A - Z Bookish Survey

I try not to do too many surveys or memes here on the blog, but this one seemed like a fun and new way to talk about books and authors I am passionate about.

Author You've Read The Most Books From:

Caroyln Keane and Francine Pascal.

What can I say? I was a big Nancy Drew girl, and I loved Sweet Valley Twins/High. Both clock in at 36 books read. I haven't read much from any of those series in years, but I would if I had copies!

Best Sequel Ever:

Hmm, well there are a lot. However, I am still caught up in how freaking fantastic Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas was. Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre is third in a series (so it counts, right?) and it just BLEW my mind. Utterly fantastic. Also Dark Triumph by R. L. LaFevers and Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta.

Currently Reading:

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo. It's a mix of historical fiction and the supernatural. Also, I am in love with the cover.

(also Infinite Jest, but that's been going on for months with little progress.)

Drink of Choice While Reading:

Summer: Sweet tea

Winter: Earl Grey

What can I say? I am a tea girl.

E-reader or physical book:

Both. All. I have a Nook, a Kindle, and an iPad with apps for both. If I find a book I want on a great ebook sale, I buy it. I am partial to physical copies of favorite books, however. 

Fictional Character I Would Have Dated In High School:

Jonah. Griggs. Freaking Griggs all the way. He is just the best. I loved everything about Jellicoe Road, but Griggs made the biggest impression. Well, him and Jude <3

Glad You Gave It A Chance:

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. I was iffy for the first few chapters, but I soon got what it was all about. The hype was warranted. It's a weird, odd, great book. Also, Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith. It's not a book for everyone, but, to me, it was absolutely beautiful.

Hidden Gem Book:

Grimspace by Ann Aguirre. I can't get enough of these books and wish more of my friends would read them. If you like awesome science fiction, this is the series you should be reading.

And

The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst. As a massive dog person, this book about a man's grief and his struggles to understand his wife's death  really hit home for me. It seems to be sorely overlooked.

Important Moment in My Reading Life:

When I started reviewing and blogging. I've always been a reader - my mom used to punish me by taking away my books - so when I found an outlet for my passion, it really took off. I've read more each consecutive year since I started, and I've found a great community, an amazing co-blogger, and a lot of new books I never would've heard of before.

Just Finished:

Tarnish by Katherine Longshore (YA historical fiction about Anne Boleyn) and The Butterfly Sister (mystery/thriller) by Amy Gail Hansen. Both were great, though Gilt is my favorite of Longshore's novels.

Kinds of Books I Won't Read:

I tend to avoid retellings of Biblical figures/stories, Amish romances (I really don't understand how this is so much of a thing), and most horror. I have been trying to branch out on that last one, due to my love for The Walking Dead, and it's a mixed bag so far.

Longest Book I've Ever Read:

The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazy - 1258 pages. However, that may be cheating because it's ten books in one volume. The longest single-story book is probably The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson - 1,007 pages.

Major Book Hangover:

So many.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

Every Single Harry Potter novel

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

If I Stay/Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Daughter of Smoke and Bone/Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Finnikin of the Rock/Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta 

Chime by Franny Billingsley

The Distant Hours/The Secret Keeper/The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

...

and those are just the ones that pop immediately to mind. There are oodles more.

Number of Bookcases:

One black one, full of unread books I own. (The shaaaame!)

And one white one, that takes up an entire wall in my library room. (I had another black bookcase for my YA books, the ones you see on the floor, but it broke!)

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

Err, a lot. I love to reread. I've probably read A Game of Thrones or The Prince of Tides the most.

Preferred Place to Read:

If I am at home, I'm either at my desk (super comfy chair, also easy to take notes), or lying in bed (super comfy, hard to take notes, but easy to snuggle puppies.) I do a lot of reading at work on breaks and lunches, but the employee break room has a leather couch pretty much made for reading and lounging.

Quote That Inspires You:

"A library is infinity under a roof." 

― Gail Carson Levine

"I realized then that even though I was a speck in an infinite cosmos, a blip on the timeline of eternity, I was not without purpose." 

― R.J. Anderson, Ultraviolet

"You have to know what you stand for, not just what you stand against." 

― Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak

“I am no longer afraid of getting old. Indeed I can't believe I ever said anything so stupid. So childish. So offensive and arrogant. But mainly, so very, very stupid. I desperately want to grow old.”
― Elizabeth Wein, Code Name Verity 

Readng Regret:

Taking so long to give up on books. For years, I refused to DNF any book. Even if I hated what I had read, even if was 700 pages and I was struggling to get past page 110, I thought I had to finish. I was wrong. And I wasted a lot of time on bad books before I figured that one.

Series I Started and Need to Finish:

SO MANY IT'S INSANE. My "series ongoing" shelf has 625 books. Granted, some of those are in the same series, but damn, I need to get going. (My series complete shelf is only 535 books. WHY IS EVERYTHING A SERIES.)

The most notable:

Sirantha Jax (I own the fifth and last one, but I am not quite ready to say goodbye yet)

Jessica Darling (one book and one prequel to complete)

Discworld by Terry Pratchett (I'm on book 9 of 40)

The Graceling Realm (just need to read Bitterblue -- thankfully it's out in paperback Sept. 17th!)

Chaos Walking (I'm in the middle of book two!)

And then there are the series that need to finish publishing so I can read the next book, like:

A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin

The Gentlemen Bastards by Scott Lynch

The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Penryn and the End of Days by Susan Ee

Three of My All-Time Favorite Books:

THREE. ONLY THREE? HOW.

Hmm. 

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Anything by Melina Marchetta. George R. R. Martin's books. Dune by Frank Herbert. Harry Potter. Gail Carriger. Kate Morton.

Very Excited For This Release:

Night Film by Marisha Pessl. Just One Year by Gayle Forman. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins. The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski.

Worst Bookish Crime:

Buying more books when I have some from 2010 that I've not yet read. I can't resist a good deal, or an awesome cover, or favorite authors. Also, I try to buy whole series before I start reading the first so I don't have to wait. This is why I have an entire bookshelf of books I haven't read yet.

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

Widdeshins by Charles de Lint

Your Latest Book Purchase:

Adaptation by Malinda Lo. It was the Kindle Daily Deal! Before that? Let me refer you to this.

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

Graceling by Kristin Cashore. There was no way sleep was happening until I found out how things went for Katsa and Po.