Book Meme- 55 questions about books (and reading habits)

[little_firestar]

Kindly borrowed from the amazing  megan_moonlight

Favorite childhood book?

I used to think it was a book called “Puppies- the best stories ever” which was a collection of short stories, with beautiful illustrations, of stories of puppies of the animal kingdom. But when I went back to look at it, I remembered that it was a book about, well, the real lives of puppies (mice being slowly killed by kitties, owls tearing apart the flesh of their mummy’s prey, the little pig being killed and turned into ham…) so it kind of tainted the memory of it. So, I’ll go with the first “book” I ever read as little kid, even before starting school: “Lola the snail”, which sounds stupid, but was about acceptance of ourselves and the others and differences.

2.      What are you reading right now?

“Anything for you” by Kristan Higgins. I just bought it yesterday, so I’m only at the first chapter.

W   What books do you have on request at the library?

Nothing at the moment. Now that I think about it, my library card probably expired something like a couple of years ago- if not more.

4.       Bad book habit?

Uhm. Probably only that I like reading that much that I tend to do so also in the semi-darkness- hence me getting glasses at a young age. And also, I tend to start more than one book at once. Sometimes I have two or three books all started around the same time, maybe one at work, one on my nightstand, and one in my purse. For real.

5.      What do you currently have checked out at the library?

Expired card. Hence, nothing.

6.       Do you have an e-reader?

No, but I do have a very nice tablet- a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7”(a generous gift by Expo Milan 2015, where I worked as a volunteer for over two weeks) and I have reading applications on it – Kobo, Kindle, Acrobat – and I, sometimes, buy and download books, especially if I can’t find them in the paper format or they are in English.

7.       Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

I’d prefer to read one book at a time, but I often end up doing the opposite.

8.       Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?

I think I’ve sometimes left my comfort zone, or went deeper into it, reading things I wouldn’t have given a second thought before, because sometimes – just sometimes- I follow people’s advice.

9.       Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)

Ah. That’s hard to say, because, as I said, comfort zone. But, Game of Thrones. Because there are too many things that I don’t like in a story, but my friends compelled me to read it, so I gave it a try- and it didn’t pass the exam. Sorry guys- I know it may be liked by many, but it’s just not for me.

10.   Favorite book you’ve read this year?

Strangely enough, it’s an Italian one, “Ciao” (Hello) by Walter Veltroni, about an imaginary dialogue between the writer and his father, who passed away when he was 37 and his son only few weeks old.

11.   How often do you read out of your comfort zone?

Not too often- and normally because they are books people I know have suggested me. Like with Ciao- mum suggested it, and I took it. And devoured it.

12.   What is your reading comfort zone?

Fantasy, sci-fi, thrillers (not too dark and violent, though) and romance when it comes novels; I’m also an avid reader of biographies.

13.   Can you read on the bus?

Sadly, no- I get an headache whenever I read in a moving vehicle. With the exception of the train. I can read fine on trains.

14.   Favorite place to read?

My bed. It’s still my favorite place to read. At any given hour of the day.

15.   What is your policy on book lending?

Uhm. I normally lend books to people I know very well, I trust and I know where they live- my books are precious things, I’d hate for them to get lost. I still remember one time in elementary school, when they MADE US lend the book we’ve been all reading the previous year to the children of the previous grade: I had to wait for the last day of school to get it back, and he wasn’t even very convinced he had to actually give it back to me, stating that it was “just a book”.

16.   Do you ever dog-ear books?

Always when they are mine! I think they made them look more… lived.

17.   Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

Guilty as charged.

18.   Not even with text books?

Especially in them. Even if I hadn’t had a textbook in a very long time.

19.   What is your favorite language to read in?

I like to read books by English-writing authors in English, and the rest in Italian. The reason I like to read English-written books in English and not in Italian? Let’s be honest, our translators suck, big time.

20.   What makes you love a book?

The plot, how it’s written, the style, the genre, how much of what the writer felt transpired from the pages… it’s a combination of factors, really.

21.   What will inspire you to recommend a book?

The Fact that I’ve liked it,probably.

22.   Favorite genre?

Romance and thriller. And Biographies. Oh, did I have to choose only one? My bad.

23.   Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)

Essays. Definitely. I’d like to read a lot more of them.

24.   Favorite biography?

Probably “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson.

25.   Have you ever read a self-help book?

I once read “He’s just not that into you” by Greg Behrendt, but only because I thought it was the book version of the movie of the same version (big mistake not skimming through the pages…). But then I read it, just because I had it and I hate buying a book and not reading it...

26.   Favorite cookbook?

Oh, hard to say. Anything from the “Silver Spoon”, really, because they are really great, and teach very well, and are recipes that you can actually do, and not strange things from Michelin chefs.

27.   Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?

“Ciao” By Walter Veltroni. I’m saying this again because I loved it, and it made me reflect a lot.

28.   Favorite reading snack?

I like to have a chocolate chips, sugar-free, low-fat muffin when I read; just one- then I read and I read only.

29.   Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.

“The Hypnotist” by Lars Kepler (which is the husband-wife duo of Alexander Ahndoril and Alexandra Coelho-Ahndoril). Everybody was talking about it, it was the “case of the century” according to critics, and I was so ready to read it and see what a masterpiece it was and yet… it was awful. Not just the plot, but mostly the style. I found it extremely badly written.

30.   How often do you agree with critics about a book?

Just sometimes? Truth to be told, I rarely buy a book only because of the critics- I normally buy what I think I may like.

