A-Z Bookish Survey
Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner is revisiting the A-Z Bookish Survey she did last year. Although I'm not tagged, I'm going to play anyway. If you want to play along, tell me what your A-Z answers are. Or if you have a blog, post your own responses to these questions!
Author you've read the most books from:
Stephen King... hands down. And he just keeps giving me more! Husband is convinced that SK couldn't possibly write that many books and therefore must have a team writing for him. He's lucky I haven't divorced him yet.
Best sequel ever:
Any Harry Potter book after The Sorcerer's Stone ;)
Currently reading:
Ulysses by James Joyce (as you all know... Lord knows I've done enough whining about it)
Orange is the New Black by Piper Kermen (a re-read from years back)
A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (my Audible book)
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
and
The Silent Boy by Lois Lowry
Moral of this story: I have issues.
Drink of choice while reading:
Coffee coffee coffee!
Ereader or physical book?:
While you all know how in love I am with my main man, Aldeux (my beloved and much-used 3rd generation Kindle), I've recently discovered that I'm getting back into physical books. But I still love the convenience and availability of ebooks. I also love that if it's a book I know I wont care about adding to my library, I'm not just taking up precious shelf space with something I don't feel strongly about.
Fictional character you probably would have actually dated in high school:
I would have had a major major (self-loathing) crush on Darcy from Pride & Prejudice.
Glad you gave this book a chance:
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. My stepmom was a huge fan of the books as they were being released and I would go to see the movies with her (to show my age, I was firmly into adulthood at the time). I enjoyed the movies but told her several times that I had absolutely no desire to read the books. She had been trying to get me to read The Lord of the Rings and various fantasy epics for my entire childhood and it just wasn't my bag. So I thought HP would be the same. When The Deathly Hallows was released, I read a well-written spoiler and that was the moment it hit me that I had to read this series. I read all of the books within the span of a week and a half, but luckily my memory is shit. So I didn't not remember that the spoiler spoilery thing happened by the time I got to book 7.
Hidden gem book:
It's a children's book called Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman. A friend purchased it when Lorelai was born and since, I have been giving this book to welcome the new daughters of friends into the world.
Ladies of light and ladies of darkness and ladies of never you mind,
This is a prayer for a blueberry girl.
First, may you ladies be kind.
Keep her from spindles and sleeps at sixteen,
Nightmares at three or bad husbands at thirty,
These will not trouble her eyes.
Dull days at forty, false friends at fifteen–
Let her have brave days and truth,
Let her go places that we’ve never been, trust and delight in her youth.
Ladies of grace and ladies of favor and ladies of merciful night,
This is a prayer for a blueberry girl.
The first part that hit me when I read this book was "bad husbands at thirty". I love that Gaiman isn't treating little girls like they are delicate flowers. I cried so hard while I read this book for the first time (and am tearing up now thinking about it). This is absolutely a book I think all little girls should have in their library.
Important moment in your reading life:
The moment I thought (while watching s2:e5 of Gilmore girls) "That's an Oliver Twist reference. It's pretty sad that I've never read Oliver Twist. In fact, I find that there are a ton of books mentioned on this show that I should have read but didn't. I should change that". And you know what happened after that!
Just finished:
A re-read of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green in celebration of the release of the movie.
The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
and
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
Kind of books you wont read:
I really have no interest in dime-store erotica. If there's a half-nekkid chick on the cover clinging to some generically buff guy... pass!
Longest book you've read:
Pretty standard answer... War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Major book hangover because of:
The Feast of All Saints by Anne Rice
Number of bookcases you own:
We have a library in our house... so we have a giant built-in that is takes up one whole wall of the room. I think it would equate to 6 separate bookcases.
One book you have read multiple times:
The Giver by Lois Lowry or The Stand by Stephen King... my two favorite books. There are only so many books I can possibly read in my lifetime, so I try to avoid re-reads. I figure that each book I re-read, means there is a book out there that I will never get to... and that could've been the book that changed my life.
Preferred place to read:
Outdoors... with coffee. Lots of coffee.
Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you've read:
“Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for imagination then, would there?"
-Anne of Green Gables
L.M. Montgomery
Reading regret:
Jane Eyre and Anne of Green Gables were the two books that made me want to smack myself for not having read them earlier.
Series you started and need to finish (all books are out in series):
Lois Lowry's series that began with The Giver. But I'm torn. I love The Giver so much and it played such an instrumental role in my love of reading. I'm nervous that the other books just wont live up to The Giver and it'll somehow be tainted for me.
Three of your all-time favorite books:
The Stand by Stephen King, The Giver by Lois Lowry and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Unapologetic fangirl for:
Everything John Green or Stephen King. They could seriously rewrite the Magna Carta and I'd be pre-ordering that shit.
Very excited for this release more than all the others:
I'm always excited for the release of a new Mary Roach book... whenever that may be.
Worst bookish habit:
Oh you all know it... overdue library books. I'm currently at least 2 months overdue on Ulysses. It's a habit I'll probably never break. I suck.
X marks the spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:
Cell by Stephen King (the top shelf of my giant, built-in book shelf is exclusively devoted to Stephen King. The top shelf runs the full length of the room. Yeah.)
Your latest book purchase:
The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson... ebook
ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan