I found this A to Z Bookish Survey on theprettybooks and thought I’d give it a try.
Author you’ve read the most books from
According to Goodreads it’s a tie between Louis Lowry (on account of her Anastasia Krupnik series and the brilliant dystopian masterpiece of YA fiction that is ‘The Giver’; C S Lewis, because of the Narnia chronicles and an unfulfilling reading of ‘Mere Christianity’; and Anne Rice, because I gorged myself on her vampire stories in high school. J K Rowling coming in closely behind these three, though! Having just ordered her secret new detective fiction into the bookshop, she might catch up pretty soon.
Best Sequel Ever
Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy has to be one of the best offerings to an already established fictional universe. Other than that, ‘The Vampire Lestat’ was a billion times better than ‘Interview With a Vampire’.
Currently Reading
‘Fairytales for Wilde Girls’, ‘The Descent of Woman’, ‘On Writing’, ‘Ain’t I a Woman’ (not pictured), ‘Acorn’, ‘Family Likeness’, and the collected tales of Winnie-the-Pooh (not pictured).
Drink of Choice While Reading
Instant coffee is my lifeblood.
Ebooks or Physical Books
Physical books. I’m constantly running out of shelf space! I think eBooks are grand if you need the space, but I still like carrying around the real thing.
Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated in High School
If Lestat (‘The Vampire Lestat’) or Daemon (Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels trilogy) had come through my window at night – good grief gurl. Also I think I had a crush on every girl in the California Diaries series – especially Sunny. (California Diaries was a spin-off of Ann M Martin’s Baby-sitters Club series. Judge all you want.)
Glad You Gave This Book a Chance
I was sceptical about The Hunger Games trilogy because I’m usually a bit wary of bestsellers (recovering book snob). I guess sometimes there’s something to the hype! Also, I just read ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’ and it was so much better than I expected it to be.
Hidden Gem Book
‘Audrey Rose’ by Frank De Felitta is the most amazing, mind blowing book ever. I found it second hand and therefore knew nothing about it other than that it had a faintly spooky cover (as seen). It’s about cold hard science meeting spirituality, and the concept of reincarnation. You should go buy it right now because you will love it and you can literally get it for a penny on Amazon!
Important Moment in your Reading Life
Graduating with a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing was basically telling the world that I just spent the past four years learning how to read and write.
Just Finished
‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’, because I somehow found myself outside of my house without a book in my bag, and it was £3 at HMV. Before that, ‘Ender’s Game’ by Orson Scott Card. And boooooy do I have some stuff to get off my chest you lucky people.
Kinds of Books You Won’t Read
I’m not even going to say books by misogynistic/homophobic authors, because sometimes I read these out of spite or to better form an opinion of the writer (see ‘J’) — but, as a general rule, I won’t read MRA because I might puke everywhere. Also I tend to stay away from bestsellers because I am far too pretentious to read what everyone else is reading.
Longest Book You’ve Read
‘Les Miserables’ took me about a year and I didn’t get to the end. Other than that, probably an anthology of fairy tales I own, or ‘Anna Karenina’ by Tolstoy, which I adore.
Major Book Hangover
I’m still recovering from ‘The Hunger Games’.
Number of Bookcases You Own
Four and counting.
One Book You Have Read Multiple Times
‘Watership Down’ I have read several times a year forever. As you can see my hardback is pretty battered…
Preferred Place To Read
On the train so I don’t have to look at anyone.
Quote
This is the quote from ‘White Oleander’ that I have part of tattooed on my wrist:
The Romans were right. One can bear anything. The pain we cannot bear will kill us outright.
Reading Regret
I bought a fancy copy of ‘Naomi’, a book about pilgrims, for 50p to give to Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel, because I am a weird girl. I did not do this thing. But I regret buying it because while it was cheap and looks nice, I am never going to read it.
Series You Started and Need To Finish
Enders Game is part of a series, it turns out? I don’t know if I can be bothered though.
Three of your All-Time Favourite Books
‘Watership Down’, ‘White Oleander’, ‘The Little Friend’.
Unapologetic Fangirl For
Harry Potter. “Always.”
Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others
Donna Tartt’s new book coming out this year. HELL YEAH ‘GOLDFINCH’!
Worst Bookish Habit
Dog-earring pages? Using books as coasters? Writing in the margins? Reading in the bath? Making them into bags?
X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book
‘Don’t Bet on the Prince: Contemporary Feminist Fairy Tales in North America and England’ edited by Jack Zipes. Obviously my book case is not in alphabetical order. I also think I bought this at The Feminist Library in London! Yeah!
Your Latest Book Purchase
See ‘J’.
ZZZ-Snatcher Book
Not sure if this means books I use to send myself to sleep, or books that I stay up all night to finish? So I’ll be self-indulgent and answer both.
Books that send me to sleep: usually can go with a classic like ‘Jane Eyre‘, or some nonfiction. I’ve been reading ‘Descent of Woman’ for months now.
Books that I stay up all night to finish: ‘The Hunger Games’ caught me utterly by surprise and I think I read it in one night. ‘Fairytales for Wilde Girls’ is the newest contender but Allyse Near’s prose is super involved and poetic so it doesn’t mesh well with sleepiness!
Faevourite 
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