The Bookworm Tag
This tag is from All things Purple. Thanks for the tag on one of my favorite subjects! :)
Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?
No, because I can’t remember a time when I didn’t enjoy it! When I was a child, all of us kids spent a lot of time at home and we always had books around the house. Sometimes there wasn’t much to do except stick my nose in a book.
It used to be really exciting when we would get the Penguin Books Brochure and we could choose a few books to be bought (I’m not sure if back then 20 odd years ago there were that many physical bookshops for kids).
What are some books you read as a child?
All the classics. Adored ALL Enid Blyton and read about gnomes and elves non-stop. I often used to read books in rotation – like reading the same book over 10 times (but had to leave gaps in between otherwise the books were too fresh in the memory). The Mallory Towers books were a special obsession, but it was disappointing when I got to boarding school myself and it really wasn’t anything like the Mallory Towers series at all.
Read a lot of comics like Archie and the Beanie comics (recently re-read some Archie – WOW
I never realized how misogynistic and just darn SEXIST the Archie comics are!!! I am so not going to be providing that for my kids to read, although I suppose it didn’t do much harm to me in the long run. Wait. Maybe I am a sexist misogynist and I just don’t know it…)
The other books were just too numerous, basically if you can name a children’s book, I’ve probably read it (many times). A favorite series was the Chrestomanci series – precursor to the Harry Potter books, but in my personal opinion SO much better than Harry Potter. Judy Blume of course made us all feel older than we really were.
What is your favourite genre?
I don’t have one, but whatever it is, it needs to be well written and interesting. Can’t stand those authors who are trying so hard that the story is lost in all this arty farty trying to get it to be intellectual. I really dislike some very critically popular authors because their writing is way too overwrought (like The Poisonwood Bible – TERRIBLE).
I like books about the human condition, fiction or non fiction. Autobiographies were the author pokes fun at themselves and are insightful are great. Non-fiction books about management techniques, self improvement, the environment etc find their way into my bookshelf too, but I generally only scan the former two, as I feel that no one actually can apply the theories to their real life – it’s always good to have insight into the different way people think and the different motivations people have though.
Do you have a favourite novel?
I love Cider House Rules, but I don’t have a firm favorite.
I do have a lot (too many to list) that I remember well and would re-read if I saw it on the bookshelf.
Where do you usually read?
I used to read all over the place as a child. On the floor, on the staircase, on a sofa, on the bed, walking to go upstairs / downstairs between tuition classes, in the toilet (also sometimes DURING tuition classes, I’m sure my chinese tuition teacher wondered why all of us kids had such long ‘bowel movements’ during tuition class that could last like 10 minutes for 2 sessions in a 1 hour class). Basically, if I have 1 hand free, I can read.
I’ve especially mastered the art of reading while walking and I can do this anywhere, although I get a lot of strange looks in public if I do this, so I don’t do it anymore.
Recently I don’t get a lot of time to read at all, but if I do it’s before bed – but I have to be sure it’s not too gripping a story or it’s short stories, otherwise I’ll be reading until the wee hours of the morning.
When do you usually read?
See answer before – whenever I can! While queuing nowadays is a popular one.
Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?
Not before, because I read so fast I can finish an 800 page book in 12 hours or so. I only read more than 1 book at a time if a book is particularly dull or if I’ve left one at home and I’m travelling.
Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?
Nope, same. Unless the nonfiction is something I need to concentrate on, then I’ll read it at my desk and make notes and stuff.
Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library?
As a child, library. As an adult, I buy, but secondhand fiction makes up a lot of my collection now. I really read too fast for it to be worthwhile for me to buy books at full price anymore, especially if it’s only fiction. I rarely go search out fiction either, it’s usually just through informal browsing.
I do make notes of non-fiction books I want to read.
Do you keep most of the books you buy?
Yes, only because I’m too slack to go through them and donate. I really should.
If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them? Were they some of the same ones you read as a child?
No kids yet, but I’m sure I’ll be giving them some of my old childhood favorites. The ‘Young Adult’ fiction nowadays is absolutely shocking and I’m sure I’ll be PREVENTING them from reading some of that dross.
Do you keep a TBR (to be read) list?
Nope. No time!
What’s next?
Not a clue what will be next.
What books would you like to reread?
None right now.
Who are your favourite authors?
Don’t have any. I’m really a slut when it comes to authors. I don’t remember their names (even when I’m reading their books sometimes) and I’ll go through ‘infatuations’ – i.e. I’ll ‘discover’ an author I haven’t read before and really really like their book, then I’ll go buy all their books and read them all, but after that, I’ll completely forget who they are again.
It’s terrible. I’m a terrible, terrible person :)
