Author: Aspasía S. Bissas

I’m excited to announce that I’ve finished the first draft of a new story set in the Love Lies Bleeding universe and inspired by true events! Details and cover reveal to come–make sure to follow or subscribe so you won’t miss out…

In the meantime, it’s always fun to take part in a book tag, and this one found its way to me via A.M. Molvik’s Ramblings…

Author You’ve Read The Most From:

Isabel Allende. Love her work. Close second: Ilona Andrews, if only because the Kate Daniels series has so many books in it.

Best Sequel Ever:

I’ll go with Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. You can’t go wrong with more Alice.

Currently Reading:

The Library of Greek Mythology by Apollodorus (I’m trying to read more Classical Lit).

Drink Of Choice While Reading:

Water or tea, I guess, which are my drinks of choice most of the time anyway.

E-Reader Or Physical Book?

Mainly physical books, but an e-reader is perfect for travel or commuting (or school–I wish I’d had one when I was lugging around textbooks every day).

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Been Friends With In High School:

Marco Alisdair from The Night Circus, or maybe Klaus Baudelaire (A Series of Unfortunate Events).

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende. It caught my eye in a secondhand shop and was the first book of hers I read. Now she’s one of my favourite authors.

Hidden Gem Book:

Find a book by an indie author. Does the book’s description sound interesting? If yes, then enjoy that hidden gem!

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

Aside from learning how to read, maybe it was the first time I read a difficult book and really got it.

Just Finished:

The latest (and it seems, last, alas) Kate Daniels book (Magic Triumphs) by Ilona Andrews.

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

If the story is interesting to me, I’ll read just about anything. That said, however, I have no interest in abusive relationships portrayed as “romance.” I’m also tired of dystopian fiction–I think we’re all getting enough of that in reality.

Longest Book You’ve Read:

Probably Ulysses (it felt like the longest, anyway).

Major Book Hangover Because Of:

The Good: Every time I finished a Harry Potter book, and ultimately when I finished the entire series.

The Bad: When I finished Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and was left wondering wtf I just read (Harry’s name might be on the cover, but this book does not deserve that title).

The Ugly: A series I finished not too long ago that was so bad I’m still reeling. I posted about it here.

Number of Bookcases You Own:

25 (which is one reason why I’m not a fan of open concept design–I need walls!)

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

I’ve re-read a number of books, but the one I probably re-read the most was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Every time a new book came out, I’d read the entire series again. Since Deathly Hallows (the last book) came out, I’ve re-read the entire series a few more times.

Preferred Place To Read:

Somewhere quiet and comfortable with good lighting.

Quote That Inspires You/Gives You All The Feels From A Book You’ve Read:

Not a single quote, but a passage from Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews:

“In basic terms, a fractal is a system that doesn’t become simpler when analyzed on smaller and smaller levels….It doesn’t end….It can’t be explained by mathematical analysis, so humanity, as it so often does, declared it to be a mathematical curiosity and swept it under the rug. Except the fractal occurs again and again….Left to its own devices, nature defaults to a fractal. A human settlement is a fractal. It is a complex system with randomly interacting components that is adaptive on every level. The pattern of the evolution of a single cell to complex organism is a fractal. The way man approaches his quest for knowledge is a fractal. Think of it: biology, the study of living things. A simple concept…”

A straight line appeared on the floor.

“As man accumulates knowledge, the volume of information becomes too much. He feels the need to subdivide it.”

The line split into three branches marked with labels: zoology, botany, anatomy, then split again. Botany grew horticulture, forestry, plant morphology, plant systematics. Zoology splintered into zoological morphology and systematics, then into comparative anatomy, animal physiology, behavioral ecology…It kept building and building, splitting, growing, branching….

“And that’s the crux of our problem…Man can’t handle the chaos.”

I went in expecting a good story. I came away with insight into life, the universe, and the limits of the human mind (along with a good story). Not bad.

Reading Regret:

That I didn’t keep a record of the books I read when I was younger. Not only have I forgotten the titles of books I read and loved (and will likely never be able to find again), but I’ll never have an accurate count of how much I’ve actually read.

Series You Started And Need To Finish (all books are out in series):

I can’t think of anything in fiction, but there’s a series of science books I started a while  back that I would like to finish (not going to happen anytime soon, though).

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:

Not necessarily my top three, but three from my list of favourites (and I’ll try to stick to ones I haven’t already mentioned): Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky, Chocolat by Joanne Harris, Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer (graphic novel trilogy) by Van Jensen.

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Reading. It doesn’t matter what or how or when–just read. Your life will be better for it–I promise. (But do yourself a favour and branch out a little–if you always read a version of the same thing, it’ll get boring after a while).

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

I don’t usually pay too much attention to new releases because I don’t mind waiting to get a book (I happily read books that are 10+ years old), but there are a couple coming out that I’m excited about: The Book of Lost Saints by Daniel José Elder, The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, and Sacred Smoke by Amy Blackthorn.

Worst Bookish Habit:

Eating while I read, although I don’t do it much anymore. But I have stained a few books over the years (oops).

X Marks The Spot

Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

The Wars by Timothy Findley

Your Latest Book Purchase:

The last book I got was an e-book, The Confectioner’s Guild by Claire Luana.

ZZZ-Snatcher Book:

Last Book That Kept You Up WAY Late:

Unfortunately it was the last book in that series I ended up hating (see “Major Book Hangover,” above). I was almost finished the book, so I decided it was worth losing sleep to find out how it all concluded. I spent most of the night reading (there was more left than I realized) and then I was so upset at the horrible decisions the author made that I couldn’t sleep at that point if I tried. I stayed awake all night, reading and then thinking about how much time I wasted on such an awful series. I would really like that sleep (and my time, money, and peace of mind) back.

What’s the last book you bought? Have you lost any sleep lately to stay up reading? What’s the 27th book on your shelf? Share your answers in the comments below, or leave the link if you post this tag on your own blog 🙂

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

PS: It’s your last chance to take advantage of Smashwords’ summer sale and get Love Lies Bleeding at half off. Don’t forget Blood Magic–always free!