I saw fellow blogger Chrissi Reads participate in the popular 55 Bookish Questions survey, and I think it’s a fun way to get some more insight on the readers behind book blogs! The survery originated at The Literary Lollipop. Be sure to check these great bloggers out!
1) Favorite Childhood Book: If we’re talking picture book, then Chika Chika Boom Boom. If more of a chapter book, then any of the Babysitter’s Club Books by Ann M. Martin!
2) What are you reading right now?: #scandal by Sarah Ockler
3) What books do you have on request at the library?: Landline by Rainbow Rowell and If I Stay by Gayle Forman
4) Bad book habit: Ummm…I don’t have one? Probably being too OCD about the condition of my books- I try to keep them as perfect as possible!
5) What do you currently have checked out from the library?: Trouble by Non Pratt, #scandal by Sarah Ockler, To All the Boy’s I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han, and The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett
6) Do you have an e-reader?: I have an iPad that I occasionally use as an e-reader via the iBooks and Kindle apps.
7) Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?: It drives me crazy to read more than one book at once! I’m ver book monogamous, although if one is slow for me to get through I may read two at once.
8) Have your reading habits changed since you started blogging?: I definitely make more time to read, and I think more critically about why I like/dislike books! Blogging and writing reviews helps me get a lot more out of my reading experience!
9) Least favorite book you’ve read this year: The Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt. I really wanted to like this one!
10) Favorite book you’ve read this year: This is a hard one! Probably a tie between The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and Fangirl.
11) How often do you read out of your comfort zone?: I’d say probably about 30% the past few years because of all the texts I had to read in college that weren’t always my preferred genres (but I’m really glad I was pushed to read out of my comfort zone). Now that I’m out of school it’s likely dropped to more like 15%.
12) What is your reading comfort zone?: YA fiction! Also some adult and middle grade fiction!
13) Can you read on the bus?: NO! No cars, trains, boats and rarely planes! I get horrible motion sickness.
14) Favorite place to read?: I’m big on reading in bed, but I also love to read outside by the pool or beach.
15) What’s your policy on book lending?: Unless you’re my aunt or my boyfriend, I probably won’t lend it to you. I’m really OCD about my books and they’re the only ones I trust, it’s nothing personal to other people!
16) Do you dogear your books?: No! Although I used to when I was a child *shudder*
17) Do you write notes in the margins of your books?: I did often for school books, as I found it really helpful for class and writing papers. Now I post it if I want to mark something.
18) Do you break the spines of your books?: I avoid doing so at all costs.
19) What is your favorite language to read?: Well, English mainly since it’s my main language, but I enjoy trying to read in Spanish occasionally (my mom’s spanish so I grew up hearing both, so I bought the first Harry Potter novel in Spanish and am attempting to get through it!)
20) What makes you love a book?: Strong female characters, strong world building, twists I don’t anticipate, and a believable romance!
21) What will inspire you to recommend a book?: Books that gave me book hangover or introduced me to a new perspective on something/ a new take on a genre.
22) Favorite genre?: YA Fiction, especially paranormal/fantasy
23) Genre you rarely read (but wish you did): Nonfiction biographies/autobiographies!
24) Favorite Biography?: See the answer above!
25) Have you ever read a self-help book (And, was it actually helpful?): Not in a long time, although I read some great more growing and learning themed books by the American Girl Company when I was younger that were really great (The Care and Keeping of You)
26) Favorite Cookbook: The Lemonade Cookbook.
27) Most inspirational book you’ve read this year: Hmmm…this is really hard, considering most of what I’ve read has been fiction…I really don’t have an answer!
28) Favorite reading snack: Trader Joe’s Olive Oil Popcorn!
29) Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, big time.
30) How often do you agree with critics about a book?: I’m really not sure, because I don’t often pay attention to what a lot of “critics” say, but I’d say probably about 80% of the time with other bloggers!
31) How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?: I’m very honest in my reviewing and don’t feel bad about writing a negative review if I didn’t enjoy the book. However, I always make sure to state WHY the book didn’t click with me and never attack the author who’s put a lot of hard work into their novel.
