MEME: first lines

from the book memes community at LiveJournal

1. Pick 10 of your favorite books. (not necessarily my favorite, as I don't keep a lot of books around and I read a lot from the library but these I books I would easily recommend)
2. Post the first sentence of each book. (If one sentence seems too short, post two or three!)
3. Let everyone try to guess the titles and authors of your books! (I'll take guesses in the comments)


eta: I bolded the ones that have been identified, and the answers are hidden after the quote, so just highlight the area to see the book. A few are still now determined yet, keep trying!

1. If it had not rained on a certain May morning Valency Stirling's whole life would have been entirely different. Blue Castle

2. Dear friend, I am writing to you because she said you listen and understand and didn't try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have.
the perks of being a wallflower

3. My great-grandmother Morrison fixed a book rest to her spinning wheel so that she could read while she was spinning, or so the story goes.

4. No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy would have supposed her born to be a heroine. Northanger Abby

5. OK. Don't panic. Don't panic. It's only a VISA bill. Confessions of a Shop-a-Holic

6. This happened in 1932, when the state penitentiary was still at Cold Mountain.
The Green Mile

7. The naked child ran out of the hide-covered lean-to toward the rocky beach at the bend in the small river.

8. The gunman is useless. I Am the Messenger

9. Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

10. It was 7 minutes after midnight. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

MEME: The Bookshelf

laura at musings tagged me for the Bookshelf meme, originally created by Eva at A Striped Armchair.

The book that’s been on my shelf the longest:
I've got a lot of books saved from my childhood. This Christmas one of the books I took out of my Christmas boxes was of the nativity story, called When Joy Comes. Inscribed on the inside is "To Elizabeth, Christmas 1971, Love Mommy and Daddy"

It's a very simple story, with old illustrations, but covers the basics. Obviously, the story hasn't changed. My daughter in kindergarten performed the Nativity Story in her Christmas concert this year, she was the sheep with the curly horn, and she was quite fascinated by the Nativity Story.

A book that reminds me of something specific in my life (a person, a place, a time, etc.):

The Stand, by Stephen King. In university, I couldn't allow myself novels as I would stay up all night reading otherwise. During summer vacation of 2nd or 3rd year university, I was reading The Stand. I was a few hundred pages in as I went to bed one night. I kept reading and reading, and turning over to prevent bed sores, and around 6:00 am I heard a parent stirring. I quick turned out my light, embarrassed to have stayed up so late, and lo and behold, the sun had risen enough to keep reading. I finished the book after reading for ten straight hours.



A book I acquired in some interesting way (gift, serendipity in a used bookstore, prize, etc.):
I think the first book I got through the book blogging world, The Bone People really opened my eyes to the generous nature of so many people around the world. 3M posted at a yahoo group that she had an extra copy if someone wanted. I felt a bit bold, and waited for the more regular posters to offer for it. After a day or so, I figured it would be okay to ask, and Michelle sent it to me right away. Plus, it was an excellent book. thanks Michelle!

A book that’s been with me to the most places:

I haven't been a lot of places, however, on a trip to the Mediterranean, I carried and read The Voice of the Violin. I loved being able to read about Italy as I travelled through it. This book travelled the farthest with me and introduced me to the wonderful writing of Andrea Camilleri and the irascible Inspector Montalbano. It is representative of my love of mystery series. I've tried to introduce other readers to this great series when I can.

The most recent addition to my shelves:

I just picked up Bel Canto from the library today. This is not a book I had planned to read, but the wonderful ladies who are organizing the Orange January project are so enjoying their Orange books this month, I was feeling left out. They are a great group and they focus on Orange Prize reads, winners and short listed, in January and July. I scanned the lists and the books available easily at the library and decided to pick this one up. Plus, it is set in South America so it may count as a Latin America read...




A bonus book that I want to talk about but doesn’t fit into the other questions:
Instead of talking about Anne of Green Gables, like I usually do, I'll pick another book. I'm reading Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell right now. I read his Black Swan Green last year and loved it as a coming of age story set in the 1980s, a period I could really identify with. I'm almost halfway through Cloud Atlas, which is a huge turning point, more so than in most books. I'm more impressed with what the whole book is than the individual stories. Some I like better than others, but the way he interconnects the stories and characters is rather astounding. Until I understood that each story leads to the next in unexpected ways, I wasn't enjoying the book. I'm still withholding complete judgment, but it is a very amazing book in several respects.

I'll just pick a few people if you haven't already done this. How about

katrina at katrinareads
nan at lettersfromahillfarm
tinylittlelibrarian at tiny little reading room
chris at bookarama

And the rules for your posts:

1. Tag 3-5 people, so the fun keeps going!
   
2. Leave a comment at the original post at A Striped Armchair, so that Eva can collect everyone’s answers.
   
3. If you leave a comment and link back to Eva as the meme’s creator, she will enter you in a book giveaway contest! She has a whole shelf devoted to giveaway books that you’ll be able to choose from, or a bookmooch point if you prefer.
   
