We need to talk about books! #12
This week I have the pleasure of catching up with Rachael from PingelSisters.com, a new blog where she and her sister Jaclyn write advice for savvy millennial women - about life, work, travel and, of course, about books.
Are your bookshelves a ‘work in progress’ like
mine or are they clearly and systematically organised? Tell us a little bit
about your method if you have one.
In our current home, we have this beautiful glass-fronted cabinet in our dining room to display fine china. I don’t have fine china, but I do have books! And since they are “on display,” I switched from an alphabetical system to organizing them by color. It makes a great conversation starter whenever we have someone over for dinner.
What do you do with books once you’ve read them?
I return them back to the library! I rarely buy books. When I was a newlywed, I went a bit overboard at the local thrift store and bought hundreds of books. I just have one more left to read, Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. Once I finish that, I plan to go through my bookshelves and keep only the ones I would want to read again or would lend to a friend. That’ll free up some space so I can buy some new books.
Do you tend to re-read books?
Not as much as I would like. My to-read pile is always overflowing with books, that I generally feel pressed to read those first. That being said, I have some books that I make sure to read about every other year at least. The Harry Potter Series, Animal Farm and 1984 by George Orwell, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card and Jane Austen’s novels are definitely the ones I re-read the most.
How do you feel about lending books to friends?
I freely lend my books out to friends and family. Since most of my books were bought at thrift stores and yard sales, it’s not a big deal if I lose them. I enjoy being able to hand a book to a friend and say, “Read this. I think you’ll like it.”
Do you write in books, do you use sticky notes for your comments or something like that?
I never write in books. But I don’t mind buying a second-hand book with comments in it. As long as they are insightful. I recently started keeping a journal of all the books I’ve read. Just a general summary, my thoughts and impressions, and highlighted quotes.
What is the prettiest book to be found in your current TBR pile?
Of the six books on my nightstand, I’d have to go with My Story by Elizabeth Smart as the book with the prettiest cover. She just looks so beautiful in the photo. With all that she has been through, she is just an inspiring individual.
If you take physical books on holiday with you, how do you choose them? If you don’t, do you take an eReader instead or do you plan to buy books at destination or perhaps you don’t read on holiday etc.?
I generally prefer to bring physical books if I have the space in my luggage. On vacation, I generally read lighter books – thrillers and mysteries. Books that don’t make me think too much, but are just fun to read. And we always get an audiobook for our road trips – though we carefully screen what books we listen to since the kids will be able to listen along. Usually it ends up being something non-fiction – or Harry Potter.
Do you take a book with you whenever you go out, just in case?
I always have a book on my Kindle, just in case. If I think I will have some downtime and I am without the kids, I generally bring whatever book I am currently reading. When I was pregnant, I would make sure to arrive at my OBGYN appointments early so I would get some extra reading time.
If you have a partner, do they love reading too? If they do, do you have the same taste in books? If they don’t, have you ever tried to convert them?
My husband also loves to read. We don’t have the same tastes, but we do have similar tastes. I actually read pretty much every genre. Mostly, we both really love to read well-written books. It’s so much fun to recommend books to each other and be able to discuss them afterwards.
If you were to write a book, what genre would it be?
I don’t feel like I’m a talented enough of a storyteller to write fiction. So I’d have to go with a non-fiction book. Probably either something about mathematics education in the United States, or a guide to budgeting and finance for millennials.
In our current home, we have this beautiful glass-fronted cabinet in our dining room to display fine china. I don’t have fine china, but I do have books! And since they are “on display,” I switched from an alphabetical system to organizing them by color. It makes a great conversation starter whenever we have someone over for dinner.
What do you do with books once you’ve read them?
I return them back to the library! I rarely buy books. When I was a newlywed, I went a bit overboard at the local thrift store and bought hundreds of books. I just have one more left to read, Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. Once I finish that, I plan to go through my bookshelves and keep only the ones I would want to read again or would lend to a friend. That’ll free up some space so I can buy some new books.
Do you tend to re-read books?
Not as much as I would like. My to-read pile is always overflowing with books, that I generally feel pressed to read those first. That being said, I have some books that I make sure to read about every other year at least. The Harry Potter Series, Animal Farm and 1984 by George Orwell, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card and Jane Austen’s novels are definitely the ones I re-read the most.
How do you feel about lending books to friends?
I freely lend my books out to friends and family. Since most of my books were bought at thrift stores and yard sales, it’s not a big deal if I lose them. I enjoy being able to hand a book to a friend and say, “Read this. I think you’ll like it.”
Do you write in books, do you use sticky notes for your comments or something like that?
I never write in books. But I don’t mind buying a second-hand book with comments in it. As long as they are insightful. I recently started keeping a journal of all the books I’ve read. Just a general summary, my thoughts and impressions, and highlighted quotes.
What is the prettiest book to be found in your current TBR pile?
Of the six books on my nightstand, I’d have to go with My Story by Elizabeth Smart as the book with the prettiest cover. She just looks so beautiful in the photo. With all that she has been through, she is just an inspiring individual.
If you take physical books on holiday with you, how do you choose them? If you don’t, do you take an eReader instead or do you plan to buy books at destination or perhaps you don’t read on holiday etc.?
I generally prefer to bring physical books if I have the space in my luggage. On vacation, I generally read lighter books – thrillers and mysteries. Books that don’t make me think too much, but are just fun to read. And we always get an audiobook for our road trips – though we carefully screen what books we listen to since the kids will be able to listen along. Usually it ends up being something non-fiction – or Harry Potter.
Do you take a book with you whenever you go out, just in case?
I always have a book on my Kindle, just in case. If I think I will have some downtime and I am without the kids, I generally bring whatever book I am currently reading. When I was pregnant, I would make sure to arrive at my OBGYN appointments early so I would get some extra reading time.
If you have a partner, do they love reading too? If they do, do you have the same taste in books? If they don’t, have you ever tried to convert them?
My husband also loves to read. We don’t have the same tastes, but we do have similar tastes. I actually read pretty much every genre. Mostly, we both really love to read well-written books. It’s so much fun to recommend books to each other and be able to discuss them afterwards.
If you were to write a book, what genre would it be?
I don’t feel like I’m a talented enough of a storyteller to write fiction. So I’d have to go with a non-fiction book. Probably either something about mathematics education in the United States, or a guide to budgeting and finance for millennials.
And this was my last questions for you. Thank you so much for joining me today!
If you'd like to know more about Rachael and her sister Joclyn, you can find them on all the usual channels:
Blog: https://pingelsisters.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pingel_sisters
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pingel_sisters/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pingelsisters/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pingelsisters
Please share some love in the comments below or head over to Twitter to let me know what you thought!
Comments
Post a Comment