Books Survey

  • This message board permanently closed on June 30th, 2020 at 4PM EDT and is no longer accepting new members.

Doc Creed

Well-Known Member
Nov 18, 2015
17,221
82,822
United States
1.) Which Stephen King book do you think it's time to read again? Duma Key

2.) What's the last book you finished that you couldn't wait to recommend? The Dalai Lama's Cat

3.) What's your favorite Sherlock Holmes story? Hound of the Baskervilles

4.) If you could live in a fictional town, where would you live? (I stole this question from Goodreads). Sunnydale - the Hellmouth could be fun

5.) What is the best book you've read set in a different country than yours? Far and Wide by Neil Peart; a collection of essays about touring in Europe via motorcycle.
Your answer to number five sounds exciting. I will file it into my mental catalog of books I want to read.
 

Doc Creed

Well-Known Member
Nov 18, 2015
17,221
82,822
United States
1.) Which Stephen King book do you think it's time to read again? Desperation. I want to read Rose Madder, too, since others have convinced me to give it a second look.

2.) What's the last book you finished that you couldn't wait to recommend? The Golden Apples by Eudora Welty. A sprawl of seven inter-connected stories concerning a small group of characters in Mississippi, early 20th century.

3.) What's your favorite Sherlock Holmes story? 'The Speckled Band'.

4.) If you could live in a fictional town, where would you live? (I stole this question from Goodreads). The town in Alabama from Truman Capote's The Grass Harp.

5.) What is the best book you've read set in a different country than yours? A Room With A View, Brideshead Revisited, or The Remains of the Day.
 

Tery

Say hello to my fishy buddy
Moderator
Apr 12, 2006
15,304
44,712
Bremerton, Washington, United States
Okay Doc Creed here's the thing... Peart has three books of essays -- Far and Away, Far and Near, and Far and Wide. In that order. All three are full of essays, mostly about touring by motorcycle. In the first, there are tales of traveling in North and South America. In the second are the stories about Europe and N. America and in the last book he writes about the final tour in 2015 and only in N. America. It's confusing and I volunteer on the guy's website! :D
 

Doc Creed

Well-Known Member
Nov 18, 2015
17,221
82,822
United States
Okay Doc Creed here's the thing... Peart has three books of essays -- Far and Away, Far and Near, and Far and Wide. In that order. All three are full of essays, mostly about touring by motorcycle. In the first, there are tales of traveling in North and South America. In the second are the stories about Europe and N. America and in the last book he writes about the final tour in 2015 and only in N. America. It's confusing and I volunteer on the guy's website! :D
Thanks, Tery. They all sound like adventures I'd want to read, especially the one about Europe. Cool, are you a mod over there, too? Btw, does his name rhyme with 'heart' or 'hurt'?
 

mal

content
Jun 23, 2007
4,714
27,243
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
1.) Longest book you've read. It or The Stand (not sure which one is longer).
2.) Best book by foreign author. Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino
3.) Book you've probably recommended the most. Anything by Stephen King
4.) Most heartbreaking book. Certain sections of the Dark Tower volumes.
5.) A book others may be surprise you've read. Sewing for Dummies.
6.) A book you read because King recommended it. Shardik by Richard Adams.
7.) Scariest non-horror novel. What Happened by Hillary Clinton.
8.) Book you thought you'd hate but ended up loving. Not sure.
9.) Best book featuring an animal. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
10.) Funniest book. Usually anything by Dave Barry.
11.) Favorite book over a century old. Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens.
12.) Favorite Shakespeare play (or any play). Meh...I guess the Shylock one.
13.) Favorite Speculative Fiction. The culture series of novels by Iain M. Banks.
14.) Favorite Western. As much as I like to watch them I don't think I've ever read a western. I should seek out Louis L'Amour.
15.) Book with best twist. (If you describe, please use spoilers, thanks.) End of the Dark Tower series.
 

Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
9,682
65,192
sweden
1.) Which Stephen King book do you think it's time to read again?
Probably IT, there is always a good time to reread IT, especially now with the new movie.
2.) What's the last book you finished that you couldn't wait to recommend?
The Girl With All The Gifts
3.) What's your favorite Sherlock Holmes story?
Novel: Hound of The Baskerville; Short Story: The Speckled Band
4.) If you could live in a fictional town, where would you live? (I stole this question from Goodreads).
Derry! In 1958! I would love to see The Losers!!!
5.) What is the best book you've read set in a different country than yours?
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirofsky; Lord Of The Flies by Golding, It by King and i could go on until i had a long beard down to my knees!!!!!!!!!
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
Cambridge, Ohio
1.) Which Stephen King book do you think it's time to read again? -IT

2.) What's the last book you finished that you couldn't wait to recommend? -The Strain Trilogy

3.) What's your favorite Sherlock Holmes story?-The Adventure of the Speckled Band

4.) If you could live in a fictional town, where would you live? (I stole this question from Goodreads).-Hogsmeade

5.) What is the best book you've read set in a different country than yours?-Any of the Sherlock Holmes stories, London of that time fascinates me....
 
