Impatiently Wating...

Booking Through Thursday: Questionnaire

Today's topic is actually a series of questions.

What was the last book you bought?
Inkdeath, by Cornelia Funke. It's the third in the Inkheart series, and I am so looking forward to it. I'm contemplating going back and rereading the other two, though, because it's been a while in between books, and I know I've forgotten things.

Name a book you have read MORE than once
Well, I've read all of the Harry Potters more than once (all but Deathly Hallows more than twice, and some quite a bit more....). Discounting those, I've read The Stand by Stephen King four times.


Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?
No Opportunity Wasted by Phil Keoghan sort of made me think about how much of my life I've spent waiting for the next thing to happen...waiting to get married (I was barely 22 when I married, so I didn't wait too long), waiting to get a bigger/better house, waiting to move out of Vermont (that was a long wait)....just waiting for things to get better in general, and really my life wasn't bad - I just wanted more. Though NOW is more about taking chances and doing things you think you can't afford (financially and time-wise), it still made me reevaluate my life a bit and see that this is the only one I'm going to get, and I should be proactive in either making it better or accepting and enjoying what I have right now. Now, I won't say that the book has made me a happier person (we moved from VT to a wonderful place in VA, and I love it here, so I'll credit that more than anything), but it has given me a bit of perspective.

How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews
I have to admit that a pretty cover goes a long way with me. If a book has an ugly cover, I'm not picking it up, unless someone (someone I know or a review I read) specifically mentions how brilliant it is. If, on the other hand, the cover is really striking, I'll pick up the book and read the blurb. If it sounds like something I'd be interested in, I'll probably read it.

Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?
Fiction. The only non-fiction I really read are travel memoirs, and those are few and far between. I will occasionally read kid's non-fiction, but generally those are preparation for school.

What’s more important in a novel - beautiful writing or a gripping plot?
Gripping plot - I don't enjoy overly flowery writing. I want the writing to be good - even the best plot can be run aground through bad writing, but lovely writing with no plot is not something I want to read.

Most loved/memorable character (character/book)
Well, there is the obvious Harry Potter selection - I love so many of those characters, but aside from those, I think my favorite character is Odd Thomas (brought to life through Dean Koontz). I love Odd Thomas - he's so sweet and witty and lovable. I am not a fan of horror at all, so I'm not a big Koontz reader, but I adore the Odd Thomas books.

Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?

• Nation, by Terry Pratchett (which has been there far too long because I'm not particularly enjoying it.)
• Charlie Bone and the Time Twister by Jenny Nimmo (which is on my iPod, and I am thoroughly enjoying.)
• The Tenth Case by Joseph Teller (which I haven't gotten into enough to know if I'm enjoying it.)

What was the last book you’ve read, and when was it?
I last finished A Risk Worth Taking by Robin Pilcher, which was an audiobook. I'm working on the review now, so I won't tell you whether I loved it or not. The last book I read that wasn't an audiobook was Hot Mess by Julie Kraut and Shallon Lester (see my review).

Have you ever given up on a book half way in?
Sadly, yes. Crime and Punishment is one that springs to mind. I'm sure there were others, but not too many because I have this OCD need to finish the books I start. I very nearly gave up on The Hobbit, but I trudged through that one.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Warner Brothers has released this trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

The film is scheduled to be in theaters on November 21st. I know there are those who are avid Potter non-fans, but I can't help myself. I adore Harry. I've read each of the books more than once - all but the last two books have been read quite a bit more than that, and I'm sure I'll read them again in the future. I think one of the things that makes Harry Potter so special to me personally is that it reintroduced me to the wonder that is children's literature. I had never even considered reading kid's books as an adult, but I kept hearing all these wonderful things about these wizard books (I came in around book 3), and I decided that I'd give it a shot, but I wasn't expecting much. Since then, I've become a huge fan of children's and young adult literature. In fact, I would say that my favorite books are probably books from those genres - Harry Potters and Inkheart being among them.

So far, the movies have lived up to the books as much as I think they can - there's no way they could truly capture the magic that J.K. Rowling created, but they come close. If the trailer is any indication, I think The Half-Blood Prince is going to be a wonderful addition to an already impressive series.

So, where will you be on November 21st?

Booking Through Thursday: Flavor

Today's Topic: Favorite Authors...

Think about your favorite authors, your favorite books . . . what is it about them that makes you love them above all the other authors you’ve read? The stories? The characters? The way they appear to relish the taste of words on the tongue? The way they’re unafraid to show the nitty-gritty of life? How they sweep you off to a new, distant place? What is it about those books and authors that makes them resonate with you in ways that other, perfectly good books and authors do not?

Trying to narrow down favorite authors is always difficult for me. I have quite a few, and it's not like they're all within the same genre or even several from two or three genres. They're rather all over the map categorically speaking, and it makes it more difficult to pinpoint the quality that draws me to them.

I would have to say my top favorite books are the Harry Potters (more especially books 3-5) and Inkheart. These I think I like for generally the same reasons - escape. Rowling and Funke have, with these novels, created amazing worlds that are as real to me as my own living room. To be able to walk down Diagon Alley or share a story with Meggie and Mo - these are my people, my places, everything I love about reading is contained in these books. I could read and reread and reread them and never tire of the way I feel each time I turn the pages. There is definitely something magical going on.

Then there are authors like Michael Crichton and John Grisham - neither of which I've read lately, but both of which I still count among my favorites. For me, their talent lies in realism. Where The Goblet of Fire gets me with its fantasticalness (totally made up that word), books like The Firm and even Jurassic Park are so well thought out and explained, that you don't even question the plausibility of the plot. Dinosaurs created from DNA extracted from a mosquito? Sounds good to me.

And then there are others like Rosamunde Pilcher, who's been with me for a while, and Nicholas Sparks, who's a relatively new friend. Both of these authors tug at my heart a little bit, make me cry, and give me hope all at the same time.

I could go on and on...but I think the answer really is that each of the authors I count among my favorites are brilliant at creating life on the pages of their books, characters that breathe, cities I want to visit, and stories I want to hear over and over again. And I am so grateful that they've found their place in the world of literature.

So who makes you swoon?

Tuesday Thingers: Popularity

Today's topic is popularity.




What's the most popular book in your library?

The most popular book in my LT library is Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. You're shocked, right??

Have you read it?

Yep, about a dozen times.

What did you think?

Oh, I adore Harry. While I think the first is the weakest book in the series (though still a work of genius), it sets the stage, and is a good starting point for younger readers. As I said, I've read it numerous times, and I never get tired of it.

How many users have it?

32,511 (with 438,221 members, I'm surprised it's that low - although, I do have two accounts, with one being for wishlist books only, so if you figure that in, it sort of warps any statistics).

What's the most popular book you don't have?

Well, the most popular book I don't have a copy of is The Catcher in the Rye, but I have read it. The most popular book I've not read and do not own would be Brave New World (with 13,005 owners). Of the top 25 most popular LT books, there are only 2 I don't own and haven't read. One being BNW, and the other is One Hundred Years of Solitude. Not sure what that says about me, but there you go.

How does a book's popularity figure into your decisions about what to read?

Aside from the fact that I'm more likely to have heard of a book if it's more popular, it doesn't really. Well, I say that, but really if a book is getting lots of great press, I probably would be more inclined to look it up. I recently bought The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which I'm sure I wouldn't have had I not heard such glowing things about it (I haven't read it, yet, so I don't know if it was a good decision or not). I do suppose that popularity affects my reading insofar as good reviews affect my purchases to a certain extent. It's not for the sake of reading what everyone else is reading, but because I figure if so many people like something I'm more likely to like it, too.