Reading Habits of the Stars Take 2
ver 10 years ago, I posted a reading questionnaire as part of a blog hop for Linda Gerber.About time to revisit it, I thought!
Only a few of the answers have remained unchanged...
1. Favourite childhood book?
Turkish fairy tales and folk tales.
Also all the MG and YA!
2. What are you reading right now?
The great Agatha Christie reread!
3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Ah, none, but my Amazon and Book Depository and Abebooks wishlists are loooong...
4. Bad book habit?
I read while walking, which can be dangerous!
5. What do you currently have checked out from the library?
Nothing at the moment, I tend to buy books at the library book sale!
6. Do you have an e-reader?
I have the Kindle app! What a difference a decade makes...
7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
Many at once!
8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Yes! I never used to read on an e-reader and now I read on the Kindle app; at the moment I’m not really reading many books at once, but finishing one before I start another; and I’m blogging about book reviews way more often!
9. Least favourite book you read this year?
Not counting board books or YA or short stories or poetry or non-fiction or essays or screenplays...then there really isn't one (but see question 42).
10. Favourite book you’ve read this year?
Again, not counting any of the others, and leaving aside the great Agatha Christie reread, I've so far only read these novels, and enjoyed them all!:
• Voting Day by Clare O'Dea (cried)
• Six Weeks To Live by Catherine Mckenzie (ARC)
• Coming Up For Air by George Orwell
• Let It Be Me by Kait Nolan
• The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
• Lockdown by Peter May
• Let It Be Me by Kait Nolan
• Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay
• Moominpappa at Sea by Tove Jansson
• Red Dickon by Tom Bevan
• Mystery at Geneva: An Improbable Tale of Singular Happenings by Rose Macaulay
• Paul Temple and the Geneva Mystery by Francis Durbridge
• Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson (reread)
11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Every once in a while, usually if I have a chance to get an ARC.
12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Anything! But especially classic mysteries and YA.
13. Can you read on the bus?
1. Favourite childhood book?
Turkish fairy tales and folk tales.
Also all the MG and YA!
2. What are you reading right now?
The great Agatha Christie reread!
3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Ah, none, but my Amazon and Book Depository and Abebooks wishlists are loooong...
4. Bad book habit?
I read while walking, which can be dangerous!
5. What do you currently have checked out from the library?
Nothing at the moment, I tend to buy books at the library book sale!
6. Do you have an e-reader?
I have the Kindle app! What a difference a decade makes...
7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
Many at once!
8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Yes! I never used to read on an e-reader and now I read on the Kindle app; at the moment I’m not really reading many books at once, but finishing one before I start another; and I’m blogging about book reviews way more often!
9. Least favourite book you read this year?
Not counting board books or YA or short stories or poetry or non-fiction or essays or screenplays...then there really isn't one (but see question 42).
10. Favourite book you’ve read this year?
Again, not counting any of the others, and leaving aside the great Agatha Christie reread, I've so far only read these novels, and enjoyed them all!:
• Voting Day by Clare O'Dea (cried)
• Six Weeks To Live by Catherine Mckenzie (ARC)
• Coming Up For Air by George Orwell
• Let It Be Me by Kait Nolan
• The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
• Lockdown by Peter May
• Let It Be Me by Kait Nolan
• Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay
• Moominpappa at Sea by Tove Jansson
• Red Dickon by Tom Bevan
• Mystery at Geneva: An Improbable Tale of Singular Happenings by Rose Macaulay
• Paul Temple and the Geneva Mystery by Francis Durbridge
• Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson (reread)
11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Every once in a while, usually if I have a chance to get an ARC.
12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Anything! But especially classic mysteries and YA.
13. Can you read on the bus?
Bus, train, plane, anywhere, even if it makes me nauseated.
14. Favourite place to read?
14. Favourite place to read?
HMS Sofa!
15. What is your policy on book lending?
I’ll lend anything as long as it’s not a rare edition or a signed copy, and if the borrower takes too long to return it, I’ll buy myself a new copy!
16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
Never. Never crack the spine either.
17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
All the time...
18. Not even with text books?
What do you mean not even?
15. What is your policy on book lending?
I’ll lend anything as long as it’s not a rare edition or a signed copy, and if the borrower takes too long to return it, I’ll buy myself a new copy!
16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
Never. Never crack the spine either.
17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
All the time...
18. Not even with text books?
What do you mean not even?
I always write in books!
19. What is your favourite language to read in?
English, Turkish, French, Welsh, doesn’t matter.
20. What makes you love a book?
Strong characters, historical detail, travel, etc. etc.
21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
There are so many I’d like to recommend but most of my friends don’t read the same types/genres...
22. Favourite genre?
Big Books!
23. Genre you rarely read but wish you did?
What do you mean, wish?
19. What is your favourite language to read in?
English, Turkish, French, Welsh, doesn’t matter.
20. What makes you love a book?
Strong characters, historical detail, travel, etc. etc.
21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
There are so many I’d like to recommend but most of my friends don’t read the same types/genres...
22. Favourite genre?
Big Books!
23. Genre you rarely read but wish you did?
What do you mean, wish?
If I want to read it I’ll read it!
24. Favourite biography?
I’d rather read an autobiography.
25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
I have!
26. Favourite cookbook?
24. Favourite biography?
I’d rather read an autobiography.
25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
I have!
26. Favourite cookbook?
Love the Outlander Kitchen books!
27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year?
