Book meme... I think
Sort of got this from epithalamium.
1. Favourite childhood book?
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Gobbolino the Witch's Cat.
2. What are you reading right now?
Small Gods and The Light Fantastic, The Silmarillion, The Last Unicorn.
3. What books do you have on request at the library?
I don't have any because I don't go to the library. It's kind of crappy where I live. I'm used to the beautiful library I had in my hometown in England, not some damp-ridden, labyrinthine ex-convent. The shelves are METAL.
4. Bad book habit?
Buying a bunch before I've read the old ones. Putting them down for months before picking them up again.
5. What do have checked out at the library?
Nothing, although I do need to get a book on seals. The animals, not what people used to close letters.
6. Do you have an e-reader?
No. I like the smell of real books, and also because they're expensive buggers. I recognise the money-saving qualities in the long haul, but I'd rather buy a new printer-scanner with any spare money I have.
7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I've been reading three books simultaneously since I was about seven. I've never changed.
8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
They've changed since I've been on the internet in general. Fanfiction, social networking and wiki walks distract me like a wayside brothel on a fantasy quest.
9. Favourite book you've read this year?
Er... I honestly have no idea. I liked all of them. Probably Small Gods
10. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Very, very rarely.
11. What is your reading comfort zone?
Fantasy, mostly.
12. Can you read on the bus?
I always have. Very good way to pass the time when my friends had all gotten off at an earlier stop to mine. I zone out terribly, terribly easily. I read on the train too.
13. Favourite place to read?
On my bed, of course. Sometimes the sofa.
14. What is your policy on book-lending?
I lend my books willy-nilly, which is, objectively, a silly thing to do. But I want people to share what I've enjoyed... I'm just a nice person like that. Right now a friend has had American Gods, my illustrated edition of The Hobbit and some vampire books for a year.
15. Do you ever dog-ear books?
I got torn a new one by my godmother for doing that, so I had it hammered out of me at a young age. I used to lie them open and flat on the page I'd arrived to, but now I use bookmarks. I'm very good at not breaking spines.
16. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
The only time I've ever written in books is notes in the Appendices of The Return of the King. Especially on the Tengwar and dwarven rune pages.
17. Not even with textbooks?
All I ever used to use my textbooks for was drawing. The ones I still own are full of old, terrible drawings. XD
18. What is your favourite language to read in?
English, of course. I read in Italian too, but I don't quite enjoy it as much.
19. What makes you love a book?
The story has to be very good. And it has to be well-written. All things that make the best books. Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett are examples of what I really love while reading. Good humour, too.
20. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If I thoroughly enjoyed it or not. It leads to a lot of book-lending.
21. Favourite genre?
Fantasy, of course. I'm rather boring in that sense. Although I do read quite a bit of horror, fsr, which is bizarre because I scare easily. And by horror I mean 'Lovecraft', not 'stupid dark romance'.
22. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)?
Historical novels. Good ones like Valerio Massimo Manfredi's, not cheesy romances (ohai Philippa Gregory).
23. Favourite biography?
I don't really read them. I'm not that nosy. My mother reads tons of them, though.
24. Have you ever read a self-help book?
Good Lord, no.
25. Favourite cookbook?
I don't cook.
26. Most inspirational book you've read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Small Gods. And Reaper Man.
27. Favourite reading snack?
My fingernails and surrounding skin. I've give up trying to kick that habit by now.
28. Name a case in which hype ruined your experience.
I can't say that's ever really happened.
29. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I don't actually read reviews. I'm more attracted by blurbs, then I make my own decisions.
30. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
Empowered. Omnipotent. Pretty good with myself. I'm rather mean.
31. If you could read in a foreign language, which would you choose?
Probably Arabic.
32. Most intimidating book you've ever read?
Intimidating as in daunting? The Name of the Rose. It's heavy going. And terribly confusing for someone who doesn't have a degree in Medieval history.
33. Most intimidating book you're too nervous to read?
War and Peace. I've had it for years and I got about one chapter in before abandoning it in favour of something else. I will get to it one day. Eventually.
34. Favourite poet?
I don't really read poetry, but I didn't mind Ugo Foscolo as poets go.
35. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
If I could find anything I liked in the library, five or six. I would be forever paying overdue fines, though.
36. How often have you returned a book to the library unread?
Not since a school project on Germany that went unfinished in class 6.
37. Favourite fictional character?
Samwise Gamgee, Glorfindel, Sirius Black, Lucifer, Joe Zabbidou, Rincewind.
38. Books I'm most likely to bring on vacation?
Ones I'm currently reading.
39. The longest you've ever gone without reading?
A few hours while watching tv, maybe?
40. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. It was so. Bloody. BORING, I simply could not manage it. Worse thing was that the book club spoke rather highly of it. Susanna Clarke makes Terry Pratchett look like a footnote amateur.
41. What distracts you easily when you're reading?
INTERNET!
42. Favourite film adaptation of a novel?
The Lord of the Rings. As far as adaptations go, it was very good (although the lack of Glorfindel is depressing). And graphic novels count, so V for Vendetta. I actually preferred that over the graphic novel, which was depressingly Alan Moore-ish.
43. Most disappointing adaptation?
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Biggest HP disappointment, that one.
44. The most money I've ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
85€. Well-spent.
45. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Depends on the book, actually. I actually didn't fully read Twilight, only skimmed. That was MORE than enough, imo.
46. What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through?
Boring plot. A cliché storm. GRATUITOUS SEX IN CHAPTER TWO (I'm looking at you, Stan Nicholls).
47. Do you like to keep your books organised?
They're organised in a way only I can figure out. I tend to put them in size order, though, biggest to smallest. Hardbacks go on the top shelf, paperbacks on the second. Now they're pretty disorganised, though. But the most prized ones get shelf space. Others are just piled.
48. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you've read them?
I ALWAYS keep my books. My mother got rid of a shitload of books before we came to Italy, and I've never forgiven her. I do know a girl whose mother actually THROWS books away when she's finished them. That thought is absolutely horrifying to me.
49. Are there any books you've been avoiding?
The Lauren Kate (is that her name?) books. Just... No. You DO NOT do that to my favourite mythological beings. I've been told they're good, but... No. Not going there.
50. Name a book that made you angry.
The Sword of Shannara. GODDAMMIT BROOKS! MENION SHOULD HAVE BEEN WITH SHEA! Not some chick he met halfway through! Plus the plot was freaking terrible. Brooks has gotten much better from the late 70s, but SoS was particularly bad.
51. A book you didn't expect to like but did?
Um... Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, actually. I hated the hype around it, but fell in love when I actually read it.
52. A book you expected to like but didn't?
The other Vampire Chronicles books I got my hands on, aside from Interview with the Vampire. Anne Rice is bloody boring.
53. Favourite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Old childhood favourites: The Chronicles of Narnia, Artemis Fowl. I reread Artemis Fowl quite often.
1. Favourite childhood book?
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Gobbolino the Witch's Cat.
2. What are you reading right now?
Small Gods and The Light Fantastic, The Silmarillion, The Last Unicorn.
3. What books do you have on request at the library?
I don't have any because I don't go to the library. It's kind of crappy where I live. I'm used to the beautiful library I had in my hometown in England, not some damp-ridden, labyrinthine ex-convent. The shelves are METAL.
4. Bad book habit?
Buying a bunch before I've read the old ones. Putting them down for months before picking them up again.
5. What do have checked out at the library?
Nothing, although I do need to get a book on seals. The animals, not what people used to close letters.
6. Do you have an e-reader?
No. I like the smell of real books, and also because they're expensive buggers. I recognise the money-saving qualities in the long haul, but I'd rather buy a new printer-scanner with any spare money I have.
7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I've been reading three books simultaneously since I was about seven. I've never changed.
8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
They've changed since I've been on the internet in general. Fanfiction, social networking and wiki walks distract me like a wayside brothel on a fantasy quest.
9. Favourite book you've read this year?
Er... I honestly have no idea. I liked all of them. Probably Small Gods
10. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Very, very rarely.
11. What is your reading comfort zone?
Fantasy, mostly.
12. Can you read on the bus?
I always have. Very good way to pass the time when my friends had all gotten off at an earlier stop to mine. I zone out terribly, terribly easily. I read on the train too.
13. Favourite place to read?
On my bed, of course. Sometimes the sofa.
14. What is your policy on book-lending?
I lend my books willy-nilly, which is, objectively, a silly thing to do. But I want people to share what I've enjoyed... I'm just a nice person like that. Right now a friend has had American Gods, my illustrated edition of The Hobbit and some vampire books for a year.
15. Do you ever dog-ear books?
I got torn a new one by my godmother for doing that, so I had it hammered out of me at a young age. I used to lie them open and flat on the page I'd arrived to, but now I use bookmarks. I'm very good at not breaking spines.
16. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
The only time I've ever written in books is notes in the Appendices of The Return of the King. Especially on the Tengwar and dwarven rune pages.
17. Not even with textbooks?
All I ever used to use my textbooks for was drawing. The ones I still own are full of old, terrible drawings. XD
18. What is your favourite language to read in?
English, of course. I read in Italian too, but I don't quite enjoy it as much.
