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Tag: reading
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I read books.
Of late I have started taking a keen interest in magazines.
But, have you ever been so into a book and then someone interrupts you to say something mean or inconsiderate?
There’s no such thing as enough books, ask any one who loves reading books, and they’ll probably look at you as though hitting you in the head with a book would sober you up.
After a long week climbing rocks and wading through mud, I treated myself to four books. It is a process that I started while on campus because I love reading and it’s another way of learning skills.The Art of Undressing by Stephanie Lehmann
Humble Pie by Gordon Ramsay
Gem Squash Tokoloshe by Rachel Zadok
An Arsonist’s Guide to Writer’s Homes in New England by Brock Clarke
If I could read all day, I probably would.
This has led me to think more about reviews and how to write them better. Are you on Goodreads ?
It’s like a library/bookshop/bookclub and you can meet your next favorite book there just from the reviews and groups. I have been a member for sometime now and I decided to work towards 180 books this year.
But what pisses me off is the caption below my tally that says ” you are 18 books behind schedule.”
Ignoring it does not help, and my conscience is aware of my decision to set a challenge. Challenges are neither friendly nor nice and so expecting this from books is pretty stupid of me, but I can’t help it.And I digress…
However, a colleague at work almost wore me down today when he said, “you always read, Dora, and what good does it do you? If I were you I don’t think I would read that much, don’t you get tired?”
I was about to give him a piece of my mind when our meeting resumed, but at that moment all I could think of was:
1. You are not me
2. I do get tired, but that’s why there are bookmarks. You slip one in and continue from that page later on.
3. There are benefits to reading; improved vocabulary, empathy,an imagination, proper articulation and while we are on it, characters you read about last longer based on the impact they had on you.Case in point: Chinua Achebe died but Okonkwo still lives in print and e-format.
The book lives on long after Darcy marries Elizabeth, Romeo and Juliet die, Hamlet gets his vengeance, Voldermort is defeated, Harry Potter marries Ginny (JK why?) and more so after Katniss let’s down her bow!I thought a while about this, but if we put aside the sentiments, and add some history, I would attribute my love for books to my mom.
She has been a teacher of English Literature for over thirty years.
She was the one who had books for us to read, and would encourage our Dad to let us read the newspaper with him, even though we could barely pronounce Wednesday and Conference.A word a day.
A chapter in the Bible and a song is how she did it.I can still sing some Luo rhymes, and tell a story or two that were my favorite, but she would always tell us that “Oral literature will never die, you might forget the words but never the beat for as long as you listen.”
So, how about being paid to read books all day?
I haven’t thought that far, but right now I am reading Shadows on the Hudson by Isaac Bashevis Singer.
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I love free books.
Yes, and since I stopped visiting the library, I decided that I would download the kindle app and subscribe to Freebooksy.
They email me links to deals of the day on Amazon and I get to read some great books either for free or at half the price- and is it not odd how most of the free books on amazon are romance?
So, there I was reading a story about some Sheikh and this girl who had left her husband at the altar for cheating on her when my mom walked into the living room with a new book on the Works of Thomas Jefferson.
I reached out for it and there it was “The Dangers of reading Fiction.”
A great obstacle to good education is the inordinate passion prevalent for novels and the time lost in that reading which should be instructively employed.
Nothing can engage attention unless dressed in all the figments of fancy and nothing so bedecked comes amiss.
I put down my device as I went through it and thought, “what a buzzkill!”
But, later on when I thought about it- I wondered, “If this man, Thomas Jefferson, were alive today, what would he say about reality tv shows?”
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Literacy is the most sought after aspect here in Kenya, and the latest move by the Kenya National Library Services (KNLS) is the brick wall that we did not see coming, and I will tell you why.
Kenya’s need for an improved education system, and access to this human right saw to the establishment of the public library in 1965. There are sixty public national libraries across the country with an estimated number of over seventy five thousand members today.
