It's Wednesday, and if you're like my friend Janice, you know that means it's time for more brain exercise!
Don't worry, it's not heavy exercise today. Just a little stretch and warm-up.
The What kind of reader are you? quiz was almost pure fun. And, I'll admit, not terribly insightful. I learned I am a dedicated reader who is "convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more."
Now that you're warmed up, how 'bout a little speed reading? See how you do compared to the 'average' (whatever that is) with ReadingSoft's free online test. If you clock in at 1,000 wpm, let me know; I'll change the headline to Warp Speed Wednesday.
... and they're off!
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URLs, in case the links above don't work for you:
http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_kind_of_reader_are_youhttp://www.gotoquiz.com/what_kind_of_reader_are_you
http://www.readingsoft.com/index.html
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Wiser Wednesday
Wednesday is a great day to work your vocabulary muscles!
Warm up with GetWords.com then see if you're smarter than an 11th-grader by taking the SAT vocabulary challenge and then, if you just haven't gotten your fill of words, consider The Word on Words, a self-published book that received a starred review* from Kirkus review.
*See, they're out there.
Warm up with GetWords.com then see if you're smarter than an 11th-grader by taking the SAT vocabulary challenge and then, if you just haven't gotten your fill of words, consider The Word on Words, a self-published book that received a starred review* from Kirkus review.
*See, they're out there.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Why Social Media is good for reading
JK Rowling finally did it (well, her publisher did) and now that all seven Harry Potter books are on available for e-readers, we can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Not that the books are available, but that because they are, we may finally be free of those silly articles predicting the death of e-readers.
Actually, next to the prediction (made by every generation since Socrates, at least) that civilization is coming to an end thanks to "today's youth," the assertion that reading is dead is probably a close second. I disagree.
Kindles and all manner of screens mean we may be buying and turning fewer paper pages, but we're reading more. What evidence do I have for this crazy idea? My teenager has bought two books, with her own money, to read on her iPhone. If I'm crazy, well, so is the rest of the world.
In fact, I'll prove it by saying this: social media is making better readers of us all.
Admit it; you've probably been tempted to "like," "+1" or otherwise recommend an article by one of those catchy headlines. Then after you click, you (the responsible person who doesn't want to be seen as an indiscriminate button-pushing sharer) will read the whole article. I mean, do you really want to end up in a discussion with someone quizzing you on your opinion about something in the bottom paragraph if you haven't read the article? Uh-huh. That's what I thought - a little online repartee can convince you to go back and read the ones you really just skimmed, and shared, too hastily.
And then there are books, those dinosaurs we carry (yet and still!) to read on beach vacations and in doctors' offices. How many online reading circles are out there? A lot more than there were 20 years ago, and thanks to the peer pressure applied by fellow Facebook users eager to weigh in with opinions to impress their friends (you saw The Hunger Games before you read it? OMG!) I bet that you've purchased or checked a book out of your library just because of the buzz it got from someone's Tweets or Pinterest boards. See? Peer pressure isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Of course, if you think I'm wrong, be sure to tell me. Just know this: I dare you to share this until you've read the whole thing.
_________________________________________
From Mary Ruefle, in Someone Reading a Book Is a Sign of Order in the World, comes this excellent explanation of why reading will never be passe:
Actually, next to the prediction (made by every generation since Socrates, at least) that civilization is coming to an end thanks to "today's youth," the assertion that reading is dead is probably a close second. I disagree.
Kindles and all manner of screens mean we may be buying and turning fewer paper pages, but we're reading more. What evidence do I have for this crazy idea? My teenager has bought two books, with her own money, to read on her iPhone. If I'm crazy, well, so is the rest of the world.
In fact, I'll prove it by saying this: social media is making better readers of us all.
Admit it; you've probably been tempted to "like," "+1" or otherwise recommend an article by one of those catchy headlines. Then after you click, you (the responsible person who doesn't want to be seen as an indiscriminate button-pushing sharer) will read the whole article. I mean, do you really want to end up in a discussion with someone quizzing you on your opinion about something in the bottom paragraph if you haven't read the article? Uh-huh. That's what I thought - a little online repartee can convince you to go back and read the ones you really just skimmed, and shared, too hastily.
