1. Favorite childhood book?
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

2. What are you reading right now?
A couple of books… The one getting the most focus right now is The Ten Commandments of Losing Weight by Arlene Normand (I know what you’re thinking, but it’s a decent read.)

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Nothing at the moment

4. Bad book habit?
Hanging onto books I don’t like. Why keep them? I’m trying to ‘polish’ down my collection to only books I adore.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Four books: The one I mentioned I’m reading now, The Beck Diet for Life (hoping to pick up a few good tips), The Art of Raw Living Food by Doreen Virtue and Body Intelligence by Dr. Edward Abramson. (Can you tell I have a theme?)

6. Do you have an e-reader?
No. I wouldn’t mind one, but someone would have to buy it for me.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I would normally answer one at a time, but experience teaches me that I usually have more than one on the go.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
I’m a bit more organized with reading and actually take the time to do it rather than letting the time find me (which it rarely does).

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
Hm. Probably Italian for Beginners by Kristin Harmel. You can read the review for my nitpicks.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
If I can go by the past year rather than ‘in 2010′ I’ll go with The Cult of the Amateur: How Today’s Internet is Killing Our Culture and Assaulting Our Economy By Andrew Keen. I found it just plain fascinating.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Regularly. It comes with the territory when you review for people.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
When I was younger – epic fantasy and historical romance. Now… anything with the romance element.

13. Can you read on the bus?
Yes, but I prefer not to. Public transport is my time for cooking up my own stories.

14. Favorite place to read?
In my recliner.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I don’t have a policy, but I’ll only do it with people I really trust – in general and trust to take care of my books.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
No. Do it enough and the corner will come off.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
No. I tried once as an experiment, but I prefer taking notes on a note card that doubles as a bookmark.

18.  Not even with text books?
Nope.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English. I’m not proficient enough in any other language to read books in those languages.

20. What makes you love a book?
Characters and romance, mostly. A place can really take me, too, but that has only happened on a couple occasions (Red Dust by Fleur McDonald…)

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
I love plenty of books, but I don’t often do a lot of recommending. When I do, it’s because a book make me think and/or changed my views on something. For example, the Ender series by Orson Scott Card.

22. Favorite genre?
These days, I really don’t know. I read so much of this and that.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Steampunk and urban fantasy. I’ve heard a heap about both but read little to nothing in those genres.

Favorite biography?
Another tough one. Stephen King’s On Writing pops into mind, though that was only part biography.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
Certainly. I don’t think there is anything wrong with it.

26. Favorite cookbook?
Margaret Fulton’s Encyclopedia of Cookery.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Inspirational… I haven’t finished it, but The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance really got me thinking not far into the book.

28. Favorite reading snack?
Strawberries.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
I don’t really have one. I tend to avoid over-hyped books.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
A lot, but only because there are now so many critics out there. You’ll always end up agreeing with someone if everyone is giving an opinion.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
It’s a necessity of life. You can’t like every book you read. So long as you can fairly and even-handedly express why you don’t like a book, you’ll be fine. Or, you should be, in an ideal world where authors realized that bad reviews are an opportunity to make their future work better rather than taking a bad review of their book as a personal insult.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
Assuming that if I can read it, I can speak it as well, Japanese. I love anime and graphic novels, but I’m at a complete loss with the symbols. On the other hand, Egyptian would be brilliant.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Probably The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson simply because it is one of the few hyped books I’ve read (because it came so highly recommended from a friend) and because the book is bloody massive.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
I can’t think of anything I’m too nervous to read at the moment.

35. Favorite Poet?
My husband.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Usually two to four.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
Never unread. On a few occasions, unfinished.

38. Favorite fictional character?
Polgara the Sorceress from a book by the same name by David and Leigh Eddings.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
No my favourite so much as the one that always sticks in my head when villians are mentioned: Starlaughter Sunsoar from Sara Douglass’ The Wayfarer Redemption. Nutty as they come and literally tears people apart.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Usually none, as hotel rooms are my muse, but if any… Something light and fluffy or non-fiction (being in a good, relaxed mood makes learning much easier).

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
Probably a year, if we’re not counting the newspaper. I think I was a little burned out after uni, moving to Australia, starting up a new life, etc.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Memoirs about child abuse or books that involve detailed child abuse. I usually manage to avoid them all, but sometimes it pops up here and there. I can’t name a specific book right at the moment, though.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Everything else on my to-do list.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
Howl’s Moving Castle, which is strange because they changed so much of it.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
I know there are plenty to choose from, but nothing comes to mind at the moment.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
$100. I bought my husband the collector’s edition of Footrot Flatts.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Never. My habit is synopsis, first few pages.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
A topic I couldn’t handle reading or just plain didn’t want to read, a story going nowhere, something totally unfitting of the book and/or completely stupid happening…

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
I would like to…

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I’ll keep them if I like them and can’t bear to part with them. Otherwise, they go on Bookcrossing.com or on my giveaway shelf.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Anything overly hyped. Still avoiding all the Twilight books.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
I don’t want to name it because of the reason behind my anger, but there was a book published by the head of a small publishing company that was so badly formatted that is pissed me off to no end. Different fonts, paragraphs running together… And this wasn’t some goof trying to self-publish – it was from a company. Ack. It made me so angry to see such utter disregard for book form and for the readers.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
The Millennium Trilogy by Steig Larsson.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
I expected to like Queen Victoria: Demon Slayer more than I did.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Any book that I learn from.