19. What makes you love a book?
The story has to be very good. And it has to be well-written. All things that make the best books. Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett are examples of what I really love while reading. Good humour, too.
20. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If I thoroughly enjoyed it or not. It leads to a lot of book-lending.
21. Favourite genre?
Fantasy, of course. I'm rather boring in that sense. Although I do read quite a bit of horror, fsr, which is bizarre because I scare easily. And by horror I mean 'Lovecraft', not 'stupid dark romance'.
22. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)?
Historical novels. Good ones like Valerio Massimo Manfredi's, not cheesy romances (ohai Philippa Gregory).
23. Favourite biography?
I don't really read them. I'm not that nosy. My mother reads tons of them, though.
24. Have you ever read a self-help book?
Good Lord, no.
25. Favourite cookbook?
I don't cook.
26. Most inspirational book you've read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Small Gods. And Reaper Man.
27. Favourite reading snack?
My fingernails and surrounding skin. I've give up trying to kick that habit by now.
28. Name a case in which hype ruined your experience.
I can't say that's ever really happened.
29. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I don't actually read reviews. I'm more attracted by blurbs, then I make my own decisions.
30. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
Empowered. Omnipotent. Pretty good with myself. I'm rather mean.
31. If you could read in a foreign language, which would you choose?
Probably Arabic.
32. Most intimidating book you've ever read?
Intimidating as in daunting? The Name of the Rose. It's heavy going. And terribly confusing for someone who doesn't have a degree in Medieval history.
33. Most intimidating book you're too nervous to read?
War and Peace. I've had it for years and I got about one chapter in before abandoning it in favour of something else. I will get to it one day. Eventually.
34. Favourite poet?
I don't really read poetry, but I didn't mind Ugo Foscolo as poets go.
35. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
If I could find anything I liked in the library, five or six. I would be forever paying overdue fines, though.
36. How often have you returned a book to the library unread?
Not since a school project on Germany that went unfinished in class 6.
37. Favourite fictional character?
Samwise Gamgee, Glorfindel, Sirius Black, Lucifer, Joe Zabbidou, Rincewind.
38. Books I'm most likely to bring on vacation?
Ones I'm currently reading.
39. The longest you've ever gone without reading?
A few hours while watching tv, maybe?
40. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. It was so. Bloody. BORING, I simply could not manage it. Worse thing was that the book club spoke rather highly of it. Susanna Clarke makes Terry Pratchett look like a footnote amateur.
41. What distracts you easily when you're reading?
INTERNET!
42. Favourite film adaptation of a novel?
The Lord of the Rings. As far as adaptations go, it was very good (although the lack of Glorfindel is depressing). And graphic novels count, so V for Vendetta. I actually preferred that over the graphic novel, which was depressingly Alan Moore-ish.
43. Most disappointing adaptation?
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Biggest HP disappointment, that one.
44. The most money I've ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
85€. Well-spent.
45. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Depends on the book, actually. I actually didn't fully read Twilight, only skimmed. That was MORE than enough, imo.
46. What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through?
Boring plot. A cliché storm. GRATUITOUS SEX IN CHAPTER TWO (I'm looking at you, Stan Nicholls).
47. Do you like to keep your books organised?
They're organised in a way only I can figure out. I tend to put them in size order, though, biggest to smallest. Hardbacks go on the top shelf, paperbacks on the second. Now they're pretty disorganised, though. But the most prized ones get shelf space. Others are just piled.
48. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you've read them?
I ALWAYS keep my books. My mother got rid of a shitload of books before we came to Italy, and I've never forgiven her. I do know a girl whose mother actually THROWS books away when she's finished them. That thought is absolutely horrifying to me.
49. Are there any books you've been avoiding?
The Lauren Kate (is that her name?) books. Just... No. You DO NOT do that to my favourite mythological beings. I've been told they're good, but... No. Not going there.
50. Name a book that made you angry.
The Sword of Shannara. GODDAMMIT BROOKS! MENION SHOULD HAVE BEEN WITH SHEA! Not some chick he met halfway through! Plus the plot was freaking terrible. Brooks has gotten much better from the late 70s, but SoS was particularly bad.
51. A book you didn't expect to like but did?
Um... Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, actually. I hated the hype around it, but fell in love when I actually read it.
52. A book you expected to like but didn't?
The other Vampire Chronicles books I got my hands on, aside from Interview with the Vampire. Anne Rice is bloody boring.
53. Favourite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Old childhood favourites: The Chronicles of Narnia, Artemis Fowl. I reread Artemis Fowl quite often.