Do you use any of the online book-cataloguing sites, like Library Thing or Shelfari? Why or why not? (Or . . . do you have absolutely no idea what I’m talking to?? (grin))

If not an online catalog, do you use any other method to catalog your book collection? Excel spreadsheets, index cards, a notebook, anything?

Oh yeah.  I use LibraryThing all right.  I can't get enough of it!  I've been a member since October, 2006.  As it says in my LT profile, my library consists of books I've read or plan to read.  I use tags to track when I read the book, or if it's a TBR.  I also use tagging to indicate prize winners, or if I read the book as part of a reading challenge, etc.  I don't own all of the books in my catalog, and there are many books in my home that I haven't catalogued.  I started building my catalog with books I'd read in 2006, books I'd swapped through Paperbackswap, and books sitting on the shelves at home.  As of this writing, I have 256 books catalogued, and I have a widget on my sidebar that displays random books from my library every time you visit my blog.

Although I adore making and managing lists, for me LT is much more than that.  It's a great source for discovering new books and authors, both through reviews posted by LT members, and through the numerous discussion forums about books and reading.  I have met many very interesting people, and read works I never would have discovered otherwise.  If I'm forced to go for a day without popping into LibraryThing, I start to experience withdrawal symptoms!

Suggested by Marsha:

Buy a Friend a Book Week is October 1-7 (as well as the first weeks of January, April, and July). During this week, you’re encouraged to buy a friend a book for no good reason. Not for their birthday, not because it’s a holiday, not to cheer them up–just because it’s a book.

What book would you choose to give to a friend and why?

On the one hand, it depends on the friend.  I would choose a book that I liked, which I thought they would also like.  Some might like a classic, like Pride and Prejudice or Grapes of Wrath.  Others might like something light, like one of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels.

On the other hand, sometimes you enjoy a book so much that you feel like you simply must foist it on someone immediately.  I did just that with Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader.  I loved it (read my review here), and I knew instantly that my friend Claudia would enjoy it as much as I had.  I wasn't willing to wait for Buy a Friend a Book Week !!

There was a widely bruited-about statistic reported last week, stating that 1 in 4 Americans did not read a single book last year. Clearly, we don’t fall into that category, but . . . how many of our friends do? Do you have friends/family who read as much as you do? Or are you the only person you know who has a serious reading habit?

Readers tend to find one another, don't you think?  I was very surprised by this statistic because, while not all my friends are "addicted" readers, almost everyone I enjoy spending time with also enjoys books and reading.  I have also found that colleagues at work who are book lovers, and they are the ones I gravitate to when it comes to lunchtime or "water cooler conversation."

Of course I'm just talking about my face-to-face relationships here.  I have made lots of online friends through LibraryThing, various Yahoo reading groups, and the blogosphere!

Using a suggestion from Erin today:

When growing up did your family share your love of books? If so, did one person get you into reading? And, do you have any family-oriented memories with books and reading? (Family trips to bookstore, reading the same book as a sibling or parent, etc.)

I learned to read in kindergarten.  We were living in Germany at the time, and I attended an international school.  I also vaguely remember doing some at-home activities to prepare me for first grade in the US.  I ended up being ahead of my first-grade classmates and, rather than participating in a reading group, I was  assigned independent work.  I was actually embarrassed at being singled out this way (I felt different enough just being the new kid ...).

My mother was a voracious reader when I was growing up.  She had "her chair" in our living room, with books piled around it and reading glasses always close at hand.  (Hmm ... a bit like a spot in my family room today!)  She always had a book going, and so did I.  I loved the library, and as a teenager was allowed to ride my bike there on my own.  This was in the 1970s (egads, I'm old), and the "young adult" genre was not what it is today.  But in our library system, I qualified for a "special" library card that allowed me to check out certain books from the general fiction shelves (presumably screened for content, like a PG-13 movie!)

For many years, conversations with my mother always worked around to "so, what are you reading?" Now she's much more into quilting than books, but the internet and my own daughters provide plenty of literary conversation!

One book at a time? Or more than one? If more, are they different types/genres? Or similar?
(We’re talking recreational reading, here—books for work or school don’t really count since they’re not optional.)

I am very much a "one at a time" person.  If I'm enjoying a book, I get caught up in it and would have a hard time setting it aside for something else.  If I'm not enjoying it, then I set it aside for good.  I also like the satisfaction of finishing a book and moving on to the next (a trait closely related to enjoyment of list-making ... )

Booking Through Thursday

1. Okay, love him or loathe him, you’d have to live under a rock not to know that J.K. Rowling’s final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, comes out on Saturday… Are you going to read it?
2. If so, right away? Or just, you know, eventually, when you get around to it? Are you attending any of the midnight parties?
3. If you’re not going to read it, why not?
4. And, for the record… what do you think? Will Harry survive the series? What are you most looking forward to?