If you watch them, have they ever influenced your purchases whatsoever?

Do you think book trailers are useful?

(Okay, so more than ‘a’ question…)

That’s how I put it, anyway…

Anywho, it’s a murder mystery novel with a sense of humor that features a writer. Sounds pretty good. And it is pretty good. But in the end, when everything was wrapping up… I felt lost, and I didn’t find my way back in.

Have you ever read a book that you loved… right up until the end?

Please forgive the late post. My husband was struck down by the flu last Tuesday (and is still sick) and he passed it onto me a couple days ago, so I’ve mostly been sleeping. Anyway, we’ve finally managed to do the draw for the contest, so here are our winners:

1st prize: Cheryl!
2nd prize: Amanda!
3rd prize: Chick Lit Author!

Thank you to everyone who entered. I love holding contests, so hopefully I’ll be able to do so again soon. Stop back this Wednesday for my weekly book giveaway game.

And more…

Details coming soon.

I’m back from Tasmania and had a lovely time. I could happily live there. Both Hobart and Launceston are good size towns, but they still have a ‘country town’ feel about them. It’s hard to describe and probably not something I could have described until I’d been in big city Melbourne for a while.

Unfortunately, things came up too fast and I wasn’t able to bring any books to drop off at Hobart like I wanted. (I didn’t get any books registered in time.) But, I did manage to find The Drifters Internet Cafe (awesome chai – yum) and pick up a book to bring back with me. I figured at least something should get a little travel in.

I’m a bit of a shy person when it comes to being social, so I don’t have a lot of friends. However, I am very happy to say that I will be going to my first ever BookCrossing meet up on the 17th. Woohoo! What better way for a shy person to make friends than to meet up with people who you already have something in common with – a love of books!

I’m nervous and excited all at the same time. This time I have plenty of time to register some books to bring along – and I’ll bring the one from Hobart – to pass along or leave at the cafe for someone else to take.

So excited!

Have you ever gone to a new group before where you knew no one? Any advice?

Later this week I am fortunate enough to be able to go down to Tasmania and spend some time in Hobart and Launceston. It’s only an overnight trip, but I get to spend most of the day of each day wandering around each city. I’ll be on foot, so I won’t go far, but I’m excited about the prospect anyway.

I decided to do some investigating and found a Book Crossing site in the heart of Hobart. I’m going to bring along some BC books to drop off there, because it’s not like I get the chance to drop off books in another state very often.

While I’m a little sad about BookCrossing in regards to participants (or lack thereof) in my immediate area, it still doesn’t take away the excitement of leaving books in other places.

There isn’t a listing for Launceston, so I might save a book to leave up there.

Anywho, that’s all I have for news right now. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

If you are a reviewer, you have likely heard of virtual book tours. Even if you haven’t, there is a way you can get a hold of more books – just in exchange for reviews!

Check out what Pump Up Your Book Promotion has on offer for review books in the next few months and sign up to review!

Click here for more information.

This past week, I realised that speed is not my problem; time management is my problem.

Last week I got sick (darn head gnomes) which made reading one of the few things I was up to doing while I was awake. Last week is also the week I read – finished – The Girl Who Played with Fire. That book is over 500 pages long, normal print.

It’s not that all I did was read – I still had work that I absolutely had to do. It’s that I had time every day when I sat down to read and read long enough to get lost in the words.

Sure, to some a 500+ page book in a week actually isn’t that impressive. But for me, it’s amazing. If you’d given me that book, I’d tell you to give me a month to read it minimum. Now, I know that time frame would not be because I’m all that slow at reading but because I’ve always had a hard time making time to read.

Now? Well, that’s going to change.

If you are given this award you must first accept it by leaving a comment on the post you were nominated on. Then copy and paste the post and add it to your own blog. Make a list of the last 5 books you read and pass the award on to 5 other bloggers (no backsies!). Please also identify the blog from which you got the award and don’t forget to tell them they have a blog award!

Given to each of you for all your “bodacious” posts and the frequency with which you update your site. Never a dull moment on any of these great blogs, be sure to check them out!

This award is presented to the following who are tasked with passing it forward:

Proud Book Nerd

Rex Robot Reviews

You GOTTA Read This

Brizmus Blogs Books

My Reading Room

My Last 5 Books Read
*Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter by A.E. Moorat
*The Ellie Chronicles: Circle of Flight by John Marsden
*Lizzie’s Rake by Hazel Statham
*Abarat by Clive Barker
*The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson