Some of you may have noticed the little Amazon clickety thingy in the sidebar. Let me tell you a little bit about it. Besides the obvious beautiful side effect of earning me a few bucks on the side (no, I haven't made a dime yet, which is perfectly fine), I mostly put it there, to share my favorite reading list with the rest of the world.
I'm not very good at writing book reviews. I've never learned how to, and the one try I started, failed miserably. Turns out, not only book writing is hard work, but also book review writing. I swear. Try it. You don't know where to begin and where to end, and what to put in between. Or maybe you do, and I just lack this talent completely.
But I am very passionate about everything on that list, and it will grow continuously, as I add more books to the list. I may, every now and then, point out a book to you, when I think it's truly worth a read... like "Dumbing us down" by John Taylor Gatto. Fantastic read.
Recently I went to a Classical Educators meeting. It was fun and informative, and the ladies there recommended Leon Garfield's "Shakespeare Stories". I quickly skimmed through the pages of the book Gina had brought along with her, and I was a captured fan. Reader, I must confess, that I'm completely Shakespeare illiterate. I hated Shakespeare... mostly because I simply didn't get it, I admit. After school I never found a reason to read Shakespeare. Until now. Who knew that Othello could be interesting and even captivating? I'm hoping to instill a love for Shakespeare in my daughter with these stories. My son is a little young still. :)
So, go on and check out the link, and know that if you do decide to order, it will come back to me in the form of gift certificates to be used at Amazon for more fun books.
Oh...lucky me!! I have such lovely freckles and a sunflower following me!! Thanks for becoming a follower!! (It makes me feel important ..and good...!) And I will return the favor!!
ReplyDeleteI love going to the movies and fancy myself at some point in the future being a paid reviewer... It is harder than it looks.... I was not an English major in college, nor really any sort of decent writer...but since I went to a college known for it's writing talents (Kenyon) I somehow feel an urge (or obligation...or something) to try and write....something.... (the blog is the substitute for now....or not...!)
The Amazon thingy? COol... And I have never read much Shakespeare...ya know, the requisite Romea and Juliet in school...but I saw the movie "O" a contemporary Othello story... WOW! It was great! And still, while I loved the movie, I remained unmotivated enough NOT to go seek out the original... such is life with family and other obligations....
I used to feel bad that I never liked reading Shakespeare (still don't and won't waste my time), like somehow I was missing the gene that would help me gain entry into the world of the culturally literate. Until someone informed me that Shakespeare never intended his works to be read. Shakespeare was a gifted story teller, but reading annotated tomes as an educational rite of passage is a waste of time, in my opinion, unless it's something one truly enjoys. I put it right up there with memorizing geometric proofs- what's the point unless you're a math geek?
ReplyDeleteThat said, the Garfield books do an excellent job of introducing Shakespeare to kids.
giggles, I do quite enjoy reading you. And yes, love my little sunflower picture. :)
ReplyDeleteI guess, I'm not feeling terrible about not having read Shakespeare when I was younger. I didn't know that Shakespeare didn't mean for his works to be read. But well... a lot of stuff wasn't meant by the "creator". In the end, I suppose, I could live just as well without Shakespeare in my life. But if it does help me or my daughter in any way to have read his stories, then great. Who knows what will come of it someday. :)
E, who are you anyway?
Who am I? A former home schooling mom. My kids are almost grown and will soon be out of the house. Can't stop reading the home schooling blogs, though. Probably because I think of home schoolers as people who think things through more than most folks do, so they're usually a good source of ideas about family and life in general to ponder. Not that I'm biased or anything: )
ReplyDeleteThanks, E, for clarifying that for me. :)
ReplyDeleteI like reading book reviews from people who don't "know how to write book reviews". You can read, right? You tell me what you like or dislike about a book and I'll decide to read it or not! Professional reviewers tell me how I "should" feel about a book but I want to hear what it made someone feel, what it gave them, what ideas sprung to life from reading it.
ReplyDeleteTry it!
And I have a question: If I click on Amazon from your blog will you get credit ONLY if I buy one of your recommendations or even if I buy something else?
Hm, I think it's only when you order one of my recommendations. :)
ReplyDeleteI will consider the review thing. Might as well give it a try, huh? :)
I'm glad you liked the Leon Garfield books! They are a favorite at our house. I must confess a love of Shakespeare, but only because I rarely read it; instead I watch it live or on video. Little did my best friend know what she was starting when she forced me to go see Othello with her lol.
ReplyDeleteOnce I get my informal book review page started I will send you a link Ute. The vision came clear to me last week and now I just need some child-free time to make it viewable. I also stink at formal book reviews so I'm going for the chatty "as if I was at coffee with you" style. Much more my speed, esp. since I never agree with the traditional
book reviews anyway lol.
Loved your ballet articles by the way!!!
Gina
HAMLET
ReplyDelete(FACEBOOK NEWS FEED EDITION).
BY SARAH SCHMELLING
- - - -
Horatio thinks he saw a ghost.
Hamlet thinks it's annoying when your uncle marries your mother right after your dad dies.
The king thinks Hamlet's annoying.
Laertes thinks Ophelia can do better.
Hamlet's father is now a zombie.
- - - -
The king poked the queen.
The queen poked the king back.
Hamlet and the queen are no longer friends.
Marcellus is pretty sure something's rotten around here.
Hamlet became a fan of daggers.
- - - -
Polonius says Hamlet's crazy ... crazy in love!
Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Hamlet are now friends.
Hamlet wonders if he should continue to exist. Or not.
Hamlet thinks Ophelia might be happier in a convent.
Ophelia removed "moody princes" from her interests.
Hamlet posted an event: A Play That's Totally Fictional and In No Way About My Family
The king commented on Hamlet's play: "What is wrong with you?"
Polonius thinks this curtain looks like a good thing to hide behind.
Polonius is no longer online.
- - - -
Hamlet added England to the Places I've Been application.
The queen is worried about Ophelia.
Ophelia loves flowers. Flowers flowers flowers flowers flowers. Oh, look, a river.
Ophelia joined the group Maidens Who Don't Float.
Laertes wonders what the hell happened while he was gone.
- - - -
The king sent Hamlet a goblet of wine.
The queen likes wine!
The king likes ... oh crap.
The queen, the king, Laertes, and Hamlet are now zombies.
Horatio says well that was tragic.
Fortinbras, Prince of Norway, says yes, tragic. We'll take it from here.
Denmark is now Norwegian.
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http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2008/7/30schmelling.html