Amanda asked “What about you?” so I’m answering.
Reading Memories
20 Years Ago: (age 8 )
Ahhh, the year my daddy died. And Laura Ingalls Wilder and Judy Blume saved my life. I devoured both and lots and lots more in my vain effort to just not think about who was missing and how much I missed him.
10 Years Ago: (age 18)
I had just started dating Aaron. Don’t remember much about what I was reading; except school work. I do remember it was this year I was introduced to The Education of Little Tree, Of Mice and Men, and Tess of the D’Ubervilles, which remain favorites. I really should reread Tess.
5 Years Ago: (age 23)
Well into my first year of marriage and my first year of 40-hour-a-week working life, I was struggling to learn how to balance reading and married life. I succeeded because I read over 70 books that near. I read Chocolat and Blackberry Wine (my favorite by far, by Harris) for the first time, as well as The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay which I LOVED. Also met Alice Munroe for the first time. And most important was introduced to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, probably my favorite book ever (Behind the Princess Bride, of course). I also joined my first online book club, of which I am still a member.
3 Years ago: (age 25)
Ahhhh, I wasn’t reading much this year. I spent the majority of it pregnant and then had a new born to contend with. I read 31 books this year. BUT, I read some good ones. Highlights include Silk by Alessandro Baricco, The Time Traveler’s Wife, The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons by Brown, and the hugest book I’ve yet encountered The Autobiography of Henry VIII with notes by his fool, Will Somers by Margaret George. I clearly remember sitting in my living room, breastfeeding my girl and propping a book up with the other arm…usually across her belly. She didn’t seem to mind.
Last Year: (age 27)
Was a hard year. My grandmother died in October, which was a very hard blow. The woman who raised me, clothed me, fed me, and taught me how to read was taken, unexpectedly and I reeled. My mother, who didn’t raise me and very little to do with me for most of my life and come back into my life, with terminal cancer. She would later pass away in January of this year. I read voraciously in response to all the stress, reading 10 books in practically one month. And most of them weren’t small. Notable books; The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (Amanda, saw this is going to be made into a movie!!!), my first Joyce Carol Oates – The Falls, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (my current favorite YA book), and Blackbird House, a delicious book by Alice Hoffman. I also reached my personal goal of reading 52 books in the year.
This Month: (age 28)
Has been okay. Was forced to reexamine the loss of my mothers when celebrating Mother’s Day, but it was okay. My reading has also significantly slowed down, finally, as I knew it would eventually. I’ve read 3 books and am well into my 4th, with Labrynith taking up a lot of my time. Which is great, because I am totally loving it. It’s late going back to the library, but I can’t stop. At $50 a day, it’s costly, but well worth it.
Booking some more
3 Favorite Reading Locations:
Bath.
Bed.
On porch.
3 Reading habits:
Can not put a book down open. I HATE bended spines.Have to remove all the tape from the cover (my library tapes your name to your holds and they never get all the tape off. Drives me insane!!!!)
Frequently hug books. Not sure why.
3 Things that distract me:
Kid
Stupid hubby questions
Little else. I am very good at tuning out everything. Hubby frequently has to call my name at least 3 times to get my attention. I can read with the TV on. I can read with music on.
3 Characters I’d love to be:
Francie from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Meggie from Inkheart
Jenny from Harry Potter
3 Three Characters I despise:
Capricorn from Inkheart
Voldemort from Harry Potter
3 Favorite Book Beverages:
Caramel Mochachino from B&N
Dr. Pepper
Hot chocolate mixed with regular coffee
3 Favorite bookmarks:
The beautiful one Ellie made me for Mother’s Day at church. Awwwwww.
A postcard Andi sent me of a book with wings, it’s so beautiful
A card Amanda sent me with my birthday present. I want to get it laminated. It is so cool.
3 Dead Writers I’d love to meet:
Flannery O’Connor
Eudora Welty
Angela Carter
3 Alive Writers I’d love to meet:
JK Rowling so I can tell her off for…oops, read the books! And pick her brain for the ending as well
Joyce Carol Oates
William Goldman
So…now…what about YOU?
I am positively DYING to see the one with Colin Firth, so much so that I will submit to the temptation to drive all the way to Target (all of 10 minutes haha) on my lunch hour, praying that they have it. 
