Blogging Challenge #2
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For info on this challenge, check out this post!
Click here to see a complete list of the prompts.
Do you enjoy reading? What do you read and when? What's your favorite book ever?
I am absolutely a reader. I'm reading all the time. When I was kid, I was reading the cereal box at breakfast, slowing my eating down, driving my mom crazy. I always had my nose in a book; being sent to my room wasn't a punishment! It was a chance to read uninterrupted for a while!
Along with my constant reading is the spotting of typos; it comes with my work. They make me crazy, and can turn me off an otherwise great story in moments.
I read whenever I can; part of me wishes my commute (50 minutes/50 miles) was into the City so I could take BART and have free reading time… I usually have a book with me. If not in my hand, it's in my car. I read when I'm waiting for appointments, I'll squeeze in a few pages while pumping gas, and I've even glanced at a page or two when stuck in exceptionally bad traffic! (It was at a crucial part of one of the Twilight books… I couldn't help it!)
I'll read almost anything that's handed to me… trashy magazines, British chick lit, sci-fi thrillers… I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but if a topic really interests me, I will. I read fast; it's not a big deal for me to finish a book in a day or two. Since I've been off hemodialysis, I have a LOT less time to read… Max isn't into letting me sit quietly and get lost in words.
I'm currently reading a Harlen Coben novel, and just read a Dean Koontz book last week… my dad and I tend to get kind of obsessed with authors; Dennis Lehane, Carl Hiaasen, Janet Evanovich, Harlen Coben… we'll read all of an author's books back to back, handing them back and forth between us.
I don't have a favorite book ever… I usually say it's whatever the last thing I read was; I rarely, if ever, re-read a book. Jamie had read the Lord of the Rings books a dozen or more times, he loves them that much. I'm not like that… I'd rather meet new characters than revisit ones I already know. (Unless it's a new book in a series… I *love* characters that span series of books!)
So I can't name a favorite, but a few books that I've read that have stuck with me are: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde: A series of 3 books featuring a woman named Thursday Next… kind of complex and hard to follow at moments, but very interesting! The Know-it-All by AJ Jacobs: He's a very funny writer who decided to read the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica. Lots of interesting little tidbits scattered throughout this super easy read. Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance by Atul Gawande: Very. very interesting collection of anecdotes from this doctor who has travelled the world. And last is the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella… I love British chick lit for some reason, and even though there were more than a few times I wanted to *strangle* Becky Bloomwood, these were fun, easy reads that are perfect for lazy days at the beach sipping frilly drinks with umbrellas in them.
Next week's prompt: 10/16/09 What is a specific moment/event that made you realize you were truly “a grown-up”?
I love Carl Hiaasan, Skinny dip was my favorite!
And how could you not love Shoppaholic, Becky Bloomwood is great.
Love that you read while pumping gas! I love my commute because I can sit back and read…
I have yet to dive into the twilight series for fear of ignoring my child, husband & employer!!! To know it induces reading while driving oddly makes me want to pick them up :-/
Ever try books on cd? I check them out of the library and use them on my commute or while at work. Just another way to get more "reading" in. I usually pick up books I wouldn't normally try out.
There's more than three Thursday Next books – enjoy.
Like you, I'm a compulsive reader.
I love British Chick Lit too, but I could not get through the shopaholic series! I tried reading them when I was pg and my attention spab waned. Maybe I should try them again?
Hope this isn't a duplicate comment…my original is floating around looking for a home.
About not rereading books – I am the same way. While buying a book by Balzac, (not for me), a man who was an icon in our community (mentor to well-known peace activists) told me he had read Balzac many times. I told him there were so many books to read that I couldn't imagine taking time to reread one. He told me that was like saying there are too many people to meet and not enough time to spend with ones we liked.
As for A.J. Jacobs – I love him and if you want to A Year of Living Biblically, I am happy to loan it. He has another due out soon. I am a fan of Gawande's. I met him when he gave a talk at Stanford. If you like him, you many like Sherwin Nuland.