To List or Not to List

School is almost out.

Where are the summer reading lists?

Do schools still do that?

Way back when I was in high school I remember going through my list the day after school was out for the summer and rushing out to get the books on the list immediately. Yes, I was one of those students who did their homework on Friday night rather than worry about it all weekend. By the first week or two of summer my list was completed and I was able to move on to read anything my little heart desired, which always caused problems when school began in the fall. After reading all summer, how could I possibly remember all the little details needed to pass the exams on the summer reading list?

I don’t remember my own kids ever coming home with a summer reading list, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I suppose it depends on the student. For someone who wouldn’t read unless they absolutely had to, the list would give them some incentive to do so. How many of these kids and their parents scramble to track down the books and quickly skim through them at the last minute? Summer reading lists may introduce students to new authors and genres that they would never choose on their own. A great way to open minds, but doesn’t this turn reading into a chore?

A perfect example of this occurred in my household this past week. My daughter had to read a book for class and she was struggling with it. She loves to read and has a stack of books almost as tall as she is waiting patiently for her to inhale them, but this was a book she had to read. She put it off until the last minute, skimmed through it quickly and took the required test. No real interest, no real involvement. My son, on the other hand, was excited to be home from college and have the opportunity to read what he chose for a change. He had been looking forward to reading this particular book for months, finished it quickly and discussed it frequently at the dinner table. What is so ironic about this story? Both kids were reading the exact same book! Their attitudes made all the difference.

I am thankful I no longer have to follow a list when deciding what to read this summer.

What about you?
Do you have a summer reading list?
Will you be taking the

Beowulf On the Beach Reading Challenge?
Or will you be reading whatever your heart desires this summer?

It's Going to be a Bright Sunshiny Day

The sun is shining and it looks like another beautiful day. Occasionally I feel like I am missing out by being in the store all day every day. What a feeling it must be to feel the sun warming your winter weary face!

Times like these I tend to spend a few minutes each morning browsing the shelves and making a mental list of what I look forward to reading and deciding what to order for seasonal regulars. I know summer has arrived when these long lost friends return after eight or nine month of travels to exotic places such as college or Arizona.

The college students are bubbling with excitement at the prospect of choosing the first book they have time to read for purely enjoyment in almost a year. Many have lists they have been building since the first week away at school. They choose one or two books on their list, foolishly believing that will last the summer, only to return a couple of days later.

The snowbirds have guided their RVs back to an area that is finally warm enough to welcome them. The stories they tell would be enough to fill the shelves in this bookseller’s mind! Like how they tie a snow shovel to the top of their trailer to decide where to set up camp. "When someone asks what that thing is, we know we are safe!" The excitement of packing up everything they own after retirement to spend their days living in a trailer roughly the size of a tool shed and chasing the sunshine is contagious. They set out to meet new people and visit new places. Which reminds me why I am here. I can do those things from the comfort of this little shop. Given the choice, there is no where else I would rather be.

I'll Have it My Way!

It has been a busy week. So busy in fact that I just couldn’t find the time to replace the Mother’s Day display, which obviously had to go. The solution? Pass the buck!

The assignment: create a display. That’s it, the only request I gave to a part time employee and full time daughter. K took the same approach any teenager would – she pulled all her favorites along with books she has been anxious to read. Looking over her choices, I remarked that the display should have some sort of theme or make sense in some way. Next a sign was added to the display:

Great Books
According to K

Problem solved. But why are they great books (according to K)? Next pass of the display I noticed short reviews highlighting each selection. Some were positive:

Super wonderful fantastic book!

Some were opinionated:

100% better than Twilight (but not as clean)

And others were a little naughty:

Yummy!

Okay, maybe not the type of display I would create, but beggars can’t be choosers. The display has been quite a hit with the local high school students. Why didn’t I think of this sooner? It makes sense that a display created by a teen would be a hit with her classmates. Keeping a display created by area adults, teens and children may be a big draw to others in our community. Who can I pass the buck to next?

How about you?
What would be on your display?
What caption would you add?

Busted

Home alone, curled up on the couch with a cat on either side, the recently closed copy of If I Stay wrapped in my arms, tears streaming down my face; my husband and son walk in the door. “Oh, must have been a sad one,” my husband mocks. “Why would you want to read anything that makes you cry?” asks my son. Why indeed!

After my initial irritation passes, I realize this is a very good question. Many books have brought out strong emotions and it’s not unusual for me to laugh out loud, sleep with the lights on or utter a few choice words to the characters in a book. For the number of books I read, tears don’t actually flow that often. I’m not a cold hearted person, so of course Sarah’s Key and Shelter Me caused a few moments of sadness, but actual tears? This is only the second book that comes to mind which was the root of uncontrolled tears, the first being Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas.

Naturally, after drying my face I set out to make sure every family member, customer, and friend shares the same experience. Do I really find satisfaction in offering this source of sadness? Some appreciate my suggestion, claiming the book was “absolutely wonderful, I cried for hours!” while others are dumbfounded as to why I would suggest “such a depressing book, I cried for hours!”

To get back to my son’s question, why would I want to read anything that makes me cry? I suppose it’s for the same reasons we like roller coasters or horror movies. Sometimes it’s fun to be scared and sometimes you just need a good cry.

How about you?

Have you read anything to bring on the tears or make you want to throw the book across the room?

Do tell!

Hurray, Hurray the first of May . . .

Hurray, Hurray the first of May!

You know what that means don’t you?

That’s right! It is International Buy Indie Day!

The idea is to buy one book – paperback, hardcover, or audio book

at an independent bookstore near you.

Who came up with this brilliant idea?

Bestselling author, Joseph Finder asked every person who loves books to buy one from an independent bookstore on Friday, May 1.

Since then hundreds have flocked to
facebook to RSVP

and to twitter their support

or include the event in their blog

or on their website.

So, where will you be today

and what will you be buying?

The Contest is On!

April is National Poetry Month . To celebrate BayShore Books is hosting Poem in Your Pocket Day on Thursday April 30th. All month long if you stop in the store and vote on who wrote a specific poem you can win a book of poetry.

I am now adding a new twist to this contest and opening it up to all of you loyal blog readers. I know many of you are hidden poets just dying to be discovered. Here is your chance! You have one week to submit a short original poem in the comments section. Please do not include your real name or contact information. After submitting the poem, email me with your poem title, name, and address. Next week you can vote on your favorite poem submitted. The winner will be able to choose one of a select book of poems. This is open to anyone in the US - children, teens and adults.

Good luck!

FREEDOM!

If you have been reading my rants for some time now, you are probably aware of how opinionated I am on certain subjects and how I’m not afraid to speak my mind even when I should probably keep my mouth shut.

You most likely are also aware of how I feel about censorship, so is it any surprise that I have a few things to say about what everyone is talking about? Actually, I don’t. I think Patrick at Vromans has said it all. Opinions?