Author you’ve read the most books from:
Mary Higgins-Clark. I’ve always loved her mysteries, and have read a TON of them!

Best sequel ever:
Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone. Time Between Us was amazing, and Time After Time blew me away as well.

Currently reading:
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill. It’s really good so far!

Drink of choice while reading:
Chamomile tea with cream and honey. :)

E-reader or physical book?:
The battle will go on forever with me. Some days I really love my Kindle, and some days I jump for joy when I get a real book in the mail. I love my Kindle on vacations, though. I can pack a TON of books, so choosing is not necessary.

Fictional character you probably would have dated in high school:
James from Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker. This guy is amazing, and I really adore him. I love his philosophy, which is basically this: you can be sad and you can mourn what you’ve lost, but the memories you created before that loss are yours forever. Never discount the happy times in life, just because they ended unhappily.

Glad you gave this book a chance:
Divergent by Veronica Roth.

Hidden gem book:
The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman by Louise Plummer

Important moment in your reading life:
I found Goodreads! I had no idea what to read. Ever. I didn’t know any readers, so I always resorted to romance novels with not too sexy a cover as a teen. I had no idea about young adult books! Once I found Goodreads, I found a ton of books, found the Goodreads College Students Group, started The Broke and the Bookish with Jamie, ended up starting my own blog too, and then decided on getting a Master’s in Library and Information Science. Goodreads started it all, and led to me changing my life. :)

Just finished:
Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney. It’s a brand new favorite! I loved it SOOO much.

Kinds of books you won’t read:
Erotica, books with a lot of gore, books with a lot of band language, books with animal deaths, books with super upsetting subject matter.

Longest book you’ve read:
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer, which is 756 pages.

Major book hangover because of:
Twilight Saga. I was was hungover, and had a hard time finding something else to read after that.

Number of bookcases you own:
Two floor-to-ceiling (triple stacked) and then the shelf across my headboard.

One book you have read multiple times:
I’ve never re-read a book!

Preferred place to read:
Well, in an ideal world I’d live on a cruise ship bound for Italy and spend my life on the balcony reading. If I’m being realistic, though, my bed is my favorite place. :)

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

“I guess I work in small ways. It’s kind of like this story someone told me, about a guy on the beach in Mexico throwing starfish in the sea. Thousands had washed ashore. Someone asked him why – ‘Why are you wasting your time, when there are so many? You can’t possibly make a difference.'”

“I know that story! The man threw another one back, and said -”

“‘Made a difference to that one!'” Rowan finishes.”

– From Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Reading regret:
I really regret not having read The Chronicles of Narnia as a girl. I’m making up for it now, but I know I needed the magic in my early years. :)

Series you started and need to finish (all books in the series are out):
Study series by Maria V. Snyder

Three of your all-time favorite books:
Just One Day by Gayle Forman, Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard, On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves

Unapologetic fangirl for:
Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney. Seriously, people. It’s so unique, and it spoke to my inner art history nerd. I flailed with this one. It’s amazing.

Very excited for this release (more than any others):
Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Worst bookish habit:
If I really want to read a book, but don’t know what, I’ll go to my shelves and look for something. As I try to decide, sometimes I get so overwhelmed by the MANY choices I have, that I give up and watch a movie instead.

Your last book purchase:
On Christmas Hill by Nichole Chase (Getting ready for Christmastime!!)

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):
Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis

That was so much fun! Thanks, Jamie, for writing such a fun survey! Have you taken Jamie’s survey yet? If so, link me up!

Yep, you heard me! GUYS. Here’s the story:

Last December, I came home from the job from Hell and cried. It was kind of a mini nervous breakdown. I cried over the fact that I graduated from college (with honors) two and a half years ago with an amazing degree, yet my job consisted of being chained to a desk, answering phone calls from abusive customers, and working for a very abusive, uncaring company. The place stressed me out so much that I made myself extremely sick (seriously, my doctor said I have developed 15-20 new ulcers in the past year). I never, ever felt well. AND I never escaped. Even after work and on my days off, I spent all my time dreading going back. SO anyway, I sat by my Christmas tree during my favorite time of year and cried over my life. My mom and I started discussing what I should do to re-pave my future, if you will. I started thinking about what I love doing, and all I could think of was reading and blogging. After lots more talking, and some more tears, my mom and I came to the conclusion that I needed to go back to school for a Master’s in Library Science.

GRAD SCHOOL!?! I mean, honestly. When I graduated college, I never in a million years pictured volunteering for more school. More papers, tests, projects. I knew I’d have to be crazy to sign up for such a thing. Guess what? I’m crazy. I immediately started investigating grad school programs. I knew I did not want to leave Utah, and since Utah has no Master’s of Library Science programs, I looked for schools with ALA accredited online programs. I found two I really liked, and started going through the application process. I contacted old teachers and professors for letters of recommendation, I studied for and took the MAT, I wrote entrance essays, etc. It took months!

I JUST found out that I was accepted into Valdosta State University’s Library and Information Science program, and I am SO excited! It was my first choice, and I’ve actually quit the application process for the other school I was applying to. I’m road tripping it (with my mom, of course) out to Valdosta, Georgia for orientation in August, and will get things all set up then. The program is completely online, so I can still have my life here.

I am really excited, and nervous (have I forgotten how to be a student!?), and I’m not even sure what to expect. But I know I’m doing the right thing. I quit my job from Hell, and can focus on school. I think I’ll go back to substitute teaching. :)

When I get sick, I get REALLY sick. It’s never a “man, I feel a little under the weather” kind of sick. It’s always a, “Stop the world, I’m dying” kind of sick. So, I’m laying here extremely sick, taking meds ’round the clock, and diving into my second large box of tissues as I type this.

One thing I have learned during all my sick times is that when I am sick, I am completely unable to concentrate or pay attention to anything. I remember this one time I was sick, I watched the movie Somewhere in Time. My mom loves this movie. She says it’s so romantic and amazing. I kid you not, I watched it three times one day (when I was sick) and I have NO idea what it’s about. None. It confused the heck out of me. Two years ago I watched the first season of Modern Family while sick. I remembered none of it. I watched the season all over again a month or so later, and it was liking watching it for the first time.

My main point here is: I also can’t read while I’m sick. And it’s SOOOO frustrating. I know many of you who read, like, 5 books during your sick times. I could get SO much done! I can’t even write reviews when I’m sick! I tried yesterday, and I could not form a coherent sentence about the book. I’m laying here in bed, for hours of my life, with my bookshelf staring at me, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Instead, I’m watching Angel re-runs and coughing my guts out.

So, tell me. Is there anyone like me out there, or am I all alone in my delirious state of sickness? Can you read when you’re sick?