Daily Prompt: Reading Material

Posted in Challenges by angloswiss

How do you pick what blogs or books to read? What’s the one thing that will get you to pick up a book or click on a link every single time?

Photographers, artists, poets: show us CHOICES.

Impressions of September monthly market in Solothurn

Reading blogs is a different matter to reading books.

I must admit that I have to set priorities when reading blogs. I participate in the daily prompt, meaning that I am not alone. We are few and many according to how the subject appeals to us. Some show just a picture, some videos, but most write a contribution. I do not shake my efforts just out of my sleeve, although I do not have a lot of time to write or compose. Being in Europe I only get the subject at two in the afternoon and as I also have a life I say an hour to write and upload is enough. I also crosspost on Blogger and Facebook, although that does not need a lot of time – it is a routine.

So who do I read? With time you recognise your colleagues who write with you, suffer with you, and hope with you that your words do not land in a desert. I have been on the blog sites for many years, mostly in a prompt. It is out of politeness that you read what the others have written, as well as interest and there are some real jewels of writing out there. It would be selfish just to churn out a blog and wait for everyone to say hello, I read your blog. I do not choose which ones to read, I try to look at all. There is a problem of time sometimes. Perhaps I have to go to the doctor, perhaps I have something to do in town, but I do my best. I love the animal blogs, love the blogs from other countries, and love the fiction that some compose. I just have a look at all. I avoid blogs that try to persuade me to follow certain beliefs. I am a tolerant person and expect others also to be tolerant. I like to widen my horizon and learn something new, but not have it forced on me.

Now to books: that is a different matter. I choose my books according to my taste and my taste is definitely not always the taste of others, it does not have to be. I am a bit of a horror-mystery freak so go for a Neil Gaiman or James Herbert book. I might have books recommended in this genre by friends that know my taste. I am not so much for science fiction. I like a good police-detective story. I have discovered detectives from all over the world. My taste goes in the direction of Scandinavian and German detectives, although I look forward to an American new publication any time. Harry Bosch and I have become friends over the years as well as the Lincoln lawyer – books by Michael Connelly. Keeping an eye on new publications and best sellers is also rewarding. Why not try something else? I am open in my tastes and do not fix myself on the same books.

Reading an old classic is a rewarding pastime, one you missed out on when you were younger. Perhaps the school lessons ruined it for you, or you had better things to read when you were younger. Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, The Bronte sisters, Wilki Collins, they all have something to offer, so why not. I have been perhaps lucky marrying Mr. Swiss who is also an avid reader and introduced me to many well-known German/Swiss authors. I have met Thomas Mann, Hermann Hesse, Siegfried Lenz, Friedrich Dürrenmatt on the way, just to mention a few. I can read them in the German original version, although the English translations are quite good. A branch out into the Russian novelists, Tolstoi, Dostoyevsky or a look at a Kafka book is also a good discovery. I usually read these In German as they are easier to buy in Switzerland and my Russian is not so good.

A good biography is also rewarding. Fidel Castro, Helmut Schmid, Giuseppe Garibaldi are interesting lives to read. They did not live in boredom, and were often quite adventurous.

I very rarely click on links. I can find the books that interest me on the Amazon site, or on Wikipedia, but I avoid strange unknown sites. My computer is too fragile to digest everything that hovers in cyberspace. How often have I been confronted with “your virus programme advises not to go further”, or something in that line? My computer does not like hopping from link to link, it makes him feel giddy and a keyboard psychosis might arise. There is a standstill, the bytes strike and someone out in the Trojan world is rubbing their brain cells in happiness – another one bites the dust. I used to surf everywhere for everything, but having a happy link clicking hand is not always the best.

Just enjoy reading and the rest will follow. See you around when our paths cross on the cyber motorway.

Daily Prompt: Reading Material

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20 thoughts on “Daily Prompt: Reading Material”

Alynia

02/10/2013 at 17:19

Unfortunately, I never have the time to read all other blogs from the prompt, also because I follow other blogs too. I always try to read a couple of them however, and some of the blogs (like yours) are so great, that I come back every time.

Oh, and Neil Gailman is a good writer indeed. 🙂 I am lucky to have learned to appreciate the more classic writers too, and am what they call a ‘Janeite’. (It is Austen btw, not Austin xD although you are by far not the only one who writes her name like that.)

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- angloswiss
  
  03/10/2013 at 08:25
  
  Thanks for the tip – I corrected Janes’s name. I often make mistakes in spelling and usually read through what I write. I have a problem with a half German half english speaking brain. Happy that you enjoy my blogs.
  
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  - Alynia
    
    03/10/2013 at 08:37
    
    I certainly do – and I can relate, I have a half Dutch and half English speaking brain myself 😉
    
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Danny James

02/10/2013 at 22:03

Well said. Never enough time in a day to read everything I would like.

DJ

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- angloswiss
  
  03/10/2013 at 08:27
  
  My reading time is evening, although at the moment I am busy with photography and writing. I have a mental list of things I would like to read which seems to grow every day.
  
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Pat(ricia)

03/10/2013 at 02:28

Lovely and fascinating image Pat, or do you prefer Patricia? Or am I being too informal?

The image so well represents choices – and I am intrigued by it and the contents represented.

A very enjoyable answer to today’s prompt. Thoughtful and interesting.

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- angloswiss
  
  03/10/2013 at 08:29
  
  Pat is fine with me. The Swiss tend to call me Patrizia (german spelling), but it sounds strange to my ears. Grandma always called me Patsy.
  
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  - Pat(ricia)
    
    03/10/2013 at 18:54
    
    It’s funny what *nicknames* or terms of endearment family and friends choose for us – my family calls me Trish or Tricia, one of my aunts calls me Tootsie, my grandmother called me Patruska (Can’t spell it) but it means parsley and a grade school friend’s gran called me Pickles. 🙂
    
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Frances D

03/10/2013 at 05:29

You are very high on my WP reading list. Something new every day. I also look forward to the cat speak posts 😉

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- angloswiss
  
  03/10/2013 at 08:32
  
  Thank you for the kind comment. I wish I had more time to read all the entries in WP. I have taken a peek at your New York photos and am looking forward to reading more. I was a week in New York once, many years ago and was very impressed.
  
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  - Frances D
    
    03/10/2013 at 14:06
    
    I am sure New York was just as impressed with you 😉 give my regards to Nera & Co.
    
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Mandy

04/10/2013 at 05:12

A title/cover that seems accurately descriptive to the content. A vague title/cover that doesn’t make it clear what’s in store for me puts me off instantly. Clarity is great 🙂

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