Chicago's Open Books has jumped on the bandwagon of of making "Call Me Maybe" videos with this parody "Read It Maybe." The singing is pretty bad, but the sentiment is pretty good.



In defense of e-reading, I looooove my Nook for several reasons — one of them is that people in public can't see what I'm reading. (Sometimes I like reading bad/trashy books, but I don't always want others to know about it. And it's much less embarassing to check out a trashy e-book through CLEVNET's emedia site than to have the cute guy at the library counter scan it for you after seeing your name on your library card.)

Any reading is good reading — whether it's a hardcover classic novel or a trashy pink paperback, The New Yorker or The Onion, on an e-reader or on a hard copy.

(Hat tip to Poynter for blogging about this video, where I found out about it.)


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Quick -  what are the 10 most read books in the last 50 years?
The answers may surprise you - I know they did me.
I asked my colleagues to hazard a guess, and a lot of them guessed the No. 1 correctly.
But the list is not without its share of things that make you go hmmm. (Especially No. 7)
The data is perhaps not the greatest. It's based on books printed and sold, so I'm not sure how that accounts for library borrowing and personal sharing, not to mention that I'm pretty sure some of the books people buy go unread.
In any case, it is interesting.


Check out the top 10 most read books in the world and see how many you've read.

This month's LitSoup question:

What are you reading right now?

I posed this question to the newsroom, and these are the responses I received:

Brandon Baker:

FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History

Jean Bonchak:

“Knufflebunny: A Cautionary Tale” and “Leonardo, the Terrible Monster” by Mo Willems are books I’ve been reading, re-reading and re-re-reading to my 3-year-old grandson, Robert.
A while ago while interviewing a children’s librarian at the Willoughby Library I asked for a popular children’s author who she immediately recommended Mo Willems.
Hesitant to leave the cars, trucks and general “things that go” genre preferred by Robert, I took a chance and brought the Willems’ books home.
WOW! Immediate impact and interest ensued.
In countless reading sessions with various books he has never responded as enthusiastically as he has with Leonardo and the Knufflebunny. Willem’s genius draws children in an inexplicable way, causing them to feel as if they are actually friends with the characters, creating a sense of empathy, concern and most of all, fun.
I’m hoping to expand our present reading menu to include several more of Willems’ books.
(Shhh! Don’t tell…but I’m having as much fun as Robert.)

Michael C. Butz:

"What the Dog Saw" by Malcolm Gladwell

Jeffrey L. Frischkorn:

Various deer-hunting magazines with the approach of the deer-hunting season.
And: Two magazines: “American History” and “Smithsonian”

Angela Gartner:

It’s not what I am reading, but what I am listening to at the moment. My sister and friend told me a number of times that I must read the Twilight series. I resisted because I didn’t want to be part of the masses. I didn’t want to be on Team Edward or Team Jacob. However, they swayed me to try the books while dining in Downtown Willoughby this summer. I had just finished an audio book that often travels with me during my workout routine, so I thought why not. I am now listening to the second book in the series “Eclipse.” The narrator Ilyana Kadushin has drawn me in the series written by Stephenie Meyer. Her voice is a good match for the main character Bella. I am also re-reading the print version of “On Writing” by Stephen King. I needed some inspiration this month and thought it would be perfect for a lunchtime read.
On a side note, I am still debating - Edward or Jacob.

Rachel Jackson:

Whatever comes across the Twitter feed … and Outside mag … can you say “popcorn brain”?

Mark Meszoros:

“The Gunslinger” (first book of “The Dark Tower” series) by Stephen King

Janet Podolak:

I'm reading the Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner’s Semester at America’s Holiest University by Kevin Roose

Mark Podolski:

Badasses: The Legend of Snake, Foo, Dr. Death and John Madden’s Oakland Raiders by Peter Richmond

Tracey Read:

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Cheryl Sadler:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
Superfreakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
... and a few other books that I keep picking up and setting down ... but these three are the ones that have most recently drawn me in.

---

This post is part of a LitSoup, a monthly feature on The Book Club compiled of contributions from the newsroom. Send an e-mail or tweet with your suggestions for future LitSoup topics.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

One of my roommates from college is now a middle school language arts teacher in Indiana. The students joined together to make a music video to encourage reading, set to the tune of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." Below is their completed music video, plus a clip that made the local news:




--Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com