Member crownsorgallows

Real Name

Kerryann Kenney

About My Library

My library thing shelf is a passion project of mine. The reviews I have spent time on adding some text or background regarding revisions will have the tag "crownsorgallows"

I believe that paper books have a value because they cannot be updated by a cloud. It has always been true that various editions of books have added and removed aspects of the original text. That practice ideally is adjacent with titling, forwards, author notes, afterwords that indicate how a particular edition compares with the original.

However, there are some titles and characters that are so common and popular that once they enter the public domain the author's original work can be manipulated, diluted or obscured by business. When capitalism or politics interferes with my understanding and reading life I will push back with my tags, notes and reviews to challenge what is going on with a character or title, especially when the character is a historical figure. We already see this at play with quotations on the internet. End of day, unless I see that quote in Bartlett's I am not convinced of the veracity of the source. I'm NOT a scholar, I just do my best to use trusted places like project gutenberg etc to underpin my notes. I will use AI from time to time but I consider AI a tool to summarize facts I have tracked down on my own, and then I ask AI to simply polish the work I did. AI so far is too inaccurate, we've all heard "I'm sorry, you are right" so yeah, I am not regurgitating AI.

Okay-- personal notes about my library:

Childhood books, borrowed books, guilty pleasures, terrible books that I loved and every now and then a book I was let down by. In real life I give most of my books away. My home library is relatively small and divided between the stash of books I drag home from thrifting to be read and my history books. I was a grade school librarian, these days I am an Amazon dock worker, so I have plenty of time to daydream.

My catalog leans heavily toward five-star books because I am a world-class book abandoner, shameless ending-skipper, and occasional skimmer. Books I did not read completely simply do not make the cut. Exception, if I have a hot take on a popular book I will review that.

“Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted … but to weigh and consider.”

—Francis Bacon, “Of Studies”

“There is no Frigate like a Book
To take us Lands away,
Nor any Coursers like a Page
Of prancing Poetry—”

Emily Dickinson

About Me

It took me a little longer to learn to read, however I was lucky that my mother read to me. My father told us bed time stories. Our house was full of books. My bedroom was also the library, I would lay on my side and read the titles of my parent's books as cars came over the hill the headlights would illuminate the books -- all titles too old for me to read.

In grade school I was a weirdo horse girl redhead which is a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. I think it is good because once you make it through grade school with those traits there is not much that life can deal out to you socially that can bring you down. I loved the series books especially Sweet Valley High and like everyone of my generation had Flowers In The Attic taken from me and tossed in the trash, where I dug it out and read it anyhow.

I guess at this point my journey is like every other bookworm. Sometime life gets in the way and sometimes we are lucky and have seasons where we have more time and access to books and conversation, or a season of more book bangers where every book you come across is great.

These days I have determinedly turned off all social media except YouTube premium and my book apps and I'm all in on reading. It is glorious. Welcome to my library.

Location

Winchester VA

Homepage

https://wordpress.com/home/k8librarian.wordpress.com

Currently Reading

Atmosphere: A GMA Book Club Pick: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Member Connections

Interesting Library

waltzmn