The Book Whisperer, part 2

I'm supposed to be writing final papers that are due tomorrow, so this will have to be brief.  But I wanted to share Donalyn Miller's blog which is also called the Book Whisperer.  I haven't read much of it yet, but so far it looks like a very interesting commentary on books and reading.  I look forward to reading more.  

The Book Whisperer

Despite the fact that I should be writing final papers, I bought a new book this weekend and finished it last night:  The Book Whisperer, by Donalyn Miller.  Ms. Miller is a 6th grade Language Arts teacher who has developed and just about perfected a reading instruction method that has yielded phenomenal results with her students.  The book chronicles her journey and shares insight and lessons about why kids read, how they can be supported as readers, and why reading is so important.  Her intended audience is clearly other reading teachers, but it was engaging and information for someone like me who simply loves books and is interested in literacy.  

In some ways, it is also a memoir of Ms. Miller as a reader.  She describes "Miller Mountain"- a teetering bookshelf in her home that struggles under the tonnage of the books she plans to read.  I smiled at that description as someone who has destroyed two different bookshelves by sheer book mass.  She also discusses her reading habits and how she squeezes in extra time to read the books she loves.

I loved The Book Whisperer, and it also rekindled a desire in me to work to promote literacy and reading, especially with children and young people.  I loved helping eager children select the perfect book this Saturday at local RIF book fair.  These reminders are helpful to me as I continue my job search.   

This blog has also helped me to realize that I love helping the right title find its way to an eager reader's hands.  I hope to read through my stacks of books this summer to be able to offer better informed recommendations.  Happy reading!

book lists?

How do you keep track of the books you've read or want to read?  I have Amazon (and now Shelfari and Goodreads) to keep track of what I want to read.  And I use them to remember what I have read as well.  I had been keeping a word document of all the books I'd read since freshman year of college, but now I can't find it.  I transfered it into my Goodreads/Shelfari accounts already, but I still loved to look at the list organized by year.  I'm afraid I accidently deleted it in a housekeeping frenzy to free-up some computer space.  Boo.  Oh well!  

Do you keep lists of the books you've read/want to read?  I'm thinking of starting some kind of reading journal or log.  Does anyone do that?  

Shelfari? Goodreads?

Does anyone have a page on Shelfari or Goodreads?  I confess I have one on both, but I've been neglecting Goodreads for a while now.  I started there and loved it!  I added all the books I could think of, found some new interesting ones to read, and connected with a few friends.  Then I was seduced by the flashy shelf widget of Shelfari and started adding books there, too.  The only problem is, I don't really know anyone that uses Shelfari and so I don't have very many people to connect with there.  Is it bad that I was seduced by the flashy graphics?  I suppose I am judging the proverbial book by its cover!  It does have great features as well.  I'm starting to think I'll just keep up with both sites...but is that a waste of time?  

Aside from the snazzy virtual bookshelves, both of these sites are terrific ways to connect with other readers, get a visual representation of the books you have read or want to read, and find new books!  A few times, when deciding what book to post about, I've found my answer on Shelfari faster than I found a book on my physical bookshelves. 

So, do you have books lists on either of these?  If so, do you want to be my friend??  :)

That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist

To continue my Sunday feature on spiritual writings and books, today I'm going to share a book about Buddhism.  That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist: On Being a Faithful Jew and a Passionate Buddhist, by Sylvia Boorstein.  It's the fascinating record of the faith journey of a Jewish woman who finds meaning and joy with Buddhism.  As she becomes more involved with Buddhism, she continues to practices her Jewish faith as well.  As a Christian who is intrigued by Buddhist practices, Boorstein's journey was an insightful example of how I might navigate my own path.  It is also filled with funny stories and inspirational moments.  Check it out!

What are YOU reading now?

Since some people responding to a previous post that they did, in fact, also read multiple books at a time, I began to wonder what those books were.  When you have multiple books going at once, are they all similar?  Or are they different types of reading?

