A Challenge About Books and Reading Habits

It is a cold, rainy Sunday here and the countdown to spring continues. Did I mention how windy it is too? So instead of riding into the countryside with the Ulysses motorbikers I am tucked up snug and warm at home and catching up on reading all of my favourite blogs. Of course, as happens one led to another. One of my favourite blogs is that of Delaisse (here).  I enjoy her blog because she is a very interesting reader, is excellent at discussing her favourite and not so favourite reads and I love her budgies and rescued battery hens and following their development. I enjoy a personal touch in a blog. Reading her blog today then led me to another blog I was not familiar with, Bex's (here)

She discusses a Book Information challenge she developed to help motivate her to write more on her blog.  I thought I would also participate as it seems quite a few bloggers are and I would enjoy finding out in more depth just what I think of all the book information not only in the heads of others but also my own.

The challenge is listed below and it would be fun if others might take it on board too if they are so inclined. So here goes Day 1. 

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This is the 15 Day Book Information Challenge

1. Make 15 book-related confessions.
2. What is your bedtime reading ritual?
3. Who are your blogging BFFs?
4. What's the last book you flung across the room?
5. Recommend a tear jerker.
6. Describe how you shop for books.
7. Talk about your blogging quirks,
8. Quick! Write 15 points of things that appeal to you on blogs.
9. Why do you blog about books?
10. How do you choose what book to read next?
11. Show off! 5 of your best blog posts.
12. How do you fight off blogger fatigue?
13. Describe one under appreciated book EVERYONE should read.
14. Tell us your deal breaker.
15. Who are your book blogging mentors?

15 Book Related Confessions - Day I

1. I feel extremely guilty over the number of books I have that need to be read on my own shelves so I am going to stop buying books for a period of time until I read more of them. This will be temporary but hopefully inspire me to appreciate what I already have. 

2.  When I am reading I often get distracted by my pets who feel they must be with me all of the time and if I am lying around reading I feel guilty b/c I am not outdoors with them. I welcome rainy days.

3.  I am passionate about vintage Penguin books.  I think the books, the stories and the publishing history is fascinating and I love to think about the people who once held them whether in an English parlour or a WWII trench. 

4. I am a slow reader. I envy people who can read quickly but I am not one of them. I am faster probably than most but not as quick as I would like to be. I am easily distracted.

5. I have discovered audio books and I love listening to them at night as I work on an art picture or do a jigsaw puzzle. I like the voices. One FIRM rule though- all books must be unabridged. 

6. I read the book Black Beauty by Anna Sewell about once every 5 years because I love it so much and have done so since the late 1950's.

7. My favourite book illustrator is the British artist Cecil Aldin (here) who drew many illustrations of dogs and horses in Britain. I have a couple of his prints and try to find books with his drawings in them however he is getting a bit pricey these days.

8.  I have every book that William Horwood has ever written in a hard cover first edition copy. I never hear anything about him. He is English, wrote the Duncton Wood tales and many other most interesting fantasy and fictional books. He also did some follow up books to Kenneth Graham's Wind in the Willows series that I quite like. He has a wonderful social conscious and creative imagination. I feel he is incredibly under-rated.

9. John Steinbeck is my favourite American author and I have read everything he published that I  can find but mainly when I was in my 20's. I revisit his books from time to time. I am hoping to read his Letter's book that I found a couple of years ago.

Gary Larson cartoon

10.  I don't read a lot of cartoon books. I grew up with comics and cartoons and always loved Schult's Peanuts series but my favourite cartoonist would have to be Gary Larson of The Far Side. I love his animal cartoons. I laugh until tears roll down my face. 

11. I seldom read books with animals in them because they generally seem to have tragic endings. If I am to read an animal book I have to know ahead of time if that animal will die. I don't like surprises when it comes to animals. I tend to stay away from them as much as possible. For some reason people don't have the same effect except maybe tales related to children.

12. I always enjoy books that take place in the deep south of the USA. Non fiction stories are even better. As a teenager and young adult the Civil War fascinated me and books such as Andersonville and Gone With The Wind were amazing.

13. I would rather go into a bookshop (second hand or independent) in any city more than any other store I can think of. I love bookshops. I love the smell, touching the books and the surprises in the shelves. I get very cranky if anyone rushes me and am very particular who I will shop with. They need to be in the same mindset.

14.  I love the randomness of books in the public library.  I love having a pile of books in my arms and taking them all home. I don't even have to read them all though I try. It's just knowing I can have them for awhile is enough and if I like them enough I can have them come visit again. They are easy company to care for.

15. I think technology is the best thing to have come along in my life and am happy I live in a time that I have access to being able to read anything I can think of  online. It is truly miraculous and probably the best invention of my 60 plus year old life, outside of penicillin of course.