A Book Meme

I really didn't mean to sit down and write a long post like this, but Monica did this meme and flattered me by mentioning my name so my pride got the best of me. 

It was fun, but now First Son's birthday post hasn't been written and his birthday is tomorrow...

1. Favorite childhood book?

You know I can't list just one. I don't remember my picture books very well. Hard to imagine now because I love so many of them!

• The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery is far and away her best book. I just love it and often pull it out to read excerpts. I love all the Anne books, too, though Rilla of Ingleside is my favorite of the set.
• Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin Mckinley
• Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
• Black Gold by Marguerite Henry (and most of her horse stories) and The Black Stallion by Walter Farley.
• Little Women (Oxford World's Classics) by Louisa May Alcott. I wanted to be Jo.
• The Chronicles of Narnia and all the Little House books. I wanted to be Laura. (Listening to them now, as a mother, I am certain I could never have been like Caroline. She's incredible.)

2. What are you reading right now?

• Stories of the Child Jesus from Many Lands by A. Fowler Lutz
• The Secret Life of Germs: What They Are, Why We Need Them, and How We Can Protect Ourselves Against Them by Philip M. Tierno, Jr., M.D.
• Celebrating Saints and Seasons by Jeanne Hunt (from The Catholic Company) 
• You Can Understand The Bible: A Practical And Illuminating Guide To Each Book In The Bible by Peter Kreeft
• The Ambassadors by Henry James

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
None, really, because Kansas Dad went to the library for me today. (I had requested  Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans from inter-library loan, but they can't get it for me.)

4. Bad book habit?
If it's a really good read, I have the tendency to ignore other things so I can continue reading. (This is Monica's answer, but mine is the same. Kansas Dad will sometimes have to repeat himself several times to get my attention. First Son is the same way, so I'm learning how my mother felt when I was a child.)

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Let's see:

• The Ambassadors by Henry James
• The Duggars: 20 and Counting!: Raising One of America's Largest Families--How they Do It by Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar
• some gardening books for Kansas Dad
• a bunch of Christmas books for our Advent reading
• some CDs of Christmas folk songs that include The Huron Carol
• The Ten Commandments (the movie; I'm considering showing it to the kids and wondering if I need to preview it first...it's rather long, you know.)

6. Do you have an e-reader?
No. But I want one, especially the Kindle because it reminds me of a Star Trek data padd. I have no use for one and probably prefer a real book to hold. I still want one.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once?
I'm going with several.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Yes, I think so, especially this year when I started writing book reports on all the books I read, not just the ones I officially review for the blog. Reviewing books and writing a few sentences about them help me to concentrate more as I'm reading and think about how I'd "narrate" the books for others. I pretty sure I'm a better reader because of the blog.

9. Least favorite book you read this year?
The Trial by Franz Kafka

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
This is a really hard question to answer, but I'm going to go with Parenting with Grace which I received from The Catholic Company for their reviewer program.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
A few times a year.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
I read a lot of different kinds of books, but real theology intimidates me (I'd rather just ask Kansas Dad). I try to limit my fiction because I get enthralled and ignore things like dishes and homeschool preparation.

13. Can you read on the bus?
Not really. Not at all in cars. I'm fine most of the time on planes and read extensively on the NYC subway when I had an hour's commute, one-way. (And you think I read a lot now!)

14. Favorite place to read?
Anywhere I can sit down. But I'll read standing up if I have to.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I don't lend often, but when I do I only lend books I can live without (or am willing to purchase again).

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
No. I use big pieces of paper as bookmarks and tear off little bits to mark pages I want to remember.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Sometimes, if it's an "educational" book I own. I use pencil, though.

18. Not even with text books?
I'm so glad to be done with textbooks! I always wrote notes, highlighted and underlined my textbooks.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English. I can only read Dora level books in Spanish anymore. They're not so enjoyable, though it does give the kids a kick to hear me read them.

20. What makes you love a book?
Interesting ideas, good plots, and amazing writing. (I love to read a good novel by Tolstoy and the like. I don't always understand them, but they give my heart a lift.)

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If it delights me (or the children) or is thought-provoking.

22. Favorite genre?
History of science, popular, history, homeschooling, science fiction.

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

24. Favorite biography?
I don't read a lot of biographies. My favorite memoir is Wait Till Next Year: A Memoir by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I also liked The Road from Coorain by Jill Ker Conway.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
Yes.The Anxiety Cure: An Eight-Step Program for Getting Well by Robert L. DuPont (and others). It changed my life and I highly recommend it.

26. Favorite cookbook?
Gee, let me think, what should I put here? King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking: Delicious Recipes Using Nutritious Whole Grains (King Arthur Flour Cookbooks)?

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or nonfiction)?
I read it last year, but A Mother's Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul is still at the top of my list.
 

28. Favorite reading snack?

tea

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
I can't think of one.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I never read what critics have to say. Should I?

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I usually don't review books I don't like. (I do have to review books from my review programs, but because I choose the books myself there's a good chance I'll like them.)

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?
Russian. I'd love to read Tolstoy.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology Of The Body by John Paul II

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
Ulysses by James Joyce. I'm never going to read it.

35. Favorite poets?
Emily Dickinson and John Keats

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
At least 50, usually something between 70 and 100. It's a family library card, though, so those aren't just my books.

37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?
once or twice a year

38. Favorite fictional character?
Thursday Next

39. Favorite fictional villain?
Scariest? Sauron from The Lord of the Rings.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Whatever I'm reading at the moment. I used to only take science fiction but now that we have kids, vacations are really just a typical day in a different place, usually my parent's house, so it doesn't seem to matter as much.

 
41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
How long do I sleep?

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
I think there are only two books I've started and not finished: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
A baby crying, but perhaps not easily enough.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
The Lord of the Rings trilogy

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
I can't think of any at the moment, but I know there are some adaptations that were so "adapted" they made me angry.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
I'm not sure, but it must be in the hundreds (back in my college days). Nowadays I order in small amounts, usually just over $25...

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Almost never.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Swearing. I have a hard time getting past it. Also, extreme boredom. And it has to be really boring to get me to stop reading.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
In theory, but the kids have a way of rearranging them.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I keep them, though I don't actually buy most of the books I read anymore. (I do, however, buy a lot of books for the kids.)

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?

Our history curriculum strongly suggests reading excerpts from Catechism of the Catholic Church for each of our units. We're almost done with unit 3 and I haven't even finished the excerpts from unit 1.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
Most recently, Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement by Kathryn Joyce.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry (Monica, I didn't like The Lovely Bones: A Novel, either.)

 

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading? 

Science fiction and fantasy like Harry Potter, though most of it isn't as good.