Booking Through Thursday

What are you reading right now? What made you choose it? Are you enjoying it? Would you recommend it? (And, by all means, discuss everything, if you’re reading more than one thing!)

Right now I'm reading Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle. I just started it & so far so good. I picked it up from the library while searching for another book. I couldn't resist a cozy mystery dubbed "A Bibliophile Mystery".
I'm re-reading Bad Girls of the Bible for my woman's group. I read this years ago & didn't enjoy it at all. I felt it was just stupid making a modern day story loosely based on a Biblical tale. We recently did another study by Liz Curtis Higgs that I really enjoyed, she's very entertaining, so I'm hoping that I'll enjoy this more now that I'm older & not so much wiser.
And lastly, Skein of the Crime by Maggis Sefton. I crochet. I don't knit, but while searching the library for cozy mysteries with a crochet theme, this series kept popping up, so I thought I would give it a try. I'm only a couple of pages in, so I don't know yet how this one measures up to the others.

Booking Through Thursday
Today’s question is suggested by Mae.

“I couldn’t sleep a wink, so I just read and read, day and night … it was there I began to divide books into day books and night books,” she went on. “Really, there are books meant for daytime reading and books that can be read only at night.”
- ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera, p. 103.

Do you divide your books into day and night reads? How do you decide?

At first I thought,"What a crazy question!" I just take to bed whatever book I'm reading. I don't pick out anything special just for bed. Then I realized that I do just that. I do divide my books into day & night. Here's how:
If I'm reading one of my light, cozy mysteries, I'll read it whenever, day or night. If it's one of my favorites such as Janet Evanovich, I don't take it to bed unless I plan on reading for awhile. She's hard to put down since I'm always eager to see what zany, over-the-top antics the girl's will get into next. If I need to sleep, no favorites! That's when I'll grab a self-help, craft, organizing or decorating type book that I just scan through.
I don't have a genre that is strictly night time reading, but since I'm divorced & the only adult in the house, I will not read James Patterson or suspence type mysteries before bed. Getting inside the mind of psycho's-even fictional one's-freak me out at night. Yeah, I'm a scaredy cat.

Booking Through Thursday

Haven't done this in awhile so I'm squeezing in a couple of weeks.

1. You’ve just dropped your favorite, out-of-print book into a bathtub, ruining it completely … What do you do now?

First I would cry. Then I would get on-line & see if anyone has it posted on ebay, craigslist, paperback swap and similar sites. If all else failed, I would check the library. I've actually photocopied entire books (granted it was small & not a novel) or I must confess, I have checked out books & instead of returning them, just paid the library for the book.

2. Even though it’s usually a mistake (grin) … do movies made out of books make you want to read the original?
I have never felt compelled to read a book AFTER watching the movie. In fact, that's the easiest way to make sure I never read the book is to show me the movie first. I have tried, but have never been able to finish a book after watching the movie first. Never.

3. If you’re not enjoying a book, will you stop mid-way? Or do you push through to the end? What makes you decide to stop?
If I only read a few pages, I'll stop, but if I've read a couple of chapters I used to force myself to finish. I'm not sure why, but it would drive me crazy if I didn't. Thankfully I've realized that life is too short to waste on "bad" books & there are too many books that I could be enjoying & loving so why torture myself? I read for pleasure and if I'm not enjoying myself, what's the poing?

And a meme:

1. Favorite childhood book?
Didn't really have a favorite growing up.

2. What are you reading right now?
Stealing Fire by Jo Graham

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Guilty Pleasures by Laurel Hamilton, Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

4. Bad book habit?
I leave them in the path of my kids

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Stealing Fire, Real Murders by Charlain Harris, Blowild! by Andy Wibbels,
Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich,Viva Vegan by Terry Hope Romero

6. Do you have an e-reader?
No & I'm debating if I even want one.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
It's not preference, but it's more convient. The size of my purse determines what book I can carry with me & my laziness decides if I get up and get the book I was reading or grab whatever's nearest to me.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Not really.

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
(A Penny for Your Thoughts by Mindy Starns Clark. Put it down & never felt compelled to pick it up again.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Nice Girls Don't Live Forever by Molly Harper

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
I have 5 kids, my comfort zone changes constantly.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
See #11

13. Can you read on the bus?
Yes, and since I don't have a car I do quite often.

14. Favorite place to read?
My bed

15. What is your policy on book lending?
After I've read them I have no issues about loaning/giving away my books. I can't re-read books, except The Prophet by Khalil Gibran, so there's no need for me to keep them around.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
My books aren't first editions or collector items, so yep

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
No. I used to write my name in them, but not anymore.

