A quick "get to know me" today, I'm completing the 50 bookish questions tag! Without further ado, let's get going...
1. What was the last book you read?
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
2. Was it a good one?
It took me a while to get through, but it was definitely interesting. I think Russian history is particularly engaging so I enjoyed it despite it not being exactly what I expected.
3. What made it good?
I really enjoyed the style of writing. There was something in it that was reminiscent of Oscar Wilde but not quite so...pretentious I guess. Considering the timespan, it was told in a succinct but always attractive way.
4. Would you recommend it to other people?
If people are interested in that part of history, probably. It was chosen as a bookclub read in part because the protagonists situation reflects the lockdown that is currently happening for the majority of people so it made for an interesting read at this time.
5. How often do you read?
I usually aim for a little bit every day. Since isolation began this has been pretty easy to maintain, but usually I'd say every other day.
6. Do you like to read?
Well, yeah. I wouldn't have a whole blog dedicated to book reviews if I didn't!
7. What was the last bad book you read?Â
I seem to read quite a lot of bad books but Fool's Gold is the most recent.
8. What made you dislike it?
I have a review of Fool's Gold (plus the other books in Philippa Gregory's Order of Darkness series) which explains this in more detail but it kind of boils down to how simple it is, especially because she is such a talented author.
9. Do you wish to be a writer?
Sometimes. And kind of.
In my work, I'm a content writer. So yes, this is what I want to do, but sometimes I think about writing fiction too. In fact, I've been playing with that idea since I was about 10.
10. Has any book ever influenced you greatly?
Oh yes. This is like the crux of why I love literature as much as I do, they have the power to change and move and influence a person. To name a few...
Michelle Obama's Becoming.
Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles (how many times am I going to mention that book in one post?)
Rupi Kaur's the sun and her flowers
Gary Younge's Another Day in the Death of America
Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own.
11. Do you read fan fiction?
I used to! I used to consume it daily, now I occasionally return back to my favourites but rarely try new things
12. Do you write fan fiction?
Again, I used to. It was not good. No one will ever read it again.
13. What’s your favourite book?
Well that's an impossible question now isn't it.
Okay, I love The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes, The Name of This Book is Secret by Psedonymous Bosch (childhood favourite!), aaannnnd (just one more!) The Martian by Andy Weir.
14. What’s your least favourite book?
Wuthering Heights. Hands down. Hate it. Absolutely hate it and see no redeeming factors.
15. Do you prefer physical books or read on a device?
Physical! You don't get that incredible book smell reading on a device.
16. When did you learn to read?
I have no idea but I know I've always loved it. I always remember going to the library with my mom and my sister when I was little and picking out like 6 books at a time.
17. What is your favourite book you had to read in school?Â
Ohhh, good question. Maybe Louis Sachar's Holes. It's so much bigger than I thought it could be, and still has such relevance when it comes to race, the judicial system, and friendship.
18. What is your favourite book series?
Considering I host a podcast all about Harry Potter, you might think that's the answer. And it's definitely a series that is very close to my heart, but I'm really enjoying The Witcher series at the moment and it's creeping into the top spots.
19. Who is your favourite author?
I'm not sure I have one. I rarely seek books out by author to be honest. That being said Karen McManus has a real talent for writing teenagers, and Madeline Miller is incredibly good at lyrical, romantic writing.
20. What is your favourite genre?
I love YA, fantasy (ranging from mythical retellings to dystopia), and I'm growing to love sci-fi.
21. Who is your favourite character in a book series?
Well that's just a massive question now isn't it.
I love Patroclus from TSoA, Geralt from The Witcher, Dustfinger from Inkheart...and that's about as far as I can get right now. I love many characters and I could tell you the qualities I love in a character, I'm just not sure I have a favourite.
22. Has a book ever transported you somewhere else?
I would have said no to this, but I recently read Angelfall by Susan Ee and coming out of that apocalyptic book into a real world pandemic was very surreal.
23. Which book do you wish had a sequel?
This may be controversial, but I rarely want more of a book. I'm not a huge fan of series, so I'm content with books that end well - I don't often want more than I'm given.
24. Which book do you wish DIDN’T have a sequel?
I enjoyed the One of Us is Next, but to be honest, One of Us is Lying didn't need a sequel, and the second one felt much less realistic.
And obviously we all pretend that Harry Potter ends with book 7 rather than Cursed Child.
25. How long does it take you to read a book?
Depends on the book. If I love something it can take a couple of days, if not...weeks. It took me roughly a year to finish The Hobbit because I kept putting it down and getting bored.
26. Do you like when books become movies?Â
I definitely get excited for them, but I'm always nervous about how well they're going to be adapted. After all, when something close to your heart is being interpreted by complete strangers, it's never going to turn out exactly how you picture it.
27. Which book was ruined by its movie adaptation?
I'm sure there have been many, but I'm going to have to go with The Great Gatsby. Ruined is probably a strong term. I do enjoy the film, I think they made some really good decisions about the filming of the parties and the pacing of it, there's just so, so much more in the book. The film feels like a tragic love story where the book is a brutal examination of American society.
