Weekly Geeks: Magazines

This week’s Weekly Geeks theme has to do with the magazines we read. Dewey provided a meme to help prod participants along.

For each magazine you want to talk about, here are a few questions. Answer as many or as few as you want.

1. Name of magazine.
2. Do you subscribe or just buy it now and then?
3. What’s your favorite regular feature in the magazine?
4. What do you think your interest in this magazine says about you?
5. How long have you been reading this magazine?
6. Is there any unique or quirky aspect to the magazine that keeps you reading?

My interest in magazines tends to come and go. There are times I go magazine crazy and will subscribe to everything under the sun that sounds interesting. At least until I realize I am not actually reading the magazines, but merely stacking them in piles to read later. Only, the piles get higher and higher. Then I go through a minimalist phase, where I cancel my subscriptions or let them run out, keeping only those I actually do manage to get to in a somewhat reasonable amount of time. At the moment, my magazine subscriptions fall somewhere between the two extremes.

I prefer taking out subscriptions to buying off the rack. A part of my brain believes I save money that way. Another part of my brain thinks my husband (a buy off the rack sort of fellow) has the better idea. He buys what he wants when he knows he has time to read it. It seems the wiser course. I am not always so rational. There is also the fact that I like having the magazines arrive in the mail, a little something special to look forward to besides bills and advertisements. Mail delivery is convenient. No trying to find time to run to the store to pick up the latest copy of a favorite magazine. No worry about the store running out before I can get there.

I prefer reading books over magazines, which is one of the reasons magazines tend to pile up rather than be read on the spot. It took me a long time to realize that I didn't need to read a magazine straight through, much less read every single article. I figured if I spent the money on it, that's exactly what I should be doing. There are three magazines I subscribe to in which I do tend to read cover to cover--not because I feel obligated but because just about every article interests me in some way. Those are the real treasures.

Magazines are great to read in a pinch and prove to be effective fillers for short waits or in between book times. Magazines don't draw me in as fully as a book might, and so they also make handy reading when I need to stay alert to my surroundings or am having difficulty focusing.

I currently subscribe to a number of magazines, three of which cater to the reader in me.

Bookmarks Magazine and Mystery Scene both offer book reviews, book related articles, and interviews with authors. Bookmarks appeals to the general reader in me, containing information about all sorts of different types of books; whereas Mystery Scene speaks to my inner mystery lover.

I am fairly new to World Literature Today. I like it well enough, but sometimes the articles aren't always appealing to me. It could be that it is a bit too academic for me in some respects or more involved than what I am seeking from my magazine reading at the time. I do enjoy flipping through the magazine though and often find articles that do interest me. I am especially drawn to the reviews.

One of my favorite magazines and probably the one I am most up to date with reading is Entertainment Weekly. The brief articles and pop culture focus make it irresistible. My favorite section is, of course, the book review section, but I am quite fond of the movie reviews as well.

How could I forget The Strand? Probably because I have only yet received one copy. It's a new subscription to a magazine filled with a little bit of everything having to do with books, especially mysteries and short stories. I have enjoyed what I have seen so far.

I also subscribe to Harper's Magazine, Consumer Reports and a couple of journals related to my field of work. These in particular tend to collect dust until an opportune moment arrives when I make time to read them. I do enjoy the lengthy articles in Harper's and find Consumer Reports to be quite informative.

There have been other magazines over the years that I have subscribed to of varying kinds and topics. I once was on an animal kick and subscribed to a number of magazines related to cats and dogs. I have tried a few of the women's magazines out there but have yet to find one that satisfies.

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Just a quick reminder that I am hosting two drawings which can be found on Sunday's Post titled Sunday Salon: In Between Books.

There are two separate contests and participants may enter one or both. The only catch is that participants must answer a simple question. If you answer the question, you will automatically be entered into the main drawing for a book of your choice (limit up to $25).

For a second chance at a prize, you can also enter in the drawing for one of the ARE books I am giving away. In the case of the ARE Giveaway, simply tell me which ARE books you are interested in winning and I'll add your name into that drawing as well.

The deadline is coming up this Friday so come on by before then to enter the drawings!