Booking Through Thursday: Influences

Wow! I haven't done a Booking Through Thursday question in forever! But today, I'm fresh out of blogging ideas and I don't seem to be finishing any books to tell you about, so I thought, why not go back to my blogging beginning and try a question! Ah, the memories!

Here's today's question:

Do other people influence what you choose to read? When a family member recommends something, or a friend says they hated a book you were planning to read … does it affect your reading choices?


I find that I'm influenced on the positive, but not necessarily the negative side of things. Meaning, if people (friends, you guys, sometimes family) say they loved something, I'm anxious to add that to the pile and read it. BUT, if the same people say they hated it, I tend to still want to read it (especially if I already had plans to do so) to find out for myself if I do or don't like it.

I was wanting to say that I hope I'm the one doing the influencing these days, but then, I remembered how often I see the buzz about certain books on the blogosphere and how then I think I HAVE to read it! Sometimes this is very true, but sometimes I'll wait until the buzz dies down and then I'll try it out a little later.

Is it the same for you all? Or do you find you are not influenced at all? Or that you respond to it differently?

BTT: Periodically

It's been awhile, so I thought I'd do a Booking Through Thursday question today, in which we are asked:

What magazines or journals do you read?

What magazines do YOU read?

BTT: Film to Paper

Booking through Thursday asks this question today:


Even though it’s usually a mistake (grin) … do movies made out of books make you want to read the original?

Yes, of course! Always! And sometimes I even do, go read the original I mean. BUT, that being said, I still think it's better to read the book first.

Speaking of which, have you read the book Flipped? This was a book I loved pre-blog and now it's being made into a movie! You've GOT to watch this trailer and tell me, does this not look like the cutest movie ever? That's because it's the cutest book, and if you haven't read it yet. Really. You've got to get to it quick! Then again, maybe you'll see the movie and then want to read the book.....

BTT: Reading Questions Meme

Booking Through Thursday is a meme today! Just what I needed because I'm so blog drained right now. Anyway, here it is:


I got this from Lorette‘s blog and couldn’t resist adopting it for all of you.

1. Favorite childhood book?
Mandy by Julie Edwards (Andrews)

2. What are you reading right now?
Children of God by Mary Doria Russell   and   The Eternal Ones by

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Nothing at the moment, they all came up and have been read or returned!

4. Bad book habit?
Maybe a little rough on the books?

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Children of God
Son of the Shadows
Body for Life

6. Do you have an e-reader?
No

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
several at once


8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
drastically!


9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel


10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Gosh, there's so many favorites. Maybe Coop by Michael Perry


11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
now and then, not really often


12. What is your reading comfort zone?
literary fiction, YA


13. Can you read on the bus?
probably


14. Favorite place to read?
couch or bed


15. What is your policy on book lending?
in moderation!


16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
Nope!


17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Nope!


18.  Not even with text books?
Maybe, probably, I think so.


19. What is your favorite language to read in?
That would be English


20. What makes you love a book?
amazing characters, and awesome writing


21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
amazing characters and awesome writing


22. Favorite genre?
literary fiction, YA, fantasy


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


24. Favorite biography?
John Adams


25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
reading Body for Life right now


26. Favorite cookbook?
Family cookbook compilations


27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
I don't know on this one


28. Favorite reading snack?
M and M's


29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
Maybe most recently with Shiver... didn't really ruin, but it wasn't as good to me as everyone was saying


30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
Not often


31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I don't like to, but I will if passionate enough


32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
French ( I could in college) or Spanish


33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
I've read half of War and Peace :)  I don't know. What intimidating?


34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
can't think of one at the moment


35. Favorite Poet?
Robert Frost


36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Usually around five or so


37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
LOTS and LOTS of times


38. Favorite fictional character?
Eugenides, from The Queen's Thief series, at the moment, but there's so so many


39. Favorite fictional villain?
Heathcliff


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


41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
not long at all, a day or two maybe


42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
The Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver


43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
big people crowds, conversations around me


44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
Pride and Prejudice, Lord of the Rings


45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
Eragon


46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
Probably around $100


47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Not often at all. Not a fan of spoiling


48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
blatant crudeness and lewdness and nothing is happening


49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
yes


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


51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

52. Name a book that made you angry.
The Nanny Diaries


53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert


54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
I'm sure there's one buy it's not coming to mind!


