BBAW: On Reading.

Today we are were asked to talk about our reading habits and how blogging has changed them.

Personally, I know that my reading habits have changed dramatically since starting A Literary Odyssey. Before I began blogging here, I read a lot of YA, fantasy, science-fiction, and general fiction. I would read books in short spurts and as fast as I could. I would only read one title at a time and I never, ever wrote about what I read (unless it was for a class).

A lot of that has changed since starting my little corner of the book blogging world. Nowadays, it is a rarity for me to be reading only one title. I gradually grew into the habit of reading more than one book at a time in the last year or so as commitments for events started to take place. I try not to be in the middle of more than three books at a time, but I think this has helped my reading. Sometimes it is better to step away from a book for a bit before coming back to it.

In recent months, I have also started reading ebooks. I got Homer, my Nook Color, back in July, and since then I have read a couple of books on him. While my reading is a little slower on him, I do enjoy the different format and portability of it all. I also like Project Gutenberg and the thousands of free classics available for download. With Homer, I have opened new doors for my reading, but he will never take the place of my paper books.

As for book acquisitions, I am just as bad as I ever was. I buy a lot of books. It is a problem and I acknowledge that completely. I like having new titles on my shelf waiting to be read, and I am completely okay with my obsession. Everyone I know makes fun of me for my "book habit," but I don't think it will ever stop. Too bad. :)

The biggest change in my reading is a direct result of my project here. With reading classics, sometimes I need to do a little research outside the book so I don't sound like an idiot when I am talking about it. This often leads to interesting conversations in posts, as well as some frustration on my part. But the background research has really helped me discover the good bits in some length pieces, like War and Peace and Atlas Shrugged.

As you can see, book blogging has been a good thing for me, as it has broadened my horizons in regards to what I read and when, as well as my own self-education. I am a much better reader now than I was a few years ago. While I read less books, I am reading better quality more often (although, I still love a good fun read every now and then). I can also see a marked improvement in my writing and vocabulary (I blame Dickens). I suppose you could say I am direct evidence of all of those reading studies!

How about you? How has blogging changed your reading habits?

BBAW: Community Part 2.

In today's daily topic for BBAW, we are asked to talk about finding out place in this big community, as well as our tips for cultivating relationships with our like-minded book bloggers.

When I started my own blog, I knew nothing about the larger book blogging community. In fact, I didn't really consider myself a book blogger until I realized that I seemed to click with this amazing group of people!

At the start, I had a hard time determining where I fit in. I was originally finding a ton of YA themed blogs and my classics project didn't seem to fit in anywhere! It was only after quite a few months that I began to regularly seek out bloggers who reviewed classics (there aren't as many of us as there should be!). However, I am usually a pretty diverse reader in terms of genre, so there were a lot of bloggers I began to follow who have nothing to do with reading classics.

One of the things that helped me as a new blogger was joining in on certain memes. And while I have never been a huge participant, filling one out every once in awhile is a great deal of fun and the perfect way to find new bloggers to read. This definitely helped me as a new blogger.

But what really got me involved in the book blogging community was participating in some of the big events. While I was around for the October 2009 Read-a-thon, I was so new that I didn't know to sign up or anything. When April 2010 rolled around, I made sure to participate and visit other blogs. This really gave me the opportunity to branch out into reading even more blogs by the people who came and commented on my own posts that day. Since then, I make a concerted effort to participate in the 24 hour read-a-thon every time, and this past time, I even hosted!

I also joined my first readalong in April of 2010 (The Brothers Karamazov hosted by Bellezza). It was another way of communicating with bloggers with similar bookish tastes. It helped me meet a few other bloggers and become part of the community.

The other big event that I began to participate in on a regular basis was the Classics Circuit. This is probably my favorite "event" in book blogging, as it gives me a chance to explore writers with other people. I think it is a great way to promote what I find important, and I have participated in almost all of the tours since I discovered it.

Most importantly, however, I became a bigger part of the community by simply writing. Without real content on your blog, it is hard to form relationships with your readers. From the beginning, I wanted to speak from my heart and I try to remember that in each post I write. I have also tried to branch out to the community by hosting readalongs/group reads for classics, as well as being involved in other events as they pop up. I think that to feel accepted by any group, you need to be an active participant. I try to do this as much as I can around my busy schedule. Nothing bugs me more than when a blog is all filler and no substance. The number one way to get more readers is to read, then write about it. Memes, surveys, and the like are fun, but after a while, I want to get in your head about your thoughts on what you are reading. After all, isn't that why we're here in the first place?

In the future, I hope that more people will be inspired to start new events and things for bloggers to participate in. I love joining in on readalongs, featured series, group reads, and discussions. I am also hoping to discover more bloggers from my own state (Michigan), since I feel we are in the minority! But anyway, I love the interactive nature of blogging and I hope that we all strive to achieve more of it!

Be sure to head to the BBAW website to see what others have to say!

BBAW: Interview with Rebecca from Rebecca Reads.

Last year, I missed out on the opportunity to interview another blogger for BBAW. This year, I made sure I was on top of things so I could be paired up for an interview!

I was over the moon when I heard that my swap partner is the lovely Rebecca from Rebecca Reads. I have long been a follower and fan of her blog, so I feel incredibly honored to be partnered up with her. It is also great fun to interview someone who made the same short list I did (Rebecca and I are both up for "Best Classics Book Blog") and someone who I look up to immensely.

Rebecca is a true driving force among classic book bloggers. Before I even started blogging, she created the Classics Circuit, one of my favorite things to participate in as a book blogger. It is a great opportunity for all of us to dive into new classics by authors we already love, as well as authors we're scared of. It is a great way to meet other bloggers, and Rebecca is the mastermind of it all. I know that I am very grateful for her time and energy for such a wonderful event!

Additionally, Rebecca writes a great deal on her own blog (linked above). In addition to focusing on classics (especially the Victorians), she also reviews children's books as well. Her reviews always make me want to revisit my childhood and the memories I have of being read to. She also has a son she reads to often, and another little one on the way! I am looking forward to hearing more about their own reading adventures in the future!

Anyway, enough of my rambling and on to the important stuff-our interview!

1. You have a quote from Madeleine L'Engle on your blog that I just love; "A great piece of literature does not try to coerce you to believe it or to agree with it. A great piece of literature simply is." How does this apply to what you choose to read for yourself and to your family?

As a new stay-at-home mom, I found myself wondering just which books would be worth my time to read. For the first time since childhood, I had time on my hands and reading two books in an afternoon wasn’t satisfying me. Then I discovered East of Eden and was blown away by the language, the epic nature of the plot, and the complexity of human nature as portrayed in fiction.

Shortly after this, I started blogging. Then I came across Madeleine L’Engle’s quote; I adopted it as one of my mottos because I was finding it was true. You know when you’re reading great literature. Steinbeck’s novel did that for me; other books also have taught me that. Books that are good are simply good: they aren’t trying too hard, they aren’t forcing a point or a plot. They simply are great, and I can tell, normally, from page one.

It is not hard to apply the same principles to children’s literature. I know when I pick up a picture book whether it will work for me and my son. Do the illustrations balance the text? Are they attractive illustrations? Does the text read well? Does the story work for a young child? As with the fiction I choose to read myself, picture books can simply be great.

2. One aspect of your blog that I really love is your discussions of reading with your son. What are some books you cannot wait to share with him (and the baby on the way) when he is older and why?

I admit I haven’t waited for some books! I read Winnie-the-Pooh to Raisin when he was 4 months old, and I’ll probably do the same with the new baby.

I’ve also read Raisin some other full-length classic novels when he was one and two years old, like Charlotte’s Web, Peter Pan, and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. We’re in between full-length novels now that he’s nearly four; he’d rather reread favorite picture books, which of course is also wonderfully fun! When we do get back to longer books, I look forward to revisiting those books, as well as reading other favorites of mine by Beverly Cleary, or Mr. Popper’s Penguins or The Wizard of Oz, and so forth. I remember that one day when I stayed home sick, my mom read me The Secret Garden. That book has a special place in my memory because it came to me first on a day my mom took the time to read to me (and only me)!

I hope my son will treasure similar memories. I intend to encourage the classics by introducing them to my son when he’s young. I’ll have them nearby in case he is decides he’s ready to give them a try. Tom Sawyer, Kipling’s Just So Stories, Treasure Island…the list goes on and on.

3. Since you also read a lot of classics and older literature, I am sure there are some authors you wish had more works left behind. If given the opportunity, which author(s) would you want to read more books by and why?

Although I do love classics, I haven’t read multiple books by many authors. Charles Dickens is the author I’ve read the most fiction works by, but even having read seven works, there is still a lot of Dickens left to love. Wilkie Collins and Anthony Trollope have also become favorites, but both authors have extensive backlists. I don’t think I’ll wish for more by the time I get to the end (if I do).

There are many other authors I really can’t wait to read more of, and once I’ve read through their backlist, I’ll probably be craving more: Jane Austen (only one more major novel left), George Eliot, Elizabeth Gaskell, Virginia Woolf, John Steinbeck, Edith Wharton, the Bronte sisters (Jane Eyre is one of my favorite novels), Shakespeare. Also, this isn’t a particularly author, but I do look forward to reading more of the women authors of the Harlem Renaissance. Many of them have written only a few books, so it will be sad to reach “the end.”

I could go on. There is a wealth of literature available to be enjoyed. While I’m sure I will be sad to come to the end of the backlist for some favorite authors, I will remain happy with an abundance of other literature awaiting my read. Besides, I absolutely love rereading favorite books. If worse comes to worse, I could reread favorites for years. Each reread is a different experience from the last.

4. What do you believe is the biggest misconception about classics by modern-day readers?

I think some people believe classics are boring or wordy or just not their style. To be completely honest, I too think some classic works are boring! In my college Victorian literature class, we read essays by Ruskin and the novel Wuthering Heights (which I didn’t like). I found “Victorian literature” very boring indeed. I was surprised when I later discovered the Victorian author Wilkie Collins, a sensation fiction writer, and I also have fallen in love with the plot twists and conveniences in the Dickens novels I’ve read, not to mention the women Victorian authors I adore. I’m finding Victorian literature is my favorite literature to read.

