Goodreads Book Tag

Just when I was feeling kind of blah about all my potential blog posts, Elizabeth at EMM Blogs posted her answers to these questions.  And lately I've found looking at books and thinking about books is almost more fun than reading them, so let's play!

1. What was the last book you marked as ‘read’?
The Passenger, by Lisa Lutz. Way more fun than it had any right to be. And with an almost-too-happy ending, which is my favorite kind!



2. What are you currently reading?
Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater. This book is incredible.  This morning on the train I made a noise that made other passengers stare at me.  That good.
On the Edge of Gone, by Corrine Duyvis. Epic disaster book.  I love the POV character.
Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo.  Audiobook. A fun heist book, though Bardugo often has trouble holding my attention as much as I want her to.
Rogues, edited by George R. R. Martin. I've been reading this one for months and months; it's a good anthology, but I can't read short stories all in a row. I read somewhere between one a week and one a month. They're pretty uniformly good, though with a wide variety of styles.

3. What was the last book you marked as ‘TBR’?
A Wild Swan and Other Tales by Michael Cunningham. Kelly and Cora's recommendation; I don't think they've ever steered me wrong.

4. What book do you plan to read next?
Hex, by Thomas Olde Heuvelt. The Booksmugglers liked it, and the premise sounds fascinating.  The first few pages are a little confusing, but I definitely want to see if it's as creepy as it sounds.

5. Do you use the star rating system?
I do, though almost everything gets four stars.  5 means it's on my longlist of favorites; 3 means I don't regret reading it. 2 means it was not a very good book, and 1 means it offended me.  But I don't rate books that I don't finish, so there aren't that many 1s or 2s--only when I finish them for a reason, whether it's book club or because it's so awful I can't look away.

6. Are you doing a 2016 Reading Challenge?
Nope.  I'm putting some attention into trying to read more POC authors, but book clubs are enough of a commitment to me.  I like to follow my whims, book-choice-wise.

7. Do you have a wishlist?
I have an offensively long wishlist at the library.  Like, obscenely long.  I have the maximum allowable number of ebooks on reserve.

8. What book do you plan to buy next?
Hmmm....buy?  I use the library for most of my new book acquisitions. I do really want to buy a copy of Castle Hangnail, by Ursula Vernon, to reread with my son.  I adored that book.

9. Do you have any favorite quotes, would you like to share a few?
What always leaps to mind when someone asks this question is the first paragraph of Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God.

"Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the same horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men. Now, women forget all those things they don't want to remember, and remember everything they don't want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly.”

10. Who are your favorite authors?
I feel like as soon as you ask this question my brain freezes up and I can't answer it.  I can list off a few of my favorite books, but a lot of them are by authors I haven't read a million books from.  Christopher Moore is amazing, though.  Ann Leckie, Jo Walton, K.J. Parker, Sharon Shinn.  Terry Pratchett.  



11. Have you joined any groups?
I never have gotten the hang of Goodreads groups, which is a shame, because I do so much bookish lurking on the internet, it seems like I'd love it there.

12. Who do you tag?
Lianna! I know your blog is mostly a writing blog, and that I'm asking you to take time from your real task but I want to know your answers. Keep this one in your pocket for when you need a break from writing!