Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Books, Books and More Books

Two friends posted this meme on their blogs and I thought I would play along since my reading patterns have changed since becoming a pastor.

1. Favorite childhood book?
I loved Amelia Bedelia books, she was just crazy.  And a family favorite story, though I never saw it in a book till I was a teenager, was Icky-icky-stam-bo-no-so-ram-bo-holl-y-boll-y-bos-co-icky-non-newy-non-holly-rolly-tambo (or at least that is how I remember his name being said)
2. What are you reading right now?
For Fun: Gave up on The Zookeeper's Wife last night, don't know what I'll pick next
For Bible study: finished the book of Judges yesterday, so onto Ruth tonight.
Ministry related: UnChristian 

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Don't have anything requested at the library, I do have a bunch on my wishlist from PaperbackSwap

4. Bad book habit?
I'm an underliner, especially in ministry related books.  Often with notes in the margin.  I also buy more used books than I'm ever going to read.  

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Nothing currently from the library.  I only really use the library for audiobooks while on car trips. 

6. Do you have an e-reader?
nope, not sure if I want one either.  

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I used to be monogamous in my reading, other than school related reading.  But now I normally have one "fun" book (mainly novels) and one ministry related book going at a time.  

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Yep, see above.  I also have less time for reading.  Where I was working before being called to Bethlehem, I would read during breaks and when I was done with work for the day (it was a union job, when I was done with my job I just had to hang around until my work hours were up)
9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
My Horizontal Life.  I was so sick of Chelsea Handler's self obsession that I had to give up after 50 pages.  
I also gave up on The Shack, I just didn't get it.  
10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Toss up between The Seamstress and Honolulu.  Both great stories.
For ministry, I loved Take this Bread and Giving Generously

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Not too often.  I might read a ministry book in a field I'm not as interested in or a novel if someone highly recommends it.  
12. What is your reading comfort zone?
II love a good novel, especially something that is historical or seems timeless.  

13. Can you read on the bus?
Used to read all the time when I took the bus last year.  
14. Favorite place to read?
In my Adirondack chair or in bed. 
15. What is your policy on book lending?
When I'm done with a book I normally give it away.  Occasionally I ask for it to be returned, even more rarely has the book not been returned.   

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
Nope
17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
For ministry books or text books yes
18. Not even with text books?
Sometimes too much 

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English. 

20. What makes you love a book?
A good story with writing that flows well and characters that are realistic.  Or a book with information that I can take from it and directly apply to my ministry context or brings up issues that are thought provoking and bring an issue to a new light for me. 

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If I think the person will enjoy the story, it reminds me of them, or if I think it will be helpful to them.  

22. Favorite genre?
Memoirs, historical fiction, chick lit (for an easy read).  

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Science, religious fiction, 

24.Favorite biography?
Can't think of one off the top of my head.  
25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
Not really.  

26. Favorite cookbook?
How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, though I really want to get his "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" 

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Take this Bread

28. Favorite reading snack?
Friends don't let friends eat and read. 
29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
Eat, Pray, Love.  I thought the book was okay when I read it over a year ago but didn't get how excited people were for it.  Now with all the hype over the movie, it makes me like the book even more, because it just wasn't that great.  

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I tend to try to get books that are given between 3 & 5 stars on Amazon, sometimes I agree, sometimes I don't but I don't pay a lot of attention to that.  
31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
Most of the time if I don't like the book it is because of the writing not the plot.  Why shouldn't I be honest that the book was difficult to read?
32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
I have never thought about this before.  
33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
The Book of Concord, only because my professor was one of the translators and foremost Melanchthon scholar in the US.  I conversation with him would go like this:
You: I had a question about something on page 342
Him: (without looking at the book) Okay the Small Catechism...
You: The 3rd paragraph
Him: (again not looking at the book) So the Third Commandment, Luther's explanation... 


34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
I've had Dante's Inferno on the shelf for a few years that I have yet to pick up yet.  

35. Favorite Poet?
Dr. Suess

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
None, maybe one audio book.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
The main reason why I don't like libraries, you are on a deadline to return them. 

38. Favorite fictional character?
Amelia Bedelia, I also loved some of the characters in Uncle Tom's Cabin
39. Favorite fictional villain?
Probably the ones that aren't actually villains but seem like they should be, Professor Snape from the Harry Potter series is one such examples. 

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Something light, Jodi Picoult, Christopher Moore, Chick lit, or just whatever I'm reading at the moment. 

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
In recent years, maybe a few days, 
42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Just this year: America America, The Shack, The Zookeeper's Wife, My Horizontal Life.
43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
People talking, the dogs wanting to play. 
44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
I try not to watch movies based on books that I have read, I'm almost always disapointed.  

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
Walk to Remember!!!!!  It was called Walk to Remember because she wanted to walk down the same aisle her mom walked down for her wedding, and that is NEVER mentioned in the movie, in fact she didn't even walk down the aisle but was pushed in the wheelchair.  How can you base a movie on a book and never mention why the book/movie is titled what it is, especially when it is key to the plot.  Okay I'll get off my soapbox now. 
46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
For seminary books, probably $300 a semester, though I bought a lot of books used on line.  
47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
For ministry books, most of the time, especially if it is more research related.  I at least read the chapter titles in more of those books.  For novels or fun reading, hardly ever.  
48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Poor writing or just not connecting with the story.  
49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
In my office, the shelves are arranged by general topic.  At my home I have three shelves: The top shelf is ministry related, the left half read, the right half not read.   The middle shelf is all too be read and in random order, most of which are fun books.  The bottom shelf is mainly read, the left half to give away, the right half to keep, occasionally some of the not yet read books make there way down there.  

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
Fun books I almost always give away through Paperback Swap or I give to friends.  Ministry I mainly keep as long as I found the book useful in some way. 
51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Not really avoiding as much as not gotten to yet and not high up on the next to read list. 
52. Name a book that made you angry.
Some of the scenes in The Girl Who Played with Fire made me upset or disgusted mainly because I know scenes like that do occur.  
53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
The Seamstress, don't know why I didn't expect to like it, but I loved it. 
54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
The Zookeeper's Wife.  In all fairness I thought it was historical fiction, but it is more historical with some fiction thrown in to fill in the gaps.  But it was really distracting to be reading something that is written in a fictional way and then have "she later wrote in her diary about that moment stating..." or "some pictures from that time show him..."

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Christopher Moore - humorous, at times heretical, goofy reads that are completely for fun.  

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