Things you never wondered about my reading habits.

The September goal that I am seriously slacking on is the one about reading 3 books. Today I came across a "book blogger" who answered this survey/meme, and I figured maybe if I act like a book blogger and answer questions about reading books, I might be a little more motivated to do some reading. (Plus, I need a break from trying to find the missing layer styles in PSE 5 before I gently place the laptop on my driveway and crush it into smithereens by running my car over it 300 times...although maybe not having a computer in the house would give me more time for reading.)

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
Not usually, because I'm usually reading before bed or first thing when I wake up. When I am reading on the couch during normal snacking hours, I tend to prefer popcorn!

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
No, I don't write in my books... I was taught from a very young age that you're not supposed to do that! If I'm taking notes about something (for a book discussion, or just because) I'll do so on a post-it and flag the page.



How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?Laying the book flat open?
Bookmark. My favoritest bookmarks are these little magnet ones that fold over the top of the page and stick in place. My friend Britt sent me my first ones (monkeys) and they are still my favorites. I have a new set (monsters)that I like a little bit less because they cover up more of the page than the monkey ones, so I have to slide them up to read the first 2 or 3 lines of most books.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Fiction. A little non-fiction here and there, but I'm sad to say, it usually bores me.

Hard copy or audiobooks?
Hard copy. I've tried audiobooks, but my mind wanders too much. I always wonder if that's what my students minds are doing when I read aloud to them!

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
I almost always read to the end of a chapter or another place that I have deemed a logical stopping place. If a book has really long chapters, but has those little breaks with a big empty space or a little row of asterisks, I will stop there. Or, I will stop when a sentence ends at the end of a page.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
No, I use context clues (just like I teach my 1st graders!) If the word is really tricky or interesting, I'll write it down on a post-it or slip of paper and look them all up later. I include the page number so I can go back and reread the sentence.

What are you currently reading?
The Know-It-All (A.J. Jacobs) and Cross Country (James Patterson... haven't been actively reading that one though)

What is the last book you bought?
I bought 5 books all at once, I think. Since I don't know which one rang up last, I'll list them all: Dewey, Firefly Lane, The Summer I Turned Pretty, I Before E Except After C: Old School Ways to Remember Stuff, and The Know-It-All.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
I can read more than one at a time. I go through phases where I stick to one book and then go through another phase where I read multiples. Usually when I am working, I read 2 books at a time, one to leave in the classroom for lunchbreak, and one to leave at home.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
First thing in the morning, still snuggled and toasty under the covers!

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
Hmm... I like both. Series books are fun but take a lot of commitment, so I also like reading a book and being "done" with it.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
Jodi Picoult, Sophie Kinsella. I haven't read it in a while, but the book I've probably read the most is The Promise by Danielle Steele.


How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
Organize my books? I shove them wherever they will fit on the shelf, and when I get the urge to straighten up my shelf, I organize them by color. I like the way that looks, and usually when I'm thinking of a book I want to find, I can remember the cover and find it by color! My closet is organized by color too.