A-Z Bookish Survey

(Warning: Some of these answers may be lengthy. I do get chatty when it comes to books and I can’t help that. Plus, I love these survey things and this is a totally adorable idea, right?! All credit goes to Jamie at Perpetual Page Turner for creating this awesome survey. Check it out, leave your comments, participate also! I’d love to see your answers so leave a link if you--or you’ve already done so--do it!)



Author you’ve read the most books from:

This is a toss up between William Shakespeare and Richelle Mead probably. A huge gap, huh? Haha.

I’ve read a good majority of Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets. When I was in school, I got picked on a lot for being a “Shakespeare Geek” and especially around the time when it came to the class reading and I’d already read that particular play probably a year or two before everyone else as they were just getting introduced to it. I have officially read 12 plays so far in my lifetime. My favorite is still Romeo & Juliet.

I didn’t pick up Mead’s work until my early twenties and completely fell in love with the Vampire Academy series. Became a huge fan girl (guess I still am), and had to wait around on each book to release. It was torturous. But it was easy to decide I’d always read a book if her name was on the cover. With that, there’s all six books of the VA series, 3 books of the Bloodlines spin-off so far (soon to be 4 coming in November!), two books of her Dark Swan series (I really need to finish this one because I love it), Gameboard of the Gods, and the first book in the Georgina Kincaid series (Succubus Blues). Whew.

If there was an author I’ve read just as much of as these two, it would be another series author like Charlaine Harris (9 books in the Sookie Stackhouse series), JK Rowling (HP), and JR Ward (8 books in Black Dagger Brotherhood series).


Best sequel ever:

How can I name just one? Seriously? Sequels are hard though, for real. I think they’re a make it or break it with me when it comes to whether I’ll continue that series right away when I can or not. In recent years, I’d probably say a true good sequel would be Shadows, the sequel of Ashes, by Ilsa J. Bick. If you liked Ashes, this one takes you on a mind-bending ride. Hell, even if you thought Ashes wasn’t quite up to your expectations, Shadows may change your mind. Completely different type of style. New characters. Gritty. Insane. Haha.

Also, it may just be me, but Catching Fire. Finnick. Am I right or am I right? =D


Currently reading:

I’m currently reading Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning. Though not really reading. I’ve been in a bit of a slump so I haven’t had the urge to pick up the book lately really so I’m still in chapter one. :/


Drink of choice while reading:

Usually tea or Sobe Life Water. Sometimes a Monster Absolute Zero.


E-reader or physical book:

Physical book definitely. I have a Kindle Fire, but don’t use it for reading. I can barely understand how to (as far as downloading the approved galleys directly to it) and I’m ashamed of that. Haha. So all of the e-books I read for review are read on the computer. No biggie really.


Fictional character you probably would have actually dated (in high school):

Hmm… This is where the problem may start. I read more paranormal I think, soooo… a fictional character I might choose would probably not even exist in the real world even then? Bahahaha! Hilarious. I think the character I would’ve actually dated would’ve been a bit like a Seth type (Wicked Lovely). The rocker guy with piercings, a few years older, maybe already graduated or dropped out and has GED, my best friend, a hard-ass on the outside but complete care-bear.


Glad you gave this book a chance:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I’d been hearing about it for years, but only just gave it a shot late last year to find that it ended up on my favorites list. I never thought I would like it so much. TBH, it’d never really appealed to me before. So yep, glad I read it after all! =P

　

Hidden gem book:

Ultraviolet (and its companion, Quicksilver) by R.J. Anderson. Seriously, if you haven’t read this set yet, you’re missing out.


Important moment in your reading life:

Uh, yeah, this is something I don’t get into much. But it is important both in my reading and writing life and I guess I could share. When I was 10-12 years old, I was molested everyday by my mother’s boyfriend at the time. I became suicidal. I starved myself. I was depressed. Everything I loved before, I just stopped having the motivation to do or care about. Which of course included reading--I hadn’t given much thought to writing yet at the time even though I had written short stories and poetry before--and I think losing reading made my dark mood worse in the long run. It's not fair or right for any kid to have to have those feelings at an age like that, but I dealt with it, and I still struggle with some of those thoughts. The important moment came when one day, shortly before I turned 12, I was digging around in some boxes, mostly trying to keep occupied and hidden away from that nasty jerk for a couple extra hours, I found a couple books. Some Anne Rice, some Stephen King. Not many. But nothing I’d read or heard of before. I started reading the Stephen King book right there and found myself immersed in my first adult book and wanted more (it was The Shining, btw). Soon after I even found myself writing stories of my own again and journaling in a notebook that I'd picked up off the ground at school. I found my mood changing. I kept thinking I couldn’t let myself just give up or else I’d never be able to read all the books I want to, or write the stories that had started bubbling in my head again. It took another few months to finally get my mother to believe me (this is a whole other story in itself that I'd rather not discuss or bore you with), but I didn’t give up and kept fighting it. So yep. Finding and opening that one Stephen King book I guess would be the important moment in my reading (and writing) life.


