic.
I see so many in your pile I want to read as well! I haven’t done anything so formal as to create an official summer list, but I did join the Summer Reading Program at our local library. The one that always has some corny theme, that if someone didn’t love reading in the first place they’d be too embarrassed to join…you can tell I have no love lost for our local library. Anyway, I will join you in Stationmaster and The Clash of Kings for sure!
Bellezza: I think it is so funny that you and Chris also got Stationmaster. I hadn’t heard of it and Jeff pointed it out to me at our local comic shop, of all places, because the distributor offered them a really good deal. I got it for a fantastic price. Looks very interesting.
Sorry you don’t have a lot of love for your local library. I’m really happy with the two branches here in Blue Springs (out of the many all throughout the area). Not sure what their summer reading theme is, but I imagine it is geared much towards the kiddos anyway.
The library here only has Summer Reading Programs for children, nothing for adults. They seem to think the library is for kids, teens, community meetings and computer access. It’s a new library and it’s a cold, sterile environment. Not a large collection, though inter-loan helps. A local bookstore had a good reading group, but it shut down two years ago (the book store, AND the group). So my reading group is, as they say, me, myself and I. Nice thing about that is the group always agrees on the next book!
Richard: It makes sense, I guess, on some levels that they gear programming for kids as they are certainly trying to perpetuate their user base, but I find that more often than not my library has many people in it and the adults outnumber kids and teens at least 3 to 1, if not more. Even the computers are often filled with more adults than anything else.
Lets not get started on the demise of local bookstores. That is one depressing subject, to be sure.
ibeeg: Gaiman does well at horror. A couple shorts I’ve read were very Poe-esque. I would have really enjoyed him stuff in my youth, but better now than never. Glad you’re liking his stuff so far.
Carl: Thanks for the links. Sometimes it’s just hard to compete with old flicks. I read Phantom years ago, but would like to get to Leroux’s other books. Thanks for reminding me. Wilde’s Dorian Gray is a “must” read. The preview for GRRM kinda makes me wish I had HBO. I know, books are better, but it would be fun to see.
Since we’re on the topic of Coraline and horror, there was a good radio interview with Gaiman I saved. If you’re interested, it can be heard at http://www.divshare.com/download/11718569-334 or my transcription read at http://stageandcanvas.wordpress.com/2009/04/08/gaiman-and-fairy-tales/. For the podcast, just jump forward 15 minutes.
Correction, podcast here: http://www.divshare.com/download/11718634-786
Mish: I wish I had HBO as well. May have to make some arrangements with friends for those 10 episodes. Thanks for the Gaiman interview link. I will definitely check it out.
Since schools have already been out for about a month and we been having such unseasonably hot weather(even for Tennessee) it’s hard to believe summer hasn’t officially started yet. Despite all the years I’ve been out of school I still have a mindset that summer=fun books so I have a lot of sci-fi/fantasy and romance lined up.
Sam: I know what you are talking about. It doesn’t seem like we had much of a spring at all, weather-wise. It got humid awful fast here and we’ve had some very hot days on top of it. And summer should definitely be about fun books, I agree.
Mish: Yeah, I wish I had HBO specifically for GoT, the preview makes it look good. I hope it is. The good thing is that it seems that HBO series come out on DVD….hoping for that.
It was interesting to read Gaiman’s thoughts on horror, how children respond vs adults. I liked best the notion that “What is important is to tell them that the bad thing can be beaten.” I don’t think I ever got that idea when I was kid. I think my children do get it…good for them. 🙂
Libraries in general: Interesting to read the comments regarding libraries. I don’t like my local library much, mostly for the atmosphere. I feel policed there. There is another library, further from my home, that I do like. Still though, browsing in a library is not my thing, what I like best about libraries these days is their online catelog. It is way cool that I could look a book up, place a hold, go to the library, pick it up, check out and be gone. I use Amazon, and book blogs a whole lot to get an idea of which books that I would like to borrow. A big problem currently, state funding has shut down a whole bunch and the inter-library loan system was effected big time. On the grand scheme of things, I’d rather this be affected than a special needs program but still…it sucks. I use that system a whole bunch. Not certain what I will exactly do…drive to certain libraries would be fine but not always doable. Hmmm…I am suppose to be cutting down on book buying.
As far as library programs go, again…my local one sucks but the one further away has some great programs for both kids and adults alike. I wish I held a card there. The difference is the socio-economic area. I live in area that has more section-8 and what not…not a bad area perse but it still is lower on the tax revenue end.
As far as the specific children programs though…the silly little rewards are a bit worthless for my children. What is best is my own made-up system. Although, the older girls do not need it, most especially my avid 10-year old book reader. I noticed that when I picked up on my own reading that my children did as well. Something to be said about that vs rewards from libraries. I think.
So sorry to hear about the effects on the inter library loan program. I use that quite a bit myself. Libraries are definitely one of the things hard hit by the economy, which makes it worse if the library system was not a good one to start with. I certainly feel blessed by ours here.
As you can see from the ping above, I just did my summer reading post. The list is almost the same as the one I put in my comment way above, but one of those books I finished last night, Poul Anderson’s The Van Rijn Method.
Great, I’ll be over to check it out.
ibeeg: There were some really good points made. With a lot of adults thinking fairy tales are for children, I really liked his reminder that they are important for adults too.
I always think that adults who think fairy tales are just for kids haven’t been exposed to the right books. I then recommend Stardust by Gaiman, The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter, and The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke.
Basically my thought too. I would suggest the Iron Dragon’s Daughter by Michael Swanwick, the original Grimm stories, and Arabian Nights.
I still need to read Stardust. I’ve heard some good things about Carter.
Good choices. I think you’d enjoy Stardust if you enjoy fairy tales written for adults. Admittedly Stardust is probably at a teen to adult level, but still. I’ve only read the Bloody Chamber collection, but it was great.
You’re talking to one whose read the Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish and wants to read Coraline. 🙂
Coraline is great. I like Graveyard Book better, but they are both great books, as is Goldfish.
Here in Nashville, they have a summer reading program for kids, one for teens, and one for adults. The prizes for the adult one are things i don’t need (rain barrel, water bill vouchers)as i live in an apartment or don’t want (tour of the water treatment plant). There’s a water theme, decided upon before the massive flood!
Those adult prizes sound great!!! I’m sure if you won you could always find someone in your town who could put the prize to good use.
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