Monday Meme: A Life in Books

My life is very much defined by books, so this meme (thanks to my awesome blog-partner and crit-partner Diane) was perfect for today. I reordered some questions and added a few I thought were missing.

 

What author do you own the most books by?

Neil Gaiman.  In general, graphic novels and manga mean I own more individual books by authors of those than novels. Authors I own the most different storylines of: Neil Gaiman, Scott Westerfeld, Meg Cabot. This sums up my general reading preference surprisingly well.
What book do you own the most copies of?
I’m not a collector of book editions. There are a few books I have in both German and English, or in print and audio. But I didn’t set out to get anotehr version or anything.

What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
I went out to my bookshelf and had a look and came up blank. I’m not so great at crushes…

What book have you read more than any other?
The Neverending Story.  Followed closely by the Sandman series.

What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
The Neverending Story and The Mists of Avalon

What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?
Breaking Dawn. ;_;

What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
Ooh, that’s hard. Maybe Little Brother by Cory Doctorow.

If you could tell everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?
Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld. If you don’t like this book, we have nothing in common fiction-wise.

What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?
The first Harry Potter book in Japanese.

Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
As a literary category, neither that much. But if I had to pick one, I’d go French.

Shakespeare, Milton or Chaucer?
I adore Chaucer, but I’ve got to go with my man Shakespeare.

Austen or Eliot?
Neither. Okay, Austen. At least the movie versions are cute.

What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
Noir/detective, horror, suspense. I just can’t get into them. Most embarrassing? Couldn’t say. Who’s judging? possibly poetry.

What is your favorite novel?
A toss-up between Uglies, Neverending Story and Sandman.

What is your favorite play?
Midsummer Night’s Dream

What is your favorite poem?
Symptom Recital, by Dorothy Parker, Alone, by Poe and Sachliche Romanze, by Erich Kaestner

What is your favorite essay?
Happy meal Toys versus Copyright, and pretty much everything else in (c)ontent, by Cory Doctorow

What is your favorite short story?
I have no brain for remembering short stories. It’d probably be something by Neil Gaiman or Dorothy Parker, though.

What is your favorite non-fiction?
My favourite non-fiction what? Book? Genre? Medium? I’m going to go with cookbook, because not enough people share their opinion on cookbooks. I absolutely adore the Veganomicon. it’s got everything. great title, fantastic recipes and enough heft to brain the mailman.

What is your favorite graphic novel?
The Sandman series.

What is your favorite science fiction?
Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series

Favorite Memoir?
Eat, Pray, Live, by Elizabeth Gilbert

Favorite History/Historical Novel?
I don’t read history books or historicals, so I’m not sure.

Favorite mystery or noir?
Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series (I mainly say that because I don’t read much mystery, and pretty much no noir) 

Favourite romance?
While I love reading romances, few stay with me for more than a week after I read them, so none come to mind right now… 

Favourite teen book?
 So Yesterday, by Scott Westerfeld

Who is your favorite writer?
Neil Gaiman, followed closely by Scott Westerfeld, R.A. Salvatore and Meg Cabot.

Who is the most over rated writer alive today?
John Grisham. but that’s because his genre doesn’t appeal to me, so i would say that.

What are you reading right now?
Bollywood COnfidential, by Sonia Singh, and (as an audiobook) Triskellion, by Will Peterson

What book do you wish someone wrote so you could read it?
I would love more martial arts books with kick-ass teen heroines. in the style of Chinese kung fu romances or adventure manga, but in novel form.

 

Your turn!