Just finished:

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black


Kind of books you won’t read:

I’m not too terribly picky, but I generally won’t read strictly Christian Fiction (or Christian Non-fiction) because I’m Atheist and I can’t read a book in that category without it feeling uncomfortable to me in most cases. Needless to say, I do respect readers’ and the authors’ beliefs, but I’m not of that audience so I wouldn’t be a suitable fit. I have read Christian Fiction in the past that I personally requested and didn’t realize I had, but it turned out to be a nice read without any problem. So I can enjoy books in the category at times--I just prefer to try and avoid them so as to be fair.

I also usually can’t stand most erotica reads (though I have enjoyed some depending on story/author)--especially this sudden “demand” of BDSM. Obviously you will not see me reading Fifty Shades. What else does this mean? I effing hate published fan-fiction, too, now that I mentioned that.


Longest book:

Earlier this summer: Monsters by Ilsa J. Bick (821 pages)


Major book hangover because of this book:

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black. I just finished this one recently and I think this is why I have been in a reading slump. Haha.


Number of bookcases you own:

Two. But only one for me. The other is the kids’ shelf for their folders, notebooks, games, a shelf used for the books they own, etc.. They are built-in-the-wall bookcases four shelves each. On mine, I use three (the very top shelf I not only couldn’t reach anyway, but it’s being used for fam photos and that sort of thing). At least they hold close to a hundred of my books at a time, not including all the books I stack on top of each other inside the shelves in all kinds of chaos. Haha. Other places I keep more books: A pile on the side table right in front of the bookcase, a box under the side table, small pile on my dresser and nightstand, and then there’s also about 6-7 large full boxes closed and put up in our small storage building outside.


One you’ve read multiple times:

I am a major re-reader. I love re-reading favorites. Unfortunately I haven’t had the chance to do this much in the last year and a half or so. But ones I have on multiple occasions would be Wuthering Heights, the first four Harry Potter books (Can you believe I’ve only read HP 5, 6, & 7 once? I’m ashamed of this. I just haven’t had the chance to re-read those. The first four I got to long before the releases of the others.), Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, the first three Vampire Academy books, and Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.


Preferred place to read:

On my couch--the best corner against the armrest.


Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels (from a book you’ve read):

“Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.” --Hamlet, William Shakespeare

　

Reading regret:

Several.
Most recent would be Uses For Boys. Gah. I don’t even want to get started on that.


Series started, but need to be finished (all books are released):

There are a few because I have this strange attraction to series’ books. It’s a love/hate thing. Ha. I need to finish the Chemical Garden trilogy (Wither) after reading the first two, and still have not bought the last book. If I’m not mistaken, all of the books in the Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz are released. I’d like to finish it. It’d been a favorite at one time a few years ago--despite my hatred of most of the characters--because I did like the plot. I think I read 4 or 5 books? I’m pretty sure I’d have to re-read them all to refresh my memory before I continued with the series (which would be interesting to see where I would stand in opinion now a few years later as well). And I also need to finish the Dark Swan series by Richelle Mead. It’s a fabulous adult/urban fantasy series and I’m interested to find out what happens with the characters. Unfortunately I haven’t continued because I’ve heard some spoilers and it makes me reluctant to bother. I probably still will in near future anyway though. And then there’s the Sookie Stackhouse series. I’ve managed to stay away from all the final book spoilers. Yes! So don’t you dare. Haha. I’m on book ten, but I have been slow because the last bit of this series just hasn’t been that great for me, tbh. I read the first six books last year in a week. But by this point, I just haven’t been in a rush to pick them up like I had once been. Guilty Pleasure: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. Loved it. Jumped right into book two. Then I hated the second installment. So I guess you can say I started that series and haven’t finished. But I don’t really have any intention of ever doing so like I do with the others I mentioned before.


Three of your all-time favorite books:

Harry Potter. Hunger Games. The Fault in Our Stars. (That was hard. My all-time faves list consists of at least ten. Ha.)


Unapologetic fan girl for:

Anything that has to do with Vampire Academy, Hunger Games, or Harry Potter. Well okay, I’m also a fan girl for Wicked Lovely, Daughter of Smoke & Bone, and Shakespeare. And I’m a comic book nerd (X-Men!)… Does that count? But mostly the first three.


Very excited for this release more than all others at the moment:

Movie or book? For movie it’d be a toss up between Catching Fire and Vampire Academy. Can’t wait to see both. Excited! For book: Well that’s tough. My “highly anticipating” list is always changing because I either get access to a galley and read early, or another just as awesome-looking book comes along and it gets bumped up there. Ha. At the moment, my highly anticipated read would be These Broken Stars.


Worst bookish habit:

I can’t say if I have any real bad bookish habits? Probably the worst is when I start reading, I may get sidetracked easy if my attention isn’t grabbed right away (and I do read more than one book sometimes), so this has caused me to either DNF more books than I like, or take longer to read one. I used to never DNF a book, always forcing my way to finish no matter how long it took me, but the last 2+ years of blogging have changed some of those habits. Also maybe reading multiple books at once isn’t a good habit either. I usually do it as a time maneuver, but may go back to reading one book at a time and see how that helps also.


X marks the spot: Start at the top left side of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

My signed copy of The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa =D


Your latest book purchase:

An X-Men novel. I haven’t done much shopping the past few days. Going to buy a few books this weekend though!


ZZZ-snatcher book: The last book that kept you up WAY late:

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. I stayed up until almost four in the morning to finish that book and it was worth every hour of sleep lost.

　



Wow, okay. That was long. Bahaha. Thanks for putting up with me and my answers!