4. Remember that this is all about enjoying books as physical objects, so feel free to describe the exact book you’re talking about, down to that warping from being dropped in the bath water…
   
5. Make the meme more fun with visuals! Covers of the specific edition you’re talking about, photos of your bookshelves, etc.

MEME: Orbis Terrarum Challenge

The Orbis Terrarum Challenge meme:

1.) What country do you always go back to in your travels (not just while reading for OT)?
England would be my favorite country to read about. I live in Canada, and see so much America that those settings are not that unusual, but England is one of my favorite settings.

2.) If you could visit 4 5 of the countries you have read about in your life (that you haven't been to yet), which would they be and why? (you can include the book that makes you want to visit if you remember)
Thailand (Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding)
Portugal (Alentejo Blue by Monica Ali)
Iceland (Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indridason)
Ireland (all Maeve Binchy)

I didn't even mention England. I'd love to go to England for all the books I've read.
ex: Neverland to see the subways, Pillars of the Earth for the cathedrals, Bridget Jones for modern London, the countryside for all the novels set during WW2, Bath for Northanger Abbey, the castles and country mansions from the Victorian novels, the monastery from the Brother Cadfael mysteries, and so on.

3.) Have you ever dreamed about a country you have read about, that you have never actually traveled to- except in your dreams?
I seldom remember my dreams, so I can't really answer this one.

4.) In what ways has reading about different countries opened up your perspective about global issues?

The rights of women, or the lack of, in other countries is certainly something I notice when I read novels set in other countries. It makes me not take for granted the options available to me. Also, the rampant consumerism that I live in versus a simpler life depicted in some other countries.

5.) What countries have you felt your judgment was off about-after reading about that nation?

I wouldn't say my judgment was off; it is more a recognition of the assets and beautiful aspects of a country; and an acknowledgement that the human condition is the same everywhere. We are all more alike than different.

6.) Which is your favourite book that you would recommend for this challenge (you don't have to have read it during the challenge)?

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (India)

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Spain)

7.) I am thinking about hosting again, for a full year next time starting in January, do you have any constructive criticism, is one book a month about right...more? less? Give me some thoughts.

I am preferring the more random challenges, that start at some point in the year and run for several months, like this one. If it goes to a year, I would rather see less than 1 book per month, maybe 8-9 books.

8.) Anything else that you have been wanting to tell us all about? let us have it!

I am really liking this challenge, and the effort you are putting in to it to make it fun. I like that you put the restriction that the country is the country of the author, and not just the setting. Thank you to wikipedia for sources of information of author nationality.

I think it is neat the concept of 'other country' in this challenge, because for someone else, my country is one to read for the challenge, and I am picking countries that other people live in. It is weird, and egocentric, to see Canada listed as a country on the review lists. It jsut changes my perspecitve a bit.

MEME: Which Beatles Song are You?

I wish I'd found this when I read the Coupland book.

Which Beatles song are you? Your Result: Eleanor Rigby You live life through your interactions with others, and you often find yourself analyzing these relationships. You appreciate beauty, so you should be careful of prioritizing aesthetics over real substance.
All You Need is Love
Here Comes the Sun
Hey Jude
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite
The Space Between
Yellow Submarine
Twist and Shout
Which Beatles song are you? Quizzes for MySpace

MEME: Page 123

I was tagged by gautami tripathy and marg for this particular meme.

The rules of this particular meme are:
1). Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages)
2). Open the book to page 123
3). Find the fifth sentence
4). Post the next three sentences
5). Tag five people

I had The North Shore of Home by Frank Ledwell out the other night and never got it put away, so it is handy to me here on the computer. And I am going to cheat a bit, because the first sentence on the page is the one I was looking up, because it refers to my husband's family. I should describe this book a bit. Ledwell, a former poet laureate on PEI, is from the same little community as my husband, and also taught us both an English course at university. This book of essays and poems all relate to his hometown.

Here's the line, legitimately from page 123, but not the fifth sentence:

He began doing a mental census of the community , starting at the Midgell bridge and moving east along the highway. There was old Lester and then John and Mary MacAulay - their brother Archie marrying late, just escaped the fate by a whisker - and Ben and Joe and Marion MacInnis; he even counted in Leo and Tina Smith who, althought married, he figured were too late getting there to have children, and the same with Watson and his missus, and so forth. He had already counted two dozen bachelors and a dozen spinsters when he stopped.

This passage is from the story Jimmy Paddy Charlie, which refers to the habit of people in eastern PEI of calling people by their first name, followed by their father and grandfather's name, in order to keep straight family lines and people with the same last names. It's no wonder people knew who all were related in the oder days, they were called by three generations everyday.

I tag whoever wants to play, and especially anyone who hasn't done a meme before. This is an easy one to try for your first one.

