Because books are what I love

I'm a bookfiend by nature, and I always have been. As a child, I used to devour books at an unhealthy pace. Once I learned how to read I couldn't stop, and once I found a book or series I loved, I read it over and over and over again. Teachers and my parents practically begged me to read other books, claiming I'd get bored reading the same stories or all about the same characters. I still don't understand it--if the book bored me, I wouldn't read it again! Non-readers are weird folk.

I distinctly remember being allowed to choose a new Babysitter's Club book at the Chicago Ridge Walden's one evening as I had been particularly well-behaved for a while (a huge accomplishment for Dennis...er, Angie the Menace). I knew exactly which book I wanted (I was an 8 year old with a "Books I Need to Read" list. Sick.) and I ran to the Series section in the far back corner (an excellent reading and hiding spot) and picked it up. I'll never forget it: Babysitters Little Sister #1: Karen's Witch. It was a spin-off series staring Karen Brewer, step-sister of BSC president Kristy Thomas. Karen had a wild imagination that I fell in love with and I really identified with her. In the books, the first especially, she believes that her elderly neighbor Mrs. Porter is really a witch named Morbidda Destiny. For a short, squirrely, odd, and imaginitive child such as myself, what wasn't there to love about this?

My mom argued back and forth with me. Naturally, I was open to her opinions.

"But you hardly LOOKED at any other books, Angela Rose!"
"But Mo-om! I want THIS one!"
"Just look around, Angela."
"NO Mo-om! THIS one!" ::foot stop for good measure::
::Mom rolls her eyes and sighs, wondering why she wanted kids to begin with. She relents, because it's getting late and this will only get ugly if she persists.::

And because I couldn't wait--I had to know the truth about Morbidda Destity!!!!--I was an extremely well-behaved child (meaning: while Mom shopped for clothes I hid in the circular clothing racks at Sears and read my new book) and I managed to finish the darn thing before we left the mall that night. My parents were pretty surprised. I was in second or third grade and easily finished 150 pages in less than 2 hours. In retrospect, I bet they were wondering why I couldn't channel that energy into cleaning my bedroom or pairing up my mismatched socks. But, I digress. I've always loved reading, and that's just one example of it. I found this meme on Molly's blog, and I couldn't resist!

Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?

Yes please! I like paperback for its portability, but if I always like a good hardback. (Sorry Molly, I stole your answer, but it's essentially the same thing.)

However, I'll always choose hardcover for special books that I want to keep and share, like the Harry Potter series or the Anne books.

Waterstones, Borders or Amazon?

What’s a Waterstones? I love Barnes & Noble, personally, but I do love Amazon for the instant gratification it gives me.

Bookmark or dog-ear?
Both. I use bookmarks for placeholding or in my favoritest books, but I'll dog-ear to mark a quote or a good point for a book club meeting.

Alphabetize by author, or alphabetize by title, or random?

I've got a sickness. I alphabetize by the author's last name, then by title. Randomized book "order" gives me hives.

Keep, throw away, or sell?

I usually keep, unless it's a book I don't care for one way or another. I'll donate those.

Keep dust jacket or toss it?

Keep!!

Read with dust jacket or remove it?

With it. I'm very with it, man. Groovy.

Short story or novel?

I'll read anything, but I read more novels than short stories for sure. I love a good collection of short stories, though.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?

I haven't read all the Lemony Snicket books, but I definitely prefer HP to LS.

Buy or borrow?

Both! I'll always buy a good book, but borrowing from libraries puts a happy in my heart place.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?

I almost always go on recommendations from friends, and browsing helps direct me to the right books. Reviews don't mean too much to me.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?

This is where I vary from most other bookies. I enjoy a wrapped up ending. I like knowing what happens to characters, especially at the end of a series. If the series ends, it doesn't necessarily mean the characters are dead, but I like to know what happens to them, or I'll start screaming, "BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM??????? TELL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" after I read the last paragraph, and really, it's an unfortunate thing for all of us.

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?

Yes please! I'm mostly an afternoon reader. I've found I can't focus on reading as much during the evenings.

Stand-alone or series?

Both!

Favorite series?

The Anne books, hands down.

Favorite children’s book?

Bernstein Bears, Charlotte's Web, Caddie Woodlawn, But No Elephants, Heidi, and The House That Had Enough.

Favorite YA book?

Gosh, I don't know. YA is never a genre I've been too fond of.

Favorite book no one has heard of?

The Perfect Hour.

Favorite books read last year?

The Blind Assassin.

Favorite book to re-read?

The Anne books.

Do you ever smell books?

Always!

Do you ever read primary source documents like letters or diaries?

Occassionally. The last favorite one I read was "Love, Ronnie" and it made me cry.

What are you reading right now?

Re-reading Crossing California by Adam Langer.

What are you reading next?

Maybe The Washington Story, the sequel to Crossing California. Or....heck, I dunno. I'll hit up the library next week.