Tag Archives: Bookish Chatter

Chatter about books, reading and anything related to either one.

Bookish Talk

Weird and Quirky Bookish Habits

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I am in the middle of a reading frenzy and when I find myself in that position, I tend to not want to write about it. That leaves me open to discuss other topics. That said, I have gotten a few comments lately (mostly from non-bookish folks) that have called my reading or bookish habits…weird. I don’t think they are weird but they might be annoying to booksellers as the first two deal with my in-store experience.

*I have been known to rearrange books on a shelf to more prominently display a hidden gem. You know how books sometimes face out at the bookstore? Well, sometimes I choose which ones should face out. I do this with all books but probably do it a little bit more with children’s books or Young Adult. YA, because I tend to always see the same books showcased. Come on, mix it up a little!

*I have also been known to move a classic to the bestseller’s table, just to remind folks that there are other books besides the latest Josh Grisham, although I have nothing against John. I know this might be slightly irritating to those in retail but I worked retail for years and years so I get why you might be irritated, I just can’t help myself. I also straighten stacks and alphabetize books that need it so I figure it all evens itself out in the end.

*I will pretty much contort my body any which way to see what a person is reading. This is harder to do with eReaders, but not impossible. Just takes a bit more effort on my part. I can tell that they notice me sometimes and they don’t seem to mind, but then why not just put the book down and tell me what you are reading? Would be so much easier for everyone.

*The books on my shelf are in the order in which I plan to read them. This helps me keep a visual of what’s coming up. Sure, I add stuff to it all the time but I always consider the order first and then position the title accordingly.

*If I pack an actual book in my bag, then I wrap it in a large zip lock bag to keep it from getting bent or messed up in some way. This did not save my copy of The Art of Fielding (The Girl’s water bottle found it in my car) but for the most part, it keeps books in pretty good shape.

These aren’t weird, right? What do you do that could be considered a bit weird by non-readers?

Bookish Talk

First you hate it, and then you like it

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Lately, I’ve been in a reading mood, more than a writing mood so although I have finished several books from my staggering TBR pile, I don’t feel like writing about them right now. That’s a problem when you have a book blog. Then again, maybe not. I never seem to have a hard time finding something to talk about in person, so why should that be any different here? Afterall, my blog is called Book CHATTER, right?

Ahem… (head cold in full swing, Sudafed cloud to follow)

Have you ever disliked a book and then changed your mind after hearing that one of your friends, or in my case, a respected book blogger, liked it better? Without any research at all, I can tell you that this year, I was swayed by other readers at least three times. At first, this confused me. It confused me because when I finished these books, there was no doubt in my mind what I was going to say about them. However, when I sat down to write those reviews, I suddenly had a change of heart.

At first this bothered me, because it made me feel as if I didn’t really know what the heck I was saying. Then it made me think that I was being wishy-washy or sugar-coating how I really felt about the book. After pondering this for months, I’ve decided that neither is correct. It’s no different than going to a book club meeting, prepared to discuss what was in your opinion, a real stinker, only to realize that you totally missed one aspect of the story, or you neglected to consider A and B. Suddenly, clouds part and with a furrowed brow, you sit down to write about said book but from an entirely different angle.

Does this mean that the review you read is not my true reaction to the book? Not at all. I have never given a book a glowing review if I didn’t feel it deserved one, but because of some very influential readers and bloggers, I’ve opened my mind to other viewpoints which in turn, makes the review more well-rounded, as opposed to my “gut reaction” which is often how my first drafts are.

I’m not even going to ask if this has happened to you, because I know that it has, but do you find that it happens often? Just for fun, I am going to share with you the bloggers that influence me the most. When they talk, I sit-up and take notice.

Sandy from You’ve Gotta Read This! (she doesn’t always sway me, like with Ready Player One, but she sure makes me question if I’ve completely lost my marbles)

Arti from Ripple Effects (we have similar reading tastes, but she nearly always brings up something I didn’t initially consider)

Zibilee from Raging Bibliomania (I hesitate to use her real name as she goes by Zibilee, but if this woman shrunk herself down and crawled into my brain, I suspect that my book reviews would be much, much longer than they are and no doubt, better. She includes the most interesting perspectives. If she’s read a book after me, I nearly always go, “Hmmm…how could I have missed that?”)

These happen to be book bloggers, but there are also readers who influence me just as much. But these three are the ones that are constantly shaping me whether I realize it or not.

Just for fun, who influences you the most when it comes to reading or writing up your reviews? It doesn’t even have to be a blogger. Maybe it’s your husband or wife or a sister from afar. Maybe even a bookseller you deal with regularly. I’m curious.