Book Survey

I saw this on Kayley Hyde's blog ages ago and  it seemed like a kind of cool thing to do...

Favourite childhood book?
Well, Harry Potter (all of them) by JK Rowling but I still read and love them. When I was younger though I loved Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
What are you reading right now?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
What books do you have on request at the library?
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, Buffy the Vampire Slayer season eight, vol one by Joss Whedon & co, and Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James. I know, I'm ashamed of having that reserved, but I decided I should probably actually have read the book I've been slagging off for months.
Bad book habit?
Spilling drink on the pages or creasing the corners in my bag
What do you currently have checked out of the library?
Midnight Days by Neil Gaiman, X-Men First Class - The Wonder Years, Dr Horrible and Other Horrible Stories by Zak Whedon, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and Villette by Charlotte Bronte.
Do you have an e-reader?
No. I'm sorry, but they aren't the same as a real book for so many reasons that  I could write a whole blog post on that alone
Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I often like to read one novel and one graphic novel/comic book at the same time.     
Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
I started this blog about two hours ago so, no.
Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Favorite book you’ve read this year?
The Fault in our Stars by John Green
How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
I read quite a broad range of stuff, so I'm not really sure what my comfort zone would be 
What is your reading comfort zone?
Again I'm not sure I have one, but I read a lot of fantasy and dystopians at the minute
Can you read on the bus?
If I want to...
Favorite place to read?
Lying on my bed
What is your policy on book lending?
I don't mind, unless it's a book that's particularly special      
Do you ever dog-ear books?
Yes
Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
NEVER!
Not even with text books?     
Okay, yeah with school books I do
What is your favorite language to read in?
English, because unfortunately it's the only one I know. I attempted to read Philosopher's Stone in French once and didn't get past the first chapter
What makes you love a book?
Really kick-ass female characters, references to other things I like, and a complicated twist at the end where really minor things turn out to be super important. And characters that I really care for
What will inspire you to recommend a book?
When once I've finished I just want to re-read it and talk about it loads and therefore need someone to do this with. Or also if it just comes up in a conversation
Favorite genre?
Fantasy
Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Non-fiction maybe? 
Favorite biography?
I don't really read many biographies so I suppose I'd have to say Billie Piper's by Chris Stevens because it's about the only one I can remember, besides a terrible one on Robert Pattinson which basically said "hahaha aren't Twilight fans so much cooler than those Harry Potter nerds". As a Harry Potter nerd I obviously wasn't happy about that
Have you ever read a self-help book?
No
Favorite cookbook?
I don't really use them,
Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
The Fault in our Stars by John Green again. I just adore that book and everything about it.  
Favorite reading snack?
Coffee and a chocolate digestive biscuit
Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience
Perhaps Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman. Everyone at the reading group I go to loved it so much and it's always on best book lists, but I have to say I found it just average     
How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I don't really read reviews of books too much, but in some cases they've loved something I hate or vice versa
How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
As long as I have legitimate reasons I don't have a problem with it really. I'm allowed to have an opinion on something just as anyone else is.
If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?
Elvish becuase that would be the most awesome thing ever. I don't care if it's a kind of pointless skill 99% of the time, because elves are just the best creatures (and I want their ears)
Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
In the last six months or so I've started reading loads of comic books and I suppose they can be intimidating because if it's a series you're not familar with there are all these characters and past events that it's just assumed you know about.
Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
I don't get nervous about reading a book. if I hate it or it just isn't my thing I can always stop half way.
Favourite Poet?
I don't really read poetry, unless it's at school, so I'm not sure I have a favourite
How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Probably five or six as I change them pretty regularly
How often have you returned books to the library unread?
Occasionally, but normally I try to force myself through it
Favorite fictional character?
Well Luna Lovegood is my absolute favourite, but there are so many others (such as Lyra Belaqua, Lisbeth Salander, Jane Eyre, Ramona Flowers, Hermione Granger, Willow Rosenberg as well as others that aren't from books)
Favorite fictional villain?
Bellatrix Lestrange 
Books you’re most likely to bring on vacation?
Just whatever I have ready to read next 
The longest you’ve gone without reading
Two or three days probably  
Name a book that you could/would not finish
Beloved by Toni Morrison; I'm sorry, but I just hated that book, and really don't care that it won Nobel prizes and stuff. I was pleased about getting as far as I did, so I just read the synopsis online.
What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
The fact that I know there are probably other things I should be doing
Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
The Lord of the Rings, because Peter Jackson completely captures everything that Tolkein wrote and it's really clear how much he cared about the original material. I actually prefer the films to the books, which is very, very rare for me.
Most disappointing film adaptation?
About a Boy. I also have major problems with the Harry Potter films because I feel that in someone else's hands they could have been done so much better, content wise at least.
The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
Not much really; probably never more than £15? I don't buy that many books and any which were super expensive were most likely gifts
How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Never
What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
A boring plot which doesn't seem to be going anywhere or characters that I have no connection to
Do you like to keep your books organized?
Yes, totally. I may be slightly obsessive about this but I treat my bookshelves like a library. There are different sections for each genre and some bits are labelled with post-it notes. Then the general fiction bit is ranked in order of how much I love them.
Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I keep them. Maybe it's selfish but if I want a book to be there for me to read again and again. Plus I'll need them for when I have a giant house and have a huge library which is a cross between the Hogwarts one and Giles' library at Sunnydale High

Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
The Gone series? I don't know what it is about them because everyone says they're good, but something tells me the claims that they're as good as The Hunger Games won't be true.
Name a book that made you angry
I'm not sure. Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace annoyed me and the previously mentioned Robert Pattinson biograph pissed me off, but I know there are others that I'm somehow forgetting.
A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
Again I'm not sure. Perhaps Heroes by Robert Cormier which we had to read at school and sounded so dull, though is actually really good.
A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
Middlemarch. I thought because George Eliot was a woman forced to write under a pseudonym perhaps there'd be a bit of feminism in there, but I have to say most of the book was just about marrying half the village off
Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Re-reading books I love over and over. I've literally read each Harry potter book about ten times and it can never ever get old