I usually have different kinds of books going at once.  For example, currently, I am reading Revolutionary Road, Pen on Fire, Making It All Work, Creating True Peace, and The Well-Educated Mind.  So that's a novel, a book about writing, a self-help type productivity book, a spiritual book, and a book about--well, other books!  I read Pen on Fire before bed because Rev. Road is a little depressing.  So I read that during the day.  Making It All Work is on my iPod for the gym, and the other two I've been dabbling in when I want a break from the others.  Sometimes, if I am reading two novels, I'll have one light one and another that's a bit more substantial.  

So, what are you all reading right now?  Anything good?  

Living Without My Books

Thanks to Jess' reply regarding my previous post, I was forced to face an issue that will rapidly be before me.  Packing.  I graduate and move back to Texas in three weeks  (eeek!) and so that means the apartment needs to start going into boxes.  Some things like dishes, toiletries, and school supplies can't go in yet.  So what to start with?  Out of season clothes, games, and oh yeah-my shelves and shelves of books.  

And there's the rub.  My dad wants me to get packing and several friends have graciously offered up boxes.  I'm procrastinating on my final papers and packing would be a seemingly productive way to accomplish this.  So what's stopping me? Well, swimsuits and winter coats only take so long to pack.  Scrabble and Pictionary?  Check!  And we're back to the shelves.

When Jess mentioned that she can't check the publisher of most of her favorite books because they're in storage, I gasped!  Not only for her, but for me, because my stuff will be in storage for a while when I get to Texas as well.  What if I need to look up that funny line from the book I read three years ago?  Yes, I suppose that is what Google is for, but that's not the point.  I'm going to have to pack a special box with the books I can't be parted from that will not go into storage. 

However, my reluctance to pack them isn't even really about not being able to access my books.  They'll still be here, just in boxes.  The real problem is that my shelves will be empty.  I love looking at my books.  They are so pretty!  Some filed in upright and others laying sideways.  With the occasional tea pot, giant iron fleur-de-lis or wooden owl thrown in for interest.  I like that I can look over my TV right now and see Emma's maroon spine resting next to One Hundred Years of Solitude's green one.  (And yes, Katie, I fail at the Dewey Decimal System, but I do have my own system of organization.)  Empty white shelves will be so sad.  And so I procrastinate on my designated procrastination activity.  It's going to be a fantastic three weeks.  

Chronicle Books

Generally, I don't pay much attention to publishers.  But about a year ago, I started to notice little pair of round glasses on the spine of many of my favorite books.  I have a set of organization books, The Home Organizing Workbook and The Personal Organizing Workbook, by Meryl Starr that I LOVE.   I think they were the first books I noticed with the glasses.  Then I noticed a few of my other favorites had them too: In Stitches by Amy Butler and Apartment Therapy Presents by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan.  

So finally, I made the connection that all these wonderful books were published by the same place: Chronicle Books.   Not long after this revelation, I noticed that two of my favorite series of children's books were from Chronicle as well: MiniMasters and the Finger Puppet books (this is not their technical name, but here is one of them.  They are both fantastic books for children and some of my young baby-sitting charge's favorites.  MiniMasters are beautiful little board books that use paintings of well, "masters", and pairs them with whimsical little poems.  Before she was two, E (the girl I baby-sit for) could correctly distinguish between Monet and Matisse.  It was a fun party trick for her parents!  

After looking around on their website, I found a variety of fabulous books that I want to add to my wishlist.  Secrets of Simplicity, 52 Ways to Make a Difference, and Ask Click and Clack: Questions from CarTalk.  They have such a wide range--it's amazing!  I love their tagline: "An independent publisher of distinctive books and gifts."  And it's true, they publish more than just books-decks, workbooks, puzzles, and many other interactive mediums.  

It feels weird to be such a fan of a publishing company (I'm officially their fan on Facebook, follower on Twitter, and a subscriber to their blog), but I'm finding more and more than I am partial to the little round glasses.  Not that I won't buy stacks and stacks of books from other publishers, but I'm definitely always on the look out for Chronicle Books.  

Does anyone else have some favorite books from Chronicle?  Did you notice the glasses?  Does anybody else pay attention to publishers or have a favorite?