Meme: Books
Sep
'07
I don’t usually do this here, but it’s been a while since I’ve updated. I’m reading a book that I probably won’t write about and I haven’t finished my TBR book yet so… (And, on the other hand, I probably won’t finish my Non-Fiction Five, which is disappointing since I got so far in it so quickly.)
What book are you currently reading? Actively, The FabJob guide to Becoming A Bookstore Owner by Grace Jasmine. For a while there I was able to trek through about 1/4 of How to Read A Book by Mortimer J. Adler. I’m not exactly reading The Road by Jack Kerouac, but I’m more than halfway through and will be finishing it before the end of the month. I’ve put down Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel for lack of interest, the same with As the Romans Do by Alan Epstein.
How do you decide what book to read next? This year, it’s been based on challenges. I’m pretty happy with it because it’s more or less forced me to read (otherwise I slack off and hate myself for it), but I think next year I will just make personal challenges that require a lot less reading of books I don’t like.
Do you always finish books, or do you give up on them? If you give up on them, how many pages does it usually take? I try not to give up on books. I may put it down for a few months, but I will always try to make it a priority to pick it back up and finish it. There is only one book I ever didn’t finish - Mapping the Edge by Sarah Dunant. It was really bad.
Do you ever re-read books you love? If so, how often? Give examples, if possible. Well, I’ve read the Lord of the Rings books a few times, and as per my 101 Things in 1,001 Days goals, I’ve plans to read them again soon… However, the only other books I can think that I’ll take the time out to reread are various kids storybooks, Matilda by Roald Dahl, and of course any of the epic poetry that may have struck my soul (Iliad by Homer, Aeneid by Virgil), as well as Ovid’s Metamorphoses. I just don’t think there’s enough time in a life to spend time re-reading every book. Most of the time, I want to visit new worlds.
Can you read books in noisy places (e.g. trains, buses, crowded rooms)? Yes, but only if it’s a constant noise. For example, I could read at a concert, but not at a play. If it’s just a general mumbo jumbo of noise and talking, it’s just like having any other kind of background noise (the air conditioner, for example). But as soon as one voice carries above the others, I can get so distracted.
Where do you acquire most of your books? If you are a library user or borrower, how many books do you borrow at once? If a buyer, how many books do you usually buy at once? I work in a used bookstore and my boyfriend works in a corporate bookstore. We are constantly surrounded by books and we want them all, even the ones we know we’ll never read. We’re constantly spending money on books that come in… We probably get at least one book a day, or equivalent to that (I bought Twilight by Stephanie Meyer yesterday; he got If I Did It by the Goldman Family).
Do you use bookmarks, or dog-ear the pages of your books? Do you make marginal notes? If so, do you use pencil or pen? I use bookmarks, but not real ones. They’re usually little scraps of paper and receipts. The only time I make marginal notes is when I’m really, really into a book, and I always use pencil - but I also highlight sometimes. My first copy of The Iliad is completely marked up, but I still have a second that’s very clean and fresh (though used). I never dog-ear, but Richard does so some of our books are bent in places.
Do you have any unusual tendencies while you read? I can’t really think of any at the moment…
Do you read through pages at top speed, or do you stop to savor the sentences along the way? I don’t necessarily read at “top speed,” but I don’t usually stop to savor anything unless it’s really bad grammar that has distracted me and I can’t go on. Usually in that case, it’s less “savoring,” more that my attention has been diverted to the upper part of the page even while I’m still trying to read the bottom.
We know most of us can read just about anywhere, but specifically where and when do you do your best reading? I have a green chair that reclines. I do my best reading there, but probably not my most reading.
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