Booking Through Thursday

Booking Through Thursday can be found right here.

Movies have a rating system to help guide the consumer weed out adult/violent/inappropriate kinds of films. Video games do, too. Do you think BOOKS should have a ratings system?

I really, really don't. I believe that parents should pay attention to their children's reading, and in some cases screen (a friend once asked me, "How old do you think a girl should be to read Twilight?" and I replied, "About 28") and definitely discuss, but I don't like the "slap a rating on it" approach. It oversimplifies. And in the case of the MPAA, let's look at the ridiculousness of a bit of nudity warranting a stricter rating than, say, a character gunning down dozens of people. I think that parents should be tuned in to what their children are reading, but I don't know that a rating system is at all helpful. There have been books I've picked up without knowing they were Christian fiction, and I wished there had been a warning label, so I do think an accurate synopsis/teaser is a good thing. My daughter is only six, but as she gets older and reads more independently, I plan to keep an eye on her reading, not to censor, but to ensure we discuss complex issues that may come up. I don't see how an outside agency's opinion really helps me do that.

Booking Through Thursday

Booking Through Thursday can be found right here.

Happy Spring Equinox, everyone! What book are YOU choosing to celebrate with?

I actually don't change my reading based on time of year or holidays, for the most part. In summer, I find myself reading lighter fare, and I have Christmas favorites that come out annually, but spring doesn't have a set reading list for me. I'm continuing with the books I'm currently reading (and since there are more than usual - I generally read one at a time - perhaps that's an indication of spring restlessness).

Booking Through Thursday

Booking Through Thursday can be found right here.

Does your current mood affect your reading? Affect your choices? I know there are plenty of books I enjoy, but only if Im in a particular kind of mood–or books that can lift me out of a bad mood without fail. Surely I’m not alone?

Oh, you are not alone. My mood and setting always affect my reading choices. There is comfort reading for tough times (the Harry Potter series, the Thursday Next series, Louise Penny). I'm rarely in the mood for memoirs, but I'm reading one now. I'm not sure what that mood is called - adventurous, since I'm branching from my norm? If I'm frazzled, I love the clarity of a murder mystery. If I'm pensive, I go for fantasy or science fiction. When I finish a book, I sometimes know immediately which book is next (after finishing LIFE AFTER LIFE, a very layered and melancholy book, I craved light fantasy), but I sometimes prowl through my bookshelves or through the Kindle list before I hit on just the right book. In some cases, I read the first few pages of several before hitting on the right read.

Booking Through Thursday

Booking Through Thursday can be found right here.

One of those quick, easy questions that I ask periodically because the answer is always changing: What are you reading right now? (And, is it good? Would you recommend it? How did you choose it?)

I am currently reading THE PALACE JOB by Patrick Weekes, a fantasy take on an Oceans Eleven-ish plot. After finishing the Kate Atkinson book, I needed something fun and light, but not dopey. I read the first page of several books on the TBR list, but nothing was quite right until I started THE PALACE JOB. Smart AND funny. That's the ticket.

Booking Through Thursday

Booking Through Thursday can be found right here. This week's question: How often do you visit a library? Do you go to borrow books? Do research? Check out the multi-media center? Hang out with the friendly and knowledgeable staff? Are you there out of love or out of need?

I enjoy taking my daughter to the library. She goes nuts in the picture book section and we bring home a stack every week or two. My favorite use of the library is using the online catalog at home to research a topic or choose books with a specific theme - I request several, from many different branches, and they all turn up at my local branch under my name. Magic.