Both Emily at The Gnoming Librarian and Stephanie at Don’t Be Afraid of the Dork tagged me for the Book Blogger Test almost a month ago, but this is the first chance I’ve had to do anything about it. The Book Blogger Test is a series of questions you answer to help other bloggers get to know you. Then you tag a few other bloggers (four, maybe?) It sounds like fun, and I enjoyed Stephanie’s and Emily’s answers, so I thought I’d give it a try.
What are your top three book pet peeves?
At the moment? Unnecessary or contrived love triangles, terrible copyediting (including typos and continuity errors), and just plain bad writing.
Describe your perfect reading spot:
Curled up on the couch, or in bed. No, wait, those are where I actually read (along with anywhere else I can sit down with a book.) My perfect reading spot? Either a wide, comfortable chaise in a gorgeous and elegant private library (think British country mansion), or a wide, comfy porch swing in a gazebo, surrounded by trees and gardens and with a fountain or stream nearby (and not a single bug. Hey, this is fantasy, right?) Why wide and comfy? There has to be room for me and a cat, of course!
Tell us three book confessions:
- I sometimes read the back of the book before I actually get there.
- I don’t like books which end badly. I want happiness, or at least hope.
- I still read children’s books. Not just YA but MG and even picture books, if they’re really good.
When was the last time you cried during a book?
Um… let me check Goodreads. In early May, when I was re-reading Anne’s House of Dreams by L. M. Mongtomery. (I’ll avoid spoilers, but there are two events that always make me cry.) I might have teared up slightly over one or two since then, but that one had me weeping.
How many books are on your beside table?
Right now, just 2, not counting some that live there permanently. (My nightstand has a shelf as well as a drawer.) I’m currently reading Mercedes Lackey’s Blood Red (from the library), and An Uncivilized Yankee by V. V. Wedding. Two weeks ago, there were about 6 books on my nightstand, 4 of which I was in the middle of.
What is your favorite snack to eat while you’re reading?
Tea and scones. Or anything chocolate.
Name three books you would recommend to everyone:
There are so many amazing books! But here are three I’ve recommended a lot because they have really wide appeal:
- The Beekeeper’s Apprentice (Laurie R. King)
- The Harry Potter series (J. K. Rowling)
- All Creatures Great and Small (James Herriot)
Show us a picture of your favorite shelf on your bookcase:
This is only one of two identical bookcases in our living room that house my hardcover SFF collection. Lloyd Alexander through Madeleine L’Engle are on the matching bookcase; more L’Engle through Tolkien on this one. Some of the Robin McKinley’s are signed, as are a number of the Tamora Pierce books.
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| SFF shelf #2. Photo © K. Pekar |
Write how much books mean to you in three words:
Reading is life.
What is your biggest reading secret?
Besides that I sometimes read the ending first? Because I already confessed that. (grin)
I guess my biggest reading secret is that I’m not sure I could live without books — and I mean that literally. I get cranky and out of sorts if I don’t read every day. I’d rather steal half an hour from sleep than go without reading at least a few pages. And I re-read books a lot when I’m feeling stressed or sad. Slipping into a familiar story is like pulling the covers over my head; it makes the bad stuff go away for a little while. After my family, books are probably the most important things in my life.
TAG, You’re It!
I’m tagging the following wonderful bloggers. You don’t have to participate, but if you would like to, just cut and paste the questions from this post and put in your own answers. And have fun!
Elisa Bergslien
Wow! Thanks for tagging me. This is exciting. My very first tag 🙂
I am also sooooo jealous of your bookshelf. It is so neat and you can see all the titles. Our bookshelves look like they have all suffered their own personal earthquakes – two layers or more deep and books in all orientations. Nothing is being damaged, but I sometimes have to do serious excavations if I want to find something.
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Well, if it makes you feel better, not all my bookshelves look that good! Some of them match yours rather closely – but I’m a little pickier about these, since they’re in the living room and they’ve got a fair number of first or signed editions scattered through them.
Katherine P
I’m pretty sure we’re related. Yes on pretty much all of these. I actually prefer MG to YA but that could be because I have teenagers and I can’t shut off the parent voice when I read what some teenager is doing. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice is so good and it’s been years since I read All Creatures Great and Small but it’s another good one. I can guess which scenes you’re talking about in House of Dreams. There are a few that get me with that one. Have you read Rilla? I cried buckets this last read through even though it’d never really gotten me before.
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
I think you’re right – in spirit if not by DNA! And yes, I love Rilla of Ingleside, but I don’t read it as often because of Walter. There are more than a few tear-worthy scenes; it always gets to me.
Becki @ The Flutterby Room
It was really fun reading your answers to the test 🙂
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Glad you enjoyed it!
Stephanie Shepherd
OH I love your fantasy reading spots – Can I go there too as long as I promise to be quiet? I totally agree with your books for everyone as well. Thanks for doing this! It’s great to hear a little more about your bookish life!
Tabitha (Not Yet Read)
That is a damn lovely shelf! Hey I read the back sometimes too LOL
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Oh, I’m glad I’m not the only one!
kimbacaffeinate
You sometimes read the end of the book first? *passes out* I always have one book and one audio on my nightstand that I am listening to/reading. Then I have a end table in the family room with physical arc that need to be read in August/September. LOL
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
I knew you’d be horrified, Kimba! 😉 But it’s my concession to my anxiety. There are books I really shouldn’t read because they’ll trigger my anxiety, and books I can read as long as I know that things will turn out OK. (And books that are no problem at all, of course.) There are plenty of authors I trust well enough not to check the back for how it comes out, but it’s almost a given if I don’t know the author and the book has the potential to be really problematic for me.
I’m working on clearing enough space on my study bookshelves for physical ARCs and books I have for giveaways. Most of my ARCs are ebooks, though, so it’s not as much of a problem. And I have 2 bookcases full of books I’d like to read, down in the basement.
Rita_h
I enjoyed reading this about you. Very informative and fun. We have a lot in common, except I don’t have many print books left –I donated them to my church sale or my local thrift shop when we moved..but before that, my shelves were a disaster of knick-knacks and double stacked book titles of all sizes.
I must read more fantasy; I am, after all, a weirdly eclectic reader. I have never read The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, so that is going on my wishlist to pick up. Maybe my library will have it. And if you find that British gazebo, please make room for me, my books, my tea and my cats 🙂
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Oh, I can’t wait to see how you like The Beekeeper’s Apprentice! And if I can find either the library or the gazebo, I will certainly invite you to tea!
As for print books, it must have been a wrench to give them up! If we moved, I would have to prune mine really heavily and all at once, and I know it would be traumatic. We’re not planning to move (though you never know what might happen), but I’m trying to prune a shelf at a time anyway, because the books have really gotten a bit out of hand.
Anna (herding cats-burning soup)
So fun to see what everyone puts. I did this one a couple months ago and had a blast with it. SOO with you on copy editing. That drives me bonkers. And same here on getting cranky if I don’t get at least a little bit of reading time in every day. Much longer than that and whew boy and get snippy! lol