It's the first of the month, which means it's time to put up my reading list for the month. Looks like this is the summer of YA lit -- there have been so many great releases recently that my to-read list has grown exponentially.
That's one of the reasons why I love Goodreads so much -- it makes it easy to mark books that I'm interested in reading. Then I can just move those titles to my Notepad feature on my iPhone, and I've got a handy list to take with me to the library or the bookstore. I used to jot titles down on scrap pieces of paper, but that was just a mess, most of the time.
I also love how easy Goodreads -- and the internet in general -- makes it to interact with my favorite authors. I'll never forget the first time I blogged about a book and the author stopped by to leave a comment. The book was As Simple As Snow by Gregory Galloway, and I was so excited I knocked my chair over. I'm geeky enough that talking to the people who write the books I love to read is akin to meeting a movie star or famous athlete or something along those lines. In other words, REALLY FREAKIN' COOL. Since then, I've gotten comments and emails from a number of writers, and it never fails to make my day. (Check out my book reviews index page to see the books I've reviewed recently.)
(a glimpse at one of the sets of bookshelves in my living room -- plus a poster of the cover of one of my favorite novels ever -- please ignore the ugly walls -- we rent and haven't repainted yet)
Do you use any kind of internet program to track your reading? I know there are other sites out there besides Goodreads -- do you use one of them? What do you like / dislike about it?
Are you on Goodreads? If so, are we friends? If we aren't, why not? (You can friend me by clicking on the Goodreads blinkie over in my sidebar -- that will take you to my profile, where you can leave me a friend request.) Feel free to leave me notes about books you think I'd like, or to ask me questions about books I've read. I love to talk about the books I've read; reading has been my favorite hobby (it even tops scrapbooking -- can you believe that?) for as long as I can remember. Since kindergarten, at least.
I've always read a lot. And I do mean A LOT. A minimum of an hour a day, usually more. I never really realized just how much I read until I started keeping track of it last year on Goodreads. There were some challenges going on, and one was to set a number and read that many books in one year. I set 200 as my goal, and fell short by only 3. This year, I aimed much lower because work was going to be much busier -- 96 is what I set, and I've already knocked out 63 books. Looks like I made up some time, eh?
There's no real set method to the books I choose to go on my reading list each month. Basically, I grab what looks most appealing from my bookshelves and stack those next to my bed. Those are the books I pull from each month. Of course, I get distracted at the library and check out others, so the list isn't really set in stone. But it does narrow down the options a little bit.
And there are definitely options. I buy lots of books. I guess some women shop for shoes or new clothes or purses or home furnishings. I buy books. I can't help it. Right now, I think we have 7 full bookshelves in our house, and those are only the books I either haven't read or want to keep. I take 20 or 25 books to the used bookstore every couple of months and trade them out for new titles. Guess that's just one of those things that defines me as a reader...here are some others:
WHEN AND WHERE: I always have a book with me. Right now I have one that stays in the car -- it's got a format that makes it good for little bits of time, while waiting in line, for example. I always carry the book I'm currently reading in my laptop bag or my purse. In fact, I don't buy purses if they aren't big enough to carry a book inside. At home, I read either in my chair (a big overstuffed recliner) or in my bed. At least once a week, I go to bed early, like around 8:00, with Cami, and I read until midnight or so.
HOW LONG: Like I said earlier, I always read for at least an hour each day. Normally that time is right before bed. Cami prefers that one of us still lie down with her, so she gets in bed with me and I read until she falls asleep. Then I'll get back up, work for a while, and go back to bed to read some more.
GENRES: I love YA literature -- if it has a teenaged protagonist, then chances are I'll enjoy it. I think that might be part of the reason why I loved teaching high school -- I just enjoy that age group so much. I also love fantasy -- but I'm not too big on the swords and sorcery stuff any more. I much prefer what's been termed "urban fiction" or "mythic fiction," where you take the real world and somehow Faery and magic find their way into it. I also like novels that retell myths or fairy tales, and I'm a fan of magic realism and speculative fiction too, in terms of genres. I also like nonfiction about architecture (Frank Lloyd Wright and the Arts and Crafts movement in particular), traveling, environmentalism, gardening, cooking, and anything craft-related.
FAVORITE AUTHORS: For YA lit, I think John Green, Laurie Halse Anderson, Marcus Zusak, and Scott Westerfeld are some of the best writers working in this field. For fantasy/speculative ficiton, I love Neil Gaiman, Tim Powers, Patricia McKillip, Jonathan Carroll, and Charles de Lint; these are the writers that I immediately go out and buy their new releases, in hardcover -- forget about waiting on the paperback version or even borrowing it from the library.
What about you? What are your reading habits? And finally -- I know, I know, what's with the questions today, huh? -- would any of you be interested in doing a reading round robin or some type of reading club? There are a number of YA series out right now that cross over into science fiction/fantasy that I'd love to get a reading group going for...any takers? Leave a comment and let me know!
(my favorite bookstore ever, City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco CA -- I get to go back in just a couple of weeks!)
ETA: Just saw this post by Blair about a related topic and thought I'd link to it for you. Enjoy!
I signed up for goodreads, but never used it..gotta look more deeply into it.
wouldn't say I'm into the YA..but I try to read one classic lit a year. This year I pulled out a Thomas Hardy book.
anyways, would be interested in a reading group..I've got a whole pile next to my bed!
Posted by: KarenSue | July 01, 2009 at 09:38 AM
I would LOVE to be in a reading group too. I wish I could make more time for reading as I love to read everything and anything. Love your post and pictures!
Posted by: renee lamb | July 01, 2009 at 10:41 AM
i used to love to read. I don't much anymore except with Bella. We read her little books for school and some from the library for her. I read blogs and the internet and the CC on the tv lol. I like your layout also :)
Posted by: Nancy Jones | July 01, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Seems like goodreads is a place to check out! My reading habits... I'm a complete bookworm with a passion for anything murder, spy, cynical, beautiful... I read whenever I get a chance, and sometimes I take an entire day when the world can go by unnoticed and I will read! LOVE Neil Gaiman!!
Posted by: Melissa | July 01, 2009 at 11:35 AM
I love that layout! That quote is fabulous! I am actually in the process of reading several children's books. I collect them and I want to read through every one of the Newbury award winners. It's something I 've always wanted to do, just never got around to it, so now I'm working on it! It's way fun!
Posted by: Jingle | July 01, 2009 at 01:34 PM
great layout-- great quote!
Posted by: Lisa Kisch | July 01, 2009 at 01:52 PM
I'm interested in a reading group too. I just friend-requested you on Goodreads. I LOVE going to a local bookstore on vacation! I was in Seattle this past weekend to run the Rock N Roll Half Marathon, and stumbled upon The Elliott Bay Book Company, which was AWESOME. I blogged about it here: http://www.listgirl.com/2009/06/seattle-day-2.html
Posted by: Christine | July 01, 2009 at 05:04 PM
Book shopping is the only type of shopping I enjoy but I've been making use of the library this year mainly due to space and finance restrictions. I'use goodreads too but my tbr pilke just seems to be getting bigger. I'll read anything but after quite a few years of reading a lot of fluff now that I the kids are a bit older I'm trying to read a few more classics. I've been a fan of the YA I've read.
Posted by: Melissa | July 02, 2009 at 12:57 AM