Reading survey

Spotted at Zuly's who saw it at Kristine's who found it at WanderLust (which I have only been to once)...

1.) Do you read often? How many books would you say you read in a year? Do you read magazines? I read a lot. Every night. Last year I read 79 books.

2.) When you read, what type of books do you read? What type of magazines? What are some of your favorite books or magazines? I like mysteries, sci-fi, fantasy. I like books that have interesting stories even if they're not in a genre I'd usually read. I like stories with some historical background too. I have a few magazine subscriptions, but not all that many. I get Biography and inStyle (for the girlie girl in me). I used to get Games magazine and Omni. Favorite books: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and the Dream Park series by Larry Niven & Steven Barnes (just to name a few). I like both of the magazines I mentioned except I wish they offered their subscription in an "unscented" version (no perfume ads/samples).

3.) If you read, why do you think you read? If you don't, why not? (i.e. "I was an only child and reading was an escape." NOT "I read because it's fun." I'm looking for the deeper reasoning behind it.) I've always been a reader. My mom was a school teacher and she always encouraged us to read. I wasn't an only child - I have a younger brother and various older step-siblings that lived with us on and off. I was a shy child, so reading probably was in part an escape.

4.) Did you read a lot as a child? What are some of your favorite books from childhood? Oops, see #3. I liked the Narnia series by C S Lewis, the Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander and the Wrinkle in Time series by Madeline L'Engle.

5.) When do you read? Do you read in specific places? (If so, where?) I read before bed. I read when I go to get my allergy shots. I read any time I go to a doctor's or dentist's office. I read sometimes when I'm waiting at the pharmacy. I read while my car gets washed.

6.) Last question: How do you choose books to read? I like to get more books by authors I've enjoyed. I use Amazon to get suggestions based on my buying patterns. I love to get recommendations from friends and family. For a while, I was reading a lot of the Oprah recommended books. Sometimes I just browse the shelves until something interesting catches my eye.