This was designed by Jamie at perpetualpageturner.com  and it’s quite a cool little A to Z book survey. (Thanks to Nova for pointing me that way). And thus, away we go…

Author you’ve read the most books from:

It’s a tie: Jessica Sorensen and Oscar Wilde. The bizarreness of that pairing beggars the imagination. I’d have thought it would be F. Scott Fitzgerald, but he’s a close second, along with Tim Dorsey (another odd pairing)  (Helpful hint from Jamie: Want an easy way to figure this out if you have Goodreads and keep good track of your stuff? Go to your account, hit “my books”and on the left hand side under your shelves you will see “most read authors”) (Also, it occurs to me that there were seven Harry Potter books, and I’ve read all seven. It was just before I started on Goodreads. So, I guess my revised answer would be “J.K. Rowling,” although I’m too freaked-out by the Jessica Sorensen/Oscar Wilde dyad to change it)

Best Sequel Ever:

“The Cold 6000,” by James Ellroy. It picks up where the spectacular “American Tabloid” finishes, and continues building upon the story.

Currently Reading:

Currently, I’m in the middle of two books (something I rarely do): “Raising Innocence,” the third of Shannon Mayer’s awesome Rylee Adamson series, and “The Crack-Up,” by F. Scott Fitzgerald–a collection of his essays, autobiographical sketches, and letters both to and from him. (This is where his great quote, “In a real dark night of the soul, it’s always three o’clock in the morning, day after day” comes from)

Drink of Choice While Reading:

Maker’s Mark or a big snifter of B&B. However, since I don’t drink anymore, we’ll have to go with Diet Pepsi.

E-reader or Physical Book?

Some sort of e-device. I usually read on my PC, just because that’s where Adobe Digital Editions is, and most ARC’s I get are in that format. I love reading trade paperbacks, but not as much as I love reading with all the lights off.

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

Luna Lovegood. Her lighthearted whimsy would have helped my broody propensities, plus she’s kind of a hippie, and so she’d have been an easy lay. I’M KIDDING maybe.

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

“The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,” by Stieg Larsson. The first 120 pages of this book were almost mind-numbingly tedious, but they subtly hinted at something better to follow. By page 121, I was hooked, and I blasted through the rest of the trilogy in a week, then promptly reread them all.

Hidden Gem Book:

Lori Otto’s  Emi: Lost & Found   series. Three books and a novella prequel, and I five-starred them all. I don’t know how I happened upon book one, but thank the book gods I did. Beautiful writing, and they will wring out your emotions like a dishrag.

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

I’ve always been a reader, but some stuff happened a couple of years ago, and I could no longer concentrate on a book for more than a few pages. This was frustrating as hell, since I used to blast through books easily. After about four months, somebody gave me a Lee Child “Reacher” novel, and I found my reading mojo had returned, Gott sei dank!

Just Finished:

“The Last Tycoon,” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Sadly, he died before he could finish it, because he’d gotten his writing mojo back after the lamentable “Tender Is the Night.”

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

Straight romance–ie, romance without there being a murder or something involved–most science fiction, much fantasy, contemporary poetry, and anything wherein the characters spend more than ten or fifteen pages on horseback.

Longest Book You’ve Read:

“Executive Orders,” by Tom Clancy (1376 pages)

Major book hangover because of:

I’d go with “Tampa,” by Alissa Nutting. That was such a mind-fuck, that I just wanted to take a week-long hot shower and bleach my brain. Seriously great book, but yeesh. This is why I read a book I knew would make me laugh next–“Holidays in Hell,” by P.J. O’Rourke.

Number of Bookcases You Own:

Believe it or not, one. I’ve never kept a lot of books, and after my last moving purge, I’ve basically only used e-book apps. I have some review copies, plus some well-worn Harry Potters, and the Millenium Trilogy.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

Easily “Franny and Zooey,” by J.D. Salinger. I’ve read it a minimum of fifteen times, mostly in one sitting each.

Preferred Place To Read:

In bed. I’ve always read better lying on my stomach (probably why my eyes have gotten worse with time)

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

“He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning-fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips’ touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete.”

–The Great Gatsby (1925), ch. 6.

Not only is it gorgeous prose, but it sums up Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy. No matter how flawed or jaded life made them, this feeling would always be with him.

Reading Regret:

Jamie said something about not having been able to grow-up with the Harry Potter series, and I like that answer. When I was a young reader (back in the 1800’s it feels like), there was either crap that treated us like we were infants, or we read stuff aimed at adult readers. I ended up with “The Hobbit” in Grade 5, plus Sherlock Holmes, WW2 books, biographies, and a bunch of other things. It would have been interesting to have a series of well-written, non-condescending (nondescending, if you forgive my portmanteau), above-all interesting new books to read.

Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):

J.D. Robb’s Eve Dallas series. I like the dystopian world, and the characters feel real to me. Plus, there are grisly murders.

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:

Franny and Zooey; “American Tabloid,” by James Ellroy; Summa Theologica (orig. Latin), by Angelici Doctoris Sancti Tomae Aquinatis; “The Fault in Our Stars,” by John Green (I’m kidding about one of those. Guess which one)

Unapologetic Fan For:

Caitlyn Duffy’s “Treadwell Academy” series. I like that the protagonists are different, but that they all have that one point of intersection–the Academy, even though some spend very little time on academy grounds. I’ve liked all three books, even though I’m not at all the series’ target audience. And don’t cast aspersions; I’m Hagrid-sized, and I’ll smoosh you. 😉

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

P.J. O’Rourke has a new release soon. I’ve requested an ARC of it, but no word yet. I’ll happily buy it if I must. The guy cracks me up.

Worst Bookish Habit:

Binge-reading. If I read book one of a series, I want to read books two through last immediately. I do NOT do “Look for Book Two, January 2015” well, if for no other reason than I’ll probably forget about book one by then, and just not care.

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

“Dorothy Parker: What Fresh Hell Is This,” by Marion Meade. (Thank GOD it wasn’t something wimpy! lol)

Your latest book purchase:

“The Last Tycoon,” by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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

Again, “Tampa,” by Alissa Nutting. It was like looking at a car wreck. You know you should look away, but you’re too gobsmacked to do so.

Cool! Thanks, Jamie, for creating this meme, and for not having any lame questions on it. If you want to do it, I’d be curious to see your answers. Shoot me a link. Or don’t. No big whoop.

Happy Tuesday, fellow book nerds.

Besos, t