And then there are books, those dinosaurs we carry (yet and still!) to read on beach vacations and in doctors' offices. How many online reading circles are out there? A lot more than there were 20 years ago, and thanks to the peer pressure applied by fellow Facebook users eager to weigh in with opinions to impress their friends (you saw The Hunger Games before you read it? OMG!) I bet that you've purchased or checked a book out of your library just because of the buzz it got from someone's Tweets or Pinterest boards. See? Peer pressure isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Of course, if you think I'm wrong, be sure to tell me. Just know this: I dare you to share this until you've read the whole thing.
_________________________________________
From Mary Ruefle, in Someone Reading a Book Is a Sign of Order in the World, comes this excellent explanation of why reading will never be passe:
Reading...is a great extension of time, a way for one person to live a thousand and one lives in a single lifespan.Read on, my friends!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Wiser Wednesday
If you enjoyed my Matriculate Monday series, you might like this, too:
Definition a Day quiz from Vocabula.com
___________________
Link not working? Here:
http://www.vocabula.com/quiz/showDOTD.aspx
Definition a Day quiz from Vocabula.com
___________________
Link not working? Here:
http://www.vocabula.com/quiz/showDOTD.aspx
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Poets.org Unsnobs Verse
 | |
| The Academy of American Poets was founded in 1934. |
With a mission "to support American poets...and to foster the appreciation of contemporary poetry," it sounds just a tad stuffy, don't you think? Well, it's not.
Turns out these wordsmiths foster appreciation in some very accessible ways. Mobile poetry reader, anyone? (It allows you to "Woo or woe, on the go.")
The site has oodles of references for educators (hello, substitute teachers, bookmark this: http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/6) and other folks, including those (like me) who can't always tell their ee cummings from their Robert Frosts and those who'll admit (as I do) they've never read Shakespeare outside of a classroom. Poetry 101 is a lively, not-at-all disdainful or sarcastic section where I could learn a lot. But for today, at least, I'm going to browse the more bourgeois Poems for Every Occasion pages, complete with emoticons and links to the poets' Twitter and Facebook pages. #don'tjudgeme :D
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psssst - April is also National School Library Month. Hey I know, you could celebrate by donating a poetry book to your local school library. Bet Poets.org could recommend a few good books ...
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Back to Scary School
Scary School has given me a lot of food for thought. As a reading mom, I was reminded once again that I'm not very good at judging how my kids will respond to some titles. My eight-year-old absolutely loved Scary School, even though I'd have given it a lukewarm review. After we finished reading it together, he gave it that great compliment: "Can we read it again?" Well, I said no. (I'll never win mother of the year!) So... he read it himself. But first, he insisted on taking the online quiz to access the hidden chapter. You're getting the idea, right? Scary School is not only capable of captivating kids with a story perhaps best described as slapstick comedy a la Scooby-Doo and the Vampires meets The Munsters, it also spurs them to read independently, above grade level. I should mention that the book's packed with characters, too - keeping track of all of them helps improve memory skills. (Did I mention I'm not up for mother of the year? Look, I wanted to read something else, ok?!)
As a writer and reviewer, I learned something about book marketing and took in one more lesson about perseverance. Read the guest blog entry from author Derek Kent - aka Derek the Ghost - to find out what it took to bring Scary School to life.
The bottom line: I highly recommend Scary School, particularly for boys. Got a middle grade reluctant reader? This would probably make an excellent choice for him - or her.
As a writer and reviewer, I learned something about book marketing and took in one more lesson about perseverance. Read the guest blog entry from author Derek Kent - aka Derek the Ghost - to find out what it took to bring Scary School to life.
The bottom line: I highly recommend Scary School, particularly for boys. Got a middle grade reluctant reader? This would probably make an excellent choice for him - or her.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Thoughts on "the curse" of self-published books
Kirkus Reviews has long offered self-published authors the chance to have their works reviewed by the very well-respected publication. A few even receive stars. Here's what you, dear reader, need to know: self-published authors pay a reasonable fee of several hundred dollars to get those reviews, and no, they can't buy a good one.
