I long to take a book lover’s journey around the world. But a very specific one. I guess we could call it a Reader’s Rove, because I want to visit all the marvelous places in the world that celebrate reading and libraries.
Picture it in your mind: the perfect summer day. Your children play quietly in the pool at your feet, glistening with aqua blue as the sun reflects off the water. Shadows of little waves dance across your face. In your hand is a cold beverage, sweating against your palm. You smell sunscreen touched with coconut, a hot dog sizzling on a grill somewhere, and the sharp hint of chlorine. With a smile, you reach down into your brightly-hued beach bag and pull out…
There is a great Stephen King quotes that reads, “If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write.” It’s one of my favorite quotes to haul out when I’m talking to new writers because it contains so much truth: if you are wanting to write a book, then you need to be reading books. This statement is often met with enthusiastic head nods and more than a few sighs. I get it – who has time to read when writing a book on the side? We barely have enough time in this insanely oversaturated world for our own thoughts, let alone the time to read and write.
I often find myself asking, “How can I read more books?” Since starting work in libraries, my reading list has become a behemoth, overgrown with amazing content. The reality is that there will never be enough time for any of us to sit down and leisurely take in all of this fantastic material, especially if we continually wait for that perfect reading moment – that lazy weekend afternoon with nothing to do. A cup of coffee, a sun-drenched couch and hours of uninterrupted reading time. Sounds nice, right? But when does that ever happen?
It’s that time of year again – back-to-school time. And for many parents it’s a time to start thinking of all the various schooling options available, including homeschooling.
In recent weeks, I have personally spoken to some of you brave souls who have decided to embark on this adventure of becoming both caregiver and teacher. As a homeschooling veteran (yes, I took two children from first grade to graduation day), I love to field questions, offer advice and most of all be a source of encouragement to new homeschoolers.
Recently, I had the opportunity to facilitate book club here at Anythink Wright Farms where we discussed Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen.
Summer is just around the corner and the kids are almost out of school, which can only mean one thing – road trip time! As a child I can remember my parents loading up the car to the gills and stuffing me and my two brothers in the back seat before setting off for another far corner of the country. After gorging on road trip snacks and wondering why Colorado seems to be so far from everywhere I would eventually get so bored that I would break down and read a book. These days I can’t wait to plan a road trip just so I can have uninterrupted reading time (besides the whole driving part).
Just like when you meet somebody for the first time that you just know you’ll become great friends with, it’s wonderful when you find an author whose writing "clicks" with you. This is the kind of author whose books you would buy the day they came out, without having read any reviews, simply because you just know they will be good. It's the kind of author that makes you nod your head constantly while reading, thinking, “I know, right?!” For me, Rainbow Rowell is one of those authors. I can mentally sink in to Rowell’s books as my body would a familiar, comfy chair.
Research conducted in early 2013 by the Pew Research Center on mobile Internet usage by adults shows 56 percent of Americans have a smartphone and 26 percent have an ereader. The research further notes that 55 percent of all cell phone owners use the Internet on their phone to check social networking sites, play games, or listen to online radio or music services. The great news is that there are apps out there for just about anything you might be interested in! I would like to share my favorite apps related to reading that you can use on your smartphone or ereader/tablet.
