A to Z Bookish Survey

I saw this tag at Chelle’s Book Ramblings and thought it was quite interesting! You can read her post here, it is really fun and her blog is really awesome! The original post tag is from The Perpetual Page Turner. So below are my answers and please feel free to tag yourself! This was quite fun to answer.

 

Author you’ve read the most books from

Agatha Christie, for sure. Yeah, I lost count a long time ago how many books from her I have read, but surely over 20.

Best Sequel Ever

The Immortals, by Tamora Pierce, which is in the universe of Song of the Lionness and tells the story of Daine, who has wild magic and learns to use it in this book series. Alanna, from Song of the Lionness, makes an appearance, which is so great. Tamora’s writing is better on this follow-up series, although I still have a soft spot for Alanna. Tamora’s books have such a unique style.

 

Currently Reading

When Dimple met Rishi. So adorable!!

Drink of choice while reading

It depends on the weather and time of the day – for hot days it will be water, for cold days green tea and for reading before 6 PM I will probably have coffee.

E-reader or Physical Book

Physical books, if I must choose, but I read on my Kindle a lot. It is practical and I actually prefer it for travelling.

Favorite fictional character

That is hard. I will go for Artemis Fowl because it is the one that I have liked best for the longest time. But recent favorites are Mathilde from Fates and Furies and Yelena from Poison Study. Mathilde is so complex it fascinates me, and Yelena is so strong despite trauma and abuse.

Glad you gave it a chance

Mrs Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf. It took me a few chapters to really get into the way the story was being told and enjoy the style. After that, however, I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the imagery created by Woolf and her ability to make a story about a high-society woman preparing for a party that night into so much more.

Hidden Gem book

Ahmnat – os amores da morte, by Julien de Lucca. This book is in Portuguese and it’s fantastic. Unfortunately it is so hard to get a copy nowadays. My copy is with a friend and I desperately need another.

In Portuguese: A história segue Ahmnat, uma garota egípcia que assume o posto da Morte após um acordo com um ser divino. Ela então conhece Destino, a entidade responsável por escrever vidas, que faz uma aposta com ela: ele criará 10 humanos e tentará fazer ela se apaixonar por eles. Se ela se apaixonar por qualquer um deles, Ahmnat voltará a ser mortal. Se ela vencer, Destino tornará-se mortal. Eu AMO esse livro. Estive envolvida na revisão do segundo livro, porém não tenho nenhum interesse além do fato de que amo este livro e não recebo nada para falar dele.

Important moment in reading life

Reading Americanah. It opened the doors for me to get into contemporary fiction, which I had some prejudice against before – for some reason I thought it boring and didn’t understand how it could be interesting at all. Oh, did Chimamanda prove me wrong.

Just finished

Illuminae. Will put up a review in a week 🙂

Kinds of books you won’t read

There isn’t much I absolutely won’t read, but I normally avoid poetry, autobiographies, celebrity books and romance.

Longest book

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet, my version had 1100 pages. Definitely a good book, but rather to be read with time to spare, like on a winter vacation. It is an epic in the 12th century that follows the building of a cathedral and the stories of the people involved in it.

Major Book Hangover

Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë, which I didn’t expect to like at all. The gothic style was so captivating and it was so different from everything else I had read that I spent countless hours reading articles about this book. It is such a unique book. I couldn’t pick anything else for weeks.

Number of bookshelves

Four, I think.

One book read multiple times

I don’t normally re-read books, although many I do intend to, for the simple fact that I always have far too many books on my TBR. But I suppose among my most re-read ones are Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Artemis Fowl #1 and The Golden Compass. What they all have in common? Childhood favorites, a simpler time with less books I wanted to read.

Perfect place to read

Trains. The muffled noise of the outside world helps me concentrate. But a nice, comfortable armchair is always welcome, too.

Quote that inspires you

What do you despise? By this are you truly known.

Frank Herbert, Dune.

Series I started and need to finish

Eragon. I have read the first 3 books so long ago I barely remember the details and the last one I got three years ago, but with all the moving lately I left it at my sister’s and have just picked it up!

Three all-time favorites

Americanah, by Chimamanda Adichie Ngozi, A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, and Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff. Such amazing books with brilliant writing.

Unapologetic fangirl moment

Oh my god, I have a couple embarrassing ones. Here is one: I emailed Helena Gomes, writer of O Arqueiro e a Feiticeira (in Portuguese), and asked if she could send me an autograph. She is such a sweet person, she emailed me the autograph and some bookmarks. When I opened the mail, I started very excitedly screaming in such a high-pitched tone that my cousin came running to see if I was having some sort of horrifying problem. It was hard to explain to her why bookmarks made me scream.

Very excited for release

The Mirror and the Light, by Hilary Mantel, book #3 of the Thomas Cromwell Trilogy, I simply. Cannot. Wait!!

Worst bookish habit

I was hesitating what to write on this one so I asked my boyfriend what he thought my worst bookish habit was and he answered, without skipping a beat: Putting far too many books on my TBR. I feel like I was personally attacked. It’s true, though.

X Marks the Spot –Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book

It’s a travel guide to Budapest, hahaha

Your latest book purchase

 

The Miniaturist, by Jessie Burton. It is a mystery-historical novel which sounds fascinating, but I must say I fell in love with the cover.

 

 

 

 

ZZZ-snatcher book –  Last book that kept you up way late

That would be Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I slept at 4 am to finish it because I simply couldn’t stop reading. Working the next day required no less than 4 coffees with plenty of sugar.