Books & Writing Tag

My friend Crystal Miller tagged me over at her blog. Sometimes I avoid tags, but this one is all about books and writing, so right up my alley. Here goes:

1. What's the one book or writing project you haven't yet written but still hope to?
I have to think about this one. So far, I've gotten to write everything I wanted to. Now I just need more time to write. I sat down and looked at the rest of the calendar for this year and got...um...urgent. Not quite panicked, but realized I have zilch down time. There's one story brewing in a corner of my mind about WWII. I'd love to tell that one, but probably won't have time until January to work up that proposal.

2. If you had one entire day in which to do nothing but read, what book would you start with?
My TBR pile is huge! It's ready to take over the floor along my bedside. Every time I read a book, it seems two take its place. The books are more prolific than rabbits! But if I had to choose -- which the question requires -- I'd grab either a short fun one to start with like Jdy Baer's Mirror, Mirror or Allie Pleiter's The Perfect Blend. Since either one of those will only take a couple hours and I have all day, then I'd move on to HeadGame by Tim Downs (he just won the Christy for suspense and he's good). After that, if I still had time, which with 24 hours to do nothing but read, I would -- I'd move on to either Snitch by Rene Gutteridge or Bygones by Kim Sawyer. Wooh! Glad I read fast! That would only leave about 20 books in my pile :-)

3. What was your first writing "instrument" (besides pen and paper)?
An old computer. You know, the kind with a dot matrix printer, and the holes along the edge of the paper you had to pull off. Whoever created the first computer has my immense thanks. Can't imagine life without them -- or the Internet -- or email.

4. What's your best guess as to how many books you read in a month?
10-15 easily -- and that's in month's like this when I'm writing like crazy. Months I'm not writing it's more like 25.

5. What's your most favorite writing "machine" you've ever owned?
My laptop with the wireless. I love this puppy. It gives me all kinds of mobility and freedom. But I've read about some that only weigh 3-5 pounds. Now that would be sweet!

6. Think historical fiction: what's your favorite time period in which to read? (And if you don't read historical fiction--shame on you.)
Umm. No contest. World War Two :-)

7. What's the one book you remember most clearly from your youth (childhood or teens)?
One? Only one? This is killing me! I read 30+ books a month as a young adult. I inhaled books from the start of first grade. And you only want one. Argh. It would have to be Ballet Shoes or Little Women. I think. I also loved Bobbsey Twins, Trixie Beldon, Nancy Drew, Cherry Ames, Happy Hollisters, A Grandma's Attic series, Mandy series, you get the idea.

But there's one book, I'll never forget. I was in first grade. Small (tiny) Christian school. There was a book about the girl who told Namaan to got to Elijah to get cured of leprosy. Supposedly at a sixth grade level. Someone told me I couldn't read it because I was only in first grade. That's like showing a bull red. I must have read that book dozens of times before we moved. And I still remember it... though I couldn't tell you the title to save my life.

Okay, I tap the other Craftie Ladies of Suspense. How would you answer these questions?