Leah Price

Monthly Archives: February 2015

9 Problems with Reading

Anyone who reads this blog knows how much I enjoy reading. But even I can admit there are a few unintended consequences of over reading that are hard to foresee. I’ve listed the top 9 problems with reading below.

  1. You lose sleep. I can’t count how many times I’ve gotten in bed, exhausted, and picked up a book. Just a few pages, I tell myself. I’ll just read to the end of this chapter. And every time (EVERY SINGLE TIME!) I read far past that and spend the next day in a sleepy blur, waiting until I can get my hands on that book once more, unless, that is, I already finished it the night before. 😉
  2. You live in a dream world. Read enough books and the characters and places in them begin to live in your mind. They seem so real! You’ll find yourself almost giving advice to others based on something a CHARACTER IN A BOOK did. This is not something that non-readers appreciate so be cautious. Readers, on the other hand, will understand.
  3. You are book broke. On a budget? Doesn’t matter. Those books are beckoning and there’s not much you can do to resist it. But, and this is important, under no circumstances should you venture into a bookstore. Don’t do it because not only will you be broke but you will also find….
  4. Your books take over your house. There’s no more room for you in your house because you have piles and piles of unread books covering every surface. You vow that you’ll sell them or give them away after you’ve read them, but….
  5. You are addicted to your books. Give them away? Not this one, you tell yourself. This is my favorite. And this one and this one and this one and…. Pretty soon you realize that you won’t be giving away that book. Or that one. Or that one. Or that one.
  6. You use words no one else has used since the 19th century. Reading historical fiction books can have problems all their own. You begin to think and speak like a person from that time period. But it could be worse, you could be inserting words and phrases that are entirely made up from Fantasy or Sci-Fi. Not that I’ve ever done that….
  7. You forget to feed yourself. You sit down with a new book and then, just seconds later, you look up, dazed and confused. Only to find it’s been hours! And you’re starving! And… wait… let me just finish this page….
  8. The library is not happy with you. It’s perfectly reasonable to assume that the library wants you to read, isn’t it? And they do. But they also want you to return that big stack of books on time and not owe a ginormous fee every time you come back, swearing you aren’t going to check out anything this time, but maybe you’ll just take a peek….
  9. You can’t stop. Once you begin and get hooked, you can’t stop. Try to make a reader stop reading. Take away their book at breakfast and watch their eyes drift to the newspaper, the cereal box, and even the mail. Once you start, you cannot stop. You can’t! So why even try? 😉

So keep telling yourself that the library appreciates all those overdue fines you pay and that you have room for just one more book and that it’s okay to miss eating and sleeping and anything else you need to tell yourself. You have discovered the 9 problems with reading and you now know it’s not just you. Maybe we should start a group?

How many of these problems do you have? And, even harder, if your house was burning down and you were trying to get out of it (while falling all over your piles and piles of books), which one would you save?

 

The Top 7 Great Reasons to Use EBooks for Kids

Like it or not, EBooks are here to stay. I hear and understand the complaints of die-hard readers when it comes to EBooks. They worry about quality and miss the old days of heavy hardbacks and fresh pages. I, too, love books in print. It’s one of the main reasons why I insisted on offering my books in print version as well as digitally.

However, I have to say I’m a sucker for EBooks. I love the ease and simplicity of bringing up a story on my phone, laptop, or other device whenever I have a few minutes free. Or even, if I want to admit it, during otherwise boring activities I’m required to attend. 😉 Another plus I see with EBooks is the reach it can have while encouraging children to read.