MEME: Eva's Excellent Meme

It is cool to know where a meme started since this meme is an invention of Eva (A Striped Armchair). I've read many of these today; and I'm sure I will subconsciously take a few answers.


Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews? Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, and The Lord of the Rings

If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?
Bridget Jones to go clubbing with,
Henry Tilman (I just watched Northanger Abbey, swoon) to have snarky discussions with,
Ed Kennedy from I Am the Messenger, to play cards with and have a few drinks


(Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): you are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realise it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?
On the Road by Jack Kerouac or maybe Moby Dick, both of which I tried to read last year.

Come on, we’ve all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it?
I'm not embarrassed by any books I haven't read and will freely admit to it. Not only that, I publicly made a list of books I have no intention of reading: see here

As an addition to the last question, has there been a book that you really thought you had read, only to realise when you read a review about it/go to ‘reread’ it that you haven’t? Which book?
I get a few of John Irving's books mixed up, but I am more likely to forget I read a book until I start reading it, especially mystery series by prolific authors like Agatha Christie or Ed McBain or Anne Perry


You’re interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisor to some VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why? (if you feel like you’d have to know the person, go ahead of personalise the VIP)
Yann Martel is already doing this to Stephen Harper, but he doesn't seem to be getting anywhere.
Maybe The Giver, an easy book to read but with a big message.

A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?
I think I'd like Italian. I've read a few translated Italian books, especially Andrea Camilleri and Italo Calvino

A mischievious fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread one a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?
This Can't be Happening at MacDonald Hall by Gordon Korman, a book from my childhood. It's very funny and I could easily read it every year.


I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What’s one bookish thing you ‘discovered’ from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)?
Oh, so many new authors! And the dystopian genre was rather new to me as a genre.

I've read my first vampire books, another genre I was not aware of.


That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leatherbound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free.

Ooh, isn't this fun! First of all, the books don't have to be fancy and leatherbound, but a few special copies would be nice - The Stand, Anne of Green Gables, and Jane Eyre. I wouldn't worry about autographed works so much as complete works by an author. And, is it a magical library? So that, when I read a book by an author that I like, all of their books appear on the shelves. The DVD's of movies that have been made from books will also be there, to play on the big screen TV, discreetly hidden behind a painting.

A couple of big soft, winged back chair, a comfy couch, with a pile of blankets, a computer to keep up with my blogging readers and to hunt for more books, which appear on my shelves as I want them. Hardcover, trade paperbacks, mass market, it doens't matter that much. Availability is usually my issue.

I wasn't officially tagged, but I've been reading this everywhere and am possibly the last person to do this. I think it is pretty neat to be able to see where a meme started. I'm mentioning this and linking back to Eva, because I think she is having a draw. Aren't book bloggers just the best, most generous people? I think so.

BOOKING THROUGH THURSDAY: Huh?

What’s your favorite book that nobody else has heard of? You know, not Little Women or Huckleberry Finn, not the latest best-seller . . . whether they’ve read them or not, everybody “knows” those books. I’m talking about the best book that, when you tell people that you love it, they go, “Huh? Never heard of it?”

And, folks–Becca was nice enough to nominate Booking Through Thursday for a Blogger’s Choice Award–while you’re here, why don’t you head over and vote for us, too. Because, a vote for BTT is a vote for all of us who play each week!

I have mentioned this book here before, but it is one of my favorites: Random Passage by Bernice Morgan, and I may as well mention her newest book, Cloud of Bone as well. Both are Newfoundland books so may not be as well known outside of Atlantic Canada.

Farley Mowatt has a children's book Owls in the Family that I highly recommend to people with children.

I used to say Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, but it is a little better known these days. I think I would now include I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak in the category of a great book no one has heard of, but I know that our little blogosphere knows all about Zusak. And The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky was one of my favorite reads last year. Has anyone heard of it?

MEME: My House

kookie did it, then chris, now me! Are you next? go ahead, try it.

What kind of soap is in your shower right now? moonsnail soap , a local company that produces handmade soap, but it is just mine! The rest of them use what ever's on sale.

Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? in the winter?

What would you change about your living room? rip up this carpet and put down hardwood floors, hopefully this year.

Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? Dirty at the moment.

What is in your fridge? we got groceries last night, so lots of stuff! even cream cheese for bagels. And there are Coronitas, the little Coronas bottles.

White or wheat bread? whole wheat

What is on top of your refrigerator? bread machine, 6 boxes of cereal.

What color or design is on your shower curtain? purple and moss green

How many plants are in your home? a lovely collection of artificial plants. I let all my house plants die on my first maternity leave: I didn't think I could keep plants and children alive.

Is your bed made right now? why would I make it when I'm just going to get back in it tonight?

Comet or Soft Scrub? Comet, I guess. We don't use it much

Is your closet organized? to me. It might not look like it to someone else.