55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
ALL reading! :)

BTT: Evolution

Today's Booking Through Thursday question:


Have your reading choices changed over the years? Or pretty much stayed the same? (And yes, from childhood to adulthood we usually read different things, but some people stick to basically the same kind of book their entire lives, so…)




I haven't done a BTT question in forever, so how about I try it today?

Well, hopefully my reading choices HAVE changed over the years. It would be sad if I ended up just reading the same old same old year in and year out. Don't you think? So how has it changed?

First of all, I used to read WAY more classics. I feel bad that my classic book consumption has been sliding drastically in recent years. So obviously, it's not that I don't want to read them. It's just that they don't seem to be getting the highest priority.

Instead, I seem to be reading much more YA than in years past. I think it's obvious why, because there used to not be this huge overwhelming amount of amazing YA books as there are now. Yes, that genre has changed, and  I've been there to participate.

Years ago, I remember really being into the romantic suspense/mystery novels (like Phyllis Whitney books, etc.) and now nothing I read really fits that category. I was always into fantasy, but lately that seems to have escalated. I used to read way more historical fiction than I do now, and frankly, I miss those.

It makes me wonder what the trend will be ten years from now and how everything will change again. I look forward to the ride!

How has your reading changed over the years?

Booking Through Thursday: Earth Day

Hey, I think I'll answer a BTT question today. Sort of. I have a feeling I'm going to twist it around a bit, but here goes.

The question today is:

 It's Earth Day... what are you reading? Are your reading habits changing for the sake of the environment? What are you doing for the sake of the planet?

So first of all, I'm reading Perfect Chemistry. Whoa! Hot stuff. Not liking all the language though, but hey, it gives it an authentic feel. So, there's nothing about the environment going on there. And I can guarantee you my reading habits will not change for the sake of the environment. Not sure what the question means actually. That I give up paper books and start with the e-reader thing? Yeah, not going to happen. At least not for a long time. I mean, I'll probably end up with one of those things eventually, but it won't take over my "real" book habit. I think that's going to be a hard one to break, and not just for me, but for lots of people.

Or does it mean I'll be reading books about the environment? Yeah, not going to happen either. There might be some interesting books out there about that, but please, keep it out of my fiction! For some reason, this is one of my pet peeves, where fiction books get all preachy about the environment. I barely made it through the book Hoot and I love owls and everything.) And I tried to read Flush, but gave up quickly because it felt like it was going to be the same sort of thing.

Then there was that Maximum Ride book that totally went on a weird turn. Remember that one? Ugh, it made it feel like that series came to a screeching halt. The next book was much better. Now I'm reading the sixth book of that series (yeah Fang became my treadmill book of the week. Did I ever tell you how much I love Fang?) and it remains to be seen if it gets preachy on me again.

Anyway, this is all not to say I'm not for helping the Earth and keeping things beautiful. Just don't get preachy about it in my books! :)

As for what I'm doing for the planet's sake? Well, I'll continue not littering (that includes INSIDE as well as out, which is a whole other subject I could rant on someday if you'd like! movie theaters anyone?)  and continue recycling. And continue planting a garden. And I'm even pondering the idea of riding a bike to work in the summer. Wow! A massive move that would be for me!

Booking Through Thursday: Why You Read

Booking Through Thursday's question suggested by Janet:

I’ve seen this quotation in several places lately. It’s from Sven Birkerts’ ‘The Gutenberg Elegies: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age’:

“To read, when one does so of one’s own free will, is to make a volitional statement, to cast a vote; it is to posit an elsewhere and set off toward it. And like any traveling, reading is at once a movement and a comment of sorts about the place one has left. To open a book voluntarily is at some level to remark the insufficiency either of one’s life or one’s orientation toward it.”

To what extent does this describe you?

If I'm understanding this quote right, it is saying that people read because they don't like their own life. Right? Well, I think we pretty much ALL say that part of the fun of reading is to escape. But does that necessarily mean we don't like our lives? I don't think so. So I'm not liking this quote so much. When I open a book, it isn't to say "life sucks!" (Some days, maybe, but most days, not.)

