Blogger is being a royal pain in the you-know-
where this morning. Not allowing me to publish
my post and now not letting me upload pictures.
So I'll answer Jaimie's meme and then we'll see
how we go from there.

Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?

I've always had a mental block when it comes to reading books that
were published before the 20th century. I guess that I'm afraid that
I won't be able to relate to them, or get into the flow of the words or
the phraseology. I've got all of Jane Austin's books, but I've yet to
actually pick one up and attempt to read it.

If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?

Who would I bring to life from all of the books I've read?? Oh,
where to start??? Jamie and Claire from Diana Gabaldon's
books to start. Henry from The Time Traveler's Wife would be
another. Henry would be for the clubbing, while Jamie and
Claire would be for tea. As for going on a cruise....how about
Sherlock Holmes?? He'd know everything that there is to
know about any place we went, and probably the language
too. I'm not sure what kind of sociable companion he'd be
but perhaps I could bring Henry along for that too.


(Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): you are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realise it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?

The most boring book on the planet? A school text book. Any one.



Come on, we’ve all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you've read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it?

I don't know. The Bible I suppose. Haven't really ever stuck with that.
I've never been able to read the Bronte's stuff. Just know the stories from
movies and tv.

You’re interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisor to some VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why? (If you feel like you’d have to know the person, go ahead and personalise the VIP)

I'd suggest a biography like David Niven's "The Moon is a Balloon".
It is hilariously funny, tells stories about Hollywood movie stars
that most every one's heard of, and tells a bit about Niven's time
serving in the second world war which would provide a bit of historical
interest. Oh, and Niven had Garbo swim naked in his pool, which
would intrigue any red blooded male VIP.



A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?

I think I'd like to be able to read (and speak) either French or
Gaelic. But this is a hard one to chose. French so I could read
Victor Hugo or Alexandre Dumas or Collette. Hmmm all writers
from before the 20th century. Still....

A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?

Oh boy. I've read Marie Killilea's books Karen and With Love From Karen so often they'd qualify for sure. Also The Time Traveler's Wife. I've also read
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn many times. The Lord of the Rings would be
another choice even if there are three of them.


I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What’s one bookish thing you ‘discovered’ from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)?

I'm reading more general fiction, and have strayed away from Fantasy
quite a bit in the last few years, although I still read Fantasy. I take note
of books recommended by blog friends such as Barbara's recommending of
The Stolen Child, which I would probably have never heard of if she hadn't
mentioned it. Kerry is also a great help with selecting books thanks to her
reviews and her voracious reading appetite.


That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leatherbound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free.

Oh boy!!! I'd have a ball with this one. A fireplace!! Definitely. Lot's of
shelves all around the room, probably in a dark wood. Hardwood floors
with a lovely, colourful rug in front of the fireplace. Several tall windows
with window seats. A big round table in the centre of the room. Comfy
wing backed arm chairs. Books in hardcover...even the ones that have
never been published in hardcover. Each and every one signed by the
author. No dust jackets on the books.


I'll just tag anyone who reads this post and loves books. You
know who you are.