Funny, just last night I was feeling in the mood for a meme. Then I woke up this morning, sat down with coffee & laptop, and discovered that Veronica of Toddled Dredge had tagged me with a good one. Blogger ESP? Thanks, Veronica!

Do you remember how you developed a love of reading?

Nope. I’ve always been this way. I don’t even remember learning to read. It runs in our family. You should see my 93yo grandma, spry as ever, living alone in the woods with a house full of books. My dream retirement.

What are some books you loved as a child?

The Narnia books; everything I could get my hands on by Joan Aiken; ditto Madeleine L’Engle; the “Shoes” books by Noel Streatfeild; Little Women; Swallows & Amazons; German fairy tales; the Melendys; the All-of-a-Kind books…

What is your favorite genre?

Currently, historical fiction.

Do you have a favorite novel?

What, just one? No.

Where do you usually read?

In bed or on the couch. Almost always, prone. I mean, supine.

When do you usually read?

Whenever I can. And always at bedtime.

Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?

Yes. I almost always have several going at once. Right now I’m concurrently reading The King’s Gambit by Dorothy Dunnett and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. And I may start Matrimony by Josh Henkin before I’ve finished either of them. And I have a graphic novel that I’m really excited about, believe it or not.

Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?

Not really. The nonfiction that I read, which isn’t all that much, tends to have a pretty strong narrative, so reading it is not that different from reading a novel. A recent good example is The American Plague, by Molly Caldwell Crosby. Great story. And, come to think of it, so is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library?

Almost all of them come from the library, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Books should be shared. I have no desire to collect, other than cookbooks and reference books that I know I will return to again and again.

Do you keep most of the books you buy?

Yes, see above. But I usually return my library books. :-)

If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them?

If this question refers to actual, physical books, there aren’t very many. Even as a kid, most of my reading material came from the library. I do have a few that I’ve passed on to my kids: Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Roller Skates, Mary Poppins (the original racist edition), The House With a Clock in its Wall, A Wrinkle in Time. I have also checked out lots of my old favorites from the library, but I try not to be too heavy-handed with my recommendations. Part of the fun of reading is making discoveries on your own. Many of my lifelong favorites (like the Narnia books) were my own private discoveries.

What are you reading now?

The King’s Gambit and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

Do you keep a To Be Read list?

Sort of. Recently I’ve begun bookmarking other blogger’s reviews and putting them in a TBR folder. But I don’t feel committed to it in any way. I am just as likely to request titles from the library on sudden impulse, and I take great pleasure in NOT following a list. This is why I never join challenges, and why I don’t accept review copies. I recently made an exception to the latter rule and I’ll tell you about it very soon.

What’s next?

Matrimony, by Josh Henkin, and a graphic novel that is going to blow your mind when you hear about it.

What books would you like to reread?

I am a big believer in rereading. In fact, one of the best gauges of a book’s worth, in my opinion, is how many times can you reread it before it starts to pall. Right now I’d like to reread Home of the Gentry, after reading Caribousmom’s post about it. I’d also like to go back for seconds of Loitering with Intent, by Muriel Spark.

Who are your favorite authors?

Patrick O’Brian. Betcha didn’t see that one coming. ;-) I’m also very big on Robertson Davies.

Your turn:

Chartroose, Heather J, Valerie, and Ravenous Reader. Tag, you’re it!