Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

We've done this one before but we have a lot of new read-a-thon participants so why not give it another go, huh?

1. What book is on your nightstand now?
2. What was the last truly great book that you read?
3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?
4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?
5. How do you organize your personal library?
6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?
7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?
8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?
9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?
10. What do you plan to read next?

1. What book is on your nightstand now?

Another Fine Myth. I am considering a re-read.

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?

The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse.

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?

Douglas Adams and I'd ask about writing theory.

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?

Where's Michael. An odd manga series about a house cat that is seemingly so random that I don't see it in the 카지노싸이트 system. This was loaned to me by a friend and I've never gotten around to finishing it.

5. How do you organize your personal library?

Books in a single series go next to each other and in order. After that, it's just how they fit on the shelf. Let's call it Tetris organization.

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?

I've been pretty good at reading those 'meant to' type books. The longer I've meant to, the more likely I am to actually do it. So, I think the new oldest 'meant to' is Speaker for the Dead. For embarrassed to have not read... I'll go with Hamlet. Yeah, that's one everyone has read. Any Shakespear really, never made it through more than a sonnet.

7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?

It's Words of Radiance. No regrets either.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?

I'm drawn to Sci-fi, especially literary Sci-fi and Dystopias. Steer well clear of Romance for the most part.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?

Well, now are we talking current President or the President elect? You know what, I play it safe and go with Under the Feet of Jesus, that's good reading for anyone in a decision making position.

10. What do you plan to read next?

Well, Another Fine Myth is on the old nightstand. It might get the old re-read. Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits is in my backpack, so good chance there too...

1. What book is on your nightstand now?
Allegiant by Veronica Roth. I am working my way through the series. I bought Divergent on DVD today and plan to watch it tonight.

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?
Don't Let Her See Me Cry: a Mother's Story by Helen Barnacle.

It was raw, real and changed the way I thought about inmates and drug addicts.

In one chapter she tells the story of a friend (drug addict and sex worker) who is found dead in a laundry alongside her boyfriend. The way Helen tells it is so heartbreaking, honest and real whereas I read the same story in an Underbelly book and it was written so awfully, like this woman wasn't a human being but an animal.

This book shows the slow spiral into addiction. A fascinating read.

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be?
And what would you want to know?
I would love to spend more time with Paullina Simons. I attended a book signing in Sydney a few years back and met her briefly but I would love to express how much she inspired me to travel to St Petersburg. I plan to visit in a few years.

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?
Lots of books on Lighthouses. I just love those things and have a heap of books on different lighthouses around the world.

Books on Titanic. I have so many books about the Titanic.

5. How do you organize your personal library?
I don't. lol I just put them wherever they will fit. I have taken photos of them so I know what I have and as I read them I cross them off.

I have 2 bookshelves full plus bags and boxes full.

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?
Schindler's List. I have tried so hard to read it but it is so difficult. Not just the topic but the copy from the library has such small print and tight pages. It just seems so hard to read.

7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?
Lolita. I just couldn't finish that book.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?
I enjoy a lot of different genres however I seem to always go back to books on Russia (WWII, Gulags, Cold War etc) and the Holocaust.

Classics is a genre that I just can't get into. I have some classics on my shelf but never seem to read them.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?
Yoko's Diary by Paul Ham.
This book shows the devastation of war and bombs and the innocent people harmed by these bombs. Such a heartbreaking story.

10. What do you plan to read next?
The Shadow of the Pomegranate by Jean Plaidy. I seem to read a lot about the Royal families in Britain (the Tudors, the Yorks etc.)

1. What book is on your nightstand now?
I'm currently working on Dead Souls, Catch-22, On Photography, Gulliver's Travels & The Two Towers (the main ones). None of them are really gripping me though. Apart from LotR, but that's an audiobook that I only listen to when I'm ironing or doing a long drive somewhere.

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?
I've actually had a lot of luck in my past few books, but definitely Les Misérables, it was just exquisite.

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?
I'd love to meet Victor Hugo, and find out more about his Paris. It's my favourite city in the world, and it would be fascinating.

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?
I don't think there's anything too surprising on my shelf.

5. How do you organize your personal library?
In alphabetical order, by author and then by book title. I separate non-fiction and fiction, and my fiction is also separated into classics & everything else. I have my travel books in their own section, and my photography books also in their own section.

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?
War and Peace. Next year. Definitely.