Hmm. Having lived through 2020, I think the ones I've read so far in 2021 that have relevance and importance right now are:
• The Big Four by Agatha Christie (reread)
• The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (cried)
• Voting Day by Clare O'Dea (cried)
• Six Weeks To Live by Catherine Mckenzie (ARC)
• Coming Up For Air by George Orwell
• The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
• Lockdown by Peter May
• Moominpappa at Sea by Tove Jansson
28. Favourite reading snack?
Latte, latte, latte!
29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience?
Not so much hype as, making the mistake of reading reviews of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix before reading the book. Everyone kept commenting on how angry Harry was and while I didn’t quite agree, it tainted my view of him for a little while.
30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
Rarely. They never address what seem to be the salient points and spend way too much time summarising the book rather than reviewing it.
31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I’ll temper it with positive comments.
32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
Russian!
33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
War and Peace and Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov (even though I love Anna Karenina; and Notes from Underground, White Nights and The Double)
35. Favourite poet?
Bukowski, cummings, Blake, Rochester, Tolkien, the Romantics, Parker, Eliot, Ogden Nash, Phyllis McGinley, AA Milne, Walter de la Mare, Wilfred Owen, Canadian poets from between the wars, etc. etc.
36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Er, not from the library, but I have a few piles of To Read around the house...
37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?
Never.
38. Favourite fictional character?
Just one? Sheesh. There’s Sam Gamgee, Severus Snape, Earendil the Mariner, Charlotte the Spider, and lots from other YA books, plus Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Ariadne Oliver...
39. Favourite fictional villain?
Um, if they’re villains why would I like them? They might be very well portrayed, like Black Jack Randall and Stephen Bonnett or Sauron and so on but they’re not a favourite of mine... I suppose I’ll say Snape, since, you know, he’s not quite a villain
40. Books you're most likely to bring on vacation:
YA and lots of it. Also poetry and The Lord of the Rings and Agatha Christie, Stephen King, Linwood Barclay, Peter May, Val McDermid...
41. The longest you've gone without reading:
2 seconds?
27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year?
Hmm. Having lived through 2020, I think the ones I've read so far in 2021 that have relevance and importance right now are:
• The Big Four by Agatha Christie (reread)
• The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (cried)
• Voting Day by Clare O'Dea (cried)
• Six Weeks To Live by Catherine Mckenzie (ARC)
• Coming Up For Air by George Orwell
• The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
• Lockdown by Peter May
• Moominpappa at Sea by Tove Jansson
28. Favourite reading snack?
Latte, latte, latte!
29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience?
Not so much hype as, making the mistake of reading reviews of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix before reading the book. Everyone kept commenting on how angry Harry was and while I didn’t quite agree, it tainted my view of him for a little while.
30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
Rarely. They never address what seem to be the salient points and spend way too much time summarising the book rather than reviewing it.
31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I’ll temper it with positive comments.
32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
Russian!
33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
War and Peace and Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov (even though I love Anna Karenina; and Notes from Underground, White Nights and The Double)
35. Favourite poet?
Bukowski, cummings, Blake, Rochester, Tolkien, the Romantics, Parker, Eliot, Ogden Nash, Phyllis McGinley, AA Milne, Walter de la Mare, Wilfred Owen, Canadian poets from between the wars, etc. etc.
36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Er, not from the library, but I have a few piles of To Read around the house...
37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?
Never.
38. Favourite fictional character?
Just one? Sheesh. There’s Sam Gamgee, Severus Snape, Earendil the Mariner, Charlotte the Spider, and lots from other YA books, plus Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Ariadne Oliver...
39. Favourite fictional villain?
Um, if they’re villains why would I like them? They might be very well portrayed, like Black Jack Randall and Stephen Bonnett or Sauron and so on but they’re not a favourite of mine... I suppose I’ll say Snape, since, you know, he’s not quite a villain
40. Books you're most likely to bring on vacation:
YA and lots of it. Also poetry and The Lord of the Rings and Agatha Christie, Stephen King, Linwood Barclay, Peter May, Val McDermid...
41. The longest you've gone without reading:
2 seconds?
42. Name a book that you could/would not finish:
Atonement, by Ian McEwan, and most recently, Last Orders by Graham Swift
43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
TV!
44. Favourite film adaptation of a novel:
Funny Farm, perhaps. But I haven’t read the book!
45. Most disappointing film adaptation:
The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, The Hobbit, the list goes on and on.
46. The most money you’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time:
A few hundred dollars...
47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Hardly ever.
48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Historical inaccuracies, no convincing voice.
49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Yes! By genre and author.
50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I keep 'em all – and buy extra copies of ones I like to give as gifts.
51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Not really. There’s a just a tall mountain of books still to read!
52. Name a book that made you angry.
Franzen’s The Corrections.
53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did:
The City in the Egg by Michel Tremblay.
54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
Educated by Tara Westover; Year One by Nora Roberts.
55. Favourite guilt-free, pleasure reading:
Rereads of YAs I’ve read countless times.
Do you reread favourite books?
Comments
Funny you didn't like the LOTR movies. I thought they were the best adaptations ever.
Have you read any of the Masie Dobbs series - set in Kent/Sussex and London starting in 1911 or so ... just delightful - psychological, fun stories - love her! Described as a 'fine new sleuth for the 21st century' ...
Then I found another series ... The first Sebastian St Cyr mystery - by CS Harris - this series in London a hundred years earlier ...
Gosh if I feel sick, I don't read - which means certainly not in cars, or buses ... all the best - Hilary
I was thinking of Diana Gabaldon when I mentioned "big" books :-)
Sorry, Alex, I just didn't like what they did with some of the characters (especially Faramir...)
Thanks for the recommendations, Hilary! I think I even have a Maisie Dobbs on my Kindle app, I'll move it up the pile!