So you’re a “running nerd?” Do you listen to audio books while you dash up mountains?
No, not when I dash up mountains 😁 but late autumn and winter here are usually cold and very dark, so during those months I need all the motivation I can get to go out and run. And audio books provide me with motivation and a well-needed distraction from the weather. I’ll never forget running in a dark forest last winter, with only my head torch for a light, in the snow, and listening to a murder mystery….It certainly put a spring in my step!
Usually though I prefer running without anything in my ears, especially when I run in the forest. I need that time to clear my head and let my thoughts wander.
How many chapters do you give a book to grab you? Or are you a “must finish every book” reader?
Oh I’ve suffered through many a bad book! I think I’ve only ever given up on one book. I figure if I’ve already paid to buy the book and invested time in reading the first 100 pages I need to finish the book (=throwing good money after the bad) – or maybe it’s my FOMO? Maybe the book gets better later! If I just read it to the end, there just might be a twist that will make it all worth it…(it hasn’t happened so far but I haven’t let that little fact stop me from masochistically forcing my eyeballs to read bad books).
Which do you find easier to write, the 5 star reviews or 1 star?
That’s a very good question. It’s certainly much more pleasant to write 5 star reviews but often when I give a 5 star review it’s largely because of the way the book made me feel, and it’s not always easy to explain in objective terms why that particular book was good. A book I didn’t like has usually given me plenty of ammunition. But it sucks to give negative reviews. No matter what my personal opinion of a book was, the author still put a lot of effort into it and I feel bad writing those reviews. Luckily, it doesn’t happen very often.
You seem to read a wide variety of genres. How do you decide what to read next from your TBR pile?
Depends on my mood. For example, sometimes I want to get in a quick read before the thick book I have to read for my book club. Maybe I’m still in the same mood the previous book put me in (especially if I enjoyed it a lot) and I want to read something in the same genre. Also, certain times of the year make me feel like reading certain genres (Halloween – predictably – puts me in a horror book kind of mood for instance).
Did you attempt (successfully or un) to learn any new skills while quarantining?
Not exactly a new skill but I picked up a crocheting project last autumn that also required some embroidery. I hadn’t embroidered anything since I was 10, so 30-odd years later I was very rusty. But it was a lot of fun.
I’ve also learned how to play three songs on the piano really badly. Planning on expanding the set list to four next autumn.
Now that you’ve learned all about The Book Omnivore, head over and see what she’s been reading lately. Or meet other Cannonballers we’ve interviewed recently.