New York Times "By the Book" TAG

I've never done book tags before, but I saw a couple of youtubers talking about this one created by Marie Berg, she took the questions from "By the Book" by Pamela Paul. So enjoy and, if you like the questions, comment with your own answers!

Let's do this!

1) What book is on your night stand now?
Actually I've three books on my night stand right now...I know I should read one book at the time, but hey, I'm a risky! Anyway the books are:
"Dragonfly in Amber (Part 2)" by Diana Gabaldon. I recently finished the second TV series the made based on the books and I wanted to get back even with it so I started it and I'm about to finish it hopefully this week end. 
Then I have "13 reasons why" by Jay Asher and even though I like the plot, it is taking me forever to read it. 
Last but surely not least "The Dressmaker" by Rosalie Ham...I saw the movie earlier this year, I LOVED IT and wanted to know if the book is as good as the movie. Spoiler alert: IT IS!

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

"Mia amata Yuriko" (My beloved Yuriko) by Antonietta Pastore. I simply couldn't put it down, it was a full immersion in a completely different culture (and era, since part of it was set in 1945). I keep on suggesting it to anyone I meet.

3) If you could meet any writer - dead or alive - who would it be?  And what would you want to know?
Thinking about the dead ones, I'd love a meeting with Sir Noël Coward (author of  Pomps and Circumstance and theatrical piecewriter of Easy Virtue). From his works you can tell he was such a funny and witty guy, I'd just ask him if he ever experienced funny events and missunderstandings like his characters! As for the alive authors I'd fancy a cup of tea with Simon Sebag Montefiore, Ken Follett and James Rollins...oh, and John Niven, no doubt! Then a girls night out with Jay Crownover and Heather Killough-Walden.

4) What books might we be surprised to find on your bookshelf?

I've the entire serie of Rick Riordan's "The Heroes of Olympus"...it's not materially on my bookshelf because they're on ebook though. What can I say? He has a fun and flowing writing style and I'm a nerd when it comes to Greek and Roman mythology.

5) How do you organize your personal library?
It depends on the mood of the moment, but mainly I organize it by colour or by height of the book: the taller first and going down...

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

There're tons of books I've always wanted to read, but never really did: I always wanted to read "War & Peace" by Lev Tolstoj and "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury..and these two are just the tip of the iceberg.

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?

"Suite française" by Irène Némirovsky. I saw the movie adaptation and it was so good I decided to read the novel...It was different from the movie, since it was divided in two stories and I was ok with that, but it was boring and felt like a never ending story. This was also the last of the few books I've not finished.

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

Mainly horrors and books based on videogames...On the other hand I adore fantasy and distopians.

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

1984 by George Orwell. I think the world is on the edge of becoming the one predicted in that book.

10) What do you plan to read next?

I think I'll go with "The Necklace of Goddess Athena" by Effrosynu Moschoudi, "The Princes of Ireland" by Edward Rutherfurd and "Soldier Dog" by Sam Angus.

Photo credits: books cover on goodread.com & opening photo on Big Screen Small Words