I’ve been tagged, and I didn’t know it. A few weeks ago Bellezza of Dolce Bellezza tagged me for a Liebster Award. Didn’t find out until now. As the icon shown above, the Liebster Award is to discover new blogs… well, blogs that one may not have visited before.
So here I go to answer 7 good questions. Thanks, litlove, for first asking them. Here they are:
1. What do you think of literary prizes? Good idea or bad?
I think literary prizes are good pointers, their shortlists are often guide to my longlist of TBR’s. I like to follow the Booker, Giller, and Pulitzer, awards from the UK, Canada, and US. I even watch book awards if they show on TV, like the Giller here in Canada. Yeah, you can tell I love award shows… but for some reasons, I’m not so thrilled about the Nobel literature prize.
2. If you could write any sort of book, what would you write?
They say the first book is usually autobiographical. So let’s see if that’s any easier. Also, something that I can turn into a screenplay after it’s published… like killing two birds with one stone.
3. Describe your ideal home library/study.
A big comfy couch for reclining. Large coffee table beside for laptop, books, notebooks, junks, enough space to put coffee mugs and snacks. Built in book shelves, with books of course, artworks, a music system, and overall artistic chaos. And oh, a large flat screen TV facing the couch. Books and films always go together for me.
4. Name two new authors whose work you think will last the test of time, and explain your choices.
Kazuo Ishiguro. I like his style. His An Artist of the Floating World, Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go cannot be more diverse in their setting and subject matter, which shows how versatile the writer is. I think his works can last the test of time. The other is Yann Martel. If he can write Life of Pi we can cut him some slack for slipping a bit in the next piece. If Pi can reach shore and be rescued after 227 days adrift at sea, I’m sure his story can survive the test of time. Also, really appreciated the writer’s effort to send our PM Stephen Harper a book every two weeks to enrich his reading.
5. Which books do you hope to get for Christmas?
Modern Library’s Top 100, you can pick any titles from it. Here’s the link. Thanks.
6. What’s the last book you did not finish and why?
The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson, 2010 Booker Prize winner. I stopped at about page 50. I know, I should have gone a bit more before I quit, but, my patience just couldn’t stand the test of time. However, I think I’ll go back, restart and finish it, some day.
7. Would you accept 20 books that were absolutely perfect for you and dependably brilliant reads, if they were also the last 20 books you could ever acquire?
What? Not being able to acquire anymore? The answer is a no-brainer. And also, I’m afraid the perfect books for me now may not remain perfect through the years, considering how changeable I am. Anyway, acquiring books is one of life’s major pleasures and I just don’t want to give it up.
Ok, now, the next 7 targets to answer these 7 questions, how about Janell of An Everyday Life, Catherine Sherman, Gavin of Page247, Hedda at Hedda’s Place, Alex of The Sleepless Reader, Sigrun at Sub Rosa, Grad The Curious Reader. Just for fun.
According to the idea of the Liebster Award, you’re to tag 7 other bloggers and develop your own 7 questions if you like.
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OH Arti,
How thrilling for you to be tagged for the Liebster Award. You are a wonderful writer and I enjoy your “take” on things. Anyway I will get busy and answer the 7 questions. When I am done answering them, should i post them on my blog or do you have a better idea (i.e., do you want them in the comments))? I so enjoy these connections that have been made over the blogging sphere.
Hedda
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Hedda,
Glad you’re going to join in the fun. Yes, do answer the 7 questions in a post … then think of 7 more bloggers to tag. Some suggest that you think of 7 questions on your own, but I like these questions and just carry on with them. Have fun!
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This is a fun one, Arti. Sometimes these memes are sort of silly, but this has some meat to it and all the more important, tells me a bit more about you, which of course I love!
