TMST: Libraries - Online or In-Person?

 Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly feature started by the lovely Rainy Day Ramblings, and now hosted by a team of bloggers, Roberta @ Offbeat YA, Karen @ For What It's Worth, Berls @ Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life, Jen @ That's What I'm Talking About, and Linda @ Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell.

Libraries: do you prefer to visit in-person or check out on-line?

No contest for me this week - I am a browser through and though (and no, I don't mean Google Chrome...ha...ha...ha). Whether it's a bookstore, thrift store shelves of CDs, or you name it, I love to stare down the endless racks and shelves until my eyes hurt. 

Online content is great - I love it for when I'm going on a trip, or when I desperately want to read or watch something that is out in its physical copy, or when I'm feeling sick. Otherwise I love to make the time to go to the physical library. And yes, even though I'm been working in one for a long time, I still love going to them. Any time I'm in a different city, I love going to visit their library. I love large libraries, small county ones - you name it. Show me how you catalogue and classify, how you file, what types of resources you have for kids or students. I just can't get that kind of experience online.

I'm so happy that the online content exists - it's an incredible option to have, and makes things accessible to so many people, but I will keep the physical libraries alive for us all with my enthusiasm for them.

TMST: TBR Pile

 Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by the lovely Rainy Day Ramblings, and currently assisted by a team of bloggers, Roberta @ Offbeat YA, Karen @ For What It's Worth, Berls @ Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life, Jen @ That's What I'm Talking About, and Linda @ Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell.

Have you found a way to cut back significantly on your TBR pile?

I have! Although I really, desperately need to go through my Goodreads list, I have mentally cut back on so many books that used to be part of my TBR pile. For me, I stopped adding books in that other people wanted me to read. Recommendations are one thing, but so many people constantly tell me I "have to read this" so I eventually would cave to the pressure of it and, since it sounded interesting, would add it in. Now I just add in what I legitimately want to read. Sure, some of them are because of recommendations from other people whose tastes I trust, but a lot are ones I discover on my own.

Working a library is both a gift and a curse for a TBR pile because I get to see everything. At the same time though, it means that people always ask you if you've read this or that and it can be a lot of pressure to feel like you need to cater to that. Although I do still feel that sense of pressure sometimes, I've been able to squash a lot of it.

TMST: Movies or TV Series

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by the lovely Rainy Day Ramblings, and currently assisted by a team of bloggers, Roberta @ Offbeat YA, Karen @ For What It's Worth, Berls @ Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life, Jen @ That's What I'm Talking About, and Linda @ Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell.

7/26/2022 Do you prefer movies or TV series?

Traditionally, I prefer movies if I had to pick between the two overall, however there is definitely a bit to talk about here! (Forgive me, this post is a bit scattered this time!)

Movies, for me, are that lovely escape for a few hours, with everything self-contained. TV shows  can go on for a long time, you don't know if or when you are going to get a conclusion on things (and don't even get me started on when they don't pick the show up for the next season!). I really like that shows are broken up into smaller chunks of time and you can hold onto them longer than movies, but I really prefer the defined beginning and ending of movies, and how fully formed everything has to be to work together. I know that shows can be especially great if you're just looking for something quick to unwind or to watch with dinner. There are less issues with continuity often in movies than in television series (except in the case of films that have had large chunks cut out in edits).

And yet, I would like to cheat a little and say that I think the absolute perfect medium is mini-series. I don't personally consider these to be TV series, although I believe that some people do classify them that way, but I think of them closer to movies honestly.

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What about you? Are there reasons you prefer one form over the other? Do you find that you prefer one over the other because of your schedule/watching habits?

TMST: Bookish No-No's

TW: This post briefly discusses assault/violence in point 2. 

Whoops, I'm a little late getting this post out, but it was one I was definitely interested in doing, so I figured better late than never!

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by the lovely Rainy Day Ramblings, and currently assisted by a team of bloggers, Roberta @ Offbeat YA, Karen @ For What It's Worth, Berls @ Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life, Jen @ That's What I'm Talking About, and Linda @ Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell.

