This picture was taken by me earlier this month.

I needed to post something today so I don’t mess up on my blog goal.  However, in the words of Carl’s Jr, “Don’t bother me.  I’m [read]ing.”

I found this on It’s All About Books.  Suey found it from Booking Through Thursday.  It’s very similar to the last tag I did; but, it does have some different questions so I thought I’d join in.

What is your favorite childhood book?
I wasn’t much of a reader when I was a child.  However, I loved it when my dad would read My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett to me.  I also loved Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.

What are you reading right now?
I’m going through my reread of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  I’m almost done and then I’ll reread Catching Fire so I’m ready for Mockingjay on Tuesday! I know I’m cutting it close.

What books do you have on request at the library?
If I don’t have the money to buy a new release, then I’ll usually get on the wait list so I can read it.

Do you have any bad book habits?
I don’t think so.  I’m usually very nice to my books.  I guess you could count that if an atomic blast went off near me while I was reading and the fact that I wouldn’t notice it as a bad book/reading habit.

What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Nothing.

Do you have an e-reader?
No, but I’d like a Kindle.

Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once?
I read one book at a time.  However, because it’s taking me so long to get through The Fellowship of the Ring, I have put it aside to reread The Hunger Games.  But, I don’t read them concurrently.

Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Nope.  The only thing that has changed is how I review them.  I use to just say that I liked or didn’t like a book.  Now, I go into the details of why I like or don’t like a book.

What is your least favorite book you’ve read this year (so far)?
I haven’t read a lot this year, unfortunately.  But, I guess if I had to choose, it would be The Left-Handed Book by James T. deKay.  I didn’t hate it or anything; I just enjoyed the other books I’ve read more.

What is your favorite book you’ve read this year?
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater and Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Not very often, but I have been trying with The Lord of the Rings.

What is your reading comfort zone?
I love young adult (YA) because they’re clean.

Can you read on the bus?
I’ve never tried, but I can’t read in the car so I doubt it.  I can read on a sailboat, though.

Where is your favorite place to read?
The bathtub

What is your policy on book lending?
I’m very cautious with who’ll I’ll loan my books to.  And, I don’t loan my Twilight Saga books to anyone because they’re signed.  I also don’t loan my Harry Potter books to anyone because I experience separation anxiety.

Do you ever dog-ear books?
The thought repulses me!

Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
I did in The Hobbit because it’s a paperback version and I thought I was going to take a class this summer that would make me analyze the death out of it.  Prior to that, never.

Not even with textbooks?
Textbooks aren’t real books. Writing in them doesn’t count.

What is your favorite language to read in?
I’ve read a few books in Spanish and French, but it’s hard for me to follow sometimes.  I feel like a kid in grade school again.  I have much higher reading comprehension in English.

What makes you love a book?
A fantastic story, amazing characters, and good writing; however, most of the time, I do prefer story more than prose.

What will inspire you to recommend a book?
See the answer to the previous question.

What is your favorite genre?
I love YA, clean romance, fantasy, and mystery the most.

What genre do you rarely read (but wish you did)?
I’m not sure there’s an actual genre that encompasses all the classics, but I wish I read more classics.  I’m trying to implement a two classics per year rule.

What is your favorite biography?
Both of the biographies I’ve read (that weren’t mixed with fictional elements) were inspirational and I don’t think I can choose between them.  The first is The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.  And, the other is Night by Elie Wiesel.

Have you ever read a self-help book?
Yes, three: Body-for-Life by Bill Phillips, Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson MD, and Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard.

What is your favorite cookbook?
I don’t cook from a cookbook very often.  I normally cook from family recipes (if I cook at all).

Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Night by Elie Wiesel

What is your favorite reading snack?
I try not to eat when I read.  Otherwise, I’d overeat.

Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
I’ve never had a book ruined by hype before.

How often do you agree with critics about a book?
Not very often because they’re looking at literary elements and I primarily look at story.

How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I don’t mind at all.

If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
I have no desire to read in a foreign language, even though I love languages.

What is the most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen and The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

What is the most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
There are many.  I can’t name just one.

Who is your favorite Poet?
I don’t have a favorite poet.  I don’t like poetry because I don’t get it.

How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Two or three

How often have you returned a book to the library unread?
A few times only because I’ll renew the book so I can have more time.

Who is your favorite fictional character?
Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter series

Who is your favorite fictional villain?
Voldemort from the Harry Potter series

What books are you most likely to bring on vacation?
I’ll bring the current book I’m reading and the next in line.

What is the longest you’ve gone without reading?
If you count my childhood and the time I was in junior high and high school, then years.  If you count from the time I found my passion to read, then a couple of weeks.

Name a book that you could/would not finish.
The first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward and the first book in the Psy/Changelings series by Nalini Singh

What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
My husband ( ), the TV (sometimes), and loud noises

What is your favorite film adaptation of a novel?
This is a hard question because I’m very nit picky about movies that were books first, but I’d have to say the newest version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe because it followed the book so well.

Most disappointing film adaptation?
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

How much is the most you’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
If you don’t count textbooks, then around $100.

