How many times have you participated in CBR? Has it changed the way you read?
This is my fourth round of CBR. I started with CBR6 at my sister, badkittyuno’s, suggestion. I didn’t take it terribly seriously. I read about the same as I would have every other year only now I would write reviews for what I read. Then last year I made the mistake of requesting the audio version of a book when placing a hold at the library instead of the hard copy. It changed my whole CBR game. I could ‘read’ in the car. I canceled my Sirius XM subscription a few months later and hit my first double cannonball.
How do you decide what to tackle next from your To Be Read list/stack?
The unglamorous reasoning is that I’m a big library user, another CBR change to my reading habits, so a lot of what I read when I read it is based on due dates (especially if it has a wait list and can’t be renewed).
But I like to balance my reading. If I’m listening to a denser non-fiction book in my car, I may read a YA novel on my lunch break. If I’m reading a thriller or more lofty literary work in bed at night, then I may listen to a funnier audio book like a celebrity memoir as a break. And sometimes, I’ll just get on a genre kick or discover a new author and go through everything they’ve ever written as fast as possible.
What’s the first book you recommend to new friends?
My coworkers aren’t big readers (gasp) so I don’t get a lot of real world experience offering suggestions. If someone asks I tend to go with authors over specific books: Liane Moriarty, Jojo Moyes, Gillian Flynn and John Green just to name a few…
If you were to get a book-related tattoo, what would it be? (Or if you already have one, what does it say?)
I have 6 tattoos but nothing bookish. Badkittyuno and I have discussed getting a Lumos tattoo, but my husband nixed it because he’s lame and also not a huge fan of tattoos.
Do you reread favorite books, or think life’s too short and there are too many new books out there?
I think, excluding the last three years, I have read The Perks of Being a Wallflower every year since high school. I’m clearly due for another go! I also would reread favorites from Jen Weiner, Augusten Burroughs and Jen Lancaster over and over but CBR opened up the floodgates to new books and authors so I reread a lot less now.
Pumpkin Spice Everything: overrated, or best thing ever?
I prefer my lattes flavored with vanilla or not at all! When PSL first blew up I ignored it, to each their own, but now every fall my Target has a whole section of unnecessarily pumpkin flavored foods (like whipped cream and oreos) and it just makes my eyes roll…
still not giving up on matching sista tattoos!
You logged in for the firsr time in 6 week just for that didn’t you?
With you on the vanilla flavoring, but I also like caramel flavored every now and again. I like to get iced coffee and get them to drizzle caramel sauce (not syrup!) in it, so that you get cold little caramel floaties sucked up into the straw every now and then. Mmmm.
this is why iced caramel macchiatos are my favorite. Vanilla flavoring AND caramel sauce.
YUM.
I like caramel too. I’ll get the caramel frappe sometimes and get extra drizzle… never thought of adding it to a latte- til now!
My sister and I have matching dove tattoos on our feet! We didn’t have husbands when they were applied :)
Now falling down a Pinterest wormhole looking at book related tattoos…
I didn’t know you and Badkittyuno are sisters! Is this common knowledge? Am I too caught up in my own reading and reviewing to notice such things? You both read so much! Finding out stuff like this is why I love this feature. It’s one of the best additions we’ve had to the CBR in years.
I wouldn’t say *common* knowledge but we’ve mentioned it a few times- mostly when we end up reviewing the same books close together. As her sister I’ve also been giving her a TON of crap for shirking her CBR ‘duties’ this year
Since every review of hers brings her closer to beating my all time CBR record, it’s totally fine with me if she wants to take a reviewing break. ;)
I am having so much trouble motivating myself for reading and reviewing that I doubt I’ll manage to participate next year if I don’t stop after my double Cannonball this year, so if she keeps going this year, even at half the speed of last year, she’s likely to be in the top spot by New Year’s.
I came here to say exactly that.
I talked my sister into reviewing last year, but she only did six books and then quit.
Did you also know that sabian30 is the father of Bothari43?
That one I didn’t know!
Ha! We should start a club. CBR: Cannonball Relatives.
Ooh! A club! If only my kids would start reviewing again.
I’m so with you on the pumpkin spice everything…except…Trader Joe’s pimped out their Pumpkin Spice Rooibos tea, and I am a total sucker. It’s damn delicious, and I do not care about pumpkin spice anything (I am, strictly speaking, a Peppermint Patty).
I pieced together that you and badkittyuno were sisters, because I noticed that you were reading a lot of same books and commenting on each other’s stuff. Family and relationships are great for CBR!
Yay sisters! I knew you guys were sisters, it’s how I convinced my own to join up.