What does your library say about you.

[Lt. Kettch]

This is one of those silly little surveys about YOU! However, this time around it's about your favorite books! So without further ado, here we go!!!


What is the book you're currently reading?

Wedge's Gambit By Michael Stackpole


How long does it normally take you to finish a book?

Depends on how much reading I get done on the work floor 1 - 4 days




Who is your favorite author?

That's a toughy, maybe Jodie Picoult


What is the last book you finished reading?

Outbound Flight Timothy Zahn

Who is your favorite literary character?

Lt.

Kettch

What about this character made them your favorite?

The fact that he was a running joke through two and a half books and then turned out to be real


How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are qued?

What is qued?


What are your favorite genre of books?

Anything and everything as long as it entertains me


How many books have you read in the past year? (just guess if you don't know.



26 at least

How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation.



)

35 currently but If I ever get a decent paying job again Barnes N Noble will fear me.

:D




Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?

My Sister's Keeper By Jodie Picoult


Have you ever tried writing a book?

Too many times with little results

[Jonathan Bogart]

What is the book you're currently reading?
Let's see ... Little, Big by John Crowley, Perdido Street Station by China Mieville, Kerplunk!: Stories by Patrick F. McManus, And Then We Came To The End by Joshua Ferris, and The Planets by Dava Sobel.


How long does it normally take you to finish a book?
Anywhere from an afternoon to several years, depending on how frequently I pick it up.


Who is your favorite author?
I don't think that concept has any value.


What is the last book you finished reading?
This Land Is Their Land by Barbara Ehrenreich.


Who is your favorite literary character?
Having an answer to that would require me to approach literature in a very different way than I do.


What about this character made them your favorite?
Pass.


How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are queued?
It depends on what's meant by queued, but I'll say that I have over two hundred books I own but haven't yet read.


What are your favorite genre of books?
It depends on my mood. I'm on a literary nonfiction kick right now (which is why it's taking me so long to finish all those fiction books above).


How many books have you read in the past year? (just guess if you don't know.
Probably twenty or thirty, counting audiobooks.


How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation.)
I dunno ... coming up on a thousand?


Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?
No, because I don't insist that others' tastes match mine.


Have you ever tried writing a book?
I have about four or five manuscripts in progress at any given time.

[Greg Hatcher]

What is the book you're currently reading?

The Bookman's Promise, by John Dunning. The third Cliff Janeway novel. The Janeway mysteries, about a former cop turned rare book collector, are enormously entertaining and appeal to me not just as a mystery fan but also as someone who occasionally flirts with rare-book hunting. I can't really afford to be a real collector, but I have occasional moments of trying.

How long does it normally take you to finish a book?

Generally three days, but that's only because I only read before bedtime anymore, or sometimes on a bus commute.... figure forty minutes a day. So about two hours is the average.

Who is your favorite author?

Oh, there are so MANY. But the guys I go back to year after year are Rex Stout, John D. MacDonald, Edgar Rice Burroughs, J. Michael Reaves, Robert Ludlum, Robert E. Howard, Ian Fleming. Modern pulp stuff, mostly; straight mystery-action-adventure kinds of things with a solid through-line.

What is the last book you finished reading?

The Case of the Careless Kitten, by Erle Stanley Gardner.

Who is your favorite literary character?

Um... another tough call. I guess Travis McGee.

What about this character made them your favorite?

He's a believable modern swashbuckler. His adventures are very comic-booky but they are plausible in a way that Batman or Sherlock Holmes or James Bond never quite gets to. And I like Travis' first-person narration, his battered idealist's view of the world often echoes my own.

How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are queued?

We had a sort of shopping book-hunting vacation a couple of weeks ago so there's a slightly larger stack than usual.

A Louis L'Amour Omnibus: Utah Blaine, Crossfire Trail, Heller With a Gun, Last Stand At Papago Wells, To Tame A Land
Trial By Fury by Jack Lancer (this is a juvenile book I've been hunting for YEARS)
The Rhinemann Exchange and The Chancellor Manuscript by Robert Ludlum
The Goblin Mirror by C.J. Cherryh
The Lost Swords and An Armory of Swords by Fred Saberhagen
And a couple of Marvel Essentials and DC Showcases. It's a pile.

What are your favorite genre of books?

Pulp adventure and mystery.

How many books have you read in the past year? (just guess if you don't know.)

At least fifty. Probably closer to seventy-five.

How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation.)

I can't even guess. I have four ceiling-high shelves in this office and another one in the front room crammed to bursting, and another six crates of books in storage. It's a lot. I acquire books the way pockets acquire lint.

Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?

No. Usually this gets tailored to the friend. "If you like this, you should try that."

Have you ever tried writing a book?

I have four or five completed in manuscript but I have not been conscientious about submitting them. Usually I have too much work keeping up with the various magazine and column commitments. I should, though. My wife was badgering me about this yesterday.

