Wednesday, 16 September 2009

BBAW: Reading Meme

We've hit Day 3 of the BBAW celebrations and after interviewing the divine Literary Feline yesterday, it's time to reflect on myself. Sadly this specially devised questionnaire convinced me that I am a slovenly git with no respect for books and have no business reviewing YA :P

Do you snack while you read? If so, favourite reading snack?
Atomic Tomato potato chips - tomato sauce (ketchup) flavoured loveliness.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
I dog ear a page if a line really makes me think or chuckle, I only write in a book if it's my class text.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?
A bit of both, but I “bookmark” with receipts or pens.

Laying the book flat open?
Only if I am pausing for a short break.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Fiction.

Hard copy or audiobooks?
Hard copy all the way - the feel, the smell, the weight are all much better than an anchorless voice.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
Chapters schmapters, I usually read books in one hit. If I do stop, it’s at the next full stop that I come across.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
That happens very rarely and if I don’t, I can work it out from the context.

What are you currently reading?
The question just posed....I know I am hysterical :} Seriously though, Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda. It’s an interesting take on the Knight's Templar plus some supernatural content.

What is the last book you bought?
Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta. I wanted a new copy for her to sign as my original is twelve years old and rather beaten.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
I'm monogamous.

Do you have a favourite time of day and/or place to read?
On the bus, to and from work. The gentle (cough jerking cough) sway of public transport is strangely effective in the rate of pages I can churn through.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
Stand alone. Series books should be able to stand alone regardless, though they often don’t.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
‘The Marchetta’ aka Melina Marchetta - she’s the reason I fell in LOVE with Australian YA. Also debut author, Beth Fantaskey, whose ‘Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side’ is only now making a dent in the blogosphere but is a breath of fresh air in the musty* bit lit genre...and it is genuinely touching and funny.

*By musty, I mean stale. By stale, I mean it's full of caricatures and cliched storylines - I like something that approaches a well known genre from an angle rather than "spins" work already written by LJ Smith, Anne Rice or Bram Stoker.

How do you organize your books?
I have two bookcases - one for TBR and one for everything else - but now a few more bookcases are required. The top shelves are for urgent reading in the TBR bookcase but other than that there is no logic. At first I tried to order them by country of origin and then in order of when I needed to review them but now it’s a big old mess.

See? I am more frustrating than interesting. I felt like I've had ten minutes on a psychiatrist's couch and come out better and wiser. I also suddenly have the burning need to order my bookshelves....hmmmm.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fun interview! Thanks for helping me get to know Wendy a little better.

prophecygirl said...

I envy your ability to read on public transport! I pretty much have to have complete silence when I read, or I can't concentrate.

By the way, I love this new layout even more than the last one!

Booklogged said...

You've introduced me to so many new YA books and authors. It's not been a good thing for my TBR list.

The Book Owl said...

I love the interview! I agree with so many of your answers. :)

Michelle said...

I think it's ironic that I love lists and organization and structure yet my books are in chaotic piles all around my living space. The point of me saying this is that I like how you have your book space constructed. I'm going to have to do the same.

Anonymous said...

So wishing I could read in moving vehicles too. Nice job on the meme.

ibeeeg said...

Reading on the train is pleasure, reading in the car is sickness..for me.

Have not heard of Melina Marchetta, must look into her.

gautami tripathy said...

I don't know any of these YA books!


BBAW: Reading meme

Carol H Rasco said...

I have to find these potato chips you mention...will go well with my Diet Coke and M&Ms while reading! Thanks for sharing!

Katie said...

I too love "The Marchetta."

Belle said...

Knight's Kiss sounds very interesting! I'm a snacker while I read, too. And I dogear.

Anastasia @ Here There Be Books said...

I dogear my pages and use pens as bookmarks, too! Yay, I'm not alone in my mistreatment of books! :D

Anonymous said...

Ketchup potato chips? Seriously? Ewwwww.