Today’s Book Blogger Hop question is: When you enter an unfamiliar house or apartment for the first time, do you feel disappointed if you don’t see any bookshelves, or books on the coffee table?

I don’t know that I feel disappointed by a lack of books…but I’m happy when I do see books!  I tend to gravitate towards someone else’s bookshelves to see what they have, and if I’m impressed by their collection (which really means they like the same books I do!) I’ll let them know that.  It’s always interesting to see what books someone else owns, because frequently I’ll find out we’ve read the same author, even though that’s never previously come up in conversation.

Do you look around for books when you enter a new living space?  Do you get impressions of people based on their books?

Today’s Book Blogger Hop question is: Do you participate in readathons and/or reading challenges?

I think we all know I do reading challenges. 🙂  I’ve had annual challenges every year since starting this blog, though some years have been more intensive than others. I really enjoy reading challenges, partially because of how I use them.  I don’t ever set challenges to get myself to read books I don’t want to read (well, except maybe for the “read long books I’ve been avoiding” challenge I did one year–and I ended up liking most of those book anyway).  I use challenges to focus my reading, to remind myself to read books (or book types) I actually do want to read, but wouldn’t necessarily think about all the time.

I’ve never done a readathon.  I read a LOT, but in small snatches.  I rarely read for more than a half-hour stretch.  Partially that’s a product of how my life is structured, but I’m also really used to that.  I don’t often want to read for a lot longer than that.  Well, I often think I do in theory…but I’m also pretty sure that really I’m a quick stop reader, and will get antsy most of the time if I read for a lot longer.  Once in a while I’m genuinely in the mood to read all afternoon–but it’s unusual.

Are readathons or challenges a part of your reading?

Today’s Book Blogger Hop question is: Do you ever go “way back” to when you first started blogging and look at your old review posts? Do you see any differences from then to now?

My earliest posts really are pretty far back by now–since I’ve been writing this blog for almost seven years!  I look back occasionally, when I want to see what I said about something that comes to mind again, to reference with a link back if a topic comes up now, or to choose a Classic Review to repost.

I don’t think my taste has changed hugely since I started blogging.  It may have become broader–I read less YA and more nonfiction, and the various challenges I’ve had over the years have influenced the more specific topics I may have covered (like fairy tales or parallel universes).  But overall, if I liked a book way back when, I still like it now–and if I disliked one, well, I probably haven’t reread it, but I usually still think I had good points.

My reviewing has become more immediate.  In early blog days I did more reviewing of favorite books I hadn’t reread recently.  It didn’t take long, though, to realize that it’s a lot easier reviewing a book I just read, so that shifted pretty fast.

The biggest difference to me may be subtle to other people.  I think I’m more confident in my reviews now.  At first I think I felt a need to defend my opinion–now, I still will tell you why I like or dislike something, but it doesn’t feel like an assertion so much as a statement.  That may not look very different to anyone else, but I can see it!

Readers who are also book bloggers, do you ever go back farther?  How has your reviewing change?

Today’s Book Blogger Hop question is: Have you ever read a book or books you would consider ‘toxic’ because of the effect it (they) had on you? If so, which one(s)?

Ooh, what an interesting question!  There are definitely books I’ve found disturbing.  Lolita comes to mind–it was assigned in a class (on American Literature, which I still don’t understand considering Nabokov was Russian) and to this day I’m glad that I got it at the library and didn’t spend money on it.  If you’re (fortunately) unfamiliar with the book, it centers around an adult man’s sexual obsession (and relationship) with an adolescent girl, and it would be less disturbing if Nabokov was a less talented author.  One classmate described it as like watching maggots feed–compelling and horrible both at once.

The Da Vinci Code is toxic in a different way.  It makes me angry–I have an entire rant on the subject of mixing historical fact with theory with utter fiction, sometimes all in one paragraph, without any distinguishing between them.  On the other hand, the phrase “giant albino monk” gets funnier every time I say it.  Not a funny character, but the sheer absurdity of it lightens my mood.

In general I’m disturbed by books that feature sexual violence or child abuse, although I’ve discovered I find those more disturbing in fiction than nonfiction (it’s a stylistic difference).  I can read more in analytical texts (usually taking it on from a psychological analysis) than I can in fiction, though that depends on the level of detail.  And I think we all know that I’m deeply disturbed by fiction involving abusive relationships presented as romantic!

I also have a particular tic against books that address the reader in a hostile or belittling way.  I love books that talk directly to the reader if they’re friendly, but if the narrator is nasty or insulting to the reader?  Yeah, I know not to take it personally, but I still don’t like how it feels.  Part of the appeal of books is that they aren’t judgmental or unfriendly.

Have you read books that feel toxic to you?  What characteristics would make a book toxic?