Sunday, July 6, 2014

55 Book Related Questions

Inside The Nearsighted Narwhal, independent bookstore, 6th Ave. Taoma, Wa by Shelley McElhiney*
I thought that today I would share with you my answers to the "55 Book Related Questions" swap in the Carpe Librum group on Swap Bot. It's always interesting to read how each one of us answers these questions, how we're similar & how we're different, even how we differ each time we answer the questions. How would you answer? I know I have slightly different answers each time, so here are my current answers to our "55 Book Related Questions:"

1 Favorite childhood book? I'm not sure, I loved books: Horse books like Black Beauty, etc, there was a great series of fairy books that I discovered at a school library, each book was a different color & they were fairly old, I was in 4th or 5th grade & I loved them, I read an anthology of Ray Bradbury stories & Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke, these got me into science fiction & related genres...

2 What are you reading right now? Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, I'm reading it for a book club. I read it long ago & I'm glad I've revisited it, as an adult, there's such a different perspective you have as you get older.

3 Do you go to a library? If so, what do you currently have checked out there? If not, is there a reason? I haven't gone to a library in many years, maybe not since college. I've worked in a couple of bookstores & it was easier to get books there. I also like to keep most books & with libraries, I have to give them back :)

4 Do you collect any authors/series or certain types of books? I love Neil Gaiman works & I have collected a few Haruki Murakami books. Also, Chuck Pahulniak & Christopher Moore. I used to collect sci fi books & have a huge collection of those, but lately I've been reading more modern lit & non fiction.

5 Do you have a yearly goal on amount of books you want to finish? No goals, just read what sounds interesting, when I can

6 Do you have an e-reader? I can read books on my tablet, but I don't have a dedicated e-reader.

7 Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once? I'm generally reading several at once.

8 Do you have a blog where you post about books? Do you follow any blogs about reading/books? Which ones? I have a blog, but it's about everything & occasionally about books or little stories I've written. I have followed a few blogs on books, but I can't remember any names right now. My blog is Random Stuff by SAM on Blogspot.

9 Least favorite book you read this year (so far in 2014)? Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin, it was meandering & long, though the language was beautiful.

10 Favorite book you’ve read this year (2014)? Maybe Fahrenheit 451, even though  it's a re-read.

11 How often do you read out of your comfort zone? I try reading new things that look interesting on a regular basis, but if they don't engage me, I stop. I've never been able to finish an actual romance or western.

12 What is your reading comfort zone? Modern literature, non fiction, sci fi/fantasy

13 Do you read for enjoyment or to gain knowledge? I do both & the most enjoyable books I've read have generally been one that I've learned something from.

14 Favorite place to read? At home, I find it hard to get into reading when there are other people around.

15 What are your thoughts on book lending? I don't mind it

16 What are your thoughts on pirated books? The same as pirated music, the original authors, artists & writers should be the ones who earn something from their work

17 What are your thoughts on "Banned" books? I don't think books should be  banned as no one should be able to dictate what another person can or can't read. Books with 'difficult' subjects should be openly discussed

18 What are barriers you have to reading more? (work, family, ect) All of the above: Work, family, etc...

19 How many books have you read in the last six months? 3 or 4

20 What makes you love a book? Books that have something to say & say it in an engaging way

21 What will inspire you to recommend a book? If it was well written & I think that the other person will enjoy it

22 5 of your top read genres Literature, Science Fiction, Non Fiction, Classics, Humor

23 5 authors you read a lot Haruki Murakami, Neil Gaiman, Christopher Moore, Kafka, Calvino

24 Do you read non-fiction? Biographies? Yes, I enjoy both (if they're not to dry, if it's interesting enough of a subject to write a book about, it should be interesting enough to write the book so someone will want to read it...)

25 How many times do you read a week?  I read sporadically, unless I'm reading for a book group, so I can go a week or more without reading anything that is not on-line.

26 Do you feel you read better with or without noise? I used to read while listening to music, but I don't like to read around people who are talking (It's really hard to read at work, during breaks)

27 What influences your book choices? Book blurbs, cover art, recommendations

28 Favorite reading snack? Kettle Korn

29 Do you literally judge a book by its cover, title, or author? Sometimes...I don't generally pick up books with creepy or gory covers or covers of traditional romance novels

30 What is the longest book you have ever read? The shortest? Maybe "Gödel, Escher & Bach" for the longest, not sure about the shortest, I can't remember any titles right now.

31 How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews? I don't mind it, if it's done in a constructive, 'the book just wasn't for me' way

32 Do you make up stories, or ever think about an alternate ending for a book because you want to? Occasionally I think of ways I think the book could have ended better. I've only created original stories, I haven't written any fan fiction or alternate endings, except in school

33 Most intimidating book you’ve ever read? House of Leaves

34 Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin? I was nervous to begin Winter's Tale, because it was so long & I wanted the author to get to some point, rather than just reading meandering descriptions of things.

35 What book do you try to steer people away from? Any Harry Potter book, even though the movies were thoroughly enjoyable & the books were written for a young audience, many adults enjoy them. I'm not one of those adults, I thought that a lot could have been cut from the first book, without affecting the storyline & they just got more & more verbose from there.

36 What book do you recommend most to others? Fight Club, but it's definitely not for everyone

37 Do you ever re-read books? Yes, sometimes. I am re-reading several books through the book club that I read as a child & I'm glad that I have

38 Favorite fictional character? Tyler Durden

39 Favorite fictional villain? Cruella DeVille

40 Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation? I'll bring most anything that I'm reading on vacation.

41 The longest I’ve gone without reading. Several months

42 Name a book that you could/would not finish. The Harry Potter books

43 What distracts you easily when you’re reading? People talking

44 Favorite film adaptation of a novel? Fight Club, practically word for word the same as the novel

45 Most disappointing film adaptation? Most film adaptations are bad, since they don't match your imagination or the author's intent. I can't think of any specific titles right now. The only thing I can think of is Judge Dredd, which was not a novel, originally but a great British comic strip/series of graphic novels socio/political commentary, no romance involved. The film turned it into a boring, but strange romance. Sylvester Stallone did at least look the part...

46 The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time? A couple hundred dollars, during our Borders employee holiday discount events.

47 How often do you skim a book before reading it? Almost always

48 What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through? There has been no point made, just lots of descriptive language

49 Do you like to keep your books organized? I like to, but they aren't...

50 Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them? I usually keep them

51 Are there any books you’ve been avoiding? I avoid romances, westerns & rarely read mysteries

52 Name a book that made you angry. An Ann Coulter book, also Rush Limbaugh books. It's ok if you're conservative, but these two seem like they are trying to insult others who do not believe the same things they do & their evidence often leads nowhere. (I don't hate others that like these writers, but they are not for me)

53 A book you didn’t expect to like but did?  Clan of the Cave Bear, it was presented as more of a romance series, but Jean Auel did a great deal of research that made these books fascinating

54 A book that you expected to like but didn’t? The Harry Potter books

55 Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading Christopher Moore books, so funny

I hope you enjoyed reading my answers & thinking about your own...SAM

*Photo by Shelley McElhiney, all rights reserved.

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