sleep is good, he said, and books are better

(Stolen, as usual, from Amy)

1. Favourite childhood book?

   Pretty much has to be the Little House books, doesn't it?

2. What are you reading right now?

Rock with Wings (Anne Hillerman), Point Blank (Catherine Coulter) (on CD), The Soul of Medicine (Sherwin B. Nuland), Hollow City : Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children #2 (Ransom Riggs) (ebook), Jesus : A Pilgrimage (James Martin).

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

   Touch (Claire North), Bad Days in History (Michael Farquhar), and Day Shift (Charlaine Harris) (on CD) -- and "Eve" (Angélique Kidjo) (music).

4. Bad book habit?

   Reading too many books at once. I've got the whole "eyes are bigger than my stomach" concept going on.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?

   Sitting on the kitchen counter:When to Rob a Bank (Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner), Our Souls at Night (Kent Haruf), and Brush Back (Sara Paretsky). And on hold in Overdrive: Fruitful Bodies (Morag Joss) and Not That Kind of Girl (Lena Dunham).

6. Do you have an e-reader?

   Yes, I'm on my second Nook, and I don't know what I'd do without it.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

   Uh, yeah, definitely not one at a time. How dull is that? heh

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?

   Not that I can see. I've been book-blogging since 2004, and tracked my reading for a good 15 years or so before that, so the only thing that's really changed is how much I write about what I thought of the book.

9. Least favourite book you’ve read this year (so far)?

   The Bone Garden (Tess Gerritsen). My review: "Icky. Just icky. Hateful, unpleasant people, and the story just crept along. Too bad, really; it had some possibilities at the beginning."

10. Favourite book you’ve read this year?

    Code Name Verity (Elizabeth Wein). Really an amazing book, quite shocking. My review of it begins with "Oh my goodness."

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?

    I'm not even sure I have a "comfort zone." I guess I don't read a lot of hard science or hard science fiction. Or straight romance. So, not very often. lol

12. What is your reading comfort zone?

    Mysteries. YA. Church history. Western history. Language stuff, poetry, drama, medical history, some fantasy. Really, it's a matter of good storytelling and writing.

13. Can you read on the bus?

    Oddly, yes. I can't read in a car, but if I'm away from a window I'm ok. No problem on trains or airplanes either.

14. Favourite place to read?

    In bed, or in the bathtub.

15. What is your policy on book lending?

    I don't lend. I give. If the person finishes and gives it back, yay. If not, I don't get upset.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?

    Only my own. And all too often.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

    Only my own, and not often enough.

18. ...even with text books?

    More likely in textbooks than anywhere else, but I rarely read textbooks these days.

19. What is your favourite language to read in?

    Well, English is the easiest. I should try a Spanish novel again one of these days.

20. What makes you love a book?

    Good plot, good characterization, humor, a story told well. Smartness.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?

    I can but describe what I liked and hope to do it justice. Sometimes, the person loves it, sometimes they can't understand the attraction.

22. Favourite genre?

    Well, mystery, of course.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)?

    I should probably read more poetry. I wish I could spend the time it requires.

24. Favourite biography?

    Of late, it is Pioneer Girl, about Laura Ingalls Wilder.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?

    I can't think of anything recent, but I have indeed. One of my favorites is M. Scott Peck's The Road Less Traveled.

26. Favourite cookbook?

    The one I've built myself over the years. Also, The Joy of Cooking

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?

    The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. I know, weird pick. But really a lovely story.

28. Favourite reading snack?

    Gum.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.

    Hype nearly always ruins the book. It's rare to have a book live up to the PR machine. I know there are exceptions, but I cannot think of one right now to save my life.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?

    I'd say 60% of the time. The older I get, the better I am at discerning PR from actual "stuff I want to read."

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

    If I don't like something, I explain why. I'm not going to lie about my feelings on the merits of a book.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?

    Ancient Greek.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?

    So many. Wuthering Heights was really complicated. Moby Dick nearly killed me. An Instance of the Fingerpost was as good as my sister told me it would be. ...so many....

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?

    Foucault's Pendulum.

35. Favourite poet?

    I really like Russian poetry. Let's go with Anna Akhmatova.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?

    Of late, 5-7. The norm for me is upwards of a dozen.

37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?

    Not too often, not as much lately. I usually at least try them.

38. Favourite fictional character?

    Kinsey Millhone.

39. Favourite fictional villain?

    Nellie Olesen.

40. Books you’re most likely to bring on holiday?

    Crappy paperback mysteries, and ebooks.

41. The longest you’ve gone without reading?

    I had a hard time reading after I had surgery a couple of decades ago. And when Sparky was little, it was tricky trying to find time to read.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.

    Spider, by Patrick McGrath.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?

    Falling asleep.

44. Favourite film adaptation of a novel?

    I really loved both the novel and the movie of Ondaatje's The English Patient.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?

    Pretty much all the others.

46. The most money you’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?

    We spent nearly $1000 on books for Sparky one semester; does that count?? Otherwise, I've spent a couple hundred dollars at Amazon a couple of times, and IRL bookstores, about the same. Actually, I bought about 20 books at The Tattered Cover the first time I was ever there.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?

    Surprisingly, not all that often. More often with nonfiction than with fiction.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through?

    Bad writing would cause an earlier-than-this stop. Crazy plotting and irritation with characters might allow me to get halfway through, that plus hope. It's why I got 7/8 through Moby Dick--"it has to get better, right?"--before I just said fuckit.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?

    I like to. I don't actually do it very well.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?

    I buy so few books. Generally, once I've read it, I'm done, unless there's some sort of reference or sentimental value. I have been known to buy used paperbacks on vacation and leave a veritable trail of them as I finish reading.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?

    Everything by Jane Austen. I've tried, people, I really have!!

52. Name a book that made you angry.

Anything about child abuse, or abuse of power, theft/corruption. Actually, Anne Frank's writing makes me about equal parts angry and sad. Albert Speer's self-justification in Inside the Third Reich kind of pissed me off.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?

    The Portrait of a Lady. I wouldn't think of picking anything like that up again, but it was actually an enjoyable read in my Women's Lit class.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?

    Welcome to my life. About 1/3 of the books I anticipate loving turn out to be disappointing. I wanted to love The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, but it turned out to be deadly boring.

55. Favourite guilt-free, pleasure reading?

    The only time I ever feel guilty about reading is when I know there are things I "should" be doing. I read, unabashedly, for pleasure. Sue me!