Tag: reading

Perfect setting

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Do you have an ideal setting to read in? If so, what is it?

Mine is being at home where I don’t have to worry about being bothered, first of all. I also don’t have to worry about noise or a lot of distractions. My hubby is likely to have the tv on but I can always go to another room in the house to get away from that noise. The tv actually doesn’t bother me a whole lot because I may just be use to it. Plus, I don’t have to worry about someone walking up to me and talking to me right when I’m in the middle of my book, especially if I get to a good part and I want to continue reading.

Second of all, if the weather decides it wants to be gloomy outside, then I prefer to stay home and read. Like yesterday for instance, it was really cold and it was snowing when I got up. I wanted to stay at home where it was nice and warm so I could read but that doesn’t pay the bills unfortunately. So I had to brave the cold and go off to work. I can also stay home if it’s raining outside, especially if it’s storming.

Last but not least, I can do with a nice hot chocolate if it’s cold outside. If it’s during the warmer months, then I’ll find something cold to drink like one of my Baja Blast Mt. Dew or one of my flavored waters.

I’d love to hear about your ideal setting to read in in the comments below.

New Year's Resolutions!

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I know it’s the third day of the year already but I wanted to talk about New Year’s resolutions for a minute. Last year, I made the goal to read more than I did the year before….that was my New Year’s resolution.

This year, I want to do something a little different. I still want to try to read more books….sure. But I was thinking of adding on to that this year. Something like reading more books on my Kindle than I have since I’ve had it or reading more stuff that’s outside my comfort zone (or reading stuff that’s not the norm for me). What do you think I should add to reading more this year?

2019 Review

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I just wanted to go back over the past year as a whole. I had a reading goal for this year and that was to try to read more books than I did last year. I normally don’t make reading goals because I usually fail to complete them but this year I managed to achieve the goal I had set. I’m so happy with completing the goal but I also had fun in the process. I got lucky when picking books because I enjoyed each book I’ve read this year. What were your reading goals for 2019? Did you achieve those goals?

2019 List:
And The Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich (paperback)
Poison by Sarah Pinborough (paperback)
The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox (hardcover)
A Haunting by L. I. Albemont (e-book)
The Stranger Game by Cylin Busby (paperback)
Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie (paperback)
The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon (hardcover)
The Hotel for the Lost by Suzanne Young (paperback)
The Shape of Water by Guillermo Del Toro & Daniel Kraus (hardcover)
The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor (paperback)
Fort Whiskey by David Banks (paperback)
Ghostlight by Sonia Gensler (hardcover)
Watching You by Lisa Jewell (hardcover)
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (paperback)
The Bone Keeper by Luca Veste (paperback)
The Truth Lies Here by Lindsey Klingele (hardcover)
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (paperback)
The Mansion by Ezekiel Boone (hardcover)
Ten by Gretchen McNeil (paperback)
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (hardcover)
What the Night Sings by Vesper Stamper (hardcover)
Tomb of Ancients by Madeleine Roux (hardcover)
The Princess Bride by William Goldman (paperback)
Pet Sematary by Stephen King (e-book)
Ghost Story by Peter Straub (paperback)
The Invited by Jennifer McMahon (hardcover)
Blood of Wonderland by Colleen Oakes (papterback)
Enter the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz (paperback)

2018 List:
Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes (paperback)
The Cellar by Natasha Preston (paperback)
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (paperback)
The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton (e-book)
You Will Be Mine by Natasha Preston (paperback)
The Mystery of Drear House by Virginia Hamilton (e-book)
Hell House by Richard Matheson (e-book)
Murder has a Motive by Francis Duncan (e-book)
The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum (paperback)
The House with the Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs (e-book)
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (paperback)
The House Next Door by Darcy Coates (e-book)
The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich (paperback)
An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena (hardcover)
The Women In The Walls by Amy Lukavics (hardcover)
Court of Shadows by Madeliene Roux (hardcover)
The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates (e-book)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (paperback)
Ten Dead Comedians by Fred Van Lente (paperback)
The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn (hardcover)
The Apartment by S. L. Grey (paperback)
Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan (e-book)

