Tag: literature

Long or short books?

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ Leave a comment

When it comes to books the length often is a deal breaker on whether to buy it.

Personally I prefer shorter books so that I can read it in a shorter period of time and have the chance to read another. I feel that when I read a longer one I tend to lose interest at some point.

If I were to read a longer book it would have to have shorter chapters or sections. I find this helps to motivate me to read as I can set myself goals.

Some people however much prefer to read longer books as there can be more depth or subplots. It may take more time to explore a character or storyline. You can also feel more invested in the book if you are reading it for longer.

It is a completely personal thing and you can discuss your opinion in the comments !

Many thanks Caitlin X

(PS please feel free to comment your opinion)

The Oldest Book I Own

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ Leave a comment

When it comes to your bookshelf you gave a vast array of books from different times and places. I thought that I would have a look at my own bookshelf and see what the oldest book I own is.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is that book. I believe that it was my mum’s when she was younger and she always loved it and I was given it to enjoy just the same. I haven’t read this book in a long time and I’m not sure I have even read it the whole way through but even though that is the case I still love it.

You can tell it was loved with the slightly scruffy corners and the evident use through the pages. I personally believe that this adds character to the book and gives me a visual to how it was loved.

The book was first published is 1976 and this copy in 1977

This copy is also fairly unique, as the from and back cover is upside down to the text.


My mum always said that it looked bizarre and as if she was reading the book upside down which I like. I think it adds another quality to the book.

I will one day finally get round to reading the full book and maybe even trick down people with the upside down cover.

Many thanks, Caitlin X

(PS please comment the oldest book that you own)

The importance of viewpoints

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ Leave a comment

There are masses of viewpoints that authors can use especially if they have a lot of characters. This can be vital in making a story engaging and realistic.

If you are looking at a crime novel, viewpoints are important. You can look at the criminals view which can tell you why they are doing what they are doing, the police view to show how they are trying to solve the problem as well as the victims view. Those are just a few and you can look at many different people in the book to shed a new light on the events. A good example of looking at different viewpoints is All The Hidden Truths by Claire Askew. I found this book that shared a different point of view with a lot of the book being focused on the parents of both the victim and the criminal. To show how crime effects those that surround those individuals involved.

It is also important to ensure the correct viewpoint is chosen so that it suits the story. Whether the book is written in first, second or third person it need to be write for the story. Most books are written in third person, past tense but that doesn’t mean your book should be!

You also need to make sure that you stick to these viewpoints. To ensure you are staying in the characters head and the book stays in first, second or third person unless for a specific reason. Continuity is also incredibly important and key for viewpoints especially if you have multiple in one book. You need to ensure that if one character knows something but another doesn’t you need to ensure that these are stuck to.

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(PS please comment your opinion on viewpoints)

Bookish Apps

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ Leave a comment

The majority of people have a smart phone or tablet that has the capacity to download apps and there are many book related and reading apps that would be perfect for the avid reader. They can come in many forms for example, an e-reader or an app that keeps track of the books you read. Here are a few that you may be interested in;

READING APPS:

When it comes to reading apps they are essentially e-readers on your phone/tablet. This is ideal for those who like to read throughout the day and like to keep all thier books on one device without having to buy a seperate e-reader. This can be cheaper as you can get published books at a better price without having to bu a seperate device. There are also loads of apps that share stories and books from individuals that are not published. Examples of reading apps are as follows;

  • Apple/Google Play books
  • Kindle
  • Aldiko
  • Wattpad
  • WordPress
  • FBReader

And much more!

AUDIOBOOK APPS

Audiobooks are a hugely popular way to read on the go. Whether your on your way to school/work or travelling. You can listen to a book and experience it through sound rather than physically having to have that book with you and reading it. You can listen to audiobooks whils you are doing something else such as painting, gardening or anything really! Some example of audio book apps are as follows;

  • Audible
  • Google Play books
  • LibriVox
  • Kobo
  • Kindle
  • Audiobooks.com

OTHER:

There are a huge variety of book apps that can be anywhere from shops, to review sites to blogs. a few examples of some I like are as follows;

  • GoodReads
  • Waterstones (Bookshop)
  • Litsy (Share and discover new books, create an online library to keep track of what you read.)
  • Snaptell
  • Scribd (like Netflix for books)
  • InstantPoetry

These are just a few of the many different apps you can get on your app store so take the time to explore and see what fits best for what you want/need.

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(PS please comment your favourite book apps or if you have anything different to the ones above)

Book Clubs

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ Leave a comment

Books clubs are often easy to join and can allow you to share your passion for books with like-minded people.

Not only can you share your passion but you can experience reading and discussing books with new people. You can be pushed into reading out of your comfort zone.

One benefit of joining a book club is that it gives your deadlines to meet and ensures that you finish the book instead of moving onto the next. It helps you to stay in time and on track to make sure you are making the most progress possible.

It can also allow you to see new perspective on things. If you ask a group of people about one aspect of a book more likely than not you will get a lot of different answers. People look and interpret information differently and you can explore and deepen your view with the help of others.

You can meet new people and can become apart of a community. You can create relationships that stem from a love of books and you can learn how to have good discussions.

I would highly recommend joining a book group and would love to hear of you are a part of one.

Many thanks, Caitlin X

(PS please feel free to comment )

Pop-up Books

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ Leave a comment

Pop-up books are an artistic way to share stories using 3-D illustrations.

These are typical for children’s books as they are more immersive and fun for a child to experience. Children often rely on the imagery to keep engaged in the book and making it 3-D just adds another layer to the excitement. It allows the story to be brought alive.

