I was tagged by Nevillegirl to do this pretty crazy book meme.
(apologies for the weirded formatting)
How old are you?
Eighteen!
What book are you reading?
I’m currently running my way through the Fauxpocalypse anthology just for the sake of it.
What are you wearing?
As I write this, I’m in my Quidditch kit, ‘cause I’m going to training in half an hour: block red shirt and black shorts.
OTP?
(For the old people in the audience: this is short for One True Pairing, or your favourite couple from a story.)
Can I talk about OTP’s in my own work? I ship my own characters more than other booky characters. Andrea and Lucas from Triangle – or ‘Landrea’ as they became known to my readers – work so well and are so cute. Although I guess I’m not really supposed to allow the love triangle cliché, Landrea beats Kandrea anyday!
Also: Lysander and his secret boyfriend (who is so secretive I’m not going to mention more until I polish the story more…) from recent novella Lysander Yakinos.
Blogger or WordPress?
WordPress. My old computer crashed whenever I went on Blogspot and even my laptop is not happy about the CPU usage the website incurs.
Going outside being active or staying in and reading a book?
Hmm, difficult. Whilst it’s difficult to get me to go outside when I’m inside, I’m actually quite the adventurer, and I love being outside. On the other hand, I’m not so good at reading outside. Glare ruins everything, even on print copies.
What is the last book you read?
Before Fauxpocalypse, the last book I picked up was Hounds of Autumn by Heather Blackwood, but the last book I finished was Unteachable by Leah Raeder.
What is the book you’re going to read next?
Difficult to say. I don’t know exactly what I’ll pick up next, and I haven’t got anything planned. Chances are: I’ll end up darting between various ebooks and paperbooks and genres.
Ebooks – yes or no?
I have a Kindle app, despite the fact I’m not a keen ebook reader. I stare at screens too much already, and a Kindle just encourages sore eyes. Sure, there’s nothing inherently wrong with ebooks, but something remains about holding a print book in all its glory.
Where do you prefer to read?
Uh, in a comfy chair.
Who is the last person you tweeted?
The vice-captain of the Quidditch team in non-writing, really-irrelevant matters.
Whose blog did you look at last?
Neville’s Naval, due to the fact I was taking down these questions. Next.
Who is your favourite blogger?
Oh, don’t ask me that! I love you all, everyone who reads my stuff and everyone who creates commentary of books or films or— or…life! There’s not one I go/visit more than the others, because everybody provides their own ideas and interpretations and that’s worth everything.
Who is your favourite booktuber?
Like Neville before me, I don’t do a lot of YouTubing, and I’d probably pick Miriam Joy, too. Woot!
What do you do when someone tells you reading is boring?
I accept their argument for whatever reason. Whilst I don’t find getting wrapped up in other worlds boring, I can understand how some people may not have the emotional/interest/time capacity for reading or find it tedious.
Who is the last author you spoke to?
It depends what you count as author. Published/unpublished? I speak to authors a lot. The Fauxpocalypse crew. Miriam Joy. Nevillegirl.
Who is the last person you texted?
My answer to this question is not as bad as it could be: a friend and girl down my corridor – I asked her if she was still interested in playing Quidditch with the team. (Are you noticing a theme? 😉 )
Who is your all-time favourite book character?
All characters are awesome! I don’t have a favourite. My own? 😛 Agnetha always makes me smile. Phillip touches my heart – I can relate to him probably the most as a reader of my own fiction.
UKYA or USYA?
I am probably massively biased here. I don’t know to what extent I read US YA, whereas UK YA catches my eye quicker here. Most of the US books I read I’ve either downloaded on Kindle app (thus, read slower) or I hear about through the blogosphere months after US release.
What is your preferred drink whilst reading?
Uh, anything I have on hand, I guess. Chai tea is gorgeously silky to have when reading, but diet coke is just as good, see.
If you hated reading, what would you be doing instead?
Playing music on my guitar. Before I started writing, I was a prolific songwriter and a terrible I’ll-post-it-on-YouTube-because-I’m-awesome performer.
How many bookshelves / bookcases do you have?
Personally? One, I guess. At home, we have two bookcases in the living room and one in the landing, and I have a makeshift, bookends one in my bedroom. At uni, I have half a metal shelf of fiction, textbook strewn around my floor, and two on my football boots under my bed: Fauxpocalypse and the Spirits of St. Louis.
If you had the choice to meet all of your favourite book bloggers or all of your favourite authors, which would you pick?
No offence to bloggers, but probably authors, since they have more gravitas – ie. I’m more likely to ‘fangirl’ over them. Besides, bloggers can be authors, too. I’ll just wait ‘til they’ve published and then meet them. Ha! Beat the system!
Insta-love: yes or no?
No! *gets out shotgun* Whilst I understand tantalising attraction, I don’t understand the concept of love at first sight, or as it is in books ‘insta-love’. Characters need time to grow and get to know each other, even if the story is a genre romance. On the other hand, people, teens especially, mistake lust for love and the idea of caring for the way a proper, giving relationship will feel. Sometimes books aptly portray this.
