A to Z Bookish Survey (Revisited)

I love all things list-y and survey-ish and when Barb of Booker T's Farm (fellow boxer mom!) posted this book tag last week I knew I'd have to participate. This fun survey originated with Jamie of The Perpetual Page Turner way back in 2013.

ETA: Turns out I actually DID the survey in 2013 -- you can see that one here. It's funny how some things have changed in four years and others haven't changed at all. For instance, I styled it almost exactly the same, and both my answers for Glad You Gave This Book a Chance include, "I don't read a lot of YA, but..."

Author You've Read The Most Books From:
Probably Janet Evanovich. I've read all the Stephanie Plum books and dabbled in her other series.

Best Sequel Ever:
I thought "The Bone Season" by Samantha Shannon was fine, but I looooved the sequel, "The Mime Order." I'm still waiting for my library to get in book three, which came out in March.

Currently Reading:
"Dragonfly in Amber" by Diana Gabaldon (Outlander #2).

Drink of Choice While Reading:
A Starbucks white chocolate mocha.

E-Book or Physical Book:
Physical book all the way! The only time I ever read e-books is from NetGalley for review, and I hate it!

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Dated in High School:
Mark Watney from "The Martian" as a teenager. Nerdy, funny and cute!

Glad You Gave This Book a Chance:
"I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson. I don't read a lot of YA but I saw this one recommended over and over on book blogs and eventually decided to give it a try. I devoured it and completely loved it.

Hidden Gem:
"The Wolf Road" by Beth Lewis. Absolutely fabulous post-apocalyptic thriller/character study. Read it! Also, "The River of No Return" by Bee Ridgway, which involves time travel back to the early 1800s.

Important Moment in Your Bookish Life:
My younger neighbor telling me I just had to borrow these books that she loved -- the first three Harry Potters. That was in 2000, shortly before "Goblet of Fire" was released, and my wonderful mom took me to buy it the morning it came out. Of course I spent the entire day inhaling it. (The receipt for the purchase is still tucked inside the book!)

Just Finished:
A reading slump, thanks to the light and fun "My Not So Perfect Life" by Sophie Kinsella.

Kind of Books You Won't Read:
There's no genre that I absolutely refuse to try, but I seldom read romance.

Longest Book You've Read:
Since I've been keeping track on Goodreads: "1Q84" by Haruki Murakami (925 pages). A huge commitment for a book I didn't end up loving!

Major Book Hangover:
"The Fifth Season" by N.K. Jemisin (The Broken Earth #1). It was such an immersive story with fabulous worldbuiling and I kept on thinking about it afterward. (It was December, and it probably didn't help that I followed it up with a cheesy, rather disappointing Christmas novel.)

Number of Bookcases You Own:
Five, of various sizes, though one is mostly filled with photo albums. I bought some unfinished crates to stain and put together as another bookshelf, but a certain puppy has kept me from getting around to that little project. I do really need another place to put my books, though -- I've got books piled up at random on my existing shelves.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:
"1984," in high school and in college. It's time for another re-read I think! My husband has never read and it and I know it's right up his alley, so I'm hoping I can convince him that we should read it together. (He's not much of a reader, sadly.)

Preferred Place to Read:
On the couch under a blanket with a dog or a cat curled up nearby.

Quote that Inspires You: "Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." (I'm not sure about inspires, exactly, but I do love this quote and it definitely suits bookworms!)

(source)

Reading Regret:
Not going to Pierce Brown's book signing in Cincinnati the winter before last (we lived in Ohio then). I had a friend visiting and it was right near Christmastime and it was a pretty decent drive, but still! I should've gone.

Series You Started and Need to Finish:
So, so very many! This year I'd really like to finish Stephen King's Mr. Mercedes trilogy. I read and loved the first book, but I keep getting sidetracked from picking up the other two.

Three of Your All-Time Favorite Books:
This is tough -- I don't really have particular books that are my ALL-TIME best-ever favorites. Here are three I know I'll still be recommending years from now: "Me Before You" by Jojo Moyes, "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand and "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr.

Unapologetic Fangirl/Fanguy For:
Harry Potter! (I'm a Ravenpuff, by the way.)

Very Excited For This Release:
"Iron Gold" by Pierce Brown, "Artemis" by Andy Weir, "A Treacherous Curse" by Deanna Raybourn (Veronica Speedwell #3). Can't pick just one!

Worst Bookish Habit:
Always reading library books instead of the books I actually own.

X Marks the Spot (27th book from top left of shelf):
"The Language of Flowers" by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (as yet unread -- see above).

Your Latest Book Purchase:
A Book Depository order of "The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet" and "Pride and Prejudice" (which I've somehow never read, even though I love the movies!).

Zzzz-Snatcher Book That Kept You Up Late: Most recently: "Silent in the Grave" by Deanna Raybourn (Lady Julia Grey #1). It was a fairly lengthy book at over 500 pages, but I read it in just over two days. I could not put it down!