I'll be sharing a little about this last month in Thursday's post (spoiler alert: it won't be that exciting), so you'll probably notice that I pretty much failed when it came to sticking with goals and getting stuff done. I'm trying not to be too hard on myself (I mean, that's not going to change the fact that I just didn't put the time and effort into completing the goals I set for myself), but sometimes it's hard not to feel at least a little disappointed in my lack of motivation.
Anyway, the reason I'm starting this post off with talk of my lack of inspiration and motivation is because I found myself searching for some blog post inspiration online yesterday and found plenty of things to write about when I'm feeling like I've been feeling. I wish I were one of those bloggers who plans well in advance and always has several completed posts sitting in drafts for those times when I'm too busy/too uninspired to come up with new content ... But I'm not. Maybe I'll get there eventually (that would actually be a great goal for 2019!), but right now I'm definitely not.
So that brings me to today's post. I didn't feel like writing a lot (which is kind of funny, considering I actually just wrote a pretty long introduction), and I wanted to post something light and fun -- and that led me to this A-Z Book Survey.
Let's get to it, shall we?
Author you've read the most books from:
My Goodreads account isn't an accurate representation of this since I obviously read plenty of books before I started using the site regularly in 2015. I think I've read more books by Chuck Palahniuk than any other author (even though I haven't read anything after Pygmy ... Yet), with a grand total of 12 books read.
Best sequel ever:
I don't read a lot of series, so I didn't have a lot of options for this. I'm going to go with The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood because it felt like its own book and not simply a continuation of Oryx and Crake.
Currently reading:
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney.
Drink of choice while reading:
I'm usually either drinking coffee or water while I'm reading (if I'm drinking anything at all).
E-reader or physical book:
I always prefer a physical book, even if it's less convenient to carry around. I did really like using my Kindle on our last vacation, though -- I got multiple e-books from the library before we left, and it was so nice to have options on a long flight without carting around a bunch of heavy books.
Fictional character you probably would have actually dated in high school:
I don't know if I read enough YA to come up with a good response to this. I guess if I had to choose, I'd say Finch from All the Bright Places. It's probably kind of an odd choice, but I was often drawn to the damaged yet sensitive, tortured soul types in high school (and after). Eric is not like that at all, by the way. I always tease him that he must be special because he's so unlike the "type" I usually go for.
Glad you gave this book a chance:
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I obviously wasn't put off by the reviews (I can't remember ever seeing a negative one), but historical fiction isn't usually my thing and I was worried the romance elements mentioned in the synopsis would overpower the story. I'm glad I didn't let those things deter me from actually reading it -- it's one of the best books I've read in the last few years.
Hidden gem book:
A Thousand Cuts by Simon Lelic. I don't remember ever seeing another blogger mention this book (or this author, for that matter). This book completely captivated me, and would have received a five star rating if I'd been using Goodreads when I initially read it. I own a copy, so I'll likely revisit it in the near(ish) future.
Important moment in your reading life:
Getting a library card as an adult. When I was a kid, my mom and I visited the library pretty much every week. As I got older, I tended to buy more books or just pick books off my mom's shelves that interested me. After graduating college, I never went to the library anymore -- I moved around to several different cities in several different areas, so I was never in one place long enough to justify getting a library card (at least in my opinion). I actually didn't get a library card in Omaha until 2015, which is crazy considering I've lived here since 2009. I was under the impression that they wouldn't have many of the books I wanted to read, and I have no idea why. Sure, they don't have every book I want to read (especially since my tastes can be a bit weird sometimes), but they probably have at least 90% or more. Since I got my library card, I've been reading significantly more.
Just finished:
Lie to Me by J.T. Ellison. I'll be posting the reviews for my March reads next week for Show Us Your Books.
Kinds of books you won't read:
I try to be open enough to give most books a fair shot, but there are definitely some genres I like significantly less than others. I'd say the only things I actually would never read are the crazy scary religious books (like the ones I've seen on Goodreads lists for "disturbing books" that focus on "turning your kid straight" and things like that) and romance novels. I just honestly have zero interest in reading romance novels of any kind.
Longest book you've ever read:
I consulted Goodreads for this one, and I think the winner is Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy at a whopping 864 pages. In a close second: The Way the Crow Flies by Ann-Marie MacDonald (848 pages).