When it was established, the mandate of KNLS was:
To promote, establish, equip, manage, maintain, and develop libraries in Kenya as a National Library Service.
However as from this April, the rules and regulations governing use and access to these libraries have changed, and this concerns me because I am not only a member, but I have been taking part in school outreach activities to encourage reading among school going children.
I will share two of the new rules that directly affect access and use of the library and they are:
- Entry is free to the public (before entry was free to members, and anyone who wanted to use the library had to pay a fee of twenty shillings-but they could not borrow books)
- To borrow or lend a book: adults pay twenty shillings for each book and can check out only two books within a period of 14 days. Children pay five shillings for each book they borrow.
I applaud the library for making the library free for all to access. This means that any Kenyan citizen or resident can walk into a public library and read or spend time doing research there.
However, my main concern is the book loan fee.
Previously, the annual membership fee for adults was: Kshs. 300 for registration, and annual renewal fee of Kshs. 100. This also meant that a member could borrow as often as she/he could after completing the two books they had checked out.
But, I also know the state of public libraries in Kenya. I took these pictures in April last year, of the Kisumu library:
Poor lighting, cramped spaces, dilapidated bookshelves, and insufficient books were some of the reasons why I felt that the library need renovation.
And in January this year, thanks to donations from the American embassy- I found the American corner with shelves of books that I could not have my fill of.
Before I could read half the books on one shelf, I was informed of the new rules and I had to pay Kshs. 40 to borrow two of the books that I wanted to read. When I asked about my annual membership- I was told, “that has been scrapped off.” I have not been to the library since- and sometimes I forget and find myself walking down that street, only to stop and turn like someone who is lost.
This book loan fee is neither economical or cost effective.
For example: If you are a fast reader, it means you can make at least two trips to the library and that would be around Ksh. 80 (this is currently twelve shillings less the american dollar), but if you add the transport costs for each trip- it becomes more than the previous member registration fee.
Times are tough now, and unemployment is not even the only cause for a Kenyan’s worries- when it costs roughly five dollars to secure two meals a day- and this is on a very good day.
On the other hand, it’s good that anyone can walk into a library to read- but what of space?
The libraries are not spacious, even the three floors in the Buru buru branch in Nairobi is not enough for all the members- and you meet people sitting on floors as they read and constantly have to tip toe so as not to step on anyone.
It is not easy to maintain a library. I have my personal library and dusting and always going through my books is a chore- and though this new move is solely for the upkeep and maintenance of public libraries, I am not for it. Readers will have to seek other options, and ebooks are slowly picking up in Kenya too. There is the need for quality literary fiction, and the library has masterpieces of literature that readers who cannot afford this fee will never read.
The way I see it, there should be a membership fee that is solely for borrowing books- because most Kenyans are living from hand to mouth, that whatever they get goes towards their basic needs, and to encourage the same for reading, is to slowly extinguish the reading culture.
Instead, there should be a fee to be paid once- and this can guarantee a member access to at least five books within the 14 day period. It will be more of a long-term investment, and it means that school pupils, university students and newly employed people can borrow books to read at their convenience.
The libraries should incorporate ICT through provision of online journals and employ qualified librarians to assist in the management of the library.
It is often said that you cannot please everyone, but when it comes to these new rules- all it needed was more dialogue and feedback from the members and I believe that this new cost is already costing us strong minds.
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There’s nothing as disappointing as what comes after reading a good book.
I am not talking about just a good book, because trust me, I know that every Writer sets out to write a good book. Do you know why every writer’s book is good? It’s because of what goes into it.
I am not saying the hours, but the process that comes with writing the book. A Writer bares a part of himself/herself every time they take to writing. This is why every book is a good book. Forget the sales, reviews, or rankings on best seller lists- trust the process.
This is why, I say that nothing is as disappointing as what comes after reading a good book and then going online to find out about the writer. I read books, and then look up the writers later on.