There you have it.

[Infra-Man]

What is the book you're currently reading?
Foxfire by Joyce Carol Oates

How long does it normally take you to finish a book?
Depends on how busy I am, the book length, and kind of book (e.g., I read short story collections and anthologies in spurts between novels and book-length non-fiction), but it usually takes about four days to a week or more.

Who is your favorite author?
Can't pick just one. My current biggies are Italo Calvino, Richard Yates, Don Marquis, and John Cheever.

What is the last book you finished reading?
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

Who is your favorite literary character?
Hard to say, but maybe Sherlock Holmes, with, of all people, Owen Meany, Ignatius Reilly, and Frankenstein's monster somewhere behind him.

What about this character made them your favorite?
His skills of deduction. Dug the character growing up.

How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are queued?
In my apartment, probably sixty. I always hoard them faster than I can read them.

What are your favorite genre of books?
I don't really care about genre since I'll read anything that looks interesting, though I noticed I tend toward literary fiction/non-fiction and old pulps (e.g., Doc Savage, The Shadow, some stuff through Black Lizard).

How many books have you read in the past year?
Around fifty

How many books do you currently own in your library?
In my apartment, probably around three hundred.

Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?
Either If on a winter's night a traveler or The Baron in the Trees, both by Italo Calvino.

Have you ever tried writing a book?
Did a bad splatterpunk novel in high school that was laughably bad, have false started other novels/novellas since. Working on short fiction nowadays.

[dupont2005]

What is the book you're currently reading?

lucky's lady by tami hoag


How long does it normally take you to finish a book?

i only read at work so depends on if the boss is hassling me or not. usually somewhere between 2 and 4 weeks lately


Who is your favorite author?

right now i think it is erica spindler


What is the last book you finished reading?

cry wolf by tami hoag

Who is your favorite literary character?

spencer malone

What about this character made them your favorite?

he's kind of a dick. and i like the setting and the family drama that surrounds him along with his job


How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are qued?

i am guessing about 30


What are your favorite genre of books?

cheesy thrillers


How many books have you read in the past year? (just guess if you don't know.

about 10

How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation.)


i got like 60 or so that i have read boxed up and ready for the upcoming yard sale



Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?

not a lot of my friends read


Have you ever tried writing a book?

i have a severe lack of imagination

[Donald M.]

What is the book you're currently reading?

Legacies by F. Paul Wilson


How long does it normally take you to finish a book?

About a week, but only because I do most of my reading during my lunch hour at work.


Who is your favorite author?

Right now or of all time? My love for particular authors can be fleeting, my love of books is constant.


What is the last book you finished reading?

The Chronicles of the Black Company, a collection of Glenn Cook's first three Black Company novels.


Who is your favorite literary character?

Jeez, ask an easy one, why don't you? Jimmy Blackburn . . . Commander Vimes . . . Travis McGee . . . Elvis Cole . . .

I'll go with Jimmy Blackburn, from the novel Blackburn by Bradley Denton


What about this character made them your favorite?

Jimmy has a complicated relationship with his abusive alcoholic father. This culminated in a murder attempt which Jimmy aborts at the last minute only after learning that nature has dealt the man a crueler and far more fitting fate. In spite of all this, Jimmy's last thought before dying is of the happiest time of his life, a day he and his father spent fishing.


How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are queued?

Hundreds


What are your favorite genre of books?

At the moment I'd have to say Mystery/Thriller as that's what I seem to read the most of these days. It was horror when I was a teen and Science Fiction through most of my 20's.


How many books have you read in the past year? (just guess if you don't know.)

Since January or since last August? If the former, around thirty. If the latter, I'd guess closer to 70.


How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation.

Over 500, less than 600.


Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?

Friends?

Have you ever tried writing a book?

Does a couple of paragraphs here and there count?

[K'Nort]

What is the book you're currently reading?
A Concise-Chinese English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo


How long does it normally take you to finish a book?
Three to four hours. I tend to only read things in one sitting, and only on the weekend. Weeknights is magazines and the newspaper. I do a significant amount of my book reading on planes and in airports.


Who is your favorite author?
I really don't have one.


What is the last book you finished reading?
A Canticle for Leibowitz. I'm trying to read more fiction and classics.


Who is your favorite literary character?
I probably don't have one.


What about this character made them your favorite?
N/A


How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are queued?
Probably 300 that I own, plus usually half a dozen from the library.


What are your favorite genre of books?
No classic genres these days, like sci-fi or mystery or romance. I read a lot of pop social science. Like Malcolm Gladwell. Fiction, usually the authors who first show up excerpted in the New Yorker.


How many books have you read in the past year? (just guess if you don't know.
61. I have a log on GoodReads.com (http://www.goodreads.com/)


How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation.)
About 800.


Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?
Well I think you can recommend something without imposing your will; thus Good Omens by Gaiman and Pratchett.


