BBAW: Me and My Reading Habits

Always a day late and a dollar short - that is me lately! This meme was yesterday's - but thought it would be fun anyway!

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
I love pretzels or popcorn - so I would have to say that yes, I occasionally snack while I read - Unless I am in bed!

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of
writing in books horrify you?
I don't usually write in books - more because I don't want to teach my kids to write in books, as they cannot always differentiate between what we own and what the library owns. . .

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?
Laying the book flat open?
I love bookmarks and have a ton to choose from. I will dog-ear a book though if there is a word on a page that I need to look up.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
I read both fiction and non-fiction - just depends upon my mood.

Hard copy or audiobooks?
I wish that I would have discovered audiobooks while I was working, as I could have used the distraction while in the car - Unfortunately, as much as I would like to listen to audio books now, my chances to do this are limited - so I am more a hard copy person.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you
able to put a book down at any point?
I really need to have ending points. I really hate it when and author writes really loooooong chapters.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
Nope - I dog-ear the page usually and look it up later.

What are you currently reading?
I am currently reading The Treasures of Venice, Millie's Fling, and In the Arms of Immortals.

What is the last book you bought?
I have absolutely no idea! I pick up a lot of books at library sales and garage sales...



Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can
you read more than one at a time?
I am currently reading 3 so I guess that covers this question!

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
Does the bathroom count? Just kidding - well, a little - I would love to have a favorite, but right now it is whenever I can grab a few minutes. I do enjoy sitting in the shade in the afternoon waiting for my son's bus and reading.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
I love books that are in series!

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
Not really - my favorite book is usually the one that I am currently reading!

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
My review books are organized in the order they need to be read - my "other" books are organized by author. When I was young I even went so far as to organize my books by publisher one day when I was bored.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week: Meet the Mom Behind Chronicle of an Infant Bibliophile

Welcome everyone! It has been very cool to see so many posts highlighting different blogs and books! I missed the kick-off yesterday where you were supposed to highlight different blogs that didn't make the short list. It seems like my world has exploded this month and I can't seem to get it together! Oh well - no stress - this blog is for fun!

I am interviewing Lynn from Chronicle of an Infant Bibliophile today.

Hi Lynn, and welcome to Books and Needlepoint! To start things out, tell us why you started blogging and how long you have been doing it.

I started blogging earlier this year. Our son has always loved books, and I thought it would be fun to keep track of all of the books he'd read, and to share his opinions about books with other parents. We have the whole list of books he's read (288 so far) in a list, with all of the reviews accessible by clicking on the title -- http://infantbibliophile.blogspot.com/2009/01/test_6425.html. I had also just moved to a new city where we knew almost no one, and was trying to entertain myself as a stay at home mom, so I found the blog was a nice creative outlet for me. It helped that typing is fairly quiet, and I blog during my son's naptime(s).

Let me tell you - Lynn's list is amazing. She also has it broken down in her sidebar into themes of the books - like dogs, cats, counting, etc - so if you are ever looking for a kid's book on a particular subject - this is definitely the blog to turn to!

This isn't the only blog that Lynn has though - so let's see if she will tell us about her other ones.

My favorite hobby before becoming a mother was quilting. I've toyed for years with the idea of starting a quilting blog. I gave it a try a few months ago, but decided I didn't have time for it, so I've set it to private for now. The other blog I created is called Crazy Allergy Mama (http://crazyallergymama.blogspot.com). It focuses on parenting a child with food allergies. My son is allergic to wheat, egg, milk, nuts, and sesame. I post there sporadically -- much less often that at Chronicle of an Infant Bibliophile.

I am impressed that anyone has time for more than one blog - but with a little one it is even more impressive. I would love to have a blog for just my needlework - but that ain't happenin'!

Outside of reading, what are your other hobbies? (I want to hear more about that quilting!)

