March 1, Saturday evening -- Reading Stephen King

Reading Duma Key, by Stephen King. It was part of her online book club, LiteraryGuild.com. From the club she's read books by Dean Koontz, Stephen White, Robin Cook, and Patricia Cornwell, among others.

Duma Key, she said, is about ghosts, magic, artists, and a man who's had an amputation and suffers from phantom limb syndrome.

She's lost both of her legs within the past few years due to diabetes and identifies with the character who has phantom limb syndrome, though it's not the real draw of the book--she just likes Stephen King.

Reading has always been what she's done for herself. Sometimes it was the only entertainment she could afford--the library doesn't cost anything. She raised six children, who are now between the ages of 21 and 33, in Hunters Point in San Francisco. None of her kids are big readers--her boys have only read when they've been doing time in jail (she tried sending them books while they were there but, she said, they were the first things to disappear from the mail so they read what was available on the inside instead). On the outside, they're too busy doing other things. Her one daughter has never read much either....

BUT, she does have a young reader in training. Just one. Her granddaughter, her daughter's daughter, who is now a year old lives next door to her and LOVES being read to. When they read books about animals (which she likes best) she shouts out the animal names. "doggie!" kittie! "bird!" "fish!" With just one child, she said, she hopes to assert more influence. Raising six kids, by herself, was not easy.

Her favorite book--Swan Song, by Robert McCammon or The Stand, by Stephen King.

When she was a kid she liked Nancy Drew.

22 Comments:

aliqot said...

Good to think that she's helping her grand-daughter to be interested in reading.

Stephen King rocks, anyway. Keep on blogging!

ChristineMM said...

found your blog through the featured blogs on the blogger home page.

I love the concept of your blog. I love the numerous photos you share of the people reading, seeing what they look like and the cover shot of the book.

I am thrilled to see so many people reading books. I have not been happy to hear a recent study that said barely anyone is reading.

I'm a bookworm and take a book with me whereever I go.

Love this idea. Keep it up!

Anonymous said...

Yes. Neat idea. I don't know why I decided to check out this blog, but glad I did and now it's bookmarked. Beside me on the desk is Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein. I found it on a summer reading list a couple of years ago. Thanks for the unique blog and for letting people know that society isn't completely brain dead...yet.

jasonfred said...

What a clever idea for a blog. I am very fascinated by this. I came across your blog yesterday and have since spent way too much time reading it. You've already made it onto my favorite blogs list. I'm always looking for a new good read and love to hear why people are reading what they are reading.

Say Lee said...

I forgot to mention in my previous comment, the very first, to an earlier blog post of yours (the south-north gate) that I too found your inspiring blog in the Blog of Note listing. Congrats on making to the list.

I note that most of the books you have featured are in the fiction genre. Perhaps most of your featured readers tend to read for entertainment, especially in the outdoor setting where the environment may not be suited to serious reading.

Here's a thought. How about letting readers sending in their more "serious" reading episodes, with photo and description requirements as per your current format (seeing that the life angle is also of interest) in order to add diversity to your blog? You may be swamped with requests but it's worth a try.

Anonymous said...

Great Sylvia ! I like your blog and I ll come back

Lisa

Sonya Worthy said...

Hi Say Lee,
Thanks for your message!
For now, while working full time and trying to write, I am kept busy simply by doing my current project. What is of most interest to me is that, besides the personal story behind each reader, at this one given moment in time, someone is sitting there, reading a book. We all have favorite books and books we like to talk about, but how much time do we as individuals actually take to read? I like documenting those moment in time that we do. Sometimes it's brief, fleeting. I'll begin to approach someone and just as I do, their moment of reading is done and they fold up their book and put it away. I get to a cafe and say to myself, when I've had something to eat and am not so hungry I'll go talk to them....and then two minutes later they've closed the book. I see so many people carrying around books, or sitting with their books closed. I see piles of books in free bins at bookstores, on the shelves of boostores, in piles in people's bathrooms, on their bedside tables....but none of these books are being read, they're just taking up space! It really truly is a precious moment when a book is actually in hand and the reader is walking through a world created by an author who worked really hard on it! I love that. It's this sort of time/space miracle.

I do like your thought about letting readers send in their "serious" reading. It's a project I could tackle in the future....would need to think of the most time-efficient way of doing it.

sonya

Margaridaa said...

Great, Sonya, i did like very much your blog about others reading. I will come back!

Margaridaa said...

Great, Sonya, i did like very much your blog about others reading. I will come back!

Anonymous said...

i read US Papers please take photos of mine

Big Frank Dickinson said...

What a great idea for a blog. It goes so many directions and covers so much ground.

Thank you!

Big Frank Dickinson

Laura B. said...

What a fantastic idea for a blog! Awesome.

Christy said...

Hi, I luv luv your blog! It's wonderful to find a place where other avid or aspiring avid readers meet etc. I think this is a great idea too!

I'm a big time people watcher... so when I saw your 'People Reading' blog title, I was quite intrigued. Now I'm luvin' it!

I'll be back for more, have a beautiful day and KEEP READING & WRITING!

Hugz,
Christy

PS...I took a peek at your other blog too and I have to admit, I'm a lot the same in that I enjoy talking to strangers who become friends -anywhere and anytime! I think people who enjoy both reading and writing are that way! I could be wrong... but it's a thought :) I'm sure there are always those very private individuals who prefer to be left alone, and yet I think many others who are interested in the adventures in life of thier own and others are very social :)

Baby™aka Beatrix Kiddo aka The Bride said...

Awww, reading leisurely in San Francisco. Memories...

Anonymous said...

I defiantly want to read some of Stephen King's novels and I'm glad she's passing on her bookworm habit.

Found your blog through the blogger homepage, and as other commentators have said, I love the concept of this blog, keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Love the blogs, keep them up!

BigDaddyandBekBek said...

Reading has been a lifesaver to me also, as i have been recovering for 6 months (so far) from an unknown sickness that has left me unable to do what I normally do. Now I READ. i got some good reading suggestions from you. Thanks

Anonymous said...

I loved Nancy Drew as a kid, too!!

Reading to children definately helps them get interrested in books. My mom used to read to my sister and me all the time. And all the Saturday trips to the library were like heaven to me when I was a kid.

Gloria Ives said...

It's funny. When I was in high school I absolutely loved reading Steven King, and although It has been a long time since I have picked up a Steven
King book, I can't for the life of me understand why I use to love that genre. It must have been the voice. But It got me reading, and I am thankful for that. This is a great Blog, Lots of fun and great ideas or new reads.

junk said...

this is such a great idea! i have just started reading again after a very hectic period in my life. i realized how much reading had affected my life only when i wasnt able to read as much as i had used to. most people i know think i am so lame when they ask me what i have been up to and i respond with "well i have read about 4 great books in the past week" good to know others out there still find it a relaxing mind-expanding experience. again great blog!

itsmeej said...

great blog! i'm always trying to make time for a new book, unfortunately im always too busy. This blog however makes me want to give it another try :)

Protussa said...

Just love yr blog :)
It has showed me so much that I can read...Thank you...