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My first read of the year was the first volume in the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. It was a great read, it had me hooked right from the start - the only bad thing I could say about it, really, is that it was maybe a bit predictable at times. I can't wait to get my hands on the next two volumes though! Will probably run out to the bookstore first thing tomorrow. ^^ Happy reading this year everyone.

I'm getting closer and closer to the end in George R.R. Martin's A Clash of Kings and I also took a head start last night on a crime novel that came out last month in my country. The new book by Arnaldur Indridason, if anyone's familiar. I also got an email from a bookstore nearby saying they have my Inheritance in hardcover in stock now - I had to order it because they get sold out pretty fast. I'm guessing that will be my next read. So excited to finally get to see how the Eragon series end. =D

I think I'll have to go with Pride and Prejudice - I'm not much of a romantic and I didn't really expect to like it THAT much (I was reading it for school) but I absolutely loved it, I thought it was wonderful. I've been rereading the Harry Potter's this year, they don't really count. But A Study in Scarlet would also get a high scoring with me, Sherlock Holmes is just one of my favourite characters of all time. I think I'll have to go with Pride and Prejudice - I'm not much of a romantic and I didn't really expect to like it THAT much (I was reading it for school) but I absolutely loved it, I thought it was wonderful. I've been rereading the Harry Potter's this year, they don't really count. But A Study in Scarlet would also get a high scoring with me, Sherlock Holmes is just one of my favourite characters of all time.

1. Icelandic. It is my native language and I see it as a privilege to be one of the 300.000 to understand it. This means I'm also able to read Icelandic texts and books exactly as they were written 900 years ago, as the language has changed very little over the centuries. 2. English. I'd say I'm pretty fluent and as a matter of fact, most of what I read is in English. 3. Danish. I studied the language for about 8 years in school and I'm able to read novels in Danish, though I don't do it often enough at all. 4. French. I studied French for three years, I doubt I'd be patient enough to read a whole novel in French but I can read through a short text and understand the basics. I also learned recently that I understand spoken Swedish pretty well also because it is so alike Danish in many ways. I think I'd have more trouble with written Swedish though. I'm 19 years old, if that matters...

Well I have A Short History of Nearly Everything (in icelandic translation), the God Delusion and A Thousand Splendid Suns all on my shelf waiting to be read.

1. Age 18-24 (I'm 18 yo. ) 2. Gender Female. 3. What do you read on a daily basis? (blogs, newspapers, books, etc.) Books mostly, but newspapers and forums as well. 4. How often do you read for fun in a week? Rarely, actually. I'm usually swamped with schoolwork. 5. What time of day do you like to read? Anytime. Preferably when I have time to myself at home or some other quiet place (rather than on the bus eg.). 6. Where do you read? In bed mostly, or on the couch. I really should get myself a comfortable reading chair. :/ 7. How many books have you read in the last 6 months? Uhm, only 5 or 6 I think, if I count the novels I had to read for school. And I think I should count those because they were well worthwhile and if I hadn't been reading those, I'd have been reading some of my own. 8. What type/genre do you enjoy reading most? Fantasy has been a favourite of mine for long, but I enjoy the occasional thriller and I've recently started to explore the classics. I can read anything really, as long as it's good. 9. Why do you read? (entertainment, relaxation, learning, etc.) All of the ones above, really. Entertainment mostly, but I love learning new things as well. 10. What barriers prevent you from reading more? Time. I'm doing many subjects in school and there seems to be no limit to the amount of assignments one can get in only one week. There hardly is time for anything else. 11. Do you think reading for fun is important? Absolutely. 12. Do you fold page corners or use a bookmark? I never fold! I always have something nearby that's easy to fit between the pages. I usually use actual bookmarks anyway, they give those away at the library. 13. Do you prefer to read to music or in silence? Silence. I feel like I can't hear my own thoughts well enough when I have music on. 14. Do you discuss books with your friends? With those of my friends who actually enjoy reading themselves, yes. 15. Do you borrow books from the library? Sometimes, yes. If I am doubtful that it's worth spending money on. 16. Do you borrow/loan books from/to friends? Sometimes, if they have anything of interest. Especially if they are encouraging me to borrow something of theirs so I will read it.

Well, there is my native tongue, Icelandic, and I'd also like to consider myself pretty fluent in English. Danish I could be fluent at but I'm somehow shy when speaking in the language - although I have no trouble whatsoever reading in it. I can easily read and understand a book in all of the above. I know some French as well, enough to understand the main subject of general conversations oftentimes, and to maintain a pretty easy conversation as well - but I have not tried reading a French novel and considering I've only been learning school-French for about two years, I doubt I'd be able to understand very much.

