These are not books, lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves. From each of them goes out its own voice... and just as the touch of a button on our set will fill the room with music, so by taking down one of these volumes and opening it, one can call into range the voice of a man far distant in time and space, and hear him speaking to us, mind to mind, heart to heart. ~ Gilbert Highet
This weekend, as I contemplated the fact that my library held nothing of interest to me except that which I've already read, I made up a list of books I enjoy and like to reread and plan to hit the UBS down the street. I already went to WalMart, BJs, Sams and Target for the ones I could buy new at a reasonable price, as I do prefer to buy new whenever possible. But, SAHM=Limited Budget.
Then I saw this: Kansas City Bookstore Owner Burns Books to Protest Decline in Reading
Apparently this guy wanted to thin his stock and has several thousand books from his UBS to give away -- and says he couldn't find a place who would take them!
This is such a tragedy, it makes me want to cry. Literally.
My DD didn't do her chores last week -- and if she misses too many, she loses privileges. I've tried taking away TV and making her bedtime earlier along with a decrease or loss of her allowance, but none of that seems to matter to her. This past week? I took away reading before bed and at meals (yeah, I know it's a bad habit, but I do it, too...so she's learned). Now, she's distraught.
"Mommy, could I please read? Just today? I promise I'll do my chores."
AHA! Found her weakness!!
Too bad more people wouldn't miss it if you took their books away.
While perusing the online news, I also came across this:
Caution: Some soft drinks may seriously harm your health
This article indicates that there is strong reason to believe that a common preservative found in drinks such as Fanta and Diet Pepsi has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA, eventually leading to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.
Now, I don't really drink that much soda, but when I do, it's typically diet Pepsi so I'm impacted by this. Could I give it up? Absolutely. Do I want to? Not really... but still... Parkinson's? Ugh. I'm keeping an eye on this for awhile.
What about you? Do you drink soda? Could you give it up if you discovered it caused severe health problems?
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DH is strongly encouraging me to get a novel published instead of "just" short stories. So, this weekend I've worked on editing one of them. If you look at the sidebar, you'll see that I'm about halfway done. Then I have to write the synopsis and query. Ugh, ugh, ugh.
I'm not sure if this one will get a complete read through by anyone. I won't have time to post it all in my group, and it's awfully long for anyone to get through and nit in one reading. It's already been looked at in its entirety by one good friend and that's what I'm working through now. I may take a chance and hope it stands as is. We'll see.
In any case, that's what I'll be working on for the most part in the week to come. I also have a short story with characters I really love, so I may pull that out now and then when I'm going cross-eyed over the novel.
Have a wonderful week!
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We don't drink a lot of soda. If we're out, the kids might get one, but since the diet we don't go out anymore. Usually I'll buy a 2 liter bottle of Sprite or Root Beer if we've got people coming over or a babysitter, but that's about it. The kids prefer Gatorade or juice to soda, too.
Good luck with the writing this week!
If anyone tried to take my books away, I'd have to get quite severe with them.
The same with my Diet Coke. I live on Diet Coke. It's my drink of choice.
I drink decaf diet Pepsi. I have one can every few days, but it's mostly just because I like the carbonation. Knowing it could harm me, though, I'd certainly be willing to cut back to a can a month or so.
Now coffee... that's an entirely different matter.
Whoops! That's me ^^^
http://nicoleblack.wordpress.com
We drink water and milk at home, as well as coffee and black tea, but if we eat out we'll get a soda.
I used to discipline my eldest by taking away her fiction. She'd only be allowed to read her textbooks until the discipline was over. It worked GREAT for her!
Burning books because not enough people are reading? Something is just wrong there...besides the fact someone burned books.
I just started a Judith McNaught book and I'm already not enjoying it. Usually I like her stuff, but it just reminds me of 80's Harlequins for some reason. But I'll keep reading it and see if my opinion changes.
I don't drink much soda. When I do I tend to stick to Sprite or Root Beer. I much prefer water.
Good luck on your revisions. My novella is now over 31k, so maybe it won't be a novella.
ilfok-I love freebies ok?
I don't drink soda. At all. Or anything carbonated, if I can help it. Well, maybe a little champagne on occasion. I never learned to deal with the bubbles. Swallowing them is painful to me, or at least supremely uncomfortable, and I still find they like to come out my nose.
I would cry as a child if I went somewhere and they only served soft drinks.
Take away my coffee, and I'm a goner, though.
Interesting that, mostly (except for you, Tori!) we'd be willing to give up soda OR don't drink the stuff much if at all... my DH drinks several cans a day of the fully leaded kind and then wonders why he can't drop a few pounds!
LOL, Gay, on the bubbles (not that it's funny that it hurts)... I wonder why you have such an unusual reaction?
Anyone else?
I gave up soda a year ago and don't miss it.
I had to stop reading for 2 whole days and I barely made it. I can't live without reading a book.
Good luck on your revisions for your novel.
I used to drink lots of soda when I was younger, but nowadays I just stick to Sprite...even so, I only drink it occasionally. I prefer green teas. ;)
I can't believe someone would burn perfectly good books! And a bookstore owner at that! Shameful! How is that complete lack of regard for books supposed to influence people to read?? And what exactly, does that prove? That they're wasteful? That they couldn't donate them to a good cause? I'm sure there are lots of people out there who CAN'T AFFORD to buy books. It would have made more sense to donate them and give some of those people the opportunity to read!
Okay, getting down off my soap-box. I like pepsi. I don't drink a ton of it, but could I give it up? I don't think so. Still, it would be easier than sacrificing coffee. *shudder* There's an unpleasant thought.
When I was a kid my dad used to get mad at me for reading so late. I would stay up well past midnight reading, and then have to get up and go to school the next day. When he would catch me, he used to threaten to wake me up before 6:00 a.m. if I was that desperate to read. His reasoning was I could read early in the morning before school. Ick! I hate mornings about as much as I love reading. LOL!
Good luck with the writing this week.
I don't like the feeling after the soft drink. I bloat easily. So I usually avoid them. When I was young though, Coke and chicken rice are my staple diet UNTIL I read about Coke being good (abrasive) enough to wash the loo and other stuff. I'm crazy about coffee though...
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