I just want to talk about books today. I’m feeling pretty stressed today, and books–reading them, remembering them, talking about them–is usually pretty comforting, so I googled around for a fun looking book tag to write about. I settled on the “20 Questions Book Tag” that’s been going around for a while now:

1. How many books are too many books in a series? Twenty-two books is too many. That’s how long the Dresden Files series is currently expected to be. I’m actually still really enjoying it, but I try not to read unfinished series because I hate waiting for the next installment. I got involved with Dresden Files pretty near the beginning; I had no idea I’d spend most of my adult life watching this saga unfold. But seriously, since I read mostly horror and literary fiction I don’t have this problem very often. Both those genres seem dominated by one-offs and trilogies, so that’s what I’m used to.
2. How do you feel about cliffhangers? I don’t like them. I’m fine with mysterious endings and questions left unanswered, but I don’t like actual cliffhangers. To me, those belong in TV shows with a regular schedule.
3. Hardback or paperback? I read mostly ebooks. You know, for the environment. But when I do buy real books I love a nice hardback.
4. Favorite book? It’s so hard to pick just one. It might be We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson. I love literature, I love horror, and this is a beautiful balance of both.
5. Least favorite book? Probably Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. She’s immensely popular with certain people, and sometime in my 20s I decided to find out for myself what Rand was all about. Philosophically, I can see why some people admire her, but as an actual novel, Atlas Shrugged was a bloated mess full of overblown speeches and cartoonish, annoying characters. At over 1,000 pages, it took a lot of willpower to reach the end, and I’m convinced most Rand lovers either haven’t read this or have terrible taste in books. Maybe both.
6. Love triangles, yes or no? I usually find them boring. I’m not a huge romantic, so if love drama is the center of a book I get bored really quickly. I don’t mind a love triangle as a background element, though, especially if there’s some depth or uniqueness to it.
7. The most recent book you just couldn’t finish? Empty Cauldrons: Navigating Depression Through Magic and Ritual, by Terence P. Ward. I only got about 1/4th of the way through it. I might finish it someday, though. It’s got some interesting ideas but it’s kind of wandering and repetitive. It’s also just kind of a heavy subject, so I might just take it in bits as needed.
8. A book you’re currently reading? Caleb Williams, and old novel (from 1794) by William Godwin. I’m not that far into it so I don’t have any real comments yet.
9. Last book you recommended to someone? Probably Kill the Farm Boy, by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne. I bought the audiobook on a whim and realized Mr. Robot would love it, so I had him give it a listen. He likes lighthearted books with a lot of puns and goofy jokes, and he loves this one.
10. Oldest book you’ve read? I’ve read some pretty old classics in translation, like The Odyssey and Oedipus Rex and The Tale of Genji. In English, I’ve read a bunch of Shakespeare, of course, and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. The oldest actual, physical book I’ve read was probably less than 100 years old. I would love to collect old books but that’s a pretty expensive hobby.
11. Newest book you’ve read? Man, Fuck This House, by Brian Asman. It was a fun read.
12. Favorite author? Favorite living author, Jason Pargin. Favorite dead author, Shirley Jackson. I have a lot of runners up in both categories, though. I’ve been obsessed with different authors in different phases of my life. At different times, I was obsessed with Kurt Vonnegut, John Irving, Haruki Murakami, Roddy Doyle, all of the Bronte sisters at different times, Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman . . . Pargin and Jackson are top of my list right now but I’m sure I’ll develop new obsessions as time goes on.
13. Buying books or borrowing books? Buying. When I was young I was all about borrowing but I’ve changed over the years. It’s hard to find obscure Victorian ghost stories at my local library and even when I do I can’t always get them finished before they’re due back. Maybe once kids are grown and I have free time again I’ll move back into borrowing more, but for now I usually buy ebooks or download old stuff from Project Gutenberg.
14. A book you dislike that everyone seems to love? Pretty much any steamy romance or “horror” series that are just steamy romances pretending to be vampire stories. A lot of readers just love that kind of stuff and it’s not my thing.
15. Bookmarks or dog-ears? Usually bookmarks, but I’ve dog-eared a few pages in my time.
16. A book you can always reread? Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits, by Jason Pargin. It’s brutally violent, but weirdly it’s a big comfort read for me. When I just need an escape I end up reaching for this book, and I own both the ebook and a nice hardback copy so it’s always around when I need it.
17. Can you read while listening to music? I used to do this all the time when I was young, but now I just find it distracting. Unless it’s dark ambient or light classical, I just end up half listening and half reading and not fully enjoying either.
18. One POV or multiple POVs? Whichever. I always notice and think about POV when I read, but I don’t have a general preference.
19. Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days? Multiple days. Even with light, quick books it usually takes me more than one sitting. For me, if a book is worth reading, it’s worth spending some real time reading and thinking about.
20. Who do you tag? I tag whoever likes to answer questions about books. Maybe it’s weird, but I always feel awkward tagging people, like I’d be putting pressure on them or something.