  • Like
Reactions: Neesy and Doc Creed

osnafrank

Well-Known Member
Jan 24, 2017
7,121
50,822
Germany
1.) Longest book you've read. The Stand and IT

2.) Best book by foreign author. Countless

3.) Book you've probably recommended the most. Bag of Bones/IT

4.) Most heartbreaking book. Anne Franks Diary

5.) A book others may be surprise you've read. The Art of War Sun Tse

6.) A book you read because King recommended it.

7.) Scariest non-horror novel. Jinn by Matthew Delaney

8.) Book you thought you'd hate but ended up loving. (Someone recommended)

9.) Best book featuring an animal. Moby Dick

10.) Funniest book. (Fiction or Non-Fiction) I dont know but Bag of Bones had great Moments
i nearly peed my pants.

11.) Favorite book over a century old. The Grapes of Wrath

12.) Favorite Shakespeare play (or any play).

13.) Favorite Speculative Fiction. Dark Tower

14.) Favorite Western.

15.) Book with best twist. (If you describe, please use spoilers, thanks.)
 

Doc Creed

Well-Known Member
Nov 18, 2015
17,221
82,822
United States
8/7/18

1.) Favorite books with a child narrator. List one or a few.

2.) What is the last novel to give you nightmares?

3.) What is the last book that taught you something new or surprised you?

4.) If you could have a sequel to any novel, what would it be?

5.) Which book in your TBR pile beckons the loudest?
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
53,634
236,697
The High Seas
8/7/18

1.) Favorite books with a child narrator. List one or a few.

2.) What is the last novel to give you nightmares?

3.) What is the last book that taught you something new or surprised you?

4.) If you could have a sequel to any novel, what would it be?

5.) Which book in your TBR pile beckons the loudest?
1. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harriet the Spy
2. ooooo, this is a hard one. Salem's Lot
3. Deliverance
4. The Grapes of Wrath
5. Finders Keepers
 

Spideyman

Uber Member
Jul 10, 2006
46,336
195,472
Just north of Duma Key
8/7/18

1.) Favorite books with a child narrator. List one or a few.

2.) What is the last novel to give you nightmares?

3.) What is the last book that taught you something new or surprised you?

4.) If you could have a sequel to any novel, what would it be?

5.) Which book in your TBR pile beckons the loudest?


1. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
2. Dracula
3. Man's Search for Meaning
4. Black House
5. How It Happened
 

Doc Creed

Well-Known Member
Nov 18, 2015
17,221
82,822
United States
8/7/18

1.) Favorite books with a child narrator. List one or a few.

2.) What is the last novel to give you nightmares?

3.) What is the last book that taught you something new or surprised you?

4.) If you could have a sequel to any novel, what would it be?

5.) Which book in your TBR pile beckons the loudest?

1.) Peace Like A River- Leif Enger, To Kill A Mockingbird- Harper Lee, The Grass Harp- Truman Capote.
2.) All Quiet on the Western Front- Erich Maria Remarqué
3.) Cutting For Stone- Abraham Verghese and Out of Africa- Isak Dinesen
4.) The Eyes of the Dragon- Stephen King
5.) Ravelstein- Saul Bellow
 

HollyGolightly

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
9,660
74,320
Heart of the South
I'm so glad this resurfaced!

Survey Part Three

1.) If you could meet any living writer for lunch and have them autograph a book for you, who would it be? (Oh, go ahead and list a few others, why not?)
Of course, Stephen King, hands down would be my first choice, but I'd like him to bring Tabitha along. And I'd ask him to autograph his favorite book that he wrote - I'm very curious what that would be. And I'd ask Tabitha to autograph Pearl. Outside the King family: TC Boyle.

2.) What three first edition books are on your wish list? I'm not an avid first edition collector - I like to collect books that I read as a child - 70s editions of Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume, 80s editions of Sidney Sheldon, Harold Robbins - nostalgic things. The first book I ever owned was Are You There, God - It's Me, Margaret. My cousin bought it for me while she was visiting for the summer. She was 10, I was 8 and she thought it was insane that I didn't own any books - I got my books from the library. I wish my mom had saved my books. But it's fun tracking them down.

3.) Favorite book(s) set in the Midwest. I had to google this because I couldn't remember - Master Butchers Singing Club ...Louise Erdrich (among others by her - she's great), Eleanor & Park...Rainbow Rowell, Lonesome Dove...Larry McMurtry (I'd forgotten how much I like him !)