Can you describe your flashlight? We got 3 battery-less flashlights for Christmas this year, just wind, and go for 20 minutes. They are Duracell

Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home? Glass, but I have a collection of plastic/deck glasses that I use sometimes, and the kids definitely use plastic

Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? No, but we keep limeaid made up for Long Island iced tea

If you have a garage, is it cluttered? No garage, but I bet it would be cluttered, if my basement is any indication!

Curtains or blinds? Both

How many pillows do you sleep with? two

Do you sleep with any lights on at night? we each have a bed light, and it is left on if the other person hasn't gone to bed yet. When my eyes are closed, it is dark, so lights don't bother me.

How often do you vacuum? not often enough

Standard toothbrush or electric? I recently bought a Dora brush after I had my wisdom teeth out so I could reach the back of my mouth better

What color is your toothbrush? it has Dora the Explorer on it!

Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? I have a mat inside to catch the snow and mud.

What is in your oven right now? Nothing. I wish there was banana bread baking right now.

Is there anything under your bed? yikes; empty suitcase, scrapbooking materials waiting to be used, slippers, and dust bunnies-a-plenty

Chore you hate doing the most? dusting

What retro items are in your home? either everything or nothing

Do you have a separate room that you use as an office? we have no extra rooms in our little bungalow; the computer is in a corner of the living room

How many mirrors are in your home? 5

What color are your walls? sand - golden beige; bedrooms are all different

What does your home smell like right now? basketball sneakers?

Favorite candle scent? no particular favorite. vanilla maybe?

What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now? garlic baby dills

What color is your favorite Bible? no favorite

Ever been on your roof? not me, but last summer my husband had to get up on the roof in the middle of the night during a rain storm, natch, to fix a loose shingle. The rain dripped on his forehead in the middle of the night!

Do you own a stereo? not really, I have a little machine my Ipod fits onto that can play, and a cheap little CD player my daughter has appropriated for her room

How many TVs do you have? 2 that are plugged in, one for watching up stairs, one down for video games and the loser of the toss when there is football on.

How many house phones? 1 landline. no cell phones at all.

Do you have a housekeeper? nope

What style do you decorate in? cluttered country, with a dash of toys everywhere

Do you like solid colors or prints in furniture? both, a nice mix

Is there a smoke detector in your home? Two.

In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only could make one quick trip? the scrapbooks I made

MEME: 8 Random Facts About Me

I got tagged at Valentina's to do a random meme. Well, the meme isn't random, it is random facts about me. Eight, I believe, is the number I'm looking for.


1. I like curling. I'm Canadian, right? I really like watching it on TV- the Brier, the Scott, the Worlds. And to actually curl is so much fun. You have to love a sport that you can hold a beer while playing. And it isn't so difficult that I can't participate once a year in our teacher's bonspiel and look respectable. I must make it perfectly clear: I'm atrocious at it, horrible even, but it's fun to pretend I'm Colleen Jones out there, chomping my gum, and yelling, Hurry hard!


2. I've never owned a pet. My dad wouldn't let us when we were little, and now I don't need one more creature to look after, especially one that doesn't get more independent with every passing day. We are trying to grow Sea Monkeys, although I think they all just died.


3. I love Green Curry Chicken from our local Thai Take-out. Most Sundays, when the family decides it's a good night to eat out, my husband and kids all suggest Subway, which is my cue to call Leo and order my curry. So yummy, but no one else here likes it.


4. I teach at the same high school I attended. I'm not a big person for change in my life. I married the man I met at 19, and I live in the same community I grew up in. I won't even tell you how old some of my shoes are.

5. I love shoes! My favorite shoes are the customized flip flops I had made for my feet on Capri two summers ago. My sister and I got them together, and if they ever wear out, I will have to go back to Capri to get another pair!

6. I can't be too warm. Maybe, that day on Mykonos when we walked around all afternoon, and there wasn't much shade, that day may have been too hot, but generally, I am always cold. I always have a blanket on me, I wear mitts from September to May, and flannel sheets, ditto.

7. I have had high blood pressure since I was twenty, and take medication for it everyday. It's a family thing I guess, lots of stokes in the family.

8. I have to read before I go to sleep, even if it is only for a few minutes. It just doesn't feel right if I don't.

Anybody want to play?

MEME: Booking Through Thursday

May I Introduce...

1. How did you come across your favorite author(s)? Recommended by a friend? Stumbled across at a bookstore? A book given to you as a gift?
2. Was it love at first sight? Or did the love affair evolve over a long acquaintance?

It takes a while for me to add an author to my list as a favorite. It certainly takes more than one or two books. I would say I found my favorite authors when I was younger, and have loved so many of their books that I know I won't be disappointed.

My list includes Stephen King, LM Montgomery, Maeve Binchy, Agatha Christie, Anne Perry

They just have not let me down.

The contenders to make my list include: Douglas Coupland, Sophie Kinsella, Markus
Zusak, Charlaine Harris,

I found many of these authors this year, and I have loved their books, but I need to read some more before they can make my favorite's list.

