Books, Books, Books

Many thanks to Destiny's Child for giving me the title of today's post, and to Megan for tagging me.

1. I buy new books from writer friends, and a very few people I want to support in their writing career. I need to either stop making so many new friends, or I need to make more money because I am spending too much on new books despite my best efforts. I buy used books a lot, particularly a writer's backlist and I will frequently read a book if a blogger I read recommends it. It's how I discovered Lisa Valdez's Passion. I also take a great deal of books out of the library.

2. I’m definitely not a spine cracker, although my mother was. My mother used to always remark about the fact that my books looked like they'd never been read.

3. There’s nothing quite like bringing home some really anticipated books. I sometimes just walk through Barnes & Noble looking at all the books that I can't afford to buy, and probably will never get a chance to read, which depresses me.

4. I’ve read one Anita Blake book by Laurell K. Hamilton, and it was fine, but did not inspire me to read more. I also can't stand William Faulkner, and the Russians bore me unless it's Chekhov.

5. I love Katie MacAlister's covers, and some of the other chick-lit covers. I personally don't miss the heaving bosoms from the old historical romance novels in the Fabio days.

6. I re-read books when I have the chance or when I can't find something to read. I 've read Jilly Cooper's Rivals at least 20 times each, J.K. Rowling, not to mention Anya Seton's Katherine, Dragonwyck and Green Darkness. I've also read Forever by Judy Blume alot. I crack up whenever I see Ralph Fiennes name because of it.

7. I always read a couple of books at one time. I'm usually reading at least one non-fiction, one romance, or one chick-lit, a mystery, or a young adult. I take at least one book with me when I travel, but I know, particularly when I go to London, I'm going to buy books there, although since Amazon.co.uk, but suitcase coming back is a lot lighter.

8. I can read on the treadmill at the gym. It takes balance and concentration.

9. I love interspersing romance with other genres--lately, I've discovered the paranormal young adult novels of Libba Bray, which I adore. I'm looking forward to finishing the Ghosts of Albion by Christopher Golden and Amber Benson, and I have several other books on deck.

10. I love authors who can do what I haven't mastered yet: laugh out loud humor that doesn't rely on slapstick like Jennifer Cruise, Lani Diane Rich, Michelle Cunnah, and Eileen Rendahl, not to mention Meg Cabot.

11. I don't mind books with children, but I am super-critical if the kids are just to make a plot point and don't sound like kids. I recently read a book where the kid actually had her own diary sections but they didn't sound like the diary writings of a 7 year old even with a high I.Q.

12. I have read several e-book--Never Love a Naked P.I. in particular--and liked it. It was kind of fun to print out the pages and read it at work when I was bored.

13. I dream of being published in hardcover, although I hate the pricing. But the hardcover conveys the sense that you're arrived, if people are willing to shell out that much money for your book. It's much easier to get a review from mainstream publications like the Times if you're published in Hardcover.

14. I used to force myself to finish a book, even if I didn't like it, but now I don't bother. Although there have been times when I just haven't been in the mood at that particular time, and later on I've picked it up and actually enjoyed it.

15. I took the English AP test in high school, and got a high enough score that Syracuse gave me 6 credits for it, getting me out of freshman english.

16. The Harlequin Presents titles make me cringe everytime I see them. Pregnancy of Revenge? The Italian Tycoon's Virgin Mistress? The Sheik's Bastard Love Child?

If I could be so bold, I would tag Kelly Callihan, Mary and Gabrielle.