Book Meme

1) Which book has been on your shelves the longest?

Hmm...well. In my room I have about 6 shelves for books, and one of them is full of old books from when I was little, that I don't think I'll ever look at again, but that I don't want to get rid of. I think the oldest one up there is the Oxford Treasury of Children's Poems.

2) What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?

I'm currently re-reading Katherine by Anya Seton. It's one of my favourite historical novels, telling the tale of Katherine Swinford who became the mistress of John of Gaunt. I recommend it. The last book I read was called Parasite Positive by Scott Westerfeld. Elly had it for her birthday, and it's about vampires - but it doesn't really follow traditional mythology. It was all right, I suppose, but I didn't like it as much as Westerfeld's other books. The next book I'll read? Probably Sunshine by Robin McKinley, which I got Elly for her birthday. Also a vampire novel.

3) What book did everyone like and you hated?

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. When it came out, everyone raved about it, but I was completely underwhelmed. It's narrated by death, set during WW2 in Germany, about a young girl and her discovery of the world through books and reading. I really didn't like the style, I thought the plot was kind of stagnant and the characters unengaging. Perhaps I was missing something, but it was nowhere near as good as everyone made out, in my opinion.

4) Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?

The 'classics', like Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights. I've intended to read these so many times, even going out and buying some cheap paperback copies, but I've never actually read them. Well... I started Wuthering Heights and couldn't get through it. I feel like these are books I should read but...

5) Which book are you saving for “retirement?”

Um...none? I re-read books a lot so something I've already read XD

6) Last page: read it first or wait til the end?

Wait til the end. I hate spoiling myself.

7) Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?

I don't really read them, but they don't bother me.

8) Which book character would you switch places with?

Hmm... I really don't know. Maybe Lyra from His Dark Materials? It'd be cool to be able to go from world to world, and I'd love to have a daemon.

9) Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?

I have lots of books that do this. Like, for some reason I could pretty much tell you all the books I've read whilst on holiday in the past few years, and I can picture where I was whilst I was reading them. I can remember sitting on the veranda of our chalet working my way through the first four Gossip Girl books a couple of years ago (yeah, I know, high class literature ), and I can remember lying on the beach several years ago reading a book called Starseeker, then spilling hot chocolate on it.

10) Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.

I buy most of my books myself, or have them given as presents. Although this one time, I recieved a book in the post from a book club that I'd never signed up to. When I phoned them up to tell them this, they insisted that yes, I had signed up... eventually I managed to convince them that I hadn't, but they said to keep the book anyway. It was Marian Keyes' Anybody Out There, and I liked it so much I went and bought all her other books too.

11) Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?

Nope. I lend out my books a lot, though.

12) Which book has been with you to the most places?

I'd say my Harry Potter books (not all at once, of course!) - probably PoA or GoF.

13) Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?

Nope. The only book I actually remember reading at school was my GCSE novel called Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor. Oh, how I hated that book. My whole class hated it. Would never, ever read it again.

14) What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?

Some fanfiction! Well, sort of... It was when I was quite young and into the Famous Five books. I think it was called Five Run Away Together - is that the one with Spotty Faced Edgar and the Sticks? Anyway, at the very end of the book the Sticks get their comeuppance and the famous five decide to stay on Kirrin Island for a bit longer in their cave and then the book ends. The book's previous owner obviously wasn't very happy with that, so they'd written in a continuation of the story on the blank pages that were at the end of the book.

15) Used or brand new?

I really don't mind. I tend to buy new books, but I wouldn't turn my nose up at used ones. Unless there was something icky in them.

16) Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?

Never read any of his books, so cannot comment.

17) Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?