32) If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?: Spanish (well, better than I can at the moment anyways)! And then maybe French or Italian.
33) Most intimidating book you’ve read?: I think in some ways Lolita because there’s so much controversy over the book and I wasn’t sure what to expect.
34) Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin: A Game of Thrones by George M. Martin
35) Favorite Poet: Sylvia Plath
36) How many books do you usually have checked out from the library at any given time?: 3-5
37) How often do you return books to the library unread?: It used to be like 50% of the time but I’ve gotten much better, and it’s probably only more like 10-20% of the time!
38) Favorite fictional character: There are so many! Right now probably Mia from The Princess Diaries. I love her. Also, Sirius Black.
39) Favorite fictional villain: Voldemort, hands down!
40) Books you’re most likely to bring on vacation: YA contemporary or rereads.
41) The longest you’ve gone without reading: Probably a couple of months while I was in school and had no time to read for pleasure.
42) Name a book you could/would not finish: Delirium by Lauren Oliver. I wanted to like this book so badly but it was just really underwhelming.
43) What distracts you easily when you’re reading?: If others are watching tv in the same room.
44) Favorite film adaptation of a novel: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I also thought they did a really good job with Divergent.
45) Most disappointing film adaptation: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
46) Most money you’ve ever spent in a bookstore at one time: Probably like $40 or $50. I’m pretty responsible with money.
47) How often do you skim a book before reading it?: Rarely! I don’t like to spoil things for myself.
48) What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through?: If the plot is dragging, I can’t stand the romance, or the protagonist is really annoying.
49) Do you like to keep your books organized?: Yes! I hate messy piles of books everywhere, and I have to keep series together on shelves, it really agitates me if series are split up.
50) Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once they’ve been read?: If I didn’t like them at all I’ll give them away/donate them/sell them back, but most of my books I tend to hang on to.
51) Are there any books that you’ve been avoiding?: I tell myself I’m going to read classics all the time in my free time, but then I get distracted by other books…
52) Name a book that made you angry: Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. I had to read this for a class and I hated it. It just held no appeal to me whatsoever and it just dragged on and on.
53) A book you didn’t expect to like but did: East of Eden by John Steinbeck
54) A book you expected to like but didn’t: Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson
55) Favorite guilt-free guilty pleasure reading: I really like the Hush Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick. I know a lot of bloggers hate on it, and I know it’s not the best written series out there, but I just have this weird sort of love for it and for all things angel-related.
I’m pretty on-and-off with the motion sickness in moving vehicles (maybe it’s the driver/pilot…). I do wonder if listening to an audiobook would work; have you tried it? Although I can’t imagine myself being able to be engrossed in it and give it my full attention.
I’ve thought about audio books but have actually never listened to one, funnily enough. This would probably be a great solution (even for when I’m driving) because I waste valuable reading time with my complete inability to anything but sit there and listen to music while in a moving vehicle. I’ve always felt that audiobooks seemed weird to consider “reading” and that I’m not sure how much I would get out of them (I’ve never been an auditory learner) but it could be a good way to get some of those intimidating sized books out of the way!
Ahh those American Girl books! They actually did a great job explaining things comfortably, I thought. Got me through elementary school without any severe emotional scarring, anyway. Love that you mentioned them here.
I thought they were great! My mom kind of opted to hand them to me rather than give me an awkward talk, as she knew I was such a voracious reader. I’ve still managed to hang on to some of my copies, and to my knowledge The Care and Keeping of You is still being read by girls today!
Great answers. I love learning more about my fellow bloggers!
Thanks for inspiring me with your post!
What fun! I may have to do this one. Sylvia Plath’s poetry always astounds me. I found The Complete Poems of Sylvia Plath at my library book sale once and almost shouted out with glee.
It was a fun survey to fill out! I love Plath, she was always my go-to when I had to do poetry-centered assignments in school.
[…] Thursday: I talk a little more about myself through the 55 Bookish Questions Survey. […]
East of Eden is wonderful! I loved that book.
It’s my favorite Steinbeck novel by far!
[…] 3) 55 Bookish Questions: Get to know a little bit about me! […]