Wednesday 15 February 2012

Book Tag!

I was tagged by Megan from Storybook Love Affair, thank you Megan.


Megan’s questions and my answers;

1. What is your favourite childhood book? Five on a Treasure Island by Enid Blyton. I spent half my childhood dreaming about joining the Famous Five on an adventure.  I also wrote my own version of a Famous Five story all about secret tunnels (of course) and strange noises in the night. I think I was about nine at the time.  I filled several notebooks and was convinced I had written a masterpiece. In hindsight, it was a long way from that!



2. What are you currently reading? Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks. It has been on my TBR pile for a long time, so I decided it was time to give it a go. If you would like to find out more about Birdsong a visit to Sebastian Faulks website is a good place to start.


3. Who is your favourite author and why? Such a hard question!  Stephen King, J. R. R. Tolkien,  Anne Rice, Isaac Asimov, Marion St John Webb, Sylvia Plath, Enid Blyton, C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carroll, Alison Uttley, A. A. Milne, Tove Janson. That’s today’s list but if you ask me tomorrow it will be different. I really can’t tell you why – I just enjoy them all.

4. Outside of blogging, what do you like to do? Anything to do with wildlife and walking. Terry (my husband) is a keen photographer, so I get to visit lots of great places with him; one of my favourites is the Farne Islands. I just love the Puffins and the grey seals.


5. Who are some of your favourite artists, bands etc? Adele, Paolo Nutini, Rhianna, Taylor Swift, K.D. Lang – to name just a few.

6. Sweet or savoury?  Sweet! Chocolate, cream, iced buns, toffee, Meringue, Banofie pie, and anything with custard!

Yum!

7. Do you have any favourite blogs and if so what are they?  Heaps! Storybook Love Affair (of course) The Secret DMS files of Fairday Morrow, Sharons Sunlit Memories, Life Between Pages, Believe in Yourself, Carry Us Off Books.  I could go on and on, but perhaps I should stop now.

8. What is your dream holiday? Australia! Our son and his family live in Adelaide, and we are hoping to visit at Christmas.  We have been before, but never at Christmas.

9. Who is your all-time favourite character? I don’t think I have an all-time favourite character, or at least I've never thought about it. I suppose I should name someone like Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice or Pip from Great Expectations, but I think I will settle for some favourite childhood characters like Winnie-the-Pooh, the very hungry caterpillar, Pippi Longstocking and Janet and John. Will that do?


10. If you could write a book, what would it be about? I do have an idea for a children’s book, but It will probably remain just an idea. When I was a little girl, my Granny Daisy lived in a fascinating house in a place called Winslow in Buckinghamshire. I've always thought Granny Daisy, and her house in Winslow should be included in a book, or a series of books! Granny Daisy does it again, Granny Daisy to the rescue, Granny Daisy and the Mayor of Winslow, Granny Daisy intervenes. No? OK, back to the day job.

11. Recommend one book that you think everyone should read. Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce. First published in 1958. I’ve read this story repeatedly and never grow tired of it. Tom is sent to stay with his aunt and uncle in a small apartment in an old house. It looks like it’s going to be a very boring visit until the grandfather clock in the hall strikes thirteen. Tom creeps down the stairs and discovers a garden that only exists in the memories of an old woman. Sadly, the cover of Tom’s midnight garden is not very enticing, but this really is a case of never judge a book by its cover.


The Tag rules;
1. You must post the rules!
2. Answer the questions and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
3. Tag eleven people and link to them.
4. Let them know you’ve tagged them.

My questions to you;
Do you use a bookmark or will any old bit of paper do?
What new books are you most excited to read this year?
Favourite season?
If money were not an issue, what present would you give yourself?
Do you buy second-hand books, new books or both?
Early bird or night owl?
Do you like to read a specific genre? If so, what genre is it?
Who is your favourite literary character of all time?
Physical books, E-books or audio books?
If your life was made into a movie, who would you like to play you?
Cat person or dog person?

These are the blogs I would like to tag;

The Secret DMS files of Fairday Morrow
Sharons Sunlit Memories
Life Between Pages
Believe in Yourself
Carry Us Off Books
Books kids like
Darlene Foster's Blog
I'm a Book Shark
Always Crave Cute
The Desert Rocks
The Oliva Reader

I hope you all enjoy answering the questions. I can’t wait to see your answers :-)




24 comments:

  1. I LOVED reading this Barbara! We sound so very similar, many of your favourite authors are also mine and all the sweets you mentioned had me drooling at the mouth (sorry for the visual!). I loved the Famous Five books when I was a child too and I remember making up little stories of all the books I loved. I especially used to do this with Nancy Drew, I looked up to her so much ha ha. I hope you get to experience an Adelaide Christmas! It's always very hot here at that time of the year so it'll be a big change for you. And by the way, I love the idea of your children's books. I hope you do write them one day because you'll be great!

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  2. I knew you loved Enid! but Puffins! I love puffins because of Enid!!! I take the tag challenge. It may be a few days though!

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  3. barbaraannefisher15 February 2012 at 15:25

    So there are at least two of us then! Do you like the adventure series? Sea of adventure is one of my favourites. I really enjoy your blog and find some new delight every time I visit. I shall look forward to reading your answers.