So how do I find my favorite authors? I think they are somewhat popular and they write a lot of books. I can't remember where I first heard of them.

MEME: Booking Through Thursday

1. What fiction book (or books) would you nominate to be the best new book published in 2007?(Older books that you read for the first time in 2007 don’t count.)
2. What non-fiction book (or books) would you nominate to be the best new book published in 2007?(Older books that you read for the first time in 2007 don’t count.)
3. And, do “best of” lists influence your reading?

1. I am not usually on the cutting edge of literature; as someone else mentioned - I am too cheap to buy new books. But this year I managed to get a few new releases. I'm not exactly clear how to tell when a book was first published - I just sorted my librarything account by year, but some that came up 2007 I think were published earlier. Regardless, I have few that will fit this category. (I'm shocked I have read enough new releases to be able to pick a few.)

Best fiction of 2007: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling and Cloud of Bone by Bernice Morgan.
special mention: The Gum Thief by Douglas Coupland, the Gardella Vampire Chronicles

2. Best Nonfiction of 2007: Other Colours by Orhan Pamuk. OK, it was probably the only new release nonfiction I read, but it was good. I read a few from 2006 that were very good that felt like new books. 2006 wasn't that long ago.
special mention: Dispatches from the Edge by Anderson Cooper

3. I like to be abreast of new books, but the 'best of' lists put you a year behind. Since I've been reviewing books from a publisher, I am more current, getting new releases. I like to read the latest books, but I am not exclusive to the best of lists. They can be hit or miss.

MEME: Booking Through Thursday

Do you use any of the online book-cataloguing sites, like Library Thing or Shelfari? Why or why not? (Or . . . do you have absolutely no idea what I’m talking to?? (grin))
If not an online catalog, do you use any other method to catalog your book collection? Excel spreadsheets, index cards, a notebook, anything?

I use librarything, and I'm raidergirl3 there as well. I use it to catalogue the books I've read, and some of the books I want to read. I read a lot from the library, and this is a way to keep a record of those books as well. I am having fun there, and the forums are interesting and very specific at times - you can find someone who wants to talk about whatever you want about books if you look around enough. I didn't realize it had such an interactive component to it.

I bought my first online membership there, and it felt rather scandalous to pay to find pictures of the books I've read and to tag and catalogue what I've read. But for now, I am having fun, so why not?

MEME: Booking Through Thursday

This week’s question is suggested by Island Editions:
Do you have a favourite book, now out of print, that you would like to see become available again? (I have several…)

I don't know. I don't buy a lot of books; I've bought more in the past two years than I've most likely bought in my life. I've always been a library reader. And the library tends to have older editions of books, so I don't even know what books are out of print.

The only books I can think of would be the Bruno and Boots series, beginning with This Can't Be Happening at MacDonald Hall. But even those, I unpacked from the basement when my son was ready to read them. They are not readily available online as new books, but there are plenty at the library!

I have tried to buy some of the Noddy books by Enid Blyton a few years ago, and they are not easy to find, but they are also not politically correct, which is why they are not being reissued. We found a few when my son was little and the TV show was on CBC and PBS.

MEME: Reading Habits

I copied this meme from chris at book-a-rama by way of dewey . I'm not running out of things to blog about, but the middle of the week is a little tricky if I haven't finished a book recently.

1. Do you remember learning to read? How old were you?
I don't remember learning to read. I do remember trying to teach my 3 year old sister to read when I was six, in grade 1. If I knew how to read, she should learn too. I guess I've always tried to be a teacher.

2. What do you find most challenging to read?
Big thick books, Austen/Hawthorne/type writing, magic realism doesn't do much for me at all.

3. What are your library habits?
I keep a list of TBR at my library's online resource; I request books if I can; I used to browse and wander, but my reading is mapped out too far right now for impulse reads; I usually have at least one or two books out from the library

4. Have your library habits changed since you were younger?
I've always borrowed from the library.

5. How has blogging changed your reading life?
wow, that's a huge question! I never wrote reviews before, but I kept a list of books read for the past 8 years. Reading challenges are new this year, so I have expanded my reading genres quite a bit.

6. What percentage of your books do you get from: New book stores, second hand book stores, the library, online exchange sites, online retailers, other?
From my librarything data, I've read about 60% of my books this year from the library. The other 40% is about 20% on line retailers, 5% new book stores, 5% second hand book stores, and 10% borrowed from friends/received as gifts.

7. How often do you read a book and NOT review it in your blog? What are your reasons for not blogging about books?
I'm still pretty new, so I have blogged about every book I've read. Or have I? How will you know?

