BOOKMEME
1. Favourite childhood book?
How young are we talking? When I was very little, my favorite book was The Hungry Thing by Jan Slepian. I really liked Redwall when I was a bit older.
2. What are you reading right now?
Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs
3. What books do you have on request at the library?
None.
4. Bad book habit?
I don't know what this is supposed to mean. I use totally random shit as bookmarks, I guess? Even if it's not really appropriate.
5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny and a bunch of academic books.
6. Do you have an e-reader?
Yup, got it as soon as I could afford it. Really bad for me too, since I read so much more now.
7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I PREFER to read one at a time. I END UP reading several because I get distracted.
8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
I don't know why they would. Is this survey supposed to be for people who write reading-oriented blogs?
9. Least favourite book you read this year (so far?)
Firelight by Sophie Jordan. I picked it, sort of randomly, because I was curious what the kids were reading these days. Poor writing, poor execution, terrible pacing, I couldn't finish it. It made me feel stupider trying to read it. This review is for the first page of the book.
10. Favourite book you've read this year?
I hardly remember anything I"ve read this year. Way up there were Dead Beat and Turn Coat by Jim Butcher, and the Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan.
11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
I don't know what this is supposed to read either. I guess never? If a book sounds good, I'll read it. If it doesn't, I won't. I don't know what a comfort zone is.
12. What is your reading comfort zone?
On the couch?
13. Can you read on the bus?
Why not? Did so regularly when I lived in Boulder and had a long bus ride.
14. Favourite place to read?
See 12.
15. What is your policy on book lending?
Absolutely not. Whenever I loan anyone a book, I expect I won't get it back. Because nobody gives shit back.
16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
Turn the corners down? No, fuck that. I hate when people do that, I go through books and turn the corners back up.
17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Are you joking? I think people who write in books, especially library books, should be executed.
18. Not even with text books?
See 17.
19. What is your favourite language to read in?
English, it's what I know.
20. What makes you love a book?
If it's hot and sexy and treats me right. What makes anyone love a book? It's good and you enjoy reading it.
21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
I usually don't. People have very different tastes. But like, if I'm pretty sure that someone will like something, I'll mention it.
22. Favourite genre?
Science Fiction and Weird Fiction, yeah eat it you get two.
23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Mystery
24. Favourite biography?
Is there a biography of Chris Hansen?
25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
no.
26. Favourite cookbook?
The Joy of Cooking, 1975 edition. I learned to cook, nearly exclusively, out of this book. I'd say it was the only essential cookbook. Close runners up are James Beard's New Fish Cookery (if you like fish), and Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji (if you're totally serious about cooking real Japanese food). Honestly I don't have all that many cookbooks
27. Most inspirational book you've read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
The Satanic Bible by Anton Szandor LaVey. That's a joke. I don't think anything I read could be considered "inspirational."
28. Favourite reading snack?
Popcorn.
29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
I can't think of any example. I also don't really pay attention to hype at all.
30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I wouldn't know, I've never read book critics.
31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
Does the book suck? I have no problem at all with cutting a book apart for being poorly written, telling a bad story,
32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
French, probably. It'd be academically advantageous.
33. Most intimidating book you've ever read?
Das Kapital by Karl Marx. Hegemony and Socialist Strategy by Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe was pretty intimidating too, just by it's excessively pretentious language.
34. Most intimidating book you're too nervous to begin?
I'm not too nervous to begin any books, that's weird. I'll either read it, or not read it. Do or do not, there is no try.
35. Favourite Poet?
T.S. Eliot
36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
If I'm in school, around 25. If I'm not, none.
37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?
Hardly ever, maybe 3-4 times in my life.
38. Favourite fictional character?
Chuck Norris.
40. Books I'm most likely to bring on vacation?
Whatever's next on my reading list? Typically I don't read on vacations though because I'm too busy DOING STUFF.
41. The longest I've gone without reading.
reading a book? reading a road sign? reading what? I can go months without reading a book, then I may read 6 books in a week. But it's pretty hard to miss reading ANYTHING in a day.
42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson. Once it got about halfway through and was just pedantry and political posturing, I lost all interest.
43. What distracts you easily when you're reading?
TV, eating, internet, writing, reading other things, sleeping, cats, gardening
44. Favourite film adaptation of a novel?
I can't think of many that top Roald Dahl's The Witches. The movie was pretty much the book, in visual form.
45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
I have to pick one? Nearly every film adaptation of a book is terrible.
46. The most money I've ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
Well over a hundred bucks.
47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
People do that? Why?
48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
I don't know what would make me stop reading halfway through. Usually I'll stop reading after a few chapters if a book is determined to be terrible. I only read books I enjoy. I mean, unless I'm assigned the book, then I don't have much of a choice, do I?
49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Yes, alphabetical by author and organized by genre.
50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you've read them?
Is it good? I keep books that are good and I figure that I'll read again. I get rid of them if they aren't good or I don't plan on reading it again.
51. Are there any books you've been avoiding?
What is that supposed to mean? I either read books, or don't, depending on whether it sounds interesting or not. There's nothing to do with "avoiding," how do you avoid a book? Pass by the aisle at the book store?
52. Name a book that made you angry.
The Awakening, Kate Chopin. Fuck that book. Grow a spine, woman, embrace your fucking sexuality, and own it.
53. A book you didn't expect to like but did?
Harry Potter is the best example. I went from thinking that Harry Potter fans were creepy to becoming a creepy Harry Potter fan.
54. A book that you expected to like but didn't?
See again Potter, Harry. But also the Dresden Files books, the Lightning Thief books, but, most surprisingly, the Warhammer 40,000 Horus Heresy books.
55. Favourite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
All of it? If you feel guilty about reading a book, make an appointment with a therapist. If you don't read for pleasure, why do you read?