Tag: reading

Are you a spoiler?

Today the question on my mind is … are you a spoiler?

By that I mean, when you pick up a book to read it, do you go to the last page and read the ending of the story before reading the beginning and middle?

If so …

why do you do that?! Why do you spoil it for yourself?

Are you impatient? Can you not wait to know how it ends? Does it bug you too much to have to read through from the beginning?

Okay, I admit to having done that a few times. I have skipped ahead to know if it’s worth the build-up of anticipation and suspense, or if I will be disappointed. Or I’ve quickly flipped through if I simply couldn’t stand the too-many-words-in-between until I could find out what I was waiting to know. I have occasionally found a book that became too wordy or slow resulting in the story losing its magic for me,  making it very hard to wade through all the blah blah blah’s without skipping a few pages to move ahead.

On the most part, though, I make myself resist the urge to peek. The times I have read the last page out of turn were usually when I was almost there anyway.

Are you one of those people who just has to start at the end of almost anything you are reading? Do you read magazines or the newspaper or brochures from the back to the front, too?

Would or does reading the last page first spoil your appetite for the main part of the book? Do you ever not read the rest after doing that?

Speaking of appetite, do you eat dessert before the main course? Some people do, you know. I knew a family whose daughter always wanted to do that. It didn’t spoil her appetite for the rest of the meal so they let her.

Oh dear, that’s making me hungry. Back to the main point …

When I am looking for information on a book before I buy it, I don’t like reading spoilers. I like some info but not too much. But, it seems I am almost the opposite with movies. I like a certain amount of information, especially to know if it gets overly violent or vulgar or stupid. I consider those to be a waste of my time and I usually choose to not watch something that will really bother me. But, on the other hand, spoilers of movies that interest me tend to draw me in and I accept knowing more ahead than if it is a book. I’m not sure why that is, unless because when reading one’s own visuals are formulated and if it’s out of order that gets all messed up. (Does that make any sense?)

It’s funny how we form habits. I wonder why do we have to rush ahead, and why do we find it so hard to take things in order?

Maybe there is another very simple explanation for this, and not just impatience or having to know it all first. If so, please clue me in to what it is.

I know, I asked loads of questions this time, (which I hope you will think about and tell me what your habits are, because I find it very interesting) but they all boil down to the main one.

Are you a spoiler? Why or why not?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

 

What is your favourite quote about reading or books?

Here are a few interesting quotes about reading and books. Some are funny, some are serious, but all are thought-provoking. Enjoy!

“A fondness for reading changes the inevitable dull hours of our life into exquisite hours of delight.” – Charles de Montesquieu

“The time to read is any time: no apparatus, no appointment of time and place, is necessary. It is the only art which can be practised at any hour of the day or night, whenever the time and inclination comes, that is your time for reading; in joy or sorrow, health or illness.” – Holbrook Jackson (1874-1948)

“To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all of the miseries of life.” – W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965)

“So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place you can install, A lovely bookshelf on the wall.”  – Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” – Emilie Buchwald

“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” – Groucho Marx

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss, “I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!”

Do you have a favourite quote about reading or books?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

 

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! and thank you

Before today is gone forever I want to mention the famous and talented Dr. Seuss – Theodor Seuss Geisel.

He was born March 2, 1904 and lived until September 24, 1991. That’s 87.5 years.

I read somewhere that sometime along the way one of his teachers or professors told him he couldn’t draw and his art would not catch on.  hmmm  I guess somebody was wrong!  That goes to prove that you should never give up if you are passionate about your talent. It may be just what the world is waiting for.

If you would like to read lots of information about Dr. Seuss, go here.

No doubt everyone reading this is familiar with something Dr. Seuss wrote. Two books that I particularly enjoyed reading to my daughters are

Green Eggs And Ham                          and

Horton Hears A Who!       

It was a fun challenge to read those long connecting thoughts without stopping to take a breath, and I could never begin to tell you how many times those books were chosen as bedtime stories! I got really good at reading Dr. Seuss – with great enthusiasm! 🙂

Now I’ll join with the throngs of captivated children and admiring readers, writers, illustrators, and everyone else who loves his books, and say:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DR. SEUSS! And Thank You!

