Recently Stephanie from Graf-Martin Communications and the Nuts About Books program shared a video and a question with bloggers in the monthly newsletter.  First, here is the video by Jocelyn Green, author of “The Mark of the King” (read my review for this book here).  Isn’t it a delight?!

Next, here is the question posed in the newsletter:

We would LOVE for you to tell us what makes you Nuts About Books like Jocelyn, or, take your own twist and share something fun with us, like a blog post about what requirements bloggers have for getting comfortable for a perfect afternoon of reading?  Or, do you prefer audio books, ebooks, or hardcopy books – or does each version have it’s place for a different activity?

So, here is my reply to this most interesting (at least for all book fanatics like myself) question…

What makes you Nuts About Books?  From the time I was a baby, my mom has instilled in me a love of reading.  She read stories to my sister and me every day, until the time I could begin to read by myself (in addition to listening to her read aloud, of course!).  My mom also homeschooled us from Kindergarten through Grade 12, and this is probably the biggest reason why I am Nuts About Books today.  People joke that we could insulate our house with our books, and they honestly wouldn’t be too far off!

I adore stories, and I think this is something that God placed inside of me.  After all, it must be a good thing since Jesus taught so many of his truths using stories and parables!  And also, I love having the ability to travel to a different time and place, and live there for just a little while.  As Janette Oke, one of my favorite authors, stated in “Love Comes Softly”: “When you read you can have every adventure. In the pages of a book you can be anyone you ever dreamed of being… They can never tell you you’re too young to slay the dragon — because it all happens right here, where it’s safe.”

What makes for the perfect afternoon of reading? For me, the perfect afternoon of reading includes: a wonderful book (namely Historical Fiction), a small bowl of either popcorn or chips, my comfy bed with a warm blanket, my cats Figaro and Meeko curled up by my feet, and my big dogs Cali and Missy laying on either side of my bed.  Could anything be more enjoyable than an afternoon of uninterrupted reading in this setting?  I think not!

Do you prefer audio books, e-books, or hard-copy books?   This one’s easy – hard-copy books all the way!  While I have a Kobo as well as an iPad, neither of these devices ever appealed to me as an option for reading books on.  I’ve tried, but it just isn’t the same.  I’ve heard the arguments for e-readers, (namely how you can take entire libraries with you wherever you go), but for me this can never replace the feel, smell, and “connection” I have with real and tangible books.  As far as audio-books, my sister adores them – but she is an auditory learner.  I need to read things to understand them best, and paper is the best material for that!

Thanks so much for reading this post, which hopefully answered the question posed by the Nuts About Books newsletter.  And now, I’d love to hear from YOU!  Can you answer any of the above questions, or share your own thoughts about reading in general?  I can’t wait to hear from you…