ReaderCon Filipino Friday: Introduction
Better late than never.
Filipino Friday is a meme that originated within the Filipino Book Bloggers site and is being borrowed by the ReaderCon site in order to encourage participation among Filipino readers everywhere. The ReaderCon Filipino Friday will run for the 5 Fridays leading up to the big event on Sept. 14.
This week's topic is an introduction. Here's the prompt from the site:
Tell us what kind of reader you are. What are your favorite genres and books? Who are your favorite authors? Do you have a comfort read? And what's the best book you've read this year so far? You can also include links of where other readers can find you online.
I like to think I'm an eclectic reader. Though I had favorite genres at certain points in my life (bestsellers in early high school, sf&f in late high school to college, classics in later college years, YA when I started working) I think I've gotten to a point where I'm willing to sample anything. For instance, even when I started joining book clubs and blogging, I was a staunch fiction reader. But exposure to the wide world of reading and readers encouraged me to try out a few non-fiction titles which, thankfully, I enjoyed. So now I don't mind mixing non-fiction into my reading fare. Sometimes I even crave it. And although I love classic literature, something that a lot of people might shy away from, I am not afraid to say (oh God) that I loved Twilight! It hit me how amateurly written it was after I had consumed the first three books, but I loved it all the same. I've always wanted a vampire boyfriend.
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| In the time since I've read Twilight, I've upgraded desired vampire boyfriend into either of these two. |
Favorite genres? Being an eclectic reader, I like to mix it up. If I judge from the kinds of books I've read over and over again, such as Pride and Prejudice, Hamlet, To Kill a Mockingbird, I'd say my favorite genre is classics. Ok, I did teach a couple of these titles in my former career as a high school English teacher, therefore I had to read them periodically, but I was already reading them yearly even before I had to teach them. In the case of To Kill a Mockingbird, I lobbied to put that in the curriculum because I loved it so much.
To be honest, though, I can't even judge my favorite genres from the books I read over and over again. And even my comfort reads change. Right now, I like me some George R.R. Martin. (Nearly done with A Feast for Crows and I swear if Martin kills another character I like, I will scream at him until I'm blue in the face. Well, scream at his picture, at least.) There was a time nothing could comfort me except non-fiction books. Other times I want contemporary literature. But a usual fall back is YA or some really fun fantasy or mystery book. And by fun, I mean lots of scheming and darkness and down-and-out characters on a quest for something that will bring about their own redemption.
I think it's easier to talk about favorite books and authors. So aside from the books I mentioned, here are some of my other favorites:
- for-the-sake-of-nostalgia favorites (meaning I don't entirely remember them bec. it's been so long, but I know I loved them): Lord of the Rings, Middlemarch
- f*ck-yeah-this-is-awesome favorites: Middlesex, Wolf Hall, A High Wind in Jamaica, The Knife of Never Letting Go
- because-I-am-a-kid-at-heart favorites: A Hundred Dresses, Anne of Green Gables series, Horton Hears a Who
- real, real favorites: Chronicles of Narnia (especially The Silver Chair and The Horse and His Boy), Pride and Prejudice (I just had to say it again), The Blind Assassin, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Stoner
And my favorite authors: Jane Austen, William Shakespeare (yes truly), C.S. Lewis, Jasper Fforde, Neil Gaiman, Patrick Ness, Margaret Atwood, Michael Chabon, Dr. Seuss. I qualify my favorite authors as those I've read a lot of and enjoyed. So, Ms. Lee, though I love your book, you've only written the one and I can't really say you're my favorite author.
Best book I've read this year, so far? Cloud Atlas. By David Mitchell. Hands down.
But just so you get some context of what I've read this year, you can check out my bookshelf at Shelfari. That's where I log my reading adventures. Aside from this blog, that is. I'm also a member of Flips Flipping Pages, the club that I blame for the unprecedented and catastrophic rise of my TBR pile. Them and these damn book bloggers. Couldn't beat them so I joined them.
Well, that's me, if you didn't already know. And if you're anywhere near the vicinity and free on Sept. 14, even if it is a Wednesday, I hope to meet you at the ReaderCon!
Comments
See you tomorrow, Honey! :)
From your list I've read Pride and Prejudice (Classics are difficult for me but this comes a close second to The Little Prince)And The Horse and His Boy, I've read this one a long long time ago, it needs a re-read.
I'm in the first few pages of Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin right now. I do love her writing style. I can't seem to forget the carpet weavers story. I'm quite taken with the concept about a novel within a novel as well. Sometimes though when things get a bit difficult, I need a pause in between and sneak in a YA read or two. :P
So far, George R.R. Martin hasn't killed a favorite character yet, haha. But I'm still only halfway through the first book, so I guess it would be premature to speculate on anything.
Oh, and Eric Northman. YUMMY.
I've long wanted to read Chabon, and when I finally screwed up the guts to pick up and read "The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" I've never been happier. THAT BOOK OHMYGAWD.
Wow! I too think that Master William Shakespeare is cool and that his works are awesome. It's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" that I hold closest to my heart, since I made my friends go through hell (and back) just to make a decent presentation for class.
Oh! And I hope I could also love Shakespeare! ^_^
As for GRRM killing off everyone you like in the series, now do you see what I was talking about?? :)
Between the both of us, I've always preferred the werewolves - while I loooove Eric Northman too, I prefer El Cid.
And of course I've always liked Jacob in Twilight. ;-)
Naturally my comments zeroed in on the boys and nothing else. Haahahahhaa.