How to encourage reading/Improving vocabulary

What is a Frieze?

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 5 Comments

wondrous memeWelcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, a great meme from Kathy at Bermudaonion.net if you want to learn new words.  My kids are even in on the game.  Last night, as we were looking at an Advent Frieze project, my son asked, “What is a frieze?” and my daughter said, “A-ha!  Word nerd word!”

Love that!  This word appeals to the word lover and the art lover in me.  And even though we had snow last week, it has nothing to do with cold.

 

frieze \frēz\ noun; from Middle French frisium, embroidered cloth; a sculptured or richly ornamented band, as part of furniture or architecture; a band, line, or series suggesting a frieze.

According to Concise Encyclopedia, a frieze is a long, narrow, horizontal panel used to decorate the walls of a room or a building.  There’s a famous frieze on the Parthenon in Athens.

Frieze at the Parthanon
Frieze at the Parthenon

We’re packing up to leave for vacation, so we won’t make an Advent frieze until we get back home.  And ours will involve paint and cardboard, not stone carvings like the picture above!

Word Nerd Workout

Have you ever seen a frieze in architecture?  At the museum?  Tell us about it.  Also, if you enjoy an advent craft or custom, share that too!

Favorite ThingsAnd don’t forget about the My Favorite Things Giveaway.  Leave the title of your favorite book from 2013 in the comments and enter to win one of my favorite books of 2013 or a Barnes and Noble gift card.  See the giveaway announcement for details.  I’d like to generate a list of recommended reading that we can all use for gift ideas.  Thanks for your help!

Julia

How to encourage reading

What Was Your Favorite Book in 2013?

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 27 Comments

Let’s face it: holiday shopping season is upon us.  Of course, this word nerd recommends giving books as gifts, but there are so many to choose from!  Together, I think we can collect some great ideas.

Favorite ThingsMy Favorite Things Giveaway

I’d like to compile a list of Favorite Books from 2013.   I’m hoping all of us can use this list for gift ideas or our own pleasure reading during the cold months ahead.  All readers leaving a reply will enter into a drawing to win one of my favorite books of 2013.  

The details:

  • You may enter by commenting on my blog, my Facebook profile, or my Twitter feed between December 6 and December 19, 2013.
  • Your comment must include your favorite book from 2013 and a short explanation of why you  recommend it.
  •  Available anywhere Amazon ships.
  • I will announce the winner on December 20, 2013.
  • The winner will choose his or her prize from my favorite reads of 2013; click on the titles to read my reviews.

If you don’t want any of these, I’ll send you a B&N gift card so you can choose your own.

Thanks so much for helping me out.  Be sure to spread the word so we can build a big list!

Julia

 

 

Improving vocabulary

What is a Foofaraw?

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 1 Comment

wondrous memeHappy Thanksgiving and Wondrous Words Wednesday!  Visit Kathy at Bermudaonion.net for links to more words that will get your brain clicking.

I have the perfect word for this week.  As I prepare to welcome twelve guests into my home (six of them children) for Thanksgiving, as well as pack for a trip to Hawaii the first week of December, I find myself rather tightly wound.

I’ve warned my family and asked them to be patient with me. I’m praying for peace, grace, and the wisdom to realize that finding a pillow on the floor of the playroom is not cause for a foofaraw.    

Yup, that’s right, a foofaraw.  It’s a real word.  Came to me from Merriam-Webster.com.

My daughter's version of The Scream
My daughter’s version of The Scream

foofaraw \’foo-fuh-raw\ noun; first used in the American West during the pioneer days to describe trinkets or baubles used in trade.  Experts think it may have started as a variation of the Spanish fanfarrón, a braggart, or the French froufrou, showy ornamentation, or the French expression  fou faraud, meaning “foolish dandy”.

Definition:

  1. frills and flashy finery

2. a disturbance or to-do over a trifle : fuss

I hope that this silly word will help me to remember that working myself up into a swivet over things like dust and dog hair is a waste of my energy.  I have so many blessings in my life, so many things to bring me joy.

Word Nerd Workout

Do you know another word or phrase for making a “to-do” over a trifle?  Please share it!

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving without any foofaraws!

Julia 

How to encourage reading

Why Reading Literary Fiction Improves Social Skills

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 18 Comments

The Round House

I love to find proof that reading is good for your brain. A new study suggests that reading literary fiction can improve one’s ability to interpret the emotional state of other people.

Pretty cool, huh?  Word nerds are so perceptive.

The difference between literary fiction and genre fiction

Let me clarify some terms.

Genre fiction describes books that fall into easily recognized categories: mystery, thriller,DaVinci Code romance, etc.  Usually, genre books emphasize plot over character development. These are the “page turners” one can find on best seller lists by authors like James Patterson, John Grisham, and Gillian Flynn. Think The Firm  or The DaVinci Code. 

In contrast, literary fiction emphasizes the internal life of characters and is usually described as “thought-provoking,” or “challenging.”  Some examples of literary fiction include Peace Like a River or The Round House. Books selected for the National Book Award and other honors usually fall under literary fiction.  These books have themes, motifs and symbolism that word nerds like me love to analyze and discuss.  This is where my English major blood shows.

Note:  In the current publishing climate, the lines between literary fiction and genre fiction are getting blurry.  For the study, literary fiction pieces were taking from National Book Award nominees; genre fiction samples came from the Amazon best seller list.

The study

Two researchers from The New School for Social Research did a study to see how reading literary fiction affected participants’ “Theory of MInd”– the social skill of understanding the mental state of others.

Participants in the study were divided into three groups.  Each group read pieces from one of three categories: genre fiction, literary fiction, and non-fiction.  Afterward, the participants took tests to evaluate their “Theory of Mind” abilities, and the people who read literary fiction performed best on the tests.