It IS to say, I enjoy stories. I enjoy words. I enjoy learning about different countries, cultures, and settings. I enjoy character relationships. I enjoy the amazing ability authors have to create new worlds and new situations. I enjoy talking and discussing book reactions with others. I enjoy bonding with books and their stories and their characters.

So to answer the question, this quote may describe me on those bad days when I truly want to run away from life, but for the most part, it misses the mark on why I REALLY read.

Booking Through Thursday: Encouragement

This weeks Booking Through Thursday question was suggested by Barbara H and she asks:

How can you encourage a non-reading child to read? What about a teen-ager? Would you require books to be read in the hopes that they would enjoy them once they got into them, or offer incentives, or just suggest interesting books? If you do offer incentives and suggestions and that doesn’t work, would you then require a certain amount of reading? At what point do you just accept that your child is a non-reader?

In the book Gifted Hands by brilliant surgeon Ben Carson, one of the things that turned his life around was his mother’s requirement that he and his brother read books and write book reports for her. That approach worked with him, but I have been afraid to try it. My children don’t need to “turn their lives around,” but they would gain so much from reading and I think they would enjoy it so much if they would just stop telling themselves, “I just don’t like to read.”

Some ideas I have for getting kids to read:

• Read to them... even if they are teenagers.


• Read with them... have a book club of sorts with your own kids, read a couple of chapters each on your own, then have discussions about what you've just read.


• If they like to write, start a book journal with them. It's like writing letters back and forth to each other but write about what you are reading, all in a notebook that you pass between the two of you.


• If they don't like a book, don't make them read it... keep trying with different books until you hit upon one that works.


• If you do find one that works, let them read it over and over.... and/or read the whole series over and over.... even if YOU think that sounds boring and pointless.


• have a set time of day that is reading time... this works for younger kids


• make sure they see you reading.


• involve them in the next readathon!


• have them read books where they are familiar with it because of the movie. Or read the book then watch the movie. Or watch the movie then read the book.

How's that for a start? What do you think? Has anyone tried these things and they worked?

Booking Through Thursday: Twisty

Jackie says, “I love books with complicated plots and unexpected endings. What is your favourite book with a fantastic twist at the end?”

So, today’s Booking Through Thursday's question is in two parts.

1. Do YOU like books with complicated plots and unexpected endings?

2. What book with a surprise ending is your favorite? Or your least favorite?

Yes, for sure! I LOVE books with complicated plots and unexpected endings. Some of my favorites are:

-- Life of Pi by Yann Martell: the ending is one of the best ever.

-- The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield: loved both plot and ending

-- Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card: a completely jaw-dropping ending, I'll never forget the first time reading this one!

-- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck: while the ending isn't really a twist, it sure is memorable

-- When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead: the recent Newbery Award winner has quite an unexpected end too.

-- Bel Canto by Ann Patchett: did you expect this ending?

What would be on YOUR list?

Sing Me To Sleep Trailer and Giveaway

Finally! It's time to start promoting this book! I read Sing Me To Sleep a few months back but decided to wait until closer to it's release date to post a review. Look for that coming up very soon.

But today, in conjunction with the Booking Through Thursday question which asks: Who's your favorite author that other people are NOT reading? I decided it was time to start letting you know about my favorite author that you probably aren't reading,yet anyway, and that is Angela Morrison.

Last year, I told you about her first book, Taken By Storm, which I absolutely loved. This year, her second novel called Sing Me To Sleep, which is just as good if not better, comes out in March. As part of that release, Angela is going on a blog tour and will be visiting my blog on February 2 with a guest post. Also as part of her tour she is giving away a copy of this amazing book.

So I would like to open this contest up right now today, here on my blog, and invite you to first, watch this book trailer for Sing Me To Sleep, and then answer this question: What particular song or sort of music completely inspires you, makes your heart soar, and just totally brings a smile to your face?

This book is, in part, about a very famous choir in Canada called the Amabile Young Men's Choir. In this trailer, you can hear them singing toward the end. The song is called Beth's Song, after the main character in the book. Seriously, watch to the end so you don't miss it. Isn't it beautiful!?