8. What are your pet peeves about ways people abuse books? Dogearing pages? Reading in the bath?
Oops, I dog-ear books, and I would read in the bath. I don't have any pet peeves like that. I don't like when people give away the ending when they review books, without a spoiler warning.
9. Do you ever read for pleasure at work?
Unfortunately, no. If I had a job with regular lunch hours, I might read then. But I have a library at work, and a librarian who believes the school library should have books for the teachers too, so she gets some with more adult content than just young adult. She keeps some books in her office for mature readers. so I may not read at work, but I get some books to read for pleasure at work. And bonus: no late fees.

10. When you give people books as gifts, how do you decide what to give them?
So much depends on the person. I have a good idea for my husband and children what they like to read, since I supply their books for the most part anyway. My mom would be trickier. She would probably request a book, or I would get her one from a series she is reading. My dad would be the same, but I would have an idea of an author he would like, and he would try anything to read. It gets tricky beyond that. I would have to have read the book already for the most part, unless they requested it.

MEME: Booking Through Thursday

Today’s question comes from Conspiracy-Girl:I’m still relatively new to this meme so I’m not sure if this has been asked yet, but I’m curious how many of us write notes in our books. Are you a Footprint Leaver or a Preservationist?

I don't write in books, but not for any noble reason. I've never been a writer in books, it wouldn't occur to me to write anything. Probably because we didn't buy many books when I was growing up. We were library people. I think I'm too scared to write in a book, but I wish I was a person who did write in books.

I actually enjoy getting library books that have been written in, I find it interesting to see what other people thought was interesting enough to underline or write in. My copy of Galileo's Daughter from the library had been studied, and was underlined and annotated; I wanted to keep it, and buy another book for the library to have.

I think I am neither a Footprint Leaver not a Preservationist.

MEME: Booking Through Thursday

Would you say that you read about the same amount now as when you were younger? More? Less? Why?

I read a lot more this year than I have in the past five years, definitely.

As a child though, I'm sure I read all the time. I remember getting piles from the library, and reading all the time, even after I was supposed to turn my light out, gasp! And seriously, for a long time, that was the baddest thing I ever did.

I think I changed in my teens, found more bad things to get into, and probably read less. I couldsn't let myself read in University, however, because if I started to read a book, I'd read until it was done. So I couldn't let myself read novels until summer break.

But as long as I can remember, I've always read. But never as much as this year.

MEME: Nearest Book

I've seen this meme a lot of places and I've always wanted to do it. So I am.

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
5. Don’t search around and look for the “coolest” book you can find. Do what’s actually next to you.

I had a little pile of books beside me and I couldn't pick one.

There was no tomorrow. - from Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho

"He's a pirate," said Kit, "a playhouse pirate." - from Cue for Treason by Geoffrey Trease

The sloughs were dry, their white beds glittering in the destroying heat. - from The Dog Who Wouldn't Be by Farley Mowatt

I am off to read the pile of mind-numbing 70 lab reports, which will all be essentially identical, some more identical than others. I would much rather be reading a good book.

MEME: Booking Through Thursday

Today’s suggestion is from Cereal Box Reader
I would enjoy reading a meme about people’s abandoned books. The books that you start but don’t finish say as much about you as the ones you actually read, sometimes because of the books themselves or because of the circumstances that prevent you from finishing. So . . . what books have you abandoned and why?

Like most readers, I seldom give up on a book. There have been a few I've considered giving up on, but as long as it's not a big, long book, I'll get through it. (I'm looking at you Picture of Dorian Gray) There have been a couple exceptions however, so horrendous and boring, that they make this list.

First, On the Road by Jack Kerouac. I tried, and kept hoping I would get what makes this book a classic. Nope. Just some slacker guys looking to score women and drugs and a free ride across the country. I couldn't even see a plot developing, just most stories of these loser guys. I looked at the last page as I was considering giving up, and it was more of the same. I tired the sparks notes, to read what all the hubbub was about. Didn't help. Terrible book.

I also remember reading The Fencing Master by Arturo Perez-Riverte. I think I had read another book by this author and liked it, but this one put me to sleep. I couldn't understand anything that was going on, and returned it to the library. I can't even remember what I didn't like about it, but, as the kids today say, it sucked.

I started The Hobbit twice when I was younger and couldn't get past the first page! The first page? It is loved by so many, so I may try again, the wisdom of age and all that, but I don't hold much hope.

I started Emma by Jane Austen earlier this year, and put it down, but I do attempt to try it again, when I have a month to read it, because Jane Austen is not very readable to me, and I want to give her another try. But she might make the DNF list as well.

MEME: Canadian Book Meme

Do you know your Giller from your Booker?
It's a Challenge and a Meme! How multipurpose is that?
Just copy and paste into your own blog, then highlight in red those you've read, highlight in blue authors you've read, just not that particular book, and leave the rest black.
I've bolded the ones I'm hoping to read in the Canadian Challenge. How many have you read?