7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?
The last book I deliberately abandoned was The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?
I really like character-driven stories. I tend to avoid anything with romance as the main component (I think I topped out on those when I was a teen), I've never read a Western, and I'm not much into super-heavy Sci-Fi.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?
Well, I think the American president-elect could stand to read a few books on feminism, or refugees.

10. What do you plan to read next?
I actually don't have anything planned. I've officially conceded defeat in my challenges this year, so I'm just going to read anything that I feel like at the time, or nothing at all.

1. What book is on your nightstand now? I just finished Unraveled by Jennifer Estep last night, and I was too lazy to get up and put it in my Return to the Library bag, so it was on my nightstand. Currently, there is nothing there.

2. What was the last truly great book that you read? A New Dawn by John Jackson Miller

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know? I've already met and talked with a few authors through social media, so this is tough for me to answer. I guess I'd have to go with Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb, and I'd ask her how hard is it to keep her police procedurals from bleeding over into her contemporary romance writing.

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves? I have a good bit of Video Game Tie In Novels on my shelves, even though I no longer play said games or read that particular genre anymore.

5. How do you organize your personal library? Most of what I read is romance, so there's not much to organize! I typically group by author, and for easy access, though I keep multi-author series together in publication order, instead of going with author organization. I don't alphabetize the books by author though!

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read? There's a few things my daughter keeps bugging me to read, like The School for Good and Evil and The Fault in Our Stars, but I'm not really embarrassed about not reading something.

7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing? I try not to DNF books, but sometimes it happens. The last one I did was Blood Red Road by Moira Young

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of? Mainly romance stories, but I shy away from Interracial Romances, Zombie Romances, and horror in general.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be? I doubt a man would want to read a romance novel, so I'd recommend Q-In-Law to him. This has always been an amusing read for me, and I'd have the President read it, just so he could relax for a couple of hours!

10. What do you plan to read next? Step by Step by Candace Calvert is due back at the library tomorrow, so I gotta read that next!

1. What book is on your nightstand now?
I just finished An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield.

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?
Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally
3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?
Probably someone like William Shakespeare or Jane Austen to give them the opportunity to see how their writing has influenced generations and to know what they think of all of the analyses that has been done on their work.

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?
I have a little bit of everything as books are passed down to me, I find things on used book sales or books I read because my daughter reads them. No real surprises.

5. How do you organize your personal library?
Organize? I'm not familiar with that word :)

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?
I finally finished reading To Kill a Mockingbird this year. Amazing book and I was embarrassed not to have read it yet.

7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?
I have a very hard time doing that even if I really am not enjoying the book.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?
I'm not thrilled with graphic comics/manga but I have tried a couple. I love classics & non-fiction, but often end up reading chick lit for something light to help me fall asleep.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?
Oh goodness - depends on who it is. There is a whole cornucopia of books the US's president-elect could read to help him understand how far the world has come away from all of the 'isms' he seems to want to strengthen.

10. What do you plan to read next? Not sure yet - something I'll figure out tonight!

1. What book is on your nightstand now?
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
- I was actually really interested in it but I haven't found the time to sit down and really focus on it, which is what it really requires.

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?
I've read some good books in the last few months but Columbine was probably the most recent one that was really impactful.

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?
I'll stick with my favorite, Joe Hill, and I'd like to know what it's like growing up with Stephen King as a father. I just think it had to be very interesting.

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?
I don't buy a lot of books and the ones I do have are from library sales over the years. I think the ones furthest from my usual reading style would be a few Jackie Collins books.

5. How do you organize your personal library?
Since I only have about 20 books, I use them more as decoration and they're sorted by color and arranged to be "pretty". I'd like to get paper copies of my favorite books but it just hasn't been a financial priority.

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?
I still would like to sit down and read the Harry Potter series. There are also a few true crime books that I'd like to finally read, like The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, but new, shiny books tend to take their place.

7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?
Something Wicked This Way Comes
- I would like to revisit it but I was in a serious slump when I started it so then it just got left behind. I'd rather restart it with a fresh mind.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?
Hmmm, I think I read a pretty strong variety but I like mysteries and ghost stories. I tend to steer clear of sci-fi/fantasy but I'm not really sure why that is.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?
If we're talking about Trump then definitely The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness comes to mind. I'm sure there's plenty of others that he should read considering how ignorant he is of so many different social issues.

10. What do you plan to read next?
Ten by Gretchen McNeil
- I'm hoping it will be a nice light read to get me back into the swing of things. Especially since I'm reading A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy right now.

1. What book is on your nightstand now?
I read several books at the same time, but I have You by Caroline Kepnes, The bell jar by Sylvia Plath and Extremely loud and incredibly close by Jonathan Safran Foer.