Also The Martian. Such a good book, very average film.
28. Which movie has done a book justice?
There is many a quality adaption of books. The Harry Potter series. The Fault in Our Stars. Baz Luhrmann's iconic Romeo and Juliet (if we're counting plays, that is). Cloud Atlas (even attempting to turn that into a film deserves respect).
29. Do you read newspapers?
Not really. I'll occasionally read the news online but I tend to get news updates on the radio or TV.
30. Do you read magazines?Â
No. Never. Most of them just piss me off because they continue to contain heteronormative stories, tear women down, and exploit celebrities trying to just live their lives.
31. Do you prefer newspapers or magazines?
I guess at least a newspaper is informative? I wouldn't pick up either.
32. Do you read while in bed?
Frequently. I try to read before bed to avoid looking at a screen, but I also like to read in bed on a weekend morning.
33. Do you read while on the toilet?
No, I don't really get this? You end up spending longer in there than you need to when you could just be done and then get back to reading somewhere comfy.
34. Do you read while in the car?Â
That would probably be dangerous considering I'm usually driving. Although I do listen to audiobooks, so I guess that counts!
35. Do you read while in the bath?Â
Sometimes, but I usually prefer to shower and reading in the shower seems a little difficult.
36. Are you a fast reader?
Noooo. Even when I love a book it takes me longer than most to get through.
37. Are you a slow reader?
Kind of. Not really slow, but my mum thinks I read slower than other people because I'm taking it in and looking at things from an analytical pov, rather than just enjoying the book (I studied English Literature at university and it kind of set me up to eternally analyse books rather than just read them).
38. Where is your favourite place to read?Â
In my armchair, next to the window. More specifically, when the sun is shining in and makes my room toasty, meaning I can curl up with my book as the light fades.
Right here in fact! -->
39. Is it hard for you to concentrate when you read?
Sometimes it is. I have a habit of pausing at the ends of chapters and checking my phone or re-positioning myself, which takes me out of the book a bit.
40. Do you need a room to be silent while you read?Â
Definitely need quiet, but not necessarily silence. I get distracted if there is TV or too much conversation going on.
41. Who gave you your love for reading?
I'm not really sure. My parents both read, but not as voraciously as I do. They always encouraged me, but I developed my love of reading by myself.
42. What book is next on your list to read?Â
Since we're in lockdown, I'm working my way through the books I own but haven't read...which means Rise Up, Women! by Diane Atkinson.
43. When did you start to read chapter books?
Again, not a clue. My memory isn't good enough for these kinds of questions.
44. Who is your favourite children’s book author?Â
I'm not really sure what I read as a child, it was anything I could get my hands on. I know I read a lot of Roald Dahl but I couldn't say he's a favourite. If The Secret Series counts as a children's series then Pseudonymous Bosch.
45. Which author would you most want to interview?Â
Arthur Conan Doyle - I know tiny facts that make me interested in his life (i.e. his relationship with Houdini, belief in an afterlife, hating his own character).
Reni Amayo - I've just finished Daughters or Nri and I'd love to learn more from her.
Madline Miller - tell me more about Greek mythology. PLEASE.
46. Which author do you think you’d be friends with?
Interesting question...based off of writing alone, maybe Meik Wiking, although I suppose he is primarily a researcher rather than an author.
47. What book have you reread the most?Â
I'm not really one for rereading, but I do listen to the Harry Potter audiobooks when I can't sleep (Stephen Fry has a very soothing voice) so I guess it would have to be them!
48. Which books do you consider ‘classics’?
Ah. What a question for someone who studied literature.
When people say "classics", to me that implies books from roughly the 18th and 19th centuries, massively famous, everyone has heard of them, even if they don't know who wrote them or what they're about. This set of books I would also refer to as the "canon", which was put together as a list of books that have "literary value".
The problem with the canon is that it was decided by (you guessed it) old white men who studied at prestigious universities and hasn't been updated in...well, a while.
And just because something had literary value or cultural relevance to an upper class white man in the 1920s, doesn't mean it a) should or b) is the only thing that should be considered worth reading.
So in short, in order to avoid me writing a whole essay right here, classics are old books that are culturally significant (but that can mean a lot of things to a lot of people so who really knows).
49. Which books do you think should be taught in every school?
This is impossible to answer. There are, of course, incredible books that kids should read and learn about, but the answer to this question lies in what each place needs to learn. The answer between England, and Florida, and Zimbabwe, and Thailand, and every other place is going to massively vary.
Kids should be invited to read everything they can, including things that dissect their own culture and country history.
50. Which books should be banned from all schools?
No book should ever be banned. Simple. By banning books you're controlling what people are reading and therefore thinking.
Every story has value.
Whether it teaches us that something is good or something is bad, it is a reflection of the time it was created in and always always worth exploring.
Strange place to finish but there we are: 50 bookish questions answered!
Consider yourself tagged if you want to have a go at answering, and make sure to share your answers with me in the comments below or over on Instagram @anotherenglishstudent!