18. Not even with text books?
Those I would would maybe write my name is, but that's it.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English, the only language I'm capable of reading in

20. What makes you love a book?
I have to relate to the characters, even if I don't like them.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
I have to feel confident the person would enjoy it.

22. Favorite genre?
Cozy mysteries. Especially humorous ones

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Biographies/autobiographies

Favorite biography?
Te Autobiography of Malcolm X is the only one I've ever been able to finish

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
Yes, I need all the help I can get!!!

26. Favorite cookbook?
I hate to cook, but I like to get easy recipes from those Taste of Home magazines.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
The House that Cleans Itself by Mindy Starns Clark. Not really an inspirational book, but it made me re-think the way I cleaned my house house so less stress for me.

28. Favorite reading snack?
I don't really snack when I read, but a cold Vanilla Coke is nice.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
Just didn't feel Tuesday's with Morrie. It was alright, but not as great as the hype. I usually ignore the hype.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I rarely read what critics have to say.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I have no qualms about it. If I didn't like it, I didn't like it. No biggie.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
Who cares?! Any foreign language would do!

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Books don't intimidate me, they excite me.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
See #33

35. Favorite Poet?
Maya Angelou & Nikki Giovanni

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
20 or so.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
Less than 2% of them.

38. Favorite fictional character?
Lula from Janet Evanovich's Plum series andJane Jameson from the Nice Girl books by Molly Harper is a current fave.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
Cruella DeVille

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
It's been so long since I've been on vacation. Maybe one of my cozy mysteries since they're light & easy to read.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
Maybe a couple of days. Even if it's a magazine, I read something every day.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
A Penny for Your Thoughts. I may eventually go back to it, but maybe not.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
My kids

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
Spike Lee did a brilliant job with Malcolm X. Hands down the best I've ever seen. The Color Purple & Harry Potter were pretty good too.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
I'm still traumitized by Flowers in the Attic.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
Maybe $30 bucks. I'm all about the library.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Never.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
If I just can't relate to anything. I even finished the horrid Left Behind books because some of the characters were relatable. The writing sucked! A really dull story line would do it too.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Nope. I like for my bookshelves to look pretty, but once it goes on the shelf, I probably won't go back for it, so I don't pay too much attention to what goes where.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I keep them, them give them to the Free Store (a local charity organization)

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
The classics. Not sure why.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
Ann Coulter's hatred kinda ticked me off.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
The Twilight books. I'm hooked. Go Team Jacob!

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
Lord of the Rings, but I'm going to try again.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
I will sometimes get on a historical romance kick. My auntie gave me a bag full of them when I was a kid & sometimes when I want to read & not think, I will grab one. I love Native American culture, so I love Cassie Edwards.


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Merry Christmas!

Happy Mother's Day to all!!!

It's ridiculous. My house is being over run by books. they are stacked in closets, on my dresser, under my son's bed and of course on book shelves. When I see a book on my TBR list at a thrift store or my church's trading site I grab it up then sit it aside. I need to actually read them. These don't even count the list of books I want to read that could fill a notebook. My resolution is to read these book and claim some of my space back. I declare 2009 The Year of the Diminishing TBR pile! Read on!

Booking Through Thursday

Here’s something for Valentine’s Day.

Have you ever fallen out of love with a favorite author? Was the last book you read by the author so bad, you broke up with them and haven’t read their work since? Could they ever lure you back?

I have never fallen out of love per se, but I have moved on. I will go through phases where I will read as many books of a particular genre or author as I possibly can, then I grow tired of it and move on.
In middle school, my aunt gave me a paper bag full of Harlequin romances, shortly after high school it was Danielle Steele, then I went on a mythology kick. I can't do Harlequin's or Danielle Steele anymore. They were nice fodder for a silly pre-teen/teenager, but I still love mythology, especially of the Greek and Roman variety.
I used to love Sidney Sheldon, but he lost me with a book where he got a bit predictable and preachy. I'm amazed by his body of work, not just books, but TV, plays, etc, that I could easily be lured back. His autobiography is one the books I have checked out from the library to read.
More than an author is a genre. I cannot read biographies/autobiographies. I'm going to try Sidney Sheldon's because I heard it read like a novel, but these are the books I had to force myself to read in school. I don't know why, I just can't stomach them.