All right, I haven’t been officially tagged for this one, but this is the first evening in four that I put my foot down and decided not to go out schmoozing and entertaining till 11:00 p.m. (realizing that I would be a very poor representative of our company tomorrow if I engaged in one more night of that), and I wanted to escape all the madness by doing some writing. However, after desperately trying to get a few things that are floating around in my head ensnared in some coherency nets, so I could put them in writing, and finally realizing they just do not want to be caught tonight, I’ve decided it’s time for this meme, which I’ve seen in a few places, most recently over at Charlotte’s (I seem to be finding tons of stuff at Charlotte’s these days).
Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?
Whichever one the book I want to read/someone wants to lend me happens to be. I will say, though, that if I could design my own hand-held ebook device, I’d call Apple and tell them to design one for me that was the size of a trade paperback (and dark green, please).
Amazon or brick and mortar? Amazon, if I know exactly what I want and want it soon. Brick and mortar (preferably independent brick and mortar) if I want to spend an afternoon somewhere other than the library (but brick and mortar library over everything, especially one that has a coffee shop attached, which many of ours in CT now do).
Barnes & Noble or Borders?
Borders, because, for some reason, they more consistently have what I’m looking for.
Bookmark or dogear? Bookmark, especially a nice leather one, but any will do.
Alphabetize by author, or by title, or random?
If I ever got my act together: by author, but since that never happens: random.
Keep, throw away, or sell? Keep until I get into a fit of needing to weed to make room for more and then give away.
Keep dust jacket or toss it? Toss? Do people, other than those with young children who might have destroyed them really toss? The idea never would have even occurred to me for a private collection. Thus, this one goes in the “learn something new everyday category.”
Read with dust jacket on or remove it? If it’s a borrowed book: remove. If it’s mine: read with (unless it’s an old book and is falling apart, then remove).
Short story or novel? Novel. Short stories are acquaintances, some I wish I could get to know better, but acquaintances nonetheless. Novels are friends. But this all goes out the window (without having to open it, of course) if we’re talking about ghost stories. I mean, most of the time, I really only want to be slightly acquainted with ghosts, and then I want them to disappear, although there’s a time and a place, as well (e.g. a few weeks in October), for ghosts who hang around for a while before disappearing.
Collection of short stories or anthology? Depends on the author/subject of the anthology. If it’s an anthology of science fiction (not one of my favorite genres. I hate to say that, because I’ve read some fantastic science fiction, but I have to admit I don’t tend to seek it out), I’d probably go with a Ray Bradbury collection, say. If it’s an anthology of humor, well, I’d go for that, hoping to discover some new authors who’ve also written novels I can read. (But really, if I’m making this choice, and I’m not in some sort of class or reading group, I must be stuck on a freighter trip whose library only has a short story collection, and for some unfathomable reason, because I packed a whole trunk full of novels and nonfiction books before I even packed my clothes for this month-long trip, I’ve run out of other books to read).
Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? I like both, but I haven’t read much of either. I think if read all at once, though, Lemony Snicket would get old more quickly than Harry Potter would.
Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? Stop reading when a. I fall asleep b. some major catastrophe (e.g. ceiling falling in) captures my attention or c. interrupted by some poor soul whose parents may have told them never try to take food from a dog but forgot the “never bother reading fanatic when her nose is buried in a book” rule.
“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”? Depends on my mood.
Buy or borrow? Borrow, because then I’m guaranteed to have at least one other person with whom I can talk about it (although, then I can’t write in it or force it on others to read).
New or used? Couldn’t care less.
Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse? Something I wouldn’t have said two years ago: blogs. What I would have said two years ago: all three.
Morning, afternoon or nighttime reading? Anytime I can. I mean, really, would you ask a heroin addict such a question?
Favourite series? Ross Macdonald’s Lew Archer
Favourite children’s book? That’s like asking me: favorite adult book or movie or food or smell. I just can’t answer such questions.
Favourite book of which no-one has heard? Juan in America by Eric Linklater (although I’m learning since I started blogging, some people have heard of it).
Favourite books read last year? I posted on this twice but am too lazy to go back and find the links for you. If you’re really, really curious (which I’m sure you’re not), you can wade through all my posts from last year and find them.
Least favorite book finished last year? I don’t finish things I really, really don’t like, so maybe of those I finished, I’d have to say The Kite Runner, but I haven’t got my book journal with me and have probably forgotten something truly awful that I trudged my way through despite not liking it, maybe hoping it would get better, or something.
What are you reading now? I’m reading many things at once (as always), but tonight it’s Crewe Train by Rose Macaulay (wonderful, brilliant, very funny, thus far), because it’s one of the two books I brought with me on this trip.
What are you reading next? Gone with the Wind (already started), because it’s the other one I brought on this trip with me (I’m in Atlanta, and hoped – one of oh-so-many dashed ones – I might find some time to go tour Margaret Mitchell’s house).
Consider yourself tagged, if you want to do this one.
6 comments:
I so hate dust jackets -- especially when they are a growth medium for gaudy stickers like "you're the two-millionth sheep-like reader to buy this book", "seen on TV" or "by the author of Les Misérables" -- that I have been known to toss them. To me, they are commercial packaging.
It's fun reading your answers ... I hope you are enjoying Gone With the Wind!
Mandarine, well that makes perfect sense, you being responsible for many new things I've learned every day.
Dorr, oh yes, Tara sucked me right through the front door, and I'm loving/fascinated by it.
Alas, I must disagree with Mandarine, probably because it's been my pleasure in the past to design and write for dust jackets. To me, dust jackets are like make-up--they take something with an ordinary appearance and jazz it ip a bit.
Froshty, seems most of them could use a little more writing from the likes of you (copy, like copyediting, has taken a turn for the worse over the past few years -- due to outsourcing to India, I'm sure), but I like them, too, if they're cool or pretty.
I am a very bad customer. I cannot say all dust jackets are ugly, but I cannot think of one I have kept.
I also toss all audio-CD cases (with all the beautifully-designed leaflets).
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