Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Back by popular demand: more bookish Q&A

I really like filling out these book Q&A's plus they have the added bonus of adding content to my rather sparse blog right now. So thank you to Sarah for bringing this one to my attention!

1. Favorite childhood book:
The Dangerous Lives of Alterboys by Chris Fuhrman. I found it in a bookstore when I was 11 and begged my mum to buy it for me for Christmas after I read the first chapter while standing at the shelves. It's still one of my favourite books.

2. What are you reading right now?
The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey is my main read at the moment.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
None at the moment. But my local library is pretty sparse, so if I want to borrow a book I almost always have to request it.

4. Bad book habit:
Buying books because I need them and then still having them unread on my shelves like 5 years later.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Nothing from my regular library, but I have a few textbooks out from my uni library. Fun stuff.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
I do. Tom bought me one for my birthday last year. Although to be honest, I probably spend more time playing games on it than reading anything.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I always used to be a one book at a time kinda girl, but now I usually have two or three books on the go, not to mention comics and audiobooks.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
I read more consistently. I started my blog at the tail-end of my literature degree so I was having to read about 16 books a semester for my classes and I barely read outside of those set-lists.

9. Least favorite book you read this year:
I didn't finish it but it's definitely Patricia Cornwell's Jack the Ripper true crime novel.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year:
Ohhh I don't know. But I think both of the Christopher Moore books I read (Fool and Lamb) would be up there.

11. How often do you read outside of your comfort zone?
I don't really have a comfort zone when it comes to reading. I mean, I tend to favour contemporary fiction over other genres but that's a preference rather than comfort zone. But really, if an interesting book comes along it doesn't matter what genre it is, I'll read it.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
^^

13. Can you read on the bus?
I get hella car sick if there is any kind of bend in the road, car, bus or train. But that rarely stops me from reading. You wouldn't believe how nauseated I feel on the reg, but the books are worth it.

14. Favorite place to read:
On my back stairs. A little sun, a nice breeze. So relaxing.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
It depends on the person and the book. I have certain books and DVDs that are not available to borrow and it doesn't matter who you are. But for the most part I'm happy to share my books with friends and family. But if I don't get it back there will be hell to pay.

16. Do you dog-ear your books?
Not so much. Usually I use post-its.

17. Do you write notes on the margins of your books?
Not all books, but yeah, definitely.

18. Do you break/crack the spines?
Unless you are going to read your book with the book barely open you are going to crack some spines, and it's really weird that people get angry about this. If you crack it to the extent that you break the glue holding the pages though, that's a whole different story.

19. What is your favorite language to read?
English. But I don't really have a lot of options in this category...

20. What makes you love a book?
Well-crafted. Whether that's characters, narrative or writing style. Preferably all three obviously, but if there is a not great book with an amazing character I will potentially still adore it.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If someone comes right out and says "I want to read a book like X" I'll recommend something, but outside of the book blog community I don't recommend too often.

22. Favorite genre:
A bit of everything really.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did):
Classics. Especially Russian classics - there are so many I want to read but the size puts me off.

24. Favorite biography:
I don't know if it technically counts as a biography but I freaking love reading Hunter S. Thompson's gonzo journalism. And his autobiography is brilliant too. But I don't tend to read biographies too often, so that'll have to do.

25. Have you read a self-help book (and was it helpful)?
Not that I can recall.

26. Favorite cook book:
When I moved out of home mum bought me a copy of the Women's Weekly COOK cookbook and it has literally every recipe you could think of. From french toast to Christmas ham. It's amazing.

27. The most inspirational book you’ve read this year:
Ummmmmmmm, pass.

28. Favorite reading snack:
Frozen grapes. Actually, they're just my favourite snack of all time.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience:
This is usually less of a reading issue than a movie issue. But Gone Girl comes to mind, even though I avoided reviews as best as I could.

30. How often do you agree with the critics about a book?
I rarely read actual book critics (as in the newspaper variety) so I don't know. But I usually have similar reactions to books as the fancy folk reading this here Q&A. It's why I so rarely seem to read books I don't love anymore. You guys are too efficient.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I'm fine with it, although I haven't written one in ages.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which would it be?
I think I have to agree with Sarah and say Russian.

33. Most intimidating book I’ve ever read.
Probably a classic of some kind, but I can't think of a specific right now.

34. Most intimidating book I’m to nervous to begin:
Anna Karenina and Les Mis. I've started both and liked them, but they're so freaking huge that I keep putting them down.

35. Favorite Poet:
William Blake is literally the only poet I can stand.

36. How many books do you generally have checked out of the library at a given time?
Maybe 6 or so?

37. How often do you return books to the library unread?
Not too often actually. The last time was just before Tom and I travelled to the US and that's because I simply ran out of time.

38. Favorite fictional character:
Jesus, hard question much? Probably someone from Harry Potter to be honest.

39. Favorite fictional villain:
Hmmm. Umbridge is a great villain. Maybe Amy from Gone Girl. I love a villain who is unapologetically villainous. No bullshit Maleficent garbage. Just embrace the evil.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation:
This is such a problem for me and why I'm so glad I have an e-book and book apps on my phone. My taste shifts so much when I'm on holiday.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading:
Maybe a week or two if I'm in a reading slump. But even then I tend to read comics.

42. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
If the tv is on then that. Otherwise food/getting the hungrys.

43. Name a book you could not finish:
Wild by Cheryl Strayed.

44. Favorite film adaption of a novel:
I quite liked the film Never Let Me Go and I preferred the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower to the book.

45. The most disappointing film adaptation:
There are so many.

46. Most money I’ve ever spent in a bookstore at one time:
There have definitely been times when I've dropped a couple of hundred, but that's with the birthday money my grandparents gave me and it's better than blowing it on booze right?

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
One of my worst habits is skimming ahead and reading the final line of a book. It's actually one of the best things about e-books, it's too hard to do.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through it?
If I don't like it. Except sometimes I read a book like crazy in a single sitting, put it down and can never motivate myself to pick it up again.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
There is a very broad system of organisation I use for my shelves. heavy on the broad.

50. Do you prefer to keep your books when done, or give them away?
Keep. Otherwise why buy them?

51. Are there any books that you’ve been avoiding?
A bunch of classics.

52. Name a book that made you angry:
Patricia Cornwell's Jack the Ripper book. What a waste of paper and ink.

53. A book I didn’t expect to like but did:
Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt. It wasn't so much that I didn't expect to enjoy it, but I didn't really have a great urge to read it. I ended up loving it though.

54. A book I expected to like but didn’t:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I saw the film first and ran out to get the book as soon as I could and was just incredibly disappointed.

55. Favorite guilt-free guilty-pleasure reading:
I don't prescribe to this guilty-pleasure garbage. If I like it, I like it.

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