I think this was started about a month ago. Thanks Troy's Blog. Here we go.

1. What book is on your nightstand now?

You mean books. No nightstand, but I have 10 or so books right next to my bed. I am shuffling through all of them. Some are books I’m re-reading. Some are waiting to be read. Monday’s Lie by Jamie Mason. The Return of the King by Tolkien (I have started that book a few times already). Insurgent by Veronica Roth. Radical Sanity by Elizabeth Wurtzel. The Beach by Alex Garland. Much Ado About Nothing by....well, you know.

1. What was the last truly great book that you read?

That’s a tough one because many pop into my head. If I had to narrow it down I will say Atonement by Ian McEwan. Oh, and Life after Life by Kate Atkinson.

1. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?

William Shakespeare, duh. His plays read like poetry. It’s like he had metaphors just leaping off his fingertips. Certain English phrases were invented by him right? He helped expand the English language. I don’t think I would try to have a conversation with him. Instead I would go backstage during one of his rehearsals and watch him in his element.

1. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?

In the last few years I have been reading more science fiction. I surprised myself with this.  

1. How do you organize your personal library?

I really don’t. 

What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. Anything by Proust. A few classics I can’t think of right now.

I was scolded recently at a party for not reading The Dark Tower by Stephen King. I am not embarrassed not to have read that though. I have nothing against King, (I like him, in fact) but there are bigger books out there still unread.  

1. Disappointing, overrated, just not good: what book did you feel you were supposed to like but didn’t? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?

I couldn’t get into The Orphan Train by Christine Baker Kline. Not a bad book, but I didn’t care enough to finish.

Back in college my roommates were raving about The Da Vinci Code. I kept hearing about the suspense and the amazing plot. I picked it up out of curiosity. It was horrible in every way. I usually don’t like slamming authors, but I can’t constitute Dan Brown as a real writer. They call it a hack.

1. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?

I am not against any genre. If it is well written I will read it. I love Dickens and his stories of foundlings finding their way (Great Expectations, Oliver Twist). I love Gothic mysteries like Rebecca and Jamaica Inn. Tudor Historical Fiction.

It’s an eclectic mix.

If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?

They have time for that?

1. What do you plan to read next?

I would like to read Annihilation, the first book of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy. I have heard it's a mindscrew though, and I have to be in a certain mood for that type of thing.

I saw this on Gregor Xanes page and thought i would join in hope he doesn't mind :)

1. What book is on your night stand now?

The book on my kindle that I'm reading right now is "Steve Berry The kings deception" It's really good the plot is all out there with what if?

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?

The colour purple by Alice Walker just because it pulled at my heart strings and made me cry. Any book that gets a full blown emotion out of me is a Truly good read.

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?

Clive Barker, I'd like to ask him where he came up with his tales. Or H.P Lovecraft for the same question.
 

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?

John Norman.

5. How do you organize your personal library?

By author and series I like to have all the author's written works and the collection's all together, starting by first written and so forth in that order. 

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel
embarrassed never to have read?

Lot's of book's! There's so many that I can't think of them, one thing I always get on twitter is when people say to me, You really know your Horror book's truth is I don't at all! And I'm still getting into the genre

7. Disappointing, overrated, just not good: what book did you feel you were supposed to like but didn't? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?

I'm not going to call out to certain book's but if I Really really don't like a book or if a book takes 3 pages to describe a garment ect.. Then they go in my author failed for me section. I have about 3/4 book's in that pile.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?

I Love written works that make you think. The book's that even after 3 days your sitting there thinking about it. I love real Life mystery's The cases and the book's that make you think what the hell happened?! How? Those are the book's really draw me in. Or a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I try my best to stay clear of anything to do with Mills and boons style, or book's that I feel they're trying to make a quick pound on. Or authors who hound you on twitter to read their book those for me are instant no way's. The stories I like are anything I take alike too at the time, Mosty.. Horror, real life paranormal or mysteries.

 
9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be? 

The boy in the striped pyjamas or anything to do with Baltimore or improvised areas in America. 

10. What do you plan to read next?

The HellBound Heart by Clive Barker.

Apparently originally posted by Bookloving Writer, though the first post I saw was by Olga.

1. What book is on your nightstand now?

Depends which nightstand you're talking about, for arguments sake let's say the one closet to my bed, in which case it would be Sacrificial Magic & Chasing Magic by Stacia Kane

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?

