Corusca

I found this article with a series of 75 indicators that you may be a bibliophile.

These are the ones I related to. I’ve only included more extended descriptions of a couple of points, so for more info just go to the site linked above.

5. You fight to diversify the literary canon.

Great writing can come from anyone, anywhere. And a true bibliophile knows that the real literary canon is made up of far more than just a bunch of dead, high strung white guys. Oh, they contributed alright! But they are not the entirety.

Short of ‘chicklit’ and/or erotica, I’ve pretty much read a bit of everything. Maybe some day I’ll have the patience to look at chicklit. It probably won’t be Twilight though… Which leads me to the next point…

7. You have a little vein in your forehead that throbs whenever you hear about sparkly vampires.

Yeah. Check out this post I made about Twilight a while ago to get a glimpse of my opinion.

12. You have ardently argued that comic books deserve to be considered literature on par with more “acceptable” formats like short stories and novels.

A lot of comics I’ve read are better than a lot of novels I’ve read. I mean, a lot better. Watchmen, and Y: The Last Man come immediately to mind.

14. You’d read in the car if you could.

15. Better yet, you take public transportation for reasons other than cost and the environment.

I get pretty stressed when driving, and prefer to take public transportation regardless of reading time, but yes, being able to have some time ‘reserved’ for my reading is awesome.

16. Used, local and specialty bookstores are your kryptonite.

19. You ? your local library.

I used to spend ages there when I was younger. Even became friends with one of the librarians.

23. You know very well that used book stores are not where stimulating reads go to die.

Good books are hard to find in used book stores, especially here in Portugal. In London, I managed to get quite a few gems on such bookstores though.

26. You actually know the difference between you’re/your, they’re/their/there and it’s/its.

I do, and I’m not even a native English speaker. :p

28. The social events you look forward to most either involve the library, readings or lectures.

30. You think Kindles, Nooks, iPads and other electronic books take a little something away from the reading experience.

Some of the cooler events here are when a writer I like comes here, or stuff like Forum Fantastico (though 2008 wasn’t the best year – this year should be a lot better, even if I just consider the guests :) ). I’ll miss the smell of new or old books, and the feel of paper when I eventually find myself using an eBook reader.

36. You’ve read the Bible, even though you’re not Christian.

Not all of it. I got bored. Also, lots of poorly constructed plots (plot wholes aplenty) contributed to me losing interest.

42. You love incorporating books into your home décor.

Some of the more intense cases among you may pick out tomes you love with covers that convey the specific aesthetic you desire. The bibliophiliac community is split over interior designers who construct furniture and other decorative items out of old books.

48. You’re reluctant to lend out your books.

Sure, you want to nurture a love and appreciation of the written word in your friends and loved ones. But what if they bend the spine? What if they dogear the pages? WHAT IF THEY SPILL COFFEE ON IT?!?! OH GOD THE THOUGHT OF IT JUST KILLS ME!!!

49. You consider dogearing a sacrilege.

Though a venial sin compared to the mortal offense of breaking a book’s spine, dogearing still compromises its delicate structure.

50. You never walk out of a bookstore empty-handed.

I don’t buy books every time I enter a bookstore, but it happens very frequently.

56. You know that the answer to life, the universe and everything is 42.

You also know how to properly mix a pan-galactic gargle blaster and the importance of bringing a towel with you wherever you go.

I do, and that reminds me I still have a couple of Douglas Adams’ novels to read.

57. You can tell the difference between British and American English…

58. …yet you frequently write in a blend of both.

61. When walking through heavily-wooded areas, you are often disappointed to find no sign of the Ents.

69. You used to spend recess reading.

Not often, but it sometimes happened.

71. You own multiple editions of the same book.

This also includes multiple translations of the same book as well. You know you’ve done it at least once. Don’t lie to me!

75. You really, really, really, really, really, really, really like books.

So yeah, if you hadn’t figured it out yet, here’s me coming out of the book closet: I’m a book addict. Hear me… flip pages. In your general direction.

If you’re not new here, you already know I enjoy reading. A lot.

Since I was a kid, books and comics have provided an escape from a sometimes harsh reality, they’ve been my travelling companions, and they’ve kept me company when I was alone.

Through them, I’ve crossed the galaxy beside Jedi and scoundrels, I’ve ran beside Tom and Huck on the shores of Mississipi, I’ve seen the birth of dragons and the death of knights, I’ve watched the Earth be shattered into a million pieces, I’ve been hugged by a tiger named Hobbes.

