It’s nearing the end of the semester and I really should be getting to the piles of work I have, but I found this tag over at Me and My Mundane Life and it seemed like fun, so here I am!

What is the longest amount of time you can comfortably go without picking up a book?

A week, maybe? It’s hard for me to think about. I mostly read when I’m commuting, and living in New York City, I commute nearly every day. It’s kind of scary to wonder how often and how much I’ll read when I don’t have such a lengthy commute anymore! I don’t really read at home as often as I’d like; when I’m home, more often than not, I’ll resort to watching YouTube or TV shows.

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How many books do you carry on your person (or kindle) at any one time?

I carry my Kindle almost everywhere and it has 200+ unread titles on it. I try not to carry physical books if I can help it, or unless the book is light.

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Do you keep every book you buy/receive or are you happy to pass them on to make space for more?

I would say I keep 98% of the books I buy and receive! A few years ago I had to do an unhaul mostly because I was running out of space in our tiny apartment! But in the future, when I have more space for bookshelves, I intend to never get rid of any books, ever. I want to build my own library.

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How long would you spend in a bookshop on a standard visit?

Oh boy. It really depends on the bookshop and my goals! I would say my average is about a half hour, but I can get lost in a bookshop for hours sometimes.

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How much time per day do you actually spend reading?

So, again, because I have a 3-hr daily commute, I spend 3hrs per weekday reading, at least. If a book is particularly engaging sometimes I’ll read for another hour or two as well. On weekends I generally don’t read at all.

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Where does the task ‘picking up a book’ appear on your daily to-do list?

I’m not sure what this means? I don’t have a daily to-do list, and picking up a book wouldn’t really be on it anyway, because I don’t think of it as a “to-do” task.

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How many books do you reckon you own in total (including e-books)?

I have no idea, and it’s even harder to estimate now because my shelves are double stacked, so I can’t see most of the stuff I own! Maybe somewhere around 200? I don’t know. I’m really bad at this type of numerical estimation. My Kindle also has around 200 books.

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Approximately how often do you bring up books in conversation?

Depends on who I’m speaking with! A lot of the people I speak to on a daily basis don’t read very often, or aren’t keen on reading in general, so I know it’s futile to talk about reading. But if I’m talking with fellow readers than I bring up books all the time!

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What is the biggest book (page count) you have finished reading?

I think it’s still Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace!

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Is there a book you had to get your hands on against all odds (i.e. searching bookshops, online digging, etc)?

I have two answers for this!

First is Things a Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nichols, which is a title not published in the US, so I couldn’t find it in any libraries here. I didn’t know Book Depository existed back then, so I ended up digging  through Amazon sellers until I found an affordable copy. It was a three-star book in the end, alas.

Second is the Worth Press edition of Pride & Prejudice. It was on Book Depository and then went out of stock, so I hunted it down everywhere, including Abe Books. Then a copy popped up on Amazon for $24, which is way more than I would usually spend on any book, but it was a limited edition so I bought it. About two weeks later the book popped up on Book Depository again for $13. Alas. Such is life.

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A book you struggled to finish but refused to DNF?

I also have two answers for this!

First is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, which took me about six months to read. I refused to DNF it because I was determined to read this beloved classic and see what all the fuss was about. I was not a fan. I was so, so bored but I made my way through.

Second is The Bloodprint by Ausma Zehanat Khan, which is the worst fantasy novel I’ve ever read. I found it boring, soulless, and badly written. This is one of the few books I’ve one-starred.

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What are 3 of your main book goals for 2019?

1. Get used to reading more at home!
2. Read more stuff by Arab women, including non-fiction.
3. Read everything by Sarah Waters.

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Have you ever had the privilege of converting someone into a reader (maybe via inspiration or incessant nagging)?

I did convince my best friend to buy a Kindle, but she’s yet to actually finish a book on it. I don’t think I can count that as a success.

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Describe what books mean to you in five words.

Adventure, Wonder, Escapism, Awe, Joy