The temperature dropped something like 45 degrees overnight (and it wasn't that warm to begin with!), we've got a bit of a flu going around and, heck, even the public schools are closed because of all the ice. On top of that, my friend Ana tagged me (and this looks like a rather fun meme), so here goes...
1) Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews? Michael O'Brien's novels
2) If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be? Bilbo Baggins, Elizabeth Bennett and Gabriel Syme. It would have to involve drinking, dancing, conversation and lots of very good food. They'd all, of course, have to bring a guest with them. :)
3) (Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): you are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for a while, eventually you realise it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave? These might sound trite, but they are two of the few I really couldn't get into - books G.A. Henty and the Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.
4) Come on, we’ve all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it? I'm really not much of a pretender. There are some books that I should have read, but didn't finish - not because I wasn't interested, just because I wasn't fast enough at the time. They are definitely on my must-finish list for some day.
5) You’re interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisor to some VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why? (If you feel like you’d have to know the person, go ahead and personalise the VIP). The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (I'm a big believer in children's books for big people - especially as a way to get them interested!)
6) A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Latin
7) A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Wow, probably more than one would qualify. Pride and Prejudice or Brideshead Revisited would certainly work for me, perhaps the Lord of the Rings too.
8) I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What’s one bookish thing you ‘discovered’ from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)? Hmmm. Probably just various books I end up picking up at rummage sales after hearing about them and then reading them. These are mostly because of my sister's blog. Two books that come to mind that I've read after reading her posts are The Kite Runner and The Glass Castle. It's looks like What is the What will be the next in the series.
9) That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leather bound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free. It would be a large room and very tall with lots of very comfortable, leather seating and charming window-seats. Beautiful, matching shelves. Perhaps a natural light-wood color with just a little bit of carved ornamentation. (I do notice bookshelves in people's houses and in movies. My favorite movie bookshelves-to-date are the ones in You've Got Mail - no, not the ones in the bookstore, silly, the ones in her flat.) Anyway, I think I've grown pretty fond of a shabby assortment of books, new-and-old, so I don't think I'd change that. I like books that are not too heavy to read in all sorts of odd situations (perhaps up on the roof, certainly in the car, the bathroom, in bed, etc.) so quality paperbacks are often preferred. I enjoy finding used treasures at library booksales and used bookstores, so there would have to be plenty of room for more. It would include lots of great literature, all the beautiful picture books in Cay Gibson's lovely new book and lots of interesting (and very readable) non-fiction of all sorts.
As usual, I tag anyone who's interested.
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