That said, other readers simply may not be able to get over Dickens’ writing style, or may find Wilkie Collins too melodramatic. That’s okay! Wuthering Heights isn’t my style, and neither are Ruskin’s essays! To each his own. Readers are individuals, so each reader has their own expectations when they pick up a book. Is reading for being entertained? Is reading for a story? Is reading for humor? Is reading for beautiful language? Readers provide their own definitions for “good” when they pick up a work, and it may be different every day. The wonderful thing about classics is that there is an abundance of options to choose from.

5. What books or authors would you recommend to anyone looking for a wonderful, enriching read?

I struggle with giving recommendations simply because, as I mention in the previous answer, everyone is looking for something different when they pick up a novel. Here are some suggestions, but keep in mind that not every novel is going to work for every reader!

If you want a novel about human nature, good and bad, as seen through the eyes of a growing child: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

If you want a romantic novel about love that turns out right: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

If you want an intense and complex psychological novel about guilt and innocence: Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoyevsky

If you want a lighter modern novel that helps you appreciate math even when you normally hate it: The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa

If you want a Victorian gothic novel with romance: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

If you want a modern novel in the Victorian gothic tradition: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield



Thank you so much for the interview Rebecca! You all need to go check out her blog at Rebecca Reads and see for yourself what an amazing woman and blogger she is!

BBAW: Community.

Today, BBAW has asked us to write about the community of book bloggers and those who have impacted our own blogs in some way. I think that this is a difficult task to write about, simply because there are so many wonderful blogs to read in our community. But, I have tried to think of the bloggers who have had the biggest impact on what I do here. It was hard to decide, and to keep the list within a reasonable length. If given the time, I would talk about all of you because I love book blogging and this community.

Anyway, here are the 4 bloggers who have shaped me the most.

Steph from StephTheBookworm

Steph was one of the first book bloggers I "met." We both starting blogging around the same time (September 2009). I think it took us a month or two to find each other, but we did. In the beginnings of my blogging "career," I was unsure of this whole community and the people I would find. In fact, I think I was a little unnerved when I got my first comment from a stranger. But Steph was always there being supportive.

Two years later, I am glad to see that Steph is still blogging. She writes beautifully. I read every post wanting to throw aside my list and read what she recommends. But most of all, I leave and remember that she was one of my first blogging buddies, and for that, I am grateful.

Eva from A Striped Armchair

I think I discovered Eva's blog randomly during my first few months blogging. It was in the midst of her 2009 end of year recap, and I was simply in AWE of how much she read. I soon started waiting anxiously for each post to see what she was reading next.

What I love most about Eva is her desire to read and learn. She reads diversely and finds such wonderful books. Her library loot posts are always inspiring and make me add too many books to a long TBR list. She also writes about the things she reads so eloquently that I too want to dive in and read as much as she does. In the years that I have been reading her blog, I have always found her to be a great resource for finding the perfect book for any topic.

Jillian from A Room of One's Own

I think it would be impossible for me to talk about community without talking about Jillian. We began reading each other's blogs over a year ago. Jillian was just starting to get into book blogging and I was passing my one year mark. And we just clicked. Jillian was also working on a book list at the time, and we both seemed to find inspiration in what the other was doing.

That hasn't changed in the year or so since. I still leave Jillian's blog feeling completely inspired and craving to read the books she discusses. She has probably influenced more of my recent reads than she even realizes. She always manages to talk about what she is reading so eloquently. Her posts are insightful, well-written, and beautiful. She manages to to do all this on top of being a full-time college student and working. She is truly inspiring and I am so glad that one of us (I can't remember which), decided to take the first step towards creating this friendship I now cherish.

Amanda from Ramblings (formally The Zen Leaf)

I don't know how Amanda is going to feel about being included here, since she has stopped being a full-time book blogger, but this list didn't feel right without including her.

Amanda is more than a blogger to me. I consider her a friend. She started reading my blog when I was about 6 months in and is the most consistent reader I have. At the time she started reading, I was trying to decide if I was going to stick with my project or not. Her comments and insight kept me going.

To this day, I still find myself being constantly inspired by what she has to say. When she was book blogging full-time, I was always curious to see what she thought of a book I had loved (I think it might be safe to say that we like different things). I always wanted to know more, and she was/is great about expressing why things do/don't work. Since she has moved to just blogging, a move that seems to be working well for her, I still find myself constantly inspired. As someone who struggles with weight issues, her success gives me hope and inspires me.

But most of all, I love the friendship we have formed online-the tweets, the e-mails, and the comments. She continually lends support and I can always count on a comment from her. :) Thank you for always supporting me!


I hope that you will also be taking advantage of this opportunity to talk about the wonderful people who have shaped your blogging life. I know that my life is much richer being a blogger. Be sure to come back tomorrow to read about person #5 on my list, who I was lucky enough to be paired with for a full interview!