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?
I really liked Cinder by Marissa Meyer and want to continue the series next year.

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?
I don't really know, probably one of the female, classic authors, like Charlotte Brontë. I'm really interested in knowing how it was to be a woman during those days, and specifically a female author.

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?
I don't think I have any surprising books on my shelf, I read a variety of books.

5. How do you organize your personal library?
I don't have a big personal library, I use the library the most, since it's more environmentally friendly. I usually organize it by library books, new books and thrift store/used books.

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?
I started reading again about two years ago, so I don't have a lot of books I've always wanted to read. The only one I can come up with is the Harry Potter series, cause I've wanted to read it since I saw the movies. I'm planning on reading the entire series this year!

7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?
I think it was The revised fundamentals of caregiving by Jonathan Evison.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?
I like fantasy a lot, like ''the chosen one'' stories. I usually stay clear of romance books, for example books where a character gets ''fixed'' from his/hers mental issues, because they fall in love.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be? Probably Men explain things to me by Rebecca Solnit (especially if we're talking about the current president, but I think everyone will learn something from this book).

10. What do you plan to read next?
I have some library books I want to return before the end of the year, including The archived by Victoria Schwab, and also the six books I have left for my Around the year challenge.

1. What book is on your nightstand now?The Catcher in the Rye and The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories
2. What was the last truly great book that you read?Providence
3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? Robin CookAnd what would you want to know? Why he decided to write books and what gave him his ideas.
4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?Anything tagged romance as I really don't like romance
5. How do you organize your personal library?Authors in alphabetical order, then their books in alphabetical order
6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet?The Harry Potter Series Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?Not really
7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?The Bible
8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to?Mostly Fantasy Any you stay clear of?Usually romance.
9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?The Bible
10. What do you plan to read nextLord of Misrule

1. What book is on your nightstand now?
A few... Kærlighedsbarn, a Danish book I'm reading right now, The House of the Spirits which I'm planning on reading as the finally book to complete the ATY challenge (Yay) and Between the World and Me which I gave up

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?
A Little Life... Absolutely beautiful and deserves a re-read at some point

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?
Honestly I've never really thought about that. I would like to meet Jo Nesbø, just to find out if he is anything like his character Harry Hole.

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?
I don't think I have any booms that surprises people if they have seen my books and ratings here on GR... but I have a lot of books by Marian Keyes right next to George RR Martin :-)

5. How do you organize your personal library?
Organize...what does that mean???
I have my favorite books in the front and all the other behind them.

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?
I can't think of any I have always wanted to read

7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?
Between the World and Me... I didn't understand a word.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?
Historical is always a favorite. I really like books about everyday people and everyday things but with a message or deeper meaning.
Classical romance is not my thing.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?
A Man Called Ove

10. What do you plan to read next?
The House of the Spirits and I have a bunch of books from my grandmother but they are mostly Danish books

1. What book is on your nightstand now? Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
2. What was the last truly great book that you read? Henry & Leo and The Doorbell Rang
3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know? Robin McKinley; I would love to know more about Damar. She has said that she knows many more stories about her fictional land, but they never work themselves out into books.
4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves? Most people know I'm a mood reader and pretty across the board. I don't particularly enjoy non-fiction (outside of biographies), so anything that falls in that category would probably raise some eyebrows.
5. How do you organize your personal library? Authors in alphabetical, but series are usually in order by number rather than alphabetized. My kids' books are organized by how much I like them; meaning if they're good hardbacks I'd like to stay nice they're on a different shelf than the 'step-into-reading' styles that I maybe don't care if they get a little trashed.
6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read? My great great aunt (yes, she's still alive) has always loved War and Peace; and I've always meant to read it so I could discuss it with her, but haven't been able to start the doorstop yet. Also, I have never read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, despite the fact that it was required reading for at least two of my public school classes.
7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing? Yes, it was Magic Bites and there was just too much swearing for me to want to continue. And I don't consider myself a prude, either.
8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of? Historical Westerns, especially mail order or marriage of conveniences are my Achilles heel. And as stated above, I stay clear of non-fiction.
9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be? The Bible (and the Torah, and the Koran, and The Book of Mormon, and any other books considered religious scripture). And not just read, but try to understand why it is so important to people of faith.
10. What do you plan to read next? Once I finish my current reads (at 6 right now), I will be starting The Lies of Locke Lamora.