The researchers surmised that since literary fiction requires readers to engage intellectually with the material, it stimulates better cognition and perception.

What does this mean for word nerds?

The press release from The New School for Social Research didn’t say how many people participated in the study or exactly which evaluation tools were used.  Even if these results aren’t conclusive, I love that they demonstrate how reading can do more than just entertain.  I’ve always thought that books improve our ability to relate to others and to experience the world around us.  Now there’s a bit of evidence to  prove it.

The Book Thief

I enjoy all kinds of books: classics, literary fiction, and genre.  (OK, I admit that I struggle with non-fiction.) Usually, I prefer novels that get me thinking. This great line from The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, has stuck with me for days:

People observe the colors of a day only at its beginnings and ends, but to me it’s quite clear that a day merges through a multitude of shades and intonations, with each passing moment.

Wow.  These words have inspired me to look for the colors of my days.  I’m not sure if The Book Thief counts as literary fiction, but it has definitely engaged my brain.  That’s what matters.

 

What kind of books do you like to read: literary, genre, or non-fiction?  Do you think that one type of book stimulates your mind better than others?  Why?  Or do you even care?

Thanks for stopping by!

Julia

 

Improving vocabulary

What is Conurbation?

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 10 Comments
Wondrous Words Wednesday

wondrous memeReady to learn a new word with me?  Visit Kathy at Bermudaonion.net for links to find more interesting words via the Wondrous Words Wednesday meme.

This weekend I drove my son to a soccer tournament in Cary, N.C., a suburb of Raleigh. On the way we passed through several cities: Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Durham.  I noticed that along I-40, one city blurred into the next; there weren’t many wide green spaces to distinguish the metro areas.

Imagine my pleasure when Merriam-Webster sent a most appropriate word of the day to my inbox to describe this phenomenon: conurbation.

conurbation \kah-ner-‘bay-shun\ noun; from the Latin con together + urbs city; an aggregation or continuous network of urban communities

This word was coined by the Scottish biologist/sociologist Sir Patrick Geddes for his book on urban planning called Cities in Evolution.

Word Nerd Workout

I also have seen conurbation in northern Virginia; the suburbs of D.C. now spread all the way to Fredericksburg, a town one hour south of the Nation’s Capital.  Where do you see conurbation, and do you have a synonym for this word?

My example: suburban sprawl.

For the truly nerdy, my use of “the Nation’s Capital” above is an example of what literary device?  (hint: review from a few weeks ago!)

Thanks for getting nerdy with me today!

Julia 

Awesome Young Adult Books/Book reviews/How to encourage reading

What I Love About Eleanor and Park

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 8 Comments

eleanor and parkFirst love overwhelms you. Park Sheridan learns that the hard way.

In the YA novel Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell, two misfits  bond over comic books and alternative music.

The story opens with Park’s point of view in August 1986.  Park survives the treacherous landscape of high school without too much difficulty, mostly because he dated the popular “Tina” in sixth grade and his dad is “from the neighborhood.” That gives him enough “social currency” that the jocks in the back of the bus ignore him.

Until Eleanor gets on the bus.

 

Here’s what Park thinks of Eleanor when he first sees her:

Not just new- but big and awkward.  With crazy hair, bright red on top of curly.  And she was dressed like… like she wanted people to look at her… half a dozen weird necklaces hanging around her neck and scarves wrapped around her wrists.  She reminded Park of a scarecrow or one of the trouble dolls that his mom kept on her dresser.  Like something that wouldn’t survive in the wild.

But soon Park will learn how strong Eleanor is.  When nobody else on the bus gives Eleanor a seat, Park scoots over. And then…

Park turned toward the Plexiglas window and waited for a world of suck to hit the fan.

 

What I liked about Eleanor and Park

  1. Rowell tells the story via the alternating and distinct viewpoints of Eleanor and Park. Eleanor’s jaded sarcasm contrasts nicely with Park’s subdued awkwardness.  I liked seeing how their thoughts differ from what they actually say.  The dynamic works well.
  2. Eleanor and Park are thoughtful, compelling characters.  Park patiently negotiates Eleanor’s prickly barriers until he reaches her vibrant core.
  3. Eleanor doesn’t get adequate food, clothing, or,  most importantly, love, from her home.  Her stepfather drinks too much, and his mood swings poison the atmosphere in the tiny house. Rowell’s description of the family dysfunction felt real and chilling.
  4. E & P captures the intensity and awkwardness of many “firsts”- first touch, first hand holding, first kiss.  I was in the skin of each character, stressing along with them.
  5. Rowell says a lot in few words.  She has mastered the art of “show, don’t tell.”

A few caveats

Eleanor and Park, like first love, is intense, but sometimes the book was too melodramatic, even for YA fiction.  For example, the first hand holding episode goes on for three pages.

Seriously.  Three.

It’s strictly a love story.  The characters are original and interesting, and Eleanor courageously deals with a horrid home life, but there aren’t many BIG IDEAS.  Except that first love can break your heart.  And that being different is OK.

My recommendation

Magnum PIIf you enjoy contemporary YA with quirky characters and sarcastic humor, you’ll like Eleanor and Park.  Another bonus: all the pop culture references from the 1980’s, my teenage years. I’m hoping that modern YA readers appreciate the significance of Magnum P.I. and The Smiths.

I actually listened to this book instead of reading it, and the audio version is awesome. Two readers capture the unique voices of Eleanor and Park well.

Have you read Eleanor and Park or other books by Rainbow Rowell?  What did you think?  Can you recommend another book about first love?

Thanks for stopping by!

Julia