Wednesday 8 August 2012

A book meme

The Olympics has me in thrall at the moment so I'm not reading as much as I might be. I honestly did not expect to be as hooked as I am but there you go, The Games in your own country is a rare occurance and I suspect I will not see it again, so am making the most of it.

About all I've read this month is a reread - Sylvester by Georgette Heyer, a book I never tire of and must have read four or five times. I'm not sure how it always seems to read as fresh as though I've never read it before...

In the meantime, while there are no actual book posts from me, here's a book meme I nabbed from a friend.

1. Favourite childhood book?
Minnow on the Say by Philippa Pearce (amongst many).

2. What are you reading right now?
Kisscut by Karin Slaughter

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Just one, Keeping the Dead by Tess Gerritsen

4. Bad book habit?
Buying books and then having them sit on the shelf, unread, for years.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
About 7 books, mainly crime I think - Karin Slaughter, John Connolly, James Lee Burke, a Raffles short story volume by E.W Hornung.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
I do indeed and I love it to bits. It will never replace real books for me but I love to use it as an extra reading tool.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
Mostly just one but if a book is particularly scary then I tend to have something lighter on the go for bedtime reading. And sometimes I'll be reading a non-fiction alongside some fiction.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Yes. I read a lot of blog reviews and tend to buy recommendations or get them from the library. I'm sure my newish obsession with crime books is down to blogging... in fact I know it is.

9. Least favourite book you read this year (so far)?
Stories edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sorrantonio

10. Favourite book you've read this year?
Hmm. Not sure I can name just one! OK, *one* of the best was Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Probably not as often as I should. I like what I like and tend to stick to it as, for me anyway, reading is for enjoyment.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Crime, science fiction, fantasy.

13. Can you read on the bus?
I don't go on the bus any more but when I used to travel by coach occasionally, yes I could read on it.

14. Favourite place to read?
My favourite chair or in the conservatory where the light is excellent.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I tend to lend to my daughters only, mainly because I don't know any others that read. If I did I think I would be careful as I do like to get my books back eventually.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
No.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
No.

18. Not even with text books?
I may have when I was at school.

19. What is your favourite language to read in?
English.

20. What makes you love a book?
Imaginative plotting - I like to be taken by surprise. A spot of romance. Good writing.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
Anything but it's a difficult area as you have to consider strongly what the person may or may not like. People's tastes vary enormously.

22. Favourite genre?
Not long ago I would have said fantasy/horror and I still love those but right now I would have to say that I love crime and mystery stories.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)?
I can't think of an answer to this. I'm an electic reader and will read most genres and do. Maybe westerns?

24. Favourite biography?
Wait For Me by Deborah Devonshire.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
No. I'm beyond help. ;-)

26. Favourite cookbook?
Anything by Nigel Slater.

27. Most inspirational book you've read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
I'm struggling to define 'inspirational' to be honest. Um... Down Under by Bill Bryson was such a brilliant book about Australia I suppose I could be said to have been inspired by it?

28. Favourite reading snack?
Crisps or peanuts.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
Can't think of one.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I don't really read things that professional critics review.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I like to say what I think but hope I'm never cruel. I always stress too that this is only my opinion, others might have a different experience.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
This is pathetic but 'none'.

33. Most intimidating book you've ever read?
I don't tend to be intimidated by books, I tend to hope I'm capable of reading anything I put my mind to.

34. Most intimidating book you're too nervous to begin?
I'm not nervous of books, but a possible answer might be War and Peace *if* I had any interest in reading it, which I don't.

35. Favourite Poet?
I don't have one. Poetry is something I wish I knew more about. I tend to have favourite poems such as The Way Through the Woods by Kipling but I honestly can't say I've read enough of any one poet to have a favourite.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Anywhere from 3 to 10. I try to restrain myself but rarely have any luck with that.

37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?
Quite lot!

38. Favourite fictional character?
Oh lord. Soooo many. I'll plump for a current favourite - Det. Insp. Alec Fletcher from Carola Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple books. I love how long-suffering and tolerant he is.

39. Favourite fictional villain?
Don't have one - I'm a 'hero' sort of a gal. ;-)

40. Books I'm most likely to bring on vacation?
Just something I know I'm going to love. I usally take several, plus my Kindle.

41. The longest I've gone without reading.
A couple of days.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Loads. I don't make myself finish books I don't like anymore. I also instantly forget them so I can't remember any titles.

