Tag: reading

Which one next?

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The nice thing about having a Kindle Fire is that I can take a bunch of books with me without taking up a bunch of room in my carry on when I travel. So, my question is…..which book should I read next when I take my next trip? Keep in mind, I’ve marked the e-books that I’ve read already and there is one that is currently in progress, however, which one should I start next when I finish that one? Do you have any other suggestions besides what is on this list?

A Haunting by L. I. Albemont (already read)
The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs (already read)
Craven Manor by Darcy Coates
Quarter to Midnight by Darcy Coates
The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates (already read)
The House Next Door by Darcy Coates (already read)
Night Music (Nocturnes Volume II) by John Connolly
Aberrations by Joseph Delaney
Murder has a Motive by Francis Duncan (already read)
Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan (already read)
The Magician’s by Lev Grossman
The Magician’s King by Lev Grossman
The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman
The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton (already read)
The Mystery of Drear House by Virginia Hamilton (already read)
The Small Hand by Susan Hill
Pet Sematary by Stephen King (in progress)
1922 by Stephen King
The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye by David Lagercrantz
Darker Daze: The Storms Within Volume I by A. L. Mabry
Hell House by Richard Matheson (already read)
Awake by Natasha Preston
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright

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What would you do?

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What would you do if you didn’t have any books to read? What would you be doing in your spare time?

I honestly can’t see myself not being able to read. Burying myself in a good book allows me to go to my “happy place” and helps me to relieve stress from the day. Nothing helps me get over a bad day more than a good book (except for maybe my awesome hubby or favorite little puppy dog).

Reading can also be informational because I know some people enjoy reading for learning purposes. Other people read in order to keep up with the news and what all is going on out there in the world. I think reading helps to enrich our lives is some form or fashion.

How fast do you read?

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How fast are you when you read? I know I’m not the fastest reader out there but I’m not the slowest reader either. I’m sure I’m about average when it comes to the pace. However, I normally like to take my time when reading. I do that on purpose so that I can enjoy the book I am reading, especially if the book is really good. Do you ever do that….read slower than you normally do so that you can enjoy the story? Or do you read fast no matter what?

Recommendations!

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I’m always looking for that next book to read so I’m willing to take recommendations from others, especially if I know that person likes to read similar books. Anyway, if you like to read, I wouldn’t mind hearing your recommendations for some new literature for me to read.

Genre: Horror, science fiction, fantasy, mystery & thriller. I can take in the occasional romance if it’s good.

Have read: The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, the Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, the Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney, the Locke & Key series by Joe Hill, the Stoneheart trilogy by Charlie Fletcher, the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie, Murder Has a Motive by Frances Duncan, Murder for Christmas by Frances Duncan, The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly, The Cellar by Natasha Preston, The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox, Carrie by Stephen King, The Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill, The Host by Stephenie Meyer, etc.

Books I refuse to read: The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian. I read this book once upon a time and I really got into it at first but the ending disappointed me. This book really turned me away from that particular author and I won’t read anything remotely similar again.

Age Range: I normally read young adult and up. I will read children’s literature if it’s good enough to hold my interest (Harry Potter series is a good example).

Library….?

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Do you think libraries will ever cease to exist at some point? What makes you think so? I think libraries will evolve with the times but I don’t they will ever cease to exist completely. There’s so much you can do at a library besides just check out a book. There is a wealth of information that you can find at your local library. I know that a lot of people are thinking, “Can’t I just find that stuff on the internet?” I don’t think you always can. There’s stuff you can find at the library that may pertain to history in your area that you may not always be able to find on the internet. Plus, at your local library, there is a librarian or other staff that may be able to help you with something if you get stuck. As far as evolving, I know some libraries are starting to let you “borrow” e-books now in addition to borrowing the physical books. The libraries are starting to realize, e-readers and tablets are becoming a thing these days so they are trying to keep up with the times.

Got caught?

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Have you ever got caught reading when you weren’t suppose to?

There have been a time or two that I got caught reading when I was suppose to be in bed asleep. I remember being given the speech that I would ruin my eyes because I was trying to read with not enough light to help me see properly. This was back during a time when we didn’t have tablets and e-readers that had a lit up screen to read on. It was just me and the book I was reading…..I usually left my door open enough to have some light coming into my room that I thought was enough light to see by. Plus, I thought I could see/hear my parents coming down the hall and be able to put my book away fast enough to not get caught.

As far as school went, I usually only read when the teacher allowed it. I don’t remember getting caught when I wasn’t suppose to. I knew that if I did get caught that I would be in double the amount of trouble. I would get in trouble at school for not paying attention to the teacher but I would also get in trouble a second time once I got home.

The Great American Read

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Last year, PBS held an eight-part series on tv to discuss the country’s best-loved novel. I did remember making my vote but I didn’t get a chance to watch any of the episodes on tv.