So, having read The Chosen by Chaim Potok , I decided to look him up and stopped at “Chaim Potok, was…” I do suffer from grammatical errors but I know the “past tense” when I see it, and it’s always sad when I look up a writer and find that they are dead.
And it hurts because :
- It’s hard being a fan of a dead person. I know I am a fan of Chinua Achebe’s works, but even so there is always the desire to write and let him know that ‘hey, thank you for writing that book.’
- They are gone, but their voice, style and written works live on- and you cannot help but ask, “what about me?”
But, I learned something from Reuven’s father, one of the characters in Chaim Potok’s “The Chosen,” and he tells his son:
I learned a long time ago, Reuven, that a blink of an eye in itself is nothing. But the eye that blinks, that is something. A span of life is nothing, but the man who lives that span, he is something.
…A man must fill his life with meaning, meaning is not automatically given to life.
I have thought about this for two weeks now. I finished reading the book last month, but today as I was making my way home from work, I opened my notebook and there they were, looking up at me, reminding me that my life is mine to leave, and whatever happens after, should not worry me so much so that I forget to live now.
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Hi,
So, this is awkward but indulge me for a while, will you?
You walked into BooksFirst today at 11:08am. I checked the time because I have never seen a cute guy walk into BooksFirst. I am a regular there, so that’s why.
You can ask Bob, William, Steven or Caleb. They are the ones in blue shirts who help you get that book you need.
You walked in like a thief does when in a mansion. You were wearing a blue polo shirt ( I hate those stiff collars, I never liked polo shirts) and black fitting jeans. I was looking at The Last Legion by Valerio Massimo Manfredi. You know, we share the same birthday, it’s just that Valerio is older, Italian and has written more books than I have. Remember? It looked something like this:
You looked around starting from the “How-To” section through to the classics. Your thumb caressed each book, making a few stops at the Mills & Boon section to admire the covers, and the Historical Fiction section where you pulled out a few books. I read the back cover text of The Last Legion five times. I would stop to stare at you wondering when you would get to the Classics, but to my disappointment you turned at the Sci-fi section and headed straight for the ‘New Releases.’ I looked up and met your eyes. You smiled and I smirked. I will admit it was a stupid thing to do, but my facial muscles were suffering from the disappointment of your movement. You called Caleb and asked him, “Excuse me, do you have a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey?” I saw Caleb look around, but his first gaze was at Sci-fi and that’s when I interrupted.
I walked up to you and my bag hit you on your left hip, and you almost tipped over. It was not my intention to distabilize you.
I am sorry, but why would you walk into a Bookshop and seriously ask for a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey?
So, I picked it up from the shelf and gave it to you. You smiled and asked, “You sure know the books here, so, have you read this book? Is it good?”
I wanted to ask you, “define good?”, but could not say a word because then you would feel foolish. I just met you and making you seem foolish would not be an ideal move.
I said I had and you smiled and asked, “would you recommend it?”
I whispered, “Not in a million years.” You must have heard me because your right hand, (where that tatoo of an eagle is, or is it a hawk) dropped the book. It landed on the floor.
You picked it up and asked, “why? Everyone is talking about it?”
“Well, just because everyone is talking about it does not mean it’s a good book. You know just like there was so much hype about Twilight, but there was nothing there.”
“You also don’t like Twilight? What do you like?”
“A list of great stuff, but listen, if you want to read it, well, go ahead, but you could start by watching the movie first, at least that would get you thinking about the trilogy.”
“It’s a trilogy?”
“Yes, there’s Fifty shades Darker and Fifty shades Freed.”
“You have read all of them?”
“Yes, and my inner goddess wanted to aim a quiver of arrows at the fact that the book exists!”
You laughed and walked out without the book.
You only told me, “thanks, maybe I’ll run into you again.”
I said, “maybe.” But, here’s the thing you cute guy, I think you went ahead and bought the book. I think you went back to the shelves and got that book, even though Caleb is murm about it.
