55 Quirky Questions for Readers

  • Tuesday, October 07, 2014

Got this from Lianne at Caffeinated Life ... who got this from someone who got this from someone, as memes often go...


1. Favourite childhood book?
Hmmm ...anything by Enid Blyton.

2. What are you reading right now?
How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
None at the moment. I'm trying to get through all the ones I own.

4. Bad book habit?
Dog-earing.

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

6. Do you have an e-reader?
Nope.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
Several books at once. Keeps me from getting bored.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
I’ve definitely been reading lots more and with more variety!

9. Least favourite book you read this year:
Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi.

10. Favourite book I’ve read this year:
Quite a few! But Belle Cora by Phillip Margulies is a standout.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Whenever I can. I read pretty eclectically so I approach each book as a new adventure!

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Hmmm. How the heck do I answer this?

13. Can you read on the bus?
Yes. Though I'm noticing I'm not as tolerant these days.

14. Favourite place to read?
In bed just before going to sleep.

15. What’s your policy on book lending?
I rarely do. When I'm ready, I just give my books away.

16. Do you dog-ear your books?
Guilty as charged.

17. Do you write notes in the margins of your books?
No.

18. Do you break/crack the spine of your books?
Not consciously.

19. What is your favourite language to read?
English. I only know two languages so this is a weird question.

20. What makes you love a book?
If I can connect in some way.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If I really enjoyed it, I'll shout it from the rooftops!

22. Favourite genre?
Contemporary fiction. Literary fiction. Fantasy. Historical fiction. Children's picture books. How do I choose one?

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

24. Favourite Biography?
Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist by Roger Lowenstein. What a fascinating man!

25. Have you ever read a self-help book? (And, was it actually helpful?)
Of course! And yes, they are helpful!

26. Favourite Cookbook?
Passione by Gennaro Contaldo. He's one of Jamie Oliver's mentors. His cookbook also reads like a biography and the photography is amazing.

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

Eat Now Talk Later by James Vescovi, a memoir that shows how important it is to document family moments (including secret family recipes!).

28. Favourite reading snack?
Anything as the mood strikes.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience?
Some books get all the raves on book blogs. If the reviews are overwhelmingly great, I cave, and I did for both The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and Cinder by Marissa Meyer. In both cases, I found they were not the next best thing since sliced bread.

30. How often do you agree with the critics about about a book?
*Shrug* I have no idea.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
Pretty neutral. I try to find both good and bad and its very rare that a book is all-bad!

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?
Spanish. I want to read Gabriel Garcia Marquez in his native tongue.

 33. Most intimidating book I’ve read?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. This was the longest classic I had read in university and it scared the crap out of me for some reason. Now it's one of my all-time favourite books. Les Miserables followed soon after ... and again, it's now an all-time fave.

34. Most intimidating book I’m too nervous to begin?
1984 by George Orwell. I have a copy and it's just there, waiting for me to read it. I worry that I'll hate it.

35. Favourite Poet?
I don't read much poetry so I don't have one ... yet.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out from the library at any given time?
I used to check out anywhere between 2 to 10 books in one go.

37. How often do you return books to the library unread?
Very rarely.

38. Favourite fictional character?
Another trick question? The raggamuffin Gavroche in Les Miserables is one of them.

39. Favourite fictional villain?
Severus Snape. Because he's a villain. But he's not.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Whatever I have on the my TBR at the moment.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading?
A few months. I did flip through magazines and read labels ;)

 42. Name a book you could/would not finish?
Hate me: The Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I don't find it very engaging and I just abandoned it. I loved the movie by the way.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Hunger. Or sleepiness.

44. Favourite film adaptation of a novel?
Atonement by Ian McEwan and The Reader by Bernard Schlink.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
The Scarlet Letter. Demi Moore. A happy ever after. Surely ye jest.

46. Most money I’ve ever spent in a bookstore at one time?
Close to $100. That's once in a blue moon. Otherwise I'm a bit of a tightwad.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Rarely. I hate spoiling things for me.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through?
If I reach halfway, I'd probably stick it out!

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Physically, I am horrible at it. Virtually, I'm a neatfreak.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once they’ve been read?:
Depends on the book. Some books are keepers. Some books are meant to be set free.

51. Are there any books that you’ve been avoiding?
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. Why do some men authors seem intimidating to me?

52. Name a book that made you angry?
Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan.


53. A book I didn’t expect to like but did?
Silk Armor by Claire Sydenham. The cover says nothing to me. Inside is a treasure.

54. A book I expected to like but didn’t?
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Atmospheric but the plot fell apart.

55. Favourite guilt-free guilty pleasure reading?
Am I supposed to say something like err ... smutty reading?

Are you a fellow reader? I'd love to see your answers!

3 comments

  1. Interesting about BOY SNOW BIRD by Helen Oyeyemi. I'm inclined to agree with you on this one! Aside from the character development of The Rat Catcher, I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. As always, I love reading your blog, Aloi!
    ~ Lenna / Aspen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So nice to see you again Lenna! I thought I'd love Boy Snow Bird but I was sort of weirded out by it. It's too bad, it had so much promise to it to :)

      Delete
  2. Cool questions :D I hadn't seen this particular meme before.

    I'm so glad I read Night Circus before I was a blogger ;) Hype tends to ruin reads for me as well. Boo to hype!

    ReplyDelete




© guiltless readingMaira Gall