Today is 20 Questions Tuesday and I am home with a sick Little Man. By a “sick Little Man” I do not mean a little man wioth skilz beyond compare, I mean a little boy who is hacking and coughing his way into America’s heart. Anyway, I sent the call out yesterday for 20 questions and was blessed with many prompt returns. Thanks this week go to Dustin, Lsig, Nadolny, and JA Coppinger.
To the questions:
1. Best sci-fi book to read when you’re 25?
Hmmm I am more of a fantasy buff than a sci-fi-er, but I would go with… umm… Orson Scott Card and his book Ender’s Game. I would not, however, continue with the series. The book is wonderfully self contained.
2. Reading + Little Man: What does he request at story time?
All sorts of stuff. His group that is on massive rotation right now include Guess How Much I Love You, Dr Suess’s ABC Book (you may recognize this one from some previous posts) , these 2 Kipper books, an informational comic about asthma, and some board books from when he was a baby.
3. If I type the lyrics “Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high, take a look, it's in a book - Reading Rainbow…” will that song get stuck in your head all day?
I hate you
4. Last book you read that you wish you could get your money back for it.
That’s the funny thing, when I start not liking a book, I usually just walk away from it, but there is this series of books by Celia Dart-Thorton called the Bitterbynd Trilogy that have made me think about calling the better business bureau about because a plot is supposed to have a protagonist and an antagonist some conflict and a resolution. False advertising Ms. Dart-Thorton. False advertising!
5. Have you read “The Time Traveler’s Wife?”
Nope, and with such a ringing endorsement, how can I not? You wax eloquent about its merit so much in your question that I can't help be be compelled to read it.
6. What defines a good book for you? (Examples: Plot, characterization, beauty of language, subject matter, ease of "getting lost" in the story...)
It is a combination of plot, beauty of language, and characterization with the emphasis placed on beauty of language.
7. The Harry Potter books: pop culture fad, enduring literary works, or something in between?
I honestly think they are going to be something in between. I am not certain that they will have the timeless quality necessary for them to hold up as classics in perpetuity. There are some aspects of them that could work, but there are other parts that just will not survive without the fad.
8. What was your favorite book in school? Does it hold up today?
Book from school? I am a big fan of The Lord of the Flies… the book, not The Lord of the Flies himself. He is not so nice, but the book is wonderful. IT is chock full of symbolism.
9. How do you choose the next book you will read?
A combination of three things. Firstly, if it is an author I am familiar with, secondly if the cover catches my eye, and thirdly if the jacket text is not too blasé.
10. Do you consider yourself a good reader?
I consider myself an adequate reader, but I would not go so far as to say “good.”
11. What's you favorite genre of book?
Fantasy hands down. I love me some magic.
12. Who is your favorite author? and favorite classical author (if not the same)?
Currently I am loving Patrick Rothfuss cat*, but he only has his debut out at the moment. I will have to reserve judgment on if he holds up after book 2 comes out. If not him, I would have to fall back to… I have no idea. There are a bevy of authors that I will read, but none of them really jumps out as my favorite. As far as classical author? Hemmingway comes to mind because of his no nonsense prose.
13. How many books a week do you read?
1 tenth of a book unless you consider kids books and then it is over 12.
14. Do you think the youth of today will enjoy reading as much as their parents’ generation?
I think if there could be a few more authors to generate the kind of fervor that J.K. Rowlings did with the Harry Potter series, then, yes. Otherwise, it will be difficult.
15. Will books on the computer ever catch on enough to make bound books obsolete (or nearly so)?
I think there will always be a call for turning a page, so paper books will never completely go away. I could see books being printed on plastic paper in the near future though…
16. Most comfortable spot in the world for reading?
In bed
17. Series: book-by-book, or wait till they’re all in print to read?
Sometimes I like to wait for the entire series to be out and sometimes I like the anticipation associated with waiting for the next installment. That being said, I have also lost interest in a series as well. So, I guess the answer to your "either/or" question is "Yes."
18. One book you re-read regularly?
I can honestly say the only book I have ever completely re-read is The Lord of the Flies. I have attempted other books that I enjoyed, but I found that knowing how the story was going to unfold tainted my reading pleasure. I can however re-read comic books until the colors fade and words become illegible.
19. Reading in the “privy” – bad habit or “Man Haven”?
I am not a potty reader. I stay away from reading in the loo mainly due to my incredibly efficient excretory system. There is no reason for me to get to the end of the paragraph when the business is done.
20. Did you ever actually READ an article in Playboy?
Playboy has articles?
To recap:
Little Man is definitely sick
Not super sick, but sick nonetheless
I am going to try and export some work so I can do it at home
Yippee skippee
The only issue is that Little Man doesn’t like me working from home
He wants to play
Who doesn’t?
