Sarah's Library

Tom Keneally's Schindler's Ark and The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?

Divergent by Veronica Roth.

 3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?

I wouldn't mind asking J.K. Rowling about the reasoning behind some of the deaths in Harry Potter.

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?

I don't think there are any books on my shelves that people who know me would be surprised to see there.  I discuss my enjoyment of pretty much every genre quite frequently.

5. How do you organize your personal library?

Alphabetically by author's last name (the only truly logical way IMO), then alphabetically by title within an author's name unless the book is part of a series when it'll be in series order by the name of the series.  So Isobelle Carmody comes before Tom Clancy and her Legendsong series comes before her Obernewtyn series and her standalone book Alyzon Whitestarr comes before her other standalone book The Gathering.

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrased never to have read?

I'm not embarrassed but I do feel a small amount of self-imposed pressure due to all the classics that I've yet to read, but then again I feel the same pressure about all the popular books I haven't read, and all the books I own that I haven't read.  Definitely no embarrassment, just pressure.

7. Disappointing, overrated, just not good: what book did you feel you were supposed to like but didnt? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?

Most of the classics that I finally do get around to reading end up being disappointing, overrated and/or just not good.  Most of the time I can't see where other reviewers found a five star rating within the pages.  My last DNF was Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand, it was advertised as a 'heart warming Christmas read', but it was as far from heart warming as I could imagine.  I had to put it down before it ruined the Christmas holidays for me.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?

Like I said in #4 I'll read pretty much anything, but I really seem to like 'special' young adult characters.  I get goosebumps when I read about a normal, everyday character who is suddenly thrust into a life threatening situation and then has some kind of special ability appear.  I am starting to learn that I should stay clear of books with 'beautiful' writing or writing that's called 'prose' because I would choose plot over writing every day of the week and I can't think of an author I believe has successfully mastered both.  If the plot is fantastic the writing tends to be a little juvenile (I'm not talking about ARCs with dreadful editing), if the writing is 'beautiful' the plot consists of a lot of waffling and I end up writing a five page review complaining about all that unnecessary waffling.

9. If you could require the prime minister to read one book, what would it be?

Something YA and fun, maybe Divergent or Twilight.

10. What do you plan to read next?

I'm still reading those two books mentioned in #1.  After that I have a large pile of library books with staggered due dates that I'm juggling - Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, The Shape of My Heart by Ann Aguirre, Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, and The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares (think that'll do me for the rest of the month, and longer).