Pot Luck #55: Getting the Most Out of Facebook

I like Facebook. I like being able to find my friends from high school. Even if I don't see them much, I enjoy seeing little bits of their lives. I found it easy to sign up and easy to find people I know. I wish more of my old friends were on Facebook. I have tried all sorts of applications from quizzes to trivia challenges to flair. I think I'll probably stick to Facebook better than Twitter.

My favorites applications are the trivia challenges and what 80s movies are you? Why, just because I love the silly results.

TXTING Pot Luck #56

I have sent texts before as responses to ones that I have received. Otherwise I haven't used them because it costs me money to send and receive on my phone. I don't believe in TXT lingo(It has created a whole generation who can't spell or punctuate to save their lives.) so I spell stuff out, just short.

The mere idea of trying to use my thumbs to send a message while I am also trying to steer my car blows my mind. But I am not surprised that there are people who try it. It is so easy to allow ourselves to be distracted thereby putting not only ourselves in danger but also those around us.

exercise 54

Books, Readers and Beyond: Exercise 54:  Social Networking Through Books

 

Exercise One

I am currently a member of the North Channel Book Club, which is an in-person book discussion group held at our county library branch on the fourth Wednesday of the month.  So far, it is the only experience that I have with a book club.  I enjoy the face-to-face discussions of the books that we read.  I am going to try out the online Teen Book Club this summer and plan to try out some more online book clubs.

Exercise Two

 

Since my library already has an active book club meeting here, I was thinking of starting a young adult book club.  I think it would be interesting to read and discuss the books that teens are reading these days.  I would like to have two versions of it: in person and bulletin board style available online.

 

As far as a book for the Book Club that meants now, I chose "the Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield.  (http://www.readinggroupguides.com/content/index.asp#)

 

For the teen club, I would like to start with "Shades of Simon Gray" by Joyce McDonald. (http://www.teenreads.com/guides/shades_of_simon_gray1.asp)

Exercise Three

The ratings for "The Thirteenth Tale" was similar on Shelfari and GoodReads.  Of course, the way that the ratings are presented are a little different, but overall similar.  There are good reviews and bad, and discussion.  I like the break down of information GoodReads provides. Shelfari shows the editions and whether or not "I should buy this." 

 

(But my favorite thing is the neverending literary quiz on goodreads.  It is soooooooo cool.)

exercise 54

Books, Readers and Beyond: Exercise 54:  Social Networking Through Books

 

Exercise One

I am currently a member of the North Channel Book Club, which is an in-person book discussion group held at our county library branch on the fourth Wednesday of the month.  So far, it is the only experience that I have with a book club.  I enjoy the face-to-face discussions of the books that we read.  I am going to try out the online Teen Book Club this summer and plan to try out some more online book clubs.

Exercise Two

 

Since my library already has an active book club meeting here, I was thinking of starting a young adult book club.  I think it would be interesting to read and discuss the books that teens are reading these days.  I would like to have two versions of it: in person and bulletin board style available online.

 

As far as a book for the Book Club that meants now, I chose "the Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield.  (http://www.readinggroupguides.com/content/index.asp#)

 

For the teen club, I would like to start with "Shades of Simon Gray" by Joyce McDonald. (http://www.teenreads.com/guides/shades_of_simon_gray1.asp)

Exercise Three

The ratings for "The Thirteenth Tale" was similar on Shelfari and GoodReads.  Of course, the way that the ratings are presented are a little different, but overall similar.  There are good reviews and bad, and discussion.  I like the break down of information GoodReads provides. Shelfari shows the editions and whether or not "I should buy this." 

 

(But my favorite thing is the neverending literary quiz on goodreads.  It is soooooooo cool.)

Books, Readers and Beyond #53 Finding Books Online

Exercise 1
WaldenBooks--yes- http://www.borders.com -A chain bookstore. Typical website, busy, cool "shelf" search. Colorful.
Family Christian Bookstore-yes- http://www.familychristian.com --A chain bookstore. Typical website, somewhat busy, easy to search for items.
Barnes and Noble-- yes- http://www.barnesandnoble.com -- A chain bookstore. Typical website. Busy, sectioned out, searchable.

