I love books and want to make every attempt possible to enjoy what I’m reading.
My very favorite reads have more to do with the style of writing and how they fit into my life at that time.
Reading Styles and Views
I always thought I was an emotional reader. But lately, I've decided that maybe I am a verbal reader that is emotional when things become visual - or something like that.
Devoted to Reading
Feedspot chose this blog as one of the Top 100 Book Review Blogs. I'm pleased with this as I expect it means people are checking out Lori's Book Loft and are drawn to purchase books because they are devoted to reading.
Nose in a Book
I give an analysis of what I've read and tend to look at what I consider to be the highlights and/or point out character traits. Occasionally, I provide quotes.
If you are trying to obtain a review for your book here is the typical anatomy of the queries I see. And The Book Review Query revisited
Scribbles in the Scroll
I purchase vintage books. On a daily basis, I pick up a book I have here and look inside, and find copious amounts of expressions made by the person or persons who owned the book before I purchased it.
Writing Prompts and Ideas
A list of prompts and some enlightening ideas from an award-winning, USA Today best-selling author.
The Promise of Prose
Promising is the very air of the time; it opens the eyes of expectation; performance is ever the duller for his act; and, but in the plainer and simpler kind of people, the deed of saying is quite out of use. To promise is most courtly and fashionable; performance is a kind of will, or testament, which argues a great sickness in his judgment that makes it.
My visit to the world’s largest collection of original artwork by children’s book illustrators. The Museum’s goal is to promote literacy and enrich the lives of all people through the art of picture books.
The Free Library
The Little Free Library is stocked with donations. These came about in 2009, when Wisconsin's, Todd Bol installed one on his front lawn. Many of the municipal and state parks we have visited have also implemented the 'take a book, donate a book box'.
Time spent at the site of the author's Limberlost home nestled in Geneva Indiana. Literary Examination
A stunning guide to finding creative inspiration and how it can illuminate your life, your work, and your art—from Stephen King, Junot DÃaz, Elizabeth Gilbert, Amy Tan, Khaled Hosseini, Roxane Gay, Neil Gaiman, and many more acclaimed writers.
Why Journalism Still Matters
In dissecting the term professional journalist one would expect that being fair-minded idealists they would have to look highly at the very nature of their business where discussions and criticism are one of its primary functions and that leads many of us to see how skepticism can make things seem blurry.
Those of us that hold onto books and or magazines have our reasons and they usually have to do with something we feel we'll be wanting to read or view again. Today, I'm looking over what I'll call a green collection.
Colorful Children's Picture Books
15 wonderful Christmas stories I'd seen on shelves.
The Hundred Acre Woods
When we were children we always wanted to live in the Hundred Acre Wood which was where Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends lived. So, as a belated anniversary gift, my husband surprised me with a trip to the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory as their winter exhibit depicts A.A. Milne and his illustrator, Ernest H. Shepard, Hundred Acre Wood.
Tis the Snowflake Season
The weatherman did close by telling us to slow down, and allow extra time, and then he informed us it is a warm 24 degrees.
Autumn Leaves
The month of November began with a chill in the air and crisp autumn leaves softly floating to lay at our feet.
Fall Images and Book Reviews
I love the sights and smells of fall and often associate it with my youth
Christmas Joy
This is a fun page about Christmas here at home.
A Beautiful Day
In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with present time. Leonardo da Vinci
SIBLEY
Birdwatchers everywhere will love this beautiful box of 50 postcards featuring original bird paintings by renowned ornithologist David Sibley. This brand-new vertical format offers 50 postcards of birds lovingly rendered in watercolors by David Sibley.
#1 Book Storage – How do you store and organize your books?
Many of my books live in bookcases—similar to the ones pictured below—throughout the loft and on the first floor of our home. Others have found their way into old trunks, which seems especially fitting for books that carry a little history of their own.
I tend to keep my vintage and antique books in bookcases where I can easily see and reach them. I love having them close by, ready to pull down and hold whenever the mood strikes.