Did you watch the eight-part series? Did you place your vote to help determine which novel/series won? How many of the books on the list have you read? Do you plan on reading all the book on the list? What are your thoughts on the books that made the list?

  1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Best Loved)
  2. Outlander (series) by Diana Gabaldon (Finalist)
  3. Harry Potter (series) by J. K. Rowling (Finalist)
  4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Finalist)
  5. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkein (Finalist)
  6. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
  7. Charlette’s Web by E. B. White
  8. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
  9. The Chronicles of Narnia (series) by C. S. Lewis
  10. Jane Eyre by Charlote Bronte
  11. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
  12. The Grapes of Wraith by John Steinbeck
  13. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
  14. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
  15. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  16. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
  17. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
  18. 1984 by George Orwell
  19. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
  20. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
  21. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
  22. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
  23. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
  24. The Stand by Stephen King
  25. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
  26. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
  27. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
  28. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
  29. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
  30. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
  31. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
  32. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
  33. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
  34. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
  35. Dune by Frank Herbert
  36. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
  37. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
  38. The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
  39. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
  40. The Hunger Games (series) by Suzanne Collins
  41. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
  42. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
  43. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
  44. The Giver by Lois Lowry
  45. Memoirs of a Geisha by Author Golden
  46. Moby Dick by Herman Melville
  47. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
  48. Game of Thrones (series) by George R. R. Martin
  49. Foundation (series) by Isaac Asimov
  50. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
  51. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
  52. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
  53. The Godfather by Mario Puzo
  54. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
  55. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
  56. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
  57. The Shack by William P. Young
  58. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
  59. The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy
  60. Beloved by Toni Morrison
  61. The Martian by Andy Weir
  62. The Eye of the World (series) by Robert Johnson/Brandon Sanderson
  63. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
  64. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevesky
  65. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
  66. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
  67. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
  68. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
  69. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
  70. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
  71. Hatchet (series) by Gary Paulson
  72. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
  73. The Twilight Saga (series) by Stephanie Meyer
  74. Tales of the City (series) by Armistead Maupin
  75. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathon Swift
  76. Ready Player One by Earnest Cline
  77. Left Behind (series) by Tim LaHaye/Jerry B. Jenkins
  78. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  79. Watchers by Dean Koontz
  80. The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
  81. Alex Cross Mysteries (series) by James Patterson
  82. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
  83. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
  84. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
  85. Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews
  86. Fifty Shades of Grey (series) by E. L. James
  87. The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
  88. This Present Darkness by Frank E. Peretti
  89. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  90. Another Country by James Baldwin
  91. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
  92. Looking for Alaska by John Green
  93. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
  94. Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon
  95. Mind Invadors by Dave Hunt
  96. White Teeth by Zadie Smith
  97. Ghost by Jason Reynolds
  98. The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah
  99. The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead
  100. Dona Barbara by Romulo Gallegos

Rainy day?

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How many people here like reading on a rainy day? What about when it storms? Do you like to read a good scary book when it storms outside? What about when the power goes out?

I just recently had my power go out a couple of days ago. It usually doesn’t phase me when the power goes out because I can still read when there is no power. My hubby on the other hand prefers to watch tv so it usually ends up being a real bummer for him when there’s no power at home. There are certain things he can do on his phone or on his laptop, sure. But he has to worry about what to do when the battery on those things runs out, especially if the power still hasn’t come back on yet. Reading is something that I can do even if there is no power. During the day time, I can read all I want to. During the night time, I can just pull out my flashlight (I usually have plenty of lights around and plenty of batteries) and keep on reading.

Does this annoy you?

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When you are trying to read a book, does it annoy you whenever someone tries to strike up a conversation with you or lean over your shoulder to see what you are reading?

There are some times when it doesn’t bother me when someone talks to me while I’m in the process of reading. Especially if they are asking me about the book I am reading and ask me to describe it to them. Normally, I’m just reading for the enjoyment of it anyway. If I am getting to a part in the book where it’s really interesting and I don’t want to be disturbed, then I’ll read the book while I’m at home. In the comfort of my own home, I don’t have to worry about anyone bothering me while I’m reading.

If it was something that was required reading for school, then I would have answered yes to that question. I didn’t like to be bothered while I was doing work for school. My parents would often not let anyone bother me while I was doing my school work anyway.

What do you look for in a book?

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What do you look for in a book? How do you go about finding that next book to read? I’m always looking for more books to read despite how many books I have on my shelves or stored on my Kindle Fire. Some people would go so far to say that I have an addiction to reading. Normally I enjoy browsing through my local bookstore. I can even order online through their website in the comfort of my own home. I like going through the racks and reading the synopsis on the back of the book, or on the inside of the dust cover, whichever the case may be. If there’s one that intrigues me, I’ll give it a try. So, I’m always browsing for that next book. However, I’m not above taking recommendations from other book lovers that have the same interests as me or can recommend something based on what I’ve read previously.