This will be the first of a series of posts where I talk about nice reading spots in Lisbon and its surrounding area.

Let’s begin with a place I found out about this weekend.

The Jardim Botânico da Ajuda (Ajuda’s Botanical Garden) is the oldest botanical garden in Portugal.

It’s a beautiful place, with lots of shade, and a wonderful view over the Tagus river on some sections of the garden. To enter you have to pay a small fee, which at the moment won’t go above 1.5 euros. The schedule varies depending on the time of the year, but you can check it out on the garden’s official site (in portuguese) at Menu > Informações > Horários.

The downside, is that the benches could be more confortable, since most (or all?) don’t have a back support, but between the flowers and trees all around, and the cultural part of the experience, I advise anyone to have a reading session there at least once.

Where exactly is it? Google maps provides.

Saw this on a couple of portuguese blogs, and decided to give it a go to stop the radio silence.

1 – Do you snack while reading? If so, what’s your favourite snack?

I usually don’t snack while reading. If I did, I don’t think I’d have a favourite snack. I’d alrernate, depending on my mood.

2 – What’s your favourite drink while reading?

Depends on the weather. If it’s cold, warm tea or hot chocolate. If it’s warm, orange juice or pepsi.

3 – Do you take notes while reading, or the idea of writing in books horrifies you?

No, I don’t. I did a couple of times, but it was for school readings.

4 – How do you mark the spot where you were at on your reading? A bookmarker? Folding the page corner? Leaving the book open?

I use a bookmarker, or, in the absense of one, a piece of paper or a business card. Definitely never, ever folding a page corner – if it’s that urgent to stop reading, I’ll memorize the page I’m on.

5 – Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?

Mostly fiction. I read to get away from reality. I read lots of fantasy, and science fiction, which are my two favourite genres.

6 – Are you the kind of person who reads until the end of the chapter, or do you stop anywhere?

I do a lot of my reading in public transportations, so reaching the end of a chapter syncronized with the bus/train stop I need to get out on, is not practical. I usually stop at the end of a sentence, if possible at the end of a paragraph.

7 – Are you a reader capable of throwing the book to the other side of the room, or to the floor when the author irritates you?

No. Never. Book tossing is no-no in our house.

8 – If you find a word you don’t know, will you stop and look for its meaning?

If there’s a computer with Internet access or a dictionary nearby, absolutely.

9 – What are you currently reading?

I’m finishing Madame Sadayakko, which is the real story of the first japanese actress. I’m also in the middle of The Dark Mirror, by Juliet Marillier. Next up, I’m undecided between a few books, but I’ll probably go for the first book of the Tales of the Otori.

10 – What was the last book you bought?

Well, I actually bought quite a few recently, since the Lisbon Fook Faire is up.

I got the first three books of the Tales of the Otori, by Lian Hearn, the first two of Ricardo Pinto’s Stone Dance of the Camaeleon, Calvin & Hobbes: Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons by Bill Waterson, and Darwinia by Robert Charles Wilson (which is a gift for the approaching birthday of a certain kitten), all at the faire.

I also bought the last book of the Bridei Chronicles trilogy by Juliet Marillier, which I found in the ‘correct’ edition in a store. By this, I mean an edition which matches that of The Dark Mirror I already own, which is apparently not easy to find now. I still lack the second part of the trilogy in that edition, and will be keeping my eyes open for it.

11 – Do you read just one book at once, or can you read more than one at the same time?

I used to be a one-book-only kind of gal, but in time I started alternating between a couple of books. Mostly due to logistics – some of the books I want to read are too big to read in public transportation, so I end up having a smaller one with me to carry around.

12  - Do you have a favourite spot/time of the day to read?

I really like reading outdoors when the weather is nice, but sadly I don’t have a terrace or balcony, so I end up reading in the couch when I’m at home. I went out to read at the Gulbenkian garden a lot a few years ago, but now since I lack the availability to do so, I just take up chances I get when I get off work to read in a garden on my way home, or read at the farm when we go visit kitten’s grandma. Time of the day… no, I don’t think I have a favourite time to read. Any time is good, as long as I’m not too tired.

13 – Do you prefer books included in series or independent novels?

Although I enjoy stories that go on in several universes (A Song of Ice and Fire, Star Wars, DragonLance, etc.), I tend to prefer standalone novels. I don’t mind novels that are part of a certain universe, but instead of feeling obligated to read a whole trilogy to get some finality out of the story, I prefer the book to have a self-contained plot. Maybe it’s because I’ve read dozens of trilogies when I had more spare time, and now I find myself lacking in the time department.