Aww, just one? I couldn't choose between the top three on your list I think... Probably HP though.

Any amount of time, really. I sometimes start reading and read for only 15-25 minutes, other days when I maybe have nothing to do and i'm home alone, I can be reading for 3-6 hours.

I'm 18 years old and still going to school. I'm sort of disappointed in our school system when it comes to this. We don't even get through 3-4 books every year, far from it. Usually 2 a year for each subject (icelandic, danish, english, and even less for french), only a little more for graduation subjects. In icelandic, we're pretty stuck in poetry and literature from the 1200s, which is great and all - I myself find it pretty amazing being able to read something that was written in the 13th century and still understand it in it's original form. However, if that doesn't spark students' interest, it won't encourage them to read like modern literature might do. There have been some great books written in the 19th and 20th century, we also do have one Nobel Prize winner in literature and it's preposterous that they won't make us read any of that along with the old works of unknown authors. Secondary school even does a better job at this than do the high schools/colleges here, they have more variety in their book choices. I guess English classes are a bit better organised when it comes to this. Last year, we read Animal Farm for the former semester and Of Mice and men for the latter. It is understandable that we only go through 2 books a year considering all the grammar, translations, word definitions etc that we go over because English is our second language. However, I think we could get through at least three over the whole year. Lastly, I definitely agree with you on the summer-read. I hear some schools do that here but mine doesn't and really, it's ridiculous because I hear in the UK, they have more "semesters" and shorter breaks than we do really... My summer vacation starts the 30th of April and ends on 20th of August and who couldn't get through at least 2 books in that time?...

I usually go to a bookstore here(Iceland) called Eymundsson, because I look for variety and I like having a lot to choose from. I also look for a good collection of English literature and it's usually found there - if anywhere. A store here called Nexus only sells english literature but it's mostly Sci-Fi/Fantasy... I like going there as well but sometimes I'm looking for something completely different. This country is a poor market for books in English though, that is - a lot of the books are either by icelandic authors or translated, the latter of which I definitely don't like. Therefore I'd love to go abroad more to shop there.

I finished the Kite Runner yesterday (it was amazing!!) and hopefully, I'll find the time to start the Hobbit when I get home from work today. Never read that one, so I'm excited. ^^

This morning

Hmmm... Turkey, beef, bread (cheese comes with it!!), cornflakes and coffee...

It's next on my reading list so why not! I just started the Kite Runner today and I'm 50 pages in so far... if I can finish that one in time before you lot have already finished the Hobbit, I'll definitely be reading along with you and commenting as I go.

LotR soundtracks.

When I was younger, I used to watch the Lion King numerous times every single day for many years, eventually I wore up THREE tapes of the film - and now I have no copy of it. Therefore, that one definitely comes first. Then I'd have to choose between 101 Dalmatians, the Little Mermaid, Hercules, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tarzan and Lady and the Tramp. No idea what to choose, I guess it'd be The Hunchback and Hercules. I always really disliked Pinocchio, Dumbo and Aladdin though. I also never really came to like the films with girls as a lead (besides the Little Mermaid and Pocahontas, perhaps because they were different) but I really had no patience for the princess movies.

Currently I'm reading a historical novel that takes place in 1874 in Iceland - at the time when king Christian d. 9 comes to visit the small town of Reykjav

I walked to the library after having my hair done and borrowed several books which I plan to take with me out of town (where I'll be working) this summer: Les Mis

Hmm, I guess it'd translate as: "One smile from a baby can change the entire world." Sounds less corny in icelandic.

Granted, only your body can be teleported but your mind has to stay in the same place. I wish I could go back in time and have a nice little chat with Newton.

Well, it certainly feels like a chore when the exams make me read through a hundred pages on chemistry in one or two days. But I get what you mean - I sometimes feel like that as well. Then again, I don't really "obey" when I tell myself I should be reading, only for the sake of getting my TBR pile down. If I really want to do something else, like watch television or draw - I just do that.

These days I usually have a few bookmarks in various books, simply because they give them away for free at the library and in bookstores. I don't really need them, I can easily remember the page number if I want to as long as I'm not going weeks without reading in between. I do like bookmarks however. I do however have a bookmark that I particularly like, I got it with my fifth Harry Potter book for christmas and it has explanations on back for "Thestral", "Dobby the Houseelf", "Expecto Patronum" etc. I find it kinda cool. and besides, I think it followed me throughout the fifth, the sixth and the seventh Harry Potter book so it's kinda special.

Thank you for that response. And I do like action and entertainment but I figured Proust's works would be something else - something I might be interested in trying. It sounds like it's worth to give it a try anyway.