Reading Questions

Reading questions from Readers Guide by way of Necromancy Never Pays:

Most memorable experience reading a book? I guess the most memorable experience would have to be when I was in labor with my youngest child. I am, of course, never without a book and heading to the hospital to have a baby certainly didn't mean I wouldn't have a book with me. Once I had a blissful epidural, my husband and my mother headed off to the cafeteria to find food and I sat reading Susan Orleans' The Bullfighter Checks Her Make-Up, a book of essays. I mean, I'm not totally insane. I knew I'd need something I could pick up and put down if necessary. So no novels. ;-)

Most unusual place for reading a book? Can I repeat the above answer? If not, I will admit to reading at red lights. But only if I'm not the first car in line. I don't like to be distracted by having to constantly check and see if the light has changed. Bet none of you want to be on the road anywhere near me now, do you?

Most dangerous place I’ve ever read a book? Quite probably the red light thing applies here too. The other (marginally) dangerous place I read consistently is on my walk to the bus stop in the afternoon. It's dangerous because there's a section of the sidewalk that has heaved upwards by about an inch or two and I trip on the doggone thing *every* blasted day. Of course, I trip on it whether I have my nose in a book or not.

Most luxurious experience reading a book? Probably on one of D.'s business reward trips. We were at some all-inclusive resort in Puerto Rico and the pool had shaded cabanas with reclining couches. So I spent all my time at the pool in one of these, lounging on pillows and sending the cabana boy (or girl--I didn't look up enough to really know) back and forth to the bar for pina coladas as I read Challenger Park by Stephen Harrigan.

Funniest experience reading a book? I don't think I really have any funny experiences to share. The closest would be recently when I was sitting in my car, sort of lurking outside my daughter's dance class. They don't have much seating inside the studio and parents often let their children take all the seats even if there are adults standing, a lack of courtesy that makes my old-fashioned little self a bit nuts so I don't go in if I don't have to, choosing to stay in the car (at least until the season makes all the light to read by go away). So I was sitting in the parking lot, finishing up Still Alice by Lisa Genova and had tears pouring down my face. The few times I paused and looked up there was always a mother sort of peering into the windshield, probably to make sure I wasn't some scary child predator. Each one would catch sight of the tears falling off my nose and would immediately move to shield her small ballerina from the sight of me and hustle the kiddo past as if sorrow was catching. It definitely made me chuckle, which was very incongrous given what I was reading.

Do you have good responses to these questions? Play along and let me know you've done it. And please tell me I'm not the only person around who can tell you what I was reading at certain points in my life. I mean, I know I am generally a bookish freak, but there must be others who have this odd ability too, right?!