Kirkus clearly identifies those reviews as "Indie" works, and with a few clicks, curious readers can find out that the reviewed works weren't selected by Kirkus editorial personnel, they were submitted, with payment, in order to obtain those reviews.
Kirkus has a pretty demanding list of qualifications for its reviewers - for all of its reviewers, "even" the indie reviewers - and it aims to enlist critics who take seriously the works of the authors, regardless of how those works are published.
I happen to know a number of self-published authors. One even got a starred review from Kirkus (yay, Charlie!). I also review a fair number of self-published works - but not all - because, well, you know what the bumper sticker says, right? "So many books...so little time."
Look, it's about time we realized - we, meaning readers and writers - that there's room in the publishing world for many different business models. I've read some dogs published by THE GREAT, BIG PUBLISHING HOUSES and I've enjoyed some high quality works from self-published authors.
Regardless of how the book comes to print, the good ones have some things in common. Like cohesiveness. Evidence a deft editing job has been done. Few if any typos. The only illustrations they include add something to the book (other than just another page).
Why bring this up?
I recently responded to an author who was clearly upset by my review of her second book. Her comments included several personal insults as well as the opinion that I viewed her book as sub-par simply because it was self published. She deemed it "the curse of self-publishing." I heartily disagreed.
Authors can wait forever - literally - for a response from publishing houses. It's a terribly frustrating business and yet another example of how life just ain't fair. Oodles and oodles of books (at least) never make it to print. Oodles and oodles of good ones do - many because their authors quit waiting and published those books on their own.
Look, I can't take on the failings of the publishing industry and the shortcomings and misconceptions of self-publishing in a single blog post, or a hundred. Obviously, the industry has changed dramatically in recent years. So I'll sum it up thusly:
Readers, don't judge a book by its cover or publisher.
Writers, don't publish your work until it's really, really ready. And when you publish too soon, or without the help of an editor, don't take it out on the reviewer. She's just doing her job.
_______________________
Want to recommend an excellent editing service? Got a self-published title that deserves some praise? What R U Reading? welcomes your comments and reader reviews.
Kirkus clearly identifies those reviews as "Indie" works, and with a few clicks, curious readers can find out that the reviewed works weren't selected by Kirkus editorial personnel, they were submitted, with payment, in order to obtain those reviews.
Kirkus has a pretty demanding list of qualifications for its reviewers - for all of its reviewers, "even" the indie reviewers - and it aims to enlist critics who take seriously the works of the authors, regardless of how those works are published.
I happen to know a number of self-published authors. One even got a starred review from Kirkus (yay, Charlie!). I also review a fair number of self-published works - but not all - because, well, you know what the bumper sticker says, right? "So many books...so little time."
Look, it's about time we realized - we, meaning readers and writers - that there's room in the publishing world for many different business models. I've read some dogs published by THE GREAT, BIG PUBLISHING HOUSES and I've enjoyed some high quality works from self-published authors.
Regardless of how the book comes to print, the good ones have some things in common. Like cohesiveness. Evidence a deft editing job has been done. Few if any typos. The only illustrations they include add something to the book (other than just another page).
Why bring this up?
I recently responded to an author who was clearly upset by my review of her second book. Her comments included several personal insults as well as the opinion that I viewed her book as sub-par simply because it was self published. She deemed it "the curse of self-publishing." I heartily disagreed.
Authors can wait forever - literally - for a response from publishing houses. It's a terribly frustrating business and yet another example of how life just ain't fair. Oodles and oodles of books (at least) never make it to print. Oodles and oodles of good ones do - many because their authors quit waiting and published those books on their own.
Look, I can't take on the failings of the publishing industry and the shortcomings and misconceptions of self-publishing in a single blog post, or a hundred. Obviously, the industry has changed dramatically in recent years. So I'll sum it up thusly:
Readers, don't judge a book by its cover or publisher.
Writers, don't publish your work until it's really, really ready. And when you publish too soon, or without the help of an editor, don't take it out on the reviewer. She's just doing her job.
_______________________
Want to recommend an excellent editing service? Got a self-published title that deserves some praise? What R U Reading? welcomes your comments and reader reviews.
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