How often do you skim a book before reading it?
I only skim books that are too intense for me and I need to know if everything’s going to work out.  However, I force myself not to skim the last book in a series.  I want to be surprised from beginning to end, even if I’m hyperventilating during the entire process.

What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
The only reason I’ve stopped reading a book since I found my passion to read is extremely graphic sex.

Do you like to keep your books organized?
Yes, not only in physical form, but on the Internet too.

Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I keep them unless I didn’t enjoy the book.

Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Most of the paranormal romance novels that my friends read because they’re too racy.

Name a book that made you angry.
Only scenes in books have made me angry.  I’ve never had an entire book make me angry.

Name a book you didn’t expect to like but did.
Freshman for President by Ally Condie, My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter, and The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

Name a book that you expected to like but didn’t.
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.  It’s not that I didn’t like it; I was just disappointed by it.

What is your favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
The Twilight Saga and Harry Potter series

Yesterday, I had the chance to attend the evening portion of the A Book for Every Child charity event.  Before the event, my friends, Debbie and Emily, and I went to dinner at the Olive Garden.  It was so much fun to spend a little bit of time before hand with my friends.  I have to say that I haven’t had a craving for sweets since I started boot camp.  But, once those breadsticks came out, I really wanted one.  I knew if I ate one, I’d start and not stop.  I abstained and I’m very proud of myself for doing it.

At the charity event, we got to mingle with authors and see some more of our friends from other events we’ve been to.  I made a fool of myself in front of Brandon Mull and I even got to speak a little Spanish with Shannon Hale.  (My friend Brodi will post about how I made a fool of myself because I’m sure she’ll tell it best.  Look for it on her blog tomorrow or in the next week.) The evening was full of comedy both by the authors and Divine Comedy.  There also was an author panel in which the audience got to ask the authors questions about their favorite books, authors, the writing and publishing process, etc.

The auction was a great success.  There were so many things donated by the different authors and local businesses.  Many of them went over their retailed value.  Bree Despain donated her book The Dark Divine as well as an ARC of her new book The Lost Saint.  It went for $101.  Ally Condie donated an ARC of her new book Matched, and it went for $80.  I wanted to bid for both of those, but they were already too rich for my blood.  Someone even paid $500 to be killed fictionally. I think that would be cool.

After the event, Debbie, Emily, and I went to Spoon Me to get some frozen yogurt.  (I actually just ate my banana so I didn’t begin eating sugar again.)  We were joined by Tess Hilmo, Bree Despain, and Valynne Maetani.  We had a lot of fun making spooning jokes.  (We were helped out by the different advertising methods in the store–napkins, cups, etc.)

This week, I captured some interesting pictures again.  I really love the perspective shot and the shot just before it.

August 14: I noticed this pinwheel in one of my neighbor’s yards. I thought it would be a great picture because of the colors.	August 15: I thought I’d take another picture of some snapdragons since they’re my second favorite flower.  I love the color on these–so bright.
August 16: I was fiddling with my macro setting to get this picture of the leaf. I think it turned out pretty well.	August 17: This rusty fire hydrant is in the middle of nowhere, next to Provo river. I thought it was cool so I had to take its picture.
August 18: I wanted to show how small the little snails are compared to the adult snails. I think this photo shows that nicely, and I love how they’re both kind of looking at me.
August 19: Corey and I went over to our friends the Vigues’s house for dinner, and for dessert we had popsicles. No matter how many times Ali showed Henry how to hold the popsicle, he just wanted to hold the popsicle instead of the stick. It was super cute!	August 20: I donated blood for the second time. I’m a very slow bleeder. The technician told me they’re only allowed to keep the needle in your arm for 20 minutes, and if they don’t get a full pint, they can’t use it. I finished my pint with only five seconds to spare.

Here are this week’s questions:

1. What’s your favorite milkshake flavor?
2. What’s your favorite flower?
3. What’s your favorite candy/chocolate?
4. What’s your favorite cereal?
5. What’s your favorite chewing/bubble gum?

Here are my answers:

1. I like to mix chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla together so I have a Neapolitan shake.
2. Lilacs
3. Skittles, Starbursts, Mambas, strawberry Twizzlers, and almond roca
4. Shredded wheat, Crispix, Rice Crispies, Life, and Corn Chex
5. Orbit: sweetmint, strawberry mint, and citrus mint

*****

Friday’s Fab Five is a weekly event hosted by Froggy at Froggarita’s Bookcase. She asks five questions, which could or could not be book related, so that bloggers and their readers can get to know each other better. Participating can be as simple as answering the questions in the comments for this post. Or, it can be as intense as answering the questions by commenting on her blog, commenting on my blog, and posting about the event on your own blog. The only rule is that you can’t use the same answer twice.

While I’m waiting for Friday’s Fab Five to post, I thought I’d share a few videos.  If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I adore Simon’s Cat.  Thanks to my friend Ouisa, I have a new episode to show you.  And, while I was getting the embed code for it, I found two other episodes.