Newfoundland and Labrador-
Cassie Brown- Death On The Ice (Non-fiction)
Lisa Moore- Open (Short Stories)
Lisa Moore- Alligator
Wayne Johnston- Colony of Unrequited Dreams
Al Pittman- Down By Jim Long’s Stage (Children’s poems)
Al Pittman- West Moon (play)
Harold Horwood- White Eskimo
Harold Horwood- Bartlett The Great Explorer (Non-fiction)
Michael Crummey- River Thieves
E. J. Pratt- Complete Poems (Poetry)
Mary Dalton- Merrybegot (Poetry)
Dillon Wallace- The Lure of The Labrador Wild
Kevin Major- Eh? To Zed (Children’s book)
Ted Russell- The Holdin’ Ground (play)
Percy Janes- House of Hate
Bud Davidge and Ian Wallace (Illustrator)- The Mummer’s Song (Children’s Book)
E. Annie Proulx- The Shipping News
Claire Mowat- Outport People (Non-fiction)
Donna Morrissey- Kit’s Law
Ken Babstock- Airstream Land Yacht (Poetry)
Bernice Morgan- Random Passage
Joan Clark- An Audience of Chairs
Earl B. Pilgrim- The Ghost of Ellen Dower
Dale Jarvis- Haunted Shores: True Ghost Stories of Newfoundland and Labrador
Paul Butler- Easton
Edward Riche- Rare Birds
Kenneth J. Harvey- The Town That Forgot How To Breathe


Prince Edward Island-
Lucy Maud Montgomery- Anne of Green Gables
Stompin’ Tom and Brenda Jones (Illustrator)- The Hockey Song (Children’s Book)
David Helwig- Saltsea
Michael Hennessey- The Betrayer
J. J. Steinfeld- Would You Hide Me? (Short Stories)
Anne Compton- Processional (Poetry)
Milton Acorn- I Shout Love and Other Poems (Poetry)


Nova Scotia-
Frank Parker Day- Rockbound
Alistair MacLeod- Island (Short Stories)
Alistair MacLeod- No Great Mischief
George Elliott Clarke- Whylah Falls (Poetry)
Anne Simpson- Loop (Poetry)
Alden Nolan- The Best Of (Poetry)
Hugh MacLennan- The Watch That Ends The Night
Thomas Chandler Haliburton- The Clockmaker
Ernest Buckler- The Mountain and the Valley
Ann-Marie MacDonald- Fall On Your Knees
Linden MacIntyre- Causeway (Non-fiction)


New Brunswick-
David Adams Richards- Mercy Among The Children
Charles G. D. Roberts- The Collected Poems (Poetry)
T. G. Roberts- The Red Feathers
Donna Allard- Minago Streets (Poetry)
Linda Hall- Black Ice
Elisabeth Harvor- Fortress Of Chairs


Quebec-
Mordecai Richler- Barney’s Version
Gabrielle Roy- The Tin Flute
Roch Carrier- The Hockey Sweater (Children’s Book)
Markoosie- Harpoon of the Hunter
Michel Tremblay- The Fat Woman Next Door Is Pregnant
Michel Tremblay- Forever Yours Marie-Lou (Play)
Saul Bellow- Humboldt’s Gift
Hubert Acquin- Next Episode
Heather O’Neill- Lullabies For Little Criminals
Gaetan Soucy- The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond Of Matches
Leonard Cohen- Beautiful Losers
Leonard Cohen- Let Us Compare Mythologies (Poetry)
Jacques Poulin- Volkswagen Blues
Yves Theriault- Agaguk
Mairuth Sarsfield- No Crystal Stair
Naomi Klein- No Logo (Non-fiction)
Irving Layton- Dance With Desire (Poems)
Stuart McLean- Stories From The Vinyl Café (Short Stories)
Yann Martel- Life of Pi
Romeo Dallaire- Shake Hands With The Devil (Non-fiction)
Gordon Korman- Island: Shipwreck (Young Adult)
Monique Proulx- The Heart Is An Involuntary Muscle


Ontario-
Margaret Atwood- Handmaid’s Tale
Robertson Davies- Fifth Business
Stephen Leacock- Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town (Short Stories)
Alice Munro- Who Do You Think You Are? (Short Stories)
Timothy Findley- The Wars
Jane Urquhart- The Stone Carvers
Barbara Gowdy- White Bone
Joan Barfoot- Luck
Dennis Lee- Alligator Pie (Children’s Poems)
Robert Munsch- The Paperbag Princess (Children’s Book)
Michael Ondaatje- In The Skin Of A Lion
Rohinton Mistry- A Fine Balance
Al Purdy- Beyond Remembering (Poetry)
Farley Mowat- Never Cry Wolf
Joseph Boyden- Three Day Road
Thomas King- Green Grass, Running Water
Austin Clarke- The Polished Hoe
Mary Lawson- Crow Lake
Matt Cohen- Elizabeth and After
Jon McCrae- In Flanders Fields (Poem)
Christian Bok- Eunoia (poetry)
Phoebe Gilman- Something From Nothing (Children’s Book)
Richard B. Wright- Clara Callan
M. G. Vassanji- The In-Between World of Vikram Lall
Vincent Lam- Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures (Short stories)
Barbara Reid- Two By Two (Children’s Book)
David Bezmozgis- Natasha and Other Stories (Short Stories)
Morley Callaghan- More Joy In Heaven
Helen Humphries- Afterimage
Gordon Downie- Coke Machine Glow (Poetry)
Anne Michaels- Fugitive Pieces
Frances Itani- Deafening