Have you ever tried writing a book?
Only in junior high.

[Kill cujo]

What is the book you're currently reading?

The Bourne Identity~ Robert Ludlum




How long does it normally take you to finish a book?[/B
]Months



[B]
Who is your favorite author?
Don't know.


What is the last book you finished reading?
Triple Reverse~ An Executioner book

Who is your favorite literary character?
Mack Bolan

What about this character made them your favorite?
He's unstoppable.


How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are qued?Ummm... no idea.


What are your favorite genre of books?
No idea

How many books have you read in the past year? (just guess if you don't know. 1



How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation.) 120-ish?






Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?
No.


Have you ever tried writing a book?
Yes

[Libaax]

What is the book you're currently reading?

The Seventh by Richard Stark


How long does it normally take you to finish a book?

1-5 days if its a book i really enjoy and not 800 pages i usually read in 24 hours.


Who is your favorite author?

Robert E. Howard/David Gemmell/Jack Vance/Philip K Dick,Robert Heinlein. Those authors are holy to me. I can hail anyone of them as by favorite.


What is the last book you finished reading?

The Score by Richard Stark


Who is your favorite literary character?

Conan, other favorite include C.Augustine Dupin,John Shannow,Connavar,Parker,Harry Bosch,James Bond,John Rain,Travis McGee,Lew Archer


What about this character made them your favorite?

He is interesting in so many ways. Has an interesting look on his world. Has more sense than you would expect from a barbarian and a character of his type.


How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are qued?

10-20 books


What are your favorite genre of books?

Hardboiled Crime,Science Fiction,Sword and Sorcery,Heroic Fantasy.



How many books have you read in the past year? (just guess if you don't know.

30-50 books. When im on roll i read like two books a week.


How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation.


100-150 books. I only started collecting in 2007 when i became SF,fantasy fan.



Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?

Legend by David Gemmell, Emphyrio by Jack Vance, Starship Troopers by Heinlein, Dune by Frank Herbert.


Have you ever tried writing a book?

No never. Im not interested in that. I just want to enjoy great authors and not waste my reading time on trying to write.

[jesse_custer]

What is the book you're currently reading?
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, Hunter S. Thompson

How long does it normally take you to finish a book?
This is complicated. Sometimes only a few days. Sometimes I read 60 pages of a book, and I really love it, but for some inexplicable reason I put it down and wait months to start it over again and finish. Many times video games, films, and music slow me down.

Who is your favorite author?
If I have to answer this question, Edgar Allan Poe would probably be the answer. However, lately I've been reading Cormac McCarthy, Hunter S. Thompson, and Chuck Palahniuk.

What is the last book you finished reading?
Hell's Angels, Hunter S. Thompson

Who is your favorite literary character?
I don't pick favorite characters. Let me change this to the character who has fascinated me the most: Judge Holden from Blood Meridian.

What about this character made them your favorite?
The Judge is fascinating because I thought he was God, Satan, a brilliant scientist, and the ultimate bullshitter at different points in the book.

How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are queued?
I can't say exactly. Shameful, I know.

What are your favorite genre of books?
Genre doesn't matter that much to me.

How many books have you read in the past year?
50 sounds about right.

How many books do you currently own in your library?
Hundreds.

Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?
Brain Droppings, George Carlin. Stupendous comedy on the page.

Have you ever tried writing a book?
I'm trying now for the first time. Inspired mainly by Hemingway's short story, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro."

[Street Worm]

ummmmm.....................
at this time I'll probably come off as a one trick pony as I'm rereading all my Philip K. Dick books, but-

What is the book you're currently reading?

'The Man Who Japed' Philip K. Dick

How long does it normally take you to finish a book?

Depends-
a day to a month..........usually a few days

Who is your favorite author?

Philip K. Dick


What is the last book you finished reading?

'The World Jones Made'

Who is your favorite literary character?

Kickaha (World Of Tiers- Philip Jose Farmer)

What about this character made them your favorite?

attitude

How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are qued?

3 or 4 (?)

What are your favorite genre of books?

Science Fiction-
but really my favorites kind of just ended up in the SF section as they have no where else to put them

How many books have you read in the past year?

maybe 18 (maybe more)

How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation)

200?
300? - (a bunch)

Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?

The Illuminatus Trilogy! Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson or
The Fan Man by William Kotzwinkle

Have you ever tried writing a book?

no~

[jesse_custer]

Also:

Isn't this more about what I have to say about my library?

[Slam_Bradley]

What is the book you're currently reading?

The Eyrie Affair by Jasper Fforde


How long does it normally take you to finish a book?

This varies from book to book and week to week. Depends on how much time I have to read, how busy my kids are, if I have a trial coming up.



Who is your favorite author?

Ray Bradbury is number one with a bullet.


What is the last book you finished reading?

Bill Mauldin: A Life Up Front by Todd DePastino. Incredibly readable biography of one of Americas greatest cartoonists.