Exercise 2

I chose Tamora Pierce's Woman who Rides Like A Man. It is available from Barnes and Noble's website (6.99 for a paperback, and 11.99 for a hardback) I found an audiobook version available at Hcpl.net


Exercise 3
I tried to download an eBook from the hcpl.net site, but it wanted me to download an Adobe edition. (I wound up just looking for an online edition of the book.) I found one copy of RObinson Crusoe at www.online.library.upenn.edu I chose one : HTML at Virginia. I have a hard time with reading materials on the computer screen. After a while my eyes are tired and I have trouble focusing on the screen. I find it also difficult to find a position where I am comfortable for long periods of time and I just can't shift around as easily while I am using my computer as I can with a printed book.

That's not to say that there aren't advatages to having a digital reader or eBook. The fact that you can store hundreds and thousands of books in a relatively small samout of space is a definite factor. Being able to access any book you have stored or can download to a portable device is wonderful. There are limited titles, however, though this won't be the case for long. Physical constraints are a minor drawback, as is the specialized software that may be called for with some formats. But the biggest concern for me, being in a part of the country where hurricanes can wipe out power for weeks, is that without electricity, you only have so long before you can't access your portable device.
Printed copies have their ups and downs too. Space and cost constraints can limit the storage and puchase of printed editions. Pages can tear, yellow or even burn. Printed copies are only as portable as what you can carry them in, so not as many can be carried at a time, thus limiting access to the titles you possess. There is something, though, to being able to turn the page, to go foward and back in the story that I prefer to reading online (where, yes, you can scroll up and down and back page.). I prefer to read where I am comfortable and sometimes that is too difficult when I have to consider my laptop. (I don't have one of those fancy readers.) I also like to read at the beach and the pool, so books have a definite advantage because I just can't bring myself to risk an expensive device to water or theft.
So while digitization has its benefits, I think I am going to stick to print.

Exercis e 52

Books, Readers and Beyond

 

#52  What to Read

 

Exercise 1--I like to read Suzanne Brockmann novels(It's my guilty pleasure).  I started with her Tall, Dark and Dangerous series (Think hot, hilarious SeALs) and moved on as she began the Troubleshooters. 

 

I began looking for read-alikes with NovelList Plus.  that brought me to Nora Roberts (as J.D. Robb), Linda Howard, Elizabeth Lowell, Fiona Brand and Matthew Reilly. (Amazingly enough I have read all of those authors except for the latter two. Plan to try them soon.)

 

Then I tried "What Should I Read Next," coming up with Julie Garwood, Genita Low, Johanna Lindsey (surprisingly), Rachel Lee, Jessica Hall, Julia Quinn, Sandra Brown, Elizabeth Thornton, Susan Carroll and Kathleen Eagle.  (I think this was too generic. Some of the ladies on this list write in a romance subgenre that I do not particularly favor.  There are some exceptions, but very few.)

 

Lastly I tried "If You Like (but which one?)" through the Library Booklists and Bibliographies link,  which gave me Susan Andersen, Fiona Brand, Beverly Barton, Justine Davis, Dee Henderson (I loved the O'Malley series), Linda Howard, Merline Lovelace, Lindsey McKenna, JD Robb and Kathryn Shay (Loved her series, too.)  

 

So there were overlaps in a couple of searches, but not so many in others.  I have found a few names that I can't wait to try as soon as my current stack of books has dwindled.

 

Exercise 2--- I went through Library Booklist and Bibliogrpahies to Children to Nature, Weather and Environment to Bibliogrpahy: The Real World to find Fce to Face with Lions by Beverly and Dereck Joubert, and An American Safari by Jim Brandebourg.

 

For her brother I used Novelist Plus, to locate tow titles, Ghost, Spooks and Spectres by Charles Molin and Dead Man's Gold and Other Stories by Paul Yee.

 

Exercise 3---I used NoveList Plus and came up with Greg Bear, John Sual and Dan Simmons.  I also used Library and Booklists "Monsters and Maniacs" and got Ramsey Campbell, Stephen Dobyns and Whitley Streiber.

 

Exercise 4--- The series she is reading is called "Song of The Lioness."

Alanna: The First Adventure is the first, In the Hands of the Goddess is the second, The Woman who Ride like a Man is the third, and The Lioness Rampant wraps it up as the fourth title in the series.  I used NoveLIst Plus to gather this information.