I've been reading quite a few good books of late, some of which were re-reads (Mistborn) But I think my favorite would have to be The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, and part of the magic I think was because I haven't read it before. Plus it was about flesh-eating-horses!!

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?

I really haven't thought of this before, and to be honest couldn't be bothered putting in too much time contemplating it, so therefore I'll just go with the easy answer and say my favorite author, Ilona Andrews.
What would I want to know..... nothing and everything. Maybe get her to tell me a story in person, learn more about her Russian culture and history - probably not where she got the idea's for her characters, as i wouldn't want it to take away from the magic of her stories. Just whatever comes to mind I suppose.

Also Jackie French, I think would be a good person to chat with.

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves? 

I don't think many would be a surprise to anyone who knew me, except for maybe these few:

Tortured by Amanda McIntyre - because it's mainly historical romance, and not like me at all.
The Across The Nightingale Floor series by Lian Hearn - I'm not sure why, but people tend to be surprised when seeing this series on my shelf.
The Elephant Whisperer - Lawerence Anthony - Just something I wouldn't usually pick up, though i do love animals. (Haven't read yet)
Beyond Ugly by Constance Briscoe - Just because I tend to avoid Biographies. This one sounded fascinating, though in truth wasn't great.

The Empress of India by Michael Kurland - Doesnt sound like my type of book, but vaguely mentions Sherlock Holmes, and anything related to him I'm all over. (Haven't read yet)
The Exploits and Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy by Elizabeth Aston - Also because it's Historical Romance. (haven't read yet).

5. How do you organize your personal library?

Hahaha I have a rather strange way or organising everything, First off I Currently have 3 main shelves: read, un-read & favorites.
My Read shelf tends to be bunched into series, and random books. With favorite's up the top, and least favorites either down the bottom or behind the others.
My Un-read shelf tends to be random, with a few up the top I really want to read soon (usually has a few recommends in there, as well as borrowed books from friends) and they tend to bunch into the groups I bought them in. 
My Favorite shelf, is whatever, everything I really enjoyed that excludes the whole series (I have them on the read shelf, why? no idea)

Then I have another pile between book holders which are my Library borrows.

Yea I'm not really sure how my system came about, but it works for me.

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?

I use to feel embarrassed about having not read a lot of classic's, but after trying to read a bunch & hating everything except Sherlock Holmes, I just really don't care anymore. I find them lacking compared to today's standards.

There's a few I've been meaning to read and haven't quite managed to get around to yet, such as Eat Pray Love, Harry Potter, Wheel of Time, etc.

7. Disappointing, overrated, just not good: what book did you feel you were supposed to like but didn’t? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?

Hahaha I've had so many of these. So many popular book/series I just really did not like, such as Fever, Green & Shadow and Bone.
Recently I've put down quite a few as well, to name a few: Tomb Raider: The Ten Thousand Immortals, The Diviners, Lair of Dreams, The Tiger and The Wolf, Fields of Glory...... really I could go on..... lol.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?

I'm drawn to action & fantasy. I like to read about make believe. I'm not really interested in stories where I could in theory go out and do what I'm reading about (which tends to cross off both Romance & Erotica - plus they don't really float my boat) I enjoy books with character development, but who also don't start off insanely annoying. My most read and go to genre would probably be a sub-genre of fantasy, maybe Dark or Urban?
Oh and I tend to avoid mind-fuck books, I don't really enjoy my brain being screwed with. Or something that keeps me up most of the night, shuddering with disgusts. No thanks.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?

I've never really read anything that I think a president should read (says something about me huh?)... expect maybe something from 'a little person', not the big picture, but pain from a personal perspective. Like..... Reason to Breathe (A good perspective about the problem with Domestic & Family Violence - how children need to be educated to see harm like this differently) Little Wing (Mental Illness & how it makes you view the world & yourself) Over a Thousand Hills I Walk with You (The horrors war refugees have to go through to get to where they are today) Sold & No Laughter Here (Both of these are terrible tragedies that happen in not just 'other countries' but here as well) And lastly The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices (which was incredibly difficult to read, and utterly painful, but something I think everyone -who can- should try. It's something that will stay with me forever).

10. What do you plan to read next?

Chasing Magic by Stacia Kane. In fact I'm just about to start!!