A - Z Blogger book review - Because everyone does it

Roight, time to jump unto the bandwagon there with the most recent craze of the blog-o-sphere.  These 26 questions will give you a deep psychological profile of the creator of the blog you read it on, it will grant you valuable gems of wisdom, it will... oh crap that.  

This is just all good fun, and now that I have the midday off and just read the list on the Too Much Free Time blog, I decided to have a go at it.

Author you've read the most books from:

That should be oddly enough Diane Carey.  I read a lot of the small size 300 page paperback novels (they fit in my jacket pocket to read on the bus to work and such) and a lot of fantasy, sci-fi and particularly Star Trek.

Best sequel ever:

The follow up parts of The Harper's trilogy, from the old AD&D Forgotten Realms line of novels.

Currently reading:

The Fall of Arthur by Tolkien.  He like barely ever seems to have finished something, and it is a few pages of his original poem, followed by end on end of dry research and references.

Drink of choice whilst reading:

Javan Coffee.  Always.  Even when I'm not reading.  Unless I have cappucino

E-reader or physical book:

Physical without any question

Fictional character you would probably have dated in high school:

Has Eowin already divorced her Swann knight bloke?

Glad you gave this book a chance:

Flat Out, Flat Broke - the autobiography by Perry McCarthy, a talented british formula one driver without the required financial backing and how he managed by hard work and hard risks to finally land a seat in the Queen of motorised sports... with the Andrea Moda team, to this day still considered the biggest farce in the sport.

Hidden book gem:

Ship of the Line from the Star Trek series, detailing the shakedown cruise of the new Enterprise E and how command was given to Morgan Bateson instead of Picard.  Must be the Star Trek novel I've read at least a dozen times over.

Important moment in your book life:

For me, manga counts, let's get that clear.  Sure it is drawn instead of written all in texts, but it is a typical japanese way of telling stories.  So that has to be the FACTS superbuy I did past weekend (see the FACTS picture report a few days back for details)

Just finished:

A Dance with Dragons if I don't count mangas

Kind of book you won't read:

All that psychological crap by so called experts on how one should behave with this or that

Longest book you've read:

The Idiot by Dostoyevksi from 1869, my copy stood at over 3000 pages

Major book hangover because of  disappointing endings:

Anything which has to 'wrap up' just a bit too fast because it is running out of pages it might fill.  This happens a bit to often in the 300 page fantasy novels imho, as they set up introductions for way to long, then only have half a book to complete the story

Number of bookcases you own:

Only a small one, as I only keep the books I loved for normal books.  I usualyy go to a second hand shop, read them, then bring them back in to recuperate a bit of money and get fresh ones.

I do have a long manga shelf though for all the Saint Seiya books.

One book you've read multiple times:

De Slag in de Ardennen (Battle of the Bulge) by John Toland.  I literally read mine to pieces, even doing a book report in school when I was 11.  It is written in a PoV style and (especcially back then this was rare) was far more enjoyable then the dry historic recounts you mostly get on those sort of books.  To this day, i'm still looking for a fresh copy of the 'blue edition' to start reading it again to pieces...

Preferred place to read:

The bus or train when I get to work or on a trip.  It makes the stress lessen and I don't have to get fed up by the 'joys' of public transport.

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

"Morgend.  De velden lagen bevrozen.  Winter was eindelijk daar!" (Morning.  The fields where frozen.  Winter hasd finally come!)  From the Ardennes book, this was when Bastogne was getting critical and even though it snowed a lot back then, it just din't want to clear up and get the fields open and frozen hard so the Third Army could move in and liberate McAuliffe.  The quote gives me the feel of 'never give up, at some moment, it WILL all turn out for the better'

Reading regret:

A few weeks ago, I was temporarly out of reading material, and started in one of the GF's books.  She loves to read those 50 Shades "deluxe" kinds of books with a lot of romance turning into savage (BDSM) sex relationships.  I never got past page 50 thinking what kind of crap it was.  And never should a woman complain that men watch porn, they read it!!!!

Series you started and need to finish:

A Song of Ice and Fire, but it is out of my hands if I can ver finish it.  Write George, write goddammit.

Three of your all-time favourite books:

The Lord of the Rings, The Rise and Fall of a Dragon King, Battle of the Bulge.

Unapologetic fanboy for:

Saint Seiya

Very excited for this release:

The next Ice and Fire book, rumoured to be end 2014

Worst bookish habit:

Starting to read on the toilet, getting 'missed' after an hour or so

X marks the spot - Start at the top left of your bookshelf and pick the 27th book:

Unable to comply, I don't have a big non-manga shelf, I believe it numbers barely a dozen.

Your latest book purchase:

The Fall of Arthur by Tolkien, discounting the manga's from FACTS

Zzz snatcher book (the last book that kept you up waaay too late:)

A Dance with Dragons