EBooks offer:

  • Books at your fingertips. Your kid is bored? Download an ebook! It’s that simple. I know, I know. I hear parents saying “But my kid would rather play a video game or get a new app.” Which brings me to my next point….
  • Many EBooks offer more than just the book. Some books have accompanying apps, games, and more. It’s not something that is extremely common at the moment, but it’s growing.
  • EBooks make any author and any story accessible. Is your child going through a phase of being interested in dinosaurs and paleontology? Just go to your distributor of choice and search with those key words. You can easily find several choices for every interest.
  • EBooks can be tied into your everyday life. Going to a Renaissance festival? Find a book before you attend and build up excitement about that trip. I would have loved this as a child and I imagined kids and parents doing just that when I wrote The Faire Pendant series.
  • EBooks are flexible. One of my favorite things about EBooks are the fact that they are flexible. I don’t have to worry about packing a book which invariably leads to a sore shoulder from my heavy handbag or returning my books to the library on time which I seem to be incapable of doing. I sometimes wonder how many books I’ve “purchased” for the library through my fines.
  • EBooks are cheap. They are! Most EBooks are very competitively priced. When you think about it, an EBook is usually only about the same price as a cup of coffee or a snack. And they keep kids entertained for hours while also being educational. It’s a win-win. And besides, for me personally, I usually have library fines high enough to have PURCHASED the books in EBook form. Anyone else out there have the same problem? No?
  • EBooks are an understood medium for your kids. It’s the new millennium and children now are not like the children I knew growing up. They are highly technical and spend a lot of time using technology. Everything from television to laptops and cell phones to Ipads are what they are familiar with and understand. I try to imagine what I would have thought as a child if I had been in the same situation but it is difficult. Maybe like someone giving me a paintbrush and an easel when I asked for a camera?

Despite all the reasons listed above, I still believe in the power of print. However, like I’ve pointed out, EBooks definitely have a place in our society. I enjoy having access to both print and EBook formats. I read different books in each medium and I love it. What do you think about EBooks for children? Would your child enjoy them?

 

Doing Winter the Right Way

Overheard: “Ugh. I hate Winter. Now that Christmas is over, it’s going to be boring and dreary and cold till spring.” My reaction? Winter is not boring! Winter is what you make of it. I love winter because it seems like a vacation for me. Even though I still go to work, write during every spare minute, and complete every other mundane task we as humans must do, I find more relaxation during the deep of winter than pretty much any other time. Here’s why….

  1. Winter is slow… Just after the holiday’s, I find that things slow down considerably. Holiday parties, shopping, and trips are over. It’s cold out in most places and people tend to hibernate. The typical yard sales, festivals, and outdoor parties of the spring, summer, and fall don’t happen in the dead of winter. It’s just too cold. To me, this means plenty of free time to focus on other things. Take this opportunity to invest in yourself. Really think about what you want out of this year or if there’s anything on your bucket list you haven’t completed yet and start on it!
  2. And the days are short… Again, in most places this is true. It gets dark very early in winter, providing with you the perfect opportunity to rest. Go to bed early, take hot baths, treat yourself to an at-home spa day. You have plenty of time and no one is going out in this weather…
  3. But there’s plenty to do… Tired of hibernating at home? Visit your friends and family. Winter is the perfect time to meet up for lunch or to have an early dinner. Most people (besides you! ;)) are at their least busiest this time of year. Find time to reconnect.
  4.  And lots of places to go… Lots of vacations packages and rates are at their cheapest this time of year. Save up (or better yet, ask for money for Christmas) and take that vacation. It’s the perfect time of the year to find a deal.
  5. And best of all, plenty of books to read. Yes, yes, I’m bringing it back to reading. I love to read. I don’t mind declaring it. It’s one of my favorite activities and it’s easy to do. Winter is the time of year with long, cold nights free for filling up with good books. In the summer, I try to get outside and play with my pets and work in my garden, leaving me little time for reading at night. In winter, I can relax and read to my heart’s content.

I’m not trying to declare winter the most exciting season of them all, but with this post, I hope to share why I like it. Every season has value and winter is the time to rest. The days are going to be cloudy, the air cold, weather bad (at times), and days short, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the best of it. What do you like to do in winter? What are your favorite books to read?