Friday the 13th

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I know I’m off a day but I figured better late than never. Yesterday, the 13th fell on a Friday. This doesn’t happen very often throughout the year. However, the folks at Penguin Random House has created a list for us….the list is titled “13 Spooky Books for Friday the 13th”. I actually have 2 of the books on this list already sitting on my book shelves, waiting to be read. Maybe when there comes another Friday the 13th, I’ll pick one of those books up and start reading it (if I don’t have them read by then). Anyway, I’ve provided a link to the list if you want to check out their list to see if any of the books look like something you’d be interested in reading.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/the-read-down/13-spooky-books-for-the-unluckiest-day-of-the-year?ref=PRHF90A707F57&aid=27605&linkid=PRHF90A707F57

Reading problems…?

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Have you ever experienced any problems with reading? It can be anything from your eyes getting too tired to there being too much noise around you. What have you done to alleviate those problems? How well did that work for you?

I tend to read somewhere by myself so that I’m not interrupted by noise or someone trying to talk to me while I read. Reading at home is how I avoid that. You don’t get more comfortable than home. Especially when you’re wrapped up in a nice warm blanket and have a cup of hot chocolate to sip on while you read. Other than that, I can’t think of any problems I have when I read.

Take a look, it’s in a book, a Reading Rainbow!

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Did you ever watch the tv show “Reading Rainbow”? Why or why not? What was your favorite thing about the show?

The show started to air in 1983 and ran all the way to 2006 (I had no idea that it aired for that long). LeVar Burton was the host of the show the whole time it aired. I use to watch this show all the time as a kid. I found some pretty neat books through watching this show but I just liked getting lost in the stories they told on the show.

Do you think there should be more shows like this to get kids interested in reading? What other things do you think they can use to get kids interested in reading?

Reading block…?

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For those of you out there who like to read like me, have you ever gotten reader’s block? Have you ever gone a certain amount of time where you couldn’t get into reading? What happened that stopped you from reading for that length of time? How long did it take you to get back into reading?

I don’t remember having to stop reading, especially for a long period of time (at least, not in recent years). Now, there might be a day here or there that I am unable to sneak in any reading time because I am sick but those days are usually few and far between. But I’ve never gone several days or longer without reading something. Even when I go on vacation, I usually manage to take my e-reader or some book with me.

Smarter…?

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Do you think people who read are smarter than people who don’t read? Why or why not?

I think there are benefits to reading, regardless if you are reading for the fun of it or you’re reading for learning purposes. You can broaden your vocabulary/grammar, learn some valuable lessons from the author, etc. But at the very least, I believe you can keep your mind sharper by reading (especially if you read on a regular basis). What about you?

Have you ever….?

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Have you ever been turned off from reading? Why or why not?

I don’t think there was anything that has turned me off of reading. Now, I’ve had books that I’ve lost interest in because they didn’t hold my attention but I’ve never lost interest in reading completely. Even if I wasn’t the fastest reader or the best reader in my class, I still enjoyed reading. It was never a contest to me. I read because I find it entertaining and not to be better than anyone else. It’s like giving your brain a little vacation without having to leave the house (and books are much cheaper than going on an actual vacation).

Is it rude…?

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First off, I want to wish a happy Halloween. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday, especially for those going trick or treating at some point today.

Now, to the topic at hand. Do you consider reading to be rude rather than interacting with other people around you? Why or why not?

In this day in age, I see people buried in their cell phone all day. So, my question is how can someone accuse a person of being rude to read a book instead of interacting with the people around them when other people bury themselves in their phones? I’ve always been kind of on the shy side so it was always hard for me to interact with others. That may have been something that helped draw me to reading. So, I don’t consider it rude when someone reads instead of interacting with other people….some people are just introverts.