Book Survey

1. Favorite childhood book?

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke and The Outsiders by S.E Hinton

2. What are you reading right now?

A Clash of Kings by George RR Martin

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

I don't use the library. I like owning my books because I often go back and re-read them

4. Bad book habit?

Starting and not finishing

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?

None.

6. Do you have an e-reader?

Nope, I really need to invest in one, even though I love physical books.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

Usually I'm reading maybe two or three, but lately its just been one

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?

Since I don't write much about books, I don't think its changed much

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)

I haven't read too many books this year since it's only February

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?

I suppose not too often, usually if I do its just for school

12. What is your reading comfort zone?

YA, fantasy, historical fiction, and some adult fiction

13. Can you read on the bus?

I don't usually take buses

14. Favorite place to read?

My bed or my couch

15. What is your policy on book lending?

I lend out books all the time and as long as they don't ruin them I'll continue to

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?

NO!

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

Not usually, but if I find a line I really like I'll highlight it

18. Not even with text books?

You're assuming I actually read my textbooks :)

19. What is your favorite language to read in?

English, I'm not fluent enough in French or Latin to read in them

20. What makes you love a book?

The characters, when there are good characters and good interactions I usually can love a book. Or a really good plot

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?

Friends, hearing about it more than once, videos/blogs/etc.

22. Favorite genre?

YA fiction

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)

Mysteries, even though I can never figure out who done it

24. Favorite biography?

I don't really read biographies

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?

No

26. Favorite cookbook?

Haha...cooking. I don't cook

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

28. Favorite reading snack?

Anything that doesn't make my fingers dirty/gross

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.

A lot of the times I've read the books before they became big (HP, Twilight, The Hunger Games) so by that time the hype just makes me a bit pretentious ( I read that before it was cool)

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?

I don't read critic reviews

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

I usually know I'm going to like the books I pick up, so rarely do I give bad reviews

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?

French or Italian

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?

The Game of Thrones I could kill someone with those books. Now I own all of them expect the last one so I have to read them

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?

Most classics

35. Favorite Poet?

Robert Frost, The Outsiders made me love him

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?

None.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?

Rarely, if ever

38. Favorite fictional character?

I don't think I can answer that, there are just too many

39. Favorite fictional villain?

Voldemort and The Capitol in the Hunger Games

40. Books you’re most likely to bring on vacation?

One already read book and one new read

41. The longest you’ve gone without reading.

A couple months.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.

Phillip Pullman's Northern Lights trilogy, I could never get into those, The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, and Eragon by Christopher Paolini

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?

TV or other work I could be doing

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

Lord of the Rings, The Outsiders

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?

Inkheart, That had so much promise but I think it got shafted. Eragon, I wasn't a huge fan of the books but the movies was just awful. Percy Jackson and the Olympians, such quality books and it was just destroyed

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?

I've no idea, I hate spending money so I usually don't spend a lot

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?

Never

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

Lack of commitment to the characters or just a really slow, nongripping plot.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?

At home, they're by favorites and grouped by author

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?

Keep, but lend.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?

Not that I can think of

52. Name a book that made you angry.

The entire Twilight series makes me angry just because they are so poorly written and still got published

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?

I can't think of anything

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?

The Uglies, I just can not read sci-fi, which is weird since I love sci-fi TV and Movies so much

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?

I don't exactly feel guilty reading them, but The Percy Jackson books and all of Rick Riordan's books I feel I need to explain since they are for 9-12 year olds

So you may or may not know I moved into college recently

And you may or may not know that a few months ago I bought a beta fish to bring with me. I named him Watson (I bought him after I watcher Sherlock) and he's awesome. Well last week I went and bought new fish food for Watson cause I figured I should leave the little pack I had before at home for when I come home for weekends and whatnot. I moved into school, started feeding Watson this new food and he stopped eating. At first I thought it was just the new location and I figured it would be ok. Then the next day the food was still there and I realized he wasn't eating it. I went and looked for the brand that I had at home, couldn't find it and there was no pet store around. I started getting worried that he was going to die (I should mention I get very attached to my pets.) He was lethargic and hardly moving. I was completely panicked I called my mom and asked when I should do. So my very awesome and kind grandmother, who lives 15 minutes away from my school, offered to go out and search for the allusive fish food. She found it brought it to me and all was well. I had to re-wash his tank, cause the old food was all in the bottom. I put him back in his tank and he is swimming around the edges, bumping into the corner every time, with new found enthusiasm. I'm really happy he didn't die, it was so stressed about it I had a dream he died. Moral of the story, Watson likes freeze dried blood worms.

