MUSING MONDAYS

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about borrowed books.
Where do you keep any books borrowed from friends or the library? Do they live with your own collection, or do you keep them separate? Do you monitor them in anyway.

I keep the books that I borrow from the library in a basket that sits in front of the bookshelves that I use for the books that I am planning on reading in the near future. That way they are separate but all together. Once I finish a library book, I have a red bag that is my designated "Book Bag" and I will put them into this red bag so that all I have to do is grab it when I'm headed back to the library. As for monitoring, my library has a Internet notification system as well as an online account monitoring system. I can log on and check what books I have, when they are due, renew them if necessary, and place new books on hold. It's great!

MUSING MONDAYS

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about New Year reading.
With the New Year here already, do you have any reading resolutions or goals (challenges aside) for 2010? Perhaps a new author? Genre? Want to read more non-fiction? Write more reviews?

2009 was my year of the mystery and 2010 is my year of the histories. I will be concentrating on the Civil War area , pre and post included. I have all my challenges outlined on the Challenge tab and also want to read more of my own books than I did last year.

MUSING MONDAYS

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about note taking… hosted by Just One More Page

Do you take notes while reading – either for your reviews or for yourself? How/where do you make these notes (on the page, post-its, scrap paper, notebooks etc)?

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post, or share your opinion in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks.

For me, I have to answer, it depends. If the book is just a fun read (i.e. a cozy mystery, romance novel, etc.) I very rarely will take notes. However, if it is a book that I know that I need to review ( i.e. ARC, ER books) and there is something that I want to remember for the review, I will mark it with a post-it or write it down on the page that I have setup to write my review on. I will jot down ideas or questions if I am reading a book for a discussion group.

Musing Mondays

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about audio books…
hosted by Just One More Page

What is your preferred method of listening to audio books? Where and when do you listen to them?

I love to listen to audio books! I listen in the car, at the nail salon, while I work, while doing my cross stitch, watching a baseball game, cooking, vacuuming. They allow me to indulge my addiction to books while accomplishing other tasks. They remove that guilty feeling because I did actually accomplish something else while I was reading.

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about book series…

Do you prefer to read stand-alone books, or books in series? Do you stick with a series the whole way through or stop after the first installment? Are there any particular series you enjoy?(question courtesy of Elena)

I have to admit that I am a series junkie. I love to read books that continue on with the same characters so that instead of wondering what would have happened to them, you actually find out. But don't think that I won't read a stand alone book, far from it. Series or Stand alone - they're all good to me!

This year I have read over 30 1st in a series books (there was only one I didn't care for), but I have also continued ongoing series. My favorites are the Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King, the Goldy Catering series by Diane Mott Davidson and the Anna Pigeon Series by Nevada Barr. I also really enjoy the Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke and the Alexandra Cooper series by Linda Fairstein. I could go on and on. If you want to see what I mean, click on the labels for 1st in a series and ongoing series at the end of this message.

MONDAY MUSINGS

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is a library habits meme…

This week we have a library meme courtesy of MizB:

Library Habits meme:
1) If you don't frequent your local library, why not? ALL THE TIME
2) If you do visit the library, how often do you go? 2 or 3 times a week
3) Do you have a favorite section that you always head to first, or do you just randomly peruse the shelves? both, I start at the new Large print books, move on to CD books, and then on to mysteries and romances, finally the histories
4) How many books are you allowed to check out at one time? 100 Do you take advantage of this? the most I have ever had out at one time is 30
5) How long are you allowed to have the books checked out? 3 weeks
6) How many times are you allowed to renew your check-outs, if at all? 2 renewal periods if no one else wants them
7) What do you love best about your particular library? ability to reserve books online
8) What is one thing you wish your library did differently? wish list online
9) Do you request your books via an online catalogue, or through the librarian at your branch? online
10) Have you ever chosen a book on impulse (from the online catalogue OR the shelves) and had it turn out to be totally amazing? yes If so, what book was it, and why did you love it? The Quilter's Apprentice because of the reminders of how our own errors can effect our lives.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post, or share your opinion in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks.

Musing Mondays

Do you restrict yourself on how many books you take out from the library at a time? Do you borrow books if you already have some out? Do you always reborrow books you don’t get to?

I never restrict myself when it comes to library books. As long as they'll let me take them out, if I see a book I might like, I check it out. As for borrowing if I already have books checked out, there again, as long as they'll let me, I'll keep them in business. Now when it gets to the point where I have to return a book because my checkout period has expired and I haven't read it yet, I usually take a really good look at it to make sure that I want to get it again. Then I make a note, and if I can I'll check out another copy. If one isn't available, then I'll go home and place a hold on it for my next visit to the library.

MUSING MONDAYS sticking with it

The question for this Monday is in two parts:

How much time (or how many pages) do you give a book that you aren't really enjoying before you'll set it aside? Usually, I will give a book between 75 and 100 pages that probably equates to about 5-6 chapters. If by that time I have not been significantly engaged by the writing, I will normally move on. There are too many good books out there to waste time on ones you don't enjoy.

If you're reading it for a book group discussion, or for review, will you give it more of a chance then, say, a book you're reading for your own interest? Why, or why not? I have in the past started to read abook for a book group discussion and found that aI really didn't like the book. I apologized to the group members and left the group. If I havea book that I am supposed to review, I will read it, but usually I will only skim through to the end after I have decided that it is not my type of book.