Friday, February 12, 2010

Sing from a book you're reading in bed

1. What are at least 2 of your favorite genres?
  • Urban fantasy (or, as I like to call it, alt-reality fiction) I like fantasy in general, but I just love fantasies with realistic settings running simultaneously with our own world
  • Historical fiction
2. What is your least favorite genre?
  • Fanfiction- I just can't get into it. I prefer to leave my characters and stories as the author intended.
3. What is your all-time favorite book?
  • The Giver - I can't give you a number 2 or 3, or even a top 5, other than this book, but this is definitely my all-time fave.
4. What is the first book you remember reading?
5. Do you prefer books or audio books?
  • Definitely paper books, but audiobooks are handy when I'm cataloging.
6. Who are your favorite authors?
  • Neil Gaiman first, but also Lois Lowry, J. R. R. Tolkien, J. K. Rowling, Jodi Picoult, Ray Bradbury. My guilty pleasure authors are Meg Cabot and Nicholas Sparks.
7. How many books do you read in a year?
  • Well, there was the year I read 54 (2008), and my Goodreads says I read 23 (just 1st reads) last year. I'd say that between 1st reads and re-reads, it's probably at least 30 or so a year, even during grad school and book challenges.
8. Do you buy books or borrow them from the library?
  • Yes. Both. If I need a specific book, like for my book challenge, I'll check the library, but I'm not usually hesitant to buy it if it's not there. Otherwise, it just depends. I love owning books (I sold back one textbook ever, and sometimes I still wish I could reference it), but I'm also a librarian.
9. How many books do you own?
  • I count 9 within arm's reach, plus two bookcases nearing full in the hall. Not to mention all the books that I still have in my old closet in my parents' house. Ah heck. I just counted the books on my shelves, and that number is 201, not counting music books and counting compilations as one. This also does not include any books I have loaned out or that are in my car.
10. What is your most prized book?
  • Probably my very well-loved copy of The Giver, the scriptures I've been using since my seminary days, or the Harry Potter books I'm collecting.
11. What are the worst books you have ever read (or tried to read)?
  • There was this awful book about The Rapture and a cult in Utah Valley and this woman who was somehow tied to all of it and was trying to save everyone, and the cars had autopilot, and somehow I still read the whole thing. It was bad.
12. Have you read any modern day sequels you liked?
  • Um, no. I think this falls in the area of fanfiction.
13. What is your favorite quote from a book?
  • Hmm. I really don't know. I have a hard time remembering quotes anyway. I have starting marking them, but I should also write them down.
14. Who is your all-time favorite male character?
  • Jonas, from The Giver
15. Who is your all-time favorite female character?
  • This changes sometimes, but Door from Neverwhere and Novalee Nation from Where The Heart Is are on the list.
16. What highly recommended book have you not liked?
  • I really didn't like Gone With the Wind and The Great Gatsby, the latter because it was over-analyzed in a Junior English class.
17. Name a character you love to hate?
  • I actually hit the book when I was reading about Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind she was driving me so crazy.
18. Do you belong to a book club?
  • A friend wanted to start one. We even picked a book. Haven't met yet.
19. What was the last book you purchased?
  • Looks like I ordered both The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World and Odds Are, You're Going to Be Exalted last month. I've already finished the latter and should finish the former soon.
20. What are you reading now?
  • The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World and The Miracle of Forgiveness and I know I've started a few others that I'll finish eventually.
21. What book made you cry the hardest?
  • Nineteen Minutes made me cry for reasons associated with the content, not the content itself. I don't cry easily over fiction, but that's one I remember.
22. What book made you laugh the most?
  • I giggled over a short story in Smoke and Mirrors. Otherwise, I'm not sure. Much like crying, I don't usually do more than chuckle if I'm reading something to myself.
23. What is your favorite children's book (one you would choose to read to your kids)?
  • There is more than one I will be reading to my kids. I love storytelling, so this is something I look forward to often.
24. If you were to choose a book to give as a gift, what would it be?
  • Like Eilonwy said, it really depends on the person, but books are great gifts.
25. List 5 books you have read more than once?
  • The Giver
  • Where the Heart Is
  • The scriptures
  • Neverwhere
  • Harry Potter books
26. What is your favorite book made into a movie?
  • Probably The Notebook, or any other Nicholas Sparks books/movies, see #27 for reasons
27. Did you like the book or movie better?
  • I almost always like the books better. If it was a good book, the movie just can't completely capture the whole story (e.g. Harry Potter, The Time Traveler's Wife, The Memory Keeper's Daughter). There are details and nuances and plot points that you just can't fit into a movie. Now, if it was a mediocre book, the movie can actually be enough on its own, like the Nicholas Sparks books/movies. This doesn't mean I don't like the movies, just that they aren't the same. I should flesh this out into a whole post someday, but that's basically it. There are, of course, exceptions to these rules.
28. What book would you like to see made into a movie?
  • No idea.
29. Do you prefer hardcover or soft copy?
  • Softcover, but hardcover does look so nice.
30. Do you leave the dustcover on while you are reading a book?
  • Yes. They are handy bookmarks.
31. Where do you usually read?
  • Bed. Couch. On the metro. On the floor. Standing on line. You know, wherever.
32. When do you usually read?
  • At night, before bed, but also whenever.
33. Do you keep a TBR (to-be-read) list?
34. Do you usually have more than one book that you are reading at a time?
  • Always.
35. Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?
  • I am a Bibliophibian (don't forget hover over the comic for the alt-text), having grown up in a house with many bookshelves, weekly trips to the library, and a mother who loves to read. (My dad enjoys reading, but not nearly as much as Mom and I.) I don't remember not reading or being read to. I hope my children will be Bibliophibians too.

1 comment:

Myrna said...

Love your post! I agree about Gone with the wind--well, I liked the book okay, but Scarlet? One of my least favorite fictional people ever-ever-ever. And the Great Gatsby? Horrible. Actually, sorry, F. Scott, but I am not a fan.