A book by its cover

Another meme, this time from www.funnytheworld.com

So I'm still sort of taking the lazy way to blogging but this one is timely, it's about books and comes at a time when I've nothing new to read. Gasp. I didn't find the time to go to the library last week and the pile of $2 cheap books that I got from the Carrefour bargain bin last month has been exhausted (and some were good finds too, at $2). We were to have gone to the dog park yesterday but the weather changed in the afternoon. Why is it always beautifully sunny on a work-day afternoon when I'm going to work and the rain only comes on the weekends? It has been like this for the past two weeks already, much to Rupert's sorrow (and mine, I like for him to get a good run at least once a week to work the edge off his energy; and Queeni's joy -- she clearly prefers a nap to running at the dog park). The showers didn't last very long but it did mean that the ground would be wet and muddy. Rupert wouldn't have cared but L did, he had just bathed the dogs. So it was a stay-at-home day. With nothing (new) to read.

Do you like to read?
Oh yes. All the time and not just books. L calls me a compulsive reader. If there is a block of text in front of me, I have to read it. I even read cereal boxes at breakfast.

What is your favourite book?
Pride and Prejudice. It is like a comforting old friend. My very tattered copy has accompanied me to every place I've moved to and reading it settles me because it draws me into its neat, self-contained world and people and away from the unfamiliar around me.

Who is your favourite author?
Jane Austen, by virtue of the above. Also, Terry Prachett and Bill Bryson.

Are you the kind of person who peeks at the end of a book to see how it turns out?
Seldom. I'm the sort that is committed to sticking to a book till I finish it but if it gets heavy-going or boring, I will peek at the end just to push myself through it.

Do you hate it when they turn a book into a film?
I'm not a movie person so it doesn't matter to me. There have been good movies made from books (Babe, The Lord of the Rings spring to mind) and horrid ones (Da Vinci Code) and there have been movies that have made me want to go read the book. Mostly though, I've enjoyed the book version more than the movie.

Has a book ever changed your life? How?
I don't think so. Or I would be able to come up with a book now. But if I can add here what I personally consider to be the book that has packed in the most punch within its pages is the simply-written yet containing a deep message to be 'Heather Has Two Mommies'.

Do you tend to borrow books from the library or do you prefer to buy them?
Both. I buy books that are keepers, books from authors that I've enjoyed previously and books that I may have come across in a review and intend to read. It is an expensive habit though, and the library books are the fillers for when I haven't got anything I plan on reading so I just walk into the library and pick something that catches my eye.

Which book are you planning on reading next?
I never plan. I may however, "discover" an author -- usually on the library shelves -- then I'll go back and borrow everything else he/she has written. Or I may get stuck on a theme. The last time was books on book clubs so I ploughed through 'The Jane Austen Book Club' and 'The Reading Group'. Part of the joy of reading is the serendipity of finding a good book. So that's why I don't plan. When I make my choice at the library or the store, I'm really judging the books by their covers.