Book Meme

[erastes]

What was the last book you bought?

Slang and Euphemism by Richard A Spears. Which I have not yet received.  Grrrrr.

Name a book you have read MORE than once

One?  Erk. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett

Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?

Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein.  I read it when I was 17 and it opened my eyes to many things. Tolerance, homosexuality, the fact that love wasn't bound by gender or however many people you loved, and as Heinlein says - the more people you love, the more you are capable of love.

How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews

Mostly these days by recommendations from RL friends and my flist. I'm trying to push into finding good fantasy along the lines of Hobb and Martin and don't want to regress into reading crap like Shannara and Twilight. I'm influenced by covers and blurb, it's true - and I've blogged about their importance many times. How else can a book attract attention to someone who is interested in it and knows nothing about it?  I tend never to take any notice of reviews, I've read too many reviews which say a book is GREAT when it's patently not, and vice versa to be swayed by subjective opinion.

Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?

Fiction.  I have some inbuilt aversion to non-fiction, probably caused by being force-fed text books at school. I have a huge pile of research books that I haven't read and I tend to jump into them to find a relevant fact but can't face the idea of reading them for recreation, like in bed or in the bath.

What’s more important in a novel - beautiful writing or a gripping plot?

The ideal book for me would be a meld of both, but if I had to choose I'd have to choose plot - there's absolutely no point in having beautiful writing without a plot to carry you forward.  I found The Wide Sargasso Sea to be exquisitely written but couldn't finish it because I found it so dull.

Most loved/memorable character (character/book)

Again. Erk. I think Samuel Vimes has to be one of my favourite characters.  I love his suspicious nature, his grim sense of humour, the way he knows he's not a nice person and is aware of his capacity for bloody violence but he chains the beast up and controls it. I love the way he champions that love and family can be found even after you've been through the darkest of times. I love his development. I adore his love for his son (which he finds easier to deal with than admitting his deep love for Sybil) and the fact that he'd die for them without a second thought.  There are many other characters who I probably love for the same reasons such as Richard St Vier  (Swordspoint), Lazarus Long (Future History series, Heinlein) because they have aspects of Vimes, but Vimes is pretty much perfect in my eyes.  Would I like to be married to him?  No. But then I couldn't stick St Vier or Long either.

Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?

Far too many. Night Watch (which I'm reading again), Hotel de Dream by Edmund White, A Boy's Own Story by Edmund White,  The Gay Disciple-Jesus’ friend tells it his way by John Henson,  The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier, Heyday by Michael Viktor Butler

What was the last book you’ve read, and when was it?

An ARC of Lee Rowan's new novella, The Eye of the Storm - a couple of days ago. Which is great!

Have you ever given up on a book half way in?

Not very often. I'm a bookaholic and would rather be reading, even if it's tripe, than having nothing to read at all, but it has been known.