Okay, so I don't even know what "meme" means, but this one looked fun:

What are you reading right now? The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I'm about halfway through, and loving it! I noticed that a lot of my book blogging friends read several books at a time; I don't. I guess I just don't have enough concentration to read more than one at a time.

Do you have any idea what you'll read when you're done with that? I have bought a ton of books lately, so I have a lot from which to choose. I will have to see what I'm in the mood for after I finish The Book Thief.

What's the worst thing you've ever been forced to read? I took an LDS Literature course at Brigham Young University (BYU), and we had to read some very poorly-written books. They were written by the professor and other of his friends, so I guess that explains why we were forced to read them...I also hated reading Walt Whitman in college. *Snore*

What's the one book you always recommend to just about anyone? The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. Despite my issues with the most recent volume, the stories are fast-paced and well-written. Plus, they're clean reads, so I recommend them knowing they won't offend anyone.

Admit it, the librarians at your library know you on a first-name basis. Actually they don't, but that's only because checkout at my library is not done by the librarians. Patrons use a little kiosk to check out books. Now, the cashiers at Borders, that's another story...

Is there a book you absolutely love, but for some reason people never think it sounds interesting, or have they read it and don't like it at all? Oh, I'm sure there are, but I can't think of any right offhand.

Do you read books while you eat? While you bathe? While you watch movies or tv? While you listen to music? While you're on the computer? Considering my sloppy eating habits, I shouldn't eat and read at the same time, but I do. I always have a book or magazine available to peruse when I eat alone. When we dine as a family, I don't allow anyone to have reading material at the table! On the rare occasion that I take a bath, I do read, yep. No, on the other questions. I have a bit of a one-track mind, so I don't read while I watch tv, listen to music or work on the computer - I have to do one thing at a time :)

When you were little, did other children tease you about your reading habits? I don't remember getting teased, but that's probably because I never read novels at school. By the time I was in high school, I purposely left my books at home so I wouldn't be labeled a nerd (horror of horrors). In my high school history class, I sat diagonally behind a girl who always brought a romance novel to class. She'd balance the book on her knees while our teacher droned on and on. She'd often sit there, reading, with tears streaming down her face, and our teacher never noticed! I wish I had been as brave as her - I would have gotten a lot of reading done.

What is the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn't put it down? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

I made it almost halfway through this one before I had to quit. Don't get me wrong, The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy is well-written and undeniably compelling, but I just couldn't stomach the violent imagery.

The novel begins with a Jewish couple speeding across the Polish countryside trying desperately to outrun the Nazis on their tail. At a hidden bend, they slow their motorcycle only long enough to rush their two children off into the forest. The father urges the kids to head for a nearby village and find a farmer willing to feed them. The children - now dubbed Hansel and Gretel - discover a cottage in the woods, where Magda, the town witch, takes them in. In order to get extra food rations for the children, Magda concocts a story to explain their presence to the Nazis, who control the town. While on this errand, pretty Gretel captures one of the officer's attention, which I assume leads to trouble later on.

The book follows the children's story as well as that of their father and stepmother, who also manage to evade their Nazi pursuers. The couple flees into the woods as well. There, they encounter a ragtag group of men eager to exact revenge on the Nazis and all Poles who aid them. It was when this group hangs a woman out of her bedroom window that I closed the book.

As I said before, the book is well-written and spellbinding. I cared about some of the characters, especially the kids, but not enough to stick with a story that made me sick to my stomach. I have too many books in my TBR pile to force myself to finish this one. If anyone else has read it, let me know what happens to the kids...

I've had Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows since its release date, but I've been putting off reading it. Why? I was intimidated by its sheer heft, for one. It's 759 pages long, and a part of me just wanted to skip straight to the end (like my mom did) and get all the answers. That was really only a small part of me, though, because I never read the endings of books first. Anyway, the biggest reason I've been procrastinating is that I know it will be the last new Harry Potter book ever. I'm grieving. So, I vowed to read it slowly and savor the story, but...yeah, that didn't happen. I found myself racing through it like a madwoman, desperate to see what happened to Harry and his friends (and foes).

Before you read on, I should warn you that there may be plot spoilers ahead. I won't intentionally spoil the whole story, but I may inadvertently mention a few of its surprises, so consider yourself forewarned...

The story opens with a sinister first chapter affirming what we all know from the last book: Lord Voldemort has gained power and is planning to take over not only the Ministry of Magic, but also the entire wizarding world. Harry Potter is his only real obstacle, and of course Voldemort has plans to kill the young wizard. Knowing that, Harry's supporters have gathered at number four, Privet Drive, to whisk he and the Dursleys to safety. Unfortunately, the plan goes a bit awry and Harry finds himself trapped at Ron's house, under the constant, watchful eye of Mrs. Weasley. When Harry, Ron and Hermione can sneak away, they spend their stolen moments hatching their plans to continue the mission left for them by Professor Dumbledore: they must find Voldemort's 5 horcruxes and destroy them. Their search proves much harder than any of them imagined, pitting them against Death Eaters, goblins, possessed bodies and an enormous dragon among the more mundane problems of hunger, thirst, flared tempers and finding safety in an increasingly dangerous world. As if Harry doesn't have enough on his mind, he also has to face the fact that Dumbledore may not have been who Harry thought he was. Disturbing details in Rita Skeeter's new bestseller - a scathing tell-all about the Professor - seem to confirm Harry's biggest fears about his beloved mentor. Was it true the Professor was involved in the Dark Arts as a youth? What happened to his sister, Ariana? Was Dumbledore really responsible for her death? And, why, did he trust Severus Snape, a confirmed Death Eater? If Dumbledore can't be trusted, then what of the perilous quest Harry and his friends have undertaken? Somehow, Harry can't bring himself to abandon it, no matter how much danger he and his supporters are in. And they are indeed in grave danger: war has broken out in the wizarding world, and Voldemort seems intent on killing anyone who stands in his way. The final showdown happens - appropriately - at Hogwarts, with the good wizards fighting the bad. In the end, it comes down to Harry v. Voldemort, in the ultimate duel between good and evil.

What can I say? The ending was inevitable and predictable, but it was an awesome ride. The book was simply impossible to put down, and I enjoyed every word. I wasn't at all surprised by the ending, but I was (mostly) satisfied by it. My main beef was actually with the Epilogue, which was dull and not at all informative. I've still got questions: What happened to the Dursleys? They aren't mentioned after Chapter 2. I'm also wondering how Neville Longbottom ended up with Gryffindor's sword in the end? Maybe I missed something, but I thought Griphook took it...Anyway, I would have preferred a better wrap-up, but all in all, the book was breathtaking.

I'm sad that Harry Potter mania is over, but I'm glad to have been a part of it. Farewell, Harry, the world won't be the same without you!