6/21/2022 What are book no-nos that make you figuratively want to toss a book across the room?

1) When everyone (or the two leads, in the case of a romance) has a quirky name. Nicknames, sure, that's fine (ex. The Divergent series - Tris and Four don't bother me only because they are nicknames, but they drove me insane before I read the books and learned that). Or, if for some reason it is part of the plot, I am okay with it, but otherwise? Please stop.

2) Characters experiencing sexual assault/violence that is described within the book. I know that these types of situations are real, and I don't think we should cover up their existence to make people comfortable, but I find it far too upsetting to read these situations described in full detail, and often cannot handle books that do this. If it is mentioned for a moment without description really, I can manage...but my imagination is far too vivid to handle much more than that.

3) Short, choppy dialogue that is formatted oddly. You know those books that don't use quotation marks, and poorly define their characters' speech? And then they also try to mimic conversation, but it ends up being extremely choppy? Yep, this is one of my largest pet peeves. 

4) Very short chapters of no purpose. A short chapter can be an extremely useful and effective writing tool. It can be used to briefly peek into the mind and eyes of a character who is otherwise "off-screen" in the book. But here's the thing: it has to be for a purpose. Some writers just do this for dramatic effect, and it often feels just like a space filler to me. Or, if you write a short chapter that is only about a page without any revelation...this just feels like something you refused to let your editor get rid of.

TMST: Favourite Types of Posts

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by the lovely Rainy Day Ramblings, and currently assisted by a team of bloggers, Roberta @ Offbeat YA, Karen @ For What It's Worth, Berls @ Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life, Jen @ That's What I'm Talking About, and Linda @ Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell.

This week's topic is: What are your favourite posts to read?

My favourite types of posts to read would have to be lists! I have always been pretty obsessed with making lists myself, and I really love to read other peoples' ones too. Your favourite books? Movies? Quotes? In order or not, it doesn't matter to me. 

I do tend to prefer lists that don't have super long explanations following each item, but I like both posts that have a little blurb with each item as well as ones with no explanation at all. These types of posts are fun to flip through and relate too, but also don't take a lot of effort on my part on those days where I'm tired. I find them not always easy to comment on though, other than "those are on my list too!" or "I've always been interested in that one".

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What are you favourite posts to read? To do like to read other people's lists, and if so, do you prefer explanations of why that item is on the list?

Unpopular Opinions: Audiobooks

Audiobooks are often a bit of a hot topic in the book community. Whether you are a blogger, booktuber, or avid Goodreads reviewer, everyone seems to have a very decided opinion on them. Every so often the age-old fight breaks out: "are audiobooks considered 'reading'?" and "can you count them towards a reading total/goal?"

Seeing a recent reemergence of this topic on my social media, I've decided to weigh in (is that really wise, Shayna?).

Binging T.V. Shows - Yay or Nay?

 In the past several years, with the popularity of streaming services such as Netflix, and the release of epic series like Game of Thrones, blasting through an entire season (or more) of a show in a short amount of time has become a normal phenomenon for many. Yet, where do you draw the line? When is too much?  That's what I'm going to talk about today.

Now, although I don't necessarily think binging a show is the healthiest thing on the planet (neither is necessarily reading for 12 hours straight either ;) ), I absolutely do it as well, and think that it's a great treat from time to time. And yet, I also experience some serious downfalls with it:

1) Physical symptoms - exhaustion, neck and shoulder strain, stiffness

2) Lack of recollection for details - I kind of remember what happened in the show, but what was that person's name? 

3) Less satisfaction - overall, the show isn't as good as if I had waited and watched it in stages

4) Stronger sense of loss - when it's over, if it's a short series, there is this strong sense of "nothingness" after. A longer duration between episodes gives you time to adjust to it not being there every moment, and you don't instantly go "yeah, but what do I do now?"

So, keeping those things in mind, is it really worth binging a show? Sometimes.

