Slice of Life Story Day 5 The Buzz of Buying A New Book

I love the rush that accompanies buying a new book. The browsing and rummaging that precedes the purchase. The quiet and considered contemplation as one searches the shelves in the hope of finding a reading gem. Eventually I reach out and pluck a volume from the collection. I relish the opportunity to turn the book over in my hands and savour the words. I scan the cover thoroughly taking in the elements of the page before turning the book over, anticipating the blurb. If it’s an author with whom I am unfamiliar, I want to get to know them. I need for us to be more acquainted, the author and I. So, I open the book to see if the dust cover reveals information about this potential new friend. I am provided with the background information I seek. Pleased to meet you I think...

Today, while visiting Williamstown I found a book by John Boyne, an Irish writer and author of the ‘Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ .The book is titled, ‘Noah Barleywater Runs Away’ The word ‘runs’ is printed in slightly bolder text on the cover and I wonder if this is significant. Am I meant to notice this small detail? The blurb is a repeat of the book’s opening lead. I find it most engaging. A lead must draw the reader in; capture and hold their attention. It may be written in such a way as to raise questions or heighten curiosity. John Boyne arouses such responses when I read,

‘Noah Barleywater left home in the early morning, before the sun rose, before the dogs woke, before the dew stopped falling on the fields.’

I am struck by how Boyne establishes a sense of time, as well as his effective use of repetition. I have pressing questions such as, Why is Noah leaving home? Where is he going? The desire to read on, to find out, to discover is already firmly established within me as a reader. John Boyne, has drawn me in. He has my attention. The book is bought.

I have written this slice immediately upon arriving home, -such was the compelling nature of this book experience. However, I must stop writing now, as John Boyne’s words beckon the reader in me. I need to know more.

Comments

  1. Terje 5 March 2011 at 22:58

    Dear Alan,
    Thank you for describing your thoughts before buying a book. "Quiet and considered contemplation", "relish the opportunity", "anticipation" - are words that speak to me. I like your metaphor for the book - a new potential friend.
    I am looking forward to reading more slices about you as a reader. Your explanation of how John Boyne immediately engaged you with his new book was such a detailed glimpse in to a head of a good reader.
    Terje

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wanda Brown5 March 2011 at 23:01

    You know I really like my nook which I received for Christmas. I am reading my third book on it right now but you so beautifully described the feeling of touching and browsing a book in the bookstore, I am inclined to go shop for one to hold in my hands:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bonnie K5 March 2011 at 23:03

    Morning Alan,
    I'm listening to the Aruba birds as I read and remember the love I used to have in book stores, old ones of course. Now I walk around with my ipad filled with new titles that come to me from suggestions, book reviews and samples all downloaded from Amazon.com. Yes I am one of those who has given up on paper. I love it but wonder what I've lost...
    Thanks for taking me along with you
    Bonnie

    ReplyDelete
  4. Deb Day6 March 2011 at 00:15

    Alan, your post is the exact reason I am not so sure about buying an e-reader. I tell everyone I know I am a book owner, not a book renter. I love bookstores more than anything because the possibilities are endless. Thanks for sharing the love.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Tara6 March 2011 at 01:27

    This experience is exactly why nothing can quite take the experience of an actual book, much as I love my Kindle. I must get this book..."Striped Pajamas" was extraordinary, and this one sounds like magic as well. Happy reading, Alan!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Donna Smith6 March 2011 at 01:31

    Is there anyone else out there that loves the smell of their new book???
    It's probably toxic, but I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  7. elsie6 March 2011 at 01:33

    Alan, you put words to what I do unconsciously. I love the slow journey you took me on. Now, I must stop writing because I will be checking the library and/or Amazon for this book. Inquiring minds want to know . . .

    ReplyDelete
  8. Aimee6 March 2011 at 04:15

    You have described exactly how I feel in a bookstore - I could spend hours just looking, although it's always hard to decide on just one when so many are calling my name.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Mindi Rench6 March 2011 at 05:19

    I, too, love a trip to the bookstore. Your description summed it up beautifully!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Maria6 March 2011 at 05:29

    Loved reading this slice. I will definitely check out this author and book. Enjoy your reading time!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Tam6 March 2011 at 11:29

    You just know how to say it! My idea of shopping is to some how get to a bookstore in my day. I've contemplated getting an ereader but I just don't think it will be the same if I don't get the wonderful cover and the feel of a book.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Kim6 March 2011 at 11:48

    You caught perfectly the book-buying experience. I find it only gets better when you get to pass it on to someone who you know will love the book as much as you do. I have "Boy in the Striped Pajamas" on my shelf, but I haven't read it yet. I look forward to digging into it as well as the one you bought today.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Beth6 March 2011 at 12:56

    Now I must read it! I simply love your writing style - I used some of your posts last year as mentor texts with my students. Your word choice is always precise. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous6 March 2011 at 14:14

    A book is an all over experience - someone mentioned the smell of new pages. I get so upset when the pages don't smell good - taints the "skinny dipping" delights of a new book

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous6 March 2011 at 15:35

    So many kindred spirits here. Hubby has asked several times if I would like a Kindle or other reader. No,I don't. I like the smell of the pages. I like to run my hand over the cover and the pages before savoring the words. Lovely description of the selection process.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Alan6 March 2011 at 17:25

    Thank you one and all for your comments. Don't get me wrong. I am not against e-reading. I engage in it myself. In our house we have a range of devices. I just have a preference for the traditional book buying experience. May it live on...

