Book Meme!

[lauren3210]

Borrowed from inglevine and indyonblue

Give me a letter and I will hold forth on one of the following topics:

A. Author You’ve Read The Most Books From
B. Best Sequel Ever
C. Currently Reading
D. Drink of Choice While Reading
E. E-Reader or Physical Books
F. Fictional Character You Would Have Dated In High School
G. Glad You Gave This Book A Chance
H. Hidden Gem Book
I. Important Moments of Your Reading Life
J. Just Finished
K. Kinds of Books You Won’t Read
L. Longest Book You’ve Read
M. Major Book Hangover Because Of
N. Number of Bookcases You Own
O. One Book That You Have Read Multiple Times
P. Preferred Place to Read
Q. Quote From A Book That Inspires You/Gives You Feels
R. Reading Regret
S. Series You Started and Need to Finish
T. Three Of Your All-Time Favorite Books
U. Unapologetic Fangirl For
W. Worst Bookish Habit
V. Very Excited For This Release More Than Any Other
X. Marks The Spot (Start On Your Bookshelf And Count to the 27th Book)
Y. Your Latest Book Purchase
Z. ZZZ-Snatcher (last book that kept you up WAY late)

Comments

[inglevine.livejournal.com]

T. :D

[lauren3210.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, that's a really difficult one!

I'd have to include the entire HP series of course, with a special mention for HBP. They mean a lot to me personally, because I started reading the books so I could take my baby brother to see the films as they came out, which kind of sparked off a little tradition for us that still goes on, even though he's now in his 20s! Also professionally, because I don't think I'd be doing the job I do now if I hadn't spent so much time analysing these books, haha!
I have a soft spot for Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray; reading that at 15 really helped me understand parts of myself that I hadn't managed to work out before.
Oh and Wuthering Heights! I feel like Heathcliff and Cathy are the basis for all my OTPs - there's gotta be a bit of hatred and tension in there for me to really ship it, lol!

[inglevine.livejournal.com]

I'm so with you on the hatred and tension in OTPs. :D

What do you do that benefited from you analysis of HP?

[lauren3210.livejournal.com]

Well, when I was at uni the first time, HBP had just come out, so it was part of my syllabus for Contemporary Lit. I loved analysing it so much that I ended up using HP for my dissertation, discussing the biblical themes within the books. Then I went on to study Contemp Writing for my MA, and then finally I did my PhD on Christian themes within YA Culture, including HP, along with others. Now, I'm an editor, and while I don't yet work in the dept I would prefer (Chicklit atm, rather than YA Lit), I am starting to move that way. But until I read HP, I'd never really realised just how much I love not just reading, but the whole culture of books, from conception to discussion, so I don't think I'd be doing this job now if it weren't for these books. I adore them so much!

[this-bloody-cat.livejournal.com]

R? :)

[indyonblue.livejournal.com]

You snuck in right before me & stole my R :D

[this-bloody-cat.livejournal.com]

I'm sneaky like that! ♥

[lauren3210.livejournal.com]

Without a doubt, Fifty Shades of Grey *shudders*. I had to read it, because everyone in the book industry has to be up to date on what's selling. I still have flashbacks, it was a terrible, terrible thing

[this-bloody-cat.livejournal.com]

LOL! I can imagine. I had to read that one too, just so I could counter people's arguments *shudders* Awful experience. Absolutely awful.

[lauren3210.livejournal.com]

I still can't even work out the worst part. Like, was it the rambling of her Inner Goddess and utterly cringe-worthy purple prose? Or the terrible, terrible grammar? Or the misrepresentation of BDSM in order to give an abuser an excuse? No actually, I think it was that last one. The whole thing was gross and I am still so mad that it's done as well as it has. Just, sometimes people need to be taken out back and shot, you know? (although I'm probably not going to do that, just fyi)

[this-bloody-cat.livejournal.com]

Yes, the BDSM part was rather... upsetting. I actually had to stop reading several times because I got so angry :(

[indyonblue.livejournal.com]

R & S :D

[indyonblue.livejournal.com]

Okay, C & S instead :D

[lauren3210.livejournal.com]

C: Currently reading Cuckoo Song, by Frances Hardinge. Very creepy and good so far! Also re-reading both The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater, as part of a book blogger readathon to celebrate the release of the next book in the series, and for which I'll be writing a post on queer representation. Very excited!

S: I have this thing about series I really like, and this goes for TV shows as well as books: I tend to hold off on finishing until I can't stand the tension anymore! I waited 3 years before I finally watched the last episode of Buffy, and I've been holding onto the last installment of The Women of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong for over a year now. The book's called Thirteen, and it's been sitting in my TBR pile and looking at me, and I know I need to finish it so I can scream and cry about how good it is, but I'M NOT READY FOR IT TO BE OVER!!!

[celestlyn.livejournal.com]

E. Are you an e-reader person or do you prefer 'real' books?

Personally, I like the 'idea' of physical books, but ebooks are much easier to read for me, being a bit older with crappy close-up vision. Plus, I can take a zillion 'books' with me everywhere I go.

[lauren3210.livejournal.com]

I personally prefer a 'real' book, but only in the sense of how I like to see them all lined up on my bookshelves. But I think people should read from whatever they damn well feel like it, and besides, I read enough fanfic on the laptop which is much the same thing as an e-reader, right?

And LOL yes, now that I'm getting older, spending most of my life with my nose stuck in a book has buggered up my vision somewhat, so now I have to wear glasses to do anything BUT read. It's like my body has said, "fine, you wanna read all the time? Then READ!" LOL