Literary Junkies: March 2013

I know, I know. Another bookish link-up? This might as well be a book blog. I promise I have some non-book posts in store soon, and I hope to catch up on my European adventures by the end of the month. If you didn't see my photo post of Vienna this weekend, you should definitely check it out. There's more where that came from! But until then ...

Today, I'm participating in my first Literary Junkies link-up, hosted by By the Porchlight and Pink Heels Pink Truck. I've been active in the Facebook group for a while, but this is the first time I've actually sat down and written out my answers to the monthly link-up. Enjoy!

  1. What are you currently reading? Tell us about it.
  

Photo via @mcstroup on Instagram

  Nothing! I know, what an embarrassment, especially on the first week I've actually participated in this fun link-up. I recently opened up my copy of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close on my Kindle, but I haven't read a word. I also bought The White Queen by Philippa Gregory for only $5.99 on my Kindle yesterday, so I'm hoping to break into that one soon.

2. Recommend a book that has changed your perspective on life.
   This is kind of cheating, because it's a book about different perspectives on life, but Applying Ethics is the best textbook I have ever read. I learned so much about myself and my personal and political beliefs from reading that book and discussing the issues in a philosophy class at Mizzou. If you want to really learn something about yourself, I suggest you read this.

3. What book do you recommend the most to people?

   The Pact by Jodi Picoult. Or the Harry Potter series, in the rare event I find a non-reader. Other top recommendations from me include Peony in Love, Angels and Demons and, most recently, Thirteen Reasons Why. My recommendations vary greatly based on who's asking, though!

4. What are the top 3 books on your "to-read" list?

  

All images via Goodreads

  1. The Fault in Our Stars, John Green
2. The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafon
3. The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown
*I recently wrote a post about the top 10 books on my to-read list for spring. The full list can be found here.

5. What do you "do" while reading? (i.e. listen to music, eat) Any weird reading habits?


Image via Book Mania!

When I read, I'm usually always focusing just on the book. I can definitely eat, drink and sunbathe while reading, and I like to listen to music when I'm in a distracting environment, but I typically just read.

I'm also looking forward to the #literaryjunkies Twitter chat this evening! I can't wait to discuss Gone Girl; it was one of my favorite reads from last year. Plus, this is the first time I've actually finished a book in time to participate, and that's only because I had already read it. :)

Are any of my readers in an online book club? Or an "actual" book club? Tell me about it!