Booking By Numbers

 
Want to have a nosy at my bookshelves? :-)

Jess from Jess Hearts Books recently posted a fun Q&A and invited other bloggers to take part as well. I noticed a great response from Kat on The Aussie Zombie, and thought it would be fun to have a go too!

Here are Jess' instructions:

Put the number of books on your bookshelf (or if like me you have hundreds of books break it down to 50, 70, 100 - however many books you’d like to play with) into a random number generator this could be via Random Org or simply by pulling numbers out of a hat. For each question draw a number and apply that question to the selected book from your shelf (or wherever you like to store your books.) For example if you pulled the number 11 you’d count across your shelf to the 11th book. It’s as simple as that!

Okay, on to the questions:

My books (and nick-nacks). I decided to limit it to 500 for this survey.

Q1) Have you read this book? If so, what did you think of it?

Book No. 156 - A Storm of Swords (Part 2: Blood and Gold), by George R. R. Martin

I have read this! I loved it. This is the third book in the Song of Ice and Fire series; the book is split into two parts, and this is the second half. A lot of very unexpected and shocking things happen in this one (including the Red Wedding, I think, if I've got my books right), and the scale of the whole thing just seems to get bigger and bigger. I also think this is the high point of the series before it started to drag just a little, for me. Though, having said that, I am still really enjoying later books too.

Q2) Why did you buy this book? Were you recommended it? Was it a random purchase?

Book No. 10 - Anne of Green Gables, by L. M. Montgomery

I didn't actually buy this one. My parents bought it for me ages ago, when I was a child. I loved it so much, and I read it every year for a long time.

Q3) Based on what you know about this book, which other book blogger would you recommend it to?

Book No. 136 - Hyperion, by Dan Simmons

Hmmm, tricky one. It's science fiction with horror elements, a bit weird, with a really different and interesting way of telling its story. I'd recommend it to people who already enjoy science fiction and like the idea of mixing up a few different genre feels in one story - a bit cyberpunky here, a bit space opera-y there, a bit military SF style there, etc. One thing to bear in mind, it tends to be sold as if it's a stand-alone, but it isn't really! I was really cross with the ending until I realised there was actually another book. It's definitely not complete without the second book (The Fall of Hyperion), so make sure you look out for that if you do want to read this.

Q4) Who’s this book's bookshelf neighbour?

Book No. 125 - Dracula, by Bram Stoker

Dracula's neighbours are The Night Watch, by Surgei Lukyanenko, and The Time Traveller's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. I imagine The Night Watch is either unfazed by Dracula's presence, or desperately trying to get his autograph. The Time Traveller's Wife is probably giving him the side eye and hanging up the garlic, though I'm sure if it came to it, Clare wouldn't go down without a fight.

Q5) How many books have you read by this book’s author?

Book No. 262 - Imperium, by Robert Harris

I've read three books by Robert Harris: Imperium, its sequel Lustrum, and a stand-alone novel, Pompeii. These are all his books set in an ancient Roman setting - I LOVE ancient Greeks and Romans! I really enjoyed Imperium and Lustrum, and I think he's done a good job of catching the feel of the time and bringing history to life. Pompeii was fun, but not as good. It's more of an escape-from-the-disaster plot, whereas the other two are much deeper, with more memorable characters.

Q6) Do you have any special memories attached to this book? 

Book No. 479 - The Odyssey, by Homer

Yes, this was my first introduction to the literature of Ancient Greece, and I went on to do Classical Studies at university. I still love this story so much!

Yep, two copies of the Odyssey (different translations)

Q7) Is this book part of a series? If it is, are you up to date with the series?

Book No. 319 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling

This is really weird because Jess' seventh book happened to be a J. K. Rowling too, but under the name of Robert Galbraith! Yep, this is the final book in the Harry Potter series and I'm definitely up to date. I was up to date within a few days of each book coming out! :-)

Q8) Is this book something you’d typically read or is it out of your comfort zone? 

Book No. 85 - Throne of Glass, by Sarah J. Maas

I haven't read this one yet, but I'm really looking forward to it! I think this is pretty squarely in my comfort zone - high fantasy, secondary world, female protagonist, magic?, assassins... yep, definitely my kind of thing!

Q9) Have you reviewed this book? If yes, then share a link to it.

Book No. 334 - The Case of the Good Looking Corpse, by Caroline Lawrence

I have! Here's the review.

The hardback wouldn't fit on the shelf with my other Caroline Lawrence paperbacks.
Need to do some re-ordering of shelves I think!

Q10) Where did you buy this book from?

Book No. 173 - Robots and Empire, by Isaac Asimov

I bought this from a charity shop. They were selling the whole collection of Asimov's robot and foundation books. :-)

Q11) Roughly how long have you owned this book for?

Book No. 381 - Fire and Hemlock, by Diana Wynne Jones

Ooh, I can't remember. It must be quite a long time! Let's say... 6 years?

Q12) Share the first sentence of this book.

Book No. 224 - Reaper Man, by Terry Pratchett

"The Morris dance is common to all inhabited worlds in the multiverse."

Q13) What’s your opinion on this book’s cover? 

Book No. 463 - The Golem's Eye, by Jonathan Stroud

I really like this. It's a bit creepy, but also colourful and suggests a children's book. It hints at things in the book, and the fact that the atmosphere will be a bit darker in this one than the first one. I also like how simple this is - it's not an overcrowded image, but it is effective.

Q14) In a few sentences, describe this book in your own words.

Book No. 408 - The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman

A boy called Nobody is raised by the dead. But the man who killed his family is still very much alive, and still out there...

Just noticed that The Graveyard Book is surrounded by poison!

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Thanks Jess for the great idea! You can check out her answers here, and Kat's answers here.