Questions & Answers on Books & Reading.

Here is a little glimpse of one of my bookshelves, that is now securely packed away in boxes. 

I rarely participate in surveys that go around the blogosphere but this one actually had questions I'm into. My original major was literature and I've been a bookworm my entire life. I'd wait until my mom went to bed at night, sneak my light back on, and stay up until 3 in the morning reading. I'd get C's in PE because I'd read my book around the track rather than run. I'd walk down the hallway with my nose in a book and never run into anyone. I always made it a point to volunteer in my school's library. I LOVE BOOKS. 

1.  What book have you read more often than any other? 

This is a tough one because I love to re-read my favorites. As a child I read The Phantom Tollbooth roughly 7 million times. I've been re-reading Anne of Green Gables as long as I can remember. In college I fell in love with 100 Years of Solitude and Ham on Rye. 

2.  Which childhood story affected you the most?

Oh man, every single one of them. Books have opened me up to so many ideas, ideologies, worlds, and have given my imagination so many places to explore and return to. Every book is like a close friend, and every good friend stretches you, grows with you, and teaches you something.

3.  What book would you like to see made into a movie? 

It's a rare thing when a movie does a book justice, so none of them. Please, stop ruining my loves. Also, once I see a movie based on a book, I have a really difficult time imagining characters again as anyone other than the actors that portrayed them, which can really ruin the reading experience. 

4.  Do you prefer one genre or do you like variety? 

I like everything. I love fiction, fantasy, and non-fiction on occasion. 

5.  Which character from a book do you think is most like you? 

I think if a character is a great character, we'll be able to identify with them in some way. Whether we like that identification or not, we will. I did have a friend tell me once that the reason I love Pride & Prejudice so much is because, "Elizabeth is you." I don't know if he was right but I'd like to think I could be like her.

6.  You get sucked into the current book you're reading.  What is that book and what is your emotion - happy, sad, scared? 

I get sucked into almost every single book I read. I can't help myself. If I don't get sucked in, I don't finish reading, I just put it down. I'm not currently reading a book as we're moving and I have a bad habit of not being able to put a book down until I finish it, even if it means staying up all night and half the next day. I am not ashamed to say I laugh out loud, cry, and feel all kinds of emotions when reading.

7.  Which book author created your favorite world?

I love the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery. I wish I could just pop in and visit Anne, Matthew & Marilla for a week. Wouldn't that be wonderful? I also love the magical place J.K. Rowling has created in the Harry Potter novels. One of my other favorites is the land of Tortall, an amazing place with magic, interesting and strong female characters, and fantasy creatures created by Tamora Pierce. It's a different kind of magic than in HP though, it related to the earth and nature. 

8.  E-books, physical books, or audio books? 

Physical books. I shun all others. There is nothing like feeling those pages as I turn them. 

9.  How many books do you read in a year? 

It depends, some years it's well over a hundred, other years it's only a couple dozen. 

10. Describe your favorite character's personality and tell us who that character is. 

There are so many characters I love but the one coming to mind right now is Anne Shirley. She's inquisitive, a little mischievous, smart, quick witted, open minded, headstrong, compassionate and full of love for life and people. I would like to be more like her. 

11. Do you prefer reading in a cafe, library or home? 

At home, sprawled all over the couch, the bed, the floor. I read for a very long time, always in one sitting, so I move around a lot so my arms and legs don't go numb. 

Thanks Angie for passing along these great questions.