Major book hangover because of:
I really don't know. I can usually start a new book the same day I finish one (or a day later) regardless of how much I enjoyed my last book. I do, however, remember spending a lot of time in my younger years attempting to find something similar to Geek Love by Katherine Dunn, and feeling disappointed that I could never find anything that would give me quite the same feelings.
Number of bookcases you own:
Technically five, though only three of them house books. One shelf is exclusively for our DVDs (that we rarely watch), and the other, smaller one is where we keep a few random things like our Blu-ray player, Bluetooth speaker (though that's portable and moves around occasionally), a clock, etc.
One book you have read multiple times:
I've reread several of my favorite books (and plan to do this in the future as well), but I don't think I've read any book as many times as I've read Geek Love by Katherine Dunn.
Preferred place to read:
Lying on the living room couch. Obviously the living room is very much a shared space, but Eric and I kind of think of the couch as "mine" because I always set up shop there. It's where I watch TV, blog/write, take naps, and most often spend time reading. He uses the couch too, of course ... Just not as much as I do.
Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you've read:
Luckily, I recently shared a post featuring some of my favorite book quotes, so that made answering this one pretty easy.
"This is what they don't tell you about losing someone: It doesn't happen once. It happens every day, every moment they're missing from. You lose them a hundred times between waking and sleep, and even sleep is no respite, because you lose them in your dreams, too." - Cam Girl by Elliot Wake (published as Leah Raeder)
Reading regret:
I wouldn't really say I regret reading any specific books, though I've definitely read some really shitty ones that make me wish I had those precious hours wasted back. I guess my only real "regret" is sometimes choosing books I know I probably won't like just because they fit a certain reading challenge category. Some categories are really difficult for me, but I should probably spend a little longer thinking about them and searching for a better book than just picking the first thing that fits and is available at my library.
Series you started and need to finish (all books are out in the series):
As I mentioned earlier in this post, I don't read a lot of series. The main thing that comes to mind is the MaddAddam trilogy by Margaret Atwood. I read both Oryx and Crake (one of my all-time favorites) and The Year of the Flood ages ago, but still haven't gotten around to reading the final book. Since I can use it for a category in the 2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge, I'm pretty sure I'll finally read it this year.
Three of your all-time favorite books:
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
Unapologetic fangirl for:
While I'm definitely not as much of a fangirl as I used to be, I'd have to go with Chuck Palahniuk. Some people love him, some people hate him, and some (like me) are fans who have been disappointed with some of his more recent work. Even so, his books got me excited about reading again back in college, and I was constantly amazed by the creativity that went into his (admittedly) often outlandish story-telling. Oh, and I also once drove three hours to see him on one of his book tours. I got my book signed, and also took this oh-so-lovely picture with him in which I look like a deer in the headlights:
Very excited for this release more than all the others:
There are a lot of upcoming releases on my radar right now, but, since I've been talking about Chuck Palahniuk, I'll go ahead and name his upcoming book, Adjustment Day, as my most anticipated release this year. He hasn't published a new novel in several years, so I'm hoping that he spent that time crafting something amazing. I know I shouldn't go in with such high hopes, but I am. I may even go ahead and preorder this one even though I know they'll have it at the library.
Worst bookish habit:
This is tough. I think maybe my inability to quit books. I will suffer through no matter how fucking terrible it is. On the upside, sometimes my reviews are more interesting if the book made me want to rip it to shreds and feed it to a fire.
X marks the spot - start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:
The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison.
Your latest book purchase:
I haven't bought any books in a really long time. I still have a few on my shelves that I haven't read yet, and I keep picking up new books from the library. There are several books on my wish list that aren't available at the library, but I haven't ordered any of them yet. I'd say I haven't bought any books since ... 2016 maybe? I think I ordered several from Amazon that year, but I don't remember what they were.
ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up way late):
I thought it would be easy to answer this one, but it's not. I've been watching more TV with Eric before bed lately, so I haven't been as tempted to stay up late and read. So, as strange as it feels for me to say this, I can't remember.
This was surprisingly long for such a simple post. If you read through all of that, thanks for sticking around!
Please feel free to steal this (just be sure to credit The Perpetual Page-turner!). I'd love to see other people's responses to these questions!
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