Hat’s off to Capnflynn for this one:
1. What author do you own the most books by?
Probably Mary Balogh. I love her stuff.
2. What book do you own the most copies of?
Something written by John. We have 15 or 20 copies of some titles.
3. What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
Ah…sigh. So many. So, so many. Most of them are roleplaying characters portrayed by John in the Corruption Campaign, which will, once I write those books, lead to the embarrassing situation of me being in love mainly with guys now written by me. But, of other people’s character, here’s a few: Prince Caspian, Rhett Butler, Aragorn, Prince Andrey Nikolayevich Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov, Wulfric Bedwyn, Duruthror, Prince of Dwarves…gah! I loved him!
4. What book have you read more than any other?
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander. (I assume they mean fiction, so not the Bible and stuff like that. Also Gone With the Wind and War and Peace. I reread those when I’m trying to improve my writing.
5. What was your favourite book when you were ten years old?
Weirdstone of Brisingamen, Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, The Once and Future King.
6. What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?
Worst book… I don’t read worst books any more. I don’t have time.
7. What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
Hmm…either a Harry Dresden book or Mad Kestrel by Misty Massey. Inkheart was really good, too…but the sequel was merely okay and I haven’t gotten up the courage to read the last one, which I hear is disappointing. Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman was good, too.
8. If you could tell everyone to read one book, what would it be?
Prospero Lost? Something by John? Okay, I don’t think that is what they meant. It would depend on the audience. A lot of my favorites are kids books.
9. What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?
The Worm Oroboros…took me a MONTH! That’s a month of regular reading, not put it down and pick it up. But, Boy, was it worth it!
10. Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
Russians.
11. Shakespeare, Milton or Chaucer?
Shakespeare. I have trouble understanding the others.
12. Austen or Eliot?
Austen rocks!
13. What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I haven’t read any of the South Americans who are so popular. There’s some classics I’ve missed, too. And so many Oriental classics which I have not even begun.
14. What is your favorite novel?
I don’t have a single one. Here’s my list of tops: War and Peace, Gone With the Wind, Nine Princes of Amber (the five books together, )and Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain series, closely followed by: Tolkien, Narnia, Atlas Shrugged, and And the Ladies of the Club…
15. Plays?
The Tempest, Midsummer’s Night Dream, As You Like It, and a lot of musicals, particularly My Fair Lady
16. Poem?
Really not a poem person. I like the poems I’ve written papers about: To His Coy Mistress and Idea of Order at Key West (the mathematicians and physicists poem.) My favorite poem is The Fairy Siege by Kipling.
17. Essay?
…Huh?
18. Non Fiction
I read a lot of religious books and everything on Near Death Experiences I can find. There’s a book I love about the Buccaneers (the American Heiresses) I can’t think of the name, though. I also love The First Elizabeth by Carolly Erickson, really opened my eyes to history.
19. Graphic Novel?
I used to love the Watchman, now I don’t. Other graphic novels? There are plenty I’ve enjoyed: Sandman, Fables, Bone. Others I can’t think of.
20. Science Fiction?
Jack Vance, A E Van Vogt John C. Wright, Robert Heinlein’s earlier works. Probably a ton of others, but they don’t come to mind.
22. Fantasy?
Capnflin wrote: I have FFS—Fantasy Fatigue Syndrome. If the book summary starts, “Young Alec, growing up on his uncle’s farm in the Kingdom of MadeUpNameicus, never knew he was special, until the old man…” I will be putting it down immediately.
I’ve suffered from this disorder for years. Wish I didn’t. I used to be able to read any fantasy with a detective, but now there are so many, it’s happening to me there, too.
Current fantasy, I really love George R. R. Martin and Harry Dresden.
23. Who is your favorite writer?
Probably Tolstoy
24. What are you reading right now?
A pile of Chinese fairytale and kids books, and some unpublished stuff written by friends. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher is waiting on my table along with Inkdeath.
25. Favorite Genre:
Romance. I love fantasy, but FFS makes many books a challenge.
We should start a support-group for people suffering from FFS. ;) The cure: good, imaginative fantasy that’s not a third-rate Tolkien wanna-be!
I love the Dresden books too! So much fun!
What a good idea! ;-) I recommend Mad Kestrel…pirates!
We should start a support-group for people suffering from FFS. ;) The cure: good, imaginative fantasy that’s not a third-rate Tolkien wanna-be!
I love the Dresden books too! So much fun!
The only South American I have read is Borges, and I have to say, he does it for me. The influence on Gene Wolfe is about as apparent as the influence Van Vogt appears to have had on your husband :)
I haven’t even read that. Some day. ;-)
S Am fic
I have attempted two Latin American authors known for mystical realism and couldn’t bear to read to the end of the story. My principal tells me that she can take it because that’s how the people are, or at least the cultural influences, but one of them had too many rape scenes on the plantation and the other had the most warped sense of fidelity that I had ever encountered.
Not to my taste.
I second the recommendation of Borges. I came to him because a couple of his stories wound up in a SF anthology of all things, and I was hooked to go and read more of his stories.
A few of the “new weird” fantasy authors explicitly and subtly use Borges for inspiration. Jeff Vandermeer, for instance, has a “Borges Bookstore” in his fictional city of Ambergris.
What a good idea! ;-) I recommend Mad Kestrel…pirates!
The only South American I have read is Borges, and I have to say, he does it for me. The influence on Gene Wolfe is about as apparent as the influence Van Vogt appears to have had on your husband :)
I haven’t even read that. Some day. ;-)
S Am fic
I have attempted two Latin American authors known for mystical realism and couldn’t bear to read to the end of the story. My principal tells me that she can take it because that’s how the people are, or at least the cultural influences, but one of them had too many rape scenes on the plantation and the other had the most warped sense of fidelity that I had ever encountered.
Not to my taste.
Georgette Heyer
If you like romance, have you ever read Georgette Heyer? Accurate historical romance with humor! She’s delightful!
Re: Georgette Heyer
Yeah, I’m a big Heyer fan…mainly from the library, though. I think I only own two or three Heyer books.
Georgette Heyer
If you like romance, have you ever read Georgette Heyer? Accurate historical romance with humor! She’s delightful!
Re: Georgette Heyer
Yeah, I’m a big Heyer fan…mainly from the library, though. I think I only own two or three Heyer books.
I second the recommendation of Borges. I came to him because a couple of his stories wound up in a SF anthology of all things, and I was hooked to go and read more of his stories.
A few of the “new weird” fantasy authors explicitly and subtly use Borges for inspiration. Jeff Vandermeer, for instance, has a “Borges Bookstore” in his fictional city of Ambergris.