Tuesday, December 1, 2009

20 Q's Reading Survey

1. Last books I bought: (I actually received these through PaperBackSwap...)
Uppity Women of Ancient Times by Vicki Leon, Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen, Harem by Dora Levy Mossanen.

2. Last book I read; book I'm currently reading :
The Gilded Chamber by Rebecca Kohn; Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue.

3. The first book I read over and over:
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Jackson. I was a child and I thought the book was magical!

4. Books I enjoyed in my youth:
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, all books of poetry by Shel Silverstein, Heidi by Johanna Spyri, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, stories by Dr. Seuss, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault, Little House on the Prarie (and the other Little House books) by Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner, and tons of Nancy Drew mysteries by Carolyn Keene.

5. Where I read:
Everywhere. On the bus. Before, after, and during (oops!) class. In a quiet corner of the library. And, my favorite place, curled up in bed.

6. A book I bought just for cover:
The Lovers' Path by Kris Waldherr. It's a beautifully illustrated novel. I bought two copies---one for me, one for my sister. I can't wait to read it!

7. Scariest Book I ever read:
When I was little, I thought Where the Wild Things Are was the scariest book ever, but I read it over and over because it was fun to be scared like that. Last year I attempted to read Villisca by Roy Marshall. The novel is based on an axe-murder that occurred in Iowa back in 1912. It wasn't written in a scary way; there was nothing gory or suspenseful. However, the subject matter and thoughts of the horrible murder haunted me. I couldn't get past the second chapter.

8. Most Romantic Book ever:
Hmm... for me it's a tie between Pilate's Wife by Antoinette May and Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund. Romance isn't exactly the main focus of either of those books, but in Pilate's Wife I absolutely loved the romance between the main female character and her gladiator love interest. And in Abundance, I fell hopelessly in love with Count Axel von Fersen---even though he and Marie Antoinette's relationship is depicted as a mere friendship in this novel.

9. Book that changed my life in some way:
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, Perfume by Patrick Suskind, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

10. Books I've reread the most:
I honestly haven't reread any books. There are several books which I say that I may read again (Pilate's Wife, Water for Elephants, The Royal Physician's Visit, Abundance) ...But I probably won't re-visit those until twenty or thirty years down the road. ;)

11. Books I need cliff notes for
Uhhh... well, most recently I needed cliff notes for Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

12. Book I needed a dictionary for:
At times I felt like I needed a dictionary for Atonement by Ian McEwan.

13. Books I like that no one else seems to:
Nobody else I know seems to be interested in Perfume by Patrick Suskind. I think when I start talking about a guy who knows all the smells in the world, has no smell of his own, and starts murdering young virgins in an effort to create the world's most wonderful smell... people get turned off... But it's a beautiful, haunting, romantic, and eerie tale. Read it!

14. Books I don't like that everyone else seems to:
Oh gosh. Where to begin? The Harry Potter series. The Twilight series. Many others, but those two really pop out in my mind.

15. Number of books I own (guess):
Oooh dear, I'm honestly not sure. Over a 100 for sure... my mom owns like five times as many as I do.

16. Number of books on TBR (that have not been acquired):
Around 20 right now.

17. Must have reading accessory:
A bookmark. I love bookmarks.

18. Literary destination I want to go to:
I would love to visit Versailles. When I read Sena Jeter Naslund's Abundance, I felt like I was being transported there every time I picked up the book. I would love to see the palace in reality!

19. Top three favourite authors
Sena Jeter Naslund, Libba Bray, Sarah Dunant.

20. The reason I started book blogging
I blog because it is a fresh, creative way to express myself, broaden my interests, and interacting with people who share my interests. It is a great way to share favorite novels and to read reviews of other potential pageturners.

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