Showing posts with label SATS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SATS. Show all posts

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Sunday, November 17, 2013 - No comments

Share a Though Saturday (3): Visualization


Yep, it's not Saturday, but I've been researching the net for insight on a question that's been nagging me. So, I figured I would create a post and get some information from people who also love reading.

Question: 
How do people visualize when reading?

My Experience:
I remember reading when I was little and I would create settings, scenes, and characters with relative ease. Yet, now I find my visualization lacking. Although, it could be because I'm over thinking it. For example, when I'm reading, most of the characters/scenes/settings are hazy. Sometimes, I feel like I need to stop and actively create a crisp image, to then become frustrated, because the process is supposed to be passive (right?). However, once I've finished reading, I can play back what I've read without a hitch.  Could it be that I'm too conscious when reading? By too conscious, I mean that I'm overly aware of trying to visualize and thus interrupting the passive ability. For now I'm convinced that my method of visualization is collecting data as I read the book and letting it "sink in". If this is true, it still explains why I can remember characters from years ago, just not when they became crisp in detail. 

What's your experience with visualization? 

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Sunday, September 15, 2013 - No comments

Share a Thought Saturday (2): Target Audiences




Now you might be saying “What? No, it’s not Saturday!” and you would be correct. However, it is only 24 past midnight and I don’t feel like waiting an entire week to bring this topic up. The topic that I’m offering up for discussion is the following.

“Do you judge people for what they read? If so, is there a set age limit for books of certain genres?”

I’ve done a little bit of discussion on this before (off blog chat) and it was interesting to hear what others had to say. I know books are targeted for certain readers, i.e. YA, middle grade, adult, etc.… Yet, what happens when you don’t fit the target audience? Speaking of which, I had an experience with this the other day in one of my favorite bookstores. I inquired about “Witch Eyes” by author Scott Tracy. The guy was very nice and led me over to the area where it was supposed to be located (though I had already scanned it thoroughly). After a quick look, he said that unfortunately they did not have it and began offering alternative suggestions. For some reason, one phrase stuck in my head that went something along the lines of “… though you might be a little too old for that.” Of course, I took no offense and he meant to harm, but what if it was one of my favorite books? Anyways, enough with the anecdotes.

Let me superimpose a hypothetical situation. You look across the bus isle and see a college student reading a middle grade book. What is your first thought?  

My personal view is that people should not judge others by the book they read. After all, if someone derives pleasure from reading Dr. Seuss, then who are we to criticize them for it? When you think about it, one reason people love eReaders is because of the privacy aspect. You can take your device with you anywhere and read whatever you please.

- Did you miss last weeks discussion? Here's where you should go: Film vs. Book



Saturday, August 31, 2013

Saturday, August 31, 2013 - 2 comments

Share a Thought Saturday (1):



Link to introduction!!

Welcome to our first Share a Thought Saturday – SATS for short! I posted a brief synapsis earlier this week of what of SATS is and what I hope to accomplish from it. However, for those unfamiliar, I’ll post a link to the introduction below the SATS meme. 


Today’s thought comes from a fellow blogger over Books for Birds:

“Well, recently I was thinking about when you make a movie out of a book and it turns out badly versus coming out great.”

I for one think this is a awesome topic, one that I’ve pondered myself on numerous occasions. Now before we begin, I’m assuming that those of you who are reading this post also read books. Why else would you visit a book reviewer’s blog?

Ha, don’t answer that, I greatly appreciate any and all visitors!

So, continuing with this assumption, I also assume that you have you encountered what my fellow blogger is referring to. One very prominent example that comes to mind is Eragon. Now Eragon is one of my upmost favorite books and I was ecstatic when I heard it was undergoing production. However, when I finally saw the film I was downright upset. In my opinion, the movie was horrible. Granted, it’s been a very long time since I’ve seen Eragon, I cannot accurately enumerate all my grievances. Not to mention I wanted to put the experience out of mind as quickly as possible. However, one thing that irked me to no end, was the fact that Eragon – the main character - looked nothing like how I had imagined him.