Who is your favorite literary character?

Tough. Maybe Mike Hammer.


How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are qued?

A butt-load.


What are your favorite genre of books?

I don't have a favorite. I read a lot of classic SF. I read a lot of pulp. I read a lot of hard-boiled/noir lit. I read a lot of history.


How many books have you read in the past year?

I've read 37 books so far in 2008.


How many books do you currently own in your library?

Lots


Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?

No.


Have you ever tried writing a book?

Yes, but not hard enough.

[Expletive Deleted]

It says "Quit posting on message boards and get back to work, librarian scum!"

My library is hurtful.

[Sir Tim Drake]

What is the book you're currently reading?


The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope.

How long does it normally take you to finish a book?

It depends on the length and difficulty of the book, and on my attention span at the time. I usually finish at least two books a week.

Who is your favorite author?

At the moment, Italo Calvino.

What is the last book you finished reading?

Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature by Espen Aarseth.

Who is your favorite literary character?

Off the top of my head, Odysseus.

What about this character made them your favorite?

He's pretty clever.

How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are qued?

Several hundred.

What are your favorite genre of books?

Experimental fiction, I guess.

How many books have you read in the past year? (just guess if you don't know.

So far this year, 66. Since this time last year, 119.

How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation.

Probably somewhere between 600 and 1000.

Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?

Midnight's Children, I guess.

Have you ever tried writing a book?

Yes. It's still in the early planning stages. It will be about words and pictures.

[Libaax]

My library say "you should be ashamed with having only a 100 or so books "


Italo Calvino is an author i have wanted to try.

Isnt he who wrote a famous pirate like story ?

[Roquefort Raider]

Good quiz, Lt. Kettch!

What is the book you're currently reading?

I ususally have a few going at once. Right now it's In pursuit of the gene by James Schwartz and The atrocity archives by Charles Stross.


How long does it normally take you to finish a book?

As with everyone (and especially people with kids), life has a way of impeding on my reading time. So it goes from a day for short novels on off-days to several weeks for serious books during the final exams season.

Who is your favorite author?

There are several I really like, but none I could clearly identify as THE favorite. Jean Ray, Umberto Eco, Robertson Davies, Robert E. Howard, Dan Simmons, Jack Vance, Richard Dawkins... it's like with music; sometimes you feel like listening to blues, sometimes like opera.

What is the last book you finished reading?

To celebrate the start of my vacation, I've been on a Bob Morane splurge. I read Poison blanc (white poison), Le sentier de la guerre (the warpath), l'idole verte (the green idol) and Opération Atlantis in four days.

Who is your favorite literary character?

For a very long time it was Cyrano de Bergerac, who epitomized everything I wanted to be... until I realized that he sacrificed not only his own happiness to his panache but also that of the woman he loved. That makes him a little more self-centered than I consider appropriate.

What about this character made them your favorite?

The struggle to be admirable in everything, to pursue excellence, to live simply and without artifice, to be honest, funny, brave, independent, strong, creative, to be free of greed, envy, attachment to material possessions and to what others may think of you, and to never compromise on your principles.


How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are queued?

The queue is down to about a dozen now.

What are your favorite genre of books?

Non-fiction books bring me the most satisfaction if they teach me something or present new and exciting ideas, but I admit that fiction books go down more easily.

How many books have you read in the past year? (just guess if you don't know.

thirty-ish.


How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation.)

When we last moved, half of our stuff consisted of books. Since then, we bought a sofa, three more bookshelves... and more books. Hundreds and hundreds.


Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?

No, but the book I've most often given is Daniel Boorstin's The discoverers.


Have you ever tried writing a book?


Yes, like most everyone. I was a much better writer as a kid, though.

[Ullar]

What is the book you're currently reading?
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon, Dubliners by James Joyce, Manhattan Noir, Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day by Marc Spitz (?), Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein, and Perelandra by C.S. Lewis


How long does it normally take you to finish a book?
If it's a school book several months but if it's on my own then a week or so.


Who is your favorite author?
Joyce, Lewis, and Heinlein


What is the last book you finished reading?
Henry V


Who is your favorite literary character?
I've never really thought about this.


What about this character made them your favorite?
Pass.


How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are queued?
about 20


What are your favorite genre of books?
Noir, Mysteries, and Sci-Fi


How many books have you read in the past year? (just guess if you don't know)
15ish

How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation.)
100 or so


Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellision

Have you ever tried writing a book?
short stories

[Excelsior]

What is the book you're currently reading?
Watchmen, including the inbetween novel texts

How long does it normally take you to finish a book?
About a month.

Who is your favorite author?
3 way tie--Philip K Dick, Alan Moore, Kurt Vonnegut jr.

What is the last book you finished reading?
Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation by Harriet A. Washington


Who is your favorite literary character?
Winston Smith, Orwell's 1984
.

