Your Reading Habits Game

[Mark]

I'm not convinced that any of us really gets to write his or her own story. But leaving that aside, yes, I've written some fanfiction.

Do you dislike library books that have been read by 500 people and contain remnants of their lunches?

[Lucille]

Nope, but I dislike the 500 people who borrowed and dirtied them.

Do you?

[Lucille]

Yep.

How many books do you usually buy per month?

[Lucille]

Less than 12. And I don't buy books every month, just when I see books that I love/want to read in a used bookstore.

Does family members ever get in the way of your reading?

[Lucille]

Nope, thank god.

Have you?

[Mark]

Only in The Sound and the Fury. :)

Have you ever sold books you didn't want on-line?

[Blood Bone and Muscle]

Yes, I'm sur eI have but that's just it. Have I?

When reading, how quickly does it generally take to tune everything out when you're reading at home during the day (this may be difficult of you have five siblings). If it's impossible, where do you seek refuge?

[Mark]

Yes, normally about 5 or 6.

Have you ever read a novel that actually made you angry?

[Lucille]

Yes.

Have you ever read a novel that actually made you happy?

[Mark]

Yes, though not in decades.

Have you ever read a self-published novel? (and if so, name one that you have)

[Lucille]

Nope.

Have you?

[Mark]

Not since I was seven, but we called them "comic books." ("Graphic novels" of the current sort didn't exist.)

Have you read War and Peace?

[Mark]

Yes. Machiavelli's (failed) job application to the Medicis. I don't think Machiavelli, himself, was a megalomaniacal sociopath, but he certainly inspired a world full of them.

What did you think of The Prince?

[Mark]

Kyle ~Special K: Rebel Leader~ wrote: "Indeed he did, Mark. I still have my tattered copy of The Prince from college.

As an analytical thinker, I really felt challenged by the work, which I love.

Machiavelli's descriptions encourage l..."

I found the book intriguing, albeit revulsive. I don't think the Medicis required much schooling in immorality and ruthless predation, but Machiavelli, who was psychologically insightful, judged (probably correctly, at least in principle) that this sort of "Rovian playbook" would appeal to them. It certainly appealed to Rove. Howsoever, Machiavelli was a relentlessly logical thinker, so he's interesting to read. Whoever wrote that wikipedia paragraph about "controlling fortunes gloriously," though, has crafted one of the weirdest phrases I've ever encountered, for all that it's probably one that would have appealed to Mitt Romney. :)

I'm way off-topic here, though, and should probably revert to the game.

On a related note, have you ever read William James' Pragmatism?

[Mark]

I think Rand is literally the most evil writer in the history of mankind, so I think we'll probably have to agree to disagree about her :), but I like this quote:

"I had a hard time with Ayn Rand because I found myself enthusiastically agreeing with the first 90% of every sentence, but getting lost at 'therefore, be a huge asshole to everyone.'"

and this review of Atlas Shrugged:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Mark]

Mark wrote: "I think Rand is literally the most evil writer in the history of mankind, so I think we'll probably have to agree to disagree about her :), but I like this quote:

"I had a hard time with Ayn Rand ..."

That said, if you like utilitarian thinkers, you should read probably the brightest conservative in the history of philosophy, John Stewart Mill (if you haven't). I think you'd really appreciate both Mill and James.

[Mark]

Hey, Kyle,

I tried to send you a message because I didn't want to post here, but your account isn't accepting messages. I hope you didn't take amiss my negative characterization of Rand. I was somewhat bemused that you loved her work, whereas I had Atlas Shrugged listed on my profile page as "the worst book of all time." It seemed the serendipitous basis for an interesting discussion that we have such antithetical philosophies, so message me if you'd like to discuss objectivism. Now, back to our regularly scheduled game: :)

Do you enjoy books on psychology?

[Mark]

Kyle ~Special K: Rebel Leader~ wrote: "Mark,

My account is receiving messages fine. No, of course I don't take amiss your negative feelings about Rand. I believe we're all entitled to our opinions.
I haven't read Atlas Shrugged yet, ..."

Peculiar about the messaging failure. I'd assumed it was because you'd set the parameters on your account to reject non-friend messages, but probably there was some sort of transient system glitch.

Are you familiar with the Myers-Briggs? (It's my favorite test, from the standpoint of affording insight into other people's mindset and temperament.) I've read a plethora of books on psychology, because my area of research (though I'm currently retired) was artificial intelligence and cognitive science. There was an interesting paradigm shift in AI (coinciding with the advent of neural networks) that paralleled the shift in psychology away from rationalism and introspection, and towards Skinnerian behaviorism and ultimately, approaches borrowing from neuroscience. But I'm way off-topic again, and will write privately (unless you want to start a psychology thread :)).