43. What distracts you most when you're reading?
My husband fidgetting. My grandaughter has inherited this gene.

44. Favourite film adaptation of a novel?
The Last of the Mohicans.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
Can't think of one.

46. The most money I've ever spent in the book-store at one time?
No accurate idea but I would tend never to spend more than about £25. Average for me in a bookshop is around £15 to £20.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
I don't.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
I wouldn't get as far as that I think. If I'd managed halfway I'd probably plough on.

49. Do you like to keep your books organised?
Yes. Kind of. I'm a bit random in my organisation though.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you've read them?
It depends on how much I liked the book. If it's a keeper, I keep it, if not it goes to the charity shop generally, or passed on to one of my daughters.

51. Are there any books you've been avoiding?
I don't tend to avoid books. I suppose I'm not planning to read Fifty Shades of Grey but I'm not sure if that qualifies as *avoiding*. I just don't fancy it.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
Can't name a title in particluar but books about the holocaust that I've read in the past.

53. A book you didn't expect to like but did?
Twilight. Although I try not to be prejudiced about books before I start them.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn't?
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

55. Favourite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Er... no guilt here... sorry. It's all guilt-free as far as I'm concerned.

11 comments:

DesLily said...

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
No. I'm beyond help. ;-)


ahhh we are sisters through and through LOL LOL


aghast! you didn't name masterharper Robinton! hooray! he's all mine!!!! lol

Margaret @ BooksPlease said...

The Olympics are much better than I'd hoped! Interesting meme - I may pinch it, but it is long! It must have taken you ages!

I was disappointed with The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and didn't like it much either.

Cath said...

Pat: So we are. LOL.

No, I thought I'd be different for once and name someone else. But if you think Robinton's all yours you can think again, Missy!

Margaret: It did take a while but I had an hour free very late last night so I did most of it then.

I found I just didn't care what happened to the people in TTTW. Plus I found it very confusing with the hopping back and forth in time. It was just not for me.

Danielle said...

I love reading these memes! Strangely I do quite a lot of reading on the bus since I ride it to and from work. And I should really read more outside of my comfort zone. When I do, I am immediately ready to pick up one of my own favorites! :)

Cath said...

Danielle: You're so right about wanting to return quickly to an old favourite when you've read outside your comfort zone. Me too!

Yvonne @ Fiction Books Reviews said...

Hi Cath,

This is a great meme, however, it would have taken me longer to complete that a full-blown book review.

I guess I find it difficult to give spontaneous answers, which must be the secret to the whole process, whereas you seem to speak straight from the heart and tell it just as it is!

I admire you for not having any guilty pleasures that's a great philosophy.

Great post, made me smile anyway!

Yvonne

Susan said...

Another book meme that I have to steal - er, borrow, soon! I enjoyed this one, it was fun.

No guilty reading pleasures, no pressure to read anything - I had someone make me feel guilty and close-minded because I didn't want to read Shades of Grey, even though I was honest and said I have no interest in bondage/s&M or the kind of story that portrays a man in control over a woman like that. And I don't. I got some strange looks for saying it, and yet that's what the books are about!

So I see Pat wants Masterharper Robinton to herself, does she? That leaves me Mr Darcy/Henry Tilney/Frederick Wentworth/John Thornton, right? lol

chrisa511 said...

I loved reading this SO much Cath and I'm totally saving this for when I need a post idea :D Hope you don't mind!!

Cath said...

Yvonne: It took me a little while to do, as I actually did think about my answers, so not that spontaneous.

No, I really don't like the idea of feeling guilty about what you read.

Susan: Hope you have a go at this one!

Same here with Shades of Grey. I have so much else I want to read that that book is so far down my list I doubt I'll ever get to it. LOL. I really don't feel I'm missing very much. I really dislike the idea that someone made you feel guilty for choosing not to read it. We all have freedom of choice... or should have.

No, not right! You'll have to share Mr Darcy and Henry Tilney. Sorry 'bout that...

Chris: I don't mind in the slightest - enjoy! :-)

GeraniumCat said...

Terrific meme, and lovely to read all your answers!

I thought The Time Traveller's Wife was hugely disappointing. Did you like Her Fearful Symmetry? That made up for the first one, for me.

Alec Fletcher's a darling, isn't he!

Cath said...

GeraniumCat: I haven't read Her Fearful Symmetry but know others that have who liked it a lot. If it's an RIP sort of a book (can't remember, but I think so) I might try to read it for that in a few weeks.

Alec Fletcher's adorable. :-)