What Dr. Seuss books were the most popular in your house?

Is there one Dr. Seuss book in particular that you wish you had written?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

To blog or not to blog .. is that the question?

I have not been posting to my blog as regularly as I had hoped because of family obligations, but still I try to keep at it. This past week I was thinking about writing, in particular “blogging” —

There are hundreds – no, thousands! – of blogs out there to read, thousands of blog artists sharing their thoughts, ideas, talents, rants, advice, art forms, humour …

It’s a wonderful way to share, vent, contribute, advertise, hone skills, meet people, reinvent oneself. It’s also a sure way to reveal one’s lack of skill, talent, intelligence, tact, and common sense.

Blogging is an expanding sense of community, a way to connect with others while building one’s platform – one’s identity and presence in this world, or at the very least – on the Internet.

A quote I found which also follows along nicely with my last post about laughter is by William Saroyan, a writer known for his stories celebrating the joy of living in spite of poverty. He said, “The most solid advice for a writer is this, I think: Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell. And when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough.”

For some, a driving force in life is writing, for others it is the reading of wonderful stories that stimulates their lives.

So, my questions to you are as follows:

Do you agree with William Saroyan’s advice? Or do you have another quote or word of advice to share with me?

If you have a blog, why or why not?

Why do you read other people’s blogs, what do you look for?

How has the blogging world impacted your life, or has it made much of a difference at all?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!  🙂

What is your passion?

I’ve been thinking today about what is my passion – where I put my efforts, how I use my time. Besides being with my beloved husband and my family, that is. This week I am working more on Valley Sunshine publication, hoping my duplicating machine won’t quit on me again. During the printing of the last issue my antiquated machine broke down but, strangely, when the repairman finally was able to come out to look at it, I tried it and it worked again! Now, I don’t know for how long it will be functional, but it means I can print off this issue, or at least for as long as it prints off the pages. That is one place I put my time – writing, compiling, sharing the Lord and His word through this little publication. I enjoy the contact with my readers/subscribers.

And you know I like to write stories, but I haven’t been able to really settle into being creative that way the last several months – except for book reviews and a few interviews. Working on my novel is something I have yet to mold into my life again, but I am really enjoying blogging. Because of time restrictions now I don’t get to visit many of the blogs I follow, though.

Another thing is, of course, reading books. Last week I began reading War and Peace which is four books in one, and I learned that it took Leo Tolstoy six years to write it! I figure it will probably take me a year to read it. 🙂 At least.  But I also have several other books on the go at the same time, so I will keep adding titles to my “have read” list for this year.

But I think my greatest passion is worship – worshiping the Lord, and being in fellowship with other Christians to “be the Church” with them. It is uplifting and joyful and a blessing to all involved. Part of that is talking about God’s Word, learning more and sharing about it .. such wonderful food for the soul. Religion does not quicken my spirit, but relationship with Him does.

So, what is your passion? Where or how do you most like to spend your time?  Do you enjoy creating? If so, what? Do you like to travel? If so, where and how?

What is your passion?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!  🙂

 

 

What do you like to read, what would you write?

If you have been here before, you may notice that I changed my blog theme.  I like that now the comments link, where you share your thoughts with me, is located at the top of the posts.

Thank you so much for taking time to come here and read what I have to say, and for leaving comments for me. I look forward to reading next week what you write to me this week. Time away from my computer for the next few days will be used for reading and hopefully a little writing.

In all the reading I am doing I’m discovering more about my varied taste in books – from children’s picture books, middle grade, young adult, to adult novels in different genres. If you want to check my 2011 “have read” book list page, I’m keeping track there, as I did in 2010.

I have been learning what I am not very interested in, what I like but with qualifiers, what I get totally lost in, and what I would love to write myself.

Lately I have been wondering about something, and I would love to hear from you on these four questions.

1. What do you like most to read? Themes, genres, authors?
2. Do you have favourite authors and would read anything written by them?
3. What have you found that you are not interested in spending your time reading?
4. If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