What about this character made them your favorite?
His ability to rise above the mob mentality of his contemporaries

How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are queued?
100 plus

What are your favorite genre of books?
Sci-Fi, History, Medical journals, Criminology text books, Fantasy, Sports Bio's,

How many books have you read in the past year?
20

How many books do you currently own in your library?
In storage 500, in my home about the same amount.

Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?
The Bible

Have you ever tried writing a book?

[Matthew E]

What is the book you're currently reading?

- Very Hard Choices, by Spider Robinson

How long does it normally take you to finish a book?

- Depends what kind it is. A few hours, usually.

Who is your favorite author?

- Lots of candidates, but I'll nominate P.G. Wodehouse, Bill James, Dave Marsh, Barbara Hambly, Donald Westlake, Neal Stephenson and Connie Willis as some of the top ones.

What is the last book you finished reading?

- A mediocre kids'-historical-adventure called The Hollow Tree. I forget the author, but the information can't possibly be of interest to anyone.

Who is your favorite literary character?

- Antryg Windrose, in some of Barbara Hambly's fantasy novels
.
What about this character made them your favorite?

His style of getting things done.

How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are queued?

- I'm sure I have a few dozen that I haven't read, but I have no immediate[i] plans for getting to them.

What are your favorite genre of books?

- science fiction, fantasy, mystery, Canadian history, generational studies, baseball, rock music, general nonfiction

How many books have you read in the past year?

- Two, three hundred. (Not counting comics.)

How many books do you currently own in your library?

- Probably between one and two thousand. (Not counting comics.)

Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?

- Well, 'always' covers a lot of ground. Neal Stephenson's [i]Cryptonomicon is my favourite novel, and there tends to be something in it for everyone.

Have you ever tried writing a book?

- Yes. And will again. Also I did this (http://slicedbread2.blogspot.com).

[berk]

...
What are your favorite genre of books?

- ..., Canadian history, ....Like a lot of Canadians, I'm shamefully under-informed about our own history. Any recommendations you'd care to make? For the record, the best thing I've read recently in this line was John Ralston Saul's Confessions of a Siamese Twin; not really a history book as such, but I did pick up a lot of historical info I'd been unaware of previously, in the course of watching Saul build support for the various points he was trying to make.

[Matthew E]

Like a lot of Canadians, I'm shamefully under-informed about our own history. Any recommendations you'd care to make? For the record, the best thing I've read recently in this line was John Ralston Saul's Confessions of a Siamese Twin; not really a history book as such, but I did pick up a lot of historical info I'd been unaware of previously, in the course of watching Saul build support for the various points he was trying to make.

I liked Saul's book too.

My favourite Canadian historian is Will Ferguson. He approaches the topic with just the right blend of reverence and irreverence, and he includes perspectives that not all history books do. I can recommend any or all of his books, but from a pure-Canadian-history point of view the best are Canadian History for Dummies (yes, part of the yellow-and-black Dummies series) and Bastards and Boneheads.

Pierre Berton of course; he's quite readable.

There's a guy named Christopher Moore who's done a few Canadian history books; the one I have specifically in mind is 1867: How the Founding Fathers Made a Deal.

[Xevious]

What is the book you're currently reading?

A Gentleman's Game and Critical Space from Greg Rucka. I'm a rucka fan. I love how easy it is for me to read his books. I can eat them in two or three days. One saturday if It's a big laundry day. Good Thrillers. Love the characters he has.
Also 1st to Die from James Patterson. This is my first James Patterson book. I haven't seen any movies either. I'm liking what I've read so far. I'm only a few pages in and am just piecing the story together. It's really neat.


How long does it normally take you to finish a book?

Depends on work and stuff, and the size of the book. I love books I can finish in a day or two. Normally it takes me two weeks to read a book because of my schedule. For those rediculous sci fi, fantasy, neal stephenson books I'm looking at a month.




Who is your favorite author?

Tad Williams.


What is the last book you finished reading?

Brilliance of the moon by Lian Hearn and Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcom Gladwell.
both at the same time pretty much.

Who is your favorite literary character?

ugh. so hard. I give two. Simon from the "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" series.
Sam Vimes from the Discworld books.

What about this character made them your favorite?

He was just a nice character. He felt like he was written correctly for his age and upbringing. So many young poor kids turned knights turned kings just aren't written well. They preform well above their heads. Simon allowed other people to make decisions around them. He also wasn't an arrogant prick like a lot of other pauper princes in literature. His story arc wasn't original at all, but the way he went through it felt organic.

Sam I just like cause he's cool.

How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are qued?

Twenty. After reading this poll I'm going to stop buying books until I finish all the ones I have. My problem is that I buy my books from my library or used book stores and I find it nearly impossible to turn down $3 paperbacks and $10 hardcovers.


What are your favorite genre of books?

Fantasy, Detective books, Historical Fiction, Suspense, Action thriller books.


