I got tagged by the lovely Simon T of Stuck in a Book last week in a meme he had created. It’s a great idea and one that, should you wish to, you can all have a go at. You simply go to your shelves close your eyes and pull ten random books of them and then tell your readers what those ten books tell the world about you. Simon says (ha, I normally am on the receiving end of that saying) that you can cheat a bit which is what I had to do a bit as I only took books of my shelves with books I had read on and some of the titles didn’t work. Anyway on with the books which as you can see I carefully arranged on the sofa… sort of.
Blackmoor by Edward Hogan
This is the best casing point of proving that I wasn’t cheating and as soon as I had picked it I thought ‘oh no’ as I couldn’t think of anything it said about me. I then remembered that it is set in Derbyshire and that is where I am from so that tells you more about me doesn’t it.
The Mitford’s: Letters Between Six Sisters edited by Charlotte Mosley
Now you probably already know I am a bit of a Mitford maniac so that’s not really something new. But I am a huge fan of letter writing. I used to write sides and sides of A4 letters to my friends but sadly it’s gone out of fashion, I am thinking I should make some new pen-pals but not sure how you go about it.
The Haunted Hotel by Wilkie Collins
Now after my sensation season I don’t need to fill you all in on how much I love the genre or how fascinated I am by all things Victorian but its worth a mention. Did you also know that I am into all thinks ghostly and though I haven’t stayed in a haunted hotel I worked in on in Devizes and have stayed in a few haunted sites like Peterborough Museum which was once a hospital and a mansion (I even spent a while in the old morgue) I have also slept in the London Tombs a lovely bunch of plague pits for charity.
Animals People by Indra Sinha
India is one of the countries that I most want to go to, fact one. The second fact is that I have always been a big fan of pets. In fact from about 3 years old I had a duck called Rapunzel who lived indoors with us and would fly to me if I shouted her, she was one of the best pets ever. Since then though I have reverted to cats and goldfish, I only have the latter at the moment but we could be getting two little sets of whiskers in the house soon. Very excited! Ooh and thirdly I did my work experience at a vet surgery and was in the Swindon press after we helped save a dog’s life.
Spies by Michael Frayn
My fantasy job, as I soon decided I didn’t want to be a vet, is now to be a spy. It won’t happen in a million years but I would love it, apart from being terrified all the time. It is also why I am addicted to Spooks when it’s on.
The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld
If I had done a degree my aim was to become a psychologist and to go onto do criminal profiling and working out why people kill and how their killings say so much about a killer. I think its fascinating and why I like crime fiction so much and need the occasionally binge.
Daphne by Justine Picardie
Good old Daphers is my favourite author and Rebecca is my favourite book, can’t say more than that can I? Ha!
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
Well I am an avid reader and hopefully the books I read aren’t common. Hmmm, how do I put that better? I hope I read a diverse collection of books. Also apart from age and national treasure status I like to think I have a lot in common with Alan Bennett he’s northern, a writer etc, etc.
The Accidental by Ali Smith
I am one of the clumsiest people you could ever meet, seriously it’s ridiculous. Falling seems to be one of my specialities or bumping into things or tripping, basically anything is a health hazard.
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
This was my only cheat and it’s a bit of a tenuous fact. I am a big fan of cats; in fact as a kid I wasn’t interested in dinosaurs but I wanted a sabre tooth tiger as a pet. So I think if I could be any animal it would be snow leopard or white tiger. I know that’s pushing it a bit but it’s the best I could do.
So there you have it! Who else is up for doing this? I wont tag particular people just leave it up to all of you to have a go at and if you do it do pop a link in the comments, or of course if you have already done it. Do you think these books say a lot about me; do you feel you know me a little bit better?
Savidge Reads 
Ooh, love this meme. It does help me know you a bit better, that’s for sure, especially considering that I’ve only started following your blog not too long ago!
I like how you’re a big cat person, because so am I! And I’m so very proud, always, to tell people that I was born in the chinese zodiac year of the tiger! =)
I don’t think I even own enough books to do this meme. But it was definitely fun to read yours. =)
I bet you do Michelle, the other option is get books you havent read yet you think can sum you up as a person. I find them quite insightful when I have seen other people do them so would love it if all the readers had a go at this.
Cats are the best, I live with a non reading dog person and am trying to convert them on both fronts with some success. Odd I am a cat person as was born in the Year of the Dog.
I love that you want to be a spy!! What a lovely selection of books that you pulled off your shelf and I couldn’t agree more with you about Daphne and The Mitfords!
Hahahah I would be the worst spy ever but we can all dream cant we? Hee hee. I would love you to have a go at this Dot!
I have indeed had a go, really enjoyed it, thanks Simon!
http://dot-scribbles.blogspot.com/2010/01/1o-books-all-about-me.html
I saw and commented, so thrilled you took part in this Dot!
What a fun meme, Simon! I didn’t know that your fantasy job was to be a spy — a cat-loving, clumsy spy who had a pet called Rapunzel. Now that’s a character you can pitch to Jasper Fforde.
Hahaha, I shall pop that thought forward to Fforde for sure! I hadn’t thought of it like that and now I have seen just how bizarre I am. Though hopefully bizarre in a good way.
Brilliant answers, Simon, and you really understood what I was getting at in the meme – tenuous links being the best ones, in my opinion, and I love how you used ‘the Accidental’!
Thanks Simon, am glad you liked it sorry it too me so long to get around to doing. I hope more people give this a go as it gives you much more insight than you think initially!
