Thursday, September 17, 2009

Book Blogger Appreciation Week: Reading Habits Meme

So I'll be the first to admit that I'm a little behind on the whole Book Blogger Appreciation Week thing. I only have so much time, and I chose to focus on the Blogoversary festivities instead. So this was actually Tuesday's (?) activity, but I thought it was fun enough that I wanted to jump in. And you can see all the other answers to this meme at the original post too.

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?I don't really snack while I read, though I usually bring a book with me and read while I'm eating breakfast/lunch/dinner unless I'm eating with my family or something.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of
writing in books horrify you?

It horrifies me. Which is kind of funny seeing as an English major, you're expected to make notes/underline in your books as you read. It wasn't until my last two semesters of college that I could bring myself to underline in my books. And it still disgusted me. So nope, no writing!

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?
Dog-ears are flat out book mutilation. Bookmarks all the way. I actually kind of collect bookmarks, so I have a LOT laying around.

Laying the book flat open?
It depends on the book. If it's a hardcover, definitely. But with paperbacks I absolutely do everything possible to keep from breaking the spine. I've made it through quite a few without creasing those spines, and I'm very proud of that.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Both, but mostly fiction. My non-fiction stuff is mostly Disney related or about a historical period I really enjoy (i.e. Tudor Times). I also like historical "unsolved mysteries".

Hard copy or audiobooks?
Both again. I actually listen to a lot of audiobooks. My family teases me that I don't go anywhere without my iPod. Audiobooks are a great way to get through some of those books that I kind of want to read, but not bad enough to pick them up completely. For example, right now I'm listening to the A Series of Unfortunate Events books. Probably would have never read them (my TBR stack is so huge) but I do enjoy listening to them. I'm on book 9 and going strong.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you
able to put a book down at any point?

I used to be an end of chapter person. But now I just stop where ever. Read too many books with super long chapters I guess.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
Nope. I hardly look anything up. I just ignore it and move on.

What are you currently reading?
I'm actually in the middle of four different books, but the one I'm reading the most is The True Adventures of Charley Darwin by Carolyn Meyer.

What is the last book you bought?
Remember what I said about my Disney thing with non-fiction? The last book I bought is called Walt Disney World: Then, Now, and Forever.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can
you read more than one at a time?

Uh, see above. Although I read more than one at a time, I usually focus on one more than the others. I have one main book, and the other 3-5 I just dip my toes in occasionally until I get sucked in enough that that one become my main book instead.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
Not a preference, but lately the only time I have to read is at night right before bed. And I read at meals a lot too.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
I don't really consider myself a "series" reader, since I just pick up what is interesting, regardless of whether it is a series or not. Though I find that if it is a series, I like to wait a bit before I start reading them, so I'm not always waiting for the next book.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
Not really. I usually base my recommendations off of what that person likes, so it always varies. Of course, I always put a plug in for my personal favorite books, but I don't think that counts for this necessarily.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
This is going to make me sound weird, but I organize by size. Of course, I group books from the same series together, but every other organization is done by size. Books that are the same height are all grouped together. I'm a little OCD about it. It really, really bugs me when I have half a series in paperback and half in hardback because then they are different sizes and I don't know where to put them! I end up reorganizing my bookshelves every six months or so. And it takes me about 4 days to do so.

3 comments:

queen of entropy said...

Haha, your answers regarding writing in books, folding page corners, and bending paperback books really struck a chord with me! I feel exactly the same way. My husband actually keeps his place in books by leaving them sitting upside down, open to the page he's on, and it absolutely HORRIFIES me! He teases me about it, saying that HIS books look like he has read and enjoyed them, but I tease him back by saying that there's nothing wrong with taking care of your belongings, and at least MY books don't look like a five-year-old owns them! :)

Katie said...

I love reorganizing bookshelves. And organizing by size isn't that unusual!

Jenny N. said...

I don't like creasing the spine of paperbacks either.