Tag: Memes

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.

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.

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.

  1. 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?
  2. If so, right away? Or just, you know, eventually, when you get around to it? Are you attending any of the midnight parties?
  3. If you’re not going to read it, why not?
  4. 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.

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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.

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.

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.

Having just ate lunch, I think I’ll do a book meme. I found this over at Nymeth’s blog.

In the following list of a hundred books, bold the ones you’ve read, mark in blue the ones you want to read, mark in red the ones you don’t want to read, italicize the ones you’ve never heard of, and… well, don’t do anything with the ones you feel indifferent towards, I guess, or that you wouldn’t mind reading but aren’t dying to.

As for my results, I’ve actually heard of all these books and authors. Not that I know the plots of the books. For the most part, I want to read most of the books even if I hadn’t put them in blue. The couple that I have put in red are due to lackluster experiences with the author. For someone who loves Arthurian legends, I have never been able to finish Mists of Avalon.

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Appetizer – Name a funny habit you have.

I like to keep my hands warm and close to my body, so I often have one of my hands resting on my stomach for no reason.

Soup – If you could instantly know how to play a musical instrument, which one would you pick?

The two instruments I have tried and failed: the piano and the violin. Since I have the latter, it gets priority.

Salad – How long is your hair?

Half way down my back.

Main Course – When was the last time you forgave someone, and who was it?

I find that I sometimes need to forgive myself. I have to forgive my parents once in awhile.

Dessert – What is your favorite kitchen appliance?

Don’t make me choose. I guess the fridge and the oven don’t count? I like the microwave. If I had a stand mixer, I would love it very much.

From fridaysfeast.com

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.

  1. Do you cheat and peek ahead at the end of your books? Or do you resolutely read in sequence, as the author intended?
  2. And, if you don’t peek, do you ever feel tempted?  Booking Through Thursday

No, I don’t peek. I do feel tempted sometimes, but it’s more motivation for me to finish it because I know things will be resolved at the end. This has helped me read faster which may not be the best thing because sometimes I want to know the ending so bad I rush through some details.

Working all day today and tomorrow which means not much reading. I’ll have time on Saturday to reread HP2, Twelfth Night, and start another book.

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.