1. What book is on your nightstand now?- Ulysses
2. What was the last truly great book that you read?- The Remains of the Day
3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? -Alexandre Dumas And what would you want to know? How many of those books did he write mostly by himself?
4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves? science fiction..I hate it...but sometimes have to read it to fulfill challenges
5. How do you organize your personal library? not at all
6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? War and Peace Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read? - not really...working myself through the classics...especially Boxall's 1001 list
7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?- no..I almost always force myself to finish....I'm reading Ulysses right now...and it falls into that category.
8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? pretty eclectic except Any you stay clear of? sci-fi, romance, most fantasy stories..ugh.
9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be? Obama..I let him rest his eyes awhile. Trump- The Complete Maus
10. What do you plan to read next? The Eyre Affair

1. What book is on your nightstand now? Six of Crows, it has been there for more than a month. I like it, but for some reason I have not been able to do much progress, maybe because the names or the many backgrounds stories, I don't know. I hope to progress a little bit more during the read-a-thon :)

2. What was the last truly great book that you read? I think it was And Then There Were None

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know? I am really bad asking questions to authors, I'd like to listen talking about their lives. Maybe Stephen King or J.K.Rowling or Jules Verne .... I don't know :P

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves? Self-help books. I don't hate them, but after reading one I always feel down, so I don't read them.

5. How do you organize your personal library? I try to put books by the same author together, but nothing else

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read? The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. I have been planning to read it since I read East of Eden by the same author, many, many years ago and for some reason, I haven't done it yet.

7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing? I think it was Reckless by Cornelia Funke. I was not so interested at that moment and I was planning to finish it later, but it still waiting on my bookshelf :S

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of? I love Fantasy, Horror and Adventures. I don't read so much romance.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be? Harry Potter, just because :)

10. What do you plan to read next? I have to finish Six of Crows, and then I will read The Last Unicorn. I was planning to read The Last Unicorn for the Read-a-thon, but I changed my mind.

1. Jefferson and Hamilton: The Rivalry That Forged a Nation

I love the Hamilton soundtrack, and reading this is like having the cabinet battle raps come to life.

2. Feed. This is an amazing take on the ever popular zombie apocalypse. It manages to combine horror and political intrigue and posits some intriguing ideas about the future of the press.

3. This is cheating a bit, but I'd choose a screenwriter--Aaron Sorkin. There are some loose ends from his fours years writing my favorite TV show that I need to ask him about. And I need to lecture him about how to write female characters.

4. YA dystopian. I'm addicted, which I suppose is surprising since I'm a middle-aged academic.

5. By genre.

6. Someone else mentioned this, I think: The Grapes of Wrath. I love the film, but I've never picked up the book.

7. Scarlet. I loved this take on the Robin Hood legend!

8. I'm not much for romance these days. I read a lot of history and YA. I love mystery as well.

9. For our president-elect, I'd suggest some good American history textbooks.

10. Beatles '66: The Revolutionary Year.

1. What book is on your nightstand now?
Malice at the Palace

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?
I am going to say Murder on the Orient Express I just loved this one and I have to say I didn't see the ending coming!

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?
Agatha Christie! I would love to ask her about her missing 11 days!

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?
For people that know me I don't think that any of the books on my shelves would surprise them.

5. How do you organize your personal library?
Hahaha! There is no organizing here! If it fits on the bookshelf it goes on. I at one time tried to organize by authors names but gave up on that after the last time I moved.

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?
All the books I have bought and put on my shelves without reading. I keep buying more before I have even finished the ones I have.

7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?
Gone with the Wind Sad to say I just didn't get into the book at all. I love the movie but the book didn't grab my attention so I stopped at page 120ish.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?
Mostly I read mystery, romance and YA books. I would say that I tend to stay away from 카지노싸이트 Fiction more than anything else.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be? Not too sure about this one. I will have to think about it and come back!

10. What do you plan to read next?
The Angels' Share

1. What book is on your nightstand now?
I literally have a stack from the library, but next in line is Anna Dressed in Blood

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?
I would say Everything, Everything. Just when I thought it was a pretty typical YA story, there was a great twist.

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?
I'd want to meet Jodi Picoult, and ask her how she manages to keep her books so balanced. She tackles such controversial issues, but in such a way that it's hard to tell what her personal view is. She somehow gives pretty equal time to all sides, and presents them all very well.

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?
I don't think there's anything too surprising, but then I get a whole bunch of random books from donations to the library where my mom works. The employees there sometimes get first pick, so I've got a few that way.

