Laura's Book Survey

Hi, everyone!  Thanks so much for inviting me to be a part of this.  I'm really looking forward to it.  

Book Survey

1. What is one of your favorite books and why?

This one's tough because my favorite book changes from year to year, but right now it would definitely have to be The History of Love by Nicole Krauss.  It is beautifully written and weaves together several different plot lines into a very compelling story.  It can be incredibly funny at times and heart-wrenchingly sad at others.  I love authors that can do both well.

2. Who is your favorite author?

I will have to give a top four because I'm not sure I have a favorite:  J.D. Salinger, Tom Robbins, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Jane Austen.  I like them all for very different reasons, but if they are listed here then that means I like everything that I have ever read by them.

3.  Do you prefer male or female authors?

As you can tell from my favorite authors, I don't really have a preference.  I guess as I have gotten older I have started to tend toward female authors more.

4.  What was the last book that you read?  What did you think of that book?

I just recently finished Fast Food Nation and I really liked it.  I typically read very little non-fiction, but my curiosity got the better of me.  I learned quite a lot about the meat-packing business that I didn't know before, which is probably why I haven't been able to enjoy ground beef at all recently!  I'm currently reading The Red Tent by Anita Diamant and it is wonderful.  

5.  What is your favorite genre?

Definitely fiction.  I switch back and forth between the classics and more modern fare.  

6.  What book (if any) did you not enjoy reading?  Why?

The last book that I didn't finish was Henry James' The Portrait of a Lady.  I really liked James' The American, which is why I tried to read the more popular title, but I couldn't get through it. It was incredibly slow and dry.  It may be one of those books that is full of important meaning, but I definitely missed it!

7.  List 3-5 books that you would like to read.

Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

Unaccustomed Earth - Jhumpa Lahiri 

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

No Country For Old Men - Cormac McCarthy

What is the What? - Dave Eggers