The Rules:
1. Post these rules
2. Post a photo of your favourite book cover
3. Answer the questions below
4. Tag a few people to answer them too
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you've tagged them
6. Make sure you tell the person who tagged you that you've taken part!
As for favourite book cover, Rosie also linked to this 'book-covers-as-tattoos' post, and High Fidelity is an awesome read. I would definitely buy this book.
I also love the 'pretty' clothbound penguin classics
(source)
What are you reading right now?
Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie
Do you have any idea what you’ll read when you’re done with that?
Erm, Maybe one of these...
What 5 books have you always wanted to read but haven’t got round to?
I don't know about 'always', but 5 books that have been on my to-read list for a while are:
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
How To Be A Woman by Catilin Moran
Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
Running With Scissors by Augusten Borroughs
Generation X by Douglas Coupland
What’s the worst book you've ever read?
Erm, this one? I thought Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates was pretty dreadful too.
What book seems really popular but you actually hated?
Alledged 'classics' like Great Expectations, Animal Farm & Catcher In The Rye all left me really cold. I didn't hate the Hunger Games, but I didn't rate it half as much as a lot of people seem to. Good story but it's pretty dreadfully written IMO.
What’s the one book you always recommend to just about everyone?
Oh, so many. Phonogram for one, recently it's been The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein - an unexpectedly fantastic book.
What are your 3 favourite poems?
Eep, I'm not huge on poetry. I've got Marget Atwood's Morning In The Burned House on my to-read list though.
Where do you usually get your books?
Almost exclusively from charity shops, or else the library. I can't be forking out £5-10 everytime I want a new book, I'd be flat broke otherwise (more flat broke than I already am)
Where do you usually read your books?
Bed, bath, sofa, train, pretty much everywhere except in cars since I get travel sick :(
When you were little, did you have any particular reading habits?
Reading everything and anything. I used to fall asleep listening to books on tape, something I still love to this day (although I'm not sure how keen Hubby would be on it!)
What’s the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn’t put it down?
Possibly The Hunger Games, but if not then definitely Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen. I was up until like 4am with that one for sure.
Have you ever “faked” reading a book?
Nope. I did read The Hobbit when I was like 10 though, probably because I thought it would make me look clever, and so I didn't understand half of it.
Have you ever bought a book just because you liked the cover?
Not one I hadn't already read (just picked up a gorgeous hardback of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde), but I do definitely pick up library books based on covers - what else is there to go on? You can't read every single blurb.
What was your favourite book when you were a child?
Harry Potter has been a huge part of my life since pre-teen days, but before that I was into Anne Fine, Jacqueline Wilson, Meg Cabot, Roald Dahl, stuff like that.
What book changed your life?
All the books I've loved have changed my life in some way. Harry Potter & most of the Sarah Dessen ones have had big impacts on me in particular. I used to adopt characteristics and try to emulate characters from all the books I read as a kid.
What is your favourite passage from a book?
I don't tend to think of books just in terms of passages, but the url and title of the this blog form a quote from the book Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, "Don't think or judge, just listen". It specifically refers to a piece of music in the book but I think it's a pretty good principle for life.
What are your top five favourite authors?
Haruki Murakami
Douglad Coupland
Douglas Adams
Sarah Dessen
Paulo Coelho
What book has no one heard about but should read?
Phonogram! I can not sing that book's praises enough. The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman was recommended to me by a friend after I'd enjoyed The Secret History by Donna Tartt, so I'm passing that recommendation on.
What 3 books are you an “evangelist” for?
Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell - so worth the length
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
What is your favourite classic book?
Pride and Prejudice is one of my all time faves . I know it's cliched, but I love it, and I love it hard.
5 other notable mentions?
We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
Hope you enjoyed that! I'm not going to tag anyone, but link me if any of you decide to answer the questions too :)
P.S. You know that awesome Jay-Z & Kayne song, N*ggas In Paris? Well check out this equally amazing spoof, B*tches In Bookshops. Beautiful girls rapping about books, what's not to love?
Ooh, I'm definitely putting The Lake of Dead Languages on my list if it's based on your enjoying The Secret History too, that's just my favourite. Generation X, How to be a Woman and Choke are great in my opinion but I didn't enjoy Running With Scissors; would be interested to hear how you get on with it when you read it! The Book Thief on your to read pile is great. Loved that video, wish I looked as good as that girl does reading in bed! Haha xxx
ReplyDeleteIt's a very similar style so I think you'll really enjoy it :) I wish I looked half as good as those girls do, so cool, I also wish I could rap like them but I guess that's a different kettle of fish altogether... :)
DeleteLoved reading your books! loved Lake of dead languages, and White Teeth too! I've got a fair few books to add to my to read list after this post tho!
ReplyDeleteCant believe you get car sick if you read, what a bummer for you! xxx
I did these questions too, feel free to go take a look at my answers! http://bdbrighton.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/literary-q.html
It sucks so much, I get crazy travel sick, not even just cars, boats, planes, I even got sick once on a train which is like the smoothest ride ever. It's ridiculous! Glad I could recommend a few books to you :)
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