Musing Mondays: School Books

Musing Mondays is hosted by Rebecca at Just One More Page....  Today's question is about school days (she starts her teaching job tomorrow - congrats!):

What books did you read while in school? Were there any that you particular liked, or even hated? Did any become lifelong favourites?

I remember absolutely loathing Upton Sinclair's The Jungle because the first part freaked me out and the second part bored me to tears with all the political propaganda (I was in ninth grade).  I also wanted to tear my eyes out in American Literature; our teacher pretty much ruined The Grapes of Wrath because we had to take quizzes over the symbolism in each chapter.  Horrible.

On the other hand, school put me in touch with One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell, and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.  I actually have school to thank for starting me on my life-long enjoyment of Margaret Atwood's books.  My parents were readers, but didn't read much dystopic literature; I might have found Atwood, Huxley, and Orwell on my own but it would have taken longer.

Musing Mondays: Books-to-Movies

Musing Mondays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

This week, Rebecca asks:

How do you react to movies made of your favourite books (or even not-so-favourite books)? Do you look forward to seeing them, or avoid them? Do you like to have read the book before seeing the movie?

I generally look forward to seeing adaptations of my favorite books. On the whole, most of the adaptations I've watched well-done on the whole. I think the Harry Potter series was done well on the whole even though I do think the screenwriters should have re-thought a few changes and cuts. I liked The Lord of the Rings trilogy adaptations and can't wait to see The Hobbit adaptation when it comes out in the next few years; I think Peter Jackson had a fabulous idea to release the DVDs with the scenes Jackson cut from the theatrical release included in finished form including score and effects.

The only time I really get irritated by an adaptation is when certain changes taken in the adaptation fail to reflect the intent of the original. Case in point: the 2005 Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley. There were certain changes made to the relationships and motivations of the characters - the my-sister-never-shows-her-true-feelings-to-me line, Lady Catherine's nighttime visit to Longbourn, and the early morning meeting between Lizzie and Darcy as specific examples - that don't make sense when compared to the original novel and seem to have been made to please modern audiences. I'm an Austen purist; there's absolutely no way Lady Catherine would have visited anyone in the wee hours.

I do prefer to read the book before seeing the movie. I am actually more likely to watch a movie if I know the ending than read a book. I feel like I invest more in reading a book than watching a movie so "spoilers" mean less to me in a movie than a book.

I will probably be waiting quite a while for one of my favorite heroines to make her big-screen debut. Jasper Fforde hasn't optioned any of the Thursday Next novels for film adaptation. According to his website, he hasn't given up the rights because after spending so much time in the film industry he doesn't want it turning into a "cinematic ferrago" (Jasper talks about this on the FAQ page, you'll need to scroll down a ways). If the TN books ever make it into movies they'll be made by Jasper.

Musing Mondays: Favorite Houses

Musing Mondays is hosted by Rebecca at Just One More Page...

Do you have a favourite publishing house -- one that puts out books that you constantly find yourself wanting to read? If so, who? And, what books have they published that you've loved? (question courtesy of MizB)

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT on Rebecca's blog with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post or share your opinion in a comment (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks.

I'm very much into having book spines and things that match/are similar - they look soooo pretty lined up on my shelves - so I love lines like Penguin Classics (and Deluxe Classics), HarperPerennial PS, Oxford World's Classics, Norton Critical Editions, or Barnes and Noble Classics. When I'm buying backlist titles, I always look to see what editions are available in imprints that I already own. It's a freaky OCD thing.

When buying newer books (especially hardcovers) I really don't have a "go to" publishing house. I don't usually look at publisher when finding good things to read. I do like to look at the academic presses to see what's new but I don't have a specific example at hand.

Musing Mondays: Online Book Sites

Musing Mondays is hosted by Rebecca at Just One More Page...

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about online book sites…

Do you have an account with an online book database site (LibraryThing, Shelfari, GoodReads etc)? If so, do you have a preference? Do you use it for - your own record keeping? finding new books to read? social networking?

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post, or share your opinion in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog), and make sure to comment on Rebecca's original post. Thanks.

Haha! I did a Goodreads post last night, how crazy is that for anticipation? As previously posted, I do have a Goodreads account and have just re-started using it - as in seriously using it - but I don't have Shelfari or LibraryThing. Which is probably a good thing. I also have a My B&N page which I tend to update slightly more often because I'm on the Barnes and Noble Book Clubs website far more often because of my moderating duties; I also like My B&N because I can favorite CDs and DVDs, too, along with my B&N reviews and favorite B&N Review and B&N Studio pieces.

I don't use either for record-keeping, as such. I have huge Excel databases that I use for generalized keeping track of what I own and my hand-written journals to tell me what I thought of something and when I read it.

Musing Mondays: Stick-with-it-ness

MUSING MONDAYS is hosted by Rebecca:

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about sticking with it…

How much time (or how many pages) do you give a book that you aren't really enjoying before you'll set it aside? If you're reading it for a book group discussion, or for review, will you give it more of a chance then, say, a book you're reading for your own interest? Why, or why not? (courtesy of MizB)

I'm kind of stubborn in that I try and finish every book I start...might take me months or years to come back to it but if it's in my house I try and finish it (the last book I definitively didn't finish was Blindness by Jose Saramago and that's because it had to go back to the library due to being recalled; I'll get back to it ;) ); the book journals come in handy that way. Now that I think about it, the only books I cull from my home are ones that I have finished and no longer want. If I'm reading a book for my BNBC group (this month is The Nine Tailors, hint hint so come learn about change-ringing), for class, or for review I make myself finish it. As posted elsewhere I'm a little ADD/startitis-y about my reading and knitting so I have many things started at once and wander back and forth amongst my started books and knitting projects until they are finished.

I'm a little type-A around the edges. Maybe I should try the 50 page rule for things that don't need to be finished. Or be less stubborn (fat chance).

Musing Mondays - Gift Certificates

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about gift certificates…

Do you give gift certificates to book stores as presents? If so, do you give for actual stores or online stores? Do you like to receive them yourself?

Yup. I do. My one brother and I read so much I think we've been passing the same $25 gift card back and forth for years because we can't always remember what the other owns or has read already - we're B&N shoppers (never had an occasion to use a gift card online) - even though this year I bought him a book (I hope he doesn't have it yet). I also like to give my other brother a B&N gift card; he's not always a book reader but he does like movies.

And if it's not already that obvious I love gift cards to bookstores. Eeee. Fun.