#bookfloat

[floating-in-the-blue]

11, 12, 19 for the book asks!

Thank youuuu!!! <3

11. what non-fiction books do you like if any?

I really don't read enough non-fiction, tbh. I think (auto-)biographies are what I've read the most (discounting academic books when I was still in university).

12. did you enjoy any compulsory high school readings?

"Krabat" by Ottfried Preussler is a fantastic book and I'm glad we read that. I've reread it at least twice so far. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is amazing of course and I just reread that last year.

I think I also really enjoyed Sophocle's "Antigone" as well. And my German teacher introduced me (and through me my sister) to Christoph Ransmayr, which I'm really grateful for.

19. most disliked popular books?

Hm ... there's surely been some popular books that I didn't like but I don't hate read or waste time on books I really don't enjoy.

The only instances I can remember of actively hating something was the 50 Shades of Grey hype and before that, Twilight. Though I think I was mostly swept away by the hate mob for Twilight. I did read them all later (because I'd chosen them for my written English exam at uni) and while I still didn't really enjoy them, I have to admit that the power fantasy these books invoke really worked.

Book Asks

[floating-in-the-blue]

Book ask 2, 8, 14, and 15

Thank you, darling!!! <3 <3 <3

2. top 5 books of all time?

I'm bad at choosing favourites, especially in a ranked order but here's five of my favourites:

"Der Schrecksenmeister" by Walter Moers (the audiobook read by Andreas Fröhlich is fantastic too)

"The Galaxy, and the Ground Within" by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers 4; I love the whole series but this one's probably my favourite out of them)

"The Simoqin Prophecies" by Samit Basu (Game World 1)

"The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

"Sprig Muslin" by Georgette Heyer

8. what is the first book you remember reading yourself?

My memory is notoriously bad so I have no idea when i started reading or what it was I read. But I was very fond of the "Der kleine Brüllbär" book series by Ingrid Uebe as a child.

14. do you ever mark/dog ear books you own?

already answered here

15. recommend and review a book.

@lexxlikes gave me a copy of "The Tainted Cup" by Robert Jackson Bennet for my birthday this year (thanks, Lexx!! <3) and I absolutely adored the book (and have already purchased the second in the series).

It's a fantasy murder mystery with very intriguing world building (a sort of plant-based magical world plagued by huge leviathans whose blood is used to alter people, giving them superpowers) and very cool characters (our first person narrator is the investigator's assistance, trying to survive his first murder investigation while hiding a secret and wrangling his eccentric boss). I loved the twists and turns of the case, the characters and the world and I'm so excited to read book two!

Book Asks

[floating-in-the-blue]

14+17 for the book asks

Thank you, hunny!!! <3

14. do you ever mark/dog ear books you own?

Not on purpose for 98% of my books. I do have a "Red, White & Royal Blue" paperback that's full of comments though (mostly of the "yes, Alex, those are sure very heterosexual thoughts you're having there" variety XD)

17. top 5 children's books

Well obviously I have to mention "Winnie the Pooh" by Milne, right? XD

I will also forever love the "Brambley Hedge" books by Jill Barklem, even though they gave me unrealistic dreams of a life I will never have.

"Die Katze mit Hut" by Simon Ruge is great fun (though I'm mostly familiar with the puppet tv show) and very left-leaning.

"Krabat" by Ottfried Preußler should really be read by more people!

Emily Gravett has a great picture book about the Fibonacci sequence called "The Rabbit Problem".

Not sure if these are the top 5 ones but they're definitely all great :D

Book Asks

[floating-in-the-blue]

book ask :D 1, 3, 7, 13, 16

Hi, hunny!! Thank you so much for these questions! <3

1. book you’ve reread the most times?

I'm not really sure. Not counting picture books and children's books, there's still lots of contenders. There's some Georgette Heyers I've read a lot. The Mortal Engines books by Philip Reeve are favourite rereads (or audiobook relistens), too. There's a medical space thriller by Tess Gerritsen I've read at least three times (it was the very first book I read in English that I hadn't already read in German before) ...

