Literary Junkies: February Edition

It’s the third Tuesday of the month and that means it’s time for another Literary Junkies Link-up.

This month’s questions:
1. What are you reading right now? Tell us about it.
2. Give us the recipe for a great book.
3. Tell us things you’ve learned from a book recently. Did learn anything about history? Did you take away a deep and profound realization about the world around you? Or maybe even a beauty tip?
4. What was your favorite book as a child?

Before I start answering this months questions can I just say that I love this link-up? It’s hosted by some awesome ladies, Taylor and Lesley, and not only that but the book club that goes with it is filled with some awesome ladies.

Now onto the questions

1. What are you reading right now?

I am currently reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn for two different book clubs. It’s our March selection for the Literary Junkies and the February selection for Bon’s Book Club.

Goodreads.com Synopsis:
Marriage can be a real killer.
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and media — as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents — the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter — but is he really a killer?

I’m not to far in but so far I’m enjoying the book.

2. Give us the recipe for a good book.

The base ingredient for a good book is a great hook. Whether it’s the story (for fiction) or an interesting topic (for nonfiction) it doesn’t matter, it just needs to hook the reader and draw them in. It doesn’t matter how good the characters or writing is, if you can’t keep them interested in the topic then they won’t stay to see the rest. The next ingredient would have to be good characters, while not as important as the hook they are still important. Bad characters can ruin a good story. The last ingredient for me is proof reading. Now I know that while you read this post you could probably find tons of errors, however, I don’t profess to be a professional writer or proof reader. That being said when I’m reading a book and I see a word misspelled, a character’s name with the wrong person (i.e. two characters are in a scene but a name for another accidentally gets placed in the conversation), or just missing text it bugs me.

3. Tell us something you’ve learned from a book recently.

Well it wasn’t something that I learned but it was something I was reminded of. While reading The Eyre Affair I was reminded of how great the book Jane Eyre is. If you haven’t read this book you should give it a go.

4. What was your favorite book as a child?

Hmm this is such a hard question. What book didn’t I love would probably be an easier question to answer. I loved Where the Sidewalk Ends, The Babysitters Club, and many many many other books. If I had to choose though I would probably say that the book(s) that I kept going back to time and time again were the Fear Street books. Even if I had already read them, several Fear Street books would always make their way into my library bag.

What are you currently reading?

As usual I’m linking up with Taylor and Lesley.