It is 1:48pm and a copy of “Fifty Shades of Grey” is missing from the shelves…I know because I am looking at that blank space and wondering just how much you pursue your interests. -
I would tell you a lot about my friend, but nothing seems to set us apart more than our music preferences.
I listen to quite a range of genres except Reggae.
She listens to Reggae more than she can utter a well structured sentence. She asked me today,
Why would you listen to that song?
The song being It feels like tonight by Daughtry.
We argued about it by staring at each other until she blinked and asked me:
So, what is your book, Fire, all about?
Hello reader, if you are reading this, please know that Writers are always asked that question, sometimes we feel as though you have nothing to ask save for what you want to hear. What’s the book about? Well, how about you read it and then tell me what you think it’s about?
And at this point you will say that you do not want to waste time reading something only to hate it, aha! That’s exactly what you should do- at least that way you will know what you hate and what you love, so…how about asking, what the book is NOT about?
My English teacher would have struck my fingers at that, but what the book is not about is always an afterthought.
I thought about her question and I realized that’s what blurbs are for. I was getting angry at her while I had already hinted at what the book’s about by lying through my teeth with well written words. I checked out what I had written on Goodreads and found this:
A boy is born in the land of Leo. As the sound of the cattle horn is heard, everyone in the Kingdom celebrates the birth of not only a boy, but the Crown Prince. His name is Ustawi.
The hands that hold him foretell a prosperous future, but just like every dream has it’s valleys, so has Ustawi’s birth. One man has seen the evil that’s to befall the kingdom under the boy’s reign, his name is Ukweli. He is the Seer.
Fire begins the story of the Prince’s life and as you read through a story rich in culture and customs you can only ask yourself, can the Seer fight the gods? Can he avert the impending doom that’s to come?
I wrote the same thing on Amazon too, and it got me asking, “really Dora? Really?” The truth is ugly and just as beautiful as its purpose and what I really wanted to say was:
Fire is about a boy whose birth is celebrated and his reign dreaded.
I thought about it and that’s what came to mind, and even though it seems as though the first piece of work needs more time and revision, it does feel good to get mixed reviews.
I am still waiting for the ugly and ugliest reviews because in a way…if one person loathes the book, then it would reinforce the feeling that there’s a lot more to be done, and right now as I still listen to Daughtry, that’s what I feel like. Sometimes all it takes is just a simple question that seems silly and meaningless to get us thinking and admitting our flaws and strengths.
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I am reading The World According to Garp by John Irving.
I write. I sometimes call myself a writer, you know when I put these words together and they make people feel different things at the same time.
Sometimes, I call myself an “aspiring writer,” because I haven’t written a classic like Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God, No longer at ease, and let’s just say that this list would not end.
Sometimes, like right now… I am in between a Writer and an Aspiring Writer.
I was prompted to read this book because of what was written on the back cover,
This is the life and times of T. S. Garp, the bastard son of Jenny Fields- a feminist ahead of her time.
I could not help but want to read about Jenny and how she managed to raise her son- and just how much influence she would have on Garp, but somewhere along the way, Garp says that he did not know it then but at eleven was when he was set out to be a Writer.
I asked myself,
When did you know that you wanted to be a Writer?
The answer I got was, “I don’t know, I find such peace writing, and it’s all I think about when I wake up, but am also working as a Research Assistant. I have bills to pay, and books to share.”
So,I put the book down, angered by Garp’s conviction and my lack of it.
I picked it up today when I was waiting to be served at a Government office and the secretary was keen on reading her newspaper instead of looking up at me.
Helen, Garp’s wife, tells him at some point that a boy, Randy, wanted to be a writer, and Garp (because his jaw is wired shut, writes down on a piece of paper)
Everyone wants to be a writer!
Really, Garp? Right now, when I am in between states is when you spring this up?
I shut the book, put it back inside my bag and for the millionth time told myself,
“You are a Writer, there’s no in between or what if’s just sit down and finish writing that book!”
PS: There book was made into a film on 13th August 1982, starring Robin Williams.
nilichoandika 