I found this tag over at Art and Soul and it looked like an interesting and brief project for introspection. Why not?

How do you find out about new books to read?
For the most part I find new books through other blogs and through Goodreads recommendations. Sometimes the additions are more organic in nature though- for example when I get on a specific genre addiction, or read a work of non-fiction that is really intriguing that makes me want to dive in even more. When that happens I go on a massive Google spree to find what I can, reading different buyer reviews and adding thinks to the “want to read” list like crazy. I get some suggestions by word of mouth from friends and family, and the occasional publisher e-mail thanks to my day job as a librarian, but those have a smaller impact.

How has your taste in books changed since you got older?

I don’t think it has changed that much actually. I was was raised on a concoction of non-fiction, classics, genre thrillers, historical fiction, and sci fi, and that still describes most of my habits. My parents were massively into road trips and used audio-books to kill the time. We downed Ken Follett novels, political biographies, and fictionalized histories left and right, and that sums up about 50% of the books I’ve read in the last month.

I read more fantasy now than I did when I was a child, but then again I had eaten up Outlander, Narnia, Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings by the time I could drive, so I suppose that genre has always been with me too.

I don’t read as many comics or graphic novels anymore though, which might not be a bad thing. I had a serious Wednesday spending habit all through high school. I’ve been getting slowly back into that groove, but have been keeping myself on a very short leash.

How often do you buy books?

Well I haven’t bought a single one in 3 weeks now, so that’s some sort of record. It hurts.

For the sake of shelf space in my tiny house I don’t purchase too many titles in a physical format anymore (maybe 1/3?), which means I often fall prey to Kindle impulse buys. I try my damnedest to purchase as needed, so to not keep a huge backlog (unlike my mom who has “maybe 6,000” eBooks…), and I still relatively successful with that self control.

I am planning on trip to Half-Price once February begins to reward myself for being a good little goal follower in January. It’s counterproductive, I know. Don’t judge me.

How did you get into book reviewing?

I’ve been trying to write more, and think more, and not fall prey to brain death as I move solidly into boring adulthood. I was reading a lot already, so reviewing seemed like a natural way to write when other prompts failed me.

How do you react when you don’t like the end of a book?

Disappointed.

I admit though that I am not normally a reading risk-taker. It’s why I don’t have any 1-star reviews posted… yet. I find it hard to pick up titles that don’t initially call to me; I don’t want to waste my time and money so I generally go into a title knowing something about it. I should get over that habit, I know, take some more blind jumps in, because I’m sure there are tons of things out there that I’m not even trying.

Anyway, if I DO grab a book and read it, and then dislike the ending, it just bums me out. It doesn’t happen all that often… I tend to be underwhelmed more than hateful, but yeah. Bummed for sure.

How often do you sneak peak at the ending to see if there is a happy ending?

Almost never. Generally because that would require reading an entire chapter to get the full context of the ending, and that time could be better spent actually reading the title chronologically without spoiling or ruining any of the fun. That and happy endings don’t always make for the best stories anyway, so it’s never been a compulsion.