This brings me to why I believe book-to-film adaptations tend to fail.  My reasoning is that by reading, we create our own internal “movie.” This movie is produced with the perfect cast, filmed at the perfect location, and cuts no corners with special effects. What you imagine is what you get. So, by the time we finish a book, we’ve experienced the best of the best. It’s no wonder why we are disappointed when going to the movie theater.

Am I saying that all book-to-film adaptions fail? No, certainly not. Two words, Harry Potter. The hype I’ve been hearing about TMI and THG seem to also suggest that they meet expectations. Have you seen them? If so, do you think they matched up with your internal version? Were you ultimately satisfied or disappointed with the final result?  

Monday, August 26, 2013

Monday, August 26, 2013 - 3 comments

Share a Thought Saturday!



Introducing “Share a Thought Saturday’s”!!!

Hey guys, I’ve been brainstorming ideas to try and get everyone more involved with providing feedback or just sharing their opinions in general. So, what I’ve come up with is “Share a Thought Saturday”!! I plan on offering up an idea or topic – one of my own or one of those submitted by my readers – and allowing a free for all discussion.

Got something on your mind?
Had a bad week and just want to throw it out there?
Have an idea or concept you would like feedback on?
Debate topic? Homework question?

It doesn’t matter what it is, if you want to share it, please feel free to do so. You can contact me via email thebookfeed@live.com , via Twitter @TheBookFeed_ , or by simply commenting on my blog. 

 Feel free to use SATS on your blogs as well! All I ask is that you link the above image back to The Book Feed. 

Hope to hear from you! 

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Thursday, August 22, 2013 - 9 comments

To Borrow, or to Buy, That is the Question:


Hello everyone,


Today I want to pose a question to you: What is your opinion on borrowing a book versus purchasing a book? 

I myself have very mixed feelings. On one hand I really like to buy books and display them on my bookcase. In fact, I really have this vision of owning a room filled with books. Sort of like my own personal library. If you've ever read InkHeart, I'm envisioning something along the lines of Elinor's home, but not to the extent that it consumes the house. 

Despite wanting to own my own mini library, I have another very conflicting view that I battle when purchasing a book, which is wasting money. "WHAT!? A BOOK CANNOT BE A WASTE  OF MONEY, THAT'S BLASPHEMY!!" Woah, wait a second, calm down. There is no need to attack me with a barrage of hardbacks. The way I look at it is if my library has the book, why not just check it out and read it? Why do I need to purchase another copy, when I can get it for free at the library? Sure, I may want to reread it, but can't I just check it out again? I hear a lot of things such as "I'm bad at returning the books back on time" or "I'm very forgetful", but those don't apply to me. Some even suggest passing down their collection to their children. Well as of right now, I have no plans on having children and even if I do, who's to say they will have the same tastes as myself?  

On the other hand, I've already said I really like displaying the books I've read. Particularly the ones that I found most enjoyable. I just find it comforting to have a bookcase filled with books, I'm not sure why, but I just do. I've even debated about whether or not I should buy the Kindle version of the book versus the physical copy, but I guess that's a whole other debate. Maybe I'll post a discussion about that sometime in the near future, so be ready!

Just for clarification, I do justify buying books that are published recently. In most cases, the library will not have the have the book for a while and I simply don't want to wait weeks/months. This is especially true for the small town that I come from. Don't misunderstand me, I really enjoy our library, but I don't think it has the means to keep up with the vast number of newly published books. For one, they have to ensure they aren't wasting their budget acquiring books that no one will want to check out. So, I speculate they wait to see how the public reacts before deciding on if and when they should purchase said book. However, when I'm back on campus, it becomes extremely easy to justify purchasing books. 
  1. 1.  There are two very awesome used book stores within walking distance.
  2. 2. Our 10 story library only has technical books (one floor has some fiction, but it's not anything exciting).
  3. 3.  Going through the hassle of asking our library to obtain the book I want via another library is very time consuming and seems bothersome.
  4. 4. It's a big city and I hate driving in the traffic, so I'm not willing to venture out to locate a library.

So, I want to hear from you. What's your opinion or methods for justifying your purchases? If you mainly check out your books from the library, I still want to hear your opinion.  

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