How many books have you read in the past year? (just guess if you don't know.

In the past twelve months about Fifty.

How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation.)

Ninety. Not including graphic novels.


Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?

The Wizard Knight by Gene Wolfe. It's my favourite book ever. I know it's two books but they're short and you can read them both in the time it takes to read some other single books. They both work individually as books and the overall story just kills me every time I read it. The way it's told. argh. straight to the point, no dilly dally. it's so good.


Have you ever tried writing a book?

Yes, and I've failed a bunch. But just two or three months ago I started again and I have gotten further than I ever have before.

[Paul McEnery]

What is the book you're currently reading?
Second Solaris SF Anthology. Nicholson Baker's Human Smoke. Alain Badou's Being and something or other. Some poetry book by Anne Carson. Rudy Rucker's math theory book. Michael Swanwick's short story collection. Greg Egan's new one. Iain M. Banks's new one. A couple other short story books I put down. I'm thinking maybe I should focus.

Or pick up the complete JG Ballard short stories.

How long does it normally take you to finish a book?

Ha ha ha ha ha.

Who is your favorite author?

Oh, Joyce, by a mile.


What is the last book you finished reading?

The first Solaris SF anthology.


Who is your favorite literary character?

God. He's so multi-faceted!


How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are qued?

Nine butt-loads. New acquisitions total ten foot.

What are your favorite genre of books?

SF, avant-garde, philosophical non-fiction.

How many books have you read in the past year?

Ask me how many books I'm reading. Oh, wait, there's the new one by Geoff Ryman, the Infinity Plus collection, the new one by David Williams -- is that his name?, Richard Sennet's new one, one by Baudrillard, some essays by Calvino.

Oh dear.

How many books do you currently own in your library?

Enough to fill many lots

Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?

Oh yes. A Void (La Disparition) by Georges Perec. A whimsical book written on a bet that's all about the letter "e" going missing, that turns out to have a dark undercurrent about the loss of Perec's family in the Holocaust.

Have you ever tried writing a book?

The next one will sell, dammit!

[Paul McEnery]

Like a lot of Canadians, I'm shamefully under-informed about our own history. Any recommendations you'd care to make? For the record, the best thing I've read recently in this line was John Ralston Saul's Confessions of a Siamese Twin; not really a history book as such, but I did pick up a lot of historical info I'd been unaware of previously, in the course of watching Saul build support for the various points he was trying to make.

Ooh, I like him.

What's this one about?

[Matthew E]

Ooh, I like him.

What's this one about?

It's been too long since I've read it, but it's a look at the relationship between Canada and the United States and just what it means to Canada and Canadian identity. It's good.

[berk]

It's been too long since I've read it, but it's a look at the relationship between Canada and the United States and just what it means to Canada and Canadian identity. It's good.I'd say it has a bit of a broader scope than that. Certainly it spends a fair bit of time on the American relationship in the course of talking about the nature of what he calls the Canadian experiment, but that's only one aspect among many. And really, even though the book ostensibly is all about Canada, he ends up having a lot to say about the idea of the nation-state in general in order to think about exactly what kind of nation-state Canada might be. Among other things. He really does cover quite a lot of ground in this one, although he definitely keeps coming back to the same basic theme. Lots of cultural and literary references I intend to follow up one of these days, and not only to Canadian writers and artists, although they do of course dominate the discussion. It's one of his longer books, ~500pp, but I'd say it's up there in quality with his best stuff.

Hard to judge how much it might or might not appeal to anyone not from Canada, but as I say, there's a lot of very provocative material in there not limited to that one specific country. The chapter on animism alone is worth the price of admission, IMO.

Hmmm... this reminds me, I should root out The Collapse of Globalism, which I picked up a year or more ago and still haven't gotten round to reading.

[beetheb]

What is the book you're currently reading? - I'm about halfway through Mario Puzo's "Omerta".

How long does it normally take you to finish a book? - Depends on how much I'm digging the book. Anywhere from one day to a few weeks.

Who is your favorite author? - I have a few. King, David.

What is the last book you finished reading? - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, last week sometime.

Who is your favorite literary character? - Tough one. Probably either Appropos of Nothing or the duo of Roland Deschain/Eddie Dean.

What about this character made them your favorite? - With Appropos it's his generally slimy attitude and his reactions, with Roland/Eddie...not sure, hard to put my finger on. To my mind, when they're together they're just endlessly readable.

How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are qued? - Not many. I usually read a book as soon as I buy it, and I rarely buy more than one or two at a time. I may have a few I lost interest in and didn't finish, but that's about it.

What is qued? - Nothing that I plan on delving back into. Perhaps McCammon's "Swansong", which I hear nothing but rave reviews about yet have not been able to stay interested in.

What are your favorite genre of books? - I have no real favorite. Dramas, Political Thrillers, Fantasy, Classics, Non-fiction -- The sky's the limit.

