Booking Through Thursday: Falling in Love

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Q:

Have you ever fallen in love with a fictional character? Who and what about them did you love?

A:

I love this question.  I thought I was a weirdo when I was reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower, one of my all-time favorite books, and I feel in love with the main character Charlie.

I loved everything about him.  His timid personality, his obsessive (but not obsessive stalkerish) personality, his intelligence, and I pictured him physically as my dream guy.

I always keep this book close to my heart.  Not only is the story amazing, but the author produced such a vivid and relateable protagonist that I did really end up falling for him, wishing the book would never end.

It’s odd how much you can connect with a fictional character; someone who will never actually exist.  But I did, and I love that this question was even brought up, because it means at least someone else has thought the same way.

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Has anyone else felt the same way?  Please let us know in the comment section below!

Happy Thursday All!

Booking Through Thursday: Book Blogs

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Q:

What do you look for when reading a book blog? Does the blogger have to read the same genre? Do you like reviews? Personal posts? Memes? Giveaways? What attracts you to a book blog?

A:

It’s hard for me to find a book blog that I follow regularly.  There are very few I really like since most of them focus around science-fiction, fantasy, paranormal, and Twilight-kind of books.  I’m more of a non-fiction reader, and still have yet to find a really good non-fiction based book blog.  If you know of any, let me know!

I also like book blogs that have memes – like Booking Through Thursday, of course! – and ones with good reviews.

Booking Through Thursday: Characters vs. Plots

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Q:

What’s more important to you? Real, three-dimensional, fleshed-out fascinating characters? Or an amazing, page-turning plot?

(Yes, I know, they are both important. But if you had to pick one as being more important than the other?)

A:

This is a hard question.

Both are extremely important for a well-written and enjoyable book, however if I had to choose just one, I would rather have an amazing page-turning plot.

For me, even with the best, three-dimensional, realistic characters, by the end of the story I start getting sick of them.  I don’t care how planned out, how constructed and believable they are, sometimes I will stop reading a book because I want to reach my hands inside the book’s pages and strangle the neck of the character for whatever reason.

With a page-turning plot, that never happens.  I don’t think I have ever complained about a good plot, a good climax; though I have complained about a good character and their idiotic actions.  A plot is what makes us keep reading, keep coming back for more, and without that, there would be no book.

So hands down, an amazing plot is more important than a fascinating character.

Booking Through Thursday: Mood Reading

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Q:

Do you find that your mood affects the things you read? Like, if you’re in a bad mood, do you tend to indulge in reading that will support it or do you try to read things that will cheer you up? Do you pick different types of books on dreary, rainy days than you do on bright sunny ones?

For that matter, does your mood color what you’re reading, so that a funny book isn’t so funny or a serious one not so deep?

A:

Actually, if I am in a bad, sad or pissy mood, I don’t want to read.  I know that should be a time when I should dive head first into a book and block my troubles out, but during those mood swings, my brain will not concentrate on anything but my problems and troubles.  So there has been times when I try to read a book to take my mind off of everything, and the next thing I know I’m 20 pages in and literally have no clue what I just read.  I space out, it’s normal.

I do love reading curled up with a hot tea on those cold, rainy days.  During those days, my mind is fully immersed in whatever book I’m reading, so I do try to choose a book that I will enjoy and one which has been on my TBR list for a while.  These are the days when I get some hardcore reading done!

And actually, if I’m in a happy, giggly, go-lucky mood, where everything is funny, a funny book is more likely to be 10X funnier for me.  If I’m in a depressed, I-hate-my-life mood, 10X more tears will be shed if I’m reading a sad book.  And if I’m very pensive that day, a serious or deep book will have me in deep thought even more.  So pretty much, if I read a book which matches my mood, my reaction to that book will be tenfold what it normally would be.

Booking Through Thursday: Thankful

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Q:

What book or author are you most thankful to have discovered?
Have you read everything they’ve written? Reread them?
Why do you appreciate them so much?

A:

I discovered a little book titled: The Perks of Being a Wallflower some many years back, maybe when I was 15 or so.  I randomly spotted it in a small store in Lexington, Michigan, and for some odd reason, I just had to have it.

That book turned out to become very special to me.  I have reread it numerous times, almost memorizing the words where I don’t necessarily need to be looking at the pages to know what’s going on.  The characters became very important in my life, and I would sit up at night “talking” to them as if they were my best friends.

I would like to say that the book changed my life, but I really don’t know if it did or not.  All I know is that it was one of my favorite books, still is, and will probably be a book I will pass down to my kids.