Wifey gets home tomorrow night
I might need to go into work when she gets home
That will be lovely
I am sure tomorrow’s post will be on the trials and tribulations of working from home
Ta Ta
To the questions:
1. Best sci-fi book to read when you’re 25?
Hmmm I am more of a fantasy buff than a sci-fi-er, but I would go with… umm… Orson Scott Card and his book Ender’s Game. I would not, however, continue with the series. The book is wonderfully self contained.
2. Reading + Little Man: What does he request at story time?
All sorts of stuff. His group that is on massive rotation right now include Guess How Much I Love You, Dr Suess’s ABC Book (you may recognize this one from some previous posts) , these 2 Kipper books, an informational comic about asthma, and some board books from when he was a baby.
3. If I type the lyrics “Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high, take a look, it's in a book - Reading Rainbow…” will that song get stuck in your head all day?
I hate you
4. Last book you read that you wish you could get your money back for it.
That’s the funny thing, when I start not liking a book, I usually just walk away from it, but there is this series of books by Celia Dart-Thorton called the Bitterbynd Trilogy that have made me think about calling the better business bureau about because a plot is supposed to have a protagonist and an antagonist some conflict and a resolution. False advertising Ms. Dart-Thorton. False advertising!
5. Have you read “The Time Traveler’s Wife?”
Nope, and with such a ringing endorsement, how can I not? You wax eloquent about its merit so much in your question that I can't help be be compelled to read it.
6. What defines a good book for you? (Examples: Plot, characterization, beauty of language, subject matter, ease of "getting lost" in the story...)
It is a combination of plot, beauty of language, and characterization with the emphasis placed on beauty of language.
7. The Harry Potter books: pop culture fad, enduring literary works, or something in between?
I honestly think they are going to be something in between. I am not certain that they will have the timeless quality necessary for them to hold up as classics in perpetuity. There are some aspects of them that could work, but there are other parts that just will not survive without the fad.
8. What was your favorite book in school? Does it hold up today?
Book from school? I am a big fan of The Lord of the Flies… the book, not The Lord of the Flies himself. He is not so nice, but the book is wonderful. IT is chock full of symbolism.
9. How do you choose the next book you will read?
A combination of three things. Firstly, if it is an author I am familiar with, secondly if the cover catches my eye, and thirdly if the jacket text is not too blasé.
10. Do you consider yourself a good reader?
I consider myself an adequate reader, but I would not go so far as to say “good.”
11. What's you favorite genre of book?
Fantasy hands down. I love me some magic.
12. Who is your favorite author? and favorite classical author (if not the same)?
Currently I am loving Patrick Rothfuss cat*, but he only has his debut out at the moment. I will have to reserve judgment on if he holds up after book 2 comes out. If not him, I would have to fall back to… I have no idea. There are a bevy of authors that I will read, but none of them really jumps out as my favorite. As far as classical author? Hemmingway comes to mind because of his no nonsense prose.
13. How many books a week do you read?
1 tenth of a book unless you consider kids books and then it is over 12.
14. Do you think the youth of today will enjoy reading as much as their parents’ generation?
I think if there could be a few more authors to generate the kind of fervor that J.K. Rowlings did with the Harry Potter series, then, yes. Otherwise, it will be difficult.
15. Will books on the computer ever catch on enough to make bound books obsolete (or nearly so)?
I think there will always be a call for turning a page, so paper books will never completely go away. I could see books being printed on plastic paper in the near future though…
16. Most comfortable spot in the world for reading?
In bed
17. Series: book-by-book, or wait till they’re all in print to read?
Sometimes I like to wait for the entire series to be out and sometimes I like the anticipation associated with waiting for the next installment. That being said, I have also lost interest in a series as well. So, I guess the answer to your "either/or" question is "Yes."
18. One book you re-read regularly?
I can honestly say the only book I have ever completely re-read is The Lord of the Flies. I have attempted other books that I enjoyed, but I found that knowing how the story was going to unfold tainted my reading pleasure. I can however re-read comic books until the colors fade and words become illegible.
19. Reading in the “privy” – bad habit or “Man Haven”?
I am not a potty reader. I stay away from reading in the loo mainly due to my incredibly efficient excretory system. There is no reason for me to get to the end of the paragraph when the business is done.
20. Did you ever actually READ an article in Playboy?
Playboy has articles?
To recap:
Little Man is definitely sick
Not super sick, but sick nonetheless
I am going to try and export some work so I can do it at home
Yippee skippee
The only issue is that Little Man doesn’t like me working from home
He wants to play
Who doesn’t?
Wifey gets home tomorrow night
I might need to go into work when she gets home
That will be lovely
I am sure tomorrow’s post will be on the trials and tribulations of working from home
Ta Ta