Our Shared Shelf discussion

In another thread, I suggested that as titles are selected, if there are some people who have already read that book, it would be useful for them to suggest "things to consider" for those of us who are reading for the first time. Since this first book is a relatively new release, there probably aren't many folks who have read it already, so I thought it would be good to discuss this in general.

When preparing to read and then while reading, what are some things that you like to consider? What are your goals (probably differs by genre)? What kind of highlights or notes do you make? How do you decide what to focus on as you read? How do you approach feminist texts differently? Are there particular feminist issues you like to look for?

I'll make my response in an additional post in order to keep these questions as the main focus, and not my specific opinions! So interested to hear how the rest of you approach your reading!

Okay I have some more time now to talk about my own thoughts here!

I always try to set goals for my reading, either based on synopses, reviews, or recommendations of the book in question. If there are certain things that critics have pointed out, positive or negative, I keep an eye out for them.

Some questions I always keep in mind: What is this author's background and what kind of experiences would she identify with? Is the author (or narrator, or both) trustworthy in her account of events or analyses? Does the author make assumptions within the book about what will be relatable to readers, for example, does she references universal experiences or generalities as if they apply to everyone?

I also like to look for themes that arise that perhaps were not intended by the author. How does this happen? What does it mean that an author's ideas create new ones from nothing?

I tend to do a lot of highlighting, underlining, and margin notes. I like to have a record of my thoughts, and it's interesting when I reread a book to see what I was thinking the last time I read, and add to those if my ideas have developed or changed. It's also fun to pass along marked-up books to friends, and read other people's notes as you go :) It creates a dialogue within the book itself for posterity.

With feminist texts, I am always trying to remain critical, because the stakes (for me, at least) are so high. I keep an eye out for intersectionality (or lack thereof) and hidden patriarchy.

Specifically for Steinem's My Life on the Road, I'm approaching it with a couple of ideas in mind:
1. What does it mean for a woman to travel, often alone, all over the world? How might the same narrative(s) told from a man's point of view differ?
2. Gloria Steinem has sometimes been criticized by other feminists for failing to be intersectional. Does this book challenge that perception, add to it, or something in between?

I hope some of these ideas help other in their reading, and I really hope I get some responses on this because I'd love to hear about everyone else's considerations and rituals!

When preparing to read and then while reading, what are some things that you like to consider?

I consider, in nonfiction, the title of the book, first. Why did the author choose this title. I like to read up on the book, first. It can be considering the jacket or the source of information. No one would suggest that a tenured professor of psychology could write a book about finance. What makes them an authority on the topic at-hand? I may even take to google to find out their background.

What are your goals (probably differs by genre)?

My goal with nonfiction is to simply learn as much as I can, and to bring my experience to the book to see if what they say is reality. My goal, above all, is to be able to converse on the topic at-hand. From my own writing, I know that an author, a good one, chooses every word and reference. So, I spend time with a book, depending on how dense it is, reviewing the references. For instance, "The Bonobo and the Atheist" begins talking about the art of Hieronymus Bosch. So, I looked for the painting that it referenced and then studied it to my best understanding of aesthetics, then re-read the points made by Frans De Waal about it.

What kind of highlights or notes do you make?

Words I don't know, references that need more context. I also will write in the margins, my reaction to a conclusion by the author. For instance, in "Living with a Wild God," the author, I recognized, was speaking in absolutes. She seemed to sway from "nothing is real" to "everything is complex." So, I simply wrote in the margins that she seems to not understand that there are few real rules in metaphysical contemplation.

How do you decide what to focus on as you read?

The introduction usually has a lot to do with what I take away from the text. Introductions tell us what the author is trying to say with the rest of the text. For instance, in "Under the Banner of Heaven," Jon Krakauer says that he wrote the book to show that religious extremism is everywhere, in every generation. We need to be on-guard against it. So, that influenced how I processed the story. I compared the 9/11 generation of religious extremism to the time of Smith (19th century) and what comparisons and contrasts could be made. Now, in several re-reads, I have looked for more than that, but that is the context I originally read the book.

How do you approach feminist texts differently? Are there particular feminist issues you like to look for?

I think the relationship between the sexes is the most important. For instance, in Leah Vincent's "Cut Me Loose," she is the one who stated she was looking for men's approval, which is what made her promiscuous when she left home from an ultra-Orthodox Jewish background. So, I looked throughout the text for when she was subservient to a man. It influenced her behavior, like marrying a man to keep him from getting deported, was not the best decision for her (being in a loveless marriage). To be honest, I have not read many feminist texts, something I hope to change.

Thanks for your input, D!

I like that you mentioned the importance of a title. A poorly chosen title can sometimes set the entire book up for failure!

I also agree about background information on the author. I guess for a biography or fiction, it's maybe less important. But I try to avoid anything that claims to be "history" that isn't published by a university press or written by someone with appropriate degree.

Thanks for the example you gave, they're really insightful. And good point about introductions. They're usually extremely helpful. Sometimes they leave me quite confused, and it's not until the subsequent chapters when the author goes more in depth I figure out what they meant. And then I wonder if there could have been a way for them to explain more clearly!

Katelyn, thanks for creating this thread!

When I'm reading, I generally don't go in with too many preconceived notions. I just start reading and if something in particular catches my attention, I reread the passage until I think I've fully grasped what it's saying, looking up other things as necessary.

As for note taking, I cringe at everybody talking about margin notes! I've never been one to be able to commit to making changes in a book like that. I usually am armed with sticky notes that I leave along my way through the book.

I'm currently anxiously awaiting my copy of the book (should arrive tomorrow). Can't wait to get started!

First of all, when I buy a book, I always make sure to write my name in it. I also write on the first page, when I read it and urge my friends to do so, too, when I borrow it.

When I'm starting to read a book and I haven't read anything from the author before, I try to keep my mind as open as possible and to not set any expectations. I just read the back and then I begin with the first chapter and I try to just suck it all in.

I like underlining things I really like and put an earmark on special pages.

When I'm reading a book for the second time I try to understand it more deeply and ask myself if I'm enjoying the book the same way I did before and if I like the characters the same way. I also try to learn more about their background and give it more attention.

xx

Sarah- I used to feel that way about writing in books, too. But when I went on to graduate school, I realized that using sticky notes alone made my books very cluttered and wouldn't close all the way! So I got over it, haha. I'm still not one to write in fiction books (sometimes maybe something on the blank pages at beginning or end, not in the actual story), but in non-fiction, I find it impossible not to do it now. When I recently reread a book that I had taken notes in, I found myself reexamining my own thoughts and having completely new ideas, and it was really helpful to compare the different perspectives I had the two times I read the book.

Miri- One of my stocking stuffers for Christmas this year was a package of name plate stickers for my books. I'm so excited to use them!
And I like what you said about rereads. I think that's so important, especially if a significant amount of time has passed and you're at a new stage in life. I like rereading novels I read in middle and high school for that reason!

I consider different things, like the title, the author, the topic... Now, funny enough, I'm kind of looking for books with a white and red cover. Started with "Child 44", then "Dying for Christmas"... and I loved them both. Yesterday I bought "The quality of silence" for the cover and then I discovered the author was Rosamund Lupton, who wrote "Sister", that was my initiation to thrillers, so I have a good feeling.

I can't write in books. I just can't do it!

The only thing I do when I go into a new book like this is I clear my mind. I try to push away any preconceptions I might have about the author, the subject matter, or that particular title. I don't read reviews or other commentary on it because I don't want it to influence my own take on it. I'll read those once I'm done. I try to make a pact with the author that I will engage with the content, for better or worse, and I just go from there.