Banned Books Week

It’s Banned Books Week!

I didn’t realize that until the week had already begun. As I’m in the middle of a million books right now (see Shelfari widget), I’m not going to start reading another until I finish something! Continue reading »

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

I knew that Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert was about an adulterous woman. But for some reason, I assumed that the title character was a despicable, ugly, tricky middle-aged woman. “Madame” makes one sound old. Besides, when I was young, my mother had a copy of Madame Bovary; it must have been an old copy of the book, and I remember an unattractive woman on the cover (a cover like this one). Just a dim memory of that cover never made the novel, and the character, seem appealing.

To my surprise, when I met Madame Bovary between the pages of Flaubert’s novel, I found that she was very young, beautiful, and skinny, and mostly known by her first name, Emma. Beyond that, the writing in this novel was full of beauty. Continue reading »

Quote from Flaubert: Pleasures of Reading

“And indeed, what is better than to sit by one’s fireside in the evening with a book, while the wind beats against the window and the lamp is burning?” …”One thinks of nothing,” he continued; “the hours slip by. Motionless we traverse countries we fancy we see, and your thought, blending with the fiction, playing with the details, follows the outline of the adventures. It mingles with the characters, and it seems as if it were yourself palpitating beneath their costumes.”

Monsieur Leon, in Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, Part II, Chapter 2

(I’m almost done with Madame Bovary … and I’m loving it! Review to come soon!)

Where do you enjoy reading?

What Are Banned Books? (Do I Favor Book Banning?)

A recent blogging discussion has prompted me to ask the question: What is book banning? I’ve never thought it right to ban a book, but since I’ve recently been accused of doing just that, I thought I’d ask all of you what you think. Do I actually favor book banning? I’m stumped here. Continue reading »

Harry Potter Giveaway Winner

There were 37 comments on the post, 36 of which were entered into the contest. I assigned everyone a number (in the order you commented, excluding the person who didn’t want to be entered.) Using a random number generator, the winner is….. Continue reading »

The End of Publishing?

Chris at book-a-rama brought a most interesting article to my attention.

“The End: Have We Reached The End of Book Publishing As We Know It?” is a fascinating look at the publishing industry and struggles it is facing. While I don’t think publishing is going to ever end,  I thought the article had some great insights into book publishing. This article reminded me of some things I’ve been thinking about recently; that is, why do we read what we read? Continue reading »

Stories by O. Henry (and Another BBAW Giveaway)

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After reading, in the past months, the short stories of Turgenev, Chekhov, Maupassant, James Joyce, and Hemingway, I found O. Henry‘s stories to be remarkably different. They were refreshingly delightful, poignant, and easy to read, and yet, I was struck by the inferiority of O. Henry’s actual writing in comparison to the others. In the end, though, I think everyone should read some of O. Henry’s stories: they are enjoyable. Continue reading »

“Used” Books Giveaways Poll

I’m new to blogging giveaways. I have some books that I was going to mooch via Bookmooch but I then I thought I’d give them away on Rebecca Reads! (Bookmooch doesn’t seem to have any of the books I want anyway.)

However, when I mentioned this to my husband, he thought that was a strange idea. After all, these are used books. Some of them are Dover Thrift Editions (brand new and in great shape but very generic and ugly) and some of them are older. But, some are hardcover. (See my Deathly Hallows giveaway.)

Do you, as readers, care about a “thrifty” binding? Do you care how “used” a book is? I know, I prefer a nice hardback myself, but….

I’ll take a survey so you can be anonymous if you want. Only one choice, because I want to know your first preference or expectation when you join a blog giveaway. Feel free to make an anonymous comment, too. (I will delete spam.) Continue reading »

Stories by Ernest Hemingway

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Hemingway’s stories are poetry: that is my first and lasting impression of Ernest Hemingway’s short stories. In his short stories, Hemingway treats words as sparsely as do poets.

I don’t usually understand or enjoy poetry because it feels so much must be inferred or interpreted. (After I finish reading the HTR&W short stories, I’m reading a number of poets for my HTR&W personal challenge. I’m a bit nervous.) While reading Ernest Hemingway’s stories, I likewise felt the need to infer and interpret beyond my comfort zone: I didn’t “get” them and I certainly didn’t enjoy reading the few stories I read. While I’ve only read a dozen of Ernest Hemingway’s short stories, I’m finished.

That, however, doesn’t mean you should avoid Hemingway’s stories: they may resonate with you, and you may love his writing style. He does a magnificent job of capturing a scene through dialog. Hemingway is worth reading. Continue reading »

Book Blogs Rebecca Reads and Appreciates

Book Blogger Appreciation Week is underway! Today we’re asked what blogs weren’t nominated that should have been. I’m only a new book blogger myself, so I know I miss a lot of great blogs. All of those that I’m subscribed to are in my far right sidebar. (I hope I haven’t missed any? It’s been a few weeks since I’ve updated it, and I don’t have time right now to do so.)

Here are some book bloggers that I really think should be recognized: I always appreciate what they have to say. Continue reading »