3. what is your favourite genre?

Speculative fiction is, I think, the umbrella term. Scifi and fantasy and magical realism and all that stuff. It's definitely what I gravitate towards the most but I also enjoy some crime stories/thrillers every now and then or a regency romance or assorted random other books.

I'm mostly reading fiction though.

7. is there a series/book that got you into reading?

I don't think there was anything specific because I've always been surrounded by books (two reading parents who read books to me plus one reading sister so ... it's genetic ;D) but have an early favourite picture book: "Als die Raben noch bunt waren" by Carola Holland and Edith Schreiber-Wicke. I loved the colourful ravens and the puns (forever a pun girlie!) and slogans

13. do you have a goodreads?

I do, though it's only for tracking books, I do rate, but I don't write reviews or anything. These days, I also have a physical book where I track because I wanted to have a better overview of which books are audiobooks, non-fiction, short form etc. Plus it's very pleasing to have physical things ;D But it's still only a list (without ratings)

16. how many books have you read this year?

40 novels (5 of them audiobooks), and about 7 (I think) short stories.

Book Asks

[floating-in-the-blue]

Book asks :D

1, 8, 12 and 14

Thank you for these excellent questions, hunny! <3

1. book you’ve reread the most times?

Hm ... there's a few condenders and I'm sure there's some children's book I'm forgetting right now but definitely up there in the top ten rereading books is Georgette Heyer's "Devil's Cub" which captured my heart. Even though the romantic hero is very questionable upon further scrutiny. But I think I just fell in love with the heroine before even knowing I am bisexual.

8. what is the first book you remember reading yourself?

My memory is shite and my time perception even more so. I have no idea. I'm sure I looked at the Brambley Hedge books even before I could read and then read them as soon as I could so in lieu of a better answer, this'll have to do ;D

12. did you enjoy any compulsory high school readings?

We did read Krabat, which was awesome, and I think I really liked "Biedermann und die Brandtstifter" as well as "Antigone." There might have been more but these are the ones coming to mind right away. Along with my absolute hatred for "Hau ab, du Flasche".

14. do you ever mark/dog ear books you own?

Not usually unless it's the books I got for university. But there is one very marked up and dogeared copy of The Lord of the Rings sitting on my shelf which I can't part with because it's just so hilarious how lil teenage me with the biggest Aragorn crush was reading that on a sailing trip once and marking every bit with him or talking about him XD (I listened to the soundtrack of "Cruel Intentions" all the while so that non-fitting soundtrack is now tied to Middlearth in my mind)

Book Asks

[floating-in-the-blue]

Heey babe 💕 because books rule and the book asks sound awesome: 2,3,4 and 16

HUNNY!!! 💕 Thanks for the questions!

2. top 5 books of all time?

I resent the 'all time' thing but here's my 'off the top of my head' favourite 5 books:

"The Long Way To a Small Angry Planet" - Becky Chambers (though basically the entire 'Wayfarer' series; wholesome found family scifi more interested in culture and characters than flashy action plots)

"The 13 1/2 Lives of Capt'n Bluebear" - Walter Moers (this book has more imagination on one page than most books manage in their entirety, language porn, and a lot of fun)

"The Simoqin Prophecies" - Samit Basu (when I say this book has everything, I definitely mean it. The best fantasy to ever satire the standard hero plot by writing an engaging hero plot)

"Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse" - Torben Kuhlmann (it's just REALLY very pretty and adorable, okay?!)

"Brambley Hedge: Sea Story" - Jill Barklem (as a kid I could just get lost in the detailed and adorable pictures and that hasn't changed a bit since growing up)

3. what is your favourite genre?

If you couldn't tell, it's speculative fiction ;D Anything with scifi/fantasy though I do read a lot of other things, too, to keep my book diet varied.

4. what sections of a bookstore do you browse?

The English one, which is usually small; the fantasy/scifi one; and then picture books, with a possible foray into recipe books (more baking than cooking - though I haven't looked for any new books in a while since I ought to actually try the recipes in the books I have).

16. how many books have you read this year?

19 so far

Book Asks