Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about your tbr pile…

How many books (roughly) are in your tbr pile? Is this in increasing number or does it stay stable? Do you ever experience tbr anxiety in the face of this pile? (question courtesy of Wendy)

Stable? Stable? Nope no way no how. The number always increases. Just when I think I am decreasing it, I order more books. I have roughly, 608 currently in the pile. And it does grow weekly, I would say daily but that’s not accurate it does depend on the week. Sometimes it is daily, sometimes a few a week. I very often do experience anxiety when I look at my pile. I wonder if I will ever read them all. But than I remind myself about the time when I was a child, and I had my worst day ever. That was the day I realized I would never be able to read all the books in the world. I came to terms with that. So maybe I won’t ever read all of my TBR (cause it keeps growing) but it sure will be fun to try.

This week’s post asks:
Do you read non-fiction regularly? Do you read it in a different way or place than you read fiction?
(question courtesy of Diane)

I do not read non fiction regularly. And when I do read it I don’t approach it any different than my fiction, unless it’s for a research project. Being a historian I do read non fiction but it’s not something I work into my general rotation. When I am doing a research project obviously I will pick books for that topic and generally pick it apart for what I need. If I am reading it just for pleasure, I pick whatever jumps out at me at the time.

Coming towards the end of April, we’re a third of the way through the way through the year. What’s the favourite book you’ve read so far in 2009? What about your least favourite? (question courtesy of MizB)

Okay, this one is a little tough. I have read some great books this year so far. But I have also read some stinkers. So far if I had to pick a favorite I think it would be either Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts, or the The Naked Duke by Sally Mackenzie.

On the least favorite Front, I think the worst of the year so far has been Perfect Day by Imogen Parker. I don’t like picking worst’s. But if I had to pick one, it would be this one.

How do you respond to the comments on your blog? Do you try to email individually or comment on post yourself answering the comments above? What do you think is the best way to respond to comments and do you respond to all of them? Do you feel slighted if you don’t receive a response back from the blog owner? (question courtesy of Jenn)

I am trying to decide exactly what my comment etiquette will be. I think I will move it on to replying to each person by email once I get a new email sorted in my new domain. But right now I tend to reply on the thread of comments. I will also if it’s a MEME pay a visit to the blog of the commenter and return the favor of commenting on their blog.

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about your to be read list…
As a follow up to last week’s question, Joseph asked how you keep track of your tbr list. Do you have a paper list or on your computer? Do you take it with you when you go shopping? How do you decide what gets added to it?

I have mine on my computer.I put every single book into my Library thing. The great thing about Library thing is that it puts everything in Alpha order for me and I dont have to worry about it. I do not take it with me shopping, but I do look it over before I go and when I get back to make sure I don’t get a dup. book. And anything thing that comes in that I am going to read goes onto the list.

Do you keep track of what and/or how many books you read? How long have you been doing this? What’s your favorite tracking method, and why?If you don’t keep track, why not?

I used to keep a running log when I was in high school of the books I had read. It was just simple with the title and author in a notebook. Well life, and moving later I lost the notebook and stopped recording. But as of Jan 2009 I started again. How might you ask? Well right here in this blog. Every book I read gets listed and a little review, weather I liked it or not. That way I have a clear saved documentation of title, author and page count.

How many bookstores do you frequent? Do you have a favourite? If so, which one and what makes it so?

I have several I go to. Borders, Barnes and Noble. But my fav locally is Half Price books because, well the books are so affordable! They dont always have new releases but with the stack of books I have to read I can wait a little bit. Online my fav shopping placeis bookcloseouts.com the books are scary affordable and they often have free shipping coupons.

We were all warned as children to ‘never talk to strangers’, but how do you feel about book-talk with random people? When you see people reading, do you ask what it is? Do you talk to people in the book store or the library? Why or why not? What do you do if people talk to you?

I am guilty of talking to people when they are reading. I suppose really following the dont talk to strangers I really shouldn’t, but once in a while I do. Especially if they are reading something I am interested in. I wouldnt reccomend it to my kids though.

What is your policy when it comes to new authors? Do you feel comfortable purchasing a book, or do you prefer to borrow new authors from the library? How often do you ‘try out’ a new author?


I do not really have a policy about new authors. The fact is I am often reading new authors because the book looks good, or because a friend reccomended the book to me. In general I am more comfortable getting a new authors book via borrowing or a trade on Paperback Swap, but if the book really appeals to me I will buy it. Someone being new is not a good reason for me to not buy a book. After all every author was new at one time.

I read every single word.It would seem odd to me to skip words, or whole chapters! If it is a book that I don’t really want to read I tend not to focus on the words and usually following that end up giving up. I read to enjoy a book, I feel if I skip a word I am missing out on enjoyment, but not only that its cheating.