When Books Inspire

Let’s start with a little backstory…

Ages ago Oprah was giving away the ebook version of Suze Orman’s book, Women and Money, on her website. I didn’t have an ereader back then (they had yet to be invented–or at least become available/known to plebs like me), but any time any book was available for free, I downloaded it. Because, hey, it’s a free book. (And yes, that is a little odd seeing as I hated reading big files on my computer and thus, never did. But I downloaded it. It’s one of the many, slightly odd, book-hording type things I’ve done in my increasingly seeming could-it-be-shady? not-so-long-ago past.)

So…

The other night I was looking for something to read on my ereader and this was THE LAST UNREAD BOOK in my special little horde of pdf files. (Yep, I even read career planning worksheets and editing tips.) And so I started reading. Strangely enough, despite Women and Money being a distinctly ‘financial’ book, it’s surprisingly readable and enjoyable! (Sorry, Suze. You know, women, money, women reading about money… Money books aren’t usually the first thing we seek out (especially at 3AM when we’re bleary-eyed and breastfeeding the wee one). But actually, she does know. Which is exactly why she wrote the book. Well, not exactly-exactly. But you know what I am getting at.)

Anyway, I started reading and a lot of the pep talk stuff doesn’t particularly apply (although pep talks are always welcome) to me since I’ve always been somewhat involved with my money–you know the type–reads RESPs for Dummies before going and setting one up at the local bank (after shopping around) for her kid–and who used to throw her entire first ‘real’ paycheck on her and her hubby’s student loans. And, yes, I check every bill before I pay it. I’m that gal. And because of that, our assets outweigh our debts. (Yippee!)

But then good ol’ Suze started talking about our relationship with money and why we don’t take charge. It snapped me to attention. In the past few years, I’ve let my money ‘prowess’ slip. I’ve stopped caring quite as much, and lost some of my motivation. Maybe because the student loans are paid off and we owe less than half our home’s value?? Or maybe because I’m busy and money stuff can be boring and you have to talk to annoying people who sometimes know less than you do, or else think they know ‘best’ and are insistent and awful when you insist right back that you want it done your way because it’s-your-bloody-money-and-no-they-can’t-have-more-of-it-thank-you-very-much. (Yeah, it’s probably that last one.)

So. I snapped to. I marched into the bank and closed an account that I’d been meaning to close for months. (Even that annoying $6.95 a month charge for them doing nothing had yet to spur me into going in and facing them and saying, “I want out!”) Maybe I was dragging my heels because of a bad experience closing an account with another bank (same reason)–I hate arguing and fighting for my rights as a consumer. If I am leaving your bank it’s too damn late to make good!

But that’s not all I did. Because, dammit it, their ‘sounds good ethical’ RRSP actually blows chunks. I’ve wasted 7 years on that bloody crap RRSP and haven’t felt good about it for years. I don’t have forever to earn some bucks on that baby. I’m out. I’m done. I’m going to change that to another bank too! What good is my money if it isn’t working for me, right?

And while I’m at it, I’m going to put another lump sum on our mortgage. And I’m going to transfer more into the kids’ RESPs. And while I’m at it, I might even roll my coins. (Whoa! Let’s not crazy now.)

Banking Prowess. You betcha, honey. Rrrrrrrowll! Feels good.

Thanks, Suze! Someday, I hope my written words inspire someone to make great changes in their life.

Have you read something that’s inspired you to take action (big or small) lately?

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I Won a book!

Wow! I won something. I haven’t won anything in a random draw since that peanut butter brittle when I was 15. Yes! The peanut butter brittle was good, but guess what’s even better? A brand new book! That’s right… a book. And even better, it is SIGNED by the author. WOO! Signed books always feel so much more special.

Here’s the scoop of chocolate: Kay Elam, over on her blog, had a contest where one could win a brand new copy of the just released book THE IMMORTALS by J.T. Ellison. I’m scared though. She says her books are scary. As in nightmare worthy… I’m going to be reading this thing through the cracks in my fingers as I hold my hand over my eyes! I love it!

Want to check it out? Here’s a linky for you:

Freedom to Read Week–Correction! (Banned Book Week)

This week is Freedom to Read Week, otherwise known as, Banned Book Week. (Later note:) Nope, I screwed up, this is actually Banned Book Week (which is American). Freedom to Read Week (Canadian version) is actually in February. Oops!

Even though this week was the highlight of the year when I was a YA librarian, I somehow forgot about this week. (Later note: Maybe because we celebrated the Canadian version, being Canadian and all. Maybe the cold I’m finally getting over didn’t give me as much brain damage as I first thought.) I know! Impossible. Unreal. Thankfully, Yvonne Osborne saved the day. She’s having a writing challenge over on her blog–try to write something worthy of being banned or challenged.

There are piles of lists out on the internet that are challenged or banned classics, 50 banned books that everyone should read (includes great background on why each book has been banned), the most commonly challenged books in the US (some of these are ridiculous), and more. Many more lists.

