olde_fashioned

I really need to quit letting all these memes getting backlogged. ;-D

1. Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?

Hmmm. I'm really very picky about what I read, and would probably be considered by some to be a "book snob". Anything highly popular/trendy I turn my nose up at, but presently some of the things I am a) sick of hearing about, and b) never planning on reading are Atonement, any of the Harry Potters, The Time Traveller's Wife, The DaVinci Code, etc. There are probably a lot more only their titles escape me at this moment.

2. Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde, you are told you can't die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for a while, eventually you realize it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?

Something Russian! (ha!) Isn't War and Peace supposed to be deadly-dull? Either that or science fiction, because that can be really lame at times, and there is nothing worse than a ridiculously impossible storyline with outlandish characters.

3. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it?

None, in fact. I detest that sort of behaviour and pretending to have done something that you have not is known as a LIE.

4. You’re interviewing for the post of Official Book Adviser to some VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why?

I agree that it depends on the person, but I think Robinson Crusoe would be a good choice. (note that I'm resisting the urge to say North & South!!) When I read RC I was so impressed by the wonderful values, worldview, and the salvation of Robinson Crusoe himself that I would even go so far as to say that everyone should read it.

5.A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?

Latin? Or maybe Greek, because then I could read the Bible in it's original language. How great would THAT be?? (then again, I have no interest in learning the language because I am lazy and have no desire to become bilingual. That's what happens when you live in California.)

6. A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?

Avoiding the cliche of naming the Bible, I'd have to say North & South, because I'm currently in love with that book. ;-D

7. I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What’s one bookish thing you ‘discovered’ from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art – anything)?

I think I'd probably have to say that I've really gotten into writing reviews, because I find that I really enjoy them. Now, as soon as I was old enough to compose school papers my mom would assign me book reports, but my voracious habits in that department soon led me to beg for even more report assignments!! So I've always loved doing it, but only when I started blogging did I have an actual audience and outlet for my opinions. ;-) It's also rather relaxing for me to break down and try to analyze the personalities, motives, and backgrounds of certain characters, as well as the plot. Of course this is taking for granted that the book in question is good enough to be WORTH writing about!! I've read many that I don't even bother to critique.

I've also become more apt to try and peel back the layers of a story and extract the historical elements, as well as those delightful hidden references that certain authors put into their work. ;-) Jane Austen is a prime example in this respect. (and yes, I *am* capable of making an entry without mentioning her...) Because of JA and The Republic of Pemberley I have learned so much about the Regency period that I never would have otherwise been exposed to, and the joys of comparing parallels, hunting down meanings and clues, as well as discussing literature intellectually is another thing that I've become fond of. :-) I used to think I was the only dork who did that. Haha.

8. That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leather-bound? Is it full of first edition hard covers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead – let your imagination run free.

(Can someone please tell me where to find one of these fairies?!?? I want one!!) I've always had a dream of someday owning a large and beautiful library, kind of like an old Victorian gentleman's study, filled from the wooden floor to the tin-tile ceiling with books. Old books, mostly, (or at least old looking...) with the page edges and leather covers embossed with gilt. The bookshelves would be built into the walls, and one wall of the library would be lined with big bay windows with paned glass. Each window would have a velvet cushioned windowseat, complete with curtains large enough to hide behind, like in Jane Eyre. :-) If I were to get really imaginative, there would be a big fireplace with a mantle, and easy chairs sitting before it atop a bear rug. I would love to sit curled up in a room like this on a rainy day, losing myself in one of my favourite books in front of a warm fire.