Boy, ’tis the season for memes! Ella tagged me for this. Part of the task was to come up with an illustration to go with. I tried to commission my rock star to make me a drawing but he was too busy doing his own thing in Photoshop so, alas, I was left to my own devices. —>
What kind of a book are you most comfortable reading?
I am most comfortable reading a book that I’ve already read a thousand times — but you already knew that about me, right? Aside from that, I find it very easy to fall into nineteenth and early-twentieth century British & American lit; science fiction; fairy tales; chunky Russian novels; history; sea stories.
What kind of a book do you love to hate?
Heh heh, great question! I love love love to hate books with clunky prose: books that I can pick apart sentence by sentence and complain of poor word choice, bad grammar, and if I’m really lucky, factual errors. I try not to write snarky reviews, because what’s the point, but I do like to amuse myself by reading out loud (in tones of exaggerated melodrama) and dissecting particularly egregious sentences. I feel like a self-righteous snob when I do it, but I just can’t help myself.
What was the last book you surprised yourself by liking?
The Book Thief. Partly I didn’t expect to like it because of all the hype. And the interesting thing is that I didn’t know for sure if I liked it or not until I finished it. I was in a state of nervous suspense the whole way through, worrying that it might not have a good ending.
What was the last book you surprised yourself by disliking?
Heidi. You know, the little girl with the grandfather up in the Swiss Alps. I had loved this book as a child, but when I went back to it I found it to be too sickeningly sanctimonious. (Say that five times fast!)
What would be the worst book to be marooned on a desert island with?
Well, I’m gonna follow Ella’s lead on this one. She said Green Eggs & Ham; I think I’ll go with the creepy and grotesque Love You Forever by Norman Bates’ mother — I mean, by Robert Munsch.
What book would you take with you if you suspected you might be marooned in the near future?
I’m pretty sure the most brilliant answer I’ve ever seen to this question came from Guusje, who once said she’d choose Boat Building for Dummies. ;-)
What forces you to read outside your comfort zone?
Honestly? It’s you guys! If it weren’t for all the amazing reviews that inspire me to read everything from true crime to graphic novels to chick lit to alternate history, I’d probably be stuck reading the same 20 Aubrey-Maturin novels over and over and over again. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you, but there’s no question that I range much farther afield than I ever did before I started blogging. Thanks y’all. Awwww…
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I’ve done so many memes recently that I think I’ve tagged everyone twice over already. So… if this one appeals to you, go for it! And don’t forget to add an illustration!
6 Comments
It is so true that the blogging world gets me reading things I never thought possible! Too bad about Heidi. I have been thinking about going back and reading Peter Pan and other such classics for the classics challenge. I am not sure what to read though…I better get it figured out!
great meme.
The Book Thief was also a book that I was rather surprised about how much I liked it (there is something grammatically wrong with this sentence. I know it. I just know it.). I am not swooning over it like so many people are, but I did like it a lot more than I actually thought I would.
In one of the books I read last week (review will be up on my blog in a few days) I found several factual errors and a few about which I am not 100% sure, but I seriously suspect them to be. Though this did initially stop me from liking the book, the book had other aspects that made me eventually reconsider my opinion. Better fact-checking by either the author or the editor would not have been wasted on this particular book and it would have actually made this book a lot better in my opinion, improving my opinion of it from ‘fairly good’ to ‘very good’.
Since I got up at 11 a.m. today, my picture would have feature someone who is unshaven, unkempt, and extremely lazy. It would have to include one with a computer, not a book.
Excellent answers! It’s funny, you mentioned Heidi, because I recently reread “Anne of Geeen Gables” and found myself nearly gagging during some of the more cuddly parts. I loved it earlier on, so what happened?
Yes, blogging has encouraged me to read a much bigger variety of genres.
Bethany, let me know if you read Peter Pan. I read it (the novel version) not too long ago and it was very different from what I expected. In fact I found the Wendy-Peter thing kind of creepy, to tell the truth.
Myrthe, bummer. I guess I should clarify that I get a kick out of finding those kind of errors in a book that is already awful. I wouldn’t want to find errors in a book that was otherwise good.
Fred, unshaven, unkempt, lazy, computer. Hmmm, except for the unshaven part, could be me. ;-)
Chartroose, funny you should mention Anne of GG. I was never a huge fan of Anne, in childhood or now. (I’ll take Jo March any day!) Nevertheless I’ve been following the progress of the Anne blog with interest, just because it’s fun to read others’ reminiscences of their favorite childhood book.
Care, me too!