Tuesday 25 February 2014

Without a filter, man is just chaos walking

You know when you know you're supposed to be doing something else but you're doing something else instead? No, me neither. So I decided I would answer Strawberry Singh's Monday Meme - and this week, it's about books.

Kitti is scared because her balance isn't great and she's wondering who taught her books to fly.
  1. Are you a bookworm? I guess so, yes. I read 48 books last year.
  2. Which do you prefer: hardback, paperback or electronic? I used to only buy hardback if I could, but now I'm not so fussy. My one rule is that if I begin a series, I must buy all of them either in paper copies or electronic copies.
  3. Which book is your favourite? That's tough to call, but probably Blood Canticle by Anne Rice.
  4. Which children's book is your favourite? I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen. I discovered this book only in the last couple of years, and I absolutely love it. So does my ten year old cousin, and my mother. Make of that what you will.
  5. What's the last book you've read? The Wolves of Midwinter by Anne Rice. Currently reading The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick but it's kind of slow-going at the moment.
  6. Name your top five writers: That's so difficult! Anne Rice, Bernard Cornwell, Patrick Ness, Garth Nix, and Paul Hoffman.
  7. Name a book that had a strong impact on you: I could list many, but let's go with A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.
  8. Favourite and least favourite book genres? My favourites are fantasy and history. I don't tend to enjoy reading non-fiction books for pleasure, but I don't dislike them particularly. They just wouldn't be my first choice.
  9. Favourite and least favourite book-to-movie adaptations? I know it isn't a movie, but Game of Thrones is a fantastic adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire. Even when the series isn't wholly true to the plot, it is true to the narrative and to the characters in a way that I find really exciting. I don't always agree with the way certain characters are explored (ask me about Joff and Roz, if you really want to know) but I still respect those decisions. Least favourite...Interview with the Vampire. I know Rice loves the film version of her novel, but I just can't find it in myself to like it. It feels gaudy and silly whereas the book holds a lot of meaning and a lot of weight for me.
  10. Have you ever bought a book based on the cover alone? No, I always read the blurb. Covers attract our attention though, right?
  11. Where do you usually buy your books? A mix. I used to only buy them from WH Smiths, but then I discovered Waterstones and now I use Amazon too.
  12. Do you go to the library? Sadly, I don't. Libraries always make me feel a little sad because they often feel sterile and isolating and I don't think reading should be like that.
  13. How many books to you own? I would guess nearly two hundred, but it could be a little more than that. I haven't counted the ones on my Kindle in that figure.
  14. If you were to write a book about Second Life, which topic would you focus on? Ahaha, I'm not sure! There's a fantastic book by Tim Etchells called The Broken World about the idea of a merging of life and video game, and I'd like to write something that captured the blurring, of both reality and emotion, that that book toys with. 
Now ask me these questions tomorrow and I'll give you different answers. Isn't that almost always the way when it comes to books? 

The title of this post comes from The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. It's the first of the Chaos Walking series. I couldn't recommend it enough.

Read Strawberry's original post here - here!

2 comments:

  1. I get your comment about libraries. I've made it a point to visit all the libraries in my county, just to check them out and some of them are very dreary and isolated and empty. Luckily the one I frequently visit and volunteer at is very warm and engaging. I think it really depends on the community and location. I do feel sad that they are slowly dying. Love the picture btw!

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    1. I agree - I guess it's about where the money is coming from, and who is using the library. It is sad that they seem to be on their way out, and I hope we can get them to come back. And thank you - I had a lot of fun taking the picture although it made me realise that I need to sort out that texture on my skybox wall!

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