Manitoba-
Margaret Laurence- A Bird In The House (Short Stories)
Margaret Laurence- A Jest of God
Carol Shields- The Stone Diaries
Bill Richardson- Bachelor Brothers’ Bed and Breakfast
Miriam Toews- A Complicated Kindness
Tomson Highway- The Rez Sisters (Play)
David Bergen- The Time In Between


Saskatchewan-
Tim Lilburn- Kill-Site (Poetry)
Guy Vanderhaeghe- The Last Crossing
Guy Gavriel Kay- The Summer Tree
Sinclair Ross- As For Me and My House
W. O. Mitchell- Who Has Seen The Wind
Rudy Wiebe- The Temptations of Big Bear
Dianne Warren- Serpent In The Night Sky (play)
Sharon Butala- Lilac Moon (Non-fiction)
Paul Hiebert- Sarah Binks


Alberta-
Will Ferguson- Why I Hate Canadians (Nonfiction)
Earle Birney- One Muddy Hand (Poetry)
Thomas Wharton- Salamander
W. P. Kinsella- Shoeless Joe
Robert Kroetsch- The Studhorse Man
Katherine Govier- Three Views of Crystal Water
Christopher Wiseman- In John Updike’s Room (Poetry)
Anita Rau Badami- Can You Hear The Nightbird Call?


British Columbia-
Douglas Coupland- Generation X
Timothy Taylor- Stanley Park
Kenneth Oppel- Silverwing (Young Adult)
bpNichol- The Martyrology (Poetry)
Susan Musgrave- What The Small Day Cannot Hold (Poetry)
Michael Turner- Hard Core Logo
Joy Kogawa- Obasan
P.K. Page- Planet Earth (Poetry)
Anosh Irani- The Song of Kahunsha
Wayson Choy- The Jade Peony
John Gould- Kilter (Short stories)
Sheila Watson- The Double Hook
Gayla Reid- To Be There With You (Short stories)
Audrey Thomas- Coming Down From Wa
Kevin Chong- Baroque-a-Nova


Yukon-
Robert Service- The Best Of (Poetry)
Pierre Berton- The National Dream (Non-fiction)
Al Pope- Bad Latitudes
Dick North- The Mad Trapper of Rat River (Non-fiction)
Ted Harrison- Children of the Yukon (Children’s Book)
Pj Johnson- Rhymes of the Raven Lady (Poetry)
Jack London- Call of the Wild


Northwest Territories-
Mackay Jenkins- Bloody Falls of the Coppermine (nonfiction)
Richard Van Camp- Lesser Blessed
Robert Alexie- Pale Indian
Rene Fumoleau- Here I Sit (Poetry)
Steve Zipp- Yellowknife
Elizabeth Hay- Late Nights On Air
James Raffan- Emperor of The North (Non-fiction)


Nunavut-
Michael Kusugak- Hide and Sneak (Children’s book)
Michael Kusugak- Curse of the Shaman (Young Adult)
James Houston- The White Dawn
Kevin Patterson- Consumption
Tom Lowenstein (translator)/ Knud Rasmussen (compiled by)- Eskimo Poems (Poetry)
Pierre Berton- The Arctic Grail (nonfiction)
John Bennett and Susan Rowley (Editors and compilers) Uqalurait: An Oral History of Nunavut (Non-fiction)
Kenn Harper- Give Me My Father’s Body (Non-fiction)
Eric Wilson- The Inuk Mountie Adventure (Young Adult)
Robert Ruby- Unknown Shore (Non-fiction)

MEME: Booking Through Thursday

Do you have “issues” with too much profanity or overly explicit (ahem) “romantic” scenes in books? Or do you take them in stride? Have issues like these ever caused you to close a book? Or do you go looking for more exactly like them? (grin)



I don't have issues with profanity or 'romantic' scenes in books; I don't even notice them as objectionable. I could finish a book and not notice profanity at all; romantic scenes? They can be good sometimes. I know around work, we passed the "Scottish sex books" - Outlander series by Diana Gabaldron and the "prehistoric sex books" - The Clan of the Cave Bear books by Jean Auel, from person to person, so not only didn't I mind, I recommended.

I've always read books that were 'older' than I was. I can remember passing around Judy Blume's racy teenager book - Forever while in grade six, and I've been a huge Stephen King fan since I was a teenager, and he certainly doesn't edit his words.