I saw this over on Leeswamme’s Blog and monkey see, monkey do…

1. Which book has been on your shelf the longest?

Out by Natsuo Kirino. No particular reason, it just has never got read. I even had two copies at one point because Amazon accidentally sent it twice.

2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?

I’ve just finished At Sea by Laurie Graham, am currently reading The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen and will probably read The Hairdresser of Harare by Tendai Huchu (but I always reserve the right to change my mind).

3. What book did everyone like and you hated?

I’m not sure I ever really hate a book but I must admit to not getting along at all with James Patterson’s books (the ones he writes himself at least). I tend to put a book down before I get to the hatred stage!

4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel…it’s just so big!

5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?”

Maybe I’ll retry The Iliad and The Odyssey…I certainly hope I finish the Gormenghast trilogy before then but if not it will be on my list! Retirement is a long way away.

6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?

Why would anyone read the end first? I am a big believer in not knowing much about the book at all before starting it. I avoid cover blurbs and like to read the opinion parts of reviews rather than the synopsis.

7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?

It depends on the author. Sometimes they can be funny or fascinating but more often than not they are just a list of meaningless names.

8. Which book character would you switch places with? 

It would have to be a character in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld just to experience that world, maybe Tiffany Aching (post-puberty of course) or Angua. Though speaking of werewolves it would be pretty cool to be Elena from Women of the Otherworld and get to run round like a proper wolf.

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)? 

I don’t think the actual stories trigger memories so much as I remember where I was when I found the book or where I read it.

10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way. 

Isn’t all book acquisition interesting? Probably the best are those gained from “book dips” at ReadItSwapIt meets. We all take a book we’ve enjoyed, wrap it up and everyone picks one at random (or by the prettiness of the wrapping paper).

11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person? 

All my special friends get books!

12. Which book has been with you to the most places? 

The Historian has made it through a house move and a holiday (it came with me to Florence via Pisa).

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?

Again with the hate! I don’t re-read much as it is so I’m unlikely to pick up something I didn’t enjoy before. I didn’t like Steinbeck but then I still haven’t found a “Great American Novel” that I like.

14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?
I wish I found more strange items in books, I love the Forgotten Bookmarks blog. Mostly it’s postcards or receipts.

15. Used or brand new? 

I prefer them new but I do get a lot of second hand books through swapping and charity shops. I hate to see a badly treated book though.

16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses? 

I think he writes a good story but I’m not sure about literary genius.

17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book? 

The Black Stallion. I adore the film and the book just doesn’t have the same effect.

18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid? 

The recent film adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was pretty poor though I enjoyed the cheesy BBC series from years back.

19. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question? 

Lots, there’s so many that depict lovely food but the ones that comes to mind is Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani.

20. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take? 

I’m the person who always seems to be giving the advice amongst non-blogging friends! There’s a core of favourite bloggers that I’m more likely to pay attention to but I’ve yet to find someone with the same brain as me…