5. How do you organize your personal library?
I don't have nearly enough bookshelves, so I've put my favourites on the shelves in a relatively logical order (ie. historical fiction together, fantasy together, etc). Everything else is currently in piles on the floor until I can get some more shelves.

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?
There are quite a few classics that I've been meaning to read for a long time, but haven't been brave enough to take on yet. Mostly the longer ones, like The Three Musketeers, Anna Karenina or Ivanhoe. I don't know if I'm necessarily embarrassed that I haven't read them yet, but I would love to finally have the chance to!

7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?
I always finish books once I start them, but the book I came closest to putting down was Inkheart. I read it recently, and I just could not get through it. It took me a full week because I had no motivation to continue reading.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?
I'm pretty open to anything as long as it has an interesting plot, and especially if it has great character development. I like historical fiction, some fantasy, and psychological thrillers. I also really enjoy contemporary books, and whatever genre you'd consider Jodi Picoult.

I stay clear of horror for the most part because I'm a huge coward, although I have enjoyed some of the horror stories that I've read. I don't really go for books like Fifty Shades of Grey either, but more because it seems (based on the snippets I've seen) so poorly written than because of the content. I don't mind graphic content if it is relevant to the story and written decently, but I don't like when it's included just for the sake of shock value.

Almost forgot this one, but the other thing I really avoid is Christian fiction. I don't mind reading books about other religions/cultures and their beliefs, or about characters who have those beliefs, but Christian fiction just doesn't appeal to me.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?
That's a tough one. I assume we're talking about Trump? I don't live in the US so he's not my president. I'll have to think about it.

10. What do you plan to read next?
Anna Dressed in Blood, and then This Is Where It Ends

1. What book is on your nightstand now? None as I have finished all the ATY books so doing the ebooks on my TBR list
2. What was the last truly great book that you read? 11/22/63
3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know? Stephen King and I would like to know how he comes up with this story lines.
4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?romance novels as I find them fake
5. How do you organize your personal library?By Authors and then by alphabetical order
6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read? there is so many good books out there don't know where to begin and no book embarrassed me yet
7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing? I never put down a book even if I don't like it I will finish it.
8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of? I read mostly Horror or true crime and if possible I will stay clear of romance.
9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be? 11/22/63
10. What do you plan to read next? most likely a Stephen King or Dean Koontz book.

1. What book is on your nightstand now?

"The Wonder" by Emma Donoghue, And "The End of Absence" by Michael Harris
The End of Absence: Reclaiming What We've Lost in a World of Constant Connection

2. What was the last truly great book you read?
I'm tempted to say "All the Bright Places", a YA novel that was better than expected, by Annie Proulx's "Barkskins" was a masterpiece.
All the Bright Places
Barkskins


3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?

My entire life I have wanted to meet Stephen King - he remains my favorite author ever, and he does NOT just 'do horror'. I would ask him how he is able to write children/childhood/child characters so very well


4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?
Hmmmm...A lot of autobiographies of WWE Wrestlers! I love wrasslin'!

5. How do you organize your personal library?
All books by the same author grouped together, then by genre

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?
Moby Dick. War and Peace. Great Expectations. My 3 great shames.

7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?
"The First Time She Drowned" - I just lost interest about halfway through, BUT I know that I WILL go back and finish that one. The book that I recently bought and will NOT be finishing, and was SO let down by would be "Never Have I Ever: My Life (So far) Without a Date" Never Have I Ever: My Life (So Far) Without a Date After a string of great memoirs written by chicks (Bedwetter= Sarah Silverman, Lower Back Tatttoo = Amy Schumer, Scrappy Little Nobody = Anna Kendrick, You'll Grow Out if it = Jessi Klein, Why Not Me? = Mindy Kaling), I was looking for something similar, but the writing was just so sub par...Bummer.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?
I am drawn to realistic drama, in the vein of Anne Tyler's stories about family and relationships. ANY Stephen King. ANY Chuck Klosterman, and a handful of other authors are immediate 'go-tos'. Lately, I've been drawn to non-fiction, especially about 'Saturday Night Live' and other pop culture subjects. I steer clear of romance novels, though- most just follow the same repeated story structure and the writing usually sucks. Danielle Steele books are not literature, IMO, for example.


9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?
Well, I live in Canada, but if we're talking Trump and not Obama, then I would force Trump to read a frigging world atlas. Just a simple middle school text teaching him the names of countries, and where they are located in the world. I think it would be beneficial to the entire world were he to do so.

Atlas of the World

10. What do you plan to read next?
Already am! Just started "The Light of the Fireflies" tonight, and will be reading "The Nest" after that!

