Booking Through Thursday - Gluttony

This week’s Booking Through Thursday question is:

Book Gluttony! Are your eyes bigger than your book belly? Do you have a habit of buying up books far quicker than you could possibly read them? Have you had to curb your book buying habits until you can catch up with yourself? Or are you a controlled buyer, only purchasing books when you have run out of things to read?

My eyes are definitely bigger than my book belly! Back in my single, pre-child days, I could read whenever the mood struck me, which I'll say was quite often. But now, I can barely squeeze in time while riding the bus to and from work.

My husband, son and I love to browse through books and spend a good portion of whatever free time we have at a bookstore or library. In fact, when our initial plans fell through, my husband and I celebrated our anniversary hopping bookstores!

I buy books much faster than I can read them but I'm happy knowing I have a good selection waiting for me when I do have a few moments to spare. My husband has a bit more free time so he will actually get something read before our next bookstore run.

The beautiful covers, enticing blurbs, intoxicating scent of paper...ahhh... can you blame me for wanting more, more, more?

Click here to find out how other participants answered this question.

Booking Through Thursday - Juggling Act

At Booking Through Thursday today:

"Some people read one book at a time. Some people have a number of them on the go at any given time, perhaps a reading in bed book, a breakfast table book, a bathroom book, and so on, which leads me to…"

1. Are you currently reading more than one book?

Yes

2. If so, how many books are you currently reading?

Three: Poltergeist by Kat Richardson, The Sound of Paper by Julia Cameron, and Creative Journal Writing by Stephanie Dowrick.

3. Is this normal for you?

I used to read one book at a time but since I've started reading books on writing and poetry, I now usually read a writing book, poetry collection, and some type of fiction at the same time. Now I just need more time for reading!

4. Where do you keep your current reads?

I usually keep two books in my totebag: the fiction and either the writing or poetry book. That way I'm prepared for whatever mood I'm in during the commute to work. The other book stays at home in my bedroom or on the dining room table.

To find out how other participants answered these questions, click here for Booking Through Thursday.

BTT: Best "Worst" Book

This week's BTT question was suggested by Janet:


The opposite of last week’s question: “What’s the best ‘worst’ book you’ve ever read — the one you like despite some negative reviews or features?”

Okay, I'm going WAY OUT on a limb here people. I can't think of any books I've read that have had really negative reviews....so....I'm going to go WAY back to when I was, oh, 11 or so and I discovered a book in our downstairs bookshelf. No one ever looked at those books, or so I thought... hmm....

Anyway, I found this book and thought, "Wow, the cover looks very mod and cool. Maybe I should take a look inside." Lord, Have Mercy! That book brought a whole new world into existence. So much so that I had to share it with my girlfriend who lived next door.

What is this book I speak of? What could be that intriguing? Why would I name it as a best "worst" book?

I'm saying it was the best "worst" book I've ever read (actually, only a few sections!) because while it was titilating to say the least, it gave me one particular feeling I never wanted to feel again. That icky, squeeze-my-eyes-tightly-shut-hands-over-ears-la-la-la disgusting feeling. A lesson was learned that day.

What the heck book is it already?

Up, The Hard Way.

I don't know who the author is and I can't find it on Amazon or other bookstore sites. I'm sure it's online somewhere.

I think it was supposed to be a 70's look at the swinging lifestyle. I never read it all the way through, as I mentioned above. In fact, I could have the story all wrong. I do know that I remembered the experience and how my friend and I read a few sections, on a few different occasions, then stuffed it back in the bookshelf never to be looked at again (by my eyes anyway).

Before you go thinking I'm a prude, remember, I was only 11ish at the time. A book like that would undoubtedly not have that exact same effect today.

Forewarned is forearmed, I say. I think.

Booking Through Thursday: Storage

Taken from the BTT site:

This week’s question is suggested by Kat:

I recently got new bookshelves for my room, and I’m just loving them. Spent the afternoon putting up my books and sharing it on my blog . One of my friends asked a question and I thought it would be a great BTT question. So from Tina & myself, we’d like to know:

“How do you arrange your books on your shelves? Is it by author, by genre, or you just put it where it falls on?”

I tend to group mine by genre, keeping all series together. I have so many books and my shelves are deep so I'll put older books that I've already read in the back with new books in front of them. I try to put heavier books near the bottom because I have a phobia that the kittens will be in freak-out mode and knock the shelves over on top of them. Yeah, I know, it's a stretch, but, hey, it could happen!

Since I have bookshelves in the bedroom and the living room, I tend to keep the romance and erotic romance novels in the bedroom (makes sense) and the general fiction, how-to's, gardening, animal, arts and writing books in the living room. We really need a separate room just for books. My husband is a collector as well. His large collection of excellent comic books are stored in long cardboard boxes down in the mancave.

My TBR books are kept on the top two shelves of one of the bedroom bookshelves. I've severely cut back on new purchases until I can whittle away at the TBRs.

I'm not sure if I should admit it or not but I am a magazine junkie. Have been for many years. These you will find on the bottom of several bookshelves, in a stack on my desk, another on my desk chair, and several others in bags and boxes in my closet. It's bad, I know. Not so bad that you'll see me on the evening news when an intervention unit is busting into my house because the neighbors tipped them off to a "magazine hoarder", but it could easily slip into that if I didn't occasionally weed through them and throw a few out. Since I've developed an interest in collage, I'm hoping to rid myself of several by tearing out the picture and article gems and throwing the rest out. May the Force be with me.

Want to know how others arrange their books? Go to Booking Through Thursday.

Booking Through Thursday

There have been a lot of firsts on my blogs this week and I've got another one today. Booking Through Thursday is a meme about what else.....books! A question is asked each Thursday and participants then answer it on their blog or in the comment section of the host site. Here is today's question?

Since “Inspiration” is (or should be) the theme this week … what is your reading inspired by?

First off, my mood plays a huge part in what I decide to read. Quite often I'll want something lighthearted since there is enough to deal with in real life. Who needs more conflict?! Other times I'll long for something meatier; something that will require me to stretch my thoughts, question my beliefs or expose my heart. A good cry is quite cleansing, don't you think?

The author's voice and talent are what will determine whether or not I continue reading past the first few pages of any book. I can't tell you how many books I've started over the last few months only to place them back on my TBR shelves because I just couldn't muster up enough interest in the plot or characters. If I don't care about the characters, what's the point? Truly, I can forgive a semi-weak plot or some inconsistencies if I feel like I could live inside the main character or just want to know what happens to them.

As shallow as it may sound, an excellent book cover and back cover blurb may be what draws me in. I'm amazed at the beautiful art work and design being used for them these days. I guess those marketing folk know what they're doing, right?

Any number of things will inspire me to pick up a book, and how happy am I that someone was inspired to write them?!