My ebooks and audiobooks have their own little home, too. I keep them organized in a folder on my laptop, where they’re always waiting for the next reading adventure. I also have a tablet for ebooks.
#2: Tracking – How do you keep track of what you have read and what books you own?
My blog is where I share the books I’ve recently read and reviewed. I provide a little detail about my classics and poetry but my TBR (to-be-read) collection is a whole different story—it’s getting smaller by the day! There always seems to be another book waiting to be discovered, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
#3 Borrow – Do you lend your books out?
Yes...but only to my mom and close friends, as the majority of my collections are vintage or antique.
#4 Buying – How do you buy or acquire your books?
My reading life has always been guided by curiosity. I often sit and read at the bookshop, so if a book sparks something in me, I want to own it. I’m also fortunate that publishers, literary agents, and authors often send books and ebooks my way, introducing me to stories and writers I might not have discovered on my own. It’s one of the things I love most about being a book blogger: there is always another book waiting to find me.
When family members and co-workers request a gift list from me, books are always at the top of my list followed by coffee beans, teas, and taffy.
I really enjoy purchasing from independent bookstores and like to browse bookshelves. I also frequent libraries and estate sales, searching for older works.
#5 Comments – How do you respond to the “How do you read so much” comment or similar comments?
I make time for reading and usually spend at least 10 hours a week with a book. But my love of reading doesn’t stop there. I’m always reading something—news articles, magazines, and whatever else catches my attention. For me, reading has never been something I do only at certain times; it’s simply part of my everyday life.
#6 Next Book – How do you pick your next read?
I tend to go with whatever floats my boat—whatever speaks to me in the moment. I don’t really have a set formula for choosing my next book.
This afternoon, I found myself hanging out at the bookshop, doing what I love best—wandering the shelves and seeing what caught my eye. I came across a copy of Fire From Heaven and decided to read a few pages of the first chapter. Something about it grabbed my attention, and before long, I knew I wanted to take it home with me. So, into the stack it went!
#7 Travel – How do you pick what book(s) you bring on vacation with you?
When traveling, I generally have a tablet and a laptop with me.
I frequently read ebooks or carry along a book on poetry or nature.
#8 Annotate – Do you write, highlight, or mark up your books in any way?
No! Oddly enough, I don’t write or highlight in the books I own. I say “oddly” because I actually love buying previously owned books, and many of them come with someone else’s notes, underlining, and little marks from the readers who came before me. I find those markings rather charming and sometimes even enjoy wondering what caught their attention.
The one exception is a Bible I received as a teenager. That book holds some of my own notes and reflections, making it especially meaningful to me.
For my other books, I keep a journal nearby where I can jot down thoughts as I read. And if I know I’m planning to write a review, I’ll often take notes—sometimes by hand, sometimes by typing—as I make my way through the book. It’s my way of capturing those little thoughts and feelings while they’re still fresh.
#9 New or Backlist – Which do you prefer, new releases or backlist books?
I usually go with whatever synopsis catches my attention. I read quite a few backlist books, but I’m also fortunate to receive advance reader copies and new releases to read and review, so there’s always something interesting waiting for me.
When I think about my very favorite reads, though, I think it has less to do with when the book was published and more to do with the writing itself—and how the story happens to fit into my life at that particular moment. Sometimes a book simply finds you when you need it, and those are often the ones that stay with you.
#10 Sequels – Do you read books as they are released or wait for an entire series to be published before reading 1 book?
I generally read books as they’re being released, but I also love discovering books that have been around for a while. One thing I never do is limit myself to just a handful of authors. There are simply too many wonderful books out there, and I’d hate to miss one that might be exactly the book I need at that particular moment.
#11 Do you use bookmarks?
Yes, I use bookmarks - but not these that were a handcrafted gift.
“No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting. She will not want new fashions nor regret the loss of expensive diversions or a variety of company if she can be amused with the author in her closet."
