About Me

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If who we are is what we do, then like most people, I am a mixed bag of personas. Writer, bookworm, friend, are what first come to mind. Equally apt would be potty mouth, dog walker, Guinness drinker, swimmer, storyteller, political animal, baker and proud Canadian. Mostly though, I consider myself simply insanely lucky to have a small posse of near and dear ones who put up with me and my curvy, creative, curly haired, opinionated self. I started this blog several years ago with the idea to challenge myself in a myriad of ways. Years in, despite the sporadic entries, I still like to muse about the absurdity of life, what inspires surprises and angers me, books and other entertainments, my menagerie, my travels and any other notion buzzing round in my head.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Book Quiz

Hi folks,
I am shamelessly stealing this quiz from another blog , which I read frequently. Thanks Amanda! It's an interesting view of how we look at books and what we like. Kind of a getting to know you sort of thing, from a bookish perspective.

Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?
I prefer trade paperbacks. They are easy to tote around. I rarely buy mass market paperback (unless I pick them up from a used bookstore). Given my impatient nature, I will often buy a book in hardcover, if it’s something I just can’t wait to read.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?
For Canadians (or Torontonians) how about Chapters-Indigo, Coles, Pages, WBB or TYPE?

I’m utterly torn here because while I love the selection of Chapters-Indigo and WBB, I prefer to buy from independent booksellers. They are getting fewer and fewer and I find this very sad.

Bookmark or dog-ear?
I use a bookmark most of the time or just remember the page I am on. I have taken to flagging sections with post-its if I want to write about the book later.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?
Random by size and shape, but grouped loosely by genre. I could never be an alphabetizing kind of girl. Too orderly.

Keep, throw away, or sell?
Keep keep keep. Lend and sometimes never get back but NEVER throw away. I have sold books before, but not my norm.

Keep dust jacket or toss it?
I love dust jackets.

Read with dust jacket or remove it?
I always read with the jacket on. It makes a good bookmark.

Short story or novel?
Novels for sure. I have only just started reading shorts. David Sedaris and Alice Munro have won me over.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
Sacrilege to say it I know, but I’m not a big fan of Harry Potter. Lemony Snicket? That was a movie right? Kidding. Not my thing.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
Stop at chapter breaks for sure. And I read well beyond tired most nights.

"It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time"?
The darker and stormier the better. Harbinger of all things eerie, spooking and unknown. At least it’s not a fairytale. Yawn.

Buy or borrow?
Both. But I like to buy books most of all. I can think of nothing better than a good browse in a bookshop and books are my one indulgence that I never ever censor.

New or used?
Again, books are books, so I buy both. I like the smell of old books and it’s like a treasure hunt when I find something I really wanted in a used book store.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?
I would say I buy books mostly on recommendation and by browsing. Reviews are taken into consideration. I keep a list of books and authors on my blackberry. The names come from all different places.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Both, but things don’t necessarily have to tie up neatly in a bow. I don’t mind open ended questions.

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
Weekdays it is evening reading. After dinner til sometimes well into the night. Weekends are a free for all. I have been known to read all day long and into the night if I have a book I am enjoying. But I can read anytime, anywhere, and do.

Stand-alone or series?
Both. Equally.

Favorite series?
Heaven Tree Trilogy. I also enjoyed the Jasper Fforde Thursday Next series and Twilight books.

Favorite children's book?
Pickle Chiffon Pie

Favorite YA book?
Secret Garden and the Narnia series

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
The Marriage of Megotta, by Edith Pargeter

Favorite books read last year?
Julie and Julia, Eat Pray Love, Twilight, Shake Hands with the Devil

Favorite books of all time?
The Maytrees, Love in the Time of Cholera, Pride & Prejudice, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

What are you reading right now?
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Getting to Maybe

What are you reading next?
The Partisan’s Daughter by Louis de Bernieres

Favorite book to recommend to an eleven-year-old?
Harriet the Spy or Inkheart

Favorite book to reread?
Pillars of the Earth

Do you ever smell books?
Yep.

Do you ever read Primary source documents?
Yes, when I am doing research for my own writing and most certainly when I was in school.


I am now happily off for a 4 day long Easter weekend. Very much looking forward to some downtime, reading, writing and catching up with my peeps.

1 comment:

  1. It's good to see someone else who knows the Thursday Next series! I've only read the first one so far, on a librarian friend's suggestions, and am waiting to read the rest until I can get some of these challenges down, and I've already passed the series onto another 5-squarer. My librarian friend couldn't be happier. They're her favorites.

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