4.) Have you ever questioned the relevance of a particular book on a high school reading list? What book? If not, pick a book you'd add to list. I don't know that I've questioned them - but my kids all read for pleasure (I'm so happy about that), so I know they'll get through it and maybe find something they enjoyed that they wouldn't have otherwise read. I often think they choices are boring. If I was a literature teacher I think I'd give them choices: you have to read a book from the 18th century, a book from a Russian writer, 60's scifi, horror, classic mystery, apocalyptic fiction, etc.

5.) Name a book in your current TBR list. The Wife Between Us

8/7/18

1.) Favorite books with a child narrator. List one or a few.
Thankee, Spideyman for reminding me about Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - I loved that. I still wonder about Oskar. I haven't seen the movie - have you? I don't want it to spoil how I felt about the book; I loved Daisy Fay from Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man... Fannie Flagg; This Boy's Life...Tobias Wolf. I really enjoy child narrators. I have several of the Flavia De Luce mysteries, but I got distracted from the first and haven't made it back yet. Scout, of course - To Kill a Mockingbird

2.) What is the last novel to give you nightmares? Long, long time ago: Queen of the Damned

3.) What is the last book that taught you something new or surprised you? Oh Gosh- don't they all.

4.) If you could have a sequel to any novel, what would it be? Just 1 more Dark Tower, please

5.) Which book in your TBR pile beckons the loudest? I'm ignoring Gone Girl's "Pick Me" cry. Get thee behind me, Satan - you ain't stealing my joy!"
 

Doc Creed

Well-Known Member
Nov 18, 2015
17,221
82,822
United States
I'm so glad this resurfaced!

Survey Part Three

1.) If you could meet any living writer for lunch and have them autograph a book for you, who would it be? (Oh, go ahead and list a few others, why not?)
Of course, Stephen King, hands down would be my first choice, but I'd like him to bring Tabitha along. And I'd ask him to autograph his favorite book that he wrote - I'm very curious what that would be. And I'd ask Tabitha to autograph Pearl. Outside the King family: TC Boyle.

2.) What three first edition books are on your wish list? I'm not an avid first edition collector - I like to collect books that I read as a child - 70s editions of Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume, 80s editions of Sidney Sheldon, Harold Robbins - nostalgic things. The first book I ever owned was Are You There, God - It's Me, Margaret. My cousin bought it for me while she was visiting for the summer. She was 10, I was 8 and she thought it was insane that I didn't own any books - I got my books from the library. I wish my mom had saved my books. But it's fun tracking them down.

3.) Favorite book(s) set in the Midwest. I had to google this because I couldn't remember - Master Butchers Singing Club ...Louise Erdrich (among others by her - she's great), Eleanor & Park...Rainbow Rowell, Lonesome Dove...Larry McMurtry (I'd forgotten how much I like him !)

4.) Have you ever questioned the relevance of a particular book on a high school reading list? What book? If not, pick a book you'd add to list. I don't know that I've questioned them - but my kids all read for pleasure (I'm so happy about that), so I know they'll get through it and maybe find something they enjoyed that they wouldn't have otherwise read. I often think they choices are boring. If I was a literature teacher I think I'd give them choices: you have to read a book from the 18th century, a book from a Russian writer, 60's scifi, horror, classic mystery, apocalyptic fiction, etc.

5.) Name a book in your current TBR list. The Wife Between Us

8/7/18

1.) Favorite books with a child narrator. List one or a few.
Thankee, Spideyman for reminding me about Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - I loved that. I still wonder about Oskar. I haven't seen the movie - have you? I don't want it to spoil how I felt about the book; I loved Daisy Fay from Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man... Fannie Flagg; This Boy's Life...Tobias Wolf. I really enjoy child narrators. I have several of the Flavia De Luce mysteries, but I got distracted from the first and haven't made it back yet. Scout, of course - To Kill a Mockingbird

2.) What is the last novel to give you nightmares? Long, long time ago: Queen of the Damned

3.) What is the last book that taught you something new or surprised you? Oh Gosh- don't they all.

4.) If you could have a sequel to any novel, what would it be? Just 1 more Dark Tower, please

5.) Which book in your TBR pile beckons the loudest? I'm ignoring Gone Girl's "Pick Me" cry. Get thee behind me, Satan - you ain't stealing my joy!"
Thanks for answering and elaborating. Skimom will flesh out her answers, too. I forgot about Boy's Life and the FF book- both fantastic, a pleasure to read. Yes, I like Sidney Sheldon as well. I can't think of a single writer who can twist the plot so many times and keep me guessing. Too bad he's no longer with us. The Stars Shine Down, Morning Noon and Night, and If Tomorrow Never Comes are personal favorites.
I laughed at the Gone Girl comment.