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  4. barbaraannefisher15 February 2012 at 15:34

    Hello Megan, it took some thinking about, but I really enjoyed doing it. Thank you again for the tag. I know just what you mean about drooling! The chocolate cake, brandy snap, cream and strawberries in this post were delicious! I ate them on a sandy beech in Fiji while at my son's wedding! It was a wonderful day, and the pud was pretty good too! Can you believe I’ve never read a Nancy Drew book? I really must rectify that before much longer. It will be strange to be in Adelaide in the sun rather than in the UK in the cold, but our little granddaughter will be nearly two then, and a new baby is due this May so it would be lovely to be with them. Thank you for your kind comments about my idea for children’s book. I don’t know that I’ve really got the ability or the time, but maybe one-day….

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  5. Barbara, thank you for this honor! I can't wait to answer these questions. I loved your answers and can see that we have much in common.

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  6. Ahhh thank you for tagging me, Barbara! I'll be sure to have the post up over the next couple of days.

    Love your answers! You're so lucky to have seen puffins. I've never come across one, so they're a bit mythical to me.

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  7. Oh dear, I feel like you're giving me homework to do! Thanks for the chance to be part of your book tag. I'll have the answers up soon! :)

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  8. barbaraannefisher15 February 2012 at 17:13

    I felt a bit like that when I started answering the questions, but I really enjoyed it in the end. Don’t forget I will be giving marks out of 10 and big gold star for extra-special work!!!

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  9. barbaraannefisher15 February 2012 at 17:19

    Puffins are amazing; I could sit and watch them all day. There are lots of ‘photos on Terry’s website if you would like to see them http://tinyurl.com/7c5yk4b
    I will look forward to reading your answers.

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  10. barbaraannefisher15 February 2012 at 17:23

    Donna, I'm glad you enjoyed my answers. I'm looking forward to reading yours. I’m sure you're right, we do have a lot in common.

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  11. Oh wow - thanks for including me Barbara. I'll post my answers as soon as I can (hopefully this weekend). I did enjoy reading your responses - I was also a big Famous Five fan.

    I'll have to put on my thinking cap - half the challenge is coming up with a new set of questions!

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  12. barbaraannefisher15 February 2012 at 19:31

    Sharon, how right you are! I wanted to make most of the questions book related but then add a few fun ones as well, but it wasn’t easy. Thanks for agreeing to join in, I will look forward to your answers.

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  13. Hi Barbara! Great reading your answers to these interesting questions! Thank you for including me. It may take me a couple of weeks to get this assignment completed, but I will participate when I can. I look forward to reading everyone's posts and their answers too!

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  14. barbaraannefisher15 February 2012 at 20:12

    It will be lovely if you do have time to participate. I will look forward to reading your answers.

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  15. Hi Barbara, thanks for tagging CarryUsOff. I've just written a post for this week, so my answers will go up next week. I've heard of Tom's Midnight Garden (I don't remember if it was from your blog), but I think I'll check out a copy from my library next. We have faves in common! K.D. Lang, Enid Blyton, walking, sweets, Tolkien, A.A. Milne, Pippi Longstocking.

    (Ooh, and I received your package today! The books are great, and thank you so much for the fairy postcard. Loved them!)

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  16. barbaraannefisher16 February 2012 at 15:52

    Hi Claudine, I’m glad the books arrived OK and that you like them. The postcard was just a little extra. Wish I could have sent you a bunch of snowdrops, but I don’t think they would have survived! I’ve seen Tom’s midnight garden reviewed too, but like you, I can’t remember where.
    What is there not to like about K.D. Lang, Enid Blyton, walking, sweets, Tolkien, A.A. Milne, Pippi Longstocking?! I will be over to read your new post in a bit.

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  17. Thanks for tagging The Secret DMS Files of Fairday Morrow and saying that we are one of your favorite blogs! That made our day. Stephanie and I look forward to answering your questions and posting our responses soon (hopefully on Sunday). I really enjoyed reading your answers. Like you, I love wildlife and the outdoors. I try to go outside and explore as often as I can. I watch a variety of different birds from my porch and they always keep me entertained! I have never read Tom's Midnight Garden- but because you recommended it I have added it to my list. We share many favorite authors in common!

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  18. barbaraannefisher17 February 2012 at 21:56

    You are very welcome. Yours is easily one of my favourite blogs so it was an easy choice. I’m really looking forward to reading your replies. The first time I read Tom’s midnight garden I almost gave up at the start. It’s a little slow to grip, but once it does it just doesn't let go! I hope you enjoy it.

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  19. Thanks so much for tagging me. I am a bit behind in my emails but I will answer your questions and pass the tag along soon. I am so honoured you chose my blog to tag.

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  20. barbaraannefisher25 February 2012 at 16:49

    I'm so glad you didn’t mind. I know it's a lot to do when we are all busy, but it’s a great way to find out more about one another. I will look forward to reading your answers.

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  21. I finally answered your great questions and passed the tag along. http://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/thankful-for-my-network/
    Thanks again for including me Barbara and it tied in nicley with my theme of networking

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  22. barbaraannefisher26 February 2012 at 22:38

    Hello Darlene, I’ve just read and enjoyed your replies; it was fun finding out more about you. I will be checking your tagged blogs over the next few days. Thanks for playing along.

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  23. Barbara, I, too, love TOM'S MIDNIGHT GARDEN! That ice-skating scene on a winter's night is one of my favorites. I recommended this novel to many a 10-year-old, but the dull cover did not help me make my case. Wouldn't it be great to see this reissued with new illustrations?

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  24. barbaraannefisher28 February 2012 at 15:56

    Absolutely! It’s such a wonderful story it deserves to be issued with colour plates, and a beautiful dust jacket. Should we start a campaign?

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I really appreciate your comment. Thank you!
Barbara xx