Lifted from the Lovely Phia
1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?
Alas, all of my older books went to the charity shop when I moved across the country. The only books I brought with me were my Spanish-English Dictionary, my Norton Reader, and a copy of Beowulf to read on the plane (as it was very small and easily purse-able). For my new collection, it would have to be Blood Feud: Detroit Red Wings vs Colorado Avalanche (hockey book).
2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you'll read next?
Last read: Animal Farm (Orwell); Current read: Half-Blood Prince (researching for my next novel piece); Next read: whatever I need to read (or fee like reading)
3. What book did everyone like and you hated?
The Old Man and the Sea. What a waste of 135 pages. I think I fell asleep reading it a few times, as there were print smears on my face while I was attempting to read it.
4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you'll read, but you probably won't?
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I want to read it, I should read it, as it's a classic, and I even listed it as Rose Weasley's favourite book, but I don't think I'll ever get around to it.
5. Which book are you saving for "retirement?"
Crap like War and Peace and The Jungle. Politics can wait for the time when I might actually care about it.
6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?
Why would anyone read the last page? How could it possibly make any sense without reading - or at least skimming - the rest of the book? People really boggle me sometimes... :-\
7. Acknowledgments: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?
Never a waste of ink/paper! As someone who has written a novel-length story, I know that so many people and things contributed to it. From those who were reading/reviewing, every story I've ever read (good and bad), and all the people who thought I was nuts for writing something that will never make me money but supported me anyway. Sure, we can't list everyone, but the ones that contributed the most should always have their name attached unless they don't want it to be.
8. Which book character would you switch places with?
Probably Ginny Weasley, because then Harry would be my hubby. ♥
9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?
I'm sure they do whilst I'm reading, but nothing jumps out in particular as to any specific example.
10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.
My copy of OotP (my first HP book I got) was my brother's ex-wife's. When they split up, she took the hardback and he got the paperback. It was used to prop up his TV (no idea why) for almost a year, until one day, I decided, after watching HP on TV the night before, that I wanted to read it. I read it in about 18 hours, including sleep, food, and other necessary interruptions, and from there on, I trolled every bookstore in town (including the Goodwill and other charity shops) for every copy I could get, since the new stores only carried HBP and DH. I wanted to read the first four before them. Bless my brother's divorce. It changed my life. :)
11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?
No. People usually give ME books. The only thing that might remotely qualify is an international cookbook I got for Jennie (the brother's ex, ironically enough, plus my bff).
12. Which book has been with you to the most places?
My Spanish/English dictionary. I needed it soo much when I moved out here. SO many people don't speak English.
13. Any "required reading" you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?
The Great Gatsby isn't as loathsome as when I first read it. It was boring at first, but I'm okay with it now.
14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?
Found a ten-dollar bill in my copy of Sorcerer's Stone that I bought from a yard sale. I went back and spent that ten dollars at that same yard sale, since I wasn't about to give it back for nothing. That's quite Slytherin, isn't it?
15. Used or brand new?
I love old paperbacks. The floppier and more worn, the better.
16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?
I haven't read King in ages, but I'd say somewhere in between.
17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?
The Green Mile. The book itself was really good, but the movie brought it to life like nothing else.
18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?
Animal Farm. The book was meaningful, but the (cartoon) movie based on it was inaccurate and stupid.
19. Have you ever read a book that's made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?
Um, I don't know. I've been hungry whilst reading, but it wasn't because of the book so much as not getting around to eating yet.
20. Who is the person whose book advice you'll always take?
Nobody's. Ultimately, I know what I like better than anyone, but I always appreciate friends' suggestions, though more often than not, what they thought I'd like bored me to death or just didn't strike my fancy.
Okay, that required much more thought that I really thought it would. It's better than most of memes that have been circling the proverbial bow.