Posted on August 23, 2007 in Books
When growing up did your family share your love of books? If so, did one person get you into reading? And, do you have any family-oriented memories with books and reading? (Family trips to bookstore, reading the same book as a sibling or parent, etc.) – BTT
My mom doesn’t read books. My Dad is the reader of the two, but of late, he doesn’t read books as much as he did before. He always reads newspapers, and my mom does sometimes when she’s bored. When I was younger, my dad took me the library which is where I spent summers so I’m fond of the library as a result. I’m the big reader in this family which is fine because of cultural differences, I’m quite different from my parents even if I’m close to them. My parents did not read to me, but I definitely will when I have children.
Posted on August 16, 2007 in Books
One book at a time? Or more than one? If more, are they different types/genres? Or similar?
(We’re talking recreational reading, here—books for work or school don’t really count since they’re not optional.) – BTT
I am a book monogamous. I have tried to do the multi book reading, but I prefer to read one book and move onto another one. While I multi task most things in my life, but for certain things like books and sometimes knitting, I am monogamous. I like to finish one thing quickly and move onto another. I can bring my full attention to the book while I read it. I can also not be distracted about where I am in X number of books.
Posted on August 9, 2007 in Books
Do you have multiple copies of any of your books?
If so, why? Absent-mindedness? You love them that much? First Editions for the shelf, but paperbacks to read?
If not, why not? Not enough space? Not enough money? Too sensible to do something so foolish? – BTT
I think I only have one book that has more than one copy: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. I received my first copy through BookCrossing, and I’ve been meaning to release it for a couple of years now considering last November, I just bought a second copy for me to keep.
In general, I do not buy a lot of books because I have limited financial resources, and I don’t reread books very much. I do buy used books at this annual book fair which allows me to buy books I have read before or get classics I need or want to read. I also don’t have much space at present. In the end, my dream house would also have a dream study where I would have shelves of books on the walls.
Posted on August 2, 2007 in Books
Have you ever written an author a fan letter?
Did you get an answer?
Did it spark a conversation? A meeting?
(And, sure, I suppose that e-mails DO count . . . but I’d say no to something like a message board on which the author happens to participate.) – BTT
This is going to be short: No, I have never written to an author. I’ve just not be inclined. I have written emails to fanfiction authors, but not real published ones. I think the closest I’ve come to an author is reading Neil Gaiman’s blog. I’ve been touched by a lot of books too, but never been able to express such things to the author of it.
Posted on July 26, 2007 in Books
Who’s the worst fictional villain you can think of? As in, the one you hate the most, find the most evil, are happiest to see defeated? Not the cardboard, two-dimensional variety, but the most deliciously-written, most entertaining, best villain? Not necessarily the most “evil,†so much as the best-conceived on the part of the author…oh, you know what I mean! – BTT
Hard to say because I generally enjoy well written villains, and I don’t always read books where there is a clear cut villains. In recent memory, I think Watership Down‘s General Wormwort. I liked everyone in that book, and I found the villain equally as interesting. I really looked forward to how he would get is comeuppance.
Most children’s literature has great villains. Roald Dahl has always written nasty adults well. I remember reading the Narnia books and so pleased when the White Witch was defeated. Yes, even Harry Potter, because I think Dolores Umbridge is deliciously bad. She is a nasty piece of work. Another good book with a well constructed villain is Louis Sachar’s award winning Holes.
Posted on July 19, 2007 in Books
- Okay, love him or loathe him, you’d have to live under a rock not to know that J.K. Rowling’s final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, comes out on Saturday… Are you going to read it?
- If so, right away? Or just, you know, eventually, when you get around to it? Are you attending any of the midnight parties?
- If you’re not going to read it, why not?
- And, for the record… what do you think? Will Harry survive the series? What are you most looking forward to? – BTT
Yes, I am going to read it. I’m buying it at 9AM the morning of and getting offline as soon as the book is released midnight GMT. I do not want to spoiled for this.
I’ve been around for the last three release days, and I have never gone for a midnight release. I just go in the mornings. Living in a city with a big book chain store sort of guarantees the books. I considered preordering it because it was actually cheaper that way, but I’ll just go with my regular old way since I’m going to be busy that evening so I can’t be bothered to wait for the postman.
Oh goodness, I have a whole list of things I can not think of. I was actually going to do this for a separate post, but I may s well do so here.
Posted on July 12, 2007 in Books
1. In your opinion, what is the best translation of a book to a movie?
2. The worst?
3. Had you read the book before seeing the movie, and did that make a difference? (Personally, all other things being equal, I usually prefer whichever I was introduced to first.) – BTT
Well, a couple of my favourite movies are the 2003 Peter Pan and The Princess Bride. Both with books I adore and films that one can see over and over again. I think a lot of book to movie translations are decent. The Hours is another well done film adaptation.