Interesting meme which I might just pinch… and I love how you call Du Maurier ‘Daphers’!
I can’t remember if it was me of Novel Insights that started calling her Daphers when we read one of her books together and it has stuck ever since. Do have a go at this.
I love this meme, its a lot of fun, I must say I never had you down as clumsy haha! I loved it enough that I gave it a go myself.
http://thebookwormchronicles.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/can-you-read-me-like-a-book/
Hoorah you did it! I have just been over, had a gander and left a comment.
It’s a great meme – and not easy either, but sounds fun to do and I might have a go too. I love your answers. It seems a lot of lit-bloggers are cat people – after all you can’t read books while walking dogs, can you?
You coudl listen to audiobooks though (and I am not being mean saying this its just an opinion) I don’t think that they actually count as books as there is no reading involved ha. I could listen to all my bookish podcasts though!
Do have a go Annabel I would love to see what you end up with.
You’ve reminded me that I need to complete this, Simon. It’s an interesting meme and one I am looking forward to. I wouldn’t say that I learned more about you than I already did except for your interest in forensic pyschology and our shared accident-proneness!
P.S. Love the title!
Thanking you very much, I do try lol.
Oooh do hurry up Claire I would be sooooo interested to see yours as have had glimpses of what you have on your shelves and would be interested to see how it works out.
I was just getting wistful over past penpals too, after reading the Guernsey Literary etc. book. Maybe we should be pen pals and put letter writing back into fashion!
That sounds like a plan Marieke, I might be doing a post on pen pals very soon too as I think the magic of the letter seems to have died somewhat and thats a real shame.
I love the story about your pet duck!! Such a great name, too. We had two pet ducks, but obviously we weren’t very imaginative on the name front because we simply dubbed them Donald and Daisy.
I think my Mum is getting some ducks for my brother and sister in the future. They have chickens but ducks are actually much better pets. Donald and Daisy might not be the most original names they are still cute ones though.
What fun! I *really* want to own The Mitfords: Letters Between Sisters. 🙂 And I love Wilkie Collins too-I haven’t gotten to The Haunted Hotel yet, but it’s on my radar!
I really want to go to India as well! I haven’t read the Indra Sinha, but it’s on my TBR list now. 🙂
I just finished White Tiger last night…I’m unsure what I think of it, so I’m off to read your review.
Hahahahaha White Tiger is an interesting one, I think its a marmite book. I really enjoyed it but I think that a lot of people might not!!
I need to read more Sinha as I loved Animals People but I have never seen any of his other books around.
Fun meme! I’m in the middle of reading The Mitfords right now and I don’t ever want it to end. I love reading diaries too, but letters, all the pet names and obscure jokes that no one else understands, are just so much more intimate and fascinating.
I think the great thing about the Mitfords letters is that they are so big and so filled with things that you could go a few years and then have to open them and do it all over again. Do admit!
Hahaha, I love this meme, but I suspect it would not work for me at all. My bookshelves are carefully organized from right to left in order of how much I love them, so my choices couldn’t be random! Unless I spun me around for a while and lost my bearings…
Hahahaha maybe try the spinning idea, though that could end up with you having concusion and I dont think we would want that you for the pain and me for my concionce (thats spelt sooo wrong)!
I have not read a single book you posted on this list and am furiously scribbling some down to get on that dreaded and ever increasingly long TBR list.
I absolutely love this idea and will so be doing it next week on my blog.
Thanks for the comment Kimberly and for popping by. Glad that I could add some books to your TBR. Seeing as I can’t technically add to mine, its nice to see am adding to others instead.
What a fun idea for a meme and interesting collection you have! I didn’t even know about The Haunted Hotel by Wilkie Collins. It just shows that I have a lot to learn, apparently, not only about you, but books I should be aware of.
The Haunted Hotel is great because its also one of his shorter works and you can have a gripping hour or three of reading on the sofa. Delightful.
Such an interesting post! I also want to be a spy! But not the glamorous James Bond type, more like the Brad Pitt in Spy Game type of spy. You know, the realistic type 😉
I just noticed that you post everyday, and at time even twice a day! Amazing! I thought about one short story I’ve listened from the New Yorker podcast. It’s called A Summer’s Reading by Malamud. You should listen to it. With all these books you read, I think you’ll like the story 🙂
Ifyou have seen the UK show Spooks thats the kinda spy, a mix of hard ass and glamourous haha. I haven’t seen Spy Game so I might rent it out.
Sometimes I don’t post each day and sometimes its twice a day it depends and I am also a bit ahead so that way I can have a break and no one knows hee hee.
Hmm, is it the Spooks on BBC? Looks interesting. I’ll try to find it.
You save posts and schedule them for an advanced date? Clever 🙂
It is indeed the Spooks on the BBC
I only schedule some posts, I read a lt for work too so sometimes get through lots of shorter books and so save them up. Or certain books need to stay in my head for a little and mulled over.
I am so with you on the letter writing. I used to have lots of pen pals when I was younger (in fact, my first boyfriend started as a pen pal…) but these days of email have rather put the kibosh on it.
Bring back pen pals! My hand-writing is declining!
I think I will definately have to do a blog on penpals as would be lovely to bring it back, have a book that I can delightfully tie it in with too!
We should do a blogger pen pal swap, or something. A load of bloggers and blog-readers put their names into a metaphorical hat, then randomly get paired up (or more than pairs!) to write to each other by way of an old-fashioned pen and paper.
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