Am I the last person to do this meme? It seems perfect for a Sunday. Last weekend included lots of uninterrupted reading time, but not this weekend unfortunately. However next weekend is a three day weekend and I am already planning ahead. In the meantime PBS's Masterpiece Theatre begins their fall season tonight with the third season of Inspector Lewis. A little meme now, mystery theatre later--not a bad way to spend a Sunday, and hopefully a little reading in between.
1. Favorite childhood book?
Anything by Judy Blume when I was a kid. But when I was really little I loved looking at Richard Scarry's What People Do All Day. The people/characters were all animals and the buildings were cut aways so you could see inside. I could spend hours looking at that book!
2. What are you reading right now?
See sidebar at right, but if you want to be really specific--today I am reading Joanne Harris's Coastliners and Rumer Godden's The Peacock Spring. Both are wonderfully summery books.
3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Burnt Mountain-Anne Rivers Siddens, Dangerous to Know-Tasha Alexander, Dark Road to Darjeeling-Deanna Raybourn, Miss Dimple Disappears-Mignon Ballard, A Secret Kept-Tatiana de Rosnay, Trespass-Rose Tremain and at my library I am waiting for an ILL request--The Secret Intensity of Everyday Life-William Nicholson (because Litlove spoke so highly about it).
4. Bad book habit?
Reading too many books at once.
5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
From my library: four books by Jennifer Johnston, Per Petterson's new book, Tapestry of Love-Rosy Thornton, The Unvanquished-William Faulkner, The House by the Sea-May Sarton, the Rumer Godden book mentioned above, The L Shaped Room-Lynn Reid Banks, and Purge-Sofi Oksanen. From the public library: The Dogs of Rome-Conor Fitzgerald, The Drowning River-Christobel Kent, The Edge of Ruin-Irene Fleming, The Hand That First Held Mine-Maggie OFarrell, The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers-Thomas Mullen and Without Fear-Cordelia Frances Biddle.
6. Do you have an e-reader?
No. I still prefer my paper books.
7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
Several at once. You might say that.
8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Yes, I read more now than before and a larger variety of books thanks to suggestions from other bloggers and readers who leave comments. I'm sure I am reading books I wouldn't ever have heard of had I not started blogging and reading blogs.
9. Least favorite book you read this year?
Sunrise in the West by Edith Pargeter (the first book in the Brothers Gwynedd Quartet). I'm so sorry to say that that one was a bit of a slog for me.
10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Just one? I'm cheating. A Room with a View-E.M. Forster, My Ántonia-Willa Cather, The Crimson Rooms-Katharine McMahon and The Go-Between-L.P. Hartley.
11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Probably not as often as I should.
12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Mysteries and historical fiction, novels set in the interwar period, novels told from the perspective of a female protagonist.
13. Can you read on the bus?
As a matter of fact I can and do!
14. Favorite place to read?
In my bedroom--snuggled up in bed. Unless it's hot out--in that case--with the fan pointing in my direction.
15. What is your policy on book lending?
I prefer not to lend my books as I've been burned too many times when they haven't been returned.
16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
I never used to, but now I do if there is a passage I'd like to go back to (and I don't have any post it notes or book darts handy).
17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
I don't. It took me years to even start dog-earing my pages!
18. Not even with text books?
Those days are too far behind me. I think I used a yellow highlighter on textbooks back then.
19. What is your favorite language to read in?
I wish I could read more than one, but I can only read English. My Spanish is okay, but I'm sure I wouldn't get any of the nuances if I tried reading a novel.
20. What makes you love a book?
Wow, that's sort of hard to say. Good writing and a good solid story. Likable characters are nice, but not necessary. A book that takes me outside of my own world.
21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
Books are such a personal thing that I don't often recommend books unless I know the reader's tastes pretty well and we share similar interests. Otherwise a book I might love might be a bomb for another reader.
22. Favorite genre?
I read lots of mysteries and historical fiction, but not the exclusion of other books. I'm not sure I have one favorite.
23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
I pretty much never read science fiction, but I think I'd like to try and fit in a few books this year still. I have a feeling I would like some sci-fi reads (am hoping to read Philip K. Dick and Connie Willis still).