Harry Potter was a huge ‘offender’ years ago and he topped all the current lists. It’s nice to see that the hubbub around that has died down. Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging (kissing) is a British YA diary which is hilarious, and not at all as bad as it title leads you to assume, is on the list. Of course, Judy Blume is on the list. A few years back, Meg Cabot kept hoping to get one of her books challenged and she finally got one a few years ago. She claims it is an honor to be on those lists. I can kind of see that. Look at the big names on those lists. As well, it means your words have got someone thinking and challenging their personal or world beliefs.

Yvonne asked readers over on AQ, as well as on her blog how many banned/challenged books they have read. Good question. Which list do you use? Does it count if you started reading them?

Here’s my ‘have-read’ list (from the three a fore-mentioned lists):

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Color Purple by Alice Walker (Couldn’t get through it–ban it!)
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne (Darn that talking, bumbling bear. What is he trying to do–scare our kids into thinking hephalumps are real?)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Again, imagination is deadly, folks.)
A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Babel fish, talking robots, dang, better ban it.)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. (One of the few fantasy books I’ve enjoyed. Better ban it. You don’t want me reading that good stuff.)
The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling.(Read and own all 7)
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriett Beecher Stowe. (Wasn’t able to finish this one. The message kept hitting me over the head, again and again and again. I was already sold on the idea of slavery being bad. Can I still count it?)
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. (Couldn’t get through this one. It was the rape scene–also why it was banned. I don’t think that makes it ban-worthy. Just put-it-down worthy in my case.
Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. (Fantastic story. Loved it.)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck.
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging Louise Rennison
Go Ask Alice Anonymous
The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky (Seriously one of the most popular books in school back in the early 2000s.)
Where’s Waldo? Martin Handford (Puh-lease. Don’t we have anything better to do than ban find-the-geek-in-the-crowd? Oh, right. They are addictive. Never mind.)

34, if I include the 3 I couldn’t get through. I think I need to read more banned/challenged books as there are some great ones that I’ve always meant to read on those lists. There were also some kids books I may have read ages ago, but I couldn’t recall so I didn’t include them. I’m pretty sure I read Blubber by Judy Blume though. Maybe I need to re-read it.

Just realized that I HAVE read S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. So, 35.

Using What You Read

Do you ever use what you read?

Two days ago, my husband came home from supervising 130 teens in the city (field trip). Since nearly every student had a cell phone, he used what he’s been reading about in the book ‘Linked’ by Albert-Laszlo Barabasi. When he needed to track down a student, he found a ‘hub’ (a student at the ‘center’ of that network of people) and put them to task–with their cell phone. Kids were using their cell phones to phone and text message other students and at times, using Twitter and Facebook to track down others. My husband even made use of students to contact other supervisors and other buses. And it was through using the electronic network these students had created.

Yesterday, I was in a corn maze, trying to get lost. After half an hour, the kids and I finally managed to get lost at the far end of the maze. One look at the kids and I knew it was ‘go time’. No more letting the kids take charge and sending us around in loops. What to do? It was time to use the ‘Wisdom of Crowds’ (by James Surowieki) and get the heck out of there. (That’s the book I’m currently reading.)

I began checking each path option for signs that it was the most commonly chosen path. Why? Surowiecki says in cases such as these, the individual doesn’t necessarily make the correct choice, the crowd does. Within 5 minutes of using the wisdom of crowds, the three of us had crossed the quarter section and were out of the maze like we knew what we were doing.

Do you consciously use what you’ve read?

Want to learn what we’ve learned? Check it out:

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IndieBound

I came across IndieBound a few months ago and have slowly, but surely, been checking it out.

What is IndieBound? Well, it is a website where you can order or find books from independent booksellers in your area. It also promotes supporting your local bookstores. If you need a comparison, it is sort of like the 100 mile rule when it comes to shopping for food. (Try and eat food that has been grown within 100 miles of where you live. Good bye bananas!) But instead of ordering from some large warehouse thousands of miles away or buying from a large, impersonal chain store, you are buying your books from someone close by.

Why buy from your independent bookseller? Here are some most excellent reasons taken from the IndieBound website:

When you shop at an independently owned business, your entire community benefits:

The Economy

• Spend $100 at a local and $68 of that stays in your community. Spend the same $100 at a national chain, and your community only sees $43.
• Local businesses create higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.
• More of your taxes are reinvested in your community–where they belong.

The Environment

Buying local means less packaging, less transportation, and a smaller carbon footprint.

• Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money to beautify your community.

The Community

• Local retailers are your friends and neighbors—support them and they’ll support you.
• Local businesses donate to charities at more than twice the rate of national chains.
• More independents means more choice, more diversity, and a truly unique community.

Compelling, isn’t it?

The nice thing is that many of these places also offer online shopping. Not all, but several. So, come on out and support your Indie bookstores while they are still there. (Think of the movie ‘You’ve Got Mail’. In fact, as research, I think we’d all better sit down and watch Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks fall in love one more time. <sigh>)