How To Follow Blogs After Google Reader Disappears

My Feedly Home Page
My Feedly Home Page

Next week, big change will come to the Internet, and you should prepare now.

On July 1, Google Reader, the tool many word nerds use to follow blogs, will disappear. So will all of your feeds in Google Reader. But fortunately many alternative apps have emerged. You just have to pick one. Soon.

Let’s get technical

A few explanations: feeds, subscriptions, and RSS.

Essentially, a feed is like a channel for updates of new content on blogs and websites that you choose to follow. You can access and organize those feeds with a reader, such as Google Reader, Feedly, or Flipbook. This is a great way to keep up with new content without clogging up your inbox.

RSS Button
Examples of the RSS button found on most web sites.

You subscribe to feeds using RSS:  Real Simple Syndication.  Word Nerd Note:  syndicate (verb) means to sell for publication in many places at once.  Thankfully, you don’t have to buy your subscription to most blogs.  You simply sign up for new content by clicking on the RSS button and registering.  Then, when you want some good reading material, you can scroll through new material without having to run all over the Internet.

If you have subscribed to feeds, you can transfer your subscriptions to another reading tool. There are plenty out there, but I recommend Feedly.

Why Feedly?

Several months ago, I switched to Feedly and have never looked back.  Here’s why.

  • Feedly can import all of your subscriptions from Google Reader in a few easy steps.  Just go to www.feedly.com and follow the instructions.  It will bring over all of your feeds while keeping them under their original folders.  For example, I have feeds categorized into “Book Blogs,” “Favorite Blogs,” and “On Writing.”  The switch didn’t disrupt anything.  (Thank goodness, because I’m a little OCD about my folders!)  ** Please note, you must import your subscriptions to Feedly before July 1.
  • Feedly includes pictures from new content.  In general, it’s a more aesthetically appealing presentation.
  • Feedly makes sharing easy; buttons for popular social media platforms are embedded into the application, so you can share contact directly.  You can even comment from within Feedly.
  • The app is available for computer, iPhone, and iPad, so it’s always available to me.  Like when I’m waiting in line at Walmart.

Feedly isn’t the only option.  For other ideas, consult this helpful article, which includes a comparison chart of 14 different readers.  (I love charts!)

The Big Comparison of Google Reader RSS Feed Alternatives

The Safest Bet

The best way to ensure that you won’t miss new content would be to subscribe to blogs you love via email; any posts will come straight to your inbox.  Look for a subscription form at blogs you like to visit.  Mine is up there, in the right hand side bar, under my picture.  See it?  “Subscribe to Diary of a Word Nerd.”

Don’t be afraid to subscribe.  I only post twice a week, so I won’t overwhelm you with emails.  And then you will receive all of my crucial word nerd information, like the meaning of obfuscation.

How do you follow your favorite blogs?  Can you recommend a Google Reader alternative?

Thanks for stopping by!

Julia 

What Milieu Really Means

Wondrous Words Wednesday

wondrous memeA few weeks ago, I cleared up some confusion about the word “erstwhile.”  Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who didn’t know that it meant “former.”  I’m here again, sharing a word that I thought meant commotion, but actually means something much different.

I subscribe to Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day email, and when “milieu” popped up in my inbox, I said to myself, “Oh, I know that one.  Commotion, a mess.”

Wrong!  Good thing I read the entire email.

milieu \mel-‘yü\ noun, from the French mi– middle + lieu place; the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops

For example,

A middle school dance provides the perfect milieu for embarrassing situations and gossip.

Do you remember middle school dances?  Shudder.  Soon, I’ll have to attend them again- as a chaperone!

Word Nerd Workout

Use milieu in a sentence.

If you’d like to learn more word nerdy words, check out Wondrous Words Wednesday at Bermudaonion.net for links to more interesting vocab!

Julia 

How Book Lovers Can Use Pinterest

PinterestDo you have a Pinterest account?  Pinterest is a great way to “clip and save” cool ideas for cooking, decorating, and crafts.  No cutting required.  But my favorite way to use Pinterest is for bookish pins!