31.   How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

I like to speak my mind- so if I think the book lacked in something, why shouldn’t I state my opinion?

32.   If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?

French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, as real languages go; fictional? Elfic and Klingon.

33.   Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?

Uhm. Doctor Zhivago, probably.

34.   Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?

The Russian masterpieces. All of them, really.

35.   Favorite Poet?

Uhm. In Italian, I like Leopardi and Foscolo, and in English, Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?

Never more than one.

37.   How often have you returned book to the library unread?

Don’t think I have ever done that.

38.   Favorite fictional character?

That’s so freaking hard! How can I choose only one? I like the characters form the Blue Heron series from Kristan Higgins, but my favorite character of, like, ever, is Temperance Breannan, from the Kathy Reichs novels. And also Alice Allevi, the medical examiner created by Italian author Alessia Gazzola.I like them because they are real- real women, strong, but yet with insecurities and doubts and NOT perfect, the contrary of Kay Scarpetta, in short.

39.   Favorite fictional villain?

Moriarty. And the the Wraith (from the Stargate fandom). And Sauron and Saruman from the Lord of the Rings. And Hannibal Lecter.

40.   Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?

I like to bring old Sophie Kinsella Books I’ve already read- every year in vacation (or even when I just go to the seaside in the summertime) I read “Can you keep a secret?”…

41.   The longest I’ve gone without reading.

A few weeks, I think. A month, maybe? I mean, I’m always reading something, books or newspapers or magazines or even fanfiction…

42.   Name a book that you could/would not finish.

“Level 26” by Anthony E. Zuiker. A crime novel too dark, too twisted for my own taste.

43.   What distracts you easily when you’re reading?

Uhm. My cats, I think. They are always on my belly purring and trying to get my attention- I try to not have anything on if I’m reading, so no radio or TV or mp3 player.

44.   Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

The Lord Of The Rings, without any shadow of doubt. Oh, and the Silver Lining Playbook, based on the book of the same name by Matthew Quick. And “Argo”, by Ben Affleck, adapted from “Master of Disguise: my secret life in the CIA” By Tony Mendez.

45.   Most disappointing film adaptation?

Oh. It’s hard to say… but… please, please, don’t laugh… any movie adapted by a Michael Chricton novel- especially Jurassic Park and The Lost World.

46.   The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?

Few Christmas back I spent almost 90 €, but it was because I took a couple of novels for me, a biography about Freddy Mercury and this marvellous photo-book with ALL the lyrics from ALL the Queen songs for my mum. Normally I spend around 10-20 €, as I like to buy just one or two novel at a time.

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

Nowadays I always do it- and I do it before buying it. I’ve been disappointed in the past, wasting money on books I ended up not liking and not finishing reading. So, If I read a few lines, or the back-cover and I think I can like it… I buy it. Ah, anyway: ALWAYS.

48.   What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

The style, the character, development I don’t like for this or that reason, use of violence that I didn’t see coming… I stopped reading a Kay Scarpetta novel few years back, when I was half-way through the book, and I never re-started or continued it.

49.   Do you like to keep your books organized?

Yep- by collection, genre, and author. BUT I don’t always make it. It’s hard to keep all my thousands of books organized- especially as they always end up mixed with mum’s, and Drew’s…

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

Keep! I don’t think I’ve ever been able to part way with a book! First, because I like to re-read my books, second, because I tend to create memories connected to them. As in, “Oh, that’s the book Danielle gave me for my birthday when I turned 15!” or “I was reading this book when I was going to visit this/that person…”

51.   Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?

Avoiding is such a bad word… but I don’t know. I tend to avoid (as in, I don’t buy, nor take by the library) books by Lars Kepler and Patricia Cornwell, or any work where I know there’s a lot of violence, rape, gore…

52.   Name a book that made you angry.

“A Hundred Pieces of Me” by Lucy Dillon. It made me, maybe not angry, but extremely sad, because I didn’t think it was right that the character, after everything she had struggled with, when she was finally putting her pieces back, got cancer back. And also “Trails of Tiffany Trott”. I finished reading it, but at the end of the book I hated the character, because she was so stupid, and didn’t learn anything- despite stating the contrary. Oh, and any novel from Sophie Kinsella from the Shopaholic series.

53.   A book you didn’t expect to like but did?

For the time I have to say “Ciao” by Walter Veltroni. What can I say, I loved that book. And I still do.

54.   A book that you expected to like but didn’t?

The second part of the Harry Potter series- I’ve loved the third book, and I thought I would have loved the others as well, but I ended up not liking them (which is something I’ve heard happened to a lot of people). Also, I’ve never been too thrilled by “Cocò” by Alfonso Signorini, a biography about Cocò Chanel, which I couldn’t make heads or tails about it- I got it that he wanted to talk about the woman who became the icon, but who the hell writes a biography and doesn’t even mention the date of birth, or at least the year?

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?

Mills and Boon novels. Yes- when I’m down I read them.

Comments

[megan-moonlight.livejournal.com]

I sometimes read too many books at once as well. And looks like we agree about the LotR adaptation as well.

What is Ciao By Walter Veltroni about?

[little-firestar.livejournal.com]

Ciao, or hello as translated in English, is an imaginary dialogue between Veltroni and his father, who dies when his son was just few weeks old, set in modern-time, and it's a look to the history of italy coming from the end of WWII, seen through the eyes of a journalist like Veltroni father was.

[megan-moonlight.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It sounds interesting.