Reading Made Easier Techniques!

 
Tyler White breaks it down in the above 4 minute video. It's an interesting take on the topic and worth a watch.

San Diego Public Library Created a Limited Edition Comic Con Library Card!!

 

This Comic Con Limited Edition Public Library Card looks awesome. Too bad I do not live in San Diego County.

Los Angeles Public Library - The World's Largest Pop - Up Book!!

Wow, this pop up book at the LA Public Library is amazing!!! The above YouTube is approximately nine minutes in length and discusses the process of making a large scale pop up book.

John Green on the Death of An Author!!

 

This is an interesting video! It's different than I thought it would be. John Green "considers the role of authorial intention and biography in novels, and whether the author can ever be exorcised from the novel, in the context of Roland Barthes' famous 1967 essay 'The Death of the Author.'"

Click on the above link to watch John Green!

The New York International Antiquarian Book Fair

 

What an interesting video on the wide world of collecting antiquarian books and documents! 

The above YouTube video highlights "inside the secret world where the rarest books on Earth are bought and sold."

It would be interesting to attend this book fair in person simply to view what they have for sale and to gawk at the rare objects on display.

Ann Parchett - A Love Letter to Reading - Ted Talk!

 I watched this video yesterday on YouTube and loved it! Ann Patchett discusses her love of reading. It's an important message and one worth hearing. This video is almost 15 minutes. Check it out.

Ann Patchett's New Book, Whistler Sounds Good!

On the Today Show, Jenna & Sheinelle talk with Ann Patchett about the inspiration behind her new novel, Whistler. 

The above video clip is a quick watch. Enjoy!!

Happy Ending For Planet Books Indie Bookstore in Signal Hill!

 

I'm thrilled to learn that after 30 years in business, Planet Books in Signal Hill, California is still thriving after a major move to a new location.

Life As An Independent Bookstore Owner!!

 

I really enjoyed watching this video on YouTube featuring a couple who purchased an independent bookstore in Washington state. It's sort of behind the scenes look at their lives as business owners and their personal lives.

Octavia Butler's Beginnings As A Writer

 

I've only read Kindred by Octavia Butler, which I really enjoyed a lot. I really want to read more of her works. 

The above YouTube video discusses Octavia Butler's life.

I learned a lot of new things about her life.

The Books That Helped Shaped Neil DeGrasse Tyson's Childhood

 

I enjoyed watching this long video where Neil DeGrasse Tyson talks about the books that shaped his childhood. He had a great story about his encounter with Carl Sagan at the end of the video. Most of the books feature science in some way.

Childhood Literacy Crisis in the USA!

Wow, just wow, national exam finds that 40% of US 4th graders are below basic reading level. Additionally, over 50% of US adults are not able to read at a middle school level. 

This is scary 😱 news! As a nation, how are we supposed to stay competitive and relevant without an educated workforce in the generations to come if our literacy is in crisis?

Not Reading Could Undermine Democracy!!

 

I watched this YouTube video earlier this week from BBC Politics and BBC News. I found the topic interesting on why reading is important to democracy. Not only does reading books (both fiction and nonfiction) help with empathy, but many other things like critical thinking. 

Watch the above video to learn more from the panel of speakers.

Selling Used Books For Profit?!

 

This short video almost makes me want to start selling used books at various locations as a side hustle!

Use This 1972 Rule to Improve Reading Comprehension

 

A 1972 experiment that changed educational neuroscience through schema activation. Watch the above YouTube video to learn more about schema activation and the pre-reading technique that helps with reading comprehensive.

Choose Your Own Adventure Books!

 

Does anyone else remember the Choose Your Own Adventure books? I remember they were popular books in elementary school when I was a child. I remember you could but the mass market paperback copies at the grocery store. I read a few of these books and enjoyed them as a kid. 

I hadn't thought about the Choose Your Own Adventure books in years. I came across the above YouTube video that took me down memory lane and discusses the rise and fall of the the Choose Your Own Adventure books.

Check Out the Psychology Behind Reading Several Books at Once!

 

I usually read several books at a time. I fall into categories one and two. What about you? Do you read multiple books at once? If so, which category do you fall into?

Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse

I watched 'Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse' last night via Kanopy. I enjoyed watching this documentary a lot. This documentary was released earlier this year about the life of Art Spiegelman and his works, including Maus, which won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize. 

I highly recommend 'Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse" if you love comics/graphic memoirs.

I read Maus I and Maus II by Art Spiegelman in the mid 1990s for an English course in college.

I recently reacquired the hardback edition of this book, which contains both volumes of Maus. I look forward to rereading it in 2026.

The Birthplace of the First Alphabet!

 

Without the alphabet, we wouldn't have a written language, nor books to read. I found this short video about the birthplace of the alphabet fascinating.

Inside Agatha Christie’s Favorite Hotel That Inspired Her Books - on the Today Show

 

I fell in love with Agatha Christie's novels when I was a teenager. I've have continued to read many of her books over the years. Christie's novels have a special place in my heart.

I came across this video clip on YouTube. It discusses Agatha Christie's favorite hotel, which inspired some of her novels! This hotel even hosts murder mystery parties, which is pretty nifty too.