Where In the World Are You Reading: Comfy Spot

This month's Where in the World Are You Reading theme is Comfy Spot, hosted by Kelly. There are lots of comfy spots I like to read, my bed, the living room couch, etc., but there's one I love more than all the others... my library! One of the very posts I ever wrote for this blog was about my library. After living in apartments for years I finally got a house and the Huz suggested we use one of the main open rooms for a library instead of a dining room. Have I mentioned I love him a lot? So although he isn't a reader, I now have a beautiful library in my home, full to the brim of my favorite books and those I still have waiting to be read. 

Above you can see the entire library with two comfy chairs (one of which has a dog in it). I have a Paddington train station clock on the wall and a canvas print of Ollie (both lovely gifts from my BFF). I have a wreath on the coat closet door made with dictionary pages. And of course, I have tons of book cases filling every available space. I also have my Penguin clothbound classics collection on top of one of the bookcases. I add to it whenever I get a giftcard to a bookstore. 

Note the string of TARDIS twinkle lights and the stacked book tables. Every single bookcase is dedicated to a specific genre and is organized alphabetically within that category. There is nonfiction, ficiton, poetry, short story collections, YA, SciFi/Fantasy, audiobooks, graphic novels, travel, classics, etc. I also have separate areas for favorite books. 

In the bookcase on the left I keep all of my vinyl records and travel books. Then there's Ollie posing with the framed Penguin postcards and a close-up of those postcards! 

The final photo is of the bookcase that holds all my favorite books. I think it's suppose to hold dishes or something, but it makes a great bookcase! I also keep fun little souvenirs in here. I have a lobster bell from my Grandma's bell collection, a cable car from our trip to San Francisco, a red London phone booth, a tea cup from my Mom, a personalized Jones bottle with a photo of me and the Huz on the label, and other random stuff. 

So that's my favorite comfy reading spot. This is where I spend most of my time during read-a-thons and where I get away when I want some quiet reading time. It's my happy place. 

Photos by moi. 

Where in the World Are You Reading: Reading Companion

This month's Where in the World Are You Reading, hosted by Kailana, Lisa, and Trish is "Reading Companions."  I have one obvious reading companion, my big dog Oliver. Ollie will be two years old in December, but it's hard to remember what reading was like before we got him.

 

Whether he's curled up on my lap (which he is way too big to do, but still attempts) or playing fetch while I read with him outside, my big 75 lb baby keeps me company when I read. Ollie is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and has a ton of energy, so I enjoy the moments when he's tired and ready to curl up for a nap.

 

I especially appreciate him in the winter when it's freezing cold. He's the equivalent of a giant space heater! I've had cats in the past and love curling up with them as well, but they never keep you quite as warm.

Photos by moi.

Where in the World Are You Reading: Waiting

(Waiting for my hair cut appointment)

This month's Where in the World Are You Reading is "Waiting Reading" hosted by Lisa.

I’m one of those people who always has a book (or two) with me. I keep an extra in my car, I have a kindle app on my iPhone, I keep books by my bed, etc. I always have a back up of two, just in case I run out of reading material. 

So “Waiting Reading” is something I’m very familiar with. I read while waiting to get my hair cut, in the waiting room at the doctor or dentist, on my lunch break at work, at a restaurant while waiting to meet a friend. There are not many places I won’t read.
 

(Waiting for Shakespeare in the Park to start and for an oil change)

I’ve found that one of the best ways to read while you’re waiting is with audiobooks. I put a book on my phone and read while I’m in line at the grocery store, waiting for the ATM at the bank, and while I’m stuck in traffic at rush hour. 

The picture on the left is from our trip to Montana last week. I was reading on a beach in Glacier Park while waiting on the Huz to finish fishing. The picture on the right is waiting in downtown Indy for my tour of the city's old catacombs to start.

If you find that you never have time to read, you might be surprised by how many pages you can fit into a few 10 minute waiting periods each day!

Photos by moi. 

Ready Player One: Gunter Reading List

Ready Payer One

by Ernest Cline

★★★★☆

Everyone has officially read and reviewed this book. So instead of doing that, I thought I would share the Gunter Reading list that Wade talks about in the book. If you haven’t read the book this doesn’t spoil anything and it’s just a fun list of sci-fi/fantasy authors to check out.

Recommended Gunter Reading List

- Douglas Adams*

- Kurt Vonnegut*

- Neil Stevenson

- Richard K. Morgan

- Stephen King*

- Orson Scott Card*

- Terry Pratchett*

- Terry Brooks*

- Alfred Bester

- Ray Bradbury*

- Joe Halderman

- Robert A. Heinlein*

- J.R.R. Tolkein*

- Jack Vance

- William Gibson 

- Neil Gaiman*

- Bruce Sterling

- Michael Moorcock

- John Scalzi

- Roger Zelazny

*Authors I've Read

BOTTOM LINE: I loved the book. It was filled with geeky goodness, fun characters and a plot that really doesn’t let you go. I listened to the audio version and as everyone has already stated Wil Wheaton is so fantastic as the narrator.

Here are a few great reviews that have already expressed my thoughts…

Book Addiction

The Written World

Capricious Reader

Where in the World Are You Reading: Bookstores - Indy Reads Books

 

 On July 13, 2012 Indy Reads Books opened in Indianapolis. I could not be happier! We have almost no independent bookstores in our city and all of the proceeds for this one go to the adult literacy not-for-profit organization that runs it. It sells both new and used books at great prices and the selection was wonderful! The store is decorated with books, using pages glued to the walls and books stacked to create a checkout table.

 

I visited for the first time on July 14th and left with two beautiful classic editions; a 1925 copy of one of my favorites Twelfth Night and a 1901 copy of Tennyson's The Princess. I was thrilled! Also, local author and literary rock star John Green was there on Friday, July 13th to kick off the festivities and do a reading and signing. Two thumbs up for him supporting local businesses!

This post is for the Where in the World are you Reading event hosted by Trish this month. Join in if you want. Next month's category is libraries.
 
Photos by moi.