Favourite author?
Probably Lewis Carroll. I don’t tend to have favourite authors: only favourite or well-loved books. I really liked Jacqueline Wilson when I was younger, but I tend not to read her stuff nowadays.
What is the number-one book on your wishlist?
I’d love to one day finish the Roman Mysteries series I started when I was twelve or thirteen; I just never got my hands on a copy of the last book. The last Skulduggery Pleasant book will be out this year, so that’s worth looking forward to.
Do you prefer books with female or male protagonists?
Generally female protagonists. I read, and write, a lot more of them anyway.
Which is your favourite book-to-film adaptation?
Ooh, since I don’t get to read many books (especially more recent releases) before they are adapted into films, I’ll go with one of my childhood favourites: Alice Through the Looking Glass, the film of which involving Kate Beckinsale is very faithful to Carroll’s text. I intend to watch it again soon. I rarely get super excited about adaptations, anyway.
What is the last song you listened to?
I’ve been going through the new Vitamin String Quartet album, as this means I can listen to more popular music without being distracted by the lyrics whilst I edit. The last one I listened to was their version of Lady GaGa’s ‘Monster’.
Which do you enjoy reading more – negative reviews or positive reviews?
Ignoring the fact that it might sound vindictive, negative reviews, since they’re generally more honest. I find it difficult to trust reviews that give five stars or call a book ‘flawless’ (‘hard to fault’, on the other hand, is different); books, imperfect like humanity, are never ‘flawless’.
Who are you going to tag?
Jae, since I believe it’s been a while since she’s done a blog meme.
And Mystic Cooking.
Avery Thorn when he has the time.
Neville stole my tags 😉
Alexandrina Brant 
Thanks for tagging me! 🙂 I already did the meme once, though, so I probably won’t do it since I’d be answering the same questions. I appreciate the thought, though!
Ha ha, love your answer for meeting authors/bloggers. 😉 (Whenever you’re faced with a difficult decision like that, you always say both)!
Oh, sorry! 😛 I wasn’t sure who had and hadn’t – so many people have already been tagged and I didn’t know who to choose.
Yeah – I’m recklessly on the fence for a lot of my decisions involving people. Everyone is brilliant! xD
Hey, thanks for tagging me! Damn… I haven’t been on in a couple months… I got pneumonia for a little while, and before that I had exams. *sigh*
Honestly, I’m not sure if I’m actually going to continue blogging, and that really presents a problem for me. I mean, the main issue is my schedule, and school and writing and stuff has basically killed my free time with a chainsaw. But like, at the same time, I really do enjoy talking to the people I’ve made friends with on wordpress.
And, I mean, if I decide to stop blogging I’d just delete the site, because I don’t like to leave things lying around, all cluttered. But then, it’s like, how am I ever going to talk to anyone again?
Idunno man, and it’s weird. I don’t wanna ask something like; “Do you have Facebook? add me on Facebook!”, partially because I have extreme social anxiety when it comes to forwarding questions like that, and partially because I just feel kind of bad, for potentially giving up on blogging and all. But I do want to stay in touch with the cool online writers I’ve met.
So I’m sorry for the awkwardness, but if you do have Facebook, or email or whatever, I’d love to add you as a contact/whatevs. Cause I hardly ever go on this thing anymore, and I’m running low on interesting people to talk to.
Gah, I’m sorry man. I mean, only if you’re comfortable. I don’t want to impose. *stands around, hugging himself*
Oh, hey, I totally forgot about this comment, so firstly I apologise for that.
Secondly, I totally get that school gets in the way of blogging. I think I might’ve stopped blogging, had I not this weird circadian rhythm of staying up to the early hours of the morning.
It’s sad that you’ll stop, but do feel free to add me on FB. I’m friends on there with a lot of the online writers I’ve known, so it’s no problem to me (though I’ve got social anxiety, too, so I understand. I’m querying at the moment, and it takes me over an hour to send each letter because I triple check everything to avoid thinking about the fact I’m sending stuff TO AN ACTUAL PERSON!). Alex Brant. I think you might be able to find me under Alexandrina Brant as well, since that’s my FB internet address (and I’m the only one there).
Don’t worry man. It’s perfectly alright!
Well, the thing is, I’m certain that I’ll take up blogging again a little later in life, but for the moment I’d like to put it on hiatus. And, actually, I’m preparing to do queries at the moment and I would like to use the whole Avery Thorne name and that as an author title.
Cause like, my name is unpronounceable. Joshua Guignion (I did mention the Thorne thing is a pseudonym at some point I hope. Also, totally sorry if I didn’t. *feels bad*)
But like, Guignion is strange and has far too many silent letters. So what I’m probably going to do is save all my articles and take down the blog for now, and start something else up perhaps in the summer, or something, when I’m sure to have free time.
AND YAY FACEBOOK. You rock, man. I think I found your profile… or possibly your dobbleganger’s. Let the facebook talking begin!