[Mark]

So... how many books (roughly) have you lent to friends, that have never been returned? :)

[Lucille]

About 2 or 3. If they don't return it, I just give it to them as a gift and buy another copy. But they're never borrowing another book from me.

Do you read freebies from Amazon or iTunes?

[Mark]

I download freebies from Amazon often enough, but I only infrequently read them, unless they're classics. Most of them seem to be off-puttingly ungrammatical.

Do you ever get advance review copies?

[Mark]

Often. I used to edit books and professional journals in my field.

Have you ever written a short story (other than in school)?

[Mark]

I had a dissertation advisor.

What genre of short story do you most like to write?

[Mark]

No. Don't use Twitter *or* Facebook.

Do you consider Dean Koontz or Steven King to be a better writer of horror?

[Mark]

I have read excerpts from The Water is Wide. Was interested because of the treatment of Gullah. I know that he wrote Prince of Tides, but I haven't read the book or seen the movie.

Have you read James' The Turn of the Screw? (19th-century horror story)

[Jasmine]

Nope, but I'm not much of a horror person to begin with.

Have you ever been told you own too many books?

[brianna]

nope
how long do you read for?

[Lucille]

It depends. I don't read on weekdays anymore, but I read for at least 10 hours on weekends.

You?

[Mark]

Yes, but I was exempt from paying for it.

Can you remember a particular mystery novel of which the ending actually shocked and surprised you?

[Mark]

Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is somewhat famous for its surprise ending, though I have to confess I wasn't altogether astonished. I can't actually think of any surprise ending that really stunned me -- possibly why I asked the question. Perhaps I should read Valentine.

Have you ever bought a book with pages out of order?

[Mark]

The Dark Tower series and, within it, The Drawing of the Three. After that, The Stand.

Worst novel by Stephen King?

[Mark]

The Sixth Sense, if that counts. Otherwise, Alien.

Worst horror movie?

[Mark]

Invasion of the Body Snatchers with Donald Sutherland and Brooke Adams
(much better than the original)

And, come to think of it, Don't Look Now is the scariest horror flick I've seen.

Best horror movie based on a novel?

[Mark]

The disguised monsters in They Live. Because they're real.

Best surprise ending in a horror film (other than the one in The Sixth Sense)?

[Mark]

By the way, you can watch Don't Look Now for free on Amazon Prime Video.

[Mark]

Difficult. I wouldn't argue strenuously if you wanted to anoint Carpenter. I like his social commentary.

Best director, overall?

[Lucille]

"Whatever you do, don't fall asleep."

You?

[Mark]

"I came here to chew bubblegum and kick a**... and I'm all out of bubblegum." (They Live)

Best Hitchcock film?

[Lucille]

I haven't watched any of his films...

Best book movie adaptation?

[Mark]

Alyson Hannigan. (HIMYM)

Best book actually written by an actor (male or female)?

[Mark]

I'd agree with you about Patty Duke. Steve Martin (Shopgirl, and numerous other novels) is a genuinely talented writer. In the realm of less famous ones, Amber Benson (Tara on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) wrote several very good fantasy novels (e.g., Death's Daughter).

Most talented screenwriter?

[Lucille]

White Chicks.

You?

[Mark]

Casablanca or North by Northwest (I like classics.)

Have you read any books on politics?

[Lucille]

Nope.

Have you watched any of John Green vlogbrother's videos?

[Mark]

I'm ancient enough to have watched the original series on the first airing, but I've also watched Night Gallery and the movie.

Have you watched The Outer Limits?

[Mark]

Yes, not from the beginning of the series, but also on the original airing dates.

Have you ever read Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine?

[Karina]

No, I have not.


Is there any book that you would love to see be made into a movie?

[Mark]

None that I can think, but I'd like to see virtually every movie I've liked made into a book.

Have you read any books that were TV or movie tie-ins?

[Mark]

Hard to think of one. I absolutely loathed the Godfather movies and Gone with the Wind. Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago were incredibly tedious, I mildly hated Titanic and the newer King Kong, and I thought Ben Hur was just tolerable. Return of the King mostly involved incomprehensible movements of armies of orcs, but the scenery was ok, so I guess it wins.

What was your favorite?

[Mark]

The Hedgehog (2009, fr.)

Favorite movie "so bad it was good" (or funny)?