24. Favorite biography?
I don't read many bioographies I'm sorry to say. I've been a really slow nonfiction reader in general these last few years. I did read Slipstream, a memoir by Elizabeth Jane Howard that I really enjoyed a few years ago, however.
25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
I've never been able to read self-help books. Maybe I'm missing out, but they're just not my thing.
26. Favorite cookbook?
Cookbook? I have lots of them but my family tends to be pretty predictable, so I rarely get too creative. I do refer to good old Fannie Farmer on occasion.
27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or nonfiction)?
I'm not sure about this one. Maybe The Professor's House by Willa Cather or They Knew Mr. Knight by Dorothy Whipple.
28. Favorite reading snack?
Ice cream--I just had some earlier as a matter of fact. I don't really snack while reading to be honest as much of my reading is when I am doing something else.
29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan. I think I had heard so much about it that by the time I read it I wasn't sure really what I thought and ultimately thought--meh.
30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
Very bad of me but I don't read a lot of criticism about most books. If it is a classic or a contemporary book by an author whose garnered many accolades I will read criticism. Often (though not always) they will offer me insight into a book that is very helpful and that I might not have picked up on otherwise.
31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I'm a pretty forgiving reader. I can usually find things I like about most books. If I really didn't like it I probably would have given up on it and I generally don't write about books that I don't finish. If something didn't work for me I will say so, but I don't like being nasty about books. Just because I didn't like something doesn't mean someone else might not love it. And I never try and dissuade people from reading a book that I didn't like for that same reason.
32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
French. Or maybe Italian.
33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner.
34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
Ulysses by James Joyce.
35. Favorite poet?
Robert Frost.
36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?)
Oh, a good dozen or so. Sometimes more, but preferably less.
37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
Shh. That's a heavily guarded secret.
38. Favorite fictional character?
Maisie Dobbs. And Horatio Hornblower because he is truly a gentleman.
39. Favorite fictional villain?
Count Fosco in A Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.
40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Mysteries and thrillers and novels, too. It's been so long since I've been on a proper vacation I forget.
41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
Maybe a day. I can't think of the last time I went a whole day without reading for at least an hour, however.
42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Bleak House by Charles Dickens. Not that I don't want to finish it. I started it about two years ago and hit a slow section and set it aside. I can't seem to pick it up again, though I will get back to it eventually. I loved the film adaptation.
43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
People talking loudly. People talking loudly on their cell phones. Loud music. The TV. So, noise in general. I'm not always good at shutting out noise when reading in public places, but it also depends on the type of book I am reading as some require more concentration than others.
44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
A Room with a View--the Merchant Ivory adaptation. Lovely.
45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
The Count of Monte Cristo. Personally I found the newer adaptation really abysmal, I'm very sorry to say. Talk about taking liberties with the story!
46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
We'll say a nice round $100.
47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
I've never been a skimmer. I read every last word and take in every last piece of punctuation. I'm weird that way--also probably the reason I am such a slow reader.
48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
If I just lose interest or the story doesn't grab me. Sometimes a book sits too long partially read and when I get back to it I've lost the thread--more my fault than the books in that case.
49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
If I had right sort of space I would. I do keep books together according to genre--classics, mysteries, travel narratives, nonfiction together, etc. And I also try and keep books by the same author together. Maybe someday I will have a proper library and everything will be properly organized.
50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I'm greedy. I almost always keep my books unless I know I won't read it again or didn't like it. But I have been accumulating books at a much slower pace of late, so I can avoid this problem.
51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Experimental fiction. Certain authors like James Joyce or William Faulkner. But I never say never (except maybe in the case of Joyce).
52. Name a book that made you angry.
Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple, but only because I didn't like some of the characters--rather didn't like their actions. I can also include Me: A Book of Remembrance by Winnifred Eaton for the same reason--a character that made me cringe. But I liked both books very much otherwise. Not sure if that is the sort of answer that was being looked for.
53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
Sexing the Cherry by Jeannette Winterson. Experimental fiction--so I figured I would struggle with it and then want to give up. It was actually very fun with very vivid imagery. I really liked it.
54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
The Edith Pargeter book I mentioned earlier. I love historical fiction and was excited to read this, but it just didn't click with me.
55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Clare Chambers, Joanne Harris, Katharine McMahon, definitely Georgette Heyer. I have lots of these favorites!