I probably do know some bad adaptations because I watch a lot of movies and read a lot of books. I purposefully seek it out some times. Most of the time, the adaptations just turn out as simply as boring movies because the translation has been hard to capture.
In general, I tend to read the book before the movie. I try to any way. I read Trainspotting before seeing the movie, and it made the difference I think because it made more sens. I remember how other people watching it didn’t seem to understand it (it’s trippy), but having read the book, it was less disorientating. I usually prefer the book to the movie because there are some things films don’t capture me the same way. There are some adaptations that I love just as much as the book.
Speaking of which, I should post that list of adaptations I have seen so far.
Posted on July 5, 2007 in Books
What, in your opinion, is the (mythical) Great American Novel? At least to date. A “classic,†or a current one–either would be fine. Mark Twain? J.D. Salinger? F. Scott Fitzgerald? Stephen King? Laura Ingalls Wilder?
It doesn’t have to be your favorite book, mind you. “Citizen Kane†may be the “best†film, and I concede its merits, but it’s not my favorite. You don’t have to love something to know that it’s good.Now, I know that not all of you are American–but you can play, too! What I want from you is to know what you consider to the best novel of YOUR country. It might be someone the rest of us haven’t heard of and, frankly, I think we’d all like to get some new authors to read. – BTT
Shamefully, I’ve read more American books and authors than Canadian ones. I’ve read more British books and writers as well. So I’ll take a stab at the American question because I’m quite the fan of John Steinbeck. I also grew up with the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and the TV series. I also think Jeffrey Eugenides novels are very American and modern classics. There are a lot of books I would consider great American novels. Edit: I must agree with the comment below that I love Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. The movie blows my mind as well.
As for Canadian novels, I must concede Margaret Atwood here. I haven’t read all of the Orpheus trilogy, but Robertson Davies falls in this category as well. Probably L. M. Montgomery, but I have not started on my Anne of Green Gables yet. I’m inclined to think children’s novels and stories usually make great best novels for countries.
Posted on June 28, 2007 in Books
What’s the most desperate thing you’ve read because it was the only available reading material?
If it was longer than a cereal box or an advertisement, did it turn out to be worth your while? – Booking Through Thursday
I once read a Scientology booklet. I think that’s the worse of it. It was not worth my while. I’ve read bibles in hotel rooms, but I don’t find reading the bible all that bad because I’ve studied it. But I do like reading labels and ingredients in food. Most of the time, if there is reading material near by, I’ll read it when I’m waiting or bored. It’s not often worth it, but it’s not that bad either.
Posted on June 21, 2007 in Books
Since school is out for the summer (in most places, at least), here’s a school-themed question for the week:
1. Do you have any old school books? Did you keep yours from college? Old textbooks from garage sales? Old workbooks from classes gone by?
2. How about your old notes, exams, papers? Do you save them? Or have they long since gone to the great Locker-in-the-sky? – Booking Through Thursday
I am in school so I have a lot of my textbooks around. Also, some of my textbooks from previous years are not sold yet. I also have a lot coursepacks. I have intentionally kept some philosophy books from my first year of university. Other than that, I don’t really want most of my textbooks. I have almost all my old notes from my current program, but I usually throw out old exams and papers or I don’t pick them up. Once I graduate, I dump all the notes though just as I did when I was in high school unless the notes are truly exceptional or interesting. This is rare thing indeed. I also rarely take notes now because I’ve reached that point where some of my classes are rehashes of what I’ve done previously.
—
This would have been up much earlier, but my domain was down for a few hours.
Posted on June 7, 2007 in Books
Almost everyone can name at least one author that you would love just ONE more book from. Either because they’re dead, not being published any more, not writing more, not producing new work for whatever reason . . . or they’ve aged and aren’t writing to their old standards any more . . . For whatever reason, there just hasn’t been anything new (or worth reading) of theirs and isn’t likely to be.
If you could have just ONE more book from an author you love . . . a book that would be as good any of their best (while we’re dreaming) . . . something that would round out a series, or finish their last work, or just be something NEW . . . Who would the author be, and why? Jane Austen? Shakespeare? Laurie Colwin? Kurt Vonnegut? – Booking Through Thursday
I love so many authors. Of course, I would like another Jane Austen, Shakespeare or Kurt Vonnegut. I also really like Leo Tolstoy, John Steinbeck, Edith Wharton, Oscar Wilde, and E. M. Forster. I think I could enjoy works from any of the above.
Posted on May 31, 2007 in Books
Do you read e-Books? – Not really. I have a few on the computer, and I’m a big proponent of Gutenberg, Google and books digitization. I even wrote a paper about it, but I don’t generally read them.
If so, how? On your computer, or a PDA? – When I do, it’s on my laptop computer.
Or are you a paper purist? Why? – I love the feel of a good book between my hands. Nothing like a crisp, fairly unread new book smell and curling up with it. Also, even though I’m on the computer a lot reading for everything else. I feel most of my real reading should be offline.