Everything that starts with B ... > Reviews (617)

Malu originally set this challenge, I found it written by ClaireG86 and decided to give it a shot. This will mean having done 2 challenges in the last 4 op’s so I promise to write some more proper ones soon.

What is your favourite genre?

Science fiction is my favourite genre especially so-called ‘Hard-scifi’ which is based on true science and/or projections of true science. Some great authors include Arthur C Clarke, Stephen Baxter and Michael Crichton. I’m not so much into the fantasy side of scifi. I have also been enjoying reading modern American literature recently, Catch 22, Catcher in the Rye, The Ice Storm, American Psycho and The Rules of Attraction.

Do you read the classics, the great authors of the 18th and 19th century?

No, not really. What I call classics are those by Jules Verne, HG Wells, John Steinbeck, EA Poe and George Orwell. All of which are more modern classics.

Are you interested in thrillers?

I liked American Psycho and intend to read the Bone Collector

What about horror stories?

Yes, I like Dean Koontz, Stephen King, HP Lovecraft and EA Poe especially. I am looking to read some Anne Rice in the near future.

Do you read Science Fiction?

Yes

How many Harry Potter books have you read?

I own and have read all of them so far. I was sceptical of Harry Potter books when they first came out, as were a lot of people I think. I then borrowed the first one of a friend during my finals at uni and found them so easy to read that they were an easy release from exam stress and revision. They are kids books though and I think that puts off some people.

Have you ever read and enjoyed biographies or autobiographies?

This isn’t really my genre, although I did enjoy Happiness in Exile by the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela’s autobiography. I have yet to read Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, a pseudo-autobiography by Charles Burrow (I think). It was made into a film recently.

Do you remember any of the books you read and loved as a child?

Roald Dahl and Dr Seuss are two of my favourite authors from my childhood. I also read the Hobbit when younger and the Chronicles of Narnia

Have you reread these books as a grown-up?

Yes, most of them and they don’t lose their greatness

Is there a book of which you can say it has influenced you?

There is a book called The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, which is about the life and family of Jesus and secret societies and such like. It is kind of investigative speculative history. The reason it has influenced me so is not down to it’s content but down the idea of not taking anything at face value and always trying to read between the lines. That has influenced my greatly.

Which are your favourite authors?

Who are my favourite authors? Stephen Baxter, Arthur C Clarke, EA Poe, Aldous Huxley, HG Wells, Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov, Philip K Dick, Douglas Adams (RIP) etc etc

Which book would you take with you on a desert island?

It would have to be the bible, I guess. There is a lot of reading in there. Or an encyclopaedia, I do enjoy just sitting and flicking through an encyclopaedia.

What is your attitude towards translations?

They make books, that I wouldn’t be able to understand, understandable.

Do you buy, borrow or steal your books?

I buy books from charity shops. Simple as that.

Do you prefer hardcover editions or pocket books?

Paperbacks every time. Hardbacks are too heavy to read in the bath and in bed when you are tired.

Have you ever tried Audio Books?

Yes but only as a Red Dwarf completist. I got the novels on tape and they were brilliantly read by Chris Barrie.