Friday 13 March 2015

Friday Memes: Book Blogger Hop, Book Beginnings, Friday 56

This week sure went by fast didn't it? Daylight savings time certainly didn't help matters but it won't take much longer to fully adjust to the time change. Of course, the big literary news this week is the death of Terry Pratchett, who sadly died yesterday after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Even though he always remained on my radar, it is embarrassing to admit that I have yet to read anything written by him. His Discworld Series (comprising a total of 40 books!) has quite the cult following and if it is any consolation, I do plan on reading the first installment soon. It won't make up for my ignominious ways for avoiding him all these years, but that is a start in the right direction for redeeming myself, is it not?

I probably won't have much time for any reviews this weekend because of my busy work schedule so this is an ample opportunity to participate in several memes:



Hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer, this is now round two of the Book Blogger Hop for me. This week's question was submitted by Elizabeth: What is more important to you when you are deciding to read a book?

Well, that is a fairly open ended question. I am not sure if she asking what aspects of a book are most important to me when deciding to start reading a new book or what personal factors might contribute to my decision. Either way, time is usually the deciding point of consideration. This question or some variation of it runs through my mind: do I really want to devote precious time to this particular novel when I could probably be reading something else or perhaps take up a different activity that is more productive? Don't get me wrong here, I think setting aside some personal reading time is important. Hell, I obviously wouldn't bother having a book blog if I didn't think otherwise. Additionally, it is also essential to my overall mental health and well-being to always be reading something. I have nothing against those who devote many of their waking hours to reading and writing--in fact, I truly envy those lucky individuals. Unfortunately, life has a habit of getting in the way of my reading goals so I tend to say a little prayer before picking up any novel: Please prove to be worthwhile and not a giant waste of my time.

Presuming that I have managed to free up some spare time to read, then the author becomes most important. If I really like a particular author, then I will often read as much as I can by them (Virginia Woolf, Philip K. Dick and Muriel Spark are just a few examples). Or if there happens to be an author that has piqued my curiosity or one that I have been meaning to read but never got around to doing so (Terry Pratchett and Ursula Le Guin for the present moment), then they jump up the queue.  



Thanks to Rose City Reader for hosting this meme. Right now, I am in the midst of of Ursula Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness, which begins, as thus: 

"I'll make my report as if I told a story, for I was taught as a child on my homeworld that Truth is a matter of the imagination."

Yep, I love this opening sentence. Notice that the word 'truth' is capitalized. The paradoxical relationship between truth and fiction will become an important thematic element of the story as it progresses. Le Guin is a fantastic writer and similar to my feelings concerning Terry Pratchett, I am beating myself up for not reading her work sooner.
This is actually my first time participating in this meme hosted by Freda's Voice. It's more of an extenuation of Rose City Reader's Book Beginnings: Grab a book, any book. Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader. Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it) that grab you. Post it. Sounds easy enough:

"Occasionally I was asked how my nose got broken. I have a flat nose; Gethenian noses are prominent and narrow, with constricted passages, well adapted to breathing subfreezing air." 

The protagonist is an envoy to a distant planet and it is important for him to assimilate himself into this foreign society but his physical appearance sets him apart as an alien to the local natives. Le Guin does an exceptional job developing his sense of estrangement and exploring the concept of difference in the novel. I still have about 3/4 to go but it is clear to me already that this is going to turn out to be a pretty great novel.

That's it for now. Have a great weekend everyone!

11 comments:

  1. I love that quote about Truth. When teaching History that is an idea I try to get students to understand. Hope you'll be stopping by. http://ebogie.blogspot.com

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    1. Do you mean to suggest to your students that history contains an inherent bias? The line between fact and fiction often gets blurred or distorted with time. Heck, people still believe the holocaust never took place, heh.

      Thanks for stopping by Elizabeth! I'll be sure to return the courtesy.

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  2. I love the opening line of this book. :-)

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  3. I am sold on that powerful opener too!
    Happy weekend!

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    1. Thanks and I appreciate you hosting this wonderful meme!

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  4. Great answer for this week! Work often gets in the way of my reading so I understand your importance of time. I often look at a book and think do I need to read this or do I want to read this? I do have ARCs that I need to read but I try to alternate with books I really want to read. That way I don't take the enjoyment of reading away from me.

    Thanks for visiting my blog and have a great week!!!

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    1. Need to read vs. want to read...that's exactly what I was alluding to. You're absolute right though, we tend to feel obligated in reading certain books (like classics or assigned school readings) as opposed to reading for pleasure. I am currently using your reading strategy right now so that I don't get overwhelmed by a lot of these more demanding texts. I'm really enjoying fun, entertaining some crime fiction at the moment. Not everything has to be Shakespeare. :P

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  5. There's always that question before starting a book, isn't there? With everything going on in life, it would be lovely if we could know ahead of time which books will be amazing and which will let us down.

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    1. Indeed. That sure would save us a lot of time and aggravation.

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  6. It's great to see you so active on the blog. I really need to pick up a boon by Ursula Le Guin, you're right - that's one intriguing beginning. As for Terry Pratchett, he's my favourite author so his death was devastating, even if somewhat expected for years now. I can tell you this, it's never too late to read Discworld!

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    1. I'm trying to keep pace with reviews but hopefully don't run out of gas too soon. I finished "The Left Hand of Darkness" the other day and should have a review up soon. She's a great writer, worth checking out for sure.

      I didn't know you were so fond of Pratchett. Darn, you must still be in mourning. Thank you for the encouragement, I hope to read the first discworld novel very soon!

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