However, unfortunately, like Hollywood does with all good things, they are making a movie out of my favorite book.  You will not see me in any of the theaters watching that movie, though.  That book is too special and dear to me to ruin it with someone else’s images.  But please, if you see the movie, just promise me that you WILL read the book before seeing the film.

So, today, on Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my favorite book, The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  Thank you Stephen Chbosky, whom I have not read another book by, for writing this one special book and allowing me the pleasure of reading it.

Happy Thanksgiving Bookies!

Booking Through Thursday: Category

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Q:

Of the books you own, what’s the biggest category/genre?  Is this also the category that you actually read the most?

A:

I’m a huge non-fiction fan, so the biggest genre of books in my book shelf is non-fiction.

My books range from memoirs, autobiographies, biographies, real life animal stories, travel literature, a few “how to” books, and a couple manuals on picture taking and cameras.  

If you look through my shelf, you will find barely any fiction, though there is some.  Harry Potter takes up most of the fiction section, along with Stephen King.  Otherwise, my book shelf takes the place of the non-fiction part of a library.

Booking Through Thursday: E-Volution

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Q:

E-readers like the Kindle and iPad are sweeping the nation … do you have one? Do you like it? Do you find it changes your reading/buying habits? If you don’t have one, do you plan to?

A:

I do have an E-Reader.  It’s a Sony one, nothing special, but I received it as a present from my mommy for Christmas 2 years ago.

I do like it.  It’s easy to carry in my purse, I can have many books on hand at a time, and it makes for reading in the metro and train a whole lot easier.

My reading habits haven’t changed.   I actually haven’t really been using my E-Reader a whole lot lately.  I will probably use it more once school begins, but for now I’ve been reading good ol’ regular books.  When I am using my E-Reader, while it is easier to carry along, I do miss “real” books.  I miss holding them in my hands, turning the pages, and the smell of an old book.  These things I do miss.

I do recommend that everyone buy an E-Reader for travel and convenience.  However, for me, an E-Reader will never take the place of a favorite paperback or hardcover.

Booking Through Thursday: Harder

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Q:

All other things being equal, would you rather read a book that’s hard/challenging/rewarding or light/enjoyable/easy?

A:

Honestly, I don’t choose a book because it’s challenging or an easy read.  I choose a book because I’m either into the subject matter or because the cover is pretty.  :)

The only difficult books I have read were ones I was forced to read in school.  Why would I want to suffer through a book just because it’s challenging?  And besides, every book I read is rewarding in some way.

While I don’t consciously choose a hard book, sometimes I do choose an easy book either because A) I don’t have a lot of time to read, like if I’m on the metro or train and/or B) because my brain hurts but I’m bored and want something to do.  During those times, then I grab a small, enjoyable, easy to read book.

Booking Through Thursday: Hard

Booking Through Thursday

Q:

What’s the hardest/most challenging book you’ve ever read? Was it worth the effort? Did you read it by choice or was it an assignment/obligation?

A:

The most challenging reads for me were writings by none other than Shakespeare.

While one of my favorite high school classes was Brit Lit (not really because of the subject but more because my best friend was in it and because the teacher was awesome), I always struggled with understanding poems, stories and plays by Shakespeare.  Sometimes I felt like an idiot because I couldn’t understand where we were in the reading and what the hell was going on.  I especially felt stupid when dumb-as-a-rock jocks would understand what we were reading while me head swirled and my brain hurt.

Maybe it was the wording or the “words” – I swear he made up some words – he used, but whatever it was, we were forced to read it in school and I did not enjoy it.

Or, maybe, it’s not my fault at all that I can’t understand his writings, and it’s the fact that Shakespeare could have been a possible stoner and his words don’t make sense anyway!?

       

Booking Through Thursday: Vacation

Q:

Do your reading habits change when you’re on vacation? Do you read more? Do you indulge in lighter, fluffier books than you usually read? Do you save up special books so you’ll be able to spend real vacation time with them? Or do you just read the same old stuff, vacation or not?

A:

I always pack a book, or two, whenever I go on vacation, however, I never have time to read it!  When I’m vacationing with my family, there’s always something to do or something going on.  The time goes by so fast and before you know it, I’m on the plane going back home and haven’t even opened my book!

There are times however, when I vacation with calmer, less organized people, such as my sister and cousin or if it’s just my boyfriend and myself, then I will get some reading done.

I absolutely love reading on vacation.  I do usually tend to bring books I have been “saving” to read or I bring books that I have already read but are special to me in some way or another.  For example, every time I go to Florida, especially to the Keys, I must always bring my mermaid book which I bought in Key West when I was 15 years old and is very, very special to me.  That’s my Florida necessity.  Otherwise, any book I’ve been waiting to read goes with me on vacation.