I rarely do memes (lack the attention span) but this one seemed kinda relevant 🙂

1. Favorite childhood book?
Whichever was nearest. I don’t think I developed a concept of ‘favourite book’ until I was in my teens. I think The Dark is Rising Sequence caught me was I was about 12, and The Knowledge of Angels at 13. My favourite’s list on LibraryThing has about 7 books in it, and has had for several years.

2. What are you reading right now?
I’m partway through two paper books at the moment: Marriage, by HG Wells, and Eveline, by anonymous. Eveline is Victorian porn, and it’s awesome. She’s confident, snarky, intelligent, has great self-esteem and isn’t shy about taking advantage of men who are attracted to her. Including her father, but, hey, Victorian porn. Marriage is rather staider, though it’s part of a series of books by Wells that cuased scandal when they came out because they were partially autobiographical, with reference to his extramarital affairs. Exciting times. I’m also reading Storyteller by GR Grove on my phone, which is a nice series of Celtic post-Athurian tales from the perspective of an aspiring bard. The language is beautiful.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Nothing at the moment, though I’ll probably go stick a request in for the sequel to Soulless by Gail Carriger at some point. I liked the first one, but not enough to buy a copy (as I kinda suspected, tbh).

4. Bad book habit?
Buying books in 3 for 2 offers and then igorning the third book for years. I have a to-read list of about 40 books, most of which are due to this.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Nothing at the moment, but I’ve just finished Watching The English thanks to my housemate getting it out 🙂 The library card’s are changing on Feb 7th, so when I go in to get one of the new ones I’ll probably check some more stuff out.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
No, but I do read on my netbook and phone. Phone is really useful, actually, since it’s easier to hold in one hand when I’m waiting for people are bars/cafes (the other hand being for a glass of wine, of course). I did a lot of reading in Amsterdam this way (I finished Spacer’s Luck by KA Maxwell and moved on to Storyteller while I was there)

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I used to read tons, but now I try and keep it to two or three. Usually a book by my laptop in the office, since it takes ages to boot up and I get bored easily, a book in my bag to take to work (where I do most of my reading these days!), and usually an ebook I’ve forgotten I’m halfway through.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
LibraryThing made me a bit competitive, especially in terms of getting through my To Read list. I don’t often blog about what I’m reading because it takes up too much time; when I’m in my stride I get through a couple of books a week.

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
I’ve only read a handful so far, so, um. The Quantum Mechanics one was a bit of hard work, but probably worth it. The mermaids in Venice one had some TSTL moments, but I’m loath to talk badly about a Christmas present. I could give you some genuinely terrible ones from last year, though. Tales from the Asylum, which I bought at Bram Stoker Fest, for a start.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Storyteller at the moment.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
I’ve picked up a couple of books I wouldn’t normally have for my holiday, but they’re not so much ‘outside my comfort zone’ as ‘lounging in my comfort zone’s backgarden, having been invited round for a barbeque’. I don’t know what’s outside my comfort zone these days. Modernist fiction? Post-modern fiction? In which case, almost never now I’ve left academia.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Romance, erotica, sci fi, fantasy, historical, mysteries, ‘literature’, classics, general fiction, non-fiction, biographies… Everything except what I mentioned in the last question, I guess.

13. Can you read on the bus?
For a little while. It doesn’t make me as carsick as reading in a car (less than a page), but more so than a train (not more than an hour).

14. Favorite place to read?
Work. There’s long gaps between visitors, and it’s a pretty good atmostphere. Otherwise in bed.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I’m too disorganised to do it often. I usually don’t mind lending, though I’m less comfortable borrowing.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
Constantly. If I’m dog-earing for more than one reason, I use both top and bottom corners (usually top for ‘interesting idea’ and bottom for ‘good quote’).

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Sometimes, though more often with non-fiction. I love buying secondhand books to find they’ve been written in.

18. Not even with text books?
More often with text books.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English, I guess. My Latin isn’t good enough these days to really read anything other than textbooks.  Though wordless graphic novels are awesome.

20. What makes you love a book?
It’s presence near my hands. 😛 Interesting characters, a strong plot, reasonably engaging writing. When I think about the books I’ve really loved, it’s really evocative descriptions (especially of landscape) that seem to make me tick, but it’s not necessarily something I want to focus on in a day-to-day read.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
Usually a request for a recommendation; I don’t rec books as a matter of course. If I’ve enjoyed something and it’s got something in common with a book the other person says they’ve enjoyed. I’ll thrust non-fiction on people far more readily than fiction.

22. Favorite genre?
Soft horror, ghost stories, magical realism, stuff like that. I’ve lost a lot of my interest in fantasies set in other worlds, but parallel universes are cool (like Jonathan Strange and Dr Norell). I’m rediscovering space opera at the moment, and I’ve always had a soft spot for hard SF.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Latin poetry? I don’t know; if I wanted to read something I would.

24. Favorite biography?
Alice Sheldon/James Tiptree Jnr. Awesome, interesting lady.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
My mother reads tons, so I refuse to read any, as a kind of stand. I will read self-help articles in magazines, though.

26. Favorite cookbook?
The one I use most often is the Student’s Cookbook. The one I’m most smug about owning is Laroux Gastronomique, which is handy for looking up stuff like teal and hare.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Not a fan of ‘inspirational’. Easy to slip into ‘preachy’. The Quantum Mechanics one, I guess, since all the potential future tech in the last chapter is pretty inspiring.

28. Favorite reading snack?
Tea.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
Nothing stops me reading/watching/going anywhere near something like hype. I still haven’t seen Brokeback Mountain, despite the fact I know it’s a very good film I’d almost certainly enjoy. I have no idea why this is, but I’ve always had a problem with recommendations and hype.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I don’t tend to read critics’ reviews, so I wouldn’t really know. Maybe 75% of the time? If you count review blogs?

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
If it’s bad, I’ll say so, unless I’m busy and I forget. I’ve had a couple of authors actually email me, which has been interesting, but everyone’s been very polite so it’s not really an issue anyway.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?
I wish I could read Latin more fluently. Otherwise, I don’t know, something I’m unlikely to get translations of easily. Chinese?

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Gormenghast was pretty intimidating. I didn’t get through the second book, though.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
I haven’t tried anything by Tolstoy yet, though apparently Anna Karenina is the one to go for. I wouldn’t say I’m nervous, though.

35. Favorite Poet?
I don’t read a lot of poetry, but probably Betjeman.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
As a kid I’d do 9 a week (and read them all). These days I try and limit myself to about three, because books are heavy and the library is a bit of a walk away. That’s pretty much my only consideration in terms of quantity.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
So rarely I can’t think of an example, though I think I’ve probably done it a couple of times.

38. Favorite fictional character?
Probably Jonothon Starsmore from the X-men comics, possibly Han Solo. Well, you didn’t specify a novel (if you had, I think I’d struggle – I have a lot of characters I like but not many I’d call favourites).

39. Favorite fictional villain?
No idea.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
I bought a couple of interesting looking historical ones  for Amsterdam (Wedlock: How Georgian Britain’s Worst Husband Met his Match by Wendy Moore and Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant). I usually take something I’ve been avoiding, since I’m more likely to get over the hump and start reading if I have no other choice, and usually something fairly long since a handful of long paperbacks weigh less (and take up less space) than lots of short paperbacks. Hardbacks are pretty much out.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
If you mean in general, including the internet, probably about ten hours (about as long as I sleep). Books specifically, I’ve probably gone a week or so.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
After I slogged through Tess of the D’Urbervilles and hated most of it I was set a Hardy book for university. I read the first chapter and two pages in the middle.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Internet.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
Don’t know. Stardust is alright. The Sky adaptation of Going Postal is good, though that’s a miniseries rather than a film.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
I haven’t even seen it and I’m pretty certain it’s ‘The Seeker’, an adaptation of The Dark is Rising which felt the main character should be American, his family should be mean to him, the Arthurian elements should be excised (despite one of the characters being Merlin) and, oh yes, the addition of a Secret Evil Twin. B’wuh?

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
On Amazon it’s probably coming up to £100, but in real life it’s around £60, I guess.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
If I’m buying something blind I do, but usually I’m working on a recommendation or a sequel or something.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Bad grammar. This has become something of an issue since I started reading the occasional self-published book. Getting a pencil out helps, but still won’t make me finish the book. Sorry, but I like my books to be literate as a bare minimum.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Sort of. My favourites and about half my to-read pile are up in my room, the rest are downstairs. There was originally an order I intended to improve on, but it’s pretty much lapsed into “oh, a gap I can put another book in”.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I keep most, but about twice a year I make a point of trying to purge the books I know I’ll never read again. I’m more likely to keep a really terrible book than a mediocre one.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
I haven’t read the Steig Larsson ones yet, which is bordering on my hype-phobia. I think I’d enjoy them, but I can’t be arsed to acquire them. Might be a library thing.
52. Name a book that made you angry.
Wuthering Heights. I’ve never hated so many people so viciously. Evelina by Fanny Burnery comes a close second for that.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
French Fried: one man’s move to France with too many animals and an identity thief. I got it through LT’s Early Reviewer program, which I’d already had a bad experience with. And it’s brilliant. I think I read it in one sitting, which is rare for an ebook.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
Wuthering Heights and Tess of the D’Urbervilles both fall into this category, On a more contemporary note, Tales from the Asylum. I was really looking forward to some good steampunk, and I found I’d bought some incredibly badly written steampunk. Really basic punctuation errors.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Guilt-free? Damn, I could list you a ton of guilty reads (really trashy magazines at work). Guilt free is probably ghost stories, especially Susan Hill (though King of the Castle seriously disturbed me in my teens). Jane Austen’s always good, too.