Bookish Questions ~ Tuesday 4

White washing the fence, Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer

Welcome to Tuesday 4 kept up in honor of it's founder Toni Taddeo.

   

Over 12,000 books, many once required reading in schools and including children's books have been banned.  Even Jane Eyre finds itself under scrutiny.

1.Do you think any book or series has  helped form your view on things...life, love, etc?

Many will say the Bible but how about more secular books that you feel have taught or influenced you?

I can't say that any book or series has influenced my view of things. I've had a good upbringing with what I feel was appropriate moral guidance on the key things in life. Whatever was taught at home was confirmed and enhanced at church. 

Books and the values they exemplify, often provide guidance too but a different type than what I got at home but I like to challenge my thinking and my knowledge beyond what is comfortable or immediately accessible through reading, film, travel, friends.  In terms of reading specifically, I would say that my most read genre is historical fiction.  Through these types of books I get interesting in further researching historical events rather than just reading the fictional version.

I also enjoy authors that focus on family relationships, love and forgiveness.  They give me a warm cosy feeling and a sense of comfort.  I also like books that teach me about other cultures. This interest dovetails well with my love of travel and learning about the people of other lands through their food, clothing, views on land and so on.  All these interests are confirmed through the reading of books.  The interests didn't originate with the reading of books. I hope that makes sense.

2.  What is your favorite book or book series and why is it a favorite?

I have too many favourite books and they are favourites for different reasons. Some of my most favourite books  are simply because the stories were so well written.  The authors evoked an emotional response with their masterful way with words.  Some that come to mind A Fine Balance & Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry, Tara Road by Maeve Binchy, The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Vergese & The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini but these are by no means the only books I thoroughly enjoyed.

3. If your favorite book or book series was being cast for a TV/Movie series, who would play the main characters?

I have no idea.  Most of the books I like books are set in other countries with other nationalities as characters. To be believable, the movie or television series would need to hire some actors from those ethnicities and countries. The Binchy and Pilcher books are set in Ireland and Scotland respectively.  Both books were made into movies but I don't think they did the books justice.

4.  Are there any books you have read many times?

I tend not to read a book more than once.  I have so many books yet to read on my 'to read' list. However I have accidentally read a book more than once. One I re-read recently is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. Surprisingly I didn't enjoy it that much on the 2nd reading though I did enjoy it the first time around. 

I had a similar experience with one book I read in university many years ago.  It was called The Invention of the World by Jack Hodgins, a writer from Vancouver Island. I made a point of reading it again many years later just because I enjoyed it so much the first time. Again, surprisingly, I was disappointed in the 2nd reading and I didn't finish it. I wondered why I had enjoyed it so much when I read it the first time?  Believe it or not, I want to try reading it for a 3rd time just to make sure whether I like it or not. If I don't, I guess it means my tastes have changed and I'm okay with that.

October Reading ~ Tuesday 4

Welcome to Tuesday 4 in memory of our friend Toni Taddeo.

Most people love to read.  It opens other worlds to us.  Autumn weather is often conducive to reading as weather can be chillier and rainy. Cozying up with a book can be a lovely way to spend some time.

How do you relax in the evening after dinner? 

By watching television, working on the computer or by reading a good book.

Do you read in bed? What kind of books do you read?

I do read in bed but not that often as I don't find it comfortable. I usually sit and read on my sofa.  I try to read all kinds of books but I tend to read more historical fiction than anything else.

Do you have a list of books you look forward to reading?

I keep a very long list of books to read and I'm always adding new titles. I can get most of them at my local library or have them sent there from the city's inter-library system. I seldom buy books these days because there are just so many available through the library.  I do get the itch to buy a book but will only buy them used and if they are a very good price at the thrift store on a rare visit there.

What is the best book you've ever read and why?  Or how about the worst book you feel you wasted time reading?

I have several books and authors I've read that I call 'the best'.  Some of my all time favourite authors are Mauve Binchy (Evening Class), Rosamunde Pilcher (The Shell Seekers),  Abraham Verghese (Cutting for Stone), Khalid Hosseini (The Kite Runner), Rohinton Mistry (A Fine Balance), Sandra Gulland (The Josephine B. Trilogy), Ken Follett (The Century Trilogy), Lisa See (The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane),  Karen Blixen (Out of Africa), Jane Austin (Pride & Prejudice) & Leo Tolstoy (Anna Karenina).  There are many more and so you see it is difficult to choose one best book and author. 

There have also been a few books that I feel I wasted time on. Some of them I plodded on and read them anyway.  But in the last few years I've started shelving them rather than waste time especially if I've dawdled over reading it and it's due back at the library.  One book that I can clearly recall not liking is President Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope" (I own this one and recently gave it away). I was quite surprised because I really enjoyed his book "Dreams of My Father".  I'm afraid I didn't keep good track of the others I've more recently shelved including a cosy mystery I tried reading last month. It was very highly rated but I could not get into it.

Other

This is a Public Service Announcement for Canadians. If you haven't yet heard about several bills that are currently before the Parliament of Canada for consideration, please pay attention to the following short video 

and the particular legislative proposals mentioned therein. Also, share this information as widely as you can.  The rights of citizens in virtually every nation around the world are being eroded before our eyes and Canada is no exception.  We need to do what we can to protect our rights. Please investigate these items and contact your local Member of Parliament with your concerns.

C 2 - Would Allow Canada Post to open your mail at the border without your consent.

C 5 - Could pull funds that are paid to provinces affecting national unity.

C 8 -  Would give the government power to order the shut down of all your Internet and phone if you are deemed to be a threat.  

C 9 - Changing definition of hate speech and giving government the power to charge you without Attorney General approval.

The above descriptions are taken directly from the video above, not through my own research. The next step is for people to do their own research and contact their local Members of Parliament with their concerns.

Here is a link to the bills currently before Parliament including the Bills I've mentioned above.

This link will take you to a page showing you the current status of each bill and identifies the stage of the legislative process they are currently in.

Last, but not least, here is a link to find your Member of Parliament should you need assistance in finding your local MP.