How many books have you read in the past year? (just guess if you don't know.) - Been a pretty slow year for me, comparatively. Maybe 10.

How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation.) - Somewhere around fifty. I often give books away after I've read them as much as I intend to. The only I really keep are those with high re-read value.

Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends? - "The Long Walk" by Richard Bachman (King), or maybe Gaiman's "Anansi Boys".

Have you ever tried writing a book? - Not really. I fiddle around with little passages and mock chapters and such, but I have not the patience, the time, nor the skill to write anything worth reading.

[berk]

I'm useless at questionaires like this, but let me try to answer as many as I can:

What is the book you're currently reading?

I have a bunch of anthologies and collections on the go that I'm dipping into in between other stuff:

Near Eastern Religious Texts relating to the Old Testament;
a Lessing collection;
New Oxford Book of Eighteenth Century verse;
The Enlightenment Reader
an Edmund Burke collection;
Canadian Poetry anthology, covers up to WWI;
Samuel Johnson: The Major Works;

How long does it normally take you to finish a book?

The ones above are taking anywhere from a couple weeks to several months to probably a year or more. When I read stright through, anywhere from a day to a few weeks. Took me nearly three weeks to finish The Wealth of Nations, with almost no interruptions from other reading.

Who is your favorite author?

Not sure.

What is the last book you finished reading?

The Soldiers, a play by Lenz that inspired Buchner's Woyzeck (sp?), which inspired the 12-tone opera by Berg (was it?)

Who is your favorite literary character?

not sure

How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are qued?

must be into the hundreds, now, I'm ashamed to say.

What is qued?

Götz von Berlichingen, an early drama by Goethe;
a Thomas Paine collection;
The Old English Baron, an early Gothic novel, one of the first directly inspired by Walpole's Otranto.
Jacques the Fatalist, novel by Denis Diderot;
The Robbers, early "sturm und drang" drama from Schiller;

The next really big thing I want to tackle will be Kant's Critique of Pure reason.

And in between all this 18th century stuff I'll sneak in something more contemporary now and then. I have a bunch that I'll choose from as the urge takes me.

What are your favorite genre of books?

Almost anything, but some of the ones I seem to keep going back most often are ancient history and mythology; a lot of genre lit; philosophy;

How many books have you read in the past year? (just guess if you don't know).

really hard to say; maybe 50 over the last 12 months? I'm just guessing an average of a week per book.

How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation).

Eyeballing a shelf in the bookcase in front of me and extrapolating, maybe a couple thousand.

Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?

No, I'm more likely to try to tailor it to the individual.

Have you ever tried writing a book?

Not really. I've made a couple stabs at writing, but the results didn't strike me as too promising. I haven't ruled out trying again someday.

[Rabid Trekkie]

What is the book you're currently reading?
Star Trek: Sarek, ST:New Frontier: Restoration, Children of Dune, and today will be starting the third book in the Elric series.

How long does it take you to finish a book?
Depends, anywhere from two days to a couple months. Of course I still got Mother of Kings by Poul Anderson that's still only half read for about two years now. Need to fix that.

Who is your favorite author?
I'd probably have to say Heinlein. He helped shaped a lot of my views, he always forces me to think, and his stories hold my interest like no other. Course Bradbury is really high up there as well.

What is the last book you finished reading?
Star Trek TNG: Greater than the Sum and will be finishing The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian today.

Who is your favorite literary character?
Frodo from Lord of the Rings. I've come to identify myself with him, which is kind of fitting as I always thought of my Grandpa as Bilbo.

How many books do you own but haven't read?
I've been buying books like crazy. Probably have four or five hundred books I haven't read yet. It's the best problem I've ever had.

What is qued?
Everything. My idea about what to read next changes by the hour. Though where I'm going to be reading does factor into it. Some of my older books or those that aren't in great condition aren't going to work with me, same with the large hardbacks that I have.

What is your favorite genre of books?
Sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery. And that covers most of the subgenres in those as well.

How many books have you finished this year?
Maybe twenty or more. I don't really keep track.

How many books do you own?
I'm probably close to a thousand, not including my comics.

What is the book you always recommend?
My recommendations really depend on what the person is interested in. My favorite pastor was looking for a kind of scary story and so I loaned him my copy of Something Wicked This Way Comes which he loved. For some people who loved fantasy I recommended Glory Road or American Gods. So it really depends.

Have you ever tried writing a book?
A couple times, but mostly try short stories. I've been away from it for a long while but hoping to get back to it soon.