I am absolutely going to read it.  I have read all of the books in the series, and anxiously await each release.  Usually I pre-order the book, but this being the last one, my older daughter (who is a rabid fan) really wanted to attend a midnight party at our local Borders.  I'm not much for crowds, or for staying up late, so I could live without it but the kids need an adult chaperone ... and that' s me.  My daughter also gets first crack at the book so I will need to wait until she's finished.  Which probably won't take long!

I really hope Harry survives.  I cannot imagine the series ending on a sad note.  I would also like to find out the truth about Snape, whether he's a good guy or a bad guy.  And finally, I'm wondering whether Harry or Ron will end up in a romantic relationship with Hermione.

After writing this, I'm just a teensy bit more excited about the midnight party!

What, in your opinion, is the (mythical) Great American Novel? At least to date. A “classic,” or a current one–either would be fine. Mark Twain? J.D. Salinger? F. Scott Fitzgerald? Stephen King? Laura Ingalls Wilder?  It doesn’t have to be your favorite book, mind you. “Citizen Kane” may be the “best” film, and I concede its merits, but it’s not my favorite. You don’t have to love something to know that it’s good.

John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath is his most controversial work, describing one family's journey from Oklahoma to California, in search of a livelihood and more properous times.  The journey is a difficult one, and they encounter hate, violence and prejudice.   This strikes me as a "great American novel" in that the themes of westward journeys and prejudice are deeply rooted in American history and culture.

John Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1962, and in his acceptance speech said, "The ancient commission of the writer has not changed. He is charged with exposing our many grievous faults and failures, with dredging up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams for the purpose of improvement."  Grapes of Wrath was written in the hopes of inspiring such improvement in the American people.

Today’s question is suggested by Carrie.

What’s the most desperate thing you’ve read because it was the only available reading material?
If it was longer than a cereal box or an advertisement, did it turn out to be worth your while? 

My TBR pile is never-ending, so if I'm at home I can always find something to read.  This problem is most likely to come up when I am waiting ... in line, at a doctor's office, kids' music lessons, airport, etc.  Usually I try to think about this in advance and be prepared with a book.  When I travel, I take more books with me than I could possibly finish, just in case.  But yes, there are times when I am unprepared.  One such example was when I bought a car a couple months ago.  When I went to pick it up, I thought I'd be in and out of there quickly.  (What was I thinking?  This was a car dealership!).  I was stuck reading back issues of People Magazine in the lounge.  Some people might enjoy that, but I really, really, hate People Magazine.  It was torture, but better than staring at all the other people in the waiting area.

1. Do you have any old school books? Did you keep yours from college? Old textbooks from garage sales? Old workbooks from classes gone by?
2. How about your old notes, exams, papers? Do you save them? Or have they long since gone to the great Locker-in-the-sky?

I am not a pack rat. I haven't saved any of that stuff. I went to college in the early 1980s, and studied Computer Science. My text books could probably be in a museum. I do wish I'd saved my World Literature anthology ...

I do have a chest of drawers full of my kids' schoolwork. It started with the truly precious things I wanted to keep and has turned into a junk drawer which just the other day I realized was ready for its annual purge ...

Booking Through Thursday

1. Do you cheat and peek ahead at the end of your books? Or do you resolutely read in sequence, as the author intended?
2. And, if you don’t peek, do you ever feel tempted?

During the course of reading a book, I often flip to the end, but not to "cheat".  I like to know how many pages I have left, or how many chapters.  Or, how many pages to go in the current chapter.  You might think this would happen only when I'm bored with a book and wishing it would end, but no.  I just want to know, even for books that I wish would never end.

I never, ever, ever actually read the end of a book first.  Horrors!

• Do you read e-Books?
• If so, how? On your computer, or a PDA?
• Or are you a paper purist? Why?

I've never thought of myself as a "paper purist," but maybe I am ... I find this disturbing because I work in IT and generally love the cool things technology has done for our lives (iPods, mobile phones, online shopping, online library catalog request systems, Google maps ... and even mundane things like thermostats that automatically adjust the temperature 1 hour before you get up on a wintry morning).  But I digress.  

So I'm not a luddite, but I'm somewhat ashamed to say I don't read e-Books.  The PDA is just too small a form-factor for me, and sitting at my computer isn't as nice as curling up on a comfy sofa next to a large, warm, dog.  I even still subscribe to a daily newspaper, because I like the tactile nature of the broadsheets, spreading them out all over the breakfast table, and stumbling across interesting articles I never would have found through clicks.

Where DON’T you read??
1. At the dinner table, because that's family time.  No TV there, either.
2. While driving a car.
3. In the bathroom (in my experience this is a "gender thing"!)
4. Anywhere the book could get damaged (like in the rain, but then I would probably go indoors!)

This is a short list!

Booking through Thursday has a great-looking new site!  This week's question:

No, not THAT kind of R.I.P.

Reading. In. Public.

Do you do it? Why or why not?
Sure, I'll read in public, mostly to pass the time when I'm waiting:  in doctor's offices, while #1 daughter takes her music lessons, in parking lots waiting to pick up one of the kids from an activity, on the beach, in the library (!!).  I know of people who always have a book in their handbag; I'm not quite that organized but often wish I were!

