I saw this super fun tag over on Rita‘s blog, and I think it was originally started by Always Trust in Books. I definitely have a book addiction (or “problem” as some fun-killers like to call it), but they’re the thing that brings me the most joy in life–besides cats–so I’m always down to talk about them!

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

Um, a day? I don’t usually read on Saturdays because I teach yoga in the morning and then run all of my errands before almost always going out to dinner, so by the time I get home, I’m usually ready for a little Netflix and bed. But I read every day during the week, and Sundays are my one day off, so I spend most of the day reading then, too.

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

Usually 1-4. I always have at least one book on me, but if it’s a slow week at work, I can have anywhere up to 4 so I have different options. They’re never the same kind of book, though. If I have 4, they’re usually a young adult fantasy, nonfiction or witchcraft, middle grade, and classic.

When I’m going on vacation, though, forget about it. All bets are off. I usually bring 5-6 books, and then barely read one. Recently, I brought 5 to Cape Cod, and I ended up reading 70 pages of one on Friday morning and then literally nothing else for the rest of the trip.

Do you keep every book you buy/receive, or are you happy to pass them along?

I keep a lot of what I buy/receive, but I also do get rid of books occasionally. When I’m getting around to only two or three shelves left, I usually go through and pick out things that I didn’t love wholeheartedly, that I don’t think I’ll reread, or that I don’t care about not owning anymore. I do definitely have a ton of books that I won’t reread and didn’t die over, but that I like having on my shelves, though.

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

It depends on the person I’m with, actually. If I go with Erin, we’re usually there for about 2-3 hours. We start out in the YA section, skip briefly into the MG section, and then forgot about the Adult fantasy right until the end, and that’s where our last half hour goes. If I go with Alex or Jen, it’s usually an hour or less. And if I’m by myself, 10 minutes tops. I hate shopping alone no matter what I’m shopping for.

One of my favorite pictures ever is this one Erin took of me in the middle of the Burlington, MA B&N, which is my favorite one that I’ve visited, and was likely during hour two.

How much time per day do you actually spend reading?

During the weekday, probably around 4 hours? Maybe more? Toward the end of the week, I definitely read closer to 6 hours, but I also write a lot during the weekday, so my reading hours are always less when I’m working on a novel.

Where does the task of “picking up a book” appear on your daily to-do list?

It’s, uh, actually the whole list? The only daily to-do lists I make are reading and writing goals ones, so the items on my list are usually how much I want to read of different books or write a specific number of chapters.

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

600+! I’ve not quite made it to 700 yet, but Goodreads has this neat Owned Books tool, so the exact number might be 640. Of those, only two of them are e-books, and both of those are short stories.

Someone actually commented on this photo, “DO YOU HAVE ANY WALLS???” Um, no?

Approximately how often do you bring up books in conversation?

Every single conversation. I cannot be stopped. I tell my coworker almost every day at lunch what the book I’m reading about is, and if I’m feeling feisty enough about something, I usually text Alex about it, too.

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

This answer is the same every time, and it always makes me mad because I want to talk about other books, damn it! A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin is the longest book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, thus making it the longest book, by page count, that I’ve ever read.

Is there a book you had to get your hands on against all odds?

Strangely enough, the Edward Snow translation of Rilke’s poetry. I mean, sure, I could have just bought it on Amazon, but there are some books that I like to hunt for, and finding this translation took forever. I finally found it in Toad Hall in Rockport, MA, which is no longer open, and I’m the saddest ever about that. I also struggled big time finding a lot of The Dark Crystal graphic novels.

A book you struggled to finish but refused to DNF?

Oh, hm. I’ve gotten a lot better at DNF’ing books, but I can’t think of any that I refused to DNF. You know what, I’m going to use Ulysses by James Joyce for this because I have not DNF’d it, but it’s taking a lot out of me to read it. I read about half of it in March, and my plan is to come back to it before the end of the year.

What are 3 of your main book goals for 2019?

My 2019 reading goals are pretty hefty. My Goodreads goal is 150 books, which I’m crushing, but I also gave myself 10 goals to accomplish, and of those, I’d say (1) finishing rereading The Mortal Instruments, (2) finishing reading A Series of Unfortunate Events, and (3) read one classic a month were my biggest goals. The first two are ridiculous because I had less than 3 books for each, but the first goal took me over a year and the second one took nearly five years, so I am happy to finally have both behind me. For classics, I have thus far read a classic every month, so I’m feeling pretty good about that!

Have you ever had the privilege of converting someone into a reader?

YES! A few times, actually, and it’s the absolute best experience ever. I do have to note that both times, the person was already a reader, but I’m fairly confident my friendship, which includes shoving books bodily upon people, definitely made them read more.

Look at us, snuggled up in bed, reading the last book in the Rebel of the Sands trilogy.

Describe what books mean to you in 5 words.

This is THE WORST. Books are the reason I’m still happy.