I declare this blog officially open

Welcome to any new readers and especially to those who have come via my other blog.

Many thanks goes to @naehutch from twitter for the inspired name it was either Bookonaut or Barry (don’t ask).

 

Why another blog?

Because I am a masochist and because I wanted to write more about the books I was reading as part of my writer training program.  I wanted to host more than just book reviews. I wanted to talk about e-readers, e-books, reading, revisiting the classics, all manner of book related stuff that doesn’t fit well into blogging about Skepticism, Atheism, Religion, Secularism.

Hey, there’s stuff here from January?

Yep.  I have ported over some of my reviews from my old blog  and labelled them with roughly the same date as I originally posted them.  You might also find links that go back to the my other blog.

What can we expect?

Well I have outlined what I would like to do on the about page.  I find that blogging (unless part of some corporate or business strategy) is a bit of an organic process –so let’s just say I intend to cover a few different book related topics and have some ideas at this stage for some regular weekly features.

Thanks for reading,

Sean

Book Beginnings on Friday

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Becky at Page Turners. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

This week I'm (still) reading Emma, by Jane Austen.
This is the first sentence:

Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.

So it’s not exactly Pride and Prejudice, but it seems to basically some up what I have come to appreciate about Miss Woodhouse – a nosey spoilt brat.  In fact I am finding it hard to like any of the female characters that have been presented so far – well apart from Miss Weston/Taylor who as Emma’ previous tutor I have a mild respect for.

Reading Like A Writer

In 2008 I left a job that I had been working at for 7 years.  As a leaving present I received a book voucher to the tune of $200.  It may sound funny but when you are given $200 to burn on books it not as easy as it sounds.

Amongst the swag of non-fiction titles I purchased was Francine Prose's Reading Like A Writer. As life would have it, I didn't sit down to read the book until nearly a year later.


A Joy Discovered

This book has led me, along with having the joy of being employed part time, to discover some of those books that I may have skipped in the past because they fell well outside my area of interest and my comfort zone.  It’s a book worth picking up if you’re a reader or a writer.  It’s both a pleasure to read and quite instructive at the same time.
Below is a video featuring Francine discussing the book.  Apologies for the audio quality.