I saw the Book Addiction Book Tag on Kristilyn’s blog and couldn’t pass it up. So grab a cup of your favorite drink and let’s do this!
What is the longest amount of time you can comfortably go without picking up a book?
I would say a day or two. When I’m really busy and don’t have a lot of time I try to read at least a page though. Or if I can’t pick up a book then I’ll page through a magazine.
How many books do you carry on your person (or kindle) at any one time?
If I know I’m going someplace that I’ll have to be waiting around (car appointment, doctor’s, etc.) then I try to carry a book. When I travel I rely on my Kindle as that has a lot more books but even so I take one book with me just in case.
Do you keep every book you buy/receive or are you happy to pass them on to make space for more?
I used to keep every book but now I only keep books that are either favorites and/or have a special meaning for me. For the most part once I’m done reading them they go to Half Price Books, friends, library, etc.
How long would you spend in a bookshop on a standard visit?
I try to spend at least an hour on ever visit but it’s usually a bit longer. I love grabbing a cup of coffee, checking out the new magazines and going to the mystery section, fiction and crafts.
How much time per day do you actually spend reading?
Not as much as I would like that’s for sure! As I’m in between jobs right now I do try to read a bit in the morning but typically I read at night before bed. I would say I spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour a day. On the weekends is when I get most of my reading done.
How many books do you reckon you own in total (including e-books).
I think the last time I counted I had closed to 1,000 books? Unfortunately I haven’t maintained my database up to date with the books that have come in or out. And, Kindle books it’s probably around 600. Yikes. What am I doing requesting more ARCS?! This is why I take library brakes every once in a while so I can focus on my books but I probably need to do a year-long break to make any impact!
Approximately how often do you bring up books in conversation?
Quite often! I talk about books with my husband, my mom, and my closest friends.
What is the biggest book (page count) you have finished reading?
I tend not to read very big books. I wish I did because there are some long novels that I would love to read one day but just not right now. So it’s been a while since I’ve read a long book but it must be Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett which my copy was 816 pages.
A book you struggled to finish but refused to DNF?
I tend to DNF books pretty easily now but way back when I used to not give up so easily I would have said One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I am a big fan of Gabo but this book was not my favorite. What kept me going was the fact that I just couldn’t believe I would give up on one of his books!
What are 3 of your main book goals for 2018?
Read more international literature, enjoy my books, discover new authors.
Have you ever had the privilege of converting someone into a reader (maybe via inspiration or incessant nagging)?
I’ve tried and I think I have certainly influenced a couple of people. I have very fond memories of taking one of my little cousins on bookstore visits when she was a tween. We’d visit Borders, grab tons of magazines and get some treats from the cafe. I loved seeing her pull out a little notebook (what I do all the time!) and she’d make notes of books she wanted to get and authors to check out later at the library. She’s still a reader and now it’s fun to see her little ones are becoming bookworms too. When I was in Monterrey last Fall we all went to the book fair and her little boys really enjoyed choosing books!
Describe what books mean to you in five words?
Comfort, adventure, imagination, enrichment, pleasure.
So what do you think? Want to play, then tag you are it! Let me know if you do this as I would love to read your answers.
This is nice. I’ll think about doing it at some point perhaps. Reading is really necessary to me. Diving into a story is comfort and also a sort of vacation for the mind. Now that I listen to a lot of books, I’m ‘reading’ throughout my day. I’ve become really addicted to it, which I don’t consider a negative addiction at all. Sweet story about you and your cousin.
Interesting! I rarely go a day without reading, but I divide my time into brief ten to 15 minute breaks in normal activities and hours in the evening. When I get really interested, I can sit down at 7:00 and be surprised that it is suddenly 10:00.
My college roommate was not a reader, but became one when I shared books with her; my daughters are also readers. Not so much influence on my husband though!
I also request review books even though I have a TON of books that I already own and need to read. lol. I love that you persevered through One Hundred Years of Solitude – I hated that book! Everyone had the same name and it was just so boring. Not my idea of a fun classic. lol. I spend a lot of my free time reading, mainly because with my kids I don’t get a lot of free time!
Really enjoyed your answers! I think the most I can manage is one day without reading then I start to feel wrong so I almost always manage to read something every day even if it is only for five minutes!
Fun post! Like you, I used to keep every book I read, but now I only keep my absolute favorites. If we ever go fulltime in the RV, I’ll have to figure out what to do with my books. Probably put them in storage!
Very fun post! My biggest bookish conversion story was when I convinced a 5th grader to try a Ruth Chew book, which she ended up loving; she then went on to read ALL of Chew’s other books, and even convinced some of her friends to try them, too. It was a great moment. 🙂
Kay – A vacation of the mind is exactly it. Sometimes when you are so stressed out about life, the thought that you can escape in the pages of a book for a while is really a nice reprieve isn’t it?
Jenclair – I love it when I can spend hours reading but it rarely happens. I should learn to take advantage of shorter time periods though and maybe I would make more progress! haha.
Kristilyn – It was so hard for me to accept that I didn’t like that book because GMM is one of my favorites! So glad you shared the tag with us. Really enjoyed doing it!
Stefanie – I know right? I feel like if I haven’t read at least a page then something is wrong! haha…
Les in OR – Oh goodness, can you imagine what you’d have to do with your books? I often wonder if my husband and I move for retirement what will we do with all of our books too!
Lark – That’s awesome! Being able to be a good influence on young readers is great 🙂
That’s a fun book tag and I enjoyed reading your answers, Iliana. Someday I’ll probably play this if the mood calls for it. 🙂
That is wonderful that you helped foster a love of reading in your cousins. I am still trying with my daughter but it’s a work in progress. LOL
I enjoyed reading your answers, Iliana. What a fun meme!