http://btt2.wordpress.com A weekly meme about (mostly) books and reading. Thu, 08 May 2008 13:15:22 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Writing guides, grammar books, punctuation how-tos . . . do you read them? Not read them? How many writing books, grammar books, dictionaries--if any--do you have in your library? Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don't have to go searching for it) in the comments—or ... http://btt2.wordpress.com/2008/05/08/manual-labor/ Quick! It's an emergency! You just got an urgent call about a family emergency and had to rush to the airport with barely time to grab your wallet and your passport. But now, you're stuck at the airport with nothing to read. What do you do?? And, no, you did NOT ... http://btt2.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/mayday/ Well, here where I live, Spring is sprung--weeks early, even. Our lilac bush looks like it will have flowers by this time next week instead of in the middle of May as usual. The dogwood trees, the magnolia trees--all the flowering trees are flowering. The daffodils and crocuses are, if ... http://btt2.wordpress.com/2008/04/24/springing/ Suggested by Nithin: I’ve always wondered what other people do when they come across a word/phrase that they’ve never heard before. I mean, do they jot it down on paper so they can look it up later, or do they stop reading to look it up on the dictionary/google it or ... http://btt2.wordpress.com/2008/04/17/vocabulary/ Pick up the nearest book. (I'm sure you must have one nearby.) Turn to page 123. What is the first sentence on the page? The last sentence on the page? Now . . . connect them together.... (And no, you may not transcribe the entire page of the book--that's cheating!) Don’t forget to leave a ... http://btt2.wordpress.com/2008/04/10/writing-challenge/ When somebody mentions "literature," what's the first thing you think of? (Dickens? Tolstoy? Shakespeare?) Do you read "literature" (however you define it) for pleasure? Or is it something that you read only when you must? Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don't have to go searching ... http://btt2.wordpress.com/2008/04/03/lit-ra-chur/ This week's question comes from Julie, who asks: While acknowledging that we can’t judge books by their covers, how much does the design of a book affect your reading enjoyment? Hardcover vs. softcover? Trade paperback vs. mass market paperback? Font? Illustrations? Etc.? Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response ... http://btt2.wordpress.com/2008/03/27/cover-up/ You've just reached the end of a book . . . what do you do now? Savor and muse over the book? Dive right into the next one? Go take the dog for a walk, the kids to the park, before even thinking about the next book you're going to ... http://btt2.wordpress.com/2008/03/20/the-end/ Here's a slightly off-topic announcement for you. I know how much you all love to read, and that many of you love sci-fi and fantasy books as well. Well, Terry Pratchett (author of the Discworld books) recently came forward with the announcement that he has Alzheimer's. He's donated approximately ... http://btt2.wordpress.com/2008/03/19/ot-match-it-for-pratchett/ Suggested by John : How about a chance to play editor-in-chief? Fill in the blanks: __________ would have been a much better book if ______________________. Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don't have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers ... http://btt2.wordpress.com/2008/03/13/playing-editor/