Every time I come across an interesting factoid or a beautiful line in a book I have tried to re-read it, to commit the words to memory. Of course it doesn’t work. The interesting detail on the next page quickly erases the previous one.There is usually only a faint flicker in the memory bank when I later come across a book I have read, naturally leading to much disappointment.
“What is the point of reading?” I have asked myself in frustration.
Still, I dithered from keeping a diary of anecdotes, quotes and factoids. Diaries can get lost and they also pile up quickly, collect dust and hurt trees.
But finally, I have found a solution. It’s so simple that I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. I’m going to put everything up here on the blog.
That way, it can be with me forever and I can also share it with you.
I can refer to my own blog if I need to use the information in my writing and best of all I can finally remember a good book long after finishing it.
7 comments:
Dear Alaphia,
Great idea! I usually put stuff like that up on twitter.com. And the beauty is that i can even do this from my mobile phone!
Check it out.
Jayanth
Blogging would put it own restrictions of formatting/spell check. If you are in research mode, I would suggest you to try Google Notebook if you have not tried it already. If you are doing a research on the web, it is the ideal tool to collect & tag information. You can collect information with a single click, with a link to the source of the information. It is available as an extension/add-on for Firefox & IE.
On a related note, Thomas Friedman’s “The World is Flat” audio book is available as a free download for the next few days.
www.thomaslfriedman.com/pop/giveaway
So what books are you reading now?
Thanks Journovoice. I am yet to try out Twitter.
Neodawn - thanks. You're always full of useful information.I'm not in research mode right now but Notebook looks like the thing when I start. And I'm trying to read five books right now! I know its absurd but I'm frantic because the summer is ending.
Alaphia - just what I started my blog for - my thoughts, and then it became a sort of travel journal, now everything goes in, even my photographs. Too bad for my poor readers.....but what the heck, it is mine
What a coincidence! Me and another friend were discussing the same problem some time back! The problem of reading a really nice and touching book and no being able to relive it when we want - the only option being to re-read the book, for which often we don't have the time. One of the best ways to do it is blogging, yes. This meticulously wonderful book blog inspired me quite a bit and I am planning to do something on similar lines :) Hope I have the time to do so.. http://ramyasbookshelf.blogspot.com/ (check this out when you have time)
Sathej
Thanks Sathej. I did check it out. It's an interesting blog.
Post a Comment