Throwback Thursday: June 2008

Welcome to another of my Throwback Thursday posts where I'm revisiting my first year of blogging! Looking back, I see that June was a month of firsts.  I hosted my first giveaway and I also started participating in a weekly meme, which I previously had no idea what that was!

I read and reviewed three books in June of 2008, two of which were fiction and one non-fiction. The one that stands out the most to me was A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled Hosseini. (Click on the title to read my review from 2008). I remember losing myself in that book because I'd loved THE KITE RUNNER so much and I was anxious to get that feeling again. Believe it or not, I've had his latest book, AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED for some time now but I haven't yet read it! I honestly don't know what I'm waiting for but I do intend to read it before the end of this year.

BOOKING THROUGH THURSDAY was the weekly meme I began participating in that month. Each week the host would pose a book related question for the participants to answer and discuss on our blogs, then posting a link on the original post.  It was interesting to visit the other blogs and get their perspectives. That meme introduced me to so many new bloggers and I realized how quickly the book blogoshpere was growing.  BTT, as it is also known, became a regular feature on my blog and one that I really looked forward to each week. Happily, BTT is still going strong today. In fact, today's meme titled The Other Side, asks: What do your non-reader friends think about your reading habits? I think it's a great question that is bound to spark up a lot of conversation.

What I remember most about my blogging in June of '08 was how busy I was becoming with it and since I was still working a full-time job as an office manager and bookkeeper for a commercial/residential contractor, sometimes I'd find myself staying up really late to get my posts written or books read. Fortunately though, I was loving it so I didn't mind at all. I was meeting some really great people and my small world was opening up to many new things.

Thanks for taking a minute to step back in time with me to reminisce about my first year of blogging. I'll see you in July!

Booking Through Thursday: What's Your Niche?

There are certain types of books that I more or less assume all readers read. (Novels, for example.) But then there are books that only YOU read. Instructional manuals for fly-fishing. How-to books for spinning yarn. How to cook the perfect soufflé. Rebuilding car engines in three easy steps. Dog training for dummies. Rewiring your house without electrocuting yourself. Tips on how to build a NASCAR course in your backyard. Stuff like that.

What niche books do YOU read?

My response:

Even though I do spend most of my time reading novels, I do read an occasional non-fiction book. Usually a memoir but I don't consider that my niche reading. My niche reading used to consist mainly of cookbooks and cooking magazines since I LOVE to cook new stuff all the time. I constantly scour for new dishes. But over the last several years, my niche has changed to include anything I can get my hands on about alternative medicines. Mainly herbal remedies including all of the varieties of herbal teas.

My interest in herbal remedies started after I was diagnosed with my retinal disease. (almost 20 years ago). After being told by numerous doctors that nothing could be done, I wasn't about to just go home and sit and wait for my eyesight to leave me. I started researching vitamin supplements and foods that are anti-oxidant rich and contain other natural vitamins. I've always been a tea drinker and I soon discovered its healthful benefits as well. This was way before drinking green tea was fashionble.

The only difference is that now with the internet, I don't read many books, per se, on the subject. I do most of my reading online. I still keep a paper file with information and newsletters I receive from different foundations, but mostly everything is kept in files on my computer now. That being said, I own three books that are my herbal bibles; Two volumes of Alternative Medicine A to Z and a book on green teas and how to properly prepare them.

So that's my niche reading, what about you? Is there a particular kind of book that you have a passion for? For more answers to this BTT question, click here.

**As a side note, I have to assume that my consumption of these herbal remedies has helped me because my sister has the same disease and chose NOT to take herbal remedies and her disease has progressed much quicker than mine. Even though I will not get a doctor to admit it, I know in my heart this has helped me to sustain my vision and slow the progression of my disease.

BTT: Discussing Electronic vs Paper

Today's Booking Through Thursday is a little different.
First - Go read this great article from Time Magazine: Books Gone Wild: The Digital Age Reshapes Literature. (Well worth reading.)

Second - Stop and think about it for moment. Computers and digital media are changing everything we do these days, whether we realize it or not, and that includes our beloved books.
Third. DISCUSS!

To be different, today, we're having a discussion in the comments section of MizzB's blog. I've participated in the discussion and I'm also posting my response here.

Tell us what you think. Do you have an ebook reader? Do you read ebooks on your computer? Do you hate the very thought? How do you feel about the fact that book publishing is changing and facing much the same existential dilemma as the music industry upon the creation of MP3s?
To follow this discussion click here to go to the Comments section of BTT.

My response:

I always enjoy discussions on this topic. I think Trish made some great comments and I agree with her that publishers will be publishing actual books when I’m old and gray. Like Peta, I have a couple ebooks on my computer, but I haven’t read either of them. I prefer to physically hold a book in my hands, smell the pages and gaze at the cover art while I’m reading. That’s all part of the enjoyment for me.

My view on the Kindle and like products is that I think they do serve a purpose and can be quite handy. I like the idea of downloading whole books in minutes and having a large number. However, I like to collect physical books for my library.

That being said, I was diagnosed with a retinal disease many years ago (Retinitis Pigmentosa) that is gradually stealing my sight. I’ve read reports stating that products like the Kindle are helpful to people with eye issues becaause of the ability to change fonts, etc. and that the screen is easy on the eyes therefore, creating less eye fatigue. Because I am legally blind, but I still have tunnel vision which enables me to have center sight, my eyes do get incredibly tired faster than most. I will no doubt invest in a Kindle at some point, but I will always prefer a tangible book.

The same goes with audio books. I do have a few, but I find it difficult to focus and concentrate on the narrator. I’m sure it just takes some getting used to. At some point, I’ll have to use audio books, but I’ll jump off that bridge when I get there.