So, if you'd like to win a copy of this book, comment with your answer. Double entries if you post the trailer on your blog (let me know if you do.) Please remember to leave an email address also. The contest will be open until February 14, at which time I'll pick a random number, email Angela the winner's address and she will mail you a book in March when it's released. Sorry to my international friends, but she can only open the contest to my US readers.

Booking Through Thursday: Flapper? Or Not?

Booking Through Thursday's question as suggested by Prairie Progressive asks:

Do you read the inside flaps that describe a book before or while reading it?

It's been awhile since I've participated in this weekly meme, but I thought I could handle this one. Mainly, I do NOT read the flap because there's usually spoilers!! Nothing could be worse than to be reading the book description and have it all spelled out for you. I hate that. However, I will usually read the author info on the back flap. And sometimes I do read the front flap maybe halfway through the book, just to see if what has been described matches at all what I'm reading, to see if I agree with it I guess. But still, I'm wary of spoilers even then.

You'd think flap writers would get it, right? The spoiler fear.

How about you? Are you a flapper, or not?

Booking Through Thursday: Posterity

Booking Through Thursday's question suggested by Barbara asks:

Do you think any current author is of the same caliber as Dickens, Austen, Bronte, or any of the classic authors? If so, who, and why do you think so? If not, why not? What books from this era might be read 100 years from now?

Definitely I think that there are current authors the same caliber as our favorite classics authors. I'm just not sure who they are yet! :)

Maybe Margaret Atwood? Toni Morrison? Robin McKinley? Perhaps Isabel Allende?

One hundred years from now I think we'll still be reading the Harry Potter series. And I bet The Book Thief will still be around. All of Stephen King's books will still be popular. I think The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series will turn into a major kid's classic. I also think we'll still be reading The Kite Runner, and A Fine Balance.

Gosh, I don't know! This is harder than it first appears. What are YOUR picks for future classic books and authors?

Booking Through Thursday: Too Short?

Booking Through Thursday asks (as suggested by JM):

“Life is too short to read bad books.” I’d always heard that, but I still read books through until the end no matter how bad they were because I had this sense of obligation.

That is, until this week when I tried (really tried) to read a book that is utterly boring and unrealistic. I had to stop reading.

Do you read everything all the way through or do you feel life really is too short to read bad books?

I sort of fall in the middle on this issue. Yes, it bugs me to not finish a book, yet, I can and do give up now and then. However, often when I give up, I don't really think that I'm giving up, I just think I'm giving it a rest, and plan to come back and finish sometime.

Books I plan to finish sometime:

War and Peace

The Idiot

The Wings of a Dove

Peter Pan

American Gods

Sabriel

Drood

1776

... this list is actually quite big and I could go on and on...

Books I gave up on and will not come back to:

The Prodigal Summer

Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All

Scarlet

.... and I know there's more, but these two are all I can think of for now!

So anyway, it's really a rare thing for me, but I will do it, because yes, life is too short!

Booking Through Thursday: Biography vs. Autobiography vs. Memoir

Booking Through Thursday asks: Which do you prefer? Biographies written about someone? Or Autobiographies written by the actual person (and/or ghost-writer)?

I think when it's written by the actual person, of course it's going to be better. That being said, I do love biographies too. In fact, I even thought about making a Suey's Top Ten list of favorite biographies and/or autobiographies, but as I was thinking about what I'd put on that list, I started wondering if what I was coming up with were actually memoirs.

So, I got confused, and now am asking a question back to YOU, my readers, what is the difference between an autobiography and a memoir? Is a memoir only a small part of a person's life? And an autobiography their whole life? So is Angela's Ashes a memoir? A Girl Named Zippy? Or are they autobiographies? And they're not, I'm now wondering if I've even read any actual autobiographies!

I know you'll know, and am looking forward to your answers!

Booking Through Thursday: Blurb

Booking Through Thursday question suggested by Jennysbooks: Something I’ve been thinking about lately: “What words/phrases in a blurb make a book irresistible? What words/phrases will make you put the book back down immediately?”

