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!)

For the first time, ever I think, I'm reading two books. One of them has small font, and if I read too long it starts to get hard to focus. So I read a chapter or two at a time, and switch.

 Injane, by Douglas K Pearson
 This is the one with small font. It's a review book. I'm enjoying it. I really hope someday they'll decide to reformat it, because I doubt I'd be the only person to run into this problem. It's rare for me. Yes, I would recommend it. Of course, that depends upon an individuals taste in books. It's dark, eery. You'd need to enjoy that sort of thing.

Paranormalcy, by Kiersten White
  I chose this one because it sounded great, and there is a lot of buzz surrounding it in the blogosphere. Which I completely understand, because I'm loving it! I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys paranormal YA.

Booking Through Thursday

This is quite an extensive survey for today's Booking Through Thursday, but I love surveys so I'm looking forward to it!!

1. Favorite childhood book?
     I actually had (still have) a huge stack of Alice in Bibleland books. I loved them growing up. Kind of ironic seeing as how now I don't believe in any religion.

2. What are you reading right now?
    Nothing at this moment, but I believe I'll start Claire De Lune some time today.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
    A lot. Among them; Hunger Games, Nailed, The Body Finder, Take Me There, Forget You, Fallen, Blood Feud, Tell Me a Secret, Magic Hands, etc. I put them on hold and freeze them until I'm ready for them.

4. Bad book habit?
   I don't buy enough books. It's horrible....I rely on the library too much and feel bad for not supporting authors in a better manner. Generally, I only buy books if I've read them and know they're re-readable, or if I'm familiar with the author. That doesn't necessarily mean I have to have read something by the author, but I have to have at least heard a lot about them. Or if they're cheap....

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
    Nothing, actually. Strange for me.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
    Nope.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
    One. 

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
    Slightly. I read a bit more now, but that's about it.

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
    It'd be a toss up between The Secret Year and The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
    I hate to choose, but right now Hush, Hush definitely stands out in my mind. Feed, by Mira Grant was also fantastic.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
    There isn't really anything out of my comfort zone. I don't like biographies and such, so I don't read them at all unless it's about someone I absolutely love.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
(answer here)

13. Can you read on the bus?
    I've never even rode a bus, not since a school bus. I'm sure I couldn't though, because reading in the car makes me nauseous. 

14. Favorite place to read?
(answer here)

15. What is your policy on book lending?
   I don't loan books out unless I really trust the person. Even then I tell them I will kill them if they dog-ear my pages, and they'll replace them if they get messed up.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
   Haha, I think my answer above will cover that.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
   No.

18.  Not even with text books?
   No.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
   I prefer the only one I understand, English. Lol.

20. What makes you love a book?
   To love a book, I need to enjoy every single aspect of the book. Plot, characters, pace, etc.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
   If I loved it.

22. Favorite genre?
   I don't really have a favorite.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
   Mystery. I've read a lot of mystery and suspense books, but not lately and I do miss it.

24. Favorite biography?
   I don't have a favorite.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
   Only in school, when I had no choice.

26. Favorite cookbook?
   Skinny Bitch.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
    None of the books I've read really stand out to me as inspirational.

28. Favorite reading snack?

    I don't eat while I'm reading.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
    The Secret Year, and after all the Twilight hype, I don't like it nearly as much as I used to.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
     Rarely.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
    I'm fine with it. I think authors understand that not every book is for everyone. But I will be honest about what I think, so if it's negative, so be it.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
    Russian. It's my favorite foreign language, and I'd like to speak it, so of course read in it as well.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
    I'd have to say Great Expectations. It definitely isn't something that would intimidate me now, but when I was a freshman in High School, in English Honors, and given two weeks to read it on our own time at home....it intimidated the hell out of me. I was successful though, lol.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
   I can't think of one that intimidates me.

35. Favorite Poet?
   Edgar Allen Poe. I know, original, right? Second favorite is Maya Angelou.

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

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
   Not often but it happens.

38. Favorite fictional character?
   Way too many to choose from.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
   Again, too many to choose from.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
   I probably wouldn't take any on vacation.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
    A few weeks.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
    I couldn't finish The Line. I just never got into it.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
    My kids are actually the only thing that distracts me. I have no trouble ignoring the world while I'm reading.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

   Oh wow. Umm, I have no idea. I absolutely love Fight Club...so I guess I'd say that one. Or Girl, Interrupted.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
    Twilight. Though if we're being honest, 99.9% of film adaptations are awful.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
    Thirty...something.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
    Rarely.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
    If I couldn't get into it.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
    Yes.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
    Keep them.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
    Hunger Games. I'm afraid it won't live up to the hype.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
    Eclipse. Bella and her selfishness made me so angry I wanted to throw the book. Of course, I'd never do that.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
    Hush, Hush.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
    The Secret Year. I know, I'm repetitive. I have trouble thinking back before this year, sorry.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
    They're all guilt-free pleasures for me!

Booking Through Thursday (x2)

Booking Through Thursday

I actually  missed last week's Booking Through Thursday, so I'm going to go ahead and answer last weeks question, as well as this weeks!

Last week:

Name a book or author that you truly wanted to love but left you disappointed. (And, of course, explain why.)

    I don't think there's ever been an author who has disappointed me completely. There have been a few authors that have come out with books that I found disappointing, but it's generally on a book by book basis, rather than the author themselves.
    For example, I love the Twilight books and was completely blown away by The Host. I was disappointed by The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. I felt it was a waste of time, and a marketing ploy since it was released weeks before Eclipse came to theaters.
    I'm generally always pleased with James Patterson. His books are quick, to the point, and some of my favorite books are by him. (When the Wind Blows, for example.) However, Swimsuit disappointed me. It was decent, but in the end I felt let down for whatever reason.
    Susane Colasanti is a great YA author. I adore her books, but I was not a fan of Something Like Fate. Something about it just didn't work for me.

This week's question:

Do you have friends and family to share books with? Discuss them with? Does it matter to you?

    Few. My best friend and I have a similar taste in books, and we generally delve in the same genre. However, more often than not, our opinions about books are completely different. Both of my sisters enjoy reading, but neither of them do it often enough for us to discuss anything.
   It does matter to me. I do not like finishing a book, and having no one to discuss it with. Whether it be because they haven't read it, don't care, or just aren't around to talk to. It drives me insane. Which is part of the reason I created this blog!

Booking Through Thursday

Booking Through Thursday

Do you read book reviews? Do you let them change your mind about reading/not reading a particular book?

I read a lot of the reviews posted by my fellow book bloggers, and I do take their reviews into consideration when deciding whether or not to read books; however, no one's review is a deciding factor for me. Aside from that, I read the summary for books first, and if it sounds good, I'll usually read it. Often times I will go on Goodreads and read reviews (non-spoiling of course) as I'm reading the book, that way it's at it's freshest point in my mind.

I have never decided not to read a book based on anyone's review of it. I also would never encourage anyone to not read a book based on what I thought of it. We all have differing opinions, and we all enjoy different things. I think it's up to us as individuals to make those decisions. I'm not saying we shouldn't read  reviews, (obviously, seeing as how I'm hoping people will read mine),  I'm just saying that we should never let someone's review of something discourage us from trying it all together. I actually enjoy seeing how differently we view things.

Booking Through Thursday

This week's question:

Which do you prefer? Short stories? Or full-length novels?


Full length novels, definitely. One of the reasons I love to read fiction is because it allows you to escape reality, and enter another world. It's the best possible way for me to calm down, get over things, etc. Occasionally I enjoy a good short story, if I'm in the mood for a quick read, but it's rare that I even bother.