The Nerd Alert Book Blog

Finally, Sunday Stealing has posted a cracker to answer - just my cup of tea. A book blog - what more could I want? Somebody to grub out my first draft of my short story. Somebody to do my ironing? Somebody to vacuum the lounge...

As always, a paragraph gets degrubbed and a little housework is completed, I'll get through this tonight. There is a lot to do - after my jaunt down to Tasmania means that everything is a bit behind today. So here we go.

1. Favorite childhood book? 

I was an Enid Blyton fan when I was a kid and the Magic Faraway Tree was a firm favourite. I was also into the Little Golden Books and I remember that The Saggy Baggy Elephant and Mickey and Minnie go on a Picnic were read to me on a daily basis.

2. What are you reading right now? 

I have two books on the go. I started "The Folded Man" by Matt Hill on the recommendation of a friend, but I finished Richard Flanagan's masterpiece "The Narrow Road to the Deep North" yesterday and I've picked it up and started to read it again. It's one of the few books that I've read twice, back to back (up there with "The Book Thief" and "Captain Corelli's Mandolin".

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

I've only got a library card with my university library, but I've not reserved any items. Thankfully most of the journals I require are available online.

4. Bad book habit?

Probably reading to page thirty, getting bored, throwing the book against the wall and picking it up and putting it away when I clean. Some of the books that this has happened to include "The Hobbit" (still haven't read it) and "The Great Gatsby" (finally got through this last year).

I have a tendency to buy books rather than borrow too. Dymocks have  two for three sales regularly. This used to equate to six books for nine... I'm slowly breaking this habit.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?

Nothing.

6. Do you have an e-reader? 

Yes, and I love my kindle.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once? 

I normally read one book at a a time, but I will have a couple of references books around the place for a bit of interest. I can do one fiction and one non-fiction at the same time, but I still prefer just going one at a time.

Term time I will have a couple of reference books on the go, but term time doesn't count.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?

No.

9. Least favourite book you've read this year (so far)? 

We did something called "The Shock of the Fall" by Nathan Filer which was okay - not great. Read it for book group and we had a run of books about mental illness / autism/ Aspergers. Although it's a great topic I was rather over it by then.

10. Favorite book you've read this year?

This has to be a toss up between Hannah Kent's "Burial Rites" and Richard Flanagan's "The Narrow Road to the Deep North". Strangely, both written by Australian authors. Both are phenomenal books.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone? 

Probably not often enough. I rarely read science fiction or crime novels. I have nothing against the latter, but the former I've never had much of a inkling to read - mind you, I've started the Game of Thrones series recently.

12. What is your reading comfort zone? 

Literary fiction and humorous popular fiction (up market Chick Lit - like Caitlin Moran's "How to Build a Girl".

13. Can you read on the bus? 

I do a lot of reading on the tram - but I must be facing forward. I can read on the train and on plains, but I can't read in the car.

14. Favorite place to read? 

Lying on my bed.

15. What is your policy on book lending?  

I will lend books to friends - and normally I'm not fussed if I get it back - there are some books that are loaned out but with the firm word, "I do want this back at some stage." I'm still mad at whoever has my original copy of "The Book Thief". My book group are great at returning books.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books? 

Again, depends on the book. I'm getting better at not turning over corners and using a bookmark. The kindle helps with this one.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

Only in university text books and only in pencil. My copy of Dorian Grey is littered with pencil comments.

18. Not even with text books? 

I just admitted to that in the last question.

19. A book you didn't expect to like but did? 

Three come to mind. After hearing so much about "American Psycho" I thought I would hate it. I LOVED it. Brilliant book. Parody at it's best. In the same light, Christos Tsiolkas's "Dead Europe" was phenomenal. The rest of the book group thought it dreadful, but I loved its rawness. We read something called "Foal's Bread" which grew on me like warts. I keep thinking about it - sign of a good book even though I struggled through it

20. What makes you love a book? 

Great writing, great characters, unseen plot points. But mainly brilliant writing (a la Flanagan)