Posts Tagged ‘reading’
The art of translation
Every translation is an act of negotiation. -Umberto Eco I only recently saw this quote from the recently deceased Italian novelist, Umberto Eco. He would certainly have known about this first-hand, as his novels, especially his most famous, The Name of The Rose, were translated into numerous languages. But Eco was also a linguist and semiotician, so he…
Read MoreWomen’s Fiction Reading Challenge
Funny that I just discovered this challenge (as 2016 comes to a close) over at the excellent Book Date web site. The Women’s Fiction Reading Challenge 2016 is a challenge to read a certain number of Women’s Fiction books in a year: you choose the level of your commitment, and it ranges anywhere from less than…
Read MoreI completed my Goodreads Challenge 2016
2016 is not yet over, but a recent burst of enthusiastic summer reading means I’ve wrapped up my Goodreads Reading challenge early. Even if it’s only for fun, always nice to get things in before deadlines. I know some people criticize the Reading challenge, calling it a useless check-list, but I enjoy participating each year. I’ve…
Read MoreWant a workout for your brain? Read a novel.
As (obsessive) readers, we all know how a novel can amuse us and transport us. But did you know novel reading also provides a workout for your brain? There’s a short, interesting article in the LA Times about brain research showing how our mind reacts to novel reading. College students were all provided with a…
Read MoreNovels over authors
“I am more interested in works than authors.” -E.M. Forster “What is important is ‘Hamlet’ and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ not who wrote them.” -William Faulkner An interesting observation from the great novelist, E.M. Forster (1879-1970), who has a soft spot in my heart for all the novels he set in Italy. And something very…
Read MoreBook Blogger Hop: Who am I reading for?
Over at the excellent blog for readers, Once Upon a Littlefield, blogger Emma joins the Book Blogger Hop answering the question: Who am I reading for? The question – which is ideally answered by many bloggers blogging about or reviewing books: Do you read and review books mainly for publishers or authors? Like Emma, I…
Read MoreLet beach reading season 2016 officially begin…
Over the Easter weekend, I spent a great day in the Italian beach town of Sperlonga. The March day was spectacular, and my children and I had a fabulous time wandering the beach town we’ve visited many times before. We also had fun walking along the wide beach – always beautiful, but even better without the…
Read MoreMourning the loss of your characters?
“After I write a novel or a story, I miss the characters—I feel sort of bereaved.” Marilynne Robinson I love this quote from the author Marilynne Robinson, perhaps best known for her novel Gilead. And for those of us who love writing – or reading – isn’t it too true? Think about reading a book…
Read MoreFavorite reads so far for 2016
I’m always pleased to get a good reading start to the new year. Luckily, despite a few duds, 2016 has started out quite well for me as a reading year. Here are my favorites so far (and I’m hoping there will be many more): The Last Summer Judith Kinghorn I enjoyed this atmospheric story, a…
Read MoreDo you give up on authors after one bad book?
I didn’t actually think that I did this, but I recently realized I tend to throw up my hands in frustration and not read authors anymore after one of their books disappoints me. This doesn’t mean just that a book’s not my favorite within an author’s oeuvre. But if I’ve dedicated a significant amount of time…
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