I've been reading a lot lately
What was the last book you bought?
Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Scheduling hiccup with my last tattoo left me with a two-hour wait, so I wandered over to the local tiny bookstore hoping to find a copy (it'd been on my to-read list for a while). Spent the next two hours sitting in the car, listening to Mike Doughty, reading what might be the funniest book ever written.
Name a book you have read MORE than once.
Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. Love that book. Also, Jurassic Park. And Sphere. Those might be the only books I've ever re-read though... unless you count comics. Which I do, but there's too many of those to list here.
Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?
The Bible, by HE WHO IS CALLED I AM. It tought me that the jews are terrible people and they deserved what happened to them every time it happened. homosecuality is evil. dinosaurs never existed. God loves us and doesn't want anything bad to happen to us. Hopefully you can detect sarcasm. No, I think everything I read changes the way I think in some way, every new piece of knowlege or new facet of perspective modifies my understanding of the world around me. No one work comes to mind as being particularly revelatory
How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews
Sometimes it's a summary, more often it's recommendations.
Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?
Fiction, absolutely. I live non-fiction, escaping into it wouldn't be escaping at all.
What’s more important in a novel - beautiful writing or a gripping plot?
If a great story is poorly told, it's shit. They're both important, but great writing can make a very basic, formulaic plot into a masterpiece. Look at H.P. Lovecraft.
Most loved/memorable character (character/book)
Ender Wiggin / Ender's Game. Rorshach / Watchmen.
Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?
My nightstand isn't nearly big enough to hold books. Stacked NEAR my bed, though, are World War Z by Max Brooks, all of Gunsmith Cats through volume 3 of Burst, The Best of H.P. Lovecraft, five volumes of Penny Arcade, The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, Wanted by Mark Millar, and House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
What was the last book you’ve read, and when was it?
Last book I finished was Good Omens, last Thursday, currently reading House of Leaves.
Have you ever given up on a book half way in?
When I was really young, I got most of the way through The Ruby Knight by David Eddings, but never managed to finish it. Not sure why, I remember really digging it. Same thing with Stephen King's Insomnia when I was in high school. No idea why, both were good books, but I never got around to finishing them.
Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Scheduling hiccup with my last tattoo left me with a two-hour wait, so I wandered over to the local tiny bookstore hoping to find a copy (it'd been on my to-read list for a while). Spent the next two hours sitting in the car, listening to Mike Doughty, reading what might be the funniest book ever written.
Name a book you have read MORE than once.
Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. Love that book. Also, Jurassic Park. And Sphere. Those might be the only books I've ever re-read though... unless you count comics. Which I do, but there's too many of those to list here.
Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?
The Bible, by HE WHO IS CALLED I AM. It tought me that the jews are terrible people and they deserved what happened to them every time it happened. homosecuality is evil. dinosaurs never existed. God loves us and doesn't want anything bad to happen to us. Hopefully you can detect sarcasm. No, I think everything I read changes the way I think in some way, every new piece of knowlege or new facet of perspective modifies my understanding of the world around me. No one work comes to mind as being particularly revelatory
How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews
Sometimes it's a summary, more often it's recommendations.
Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?
Fiction, absolutely. I live non-fiction, escaping into it wouldn't be escaping at all.
What’s more important in a novel - beautiful writing or a gripping plot?
If a great story is poorly told, it's shit. They're both important, but great writing can make a very basic, formulaic plot into a masterpiece. Look at H.P. Lovecraft.
Most loved/memorable character (character/book)
Ender Wiggin / Ender's Game. Rorshach / Watchmen.
Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?
My nightstand isn't nearly big enough to hold books. Stacked NEAR my bed, though, are World War Z by Max Brooks, all of Gunsmith Cats through volume 3 of Burst, The Best of H.P. Lovecraft, five volumes of Penny Arcade, The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, Wanted by Mark Millar, and House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
What was the last book you’ve read, and when was it?
Last book I finished was Good Omens, last Thursday, currently reading House of Leaves.
Have you ever given up on a book half way in?
When I was really young, I got most of the way through The Ruby Knight by David Eddings, but never managed to finish it. Not sure why, I remember really digging it. Same thing with Stephen King's Insomnia when I was in high school. No idea why, both were good books, but I never got around to finishing them.