The Goodreads Tag #BEDM

I was tagged by Chloe over at Nurse Fancy Pants to do the Goodreads Tag. I was going to follow her example and do a post about why I use Goodreads (check out her post HERE), but I’ll do that for another day. For those that don’t know, Goodreads is a site that lets you keep track of what you’ve read, what you’re currently reading, explore genres and see what your friends are up to as well. I’m a big fan of it.

What was the last book you marked as read?

Off the top of my head, I thought it was The Diamond Thief by Sharon Gosling, but it was actually Cress by Marissa Meyer. I’m so forgetful these days!

What are you currently reading?

I keep a few books on rotation, I’m not one for reading only one book at a time. Currently I have The Second Book of General Ignorance by John Lloyd and John Mitchinson, This Is Improbable: Cheese String Theory, Magnetic Chickens and Other WTF Theories by Marc Abrahams, Electrified Sheep by Alex Boese and Britty Britty Bang Bang by Hugh Dennis. All non-fiction, all information heavy, which is probably why I’m getting through them so slow. Though I only pick up the first two books every now and again as they are that kind of book. I do have Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and The Gathering by Anne Enright on my iTunes to listen to but I haven’t started them yet. I also have Who Is Tom Ditto? by Danny Wallace on my phone but again I haven’t started it, mainly as I’m trying to plough my way through all the physical books I have.

What was the title of the last book you marked as ‘To Read’?

The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: And Other True Stories of Trauma, Madness, Affliction, and Recovery That Reveal the Surprising History of the Human Brain by Sam Kean. What a title! In terms of fiction, it was The Hive by Gill Hornby, after reading Beth from Plastic Rosaries rate it on Goodreads.

What do you plan to read next?

Well, I’ll start that Danny Wallace book next I think. After that I’m not sure. I have slowed down on ordering from the library so I can concentrate on reading some book I own. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson are the ones looking most appealing to me on my bookshelf!

Do you use the star rating?

I do but honestly I wish sometimes there was half stars. Voting something 3 stars can mean a variation of things for me. If I read a book and liked it but wasn’t crazy about it, I’d probably want to give it 2.5 but since I can’t I’ll rate it 3 instead of 2. It can be frustrating at times but I do appreciate seeing star ratings of others, especially if I know we have similar tastes in books, as it’s helpful for me to decide if I want to read that book.

Are you doing a 2014 Reading Challenge?

I am! I did 100 last year and just about hit that goal. Towards the end, I felt like I was more reading for the sake of reaching the goal instead of enjoying it and it felt like such a chore. I set my challenge at 30 originally, which I’ve already hit, so I put it up to 50. If and when I reach 50, I’m unsure if I’ll move it again, I guess we’ll see!

Do you have a wishlist?

Does my To Read list of books count?! I do have an Amazon wishlist but I don’t put every book I want to read on there, just ones that I’d really like. Though not many people use my wishlist anyway (which is why it frustrates me when my boyfriend complains that he doesn’t know what to get me, yet he knows I have a wishlist!).

What book do you plan on buying next?

As much as I’d love to buy loads of books, I can’t really afford it. Though after the huge debacle to get my hands on The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith from the library last year, I think I’ll buy The Silkworm, the next book that is out soon.

Do you have any favourite quotes? Would you like to share a few?

“But luxury has never appealed to me, I like simple things, books, being alone, or with somebody who understands.” Daphne du Maurier

“The closed mind is a disease. You need to have an open mind; otherwise life will just pass you by.” Danny Wallace

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

“A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life-raft and a festival. They are cathedrals of the mind; hospitals of the soul; theme parks of the imagination. On a cold rainy island, they are the only sheltered public spaces where you are not a consumer, but a citizen instead” Caitlin Moran

Who are your favourite authors?

You can find my most read authors here, though a lot of them are children’s authors. Though if I were to pick my favourites I’d say Mary Roach, Danny Wallace, Dave Gorman, Ben Aaronovitch, Jon Ronson, Marian Keyes, J.K. Rowling, Rainbow Rowell and Jenny Colgan.

Have you joined any groups?

Yes, I have! I’m part of the Booksplosion Read-Along, The Rory Gilmore Book Club (though I don’t really participate in this one, it’s more so I can remember the Rory Gilmore book list) and another group for a forum I’m on.

And that’s it! If you’d like to do this tag, please do, it’s great fun if you like books and reading. You can check out my Goodreads page here, add me if you’d like.