Yup, three come to mind. First is The Notebook by Nicolas Sparks. I loved the film, so decided to buy the book and was bored to death. I couldn't understand how such a good film had come out of such a bad (IMO) book. Second is Big Fish by Daniel Wallace. Again, loved the film so wanted to try the book. But it was completely different from the film. It wasn't a bad book, persay, just not what I was expecting. Third, Atonement by Ian McEwan. Same thing, loved the film wanted to read the novel - but oh my god - how boring. I struggled to get through it.

18) Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?

Hmm... nothing major comes to mind because I can differentiate between the novel and the film - they're two different entities. That said, I was really disappointed with the film version of one of my favourite books - I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. The film just didn't, well, capture the magic of the book. And ha! Just looked up that film on IMDB and Marc Blucas is in it. Anyway...

19) Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

I don't really get recc'ed books that often. My mum will pass along the books she's read with either an "I enjoyed it" or "that was a bit weird/strange/sad/mad etc.". If I'm unsure of a book I'll usually look at amazon reviews, or ciao reviews or something.

1) Which book has been on your shelves the longest?

Um... well, since I threw away most of my Swedish and Finnish books, and left my English ones left, I have to say... HP1 xD

2) What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?

Current: "It" by Stephen King
Last: "Gömda" by Liza Marklund
Next: "Sinuhe the Egytian" by Mika Waltari

3) What book did everyone like and you hated?

Lord of the Rings books. I couldn't stand reading them - it was pain!

4) Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?

The Host :D I keep seeing it everywhere, but I never have the time to buy it! xD

5) Which book are you saving for “retirement?”

The Koran or the Bible - whichever appeals to me the most xD

6) Last page: read it first or wait til the end?

If it's a book I've waited for a long time, I check the last sentence/word. Otherwise I can't be bothered xD

7) Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?

WASTE OF INK AND PAPER :D Do you know just how annoying it is to turn several pages to skip that sort of fo-shizzle just to get a start on the book!?

8) Which book character would you switch places with?

...would it be terribly wrong of me to switch with Bella Cullen? xD Notice that I said Cullen, not Swan - who wants to be a human!?

9) Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?

From the book "Gömda" by Liza Marklund I found several familiar things, and they weren't nice at all. I couldn't read on for several hours, and I just glared at the book :D

10) Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.

I buy most of my books, but my friend gave me - as a joke :D - the book "He's Just Not That Into You", and we both thought it was rather funny. The funny part has to be the fact that I'm actually oblivious of it if someone IS into me xD

11) Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?

I gave my mom and dad a book about parenting when I was 15 :D I don't know how special it was, but mwehh.. xD

12) Which book has been with you to the most places?

Either "Twilight" or "HP and the Deathly Hallows"

13) Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?

Well, not in high school, but I remember when we had to read Jane Austen and that stuff, and I really wasn't into reading back then - atleast not in Swedish or Finnish! - but later on I realized just how great they really are... in English xD It's complete gibberish in Swedish and Finnish :D

14) What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?

A picture of a hot guy - a photograph! xD It looked old, and like it had been through hell and back. It was a library book, so I saved the picture, and when I returned the book, I put the picture back, wishing the one who it belonged to would get it back xD

I regret that now :D

15) Used or brand new?

Used. They bend easier - paperbacks, that is - and then I won't feel as bad when I fold the corners, or spill something on the book :D But on hardcovers, I prefer new ones. The cover doesn't look nice when I've messed it up with my hectic way of handling books, and it jsut falls apart :D That's why I prefer paperbacks, anyway xD

16) Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?

COMPLETE GENIUS :D Okay, so there are a few books I can't really understand WHY THE HELL HE WROTE THEM, but most of his books are truly, truly captivating!

17) Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?

Yes - LotR, Atonement, The Notebook and... I have to say Star Wars, too :D

18) Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?

As much as people disagree with me, I have to say Stephen King's "It". As a person with clown phobia, I can read about them - I can keep them in the book - but the movie is just... GAAH!

19) Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

Probably... my friend and co-worker Sam's advice :D He has a good taste, and some of the books are very entertaining to read, too, and then try to imagine HIM read them xD

1) Which book has been on your shelves the longest?