This has been a story of my fish

University

So I moved into university yesterday and this blog may be a bit preemptive, but I need to vent so it's happening here. You can ignore this if you want. Things are going pretty well if you look on the surface. My roommate and I get along well. I've talked to a few people and I'm figuring out how to navigate my way around campus. But for some reason, I feel like I'm not doing it right. The whole college experience is about meeting new people, but I hate meeting new people and I'm terrible at it. My schools a big party school so right now I'm sure there are parties going on all over campus but I'm writing a blog. My roommate is nice, but she seems a bit unwilling to go out with me, not even to parties (cause I clearly don't want to party) and just to find people to hang out with. I hung out with one of my high school friends today (and friend may be a bit of a strong word) and I've been talking to my good friends from home all day through text. I just feel like I shouldn't be doing that. It could be worse my roommate has a boyfriend who's still in high school, who seems completely overbearing. Maybe once I'm forced to talk to people, in class and the like, I'll meet people. I'm just worried this is going to be like high school all over again. And I really think I can't deal with that.

Pottermore

I mentioned in my last blog that I stayed up all night in order to sign up for beta testing for Pottermore. I've received my conformation e-mail that I am one of the million who get early access so I'm going to do this fun little Pottermore survey.

1. What's your Pottermore username? GalleonRose56
   
2. What House do you think it sounds like? I'm not sure, I'm getting a bit of Slytherin because of the Galleon bit, but the rose part I'm thinking Hufflepuff because of Herbology
   
3. What House do you want to be in? I want to be in Ravenclaw. I've always kind of thought I had the most in common with the Ravenclaws even thought I wasn't 100 percent fantastic at school I think that there are other characterists that I posses that relate me to them, for example cleverness, logic, creativeness, inquisitiveness. So yeah, Ravenclaw. But the sorting I'm actually worried about ha
   
4. Does your username relate to you at all? Actually yes. My user names for everything when I was a kid was GlassRose because roses have always been my favorite flowers (they're also the flowers for my birth month; June). The Galleon part not as much because I hate money and the number has nothing to do with it.
   
5. What kind of wand would you wish to get? I'm not really sure. If it were to go by the Celtic tree birth calendar it would be Oak but I've never really thought about the core. Maybe Unicorn hair would be cool. I'm not really worried about it, I'll be happy no matter what.
   
6. Are you pure, half-blooded or Muggle born? Eh I wouldn't really care. I feel like I'd be a half-blood though
   
7. Which day did you get into Pottermore? Day 2, I didn't really care that much the first day, I figured I could wait till October but after day one and everyone was freaking out on Tumblr I decided to stay up
   
8. What shape is your Patronus? Ehh I don't know, maybe an owl
   
9. What does your boggart look like? Probably the personification on death
   
10. Would you rather be an Animagus or a Matamorphmagus? Animagus, definitely.
    
11. If you were an Animagus, what animal would you be? Either an owl or a wolf

The Importance of Harry Potter

I know this is incredibly overdue, however I'm going to write it any way. Like many people of my generation at a young age I became entranced in a world of magic. A world where love and friendship prevailed and you could taste the magic in the air.

