Getting to Know You/Me

Well, Nya and Troy tagged everyone on Booklikes with this a couple of days ago, so I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon too.

Besides, it’s another excuse to procrastinate on buckling down and writing my backlog of reviews.  I hate getting behind because then I find it difficult to sit down and start on them ... usually opting to read another book instead.  Vicious circle!

  

So here you go if ya’ wanna know …

 

1.  What is your favorite childhood book?

Strumpfel Peter (I spent my formative years in Germany)

I’m not sure if it qualifies as a “favorite” so much as it is the one I most remember … I can still remember the cover exactly … and I think the reason I remember it is because it is a rather unpleasant book to read to children.  Probably explains a lot about my reading choices as an adult.

 2.  E books or printed book?

I do love my ereader and use it all the time but printed books will always be my favorite.  There is just something about holding a book and turning actual pages that I love.  Plus, it’s so much easier to pull a printed book off the shelf to refer back to something.  And … printed books never disappear into cyber-space.

3.  What is your favorite place to read?

I have a big comfy chair that I love to sit in and read.  It is big enough to curl up, or tuck my legs under me, or throw a leg over the arm … you know – all those positions we readers assume because we’ve been reading for hours.  But it is also REALLY comfortable, so if I am tired and desperately want to finish the last few chapters of a book I have to sit in the kitchen at the table to prevent nodding off syndrome.

4.  Is there any genre you would never read?

I tend to shy away from hardcore sci-fi, Harlequin type romance/bodice rippers, books dealing with war and westerns.

That being said I have picked up books in each of those genres and enjoyed them.  I just never go out of my way to acquire them.

5.  What’s your review rating system?

I hate rating books.  In the days of “MySpace” rating books came up in a discussion amongst my group of “friends” and it got me thinking about it enough to write a very lengthy rant about why I hate rating books, which I then cut and pasted onto a blog and then cut and pasted it again when I started my book blog.  If you are interested it can be found HERE

In a pinch the following would be it …

ONE STAR

I don’t give these out too often because I can usually find some redeeming quality in a book or if it is that bad I DNF the book.  If a book receives a ONE STAR rating it means I finished it only out of a sense of obligation – either someone I care about loaned it to me to read (and that person has now dropped a rung on the ladder of “I trust your book recommendations" ... it's the same as saying "I think the milk has gone off - you try it") or I received it free in exchange for an honest review.

TWO STARS

It was interesting enough for me to muddle my way through to the end but I would probably not recommend it to anyone I care about (because I don’t want to drop a rung on their ladder … see above).

THREE STARS

This is probably my go to rating.  It means the book kept me interested and if you were interested in the series/genre/subject/author I would probably pass along the title of the book.

FOUR STARS

The book had that little something special that made me want to stay up late to read it. 

FIVE STARS

The book was unique.

The book had me turning the pages quickly despite the fact that I did not really want the story to end.

The book was non-fiction and suitably answered a question I was wondering about or offered all the information I was looking for.

The book made me laugh out loud, cry at some point or, sigh when I closed the cover after reading the last page.  I'll be raving about to everyone and if you do not read it in a timely fashion so that we can talk about said book I will presenting it to you (in lieu of a more suitable gift) for either your birthday or Christmas

6.  What is your favorite fictional character?

I know it’s a cop-out but I really cannot pick one character as a favorite.

Most envied maybe?  Eve Dallas from the “In Death” by J.D. Robb and Elena from the “Otherworld” series by Kelley Armstrong.  They both pretty much have their sh** together and, aside from being beat up by bad guys every once in a while, live a pretty nice lifestyle I could certainly get used to.  (Notice I am making no mention of their respective spouses; Rourke or Clay, who I KNOW I could get used to!)

Funniest?  Andy Carpenter in the series written by David Rosenfelt … but mostly because of the audio as read by Grover Gardner.  I can appreciate the wit and sarcasm Andy spews forth.

7.  What is the best film adaptation of a book?

It would be a tie between “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” (the cartoon NOT the Jim Carey film) and “Silence of the Lambs”.

8.  How do you choose the next book to read?

But, seriously … if I have a library book checked out or a book that has been loaned to me, they take precedence over other books because they have a “best before” date.  Other than that it’s pretty much whatever strikes my fancy for the mood I am in.

9.  Top 3 authors?

Only three?

Stephen King

Christopher Moore

Kelley Armstrong

10.  Is there any book release you are particularly looking forward to?

 There is always a book on the horizon than I am waiting to snatch up as soon as it’s released, but not one specific book right now.