I think it's fun for short shows, or to binge an entire season and then watch things slowly for following seasons. I also love doing this when rewatching a season before the next one comes out as a refresher, but I definitely advise (at least for myself) against making it a habit.

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Do you like to binge watch shows? What are some of the positives to doing it for you? Do you find there to be any drawbacks?

Library Life: Community or Quiet?

Whether you are a frequent visitor of your local library, or or haven't been in one since you were little, I'm sure you have a distinct picture in your mind of what they are like. Are they quiet places of study and refuge, with people who shush you, a musty smell, and books in pristine condition? Are they maybe centres filled with the sounds of storytimes and children running around, media centres to explore technology, and a nice little cafe on the main floor?

Whatever your opinions are, most of them currently fall somewhere in the middle. Unfortunately, as wonderful as this balance is, it comes with some sacrifices. How can you have a quiet study space but also allow for multimedia use? How do you keep the books clean and without damage, but also allow in food? You can't. But, there are ways to protect both of these environments to get the best of both worlds.

Library Life: Phone Etiquette

Conversation #1

______ Library, how may I help you?

My name is _____ _______ and I lost my book, or I think I lost it, but I don't really know, and it might be in my cottage in North Bay which is several hours away, and my daughter might be able to get it in a week or two, but I don't know. What do I do?

Okay, let me take a look at your account. Can I get your name again?

*Patron now thinks I am an idiot because they already told me their name, and proceeds to spell their name which is something like "Mary Smith"*

Situations like this happen to me several times a week, and there are a few simple ways to change this - but it seems like learning phone etiquette is a thing of the past...or never occurred at all. So, I would like to share a few tips on how to conduct yourself over the phone with a business or organization. Now, organizations have different ways of doing things based on how their computer system works, but this is a generally good guide.
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What to do before making a call:
1) Know what has happened (even if you don't know why)
2) Know what you want to achieve
3) Have your client card/number present

Tips when speaking:

1) Say hello.
You don't need to ask how the person you are calling is, it's okay. You are welcome to (politeness is definitely not a bad thing), but please also keep this relatively brief - often staff are minding phones as well as other things, and drawing out a phone call for a long time over pleasantries can be a bit frustrating. However, please never EVER just launch into what your problem is without even saying hello - it is just plain rude, and people are less likely to do you a favour.

2) First state in a single clear and concise statement what the problem is.
This is not the moment to give the entire backstory of what has occurred. Often people will have launched into their full problem in complete detail...only to be told that they need to be transferred to another location or person. Some businesses have people to answer the phones simply to route the calls to the correct place and answer simple questions (ex. hours of operation, nearest location, etc.), while others have fully trained staff answering the phones and taking care of other things (or somewhere in the middle). Since you likely won't know the capabilities of the person on the other end, the best thing that you can do is to simply inform the person what you need/the problem, so that they can determine what tools will be needed to help you - whether that is opening the correct computer module, or transferring the call.

Uncomfortable Recommendations

Do you ever recommend something to someone - a book, show, or movie without really thinking about the content?

What I mean by this, is that you enjoyed the content, but you were either desensitized to something in it or have forgotten it. For example, you might encourage a fan of the fantasy genre to watch Game of Thrones...but I hope that it isn't a twelve year old whom you are suggesting it to.

Sometimes you might not think about the level of graphic sex, violence, or language used in a piece before recommending it. I know that for myself, I might remember one or two of those aspects (ex. sex and violence in Game of Thrones), but the language is something I might have forgotten. So if I'm telling a friend to watch so-and-so, I might omit to ask them if they are okay with graphic language.

Well, that was unexpected...

Unpopular Opinions: Classic Literature

If you love classic literature as much as I do, you're bound to have some strong opinions about their content - and not all of it matches the most common opinions and perceptions that people have. So today I want to share a few of my "favourite" unpopular opinions that I have.

Spoilers, spoilers abound! For each book I'm talking about, the description might contain spoilers. If you haven't read these books, it's safe to read the titles in bold, but you might want to avoid the explanations underneath.