My Hogwarts journey started way back in 2001. The commercials for Sorcerer's Stone were playing every other minute on every channel. I wanted to see the movie but I can't remember begging and pleading with my parents to take me to the theater like I did with the other films. I was in third grade at the time and, believe it or not, had no interest in reading. My third grade teacher, who was one of my favorites from childhood, told us one day we would begin reading a story together. She pulled out her copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and started reading. From that moment on I was hooked. I went and saw the movie twice in theaters. I explained to my mom everything that was happening at Hogwarts. I played wizard's chess during indoor recess with my then best friend Nick. I laugh hysterically at his brilliant (brilliant for a 7 year old) impression of Snape in Harry's first potions class, "Mr. Potter. Our. New. Celebrity." But even with that obsession, I didn't go on to read the second book. I still didn't like reading.

I didn't continue on with the series until 4th grade. That is when the literature bug bit me. I began to read anything I could get my hands on and one day Chamber of Secrets fell into my hands. I remember reading it and not being as engaged in this story. Maybe it was because I wasn't experiencing it with my friends (Nick had moved away by then) but I didn't fall in love. Again, I stopped reading the books.

Until the next year. In 5th grade I had one of my favorite english teachers to date. He made reading fun, even school reading. He allowed us to pick our own books, didn't matter what they were, for our individual reading. Some how, I found Prisoner of Azkaban. And it all ends here. This is where I became obsessed. I remember finishing Goblet of Fire later that year, closing the book and wanting more. I went and devoured Order of the Phoenix, and was distraught; the next book wasn't out yet, and wouldn't be out for a while.

This is when I started looking up Harry Potter on the internet. I found Mugglenet (which I still visit today) and found forums (which I never posted on but stalked endlessly). It was always on my mind. I loved all the actors from the movies and wished I could have played Hermione, hey I have the hair.

For the Half-Blood Prince release I went to the midnight release party. It was brilliant. I wished I could do this for hours, running around the out door shopping center, pretending I was in Diagon Alley, getting sorted (they just handed you a pin, but you got to put on the shorting hat!) But the best part was being around all the fans.

From then on, my obsession knew no bounds. I've been to midnight releases of both books and movies. I listen to podcasts dedicated to the Boy who lived. I have t-shirts and ties. I've visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and cried because it was like I was living my childhood dream. I stayed up until 5 am talking with other Potter fans to gain early access into the elusive Pottermore (I regret nothing, you may call me GalleonRose56)

Harry Potter has changed me in so many ways. I've grown up with these characters; they've taught me lessons that no one in my real life has. People who say this fandom is over, you're dead wrong. I saw that last night. I was up talking to people from all over the world, supporting each other, people who have never met before, who have one thing in common.

"Of course it's happening inside your head harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"

It's real for us.

Summer

Pottermore!?!, X-Men: First Class, University Orientation, Battlestar Galactica, Longing for an Adventure, Lord of the Rings in theathers!!, My Birthday :), Chalk Adventures, Deathly Hallow part two trailer, Finished Sherlock, Getting my own pet, Summer Clothes, Tonks & Lupin, Green Lantern, Needing to Read, Following Fashion Blogs, DEATHLY HALLOWS PART TWO, Grad parts...so. many. grad. parties, Cream Soda, Buying stuff for my dorm room!, JK Rowling is a mad-women, Collab Channel, Making new friends.

Hello there...

Oh hey. What? I have a blog that I haven't posted on for 3 weeks? Right, so since my last post I have started my senior project. I'm really enjoying it and am learning a lot. I definitely think that while I like the lab work I am doing, it's not what I would want to do for my whole life. Also, the professor I am shadowing is a biological anthropologist and I want to go into cultural anthropology so our main interests are kind of different and she keeps trying to persuade me to go into biological anthro, which I just don't think is going to happen.

So, you may have noticed during my BEDA blogs I really like lists and on Tumblr I've become addicted to list picture blogs. I just thing they're so fun. I think I follow 3 which all have different themes to them. One is the little things in life, one is your fiction bucket list (what you would want to do with your favorite fictional characters), and a normal life bucket list. They're so simple and really brighten up my day when I read them.

That's about it for now. I'll think of something deep and insightful for my next post but I figured I should just post something since it's been so long.

Later Days!