I’m excited to be participating in The Book Blogger Test today! A big thanks to Moonglint at A Kernel of Nonsense for tagging me!
What are your top three book pet hates?
1) When the cover design changes midway through a series! I can’t stand not having matching copies!
2) Cracked spines, dog eared pages, etc. I am one of those neurotic readers and I get really frazzled if my books are in less than pristine condition (the exception are my Harry Potter paperbacks, which are cracked and bent and manhandled because I’ve read them so much. Luckily, I got a new set this past Christmas to replace them!)
3) When people (whom I don’t know that well) ask to borrow my books. I have a select few people (my family, my boyfriend, etc) who I trust with my precious books but I think we’ve all had that crushing experience when someone we don’t know THAT well asks to borrow a book and returns it bent, smudged, dog-eared, or otherwise mistreated.
Describe your perfect reading spot.
I’m a big bed reader, so I love to read in bed no matter what time of day. I also really like reading outside, by the pool, in my yard, when tanning, etc.
Tell us three Book confessions.
1) I like Twilight. I feel like it’s kind of sad that this has to be a confession but in a lot of ways it’s not publicly acceptable to announce that you don’t hate the series unless you are a 13 year old girl. Granted, I started reading them in middle school, but I just re-read the whole series a few months ago, and while it’s by no means a literary masterpiece it’s not that bad either, and it introduced me to paranormal fiction at a young age (Although I admit I can’t stand the movie adaptations).
2) I was reading YA waaaaay before I should’ve been. I’m talking at like eight and nine years old, because I had grown bored of the elementary school age books and wanted longer and more challenging reading. As a result, I was reading things like The Princess Diaries and The A-List and not really understanding a lot of what was going on developmentally, but I don’t regret it, it just fostered a deep seated love for YA very young!
3) I prefer paperback to hardcovers. Which I know is not the norm, but I love the lighter weight and easier mobility of a paperback, and the way the fit so neatly into a bag or bookshelf. Not that this keeps me from buying new releases, but if I have the option I’ll almost always buy the paperback copy.
When was the last time you cried during a book?
I’m not an easy crier while reading, so I’d have to say this past winter when I re-read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It’s always a little emotional revisiting that last book.
How many books are on your bedside table?
Two currently! Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green! I tend to only keep the books that I’m currently reading on my nightstand.
What is your favorite snack to eat while you’re reading?
I’m notorious for eating while reading, especially when I was younger (which has in turn made me a very slow eater). I do it less now but I usually see eating as valuable time when I could be doing something else as well. If I’m just getting a snack for reading, lately I’ve been grabbing Trader Joe’s Olive Oil Popcorn. So Good!
Name three books your would recommend to everyone.
1) The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
2) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
3) East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Show us a picture of your favorite shelf on your bookcase.
I really love this shelf. I went through all of my favorite childhood books and compiled my favorites together in a special section on my bookshelf! It’s nice to have my childhood favorites in an easy to reach place!
Write how much books mean to you in three words.
“Take Me Places.” Books have allowed me to live a thousand lives and will allow me to live a thousand more, and that’s a gift nothing else can give me.
What is your biggest reading secret?
Hmmmm…I honestly don’t think I have one? I guess what I used to consider a “secret” was my love of YA, because there are a lot of pretentious English majors out there and I used to dread when people would ask me what my favorite books were I was scoffed at when I answered with titles like Harry Potter or The Mortal Instruments. College has expanded my reading to many genres that I enjoy outside of YA, but YA is still my favorite and I hate when people think only certain titles make someone a “serious” reader. I think I really overcame this self-consciousness about reading YA by writing my English Capstone on Harry Potter. It was proof that I could I graduate with honors and be a critical and successful student while not having to compromise what I love to read.
Who I’m Tagging:
Stefani @ Caught Read Handed
Becky @ Blogs of a Bookaholic
Chrissi @ Chrissi Reads
LilaJune @ LilaJune’s Book Saloon
Genevieve @ The Reading Shelf
So much love for Madeline on your bookshelf! I’m with you preferring soft covers! They’re so much easier to read & transport as well. And I’m with you on everyone needing to read Harry Potter– such a special and amazing book/series!
I love Madeline! I just reread the original book and it’s pretty sophisticated for a children’s book, and I still adore the series! Thanks for stopping by!
I love that you have a bookshelf devoted to your childhood favorites. This is one of my regrets, that I didn’t hold on to the books I read as a child. If I only had Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark!
I gave away a LOT of my childhood books because I just had too many books to store and move, but I really regret it now looking at how happy the ones I’ve kept have made me. I never read Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark- I couldn’t even read Goosebumps!
[…] you to lovely Cristina over at Girl in the Pages for thinking of me! Like me, she’s a fellow book blogger, a bit of a YA addict and a major Harry […]
[…] last week, so I’m excited to bring you something similar today. I first saw this tag on @Girl in the Pages and @Blogs of a Bookaholic – go check them out! – and it looked like tons of fun. I […]