Perhaps you’re already on Pinterest, and you don’t want to add another social media site, like Goodreads, to your plate.  That’s fine; you can easily use Pinterest to collect ideas for future reading, find clever ways to display your books, or to meet other people who love books as much as you do.

Pinterest is a social media site, and is therefore supposed to encourage interaction, but I like it for selfish reasons.  It helps me save ideas for later, without taking up a lot of time or space.

Get “Word Nerdy” on PinterestPinterest profile

  • The first thing you will need to do is get an account at pinterest.com.  You’ll have to provide the typical social media information, like a user name, email, and short description about yourself.
  • Set up a board or two dedicated to books using the “create a board” button.  You might like to give your boards bookish names.  You could start one called “Books I’d Like to Read” or “Favorite Books.”  If you have one book / book series or a character that you adore, devote a board to that.  For example, “Artemis Forever.”  
  • Start pinning images to your boards.  You can do this three ways.
    1. Upload them from your computer/ phone.  For example, a photo of your favorite book cover.  Or a shot of your friend reading upside down in a chair.  
    2. Repin them from other people’s boards, using the “search” box to find book stuff.
    3. Pin them off of the internet- my favorite way.  When I’m reading blog posts and book reviews, I pin books I want to save for the future.   To make pinning while you browse easy, you’ll need to get the “Pin It” bookmarklet.  This is a function you add to your browser so that whenever you’re on the web and you see something you’d like, you can click the Pin It button and save it to a board.

Need some inspiration?

Word Nerds have found a lot of interesting stuff to pin about books.  Check out:

  • Author Jody Hedlund’s boards, which include “I love reading”, “Reading Humor”, “Fascinating Book Art” and “Stuff for a Book Geek.”  

Several buddies of mine from Wordsmith Studio have fun book boards, including: 

  • My writing buddy Sarah Turnbull has a board called “Rather Be Reading“, a collection of funny bookish images, books she likes, and articles on books.
  • Mona Alvarado Frazier has “Books Worth Reading” and “Beautiful Bookstores” boards in her profile.
  • Joy Weese Moll has caught a lot of attention with her board “Healthy Lifestyle Books“, on which she pins reviews of, well, you can guess.
  • “Bibliotraveler” Beth Saunders has several pins of famous people, like Walt Disney and Clark Gable, reading on her board “Books“.  There’s also a cute little librarian Lego minifig.
  • Linda Hatton highlights authors who have contributed to her publication Mouse Tales Press with a special board for their books.
  • Kasie Whitener has a “Read This” board with pins of top YA and children’s books from Goodreads.
  • And my boards include “Wordy Nerdy Tid Bits,” “Must Read Books,” and “Books I’d Like to Read.”

There are tons of ways you could use Pinterest to serve your addiction to books!  Get pinning and have fun!

How do you use Pinterest for bookish topics?  If you have a board you’d like to share, please do so in the comments.  

Thanks for stopping by!

Julia 

 

 

Vocabulary to Inflame You: Ballistic

wondrous memeWelcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, a brain stimulating meme hosted every week by Kathy at Bermudaonion.net

My entry today caught my attention because, although I’m familiar with the word, I’ve never heard it used like this.  I could totally relate to this passage from Dorothea Benton Frank’s novel Folly Beach:

They say you can raise one hundred boys for the energy it takes to raise one girl and I think truer words were never spoken.  I loved my ballistic girl more than anyone in this world, except for my son, and I knew her attitude got in between her and happiness…

If you agree with this statement, raise your hand.  (My arm is waving).  Although, I’m not so sure it’s energy that my daughter requires; more like patience.

Now, to ballistic:

ballistic \bə-‘lis-tik\ adj.

  1. Of or relating to ballistics or to a body in motion
  2. Being or characterized by repeated bouncing, like ballistic stretching
  3. Extremely and usually suddenly excited, upset, or angry; wild (like a teenager, I’m thinking)

Clearly, Frank is using the third meaning.  A fun synonym for ballistic is apoplectic, which I also had to look up this week.  Now that’s a tongue twister.

Clearly, a different meaning than "apoplectic"
Clearly, a different meaning than “apoplectic”

Word Nerd Workout

Use ballistic or apoplectic in a sentence.

When I came home at 2 am, my ballistic father bombarded me with a lecture on responsible behavior.

Your turn!  And thanks for stopping by.

Julia 

Where to Find “Essential Books” for Summer Reading

Interrupting ChickenA few weeks ago, I posted the list of the 2013 Children’s Choice Book Award Winners to help readers find good books for long summer days.

That list has been very helpful to me, but my kids read fast.  So I need more ideas!  Help!

Fortunately, the Common Sense Media weekly email came to the rescue.  It included a link to the site’s “Essential Book List“: 150 books for kids and teens chosen to encourage a lifelong love of reading.  The folks at Common Sense Media consulted teachers, librarians, and book critics to find titles sure to appeal to a variety of readers.  

The titles are grouped by age, 2-6, 7-12, and 13-18.  Each age group also has a few categories.  For example, the 2-6 age group has “Bedtime Books,” “Read Alouds,” and “Books for Early Readers.”    The teen group includes “Coming of Age Books” and “English Class Classics.”

Since it’s the Common Sense Media site, an age recommendation accompanies each title. Which is a good thing, because the list includes some controversial novels for older readers, including Beloved by Toni Morrison and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

I was pleased to find some titles in this list that my kids haven’t devoured yet, such as Al Capone Does My Shirts and The Wednesday Wars.  The House on Mango StreetPhantom Tollbooth appears on the list, reminding me again to get that book!

The site also includes tidbits to encourage life long reading habits at the bottom of each page of the Essential Book List.  For example, it suggests visiting the library weekly and turning off electronic devices to set aside time for reading.  I couldn’t agree more.  

Soapbox interjection:  

People often ask how my kids read so many books, and I think one big reason is that I limit the amount of time they spend on devices to one or two hours a day.  This is a challenge and constant battle, especially with omniscient portable devices (read: iPods), but  I know I must continue to fight.  

Another reason is that I always try to find new, interesting books for them to read, and so I need resources like Common Sense Media, Goodreads, and book blogs to help me discover the good stuff.  I also pull all the new books off of the display shelves at the library.

I hope that, even if your or your kids don’t have a voracious appetite for books, The Essential Book List will also help you find some great ideas for summer reading!  I definitely found some YA to add to my TBR list! (including Looking for Alaska, King Dork, and Just Listen).

Where do you get ideas for new books to read?  What is your favorite site for finding reading recommendations?

Thanks for adding to the discussion!

Julia 

Vocabulary from Folly Beach: Obelisk

wondrous memeWelcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, a fabulous meme for word nerds hosted each week by Kathy at BermudaOnion.net.  Check out Kathy’s site and the links there to learn more great words.

Today I’m sharing another word from Folly Beach by Dorothea Benton Frank.  The main character is describing her feisty Aunt Daisy.

She stood before me like an obelisk fashioned of milky-pink marble pulled from the depths of the quarries decades upon decades ago.  Her hands were firmly planted on her hips.

T. Jefferson obelisk
This obelisk marks Thomas Jefferson’s grave at Monticello. It lists the three accomplishments for which he was most proud: author of the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom and Father of the University of Virginia.

obelisk \’äb-ə-lisk\ noun, from the Latin obeliscus and Greek obeliskos; an upright four-sided usually monolithic pillar that gradually tapers as it rises and terminates in a pyramid

Of course then I had to know what monolithic meant; I guessed from the “mono-” prefix that it had to do with “one.”

monolithic \män-əl-‘i-thik\ adj, cast as a single piece, formed of material without joints or seams

So I guess Aunt Daisy looked like a tall, sturdy pillar of stone.

Word Nerd Workout

Think of a character, or someone from your own life, that could be described as an obelisk and write a sentence about him or her.

My example,

Butler stood as an obelisk in the courtyard, refusing to let the intruders enter Fowl Manor.

(I’m still working my way through the AF series on audio book.)

I’m looking forward to your examples!

Thanks for stopping by.

Julia