Book Questionaire

From Ashely at The Epic Reader!
1. Favorite childhood book?

Too many to name!  A few off the top of my head: The Boxcar Children, Trixie Belden, The Magician's Nephew, The Williamsburg Years (Nancy Rue), and Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales (adapted version).  I liked books about adventures and other eras/worlds.

2. What are you reading right now?

- The Secret Agent (Joseph Conrad)
- The Mirror of the Sea (Conrad)
- The Complete Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Symbolic Logic (Lewis Carroll)
- Omnitopia Dawn (Diane Duane) - going to start reading it today

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

- Complete Illustrated Works of Lewis Carroll 
- Selected Poems (1954-1986) (Tomas Tranströmer)
- The Great Enigma (Tranströmer) - been waiting for his books for eons.  By the time they get here, I may not wish to read them.  :P
- Physics (John D. Cutnell)

4. What do you currently have checked out at the library?

The Aeneid and Conceptual Physics

5. Do you have an e-reader?

Yes, my precioussss Nook Simple Touch.  It is epically cool, and I couldn't be happier!

6. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

Several at once.  Though page-turners get priority.  ;)

7. Can you read on the bus?

I've never tried.  I can read in the car, though, for limited amounts of time.  


8. Favorite place to read?

The college library.  It's the one place where there are no distractions of any kind.  And if you really want peace and quiet, they have places to sit called "Silent Study" areas, aka The Diogenes Club.  :P  But that's too eerie for me.

9. Do you ever dog-ear books?

NO. 

10. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

NOOOOOOOOO.  A thousand times NO.  Shame on those English textbook authors who encourage this.  Besides, it's not green...if books lasted longer, they wouldn't have to print as many.

11. What makes you love a book?

It can be any number of things, but typically:  amazing characters, vivid atmosphere, psychological depth, and/or interesting drama.  Symbolism is cool, too.

12. What will inspire you to recommend a book?

I don't typically recommend books in real life, mostly because people are sick of me doing so.  ;D  On my blog, I recommend books based on (usually) the quality and relevance of their message(s).

13. Favorite genre?

I don't have one, really.  I love almost any genre, if it is a good book.  But I tend to prefer sci-fi, "dark Romanticism" (i.e. Hawthorne), Kafkaesque, and Conrad-esque.  Mysteries and adventure, too.

14. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

Usually, if a book I'm reading gets really bad, I stop reading it.  And since I didn't finish it, I don't feel qualified to review it.  If it's a book I finished, I try to mention both pros and cons.  I think the most negative review I ever wrote was for Romeo and Juliet, but I don't plan to write reviews like that anymore.  Being snarky is just a cheap way to grab people's attention and appear to be witty.

15. Favorite Poet?

I love Tolkien, Wordsworth, Longfellow, Carroll, and Pushkin (for Eugene Onegin). 

16. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?

Two or three.

17. How often have you returned books to the library unread?

Often.

18. Favorite fictional character?


Sherlock Holmes.  Big surprise, right?  ;)  Closely followed by Alan Breck Stewart.  Here's 30 more favorites.  I would also add Razumov, from Under Western Eyes.  And Spock. 

19. Favorite fictional villain?

Probably Captain Nemo and Moriarty. 

20. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?

My current read.

21. The longest I’ve gone without reading.

No idea...

22. Name a book that you could/would not finish.

Master and Commander.  Too much bad language.  It's a real shame, since the movie is excellent.

23. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?

People talking.

24. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

Basically, all of my favorite movies.  I should add, that some of the adaptations are vastly better than the books (i.e. Hornblower).

25. Most disappointing film adaptation?

The new Jane Eyre (2010).  Which I also highly recommend (read the review for an explanation). 

26. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

Offensive content and/or boring chapters. 

27. Do you like to keep your books organized?

Indeedy.  My books are organized by author, for the most part.

28. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?

I keep books.  As my family will testify, I have a GIGANTIC black bookcase, in addition to a shelf on the wall... 


I tag all of my readers who love books!