14 – Is there a specific author or novel that you’re always recommending?

Yeah. I’ve become a huge fan of George R. R. Martin’s work, especially in A Song of Ice and Fire. I also love Brian K. Vaughn’s Y the Last Man, and Runaways (vol 1) graphic novels, as well as several of Alan Moore’s stuff.

15 – How do you organize your books?

I usually keep series/universes together as much as our bookshelves allow. I also tend to keep the same author’s stuff together. Due to having a too many novels, I’ve had to have the books in two rows in some parts of our bookshelf. Yeah, I need more bookshelves.

“The best fantasy is written in the language of dreams. It is alive as dreams are alive, more real than real … for a moment at least … that long magic moment before we wake.

Fantasy is silver and scarlet, indigo and azure, obsidian veined with gold and lapis lazuli. Reality is plywood and plastic, done up in mud brown and olive drab. Fantasy tastes of habaneros and honey, cinnamon and cloves, rare red meat and wines as sweet as summer. Reality is beans and tofu, and ashes at the end. Reality is the strip malls of Burbank, the smokestacks of Cleveland, a parking garage in Newark. Fantasy is the towers of Minas Tirith, the ancient stones of Gormenghast, the halls of Camelot. Fantasy flies on the wings of Icarus, reality on Southwest Airlines. Why do our dreams become so much smaller when they finally come true?

We read fantasy to find the colors again, I think. To taste strong spices and hear the songs the sirens sang. There is something old and true in fantasy that speaks to something deep within us, to the child who dreamt that one day he would hunt the forests of the night, and feast beneath the hollow hills, and find a love to last forever somewhere south of Oz and north of Shangri-La.

They can keep their heaven. When I die, I’d sooner go to middle Earth.”

— George R.R. Martin

Winter is coming.

Having passed the last few minutes squeaking like a little (fan)girl, I have managed to settle down for enough time to write a post about this.

HBO has given the green light for the A Game of Thrones series. Ten episodes have been confirmed, and the series is expected to start airing in Spring 2011. It’s a very long time from now, but if they managed to do the series right, and considering the quality of the base material (George R. R. Martin’s A song of Ice and Fire novels), it will be worth the wait.

Anyway, read more about t, oh, all over the web. (and I wish they’d released more photos of the pilot so I wouldn’t be copycating ever single site :p )

Now excuse me while I go do a happy panda dance. :3

I decided, partly inspired by the latest posts at Cherry Rambles, that I’d eventually make a list of all the unread novels I have laying around the house. I thought they amounted to the gazillions, but I can only remember these, some of the names and authors are a blur. I’m trying to stick to reading these instead of getting new ones, as much as I can, but being a bookaholic(?), I have problems resisting.

As I mentioned before, I don’t make a huge deal of Valentine’s day, preferring to celebrate our own anniversaries and relationship events, more than a general event for people who happen to be romantically involved. Even so, on one of my previous posts I complained about the stupid differences between the technology (and other) lists of gifts for Valentine’s there were, between gifts ‘for him’, and gifts ‘for her’, because, well, they are pretty idiotic.

It wasn’t just intended as criticism, but also as an attempt to clarify that a lot of these lists are very retarded, and far away from the truth for a lot of women. This is, however, written in my point of view, so obviously what I mention here may vary from person to person, because we’re not all the same.

As such, and before I start making the list(s), I will clarify, that I believe most women would be happy if you would cook them a yummy dinner, made a nice dessert, got her a flower or two, and surprised her with a romantic candlelight dinner at home. In my view, that shows that you care a lot more than hundreds of euros worth of gifts, or going to an amazingly expensive restaurant does. (Note that this does not apply if you’re dating Miss Shallow, in which case you will have to sell your internal organs to be able to afford to buy her everything she wants. :p) Though I’ve tried keeping in mind more affordable gifts, this list has gifts with a wide range of prices.

So, let’s move on to this geek girl’s guide to Valentine’s gifts for geeky girls. Read the rest of the post after the break.

(continue reading…)

Part of my collection of graphic novels (V for Vendetta is not mine).

This is just part of my comics/manga collection. Some other stuff missing from there, like some Star Wars graphic novels, most of my manga, and Buffy season 8.

I’m eventually going to get part 4 of The Red Star, Sword of Lies. It just seems never to be available at online european stores, so I’ll have to get it from the US or something.