Confessions of a bookworm.

Last week, Rissi did a fun bookish quiz on her blog. She invited anyone to participate, and I loved reading her answers so I thought I would join in, too. :)

What are your top three book pet hates?

1. Ugly covers. I own my fair share of ugly covers, but I keep them because they're my only copies (and I bought them because they were cheap or the only option) or for sentimental reasons. I really, really love pretty book covers. Also, mismatching series covers bug me. (I'm looking at you, Across the Universe trilogy!)

2. Profanity. I know I've probably said this a million times, but bad language is one of my biggest pet peeves. I don't think it's ever really necessary in books (I don't care how "realistic" it is), and I wish I had some magic machine that would automatically eliminate certain words in books before I read them...I know I'd enjoy some books a whole lot more. :)

3. Awkwardly written dialogue. Though I'm not criticizing anyone, because I'm no writer and I feel like it would be really difficult to write natural-sounding dialogue!

Describe your perfect reading spot.

It would be a big, cozy chair. I mean, like a huge chair...one that's big enough to curl up in. (No, I don't possess such a chair.) Or maybe a cushioned front porch swing. I used to love to read on the wooden swing at my grandma's house, but unfortunately it wasn't very comfortable, no matter how many pillows I tried to use. :)

Tell us three bookish confessions.

1. I hate to leave books unfinished. Even if I'm really disliking a book, I will still try to plow through and force myself to finish it. I like to think that I'm positive and want to give a book a chance to improve, but mostly I'm just stubborn. (Exceptions are when a book is super long and doesn't have much hope of improving. I would have given up on The Casual Vacancy a hundred pages in if it hadn't been written by J.K. Rowling.) I know, I know...life is too short to read books you don't like! I need to remember that. :)

2. I hate the idea of e-readers, and I'll never own one. I'm obsessed with physical books. I want to actually own a book and have it sitting on my shelves...I don't want my books and reading to depend on an electronic device having a full battery or Internet access. (And once again, I'm stubborn. And old-fashioned.) I dislike buying anything digitally, really. Even when I buy music like that, I burn it to a real CD so I won't lose it. I like to have something tangible, you know?

3. I love middle grade books (aka, books written specifically for ages approx. 9-12). Really love them. There's something really special and different about them that's almost impossible to find in other books. I don't care how much I older I am than the target audience for these books...I'll still keep reading them. :)

When was the last time you cried during a book?

I know I cried through the last few chapters of My Stubborn Heart, by Becky Wade, when I read it a couple of months ago. But I think I also cried at the end of Blue Skies Tomorrow, by Sarah Sundin? If so, then that's the most recent one. :)

How many books are on your bedside table?

Nine. My bedside table is actually my desk, and I have a stack of books on it. I'm currently reading Meant to Be Mine. (I'm technically also reading the Jane Austen devotional, though not regularly because I keep forgetting about it. And the book below it, though I haven't picked that one up in months...) The rest of the stack consists of books that I'm hoping to read or reread soon.

 

What is your favorite snack while reading?

 

I don't really snack while reading! If anything, it's probably something dry and not messy like Goldfish or Wheat Thins. :)

 

Name three books you would recommend to everyone.

 

1. The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. I'm stealing this one from Rissi, but these are my favorite books and I believe everyone should read them! :)

 

2. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. This book is amazing and I feel like it's really accessible, even for people who don't read many classics (because it's a modern classic).

3. The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling. This series is one of those rare ones that's worth every bit of the hype. I honestly can't imagine anyone not enjoying these books! There's something for everyone: adventure, mystery, humor, romance (in the later books), etc.

Show us a picture of your favorite bookshelf on your bookcase.

It's hard to pick a favorite! I'll just go with this one, which is the top shelf in my second "fiction bookcase." I chose this one because it includes so many books I love: the Chronicles of Narnia, my Gail Carson Levine books (she's the author of one of my childhood favorites, Ella Enchanted), A Snicker of Magic (which isn't shown in this picture because it's on my desk to be reread- see above), the Sarah Plain and Tall series, The Giver series, Beauty, the Wildwood trilogy (third book is also in the stack on my desk), and Cinder (the rest of the Lunar Chronicles continues onto the next shelf).

So many lovely books that are conveniently on the same shelf! :) My shelves are organized in alphabetical order by the author's name, by the way. {And I'm hoping to do a video bookshelf tour sometime this summer. We'll see!}

Write how much books mean to you in just three words.

That's impossible- I can't communicate how much I love books in just three words! :)

What is your biggest reading secret?

I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a "bad" secret (like a confession) or a good one. Either way, I'm having a hard time thinking of a secret. :)

If we're talking about a confession: thick books are really intimidating to me. I'm not especially drawn to thin books, but I have a comfort zone from about 250-350 pages. Anything longer than that, and I get a little nervous. :) I'm usually fine after I get started with a thick book, but it's just the initial thought of it that's intimidating.

If we're talking about a good secret, though this isn't really a secret: I always take a book with me. Honestly, the only place I can think of that I go without taking along a book is church. :) It seems practical to me, because you never know when you might get stuck waiting somewhere, with nothing to do. So why not bring along a book? 

What about you? What are your bookish confessions? Feel free to answer any of these in the comments or on your blog. :)