"Sensual" I like, "erotic" I don't.

"Dark and brooding" I like, "horrific and evil" I don't.

"Conflicted" I like, "controversial" I don't.

"Fluffy" I like, "political" I don't.

"Funny" I like, "irreverent" I don't.

"Suspenseful" I like, "thriller" I don't.

"Couldn't put it down" always catches my eye. Other words I like "unique," "intriguing," "must read," .... I don't know. There's a lot of good blurb words, and not very many bad ones, really.

What I absolutely can't stand is when a blurb gives away the plot/story. So, I rarely read the whole big blurb on book backs. They scare me. For instance, why why why do they give away Edward's identity on the back of Twilight? So crazy, because part of the fun of the book is Bella figuring that out, and if you read the book knowing nothing, then you get to be a part of that! But if you read the back, then bam, there you go. You know it all already.

It's also cool when very famous authors blurb books because for some reason, we tend to believe them. Very credible blurbers I guess.

I think blurbing would be a fun job though. Good word practice!

Booking Through Thursday: One Question

Booking Through Thursday's Question: If you could ask your favorite author (alive or dead) one question … who would you ask, and what would the question be?

It should be fairly obvious for readers of this blog to know what my question would be. I decided awhile back that my question of choice for authors is: What five books are most important or influential to you? And then I decided to make it a regular-ish feature and call it Authors Pick Five!

Boring though the question may be, the answers, to me, are quite interesting.

So who would I ask if I could? Hmmm.... let me think..... oh yeah, that Markus Zusak author!! :) Do you think he has an email contact on his site? Nope. Would I be brave enough to send him my question if he did? Probably not. Or maybe I'd have to take about six months to talk myself into it. Yes, I'm that pathetic.

I'd love to ask John Green this question too (and I think I even already know what one or two of his answers would be) and he even has an email that he advertises, and you know what? He might even answer! Be brave, be brave!

Dead authors I'd love to ask: Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens... just to name a few.

Booking Through Thursday: Recent Sad

Booking Through Thursday: What’s the saddest book you’ve read recently?
(Is any body getting bored with this series of “recent” questions? Because I’m having fun!)

Looking back to last month:

Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow

The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing Vol. 1 by M. T. Anderson

This month:

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Sing Me To Sleep by Angela Morrison

All these deal with some very sad issues. But most of them are able to leave you feeling inspired anyway. This has made me realize though, that most of the books I read and like are sad in sort of way. Interesting.

Booking Through Thursday: Recent Enjoyable

Booking Through Thursday

What’s the most enjoyable, most fun, most just-darn-entertaining book you’ve read recently?

Um... all of them! :)

I just finished a marathon read of Max by James Patterson. It's the fifth book of the fun Maximum Ride series. I totally enjoyed it. Much much better than the fourth book in the series which was too much in-your-face environmentally preachy. This one, just a little bit, but not over the top. I enjoyed the Max/Fang tension. Very fun. Review to come later.

Reminder: tomorrow is the last day to enter my Taken by Storm giveaway.

Booking Through Thursday: Recent Big

Booking Through Thursday

What’s the biggest book you’ve read recently?
(Feel free to think “big” as size, or as popularity, or in any other way you care to interpret.)

Well... big popularity-wise has to Catching Fire, which I finished yesterday! Wow, what a ride that was! And now the wait begins again. Oh, the torture. Anyway, my take on that book to come in a bit after more people get a chance to read it first, since spoilers are a HUGE concern for pretty much everyone regarding this book.

As far as size-wise.... I'd have to say The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson that I read at the beginning of last month would fit the bill. It's well over 700 pages, though it doesn't seem that big. Then there was Edgar Sawtelle the month before that, which is quite hefty too. I like big books though, even if they do seem to scare me a bit these days.

What big books have you read recently?

Booking Through Thursday: Recent Fluff

Booking Through Thursday

What’s the lightest, most “fluff” kind of book you’ve read recently?

You know, I haven't read a fluffy book for quite awhile, and usually my summer is filled with fluff! What's up with that?

So looking back on my list the last thing I think I could consider fluff would be Wings by Aprilynne Pike. Loved that book though. I need more fluff I think.