Lazy post

Joy tagged me a while ago. I can't think of anything to write about currently and my blog feels rather neglected. What perfect timing, no? So onto the game of tag it is. I call this the book tag (so creative, right? *applause*).

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Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?
I had about a vampire's chance in garlic-field of not developing it :-)! My earliest childhood memories are of mom and dad sitting on chairs and reading while sis and I played on the floor. There was no way that I could not love doing something which my parents so obviously enjoyed doing.

What are some books you read as a child?
I started off with comics - Tinkle, Amar Chitra Katha, Phantom, Mandrake etc. And then graduated to Enid Blyton (Famous Five, Five Find outers, Secret Seven, the wonderful, wonderful Magic Faraway Tree etc. etc.). From there it was on to Three Investigators, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew. Also throw in some abridged versions of classics. Basically, I traversed the arc which pretty much every reading Indian child used to travel (what do kids these days read?).

What is your favourite genre?
I like books which have lots of technical titbits and current/world affairs woven into a story. Frederick Forsyth and Michael Crichton are good examples. I like reading the classics. Of course, P.G. Wodehouse and Jane Austen are Gods.

Do you have a favourite novel?
There are plenty of books I thoroughly enjoyed reading - don't think I can pick a particular favorite novel. But some books that linger in my memory ...

- Five get into a Fix - the first full length novel I read.
- Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit - my very first PGW, it has a special place in my heart
- Pride and Prejudice - I *have* to read it at least once every year
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - this was the first book I read from cover to cover without even a single break (other than one trip to the kitchen to get the huge snack dabba for company)

Where do you usually read?
Anywhere and everywhere. Really. It is not the place which matters - more like, do I have a book to read?

Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?
Pretty much always. Mostly because considering the n number of places I read my books in, I sometimes forget where I left a book. Then, when I need to have a book to read ASAP, I will just pick another one instead of launching a book hunt right away (unless of course book 1 is at some critical point). It is kinda easy to start off multiple books this way!

Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?
Huh - why would that be different? Or are we talking about techie books/school books? In the latter case, yup, in addition to reading, I also used to pile a tremendous amount of imprecations upon my head for not having started reading sooner (beginning cramming the night before an exam sometimes brings a nasty shock in terms of the amount of stuff to be crammed).

Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library?
The library is my blessed primary source. I have a collection of 15 or so good books in my house which I have never read. I have them unread because, in case there is an earthquake or a flood and I am not able to go to the library, I still will have new books to read. In case you were wondering, nopes, I do not have sufficient food stock to sustain me for more than a couple of days.

Do you keep most of the books you buy? If not, what do you do with them?
Yes - I usually only buy books which I think I will read a second time.

If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them? Were they some of the same ones you read as a child?
Check back in a decade or so!

What are you reading now?
Wonder boys - Michael Chabon
A case of exploding mangoes - Mohammed Hanif

Do you keep a TBR (to be read) list?
Yes - it is spread across my gmail inbox. However, when I am in the library scratching my head for the next pick, my memory as well as gmail does an exceptional job of hiding every book on the TBR. Not very useful if you ask me.

What books would you like to reread?
Comics. Classics. Humor. I almost never reread thrillers or adventures or suspense novels - you know what is going to happen, right? And in that genre, the getting there bit is usually not a scenic ride to be savored repeatedly.

Who are your favourite authors?
PGW, Jane Austen, J.K.Rowling, Fannie Flagg, Bill Bryson, Agatha Christie, Dave Barry (his columns and non-fiction , not his works of fiction - yuck), Terry Pratchett - ah well, just go and look at the list on my profile page. But that list is not comprehensive either.

Nah, not tagging anyone. Would love it though if at least a few of you readers pick it up. Go on folks, indulge me!