TMST: Covers That Don't Work

This week's Tell Me Something Tuesday topic from the lovely Heidi at Rainy Day Ramblings is "does is bother you when a book cover doesn't fit the characters in the book?" I am so excited to share my thoughts on this one, you have no idea!

Does it bother me? 100%, absolutely, no doubt about it, it drives me nuts! I've talked about the accuracy of cover art a bit in the past, where I evaluated covers of The Picture of Dorian Gray, but I get very bothered if simple details are not kept in mind when designing a cover. If the main character has blond, curly hair, and the cover has a person on it, the person should have blond, curly hair (unless they are evidently depicting a different character of course).

TMST: Vacation Reading

This week's question from Rainy Day Ramblings is "Vacation Reading: What books would you pack for your vacation?" but instead of necessarily listing a bunch of specific books, I'm going to talk about the kinds of books I like to read over the summer.

For some reason, I always think Jane Austen is the perfect author over the warmer months. I like to curl up on the couch and pour through these. Maybe it's the romance, maybe it's the revisiting of old favourites, or maybe it's just about having the time and the focus to get into them, but I tend to crave these books in the summer.

I also love reading anything that's long, or takes a bit more effort to get through, like classics. I'm more likely to pick up Jane Eyre or War and Peace over the summer. Not only am I happier (and can therefore focus better without being stressed), but I also have more time on my hands...sort of. I tend to have more time to myself without being bothered by various people, and am usually out of school (or have a lighter course load), but I do end up working a lot more. For some reason, this combination means that when I am free, I read for hours on end. I don't tend to pick a lot of things that are too dark and depressing, but I am fine with reading something that is rather serious in nature.

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Oops! I forgot to post this on Tuesday!

TMST - Books Compared to Other Books

Are you more inclined/less inclined to read books that are compared to other popular books or authors? That's this week's Tell Me Something Tuesday topic from Rainy Day Ramblings.

Definitely less inclined. There are extremely rare cases when I find that these comparisons are accurate, or are not a complete rip-off of another author's work. I think a lot of the time that this is a bit of a money grab or selling tactic. 

In the same vein, I also dislike when a quote from a similar author is on the cover telling me how much they loved this book. I might like an author's writing in a certain genre, but that doesn't mean I like what they like to read. This is also tricky if an author writes in more than one genre. For example, if Meg Cabot really enjoyed a Sarah Dessen book, that might be fine as a recommendation if you like Princess Diaries, but might not mean anything if you are into the 1-800-WHERE-R-U series.

Books I Disliked/Hated But Am Glad I Read

This week I am splitting my Top Ten Tuesday into two parts: Books I Disliked But Am Glad I Read, and Books I Originally Disliked But Grew To Enjoy. I don't tend to typically dislike a lot of the books I read because I am rather picky about what I choose, however every once and a while there is something that just doesn't sit well with me. So, here's my entry for this week's topic hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, split into two lists:

Books I Disliked But Am Glad I Read

1) The Professor - Charlotte Brontë
Yes, my beloved Charlotte is on this list. As much as I adore Jane Eyre, this book just didn't work for me. I'd like to pick it up again in a few years to see if my opinion changes, but I am still glad I got to read more of her work in order to get a more thorough understanding of her writing.

2) The Catcher in the Rye - J. D. Salinger
I hate this book. Sorry to all of you who love it, but it is one of my most hated novels of all time. I'm glad I read it only because I at least tried, and can honestly say it isn't my thing.

3) The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
Although I don't hate this book, I really just found it dreadfully dull. I wanted to gain a further understanding of Plath, and to some degree I did, but it felt overall rather stagnant (I suppose that's the point). It was interesting in the sense that it is semi-autobiographical though.

4) Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë
Charlotte's sister also makes an appearance on this list! There are some wonderful moments in this book, and it is hands-down one of my favourite stories, but I didn't particularly enjoy the book. The cockney slang was nearly impossible to follow, and I found it took away from the feeling of the story in a lot of ways. It's one that I think works much better as a movie (*gasp*) and I do think I will re-read it again one day to see if it improves (but really, just watch the 1992 film because it is one of the best movies ever).

TMST: Things That Annoy You...

What are things that annoy you right now in the book market?

That's this week's topic from Rainy Day Ramblings for Tell Me Something Tuesday, and I am going to dive right in.

Mass market paperbacks with movie covers. Although I support any and all things that encourage people to read (I really do), I really hate these versions of books most of the time. I feel like the movie adaptation on its own should entice people to read the book and the movie cover is just one more way it feels like they are trying to get extra money. These covers are usually poorly done, as well as the book is on cheap quality paper with below par binding.

Do I hate mass market paperbacks? No, I think they serve their purpose and I love that it makes books more accessible to people who want to own a copy or don't want to suffer through the long wait list at the library without paying a fortune. However we are kidding ourselves if we think the physical book is a good quality. So, combining that with a cheesy-looking movie cover can really put me off of a book.

I'm not really a huge fan of movie covers in the first place, however there are a few exceptions that I don't mind so much. I still prefer the original or non-media covers, but they don't irritate me quite as much. Perhaps that's hypocritical, but ah well...

TMST: Series or Stand Alone Books?

Last week I found a fun weekly discussion series called Tell Me Something Tuesday hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings, and I thought it tied in so well with what I wanted to do for my Top Ten Tuesday that I absolutely had to do it this week. Of course, I'm laughing that the two weekly lists/posts that I want to do are both on Tuesdays...but we'll see how that works out.

This week's question: Do you prefer series or stand alone?

When I first saw this question, I paused - which did I like better? I thought it was maybe stand alone books, but I thought about how much I loved series such as Harry Potter, The Infernal Devices, and many others and hesitated.

When I really think about it though, I definitely prefer stand alone novels rather than getting involved in a series. I often find that with a series, especially in the case of a trilogy, there is a book that is essentially a filler, which, although useful to push the plot forward, isn't really a great read on its own. With a single novel, although there may be filler sections, they are shorter than a full book and therefore the read is overall more enjoyable. The one downside is that the plots and universes are rarely as fully developed and intricate (of course there are always exceptions to some degree, such as The Count of Monte Cristo).

I think it really depends on the genre, and subject matter though. A fantasy series such as A Song of Ice and Fire or Harry Potter wouldn't be anywhere near as effective if they were a single book. The character development and world building would be extremely different as we don't get to see large ranges of time or content. Each year in Harry Potter shows a different side and evolution of each character. Where character-driven books are concerned, a full series rarely works. Imagine The Perks of Being a Wallflower as a trilogy, or a sequel to Wuthering Heights - it just wouldn't work. It would be too much.

Top Ten Series That Should Have Ended Earlier

What an exciting week! That Artsy Reader Girl has given us a super fun topic for our Top Ten Tuesday - it's whatever we want! This was at first exciting, then daunting, and then a delight. I had several ideas swimming through my head, so it took a bit before I settled on this one, however as it was a post I had been wanting to do for some time, I figured this was the perfect opportunity. Heads up, this post will definitely contain mild spoilers for the books mentioned. So, here are ten series that I think would have been more more effective if they had ended earlier:

1) Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares
Where and Why: It should have ended at book three. Book one was fantastic, enjoyed books two and three as well, but book four to me felt like we had lost the essence of all of our characters. Everyone needed a boyfriend, or to have sex, and instead of the girls deciding that they didn't need the pants anymore and packing them away, they actually lose them? I thought that was a horrible ending.

2) The Giver by Lois Lowry
Where and Why: Book two. I can accept Messenger, it's technically fine, but it doesn't have the same magic or depth to me as The Giver and Gathering Blue, and I sort of dislike that the ambiguous ending (of a sort) from The Giver is taken away because everything feels explained and resolved in Messenger. The fourth book Son, however, I can't stand. I thought the writing felt childish and the story was too far from anything that made sense in these worlds to me. I would have enjoyed the overall concept much more if it was original and not tied in Jonas and Kira's stories.

3) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Where and Why: Book three. I loved the first book, Outlander, because it took place in Scotland during a fascinating time period, and had so many things going for it. Book two took a downturn because we moved to France (nothing wrong with France, but I picked up the series because of Scotland), however we go back to Scotland again later. Book three takes place in Scotland and Jamaica, but it's still a cool storyline. Then we get to book four, Drums of Autumn, which I feel like I have been reading for a decade because it is so slow. It takes place in America, and honestly I could hardly care less about it.

4) The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
Where and Why: Book four. Gasps and ahs I'm sure from you all, but I think the series would have been much more effective if it was about four books long. I think the last two books, although the content was overall interesting, didn't need to be anywhere near as long as they were. I drastically slowed down at this point and nearly stopped reading them (except that I wanted to know how they concluded). I really feel that these last two books could either have been combined together, or that the last three books could have been smushed into two. Each had some good points, but the whole thing felt like a stretch.

5) Divergent by Veronica Roth
Where and Why: Book two. In all honesty, this probably should have ended at book one, but I'm trying to be generous. Book one was a cool concept and well-done, book two was okay, and book three was a struggle to get through. I actually knew the major plot spoiler ending from page one. I'm not exaggerating, the actual first page. The rest of the book just didn't capture my interest like the first two, and I really just finished it because I figured I should.

Characters I Hated in Books I Loved

Happy April! Another week, another Top Ten Tuesday from That Artsy Reader Girl. I'm reversing the topic for this week, so instead of "Characters I liked That Were In Non-Favorite/Disliked Books," I've gone with characters I highly disliked in books I really liked. Even in an otherwise perfect book, there can often be a character that you just can't stand, so here are some of the ones who I really didn't like in great books:

1. Dolores Umbridge - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
   I know, I know...she's going to be on an insane amount of lists this week (if other people flip the topic), but I couldn't not include her.
2. The Mechanicals - A Midsummer Night's Dream
   This is a bit of a cheat because there are not only several characters here, but this is also a play. In truth they all bother me so I couldn't pick just one. They are definitely my least favourite part of this beloved play.
3. Mrs. Norris - Mansfield Park
   No, not Mrs. Norris from Harry Potter! This Mrs. Norris is 100% human, 0% feline.
4. Amy March - Little Women
   I have never been able to stand Amy. I know that she "improves" by the end, and we are supposed to feel better about her...but I've never been particularly good at doing what I was supposed to.
5. Merlin - I Am Mordred
   Merlin is a terrifying and nasty sorcerer in this novel, and you don't really get why unless you have more familiarity with other Arthurian tales (more than just Mordred's fate), so he just seems to be nasty to Mordred for no good reason.

Bookish Pet Peeves

Everyone has something that drives them absolutely nuts when they pick up a book or series. Some of them are so irritating that they cause you to stop a book mid-way, refuse to continue a series, or avoid even starting the book in the first place. Here I want to share a few of those "hair-ripping out moments" of mine with you.

...no. Just no.

A Bad First Sentence
It is my belief that if you can't bother to have a good first sentence in your book, then you probably didn't take enough care with the rest of the piece for it to be worth my time.

Stereotypical Character Descriptions
Male has curly black hair and eyes like the ocean, is six feet tall with a broad chest and plays either piano or guitar.
Girl is plain, with mousy brown hair that never does what she wants it to, and the boy is instantly in love with her and thinks she is the most beautiful girl ever.
Just no.

The Last Pages are a Preview
I'm sorry, but I thought I had 30 pages of this book left and it just ended. I was not ready. I have been jolted out of a few books this way, and it was horrifying every time. I don't mind those short/few page previews after, or if the pages are a different colour on the side so that it is clear it is not part of the original book, but otherwise I often hate it.