Get to know the blogger...

I wanted to take the opportunity to tell my readers a little bit about me.  So I took the opportunity to combine several memes I've seen into one and have completed this, somewhat long, overview of myself...

1.    How long have you been blogging?
Since January 5^th, 2011…a newbie!

2.    Why did you decide to blog?
I love reading almost as much as I love talking, so I decided to combine my interests and talk about reading.

3.    What books do you blog about and why?
Whatever I’m reading…lots of memoirs, some non-fiction, children’s, historical fiction, books about animals. My reading tastes are so varied, my blog is likely to be as well.

4.    What is your review style like?
I tend to write very much as I speak…casual, easy-going and completely honest.

5.    If you can describe your blog in one word, what would it be and why?

Baby-steps…oh, is that one word or two…because I’m just starting out and gaining knowledge slowly.

6.    What advice can you give other bloggers about blogging?

At this point, pretty much none…but if anyone wants to share advice with me, I’d love that!

7.    What can readers look forward to from your blog in the future?
Lots of more interesting reviews and eventually giveaways as well.

8.    Favorite childhood book?
Big Little Kitty by Jan Biggens...this was one of those Little Golden Books about a kitten who runs away and then returns home to his little girl with three of his best friends Christmas morning. I remember crying that the kitten was lost. I was a bit of a sap as a child.  Ok, I still get choked up when I read it...

9.    What are you reading right now?
Ever changing...check out my Shelfari page!

10. What books do you have on request at the library?
Typically, I have between 5 and 10 on hold, all items from my TBR list, many memoirs and some fiction.  Currently, I have only one, a memoir, which I have been waiting on for months.

11. Bad book habit?
Taking too many from the library at once and then not being able to finish them all...having to return them unread.

12. Do you have an e-reader?

Yes, a Nook Color, though I haven’t used it much.

13. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I have always been a one book person, as my brain often gets the specifics confused between stories. Recently though I have been trying to take on a second book which is intentionally very different to enable my brain to handle it...for example, reading a memoir and perhaps a children’s book at the same time.

14. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Not yet, I’ve got way too many books to review before then!

15. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?

Pretty much never.  I keep telling myself I will challenge myself with something different, a classic maybe, but there are so many varied books on my TBR list, I can always find something I want to read more.

16. What is your reading comfort zone?

Memoirs and memoir-ish non-fiction, literary fiction, historical fiction, children’s.

17. Favorite place to read?

At home in bed.

18. What is your policy on book lending?

I don’t often buy books, but I have no problem loaning out books and don’t really care if they come back, unless they are a favorite.

19. Do you ever dog-ear books?

Rarely, never if possible. I use an over sized paperclip for a bookmark and try to avoid marring the book in any way.

20. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

Nope, see above.

21. Not even with text books?

No, not even highlighting.

20. What makes you love a book?

Personal connections I have with either the characters or with the plot itself...if I cannot connect, I won’t love it.

22. Favorite genre?

Memoirs.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)

Science Fiction (nope, no interest). I did manage to get through War of the Worlds this past year, that ought to keep me for another 40 years.

24. Favorite biography?

Late, Late at Night – Rick Springfield

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?

Never all the way through...but I have started many (I usually realize eventually that there just isn't any help for me...lol)

26. Favorite cookbook?

Joy of Cooking…it looks really pretty in my kitchen, but is rarely opened.

28. Favorite reading snack?

Stacy’s Cinnamon Pita chips and Mott's Strawberry applesauce, yum, yum!

29. How often do you agree with critics about a book?

I never read critic reviews, but I often agree with other blogger's comments.

30. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

Honesty is the best policy! Different strokes for different folks, just because I like (or not) a book, doesn’t mean the next person will or won’t.

32. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?

Too many (15+).

37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?

Every time.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?

What’s a vacation?

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.

5-6 months, during college.  I always felt guilty reading “fun” stuff when I should have been reading “school” stuff, so I would avoid until I couldn’t stand it anymore.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.

Recently, The Road by Cormac McCarthy...I hear it’s great, but I just can’t get into it.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?

My fiancé...he doesn’t get the whole personal time thing.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?

I don’t skim, I just read the cover and make a decision to read or not to read (...that is the question!).

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

Usually by then I’d call it done and move on, but if I got that far...it would have to go really, really wrong and lose my interest. Or have some sort of animal abuse in it...I find that really, really tough to get through.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?

Unless I love a book and cannot part with it, I generally pass it on if possible.


So, that's me in a nutshell. Feel free to comment!