I love quilting -- dreaming up quilts, shopping for fabric (especially that part), planning, cutting, piecing, and quilting. I love every stage in different ways. But I find it a challenge to fit the hobby into motherhood. My son loves to sit on my lap while I use the machine, actually, but it is hard to find the time to plan and cut the necessary fabric to be ready to sew together. Growing up, all of the women in my family were crafty, so I've also at different times done crocheting, knitting, scrapbooking, cross-stitching, and plenty of other crafts. My husband and I also love photography -- lately mostly of our little guy -- and games.

I have always dreamed about doing a quilt - but the worst part to me about any kind of sewing is cutting all the pieces out - and quilts have A LOT of pieces! You should combine photography with your quilting and make one of those memory quilts!

This was kind of an 'off-the-wall' question - but I was really curious! Why do you love the consonants B, D, M, N like it says in your profile?

The profile refers to my son (the "Infant Bibliophile"), who could only really say those consonants when he was first learning to talk. He's saying more and more words now, so the list of letters is growing. I guess I should update the profile!

Is this the first BBAW that you have participated in?

Yes, it is. I'm excited to be joining the fun!

I actually stole this last question from Lynn - it is one that she asked me and I thought it pertained very well to her! What were your favorite children's books when you were a child and/or what were your children's favorites?

As far as my favorite childhood books, some of the ones I remember are: The Monster at the End of This Book, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Call of the Wild, Curious George, Danny and the Dinosaur, Mr. Popper's Penguins, the Mouse and the Motorcycle, and the Ramona Quimby books.

My son, like yours, loves anything with transportation vehicles! He also loves to be quizzed about finding things, so Counting Colors, I-Spy, and Richard Scarry books are a big hit. But he enjoys a good picture book too.

Be sure to check out Lynn's blog - and add her to your blogroll!

I WAS NOMINATED!

I don't believe it! One of my wonderful readers nominated Books and Needlepoint for the Best Thriller/Mystery/Suspense/Crime Blog! I am so ecstatic to just have been nominated for something!!! I wasn't really around last year for this (started blogging in Aug of 2008) so I am just tickled! I really don't know what else to say except "VOTE FOR ME!"

( Best Thriller/Mystery/Suspense/Crime Blog – This blog features the best reviews and specialized content on the books that keep you up all night!)

It's Getting Closer: Sept 14-18!

Announcing the Second Annual Book Blogger Appreciation Week September 14-18, 2009

WHO Anyone who blogs about books is invited to participate. In fact, we want everyone who blogs about books and reading to be a part of this week!

WHAT A week where we come together, celebrate the contribution and hard work of book bloggers in promoting a culture of literacy, connecting readers to books and authors, and recogonizing the best among us with the Second Annual BBAW Awards. There will be special guest posts, daily blogging themes, and giveaways.

WHEN September 14-18, 2009

WHERE Here at the new Book Blogger Appreciation Week Blog! (Please note that this year there are three separate blogs and feeds—one for the main event, one for giveaways, and one for awards.)

WHY Because books matter. In a world full of options, the people talking about books pour hard work, time, energy, and money into creating a community around the written word. I, Amy, the founder of Book Blogger Appreciation Week love this community of bloggers and want to shower my appreciation on you!

If you would like to be a part of this week - please visit the Book Blogger Appreciation Week Blog for all the info!

I didn't participate last year - as I have only been blogging 1 year and 9 days as of today (I know - I missed my anniversary!) There is currently a meme going on for past participants and newbies - so here are my newbie questions!

1) What has been one of the highlights of blogging for you?
Meeting a ton of people who share my love of books and discovering new books and authors.

2) What blogger has helped you out with your blog by answering questions, linking to you, or inspiring you?
J.Kaye of J.Kaye's book blog - Her's was the first blog I remember following and she was a wealth of information. I think she gave me my first "award" also!

3) What one question do you have about BBAW that someone who participated last year could answer? I have no idea - I will probably have more questions after I have been through one!