This may then help with improving reading skills as they are interactive and can generate more excitement to see what happens on the next page. They are also combined with the words of a story so children can link the words to the images and gain a better understanding of vocabulary and language. This way for reading provides them with the images that go with the story but as they begin to read books with less images and more words then they can understand about the visualization of the story.

Although pop-up books are predominantly for younger audiences there are some out there for adults to enjoy. These tend to show art and dsplay photos in a more exciting way in order to experience them in a different way. Having a 2-D picture can often lead to people being dinsengaged but if it then made into a 3-D shape within a book it adds excitemetn and allows you to have the ability to look at it from different angles. Many artists also decide to only work or focus on art in 3-D and this is a great way to display this art in a portable way.

Pop-up books have also been good for teaching including science. In order to learn about human anatomy in an effective way pop up books were used to help to understand.

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(PS please feel free to comment your opinion on pop-up books)

Monsters by Sharon Dogar

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ Leave a comment

The passion and loss that created Frankenstein.

Monsters follows the story of Mary Shelley and how this young woman who defies tradition and society and her experiences which created the most famous monster of all.

Having just finished this book I have mixed opinions of it. I liked the story it told and the characters being based on real people however it seemed too long and during the book I lost interest. I did regain this interest but I feel as though it could have been condensed ever so slightly.

This may be a completely personal thing and I get that every individual has different thoughts so I would recommend this book but only if you have determination and interest in the people of the book.

However, I did like this book as the characters were so developed throughout. I knew nothing of the people in the book before reading and therefore I learned everything with it. I got to know these characters and what drove. A need to be as revolutionary and determined as her mother. I found Mary to be very inspirational. She defied being the traditional woman of the time who got married off to a man. Claire learning to want to be herself and admiring Mary’s passion is also inspirational. She learned to become herself rather than another version of Mary.

The book shared a lot of Mary’s various experiences and opinions of society which all helped her to create one of the most famous monsters of all. Her determination to be as good and famous as her mother and leaving something more than rumours in her legacy. To create something that she would be remembered for.

I would recommend this book but make sure you have the focus. It is a good book but do be prepared for it too seem long at places.

Many thanks, Caitlin X

(PS please feel free to comment your opinion if the book or anything else !)

Rapid Fire Book Tag

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ 3 Comments
  • Ebook or Physical Book?

I would have to say physical book. There is something much more satisfying about seeing your progress and finishing a physical book.

  • Paperback or hardback?

Paperback. It easier to carry with you and cheaper!

  • Online or in store book shopping?

In store for sure. To physically browse and flick through books is much more enjoyable. To be able to be surrounded by books and the smell of new books is so much better.

  • Trilogies or series?

Either to be honest. If I had to choose I would say a series. More time to develop the characters and the plot.

  • Hero’s or villains?

Hero’s. considering I love to read police procedural and spy books I would have to say heroes. In these books the heroes are not like superman or batman but real people doing their bit for example detectives or doctors.

  • A book you want every one to read

The Other Side of Lost by Jessi Kirby. It’s a very inspirational and powerful read!

  • Recommend an underrated author

Jessi Kirby, Kayla Olsen, Claire Askew, Helen fields, Mick Herron… so many.

  • The last book I finished

All the Hidden Truths by Claire Askew

  • Used book: yes or no?

Yes of course. At least I new someone had read and loved it before me. A way to recycle books that are no longer wanted.

  • Borrow or buy?

I tend to buy my books because I like to own them and have them on my bookshelf but I am not adverse to borrowing!

  • Character or plot?

If you have read my blogs before you will know that a vital part of a book for me is characters. If the characters are not well deserved or realistic for the book then I often don’t like it as much.

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(Ps please feel free to comment your answers)

What I would love to learn

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ Leave a comment

Where it comes to reading many would think that there isn’t more to read once you can successfully start and finish a book your done. I disagree with that however as there is so much to learn about reading.

Source: https://www.peoplematters.in

You can you learn through the medium of books. There are an abundance of educational reading materials available to help broaden your skill set and knowledge.

You can also learn a lot about reading habits. How different people read and figure out what to read. You can see I’m different cultures that they read ‘backwards’ from right to left rather than the opposite which I know. I find it incredibly interesting to learn about these different reading habits and how that can influence me as a reader’s.

I can learn about a different way that someone picks a books and it influences me to do it in the same way to explore more authors and genres. For example I learned that some people go straight to the section of a bookstore that they wouldn’t typically go to and restrict themselves to only that are an this forces you to step out if your comfort zone and delve into something new.

I hope that you take the time to learn more about others reading habits and how that can influence you!

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(PS please comment any reading habits your would like to share )

Where I buy my books

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ Leave a comment

I buy my books from lost of places and each have their own qualities so I thought I would share them.

  • Waterstones – I have to say this is where I buy most of my books. Perfect for getting a brand new book and there’s lots of choice! There is fiction, non fiction, educational books and more!
  • Book Depository – book depository is an international online bookstore with more books that you could ever dream of. There is also a bargain shop to find a book at a great price!
  • ABE books – abebooks is the perfect place to buy used books or books that are no longer in print for a reasonable price. Easy to use and a variety of options from well used to basically new.
  • Charity shop – I think that charity shops are a great place to get a new book. There isn’t often a huge amount of choice but sometimes that’s a good thing. Easier to make a decision! And is well priced majority of the time.
  • Amazon Kindle – I also have a Kindle eReader and buy my books from Amazon’s Kindle store. There are also a whole lot of free books, although they may not be your first choice it’s a great way to explore new genres and styles.

I hope this gives you a new place to buy your books!

Many thanks, Caitlin X

(PS please comment where you purchase your reading material)