[Sheepish08]

In order to de-clutter my mess of a room a joined some (http://www.hitflip.co.uk/dvds/)swapping site (http://www.hitflip.de/books/)online (http://www.hitflip.at/books/) - where you sort of give your books aways and get books in return so kinds give new ones for free . . . in a way, but as a consequence by old books of Stephen King (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_king), Agatha Christie (http://uk.agathachristie.com/site/home/)and H G Wells (http://www.bartleby.com/people/Wells-HG.html)(which I love but have read a million times and have been collected balls of dust) have been replaced with Dan Brown (http://www.danbrown.com/), Robert Harris (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Harris_(novelist)) and Bill Bryson (http://www.randomhouse.com/features/billbryson/). Now if i was gonna choses authors to represent me, i´d choose the latter, so not only have I just gone and replaced my old clutter with new clutter but got rid of a part of my identity - not all that is left is grail searching, WW2 and country walks!!

[i_mmmchocolate]

What is the book you're currently reading?
I always read two or three at one time (usually finish at least one of them). At the moment, one of them is Trading Roles: Gender, Ethnicity, and the Urban Economy in Colonial Potosi by Jane Mangan.

How long does it normally take you to finish a book?
Varies. From 1 week to two months.

Who is your favorite author?
A lot, but C.S. Lewis comes to mind right now.

What is the last book you finished reading?
Getting Even by Woody Allen, I think.

Who is your favorite literary character?
Dorian Gray.

How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are qued?
Probably around 15.

What is qued?
Stuff like Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World by Kurlansky, four or five of Faulkner's books, etc.

What are your favorite genre of books?
Lots of favorites, but mostly (at least lately anyway) nonfiction stuff about South America.

Oh, and books with stories/essays about food. Nonfiction, basically.

How many books have you read in the past year?
I dunno. Probably not as much as I would because I was swamped with grad school crap.

How many books do you currently own in your library?
About 250-300.

Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

Have you ever tried writing a book?
No.

[DrewTheXenocide]

What is the book you're currently reading?

The Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain, The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, and The Elements of Style by Strunk and White.


How long does it normally take you to finish a book?
Depends on book, size, difficulty, and if I'm reading anything else simultaneously (as I am now).


Who is your favorite author?

John Steinbeck.


What is the last book you finished reading?

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain


Who is your favorite literary character?

Umm, prrrrooobably Bean from the Ender's Game series.


What about this character made them your favorite?

When I first encountered him during seventh grade, I could relate really well to him, so he's just held a special place in my heart the entire time.


How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are qued?

Four.


What is qued?

Sanctuary by Faulkner, The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, Gun with Occasional Music, and I wanna finally finish Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. It's dense.


What are your favorite genre of books?

Hmm... I couldn't really tell you.


How many books have you read in the past year? (just guess if you don't know.

An embarrassing single digit number. Probably five or six. Four or five of those was during the summer, though.

How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation

)

Twenty-something.


Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?

Anonymous Rex by Eric Garcia.


Have you ever tried writing a book?

Short stories are more my thing.

[dupont2005]

In order to de-clutter my mess of a room a joined some (http://www.hitflip.co.uk/dvds/)swapping site (http://www.hitflip.de/books/)online (http://www.hitflip.at/books/) - where you sort of give your books aways and get books in return so kinds give new ones for free . . . in a way, but as a consequence by old books of Stephen King (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_king), Agatha Christie (http://uk.agathachristie.com/site/home/)and H G Wells (http://www.bartleby.com/people/Wells-HG.html)(which I love but have read a million times and have been collected balls of dust) have been replaced with Dan Brown (http://www.danbrown.com/), Robert Harris (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Harris_(novelist)) and Bill Bryson (http://www.randomhouse.com/features/billbryson/). Now if i was gonna choses authors to represent me, i´d choose the latter, so not only have I just gone and replaced my old clutter with new clutter but got rid of a part of my identity - not all that is left is grail searching, WW2 and country walks!!

do you get to choose the books you get in return?

[i_mmmchocolate]

The Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain
I <heart> Anthony Bourdain. I wanna have ten thousand of his babies.

I haven't read a book of his, though. I'll add that one to my Amazon list.

[Puma]

What is the book you're currently reading?
Freethinkers by Susan Jacoby, Stitch and Bitch, and am listening to Jingo by Terry Pratchett


How long does it normally take you to finish a book?
A few hours to a few days depending on my free time.


Who is your favorite author?
For sheer fun, and going back to read again, Terry Pratchett; otherwise it really depends on the quality of the work rather than a particular author.


What is the last book you finished reading?
Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich, I tried reading three others and just couldn't retain interest.


Who is your favorite literary character?
Currently? Sam Vimes and Granny Weatherwax.


What about this character made them your favorite?
Their anger and how they use it.


How many books do you own in your library that you haven't read, but are queued?
Around twenty.


What are your favorite genre of books?
It depends.


How many books have you read in the past year? (just guess if you don't know.
Counting audio books, over fifty.


How many books do you currently own in your library? (Another guesstimation.)
Three to four hundred.

Is there one book that you've read that no matter what, you ALWAYS recommend to your friends?
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Have you ever tried writing a book?
Nope. A master's thesis was hard enough.