• Does what you read vary by the season? For instance, Do you read different kinds of books in the summer than the winter? I don't think it varies much; however, when I'm away on vacation I tend to bring lighter fare.  When I was in high school I remember leaving for vacation on a Shakespeare kick, and finding myself reading Julius Caesar while sunning on the beach.  I realized it really didn't fit my mood or the setting (!!), so now I try to make more "intentional" choices when I'm going to be travelling.  Long flights demand books I can get lost in.  Vacations require something interesting, but that I won't mind putting down because chances are, we'll be out & about doing other things most of the day.

• If so, do you break it down by genre, length of book, or...?   Length is not usually an issue for me, but I might choose a different genre for those lighter reads I mentioned above.  On vacations I tend to read contemporary fiction and stay away from nonfiction.
  

This week's Booking through Thursday question is designed to relieve our collective guilt:
Okay, there must be something you read that's a guilty pleasure . . . a Harlequin romance stashed under the mattress. A cheesy sci-fi book tucked in the back of the freezer. A celebrity biography, a phoned-in Western . . . something that you'd really rather not be spotted reading. Even just a novel if you're a die-hard non-fiction fan. Come on, confess. We won't hold it against you! 

I admit it, I am a bit of a reading snob.  I like to read award-winning books and authors.  But yes, I have a "guilty pleasure" and it's Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum mystery series.  I first heard about these from two friends at work, and dismissed them out of hand.  But something, not sure what, made me try one of them.  And to my surprise, I loved it!!  The characters in these books are well developed and the mystery is not obvious.  And what's more, these books are very funny.  I've read two, and plan to read the rest of the series, picking one up as a diversion, or a vacation read.

There, I feel better for having confessed...

Here's this week's thought-provoker on Booking Through Thursday :
Have you ever missed an important appointment because you have become so engrossed in a book you forgot the time or were up so late reading that you didn't wake up in time? Been late to work because you couldn't resist the temptation and left the house too late? 

We all have character traits we'd like to change, right?  For me it's my slavish devotion to schedules.  I am compulsively punctual.  I really wish I had the ability to get totally lost in something and forget about my next commitment!  I am fortunate to be married to someone who is more spontaneous, and follows his heart rather than a timetable.  That helps ...

I also am a morning person, so although I read every night before going to bed, I'm not likely to stay up too late.  However, if I stop reading at a particularly interesting point in the book, I will often take the book with me on the treadmill the next morning.  The workout is not as intense, but just as satisfying!

So in a word, my answer to this week's question is, "no."  :-)

1. Just out of curiosity, as we enter into Passover and Easter season... have you ever read the Bible? Just the odd chapter or Psalm? The whole thing? (Or, almost the whole thing? It's some heavy reading, of course, and those "begats" get kind of tedious.)
   • I've read parts of the Bible, but never the entire work.  Many years ago I started, but did not finish, a course at my church that involved reading the Bible from beginning to end.  This was interesting because I developed a deeper understanding of the historical aspect (i.e.; the Israelites, and Jesus' lineage), and the prophets.   
   • More recently I've focused on the New Testament.  I am fascinated by how the gospels came into being -- who wrote them, when they wrote them, the sources they used, the similarities and differences between each gospel, and why these specific works were chosen for inclusion in the canon. 
   • I don't spend a lot of time reading the Bible on my own; most of my exposure comes through the lectionary readings at church and our adult Sunday school class.
   
   
2. If so, was it from religious motivation or from a literary perspective? Stuck with nothing else to read in a hotel room the Gideon's have visited? Any combination?
   • I am interested in theology, and come at it from a liberal perspective.  I see the Bible as a book that can teach you about how to live your life.  I do not consider it to be literal or historical truth, but I have great value for its teachings.
   • I am also very interested in what the Bible does NOT include.  For example, some other writings were considered too radical, but a study of this work can enhance our understanding of Christianity.  Women's voices, also, were often silenced.  There are very few women named in the Bible, and yet it is known that there were women spiritual leaders during the time of Jesus. 
   
   
3. And while we're on the subject... what about the other great religious works out there? Are they more to your liking?
   I have not read any other works, like the Koran.  But similar to my comments in #2, I would be interested in a comparative study of the writings and teachings.

This week's question on Booking Through Thursday:

1. Short Stories? Or full-length novels?
   • Novels, every time.  I have occasionally read short stories, most recently a collection by Alice Munro because I'd read so many good things about her.  And while the stories met and sometimes exceeded by expectations, they just felt too quick to me.  I enjoy the depth that a novel goes into, both in plot and character development. 
   • That said, I recall some memorable short stories in high school lit class:  "The Lady or the Tiger," "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," and "The Gift of the Magi," to name a few. 
2. And, what's your favorite source for short stories? (You know, if you read them.)
   • Can't say, 'cause I really don't.