Literary Junkies Link-Up #3

It's Literary Link-Up time again!  I just have to say that this group is so much fun to be part of!  I'm so glad Taylor and Lesley got it started.  Anyway, on to the questions for this month:  

1. Which book could you read over and over? Why?

I'm not much of a re-reader.  In fact, I can't even think of a book I have read twice.  There are just so many books that I haven't read yet!  There are a few books that I'd like to read again, but I'm not sure when they will make it to the top of the list.  

2. If you could be any character from any book you've read, who would you be?
These questions are so tricky!  I'm scanning through my favorite books and I wouldn't want to be any of those characters, because there's usually something really terrible that happens, and that's what makes it an interesting book.  My best pick is Lucy from the Chronicles of Narnia, because wouldn't that just be amazing!?

3. Do you ever put a book down because you just can't get into it? Or do you stick it out to the bitter end? Any examples?
Very rarely do I give up on a book.  I will usually stick it out unless it is really terrible.  The only example I can think of is Eat, Pray, Love.  I really tried to like it, but after the "Eat" section, I couldn't take it anymore.  I also gave up on Les Miserables.  It was "summer reading" when I was in high school, and I only got about halfway through.

4. Show us your book shelves! Do you have one designated spot in your house for all your books? Do you scatter them around?

Most of the books we own are in the basement.  We have shelves on either side of the fireplace.  I keep the more current fiction in alphabetical order on the top shelf (except for the books that don't fit).  The next shelf is half kid books, and half miscellaneous non-fiction.  The next shelf holds the classics, and mostly Steinbeck.  I generally try not to buy books, because they are expensive and a pain to move (plus I never re-read them)!  The local library is definitely an important part of my reading plan.   

The other shelf mostly contains John's books.  I just have to show off my elephant bookends (top photo).  I got these in 2006 when I went to Kenya.  I sort of love elephants (you might notice this set on my shelf), so I had to have these when I saw them.