October 15, 2008

Bookish Pic edit

Yoinked from CookieBurglar:

CookieBurglar’s Survey for Bored Bookworms

1. Name the book that made you laugh the most.

Any Bill Bryson book can generally get me giggling. Terry Pratchett tends to do the same as well. And the Harry Potter books can be quite humerous at times as well. But I’d have to say The Hitchhhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (any of the 5) are the one’s that made me consistantly laugh.

2. Name the book that made you think the most.

I’ve read a lot of non fiction so there are quite a few here. How Mumbo Jumbo Conquered The World was good (and gave me an idea for the novel I’m working on at the moment). No Logo by Naoni Klein did so as well. But Fast Food Nation is the only one to make me change my habits so I’ll have to go with that one.

3. Name the book that made you cry the most.

I I’ve never actually cried while reading a book, so pass.

4. Name the book you found the most scary.

Fast Food Nation again. More, Now, Again by Elizabeth Wurtzel by showing how easy it is to get addicted to a supposedly non addictive drug. 1984 and A Clockwork Orange (the former for the way it ends, the latter for what the main character is put through).

5. Have you ever read a book that you hated so much you couldn’t finish it?

Sabriel by Gareth Nix was recommended to me by an ex. I started reading it and just completely lost the will to carry on. Same with Lionboy. I now know the reason they were giving it away with copies of one of the HP books.

6. Ever read any Shakespeare for fun?

Actually, yes.

7. Make a choice: Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter?

If I have to choose between the two of them, it’d have to be Harry Potter. The LOTR books are good but need serious editing. Seriously, how many pages describing trees or plants? Whereas there is very little filler in the HP books. My personal choice isn’t here though, and that’s the His Dark Materials books. While both HP and LOTR are good, HDM is in a class above. Ambitious plot and brilliant characterisation. It’s too bad it got caught up in the HP storm.

8. How many books do you read a month, on average?

God. Can be anywhere from 3 – a lot. Depends on what I’m doing. (As a reference, whenever I leave the house I’ll generally have a book of some description with me.)

9. Got any books you’ve been meaning to read but haven’t got around to yet?

Loads. I have a terrible habit of buying books that are considered classics and never reading them. I also have a bad habit of buying books either a) by authors people have recommended or b) cos they have a funky name (anyone seriously expect me not to buy a book called A Handbook For Visitors From Outer Space?) It’s so bad that one of my ex housemates tried to ban me from buying books till I’d read all the ones I had. It didn’t work.

10. What are you reading right now?

I’m currently re-reading the aforementioned Fast Food Nation, which is still a good book (though I’d kinda like Schlosser to write a follow up, showing how things have changed (or not) in the intervening years.) Before that it was The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson which I highly, highly recommend.

A couple more things before I go.

Muppet noir!

And, because more than a few of my favourites are doing this:
1 question.

1 chance.

1 honest answer.

Thats all you get.

You get to ask me 1 question.

Any question, anything, no matter how crazy, dirty, or wrong it is.

No catch.

But I dare you to repost this.

And see what people ask you!

Will

*EDIT*

So, I was wondering round town earlier on, when I spotted these guys:

I don’t know if they are supposed to be bugs or aliens or what, but there you go.

Incidentally, the one nearest the camera saw me take the picture and insisted on seeing it, before nodding in approval.

I know I moan about the place, but it’s times like this that I love my town.

Will

[ writers anonymous logo ]

I don’t think I’ve ever hated a book enough to not finish it – if I don’t like the book then finishing it becomes a battle of wills between me and it… 😉

dear_gertrudeperkins

October 16, 2008

Which Shakespeare did you read for pleasure?

CookieBurglar

Hurrah, I’ve been yoinked! You’re like my sister when it comes to books–she’s had to reign in her spending even though she hasn’t read half the books she owns. She’s got 45 pages on her amazon wishlist though, almost all books. I dunno, they look slightly praying mantis-like….

zhnee

I just finished 1984. It was one of those books on my “To Do” list. Finally, finished, I didn’t like the ending, but it couldn’t have ended any other way and make me think as much it did. I found it rather unsettling, but not as frightening as The Handmaid’s Tale. Clockwork Orange is setting on the bedside table for the same reason as 1984. I had to empty my head of the latter before beginning, so I’m re-reading the 5th Harry Potter. And this was probably much more than anyone would ever want to know. So I’ll end it here. Cool bug-aliens…looks like an ex-somebody I used to know.

the bug/alien people are great. the one coming toward the camera is seriously frightening! : ) ———————- i’m also of the book-buying habit. i can barely look at bookstore without buying something. thanks to taking the el, i’m reading more, which is nice. i actually dismissed tv the other night to read instead. rock!