I think that would be Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown. That book is something else.

2) What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?

Current: Grave Peril by Jim Butcher (3rd in the Dresden Files series)
Last: Fool's Moon by Jim Butcher (2nd in the Dresden Files series)
Next: Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop (of the Black Jewels series)

3) What book did everyone like and you hated?

The Once and Future King I keep trying, but I can't get into it.

4) Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?

Probably Dead Souls by Gogol. I keep chickening out. Either that or the Urantia book. It's hard to explain. Google it.

5) Which book are you saving for “retirement?”

I'll probably save the Urantia book for this period in my life, if I ever actually can get past the introduction.

6) Last page: read it first or wait til the end?

Usually wait until the end. The only exception (other than accidently reading manga backward the first time) was with Deathly Hallows. I wanted to know what the last word was.

7) Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?

I wouldn't say it's a waste. I think it's an important part of the book. I only read it when I really like the book or I think the author could be amusing in his/her writing of said acknowlegements.

8) Which book character would you switch places with?

Quite a few. I'd give anything to be at Hogwarts, so just about any HP character. A small part of me would like to trade with Bella, but I don't think I'd be happy. There are others I can't think of at the moment.

9) Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?

New Moon--Bella and I had a lot in common at the time I read that one. Nikki and I'd just split completely. That was a very dark period in my life.

10) Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.

Most of my books were purchased. My mom and stepdad have been periodically sending me the Bloomsbury editions of the Harry Potter series. Other than that, I did have a cab driver with whom I exchanged some books. She loaned me Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey. I, in turn, lent her the second two books in the Tir Allain series by Anne Bishop. She stopped driving the cab and we never saw each other again.

11) Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?

The weren't really for special reasons. I saw that my boyfriend's sister had The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath on her general wish list (they both have a copy on their parents fridge). I had a copy and didn't plan on reading it a third time, no matter how much I loved it. So, I gave it to her. The other was Dreams Made Flesh, a collection of stories from the Black Jewels world. Nikki had the three within the main trilogy, so I thought she might like to have the copy of the supplementary book I'd bought for myself.

12) Which book has been with you to the most places?

Most of my books have been all over the state. I'd probably say it would be the books within the Twilight series, though.

13) Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?

Technically, I haven't re-read The House of Seven Gables since it destroyed my desire to read anything back in 7th grade. I did read the first chapter randomly and realized it is now the type of book I would likely count as one of my favorites.

14) What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?

Bits of eyeliner or charcoal. I think. It was in the copy of Kushiel's Dart I'd borrowed. I found them all through the entire book.

15) Used or brand new?

It depends on how emotionally significant the book is to me. I'll often purchase used books simply because I am on a tight budget. I'll only buy them, though, if they've been taken care of.

16) Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?

Opiate. I've attempted The Shining, Carrie, Christine, and a few others. I was not able to finish any of them.

17) Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?

Lord of the Rings (don't tell my boyfriend), Carrie

18) Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?

The Da Vinci Code. They took out almost all the celebration within the plot of the sacred feminine (i.e., Sophie's solution of almost everything). Robert Langdon figured most of the stuff out on his own. The movie did it's best to placate the Vatican, which really annoyed me. It was very poorly acted (except on the part of Sir Ian McKellen, whom I think was Sir Leigh Teabing). Seriously, I spent most of the movie repeatedly throwing my hands in the air in frustration, sighing, etc. I'd probably have controlled myself a bit more if it weren't for the fact that everyone in the theater did the same things. By the end, I was in tears. And someone stood up at the credits and said, "well that sucked!" There was much laughter and agreement to follow. Oops...you got me started.

19) Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

Nikki's definitely. My boyfriend, usually, except his stronger fantasy stuff. My sister usually can recommend some good stuff. Again, I don't get into the stronger fantasy that she reads.