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2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (Hosted by Yours Truly)

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My Progress:


9 / 30 books. 30% done!

2024 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama
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- California (3)
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- Tennessee (1)
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- Washington
- West Virginia
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- Washington, D.C.*

International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (5)
- France (1)
- Ireland (1)
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My Progress:


12 / 51 states. 24% done!

2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

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10 / 50 words. 20% done!

2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge


15 / 50 books. 30% done!

Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge

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32 / 50 books. 64% done!

2024 52 Club Reading Challenge

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27 / 52 books. 52% done!

2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


21 / 40 books. 53% done!

2024 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge


13 / 40 books. 33% done!

2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

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5 / 25 books. 20% done!

2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge

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17 / 26.2 miles. 65% done!

Mount TBR Reading Challenge

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15 / 100 books. 15% done!

2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

My Progress:


34 / 104 books. 33% done!

Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


31 / 52 books. 60% done!

Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge

My Progress


32 / 165 books. 19% done!
Thursday, July 17, 2008

In the Meantime ... A Meme


I'm heading off on vacation tomorrow. My husband's normally dormant gypsy genes have apparently taken him over because he's decided to "meander" our way to Oregon. Normally our trips are planned out well ahead of time, but this trip he's suggesting we flip coins to determine the routes we take there and back. Spontaneity scares me, so we'll see how it goes :) As long as we get there, I guess it doesn't matter. Anyway, we're heading to The Columbia River Gorge, one of the most beautiful places on Earth (in my humble, totally unbiased opinion) for a reunion with my parents, siblings and their families. Since we are spread all over the globe (my husband jokes that this is how we all get along so well - 1 is in Saudi Arabia, 1 in Guam, 2 in California, 1 in Maine, me in Arizona and my parents live in Washington State), we don't get to see each other very often. It will be fun, not to mention a nice diversion from packing. My (long and belabored) point is that I won't be around for a week or so. I hope you can survive not hearing from me for that long :)

Of course, the most important items to consider while packing for a trip are books. Even though I never read in the car (I'm notorious for getting carsick even on straightaways), and I may not have much time for reading while actually on vacation, I'm still bringing along a couple of books. You just never know when you might have the opportunity to sneak in a few chapters, ya know? I'm nothing if not optimistic. So, I'm taking The Eye, The Ear, and The Arm by Nancy Farmer and The Hungry Ocean by Linda Greenlaw. I'm enjoying both books, and hope to have time to finish and review them both before I have to unplug my computer and move. We'll see how it goes ...

__
In the meantime, I saw this meme over at Dani's blog and thought it looked fun:

Do you remember how you developed a love of reading? Not really, no. My mom says I taught myself to read before I entered kindergarten, and I haven't stopped reading since. I simply don't remember a time when I did not love books. It helps that I came from a bookish household. Both my parents are big readers, so my childhood home has always featured heavily-laden bookshelves. I'm sure, also, that my parents read to us, although I don't remember any specifics (except for our daily scripture study at 5 a.m. - yes, Mormons ARE crazy).

What are some books you loved as a child? I adored The Berenstain Bears as a young child. As I got older, I remember loving all books involving Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, The Ingalls Family and The Boxcar Children. I also loved Choose Your Own Adventure novels and (as much as I hate to admit it) Sweet Valley High books.

What is your favorite genre? I guess I would have to say women's fiction, although I love historical fiction, mystery, suspense, cultural fiction, biographies and self-help/inspirational books. In recent years, I've also become a big fan of sci-fi/fantasy, especially that written for young adults.

Do you have a favorite novel? Just one? Gasp! No way, although I love Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, Peace Like A River by Leif Enger, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

Where do you usually read? I read everywhere I can - in bed, on my living room couch, while on vacation, whenever I'm in a waiting room, on airplanes, etc. I probably read most often at my kitchen table while eating lunch. This is because I purposely feed my kids first, then send them off for naps/quiet times, so that I can enjoy a leisurely lunch. Because my husband doesn't generally come home from work at lunchtime, I have this nice, quiet time to eat and read - two of my favorite things to do :)

When do you usually read? That's easy - anytime I can!
Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time? Yes and no. I always have a main read, which is what I mostly concentrate on, and I usually have a book stashed in my master bathroom. My secondary read gets pretty neglected, though, eventually ending up under a pile of Popular Science and Men's Health magazines (my husband's, obviously). I guess this means that (1) I'm not getting enough fiber in my diet, or (2) My 3-year-old potty buddy monopolizes all my bathroom reading time!

Do you read non-fiction in a different way or place than you read fiction? Not in a different place, no, but I definitely read NF more slowly than I do fiction.

Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out from the library? I don't borrow many books; I'm usually the one people borrow from! I actually buy most of my books, although I check tons out from the library, too. These days, I get mounds of free books from authors, publishers, publicists and blog giveaways. Gotta love those freebies!

Do you keep most of the books you buy? Actually, no. I only keep the ones I really like and am not embarrassed to have on my shelves. Remembering how often I grabbed books off my parents' shelves, I try not to keep any that I wouldn't want my kids reading. If I have books I don't want to keep, I either donate them to the library or put them up on Bookmooch.

If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them? My kids love The Berenstain Bears books just like I did when I was little. We also enjoyed reading Charlotte's Web together - twice. Other than that, it's mostly them sharing their favorites with me!

What are you reading now? I finished an ARC of The Questory of Root Karbunkulus by Kamilla Reid this morning. Now, I'm reading The Hungry Ocean by Linda Greenlaw; The Eye, The Ear, and The Arm by Nancy Farmer is my bathroom read.

Do you keep a TBR list? Absolutely. It's an alphabetized, color-coded thing of beauty!

What's next? Linda Greenlaw's fiction books, Slipknot and Fisherman's Bend, plus a whole lotta review and challenge books.

What books would you like to re-read? You know, I'm not a big re-reader. There are just too many books out there I want to read for the first time. If I had to choose one, it would probably be Gone With the Wind.

Who are your favorite authors? I have tons, but these are a few whose books I consistently enjoy: Kathy Reichs, Adriana Trigiani, Joanne Harris, Jodi Picoult, Leif Enger, Maeve Binchy, J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, etc., etc.

I'm always fascinated by other bloggers' reading habits, so let me know if you do this one on your blog.

Okay, I have to quit stalling and start packing. See ya next week ...

11 comments:

  1. Susan--this is totally amazing! When in the world do you find time to do all of this and still maintain a household? I am so impressed...

    p.s. I finally started the bare bones of my own blog...I almost hate for you to look at it because it will look like the work of my Kindergartner in comparison to your fine site. You can find it at camzcam.blogspot.com

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  2. I've been that falls! Cool. We took an Oregon Coast trip years ago.. and ever since I've been dying to go back.

    Have a blast! :)

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  3. We have lots of the same childhood reading favorites, even the ones I'm embarrased about like the Sweet Valley High books.

    Have a wonderful trip. It looks beautiful there.

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  4. I have been a reader since I can't remember when I started. My father used to take me to the library every week when I was little. My mother,was not a reader. I think I really got the bug from my grandparents. I used to visit them every summer. My grandparents would take me to the library at their summer house on the beach in Mass.
    I would take a book everywhere I would go. To the doctors, on the bus. I can remember after school I had to walk home in the cold in NJ. This is before backpacks and I would carry a load of books that I checked out from the school library. In school, that is all that you would see me everywhere at lunch, at free time I had my face in a book. Every chance I had I would go to the library. I was obsessed with the smell and feel of books. Now, my other is book blogs that I just started

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  5. I hope you have a fun time! I'm a planner myself and would probably have trouble with the spontaneity. yet it sounds like such a fun idea--freeing, in a way.

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  6. I don't live far from the Gorge. My husband and I love to take all the scenic routes around there and on the coast. We are planners, but we like being spontaneous also. Have fun!
    ~Angela

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  7. Ah....books and vacation! I posted about this exact same thing on my blog last week ("My name is Melanie and I'm a bookaholic..."). Reading is never a fond hope on a vacation. I'll read, no question. The fond hope is my husband's that I'll be lugging around a manageable number of books. Ha! But he loves me anyway.

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  8. Whoops! My husband just informed me that it's very bad manners to link to your own blog in someone else's comment section. Mea culpa! I meant no harm!

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  9. I'm still on vacation, but I've been checking in occasionally to read all of your wonderful comments! Keep them coming. I love hearing all of your thoughts.

    We are on the last leg of our trip - we'll be home tomorrow night. I haven't had much chance to read, but we're having a great time doing other things. It's been a long haul - we have been in a total of 7 states! It will be great to be home. I'm especially missing my nice, soft bed!

    BTW: The spontaneous thing has actually worked out pretty well. We haven't had to sleep in our car yet, thank goodness :)

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  10. HI. I've had this post tagged for ages in Bloglines and have meant to come out and say thanks for playing along. I love reading other reader's answers to these sorts of questions. And I loved the Boxcar Children, too, when I was young. I have find memories of my teacher in shcool (maybe 1st or 2nd grade) reading the books to us!

    ReplyDelete

Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.

P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!

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