Booking through Thursday is a weekly book related meme where each blogger answers the same question.

This week’s question: Which do you prefer? Lurid, fruity prose, awash in imagery and sensuous textures and colors? Or straight-forward, clean, simple prose?

Hmmm. This is a tough one for me… I think I will be ambiguous and say both! I love when a novel makes you feel like you are right in the story, seeing, feeling and touching everything the characters experience. That is a wonderful way to read. On the other hand, I like straightforward prose as well. I think Cormac McCarthy’s work is an example of this type of writing. And although he doesn’t ‘gush’, his simple words can still transform me to another place and time. I like great literature, whatever the style. If the characters are real, the writing can be as simple or as flowery as needed, and still maintain a great story.

How do you feel about this question?

Booking through Thursday is a weekly book related meme where each blogger answers the same question.

This week’s question: In honor of National Grammar Day … it IS “March Fourth” after all … do you have any grammar books? Punctuation? Writing guidelines? Style books?

How do you feel about grammar in general? Important? Vital? Unnecessary? Fussy?

I do have an MLA style guide and use the internet for guidelines as well. I try to be very picky about grammar and punctuation – especially grammar. I could probably use a writing class – on the use of some punctuation elements such as semicolons and colons in sentences – I use them a lot and I’m not always sure to the best results. Although my blog may not show it at times, I think grammar is very important! It has the ability to make a person sound very intelligent and educated, or like someone who hasn’t been schooled in how to speak. My kids are little, and I’m just realizing how difficult it is to teach proper grammar, with past tenses and ownership. Even though my husband and I speak fairly proper English, it doesn’t come naturally to kids!

How do you feel about this subject? Leave a comment below.

Booking through Thursday is a weekly book related meme where each blogger answers the same question.

This week’s question: I’ve seen this quotation in several places lately. It’s from Sven Birkerts’ ‘The Gutenberg Elegies: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age’:

To what extent does this describe you?

Wow. This is a powerful quote! If I’m understanding it correctly, it is commenting on the fact that to read is an escape – for good or bad. This completely describes my reading! My couple of hours of reading a night are my solace, my coming together at the end of the day. Where during the day, I am worrying about the past and future, my reading time allows me to be in whatever moment the story allows. I am content to just be – a perfect time to relax. In terms of ‘casting a vote’, I agree that this is also true of me. I am truly picky about what I read and each choice of a new book is usually a contemplative task for me.

What are your thoughts on this quote?

Booking through Thursday is a weekly book related meme where each blogger answers the same question.

This week’s question:
You may have noticed–the Winter Olympics are going on. Is that affecting your reading time? Have you read any Olympics-themed books? What do you think about the Olympics in general? Here’s your chance to discuss!

(And for the record? My favorite Olympics book is Joy Goodwin’s The Second Mark which tells the story of the three figure skating pairs involved in the 2002 Salt Lake City controversy. The controversy is actually the smallest part of the story–the fascinating part is learning about the training of the three teams–Canadian, Russian, and Chinese. Just saying. And yes, I AM watching the Olympics on tv each night.)

We have been watching the Olympics every night – from the complete opening ceremonies to Shaun White’s McSpectacular move last night. Wow. It’s a lot of t.v. for me. But, I think it’s fun to do something out of the ordinary for a small amount of time. And the Winter Olympics only come by every four years! Also, my oldest little boy is five and I think it’s fun to teach him about all the different sports, the world coming together and how fun it is to cheer for Apollo!

So, yes! My reading time has been greatly diminished. I think they should start them a little earlier each night. Ours don’t start until 7pm (MST), and I know if you are in the Pacific Time Zone, it doesn’t start till 8pm. Too late! I have to read a little before bed each night, no matter what time I go to bed. So, this is all making me tired! But, for two weeks, I’ll be a brave, courageous Olympics watcher!

Booking through Thursday is a weekly book related meme where each blogger answers the same question.

This week’s question:
“How can you encourage a non-reading child to read? What about a teen-ager? Would you require books to be read in the hopes that they would enjoy them once they got into them, or offer incentives, or just suggest interesting books? If you do offer incentives and suggestions and that doesn’t work, would you then require a certain amount of reading? At what point do you just accept that your child is a non-reader?

In the book Gifted Hands by brilliant surgeon Ben Carson, one of the things that turned his life around was his mother’s requirement that he and his brother read books and write book reports for her. That approach worked with him, but I have been afraid to try it. My children don’t need to “turn their lives around,” but they would gain so much from reading and I think they would enjoy it so much if they would just stop telling themselves, “I just don’t like to read.”

I have so many thoughts on this subject! Here are my ideas:

What are you thoughts on getting a child to become a reader?

Booking through Thursday is a weekly book related meme where each blogger answers the same question.

This week’s question:
The northern hemisphere, at least, is socked in by winter right now… So, on a cold, wintry day, when you want nothing more than to curl up with a good book on the couch … what kind of reading do you want to do?

I have been craving to read something by Agatha Christie and Stephen King. So, my answer (at least right now!) would be a mystery/thriller. To me, being all cozy with a cup of tea, a fire, a blanket, my 2 huge dogs and 2 little kitties, and the great escape of a book you can’t put down is what winter is all about!

What do you like to read when it’s cold outside?