Callapidder Days

Barbara H. over at Stray Thoughts has created a book meme, and was kind enough to tag me for it. So here goes…

1. Do you remember how you developed a love for reading? Nope. I’m not sure how old I was when I learned to read, but I’ve been reading for as long as I can remember. And loving it.

2. What are some books you read as a child? I loved Dr. Seuss books and Little Golden Books. As I got older, I enjoyed the Little House series, Chronicles of Narnia. Madeleine L’Engle’s Time series, Nancy Drew mysteries, and many others.

3. What is your favorite genre? Mystery and/or thriller.

4. Do you have a favorite novel? Oh my goodness, I don’t think I could pick a favorite novel. I love too many!

5. Where do you usually read? I do most of my reading in bed at night, before going to sleep. Other places include the living room couch, the car, Panera, and any comfy chair I can find.

6. When do you usually read? Oops, I guess I mentioned this in the previous question. I usually read at night, after kids are in bed, and before I go to sleep. But I also read in little bits throughout the day.

7. Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time? Yes, definitely. Usually only one novel, but I often have several non-fiction books going as well.

8. Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction? Yep. That reading in bed at night? That’s almost always fiction. Non-fiction is usually read during the day, while sitting upright, and when I am able to concentrate (in other words, not when the toddler is yelling — gleefully or otherwise). I often have a pen or highlighter, or even a notebook, on hand when I’m reading nonfiction.

9. Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library? Confession: I buy too many books. I am horrible about going to the library. L. (2) usually starts disrupting things within 10 minutes of being there, so in an effort to avoid embarrassment, I just avoid the library. So I do buy a lot of the books that I read. However, I also have several friends (plus my mom) who I exchange books with (that should be “with whom I exchange books,” but that sounded too stuffy). We trade back and forth, send boxes of books in the mail, etc. So I get many books that way. And the books I do buy are shared with others.

10. Do you keep most of the books you buy? If not, what do you do with them? I tend to pass along almost all fiction to others (or sell them at Half-Price Books). I keep my very favorites, or ones that I think my husband will read eventually. I do keep most non-fiction, but often lend it out indefinitely. We have bookshelves in every room of our house, except for the dining room and the bathrooms. One of these days, I should take pictures of them all and post them.

11. If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them? Were they some of the same ones you read as a child? I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading Dr. Seuss books with both of my kids. My husband and I read through the Chronicles of Narnia with C. (9) a few years ago and that was really neat. Chad and I had always liked those books, so it was special to share them with C. together. C. and I also read the first Warriors series together — he loved the books and I loved the experience of reading them together. L. (2) is still in the board book phase, so we enjoy Good Night Moon (which I also loved as a small child) and Sandra Boynton books (which we also read with C. when he was a baby).

12. What are you reading now? My current reads are always in my sidebar. At the moment, it’s My Name is Russell Fink and The Beautiful Fight. But I’m also dabbling in Writing Motherhood and Bird by Bird.

13. Do you keep a TBR (to be read) list? Not a formal one. I keep a “Think about it” wishlist on Amazon.com, where I stash books that sound intriguing to me, but that I’m undecided on. As books come into this house, they go on a TBR shelf.

14. What’s next? Probably Jeffery Deaver’s The Broken Window. If not that, then either Water for Elephants or Violet Dawn. We’ll see what I’m in the mood for.

15. What books would you like to reread? For as much as I love reading, I don’t often re-read entire books. I’d like to go through Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God again (it’s a great devotional for any mom) and I think Keep a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliot will be one of those books that I’m per
petually reading.

16. Who are your favorite authors? Oh, I don’t know. It’s so hard for me to pick favorites, but I’ll throw out a few names anyway: C.S. Lewis, Agatha Christie, Elisabeth Elliot, Jeffery Deaver, Dean Koontz, Diane Mott Davidson, Ted Dekker, Madeleine L’Engle, Tim Downs, Gary Thomas. I’m sure there are many more, but those were the first to come to mind.

Whew!

Though I don’t usually tag people, I’m going to tag a few this time around: Andrea, Linda, Stacy, & Jackie. As always, if you don’t feel like doing this, it’s no problem at all. And if anyone else would like to do it, please consider yourself tagged. Leave me a comment to let me know when you do it. I want to come read your answers!