One Week Wrapped Up On Friday

Mailbox Monday

I got a big surprise in the mail not too long ago when a big box of books arrived on my doorstep. You can bet it did not take me long to rip open that box and see what was inside. I have also been fortunate to find a package here and there dropped off for me as well. A booklover can never have too many books! If you have read any of the listed books, let me know what you thought!

Testimony by Anita Shreve (thanks to Amy of The Sleepy Reader)
The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies
Anarchy and Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill
The Glass Devil by Helen Tursten
A Deadly Paradise by Grace Brophy
The Ruffian on the Stair by Gary Newman
Sun and the Shadow by Åke Edwardson
The Devil's Footprints by Amanda Stevens
Zoo Station by David Downing
Red Sea by E.A. Benedek (TLC Book Tour)
The Believers by Zoe Heller (Barnes and Noble First Look Program)
Hell Bent by William G. Tapply (LT Early Review Program)
Anathem by Neal Stephenson (gift for my husband--which, of course, I want to read too)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

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Wednesday Whine

Anything but secks, poloticks, and religin. How about spelling?

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I was parked by the sign telling you how far to Mesadale, but buckshot had chewed it up so bad you couldn't read it. Every time the sign went up the Prophet sent out an apostle to shoot it up. [excerpt from The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff]

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What was the last book you bought?

Imaginary Friends edited by John Marco and Martin H. Greenberg

Name a book you have read MORE than once:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?

No. Books have enhanced my life and taught me many things over the years. However, I cannot say one book has made a fundamental change in my life.

How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews

My decision to read a book always comes down to what the book is about. If the subject matter does not interest me, it isn't likely I will bother with it despite any praise or pretty cover the book may have. I often learn about books through reviews and recommendations and sometimes a review or two will sway me from my position on the fence when I'm not sure about a particular book. An attractive cover will certainly catch my eye, but it's what is inside that will determine whether I linger or pass it by.

Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?

I read and enjoy both, but my leaning has always been more towards fiction.

What’s more important in a novel - beautiful writing or a gripping plot?

I think they are both important. It also depends on the type of book it is. Some books are purposefully more plot oriented while others are more about the language. I enjoy both types of books--and those that combine those characteristics even better!

Most loved/memorable character (character/book):

Jane Eyre from Charlotte Bronte's novel with the same title.

Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?

Actually none at the moment. I do not keep books on my nightstand unless it's the book I set there after I do a little bedtime reading. Once morning comes, the book accompanies me to work, on any errands I may make or around the house. Tonight the book on my nightstand will be The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff.

What was the last book you’ve read, and when was it?

First Daughter by Eric Lustbader. I read it over the weekend.

Have you ever given up on a book half way in?

I imagine that I have at some point. I am not the kind of person who stops reading at a set page number, and so it is not something I pay close attention to. I probably give up on books a lot sooner than half way though more often than not though, if I do decide the book is not worth my time.

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1. One of the best concerts I ever saw that I really didn't think I'd like was Queensrÿche. (My husband's a big fan and so I treated him to a concert for Christmas one year.)

2. Orange peel chicken with jasmine rice is a meal I recently ordered that was delicious!

3. It's time for Anya to be spayed and have that little umbilical hernia fixed. (I dropped her off at the veterinarian's this morning.)

4. A day off from work is quite refreshing.

5. If I never hear the word perky again, it'll be too soon. (Someone asked me if I was having a bad day yesterday because I wasn't my usual "perky" self. I am not perky. Ever. I can't believe she thinks that. Ugh.)

6. To one side of the curving road was an empty bottle of booze, and on the other was a half circle of freshly picked flowers and prayer candles. (Don't drink and drive.)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to my brother-in-law coming into town for a visit, tomorrow my plans include picking up Anya from the vet and sorting the closests and Sunday, I want to catch up on this past week's TV shows and fit in some reading time!