The Light of the Fireflies

The Nest

:0)

1. What book is on your nightstand now?Swing Time by Zadie Smith

2. What was the last truly great book that you read? Americanah by Chimamanga Ngozi Adichie
This book gave me a new perspective on race. And the story was wonderful.

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know? Virginia Woolf
I read two Virginia Woof books this year--my first: Orlando and A Room of One's Own. I'd like to talk with "the mind" that could write these books, in the 1920s, no less! So smart and intellectual with so many things to say.

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?
Pop-up books by Robert Sabuda

5. How do you organize your personal library?
Fiction alphabetical by author, nonfiction by subject.

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?
I've decide I'm never going to read War and Peace and I'm okay with that. I'm embarrassed I've never read The Diary of a Young Girl, but I haven't been able to bring myself to read it.

7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing? One Hundred Years of Solitude

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?
I like books where I get to know a character. I steer clear of spy novels and espionage books.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?
Any number of books about how a bill becomes a law. Maybe The Constitution.

10. What do you plan to read next?
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is my final book for the ATY Challenge.

1. What book is on your nightstand now?
My kindle, with Battle Royale and Bounders.

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?
The Girl with Ghost Eyes, Chinatown setting, brave female character and spirits, what else?

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?
Patrick Ness, I'll ask for a subscription to all his next books :p

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?
Probably the Peter Pan illustrated edition and the Peter Pan picture books (2 editions), in French + the Annotated Peter Pan in English + the Peter Pan popup picture book in German :p

5. How do you organize your personal library?
Grouped by authors, by editions, by colors, by genres, in French or not, favorites. Yes, I don't have OCD, each shelf has its organization (more or less).

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?
I've no book in mind for the "always meant to read". I'm feeling embarrassed a little because I read few adult classics (I don't enjoy most of the classics).

7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?
Shelter by Jung Yun. It was well written but the story was toxic, so nope nope nope.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?
Dystopias are my drug, even badly written ones. I tried to stay clear of books with abusive content and books heavy on explicite content.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?
Lol, I only require them to have a real job once in their life and to live with the minimum wage, it'll be a very unusual experience for them :p

10. What do you plan to read next?
Probably The Death of Dulgath.

1. What book is on your nightstand now? The Crooked Kingdom
2. What was the last truly great book that you read? Fahrenheit 451 really woke me.
3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know? Edgar Allan Poe. I'd want to know what inspired him.
4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves? Small Great Things, by Jodi Picoult. I don't read a lot of non YA books.
5. How do you organize your personal library? It's mostly on my kindle, but I have a cute little bookshelf for my physical books
6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read? So many things I wish I'd read. I think that's why I'm reading the entire YA section before moving onto adult books. I want to read more of the classics, that shaped literature as we know it today.
7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing? There aren't many because I am REALLY dedicated to finishing what I start. Everything that I remembered not finishing I have gone back and finished at some point.
8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of? I LOVE dystopian novels. I stay clear of romance novels because I find it very boring.
9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be? Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone. Only so we could talk about it haha.
10. What do you plan to read next? Finish up The Midnight Star and Candy Corn Murder

1. What book is on your nightstand now?
I just started Muslim Girl: A Coming of Age Story. This is a print book, Also working on Anna Karenina on the Kindle and The Canterbury Tales on audio.

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?
This is tough, I read a lot of great ones. I really liked Rebecca and A Canticle for Leibowitz. But the most impactful was Between the World and Me. I think this should be required reading for all Americans.

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?
Terry Pratchett. I just would take him to dinner and would just have him talk about something to that could make him joke. Perhaps ask him to tell me about Nanny Ogg's younger days...

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?
I have a wide variety of books. Depends on what you know of me. Maybe all my sewing books. Or my NCAA basketball encyclopedia. Or a large collection of Hungarian books. Or my humorous collection. Or my art book collection.

5. How do you organize your personal library?
With four people in the house, it is roughly whose book it is, then by genre-ish. And size, because some books fit into smaller places, and some need large places, like art books, for instance.

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?
Pride and Prejudice

7. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?
The Interestings was the last book club pick and I just was not feeling it. Most of the others finished it but only one person actually liked i.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?
I like well-drawn characters, a well flowing story, good writing, and something to add spice - uniqueness. I love humorous books. I don't read horror and I stay away from romance novels.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?
Mr. Trump should do well with The Constitution of the United States of America.

10. What do you plan to read next?
The Lies of Locke Lamora, finally! Been on my list for ages, and now it is BOTM!