    ReplyDelete
  17. klcoveney14 March 2011 at 20:51

    Alan, I had a similar experience today. I was in an antique shop in Inglewood near Bendigo and I was going though all of the old books on the shelf...and although some of them smelt a bit nasty, I mostly enjoyed reading the messages inside the books, for example "Happy Birthday Edna, 1932"
    This is the reason why I write my name and the date in every book that I read. I also always leave a little memento in the book (I use it as a bookmark while reading), whether this be a plane ticket (because I read the book on the plane), a photo of something that is happening in my life at the time or a birthday card if I received the book as a gift. When I go back to a book I love to see what I have left inside and it often brings back great memories.

    It seems that I am not the only one to do this, I inherited all of Andrew's Nans cookbooks (although she past away before I met her) and she has letters, cards, postcards, birth and death notices and newspaper articles in pages. Reading them is just as pleasurable as knowing that I am cooking that same recipe!

    I hope that my grandkids get the same pleasure out of finding little pieces of history about me!

    I love the new header too Alan!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular With Other Visitors

Writing Opposite Poems

Image
 O pp o s ite  P oem s In his book, ' How To Write Poetry,'  Paul Janeczko presents the idea of opposite poems. Paul suggests they could also be referred to as antonym poems. This is wordplay and it's fun to try. Here are some examples Paul provides to help us see very clearly how these short little poems work. I think the opposite of chair Is sitting down with nothing there What is the opposite of kind? A goat that butts you from behind Paul Janeczko You will  notice the poems are written in rhyming couplets. They can be extended so long as you remember to write in couplets. Paul shows us how this is done. What is the opposite of new? Stale gum that's hard to chew A hot-dog roll as hard as rock Or a soiled and smelly forgotten sock You might notice that some of Paul's opposite Poems begin with a question. The remainder of the poem answer the question posed. Opposite poems are a challenge, but it is a challenge worth trying. Not eve...
Read more

Writing About Reading - Reading Reflection Journals:

Image
UPDATED February 2022 Writing in response to literature can be a great way for students to organize their thoughts, explore what they think, and generate ideas. One of the strengths of writing in journals is that it allows students to capture all of those great ideas that generally float off into the air during the discussion.  Journal writing can also become drudgery if students are asked to write too often, given little choice or inspiration in what to write, or if they simply don't have anything to say. While some students eagerly share their impressions about selections they have read in class discussions, others are less comfortable and keep their thoughts to themselves. In an effort to encourage all students to think more about what they read and confidently share their observations and opinions, some teachers are turning to the reading reflection journal and are gaining insights they never anticipated.  The Value of Reflection Journals   Journals assist teachers...
Read more

Learning How to 'Zoom In' When Writing

Image
It is important for young writers to understand that not all parts of a story are equal. There are parts through which a writer moves quickly, and important parts where the writer slows down and lingers a while. This is where the writer might intensify the action or reveal the character’s reactions in greater detail. Young writers need to know that this is a deliberate strategy on the part of the author. The author consciously zooms in. The writer uses a magnifying glass to view a part of the story more closely; to focus on a moment and to slow down time. When an important part of the story is enlarged upon, it   is a signal to the reader, that this part of the story is important. The strategy of ‘zooming in’ goes by many names: ‘exploding a moment’ ‘magnifying a moment’, ‘hotspot’ ‘snapshot’, ‘adding detail’ or ‘slowing the action.’  What ever the name, the idea is the same. The author writes in a way that expands a significant part of the story with the intentio...
Read more

Slice Of Life Story-The Trials Of A Left Handed Writer

Image
Amazingly I learnt to write using my left hand. An achievement against the prevailing beliefs of the day. My very first teacher saw it as her mission in life to ‘fix’ the poor, wretched little boy suffering from what she clearly diagnosed as left handed disease. She must have thought, 'This child must be re formatted! If he remains left handed he will be forever condemned to writing in a scrawl that no one will be able to read. Ugly hand, ugly hand.' ...They tried to say it couldn't be done, it mustn't be done. They took the pencil out of my left hand and placed it in my right hand. It felt unnatural. It felt weird. It was not right. More to the point it was not left. I was not about to conform. At least they didn't try tying my hand behind my back. Watch me I said. I may be an oddball, left handed scribbler but I am a determined oddball. I mean how boring would the world be if everyone wrote with their right hand? So I dug my toes in –and my hands to...
Read more

Answering Questions Posed by Young POETS

Image
UPDATED, May 2020 As a frequent visitor to schools I have the great pleasure of working with groups of young, enthusiastic poets and their teachers. When I arrive in a classroom, young poets are often pre-loaded with questions, and most keen to have them answered.  I try to answer as many as I can, but we frequently run out of time, and the poetry caravan moves on to the next classroom. So I am here to answer some of those questions -right here, right now. So here goes: When you were little did you love writing? The short answer is yes. I have always enjoyed words and language. I can't recall a time when I wasn't doing some kind of writing. When did you write your first poetry book? I have had poems published over the years, but it wasn't until 2014 that I had an entire book of poems (an anthology) published. When I looked back through all my notebooks I realized I had hundreds of poems from which to choose. So, 'Searching For Hen's Teeth-Poetry From The ...
Read more