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Jeanie,
You’re right. I seldom do memes, and even if I’m tagged, I consider the questions first before jumping in. Anyway, I’m fine among friends. Thanks for your comment. 😉
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Loved your answers Arti! You made me laugh out loud with what you wanted for Christmas. Also, maybe I could come visit you in your library someday? 🙂
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Stefanie,
You did? Good. And, I can’t be more pleased to have you drop in to my library… love to visit yours too!
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Loved your answer about those twenty books. An interesting twist would be to ask “If you only could have twenty books from your library, which would they be?” In my case, that would be easier, because I tend to dispose of books that don’t stand the test of time. That means what I have could easily carry me on for a couple more decades.
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Linda,
I’d love to hear others’ answers too, yours particularly. But since according to the intention of the Liebster, I’m supposed to tag the ‘new’ ones. And you’re quite a veteran on the blogosphere I must say. 😉
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Thank you!
I love the idea of the Top 100 for Christmas, I’ll definitively pass the link on to my friends 🙂
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Kudos Arti! I just stopped by because I know Anna is opening there today – looking forward to your thoughts when you see the film.
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Thanks for thinking about me! Just posted my Anna K. movie review.
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Thanks for the tag. This is a fun one and a great way to tell a bit about one’s self and meet new bloggers. Now on to answer those questions (I think I’ll add a couple of my own)!
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Gavin,
Hope you enjoy doing it. Link back to me so I know when your post is up. 😉
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Great answers! Thanks for tagging me. Now, I must think of great questions. What’s sad is that some of my most faithful fellow bloggers are now starting to fade away, so it might be hard to find seven bloggers to ask. I’m grateful that you are both reliable and brilliant.
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Cathy,
‘Reliable’ maybe yes, ‘brilliant’ I’m not so sure. But thanks anyway. Hope this little exercise will give your blog a little more exposure. Looking forward to your answers. 😉
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An interesting tag. I took a look at your link of the 100 best novels and, of course, they are for authors writing in English. If I had a choice I would like to read, in English, the 100 best novels of all time by all authors, writing directly in English or having been translated into English. That is a different list, of course, since it is world literature, not just English language lit. I checked a couple of French sites and came up with Crime and Punishment by Dostoïevski as number one, followed by Madame Bovary of Flaubert, then War and Peace of Tolstoï, and Beware of Pity by Stefan Zweig. Another list showed Proust At the Research of Lost Time (my translation of the title), then The Trial by Frank Kafka, etc. I like to read American/English/Canadian writers but also writers like Henrik Ibsen or Naguib Mahfouz. It would be a shame not to read these other authors, don’t you think? One of the lists I look at was made up by 100 writers from 54 countries – the number one on their list is The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shibiku. It is interesting that they would come up with a Japanese book and not an English one.
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Vagabonde,
I think the poll you’re thinking of is this: From the editors of the Norwegian Book Clubs, with the Norwegian Nobel Institute, in which they asked 100 writers from 54 countries what they considered the “best and most central works in world literature.” Although the books were not ranked, the editors revealed that Don Quixote received 50% more votes than any other book. Here’s the link to that list. The Tale of Genji is on the list, but it’s a list that carries no ranking though.
As you can see from the list, it heavily favours the Western world, including Europe, Russia, and North America… the world where English is the lingua franca. This is expected though, for how many of those polled would have read classical Chinese literature, for example. My point is, even such lists are very limited in scope and inherently biased.
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I love how books and film go together for you, that you’d have a flat screen tv in your library. Invariably I am disappointed in film, but you are teaching me…
I’d like a book from the Modern Library top100, too. Good list to choose from!
I’m sorry I’m so late in visiting; I’m having a hard time with sending my son off a week from today and I’m not quite myself.
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Bellezza,
Don’t worry about blog visiting for now… spend as much time as you can with your son, and take good care of yourself. I wish him all the best in his training. I know, the letting go has to be mutually learned. It’s also a testing of faith and trust too. I can fully understand and empathize… although my son isn’t in the military, leaving home is always a hard time for both the one going away as well as the one staying and waiting.
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