Finally! A Book Meme!

[alivemagdolene]

#1. Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?

Whatever's 50 cents or a dollar at the used bookstores.

2. Barnes & Noble or Borders?

Borders is yucky. I know Amazon.com owns it, so when I buy books online, technically it's through them. However, when it comes down to being actually in the store, I'll go with Barnes & Noble since I enjoy the atmosphere (although I rarely will buy a book in that situation, generally too expensive).

3. Bookmark or dog-ear?

Bookmarks of course! Dog-earrin' fucks up the pages. Plus, damn near anything can be a bookmark.

4. Amazon or brick and mortar?

Both. However when I buy a book from a store "offline", it will 95% of the time be from Goodwill/Salvation Army/Value Village.

5. Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?

I go by subject, and then by whim, or by what will prevent the other books from falling off my overstuffed shelves. THREE floor to ceiling shelves and I still don't have enough space. Oy vey.

6. Keep, throw away, or sell?

Uh, yes? I keep books, obviously, I have quite the library. Rarely will I actually throw away a book, unless I feel it's that awful that even used it will have no value to anyone. My parents have an online used book business, so sell, as well, or give it to them to sell.

7. Keep dust jacket or toss it?

Keep it, you freak!

8. Read with dust jacket or remove it?

I'll read with it in, but I tend to fold one of the flaps over the pages to use as a bookmark.

9. Short story or novel?

I enjoy both, but there are things you just can't get from a short story that a novel can provide.

10. Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?

I haven't read either, and while I may at some point be interested in doing so, I've said it before and I'll say it again that neither franchise is going to crumple if they are lacking in one more fan. I'm not terribly fond of the browbeating of Harry Potter into every damn Pagan situation though. Aaack.

11. Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?

I'll usually try to hold out until the chapter break, since I hate picking it up later in the middle of a sentence. I long for the days when I had the time to finish a book in one throw.

12. "It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time"?

"Once upon a time" I've found usually has a better story attached.

13. Buy or borrow? New or Used?

Buy, I hate both borrowing and lending books. I tend towards used, obviously, but I have no qualms about buying a new book if I can and if I REALLY want it.

14. Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?

A bit of everything, but I will offer that sometimes you CAN tell a book by it's cover.

15. Tidy ending or cliffhanger?

Tidy ending, tidy ending! Cliffhangers are annoying. A book should be a stand-alone, even if it's in a series. Especially if it's in a series, since that will make it all the richer.

16. Morning reading, afternoon reading, or night-time reading?

Afternoon reading seems to be the most productive, since I'm usually not in a hurry or needing to drift off, but really, anytime will do.

17. Stand-alone or series?

Stand-alone, most of the time, especially if it's in a series. See answer fifteen.

18. Favorite series?

I'm leaning towards Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman".

19. Favorite children's book?

I had so many: The Berenstain Bears, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Market Day, The Frances Series, Burglar Bill, anything by Beatrix Potter, or Shel Silverstein, or Jack Prelutsky, or Maurice Sendak, or Richard Scary, or Beverly Cleary....


20. Favorite YA book?

The more strife, the more I tended to like it. I remember "Hey Dollface", "Good Moon Rising", "I Can Hear the Mourning Dove", "Annie on My Mind", "Mary Wolfe", and Francesca Lia Block to name but a few.... Oh! And the "Indian in the Cupboard" series, which I think is light years younger than the former choices.


21. Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?

I'll run with "In the Land of Winter" by Richard Grant. Many a Pagan will rave to you about "The Mists of Avalon", but I'm fairly certain nearly none have heard of "In the Land of Winter".

22. Favorite books read last year?

Mmm.... this is tough. I'll go with the "doormat" principle (the last one in the door wins) and go with "Hip: A History", since it's so bizarre and enjoyable.

23. Favorite books of all time?

"White Oleander" (fuck the movie, read the book in all of it's glory), "She's Come Undone", "Backroads", "In the Land of Winter", "Fall on Your Knees".... I'll stop there.

24. Least favorite book you finished last year?

Aw, that doesn't belong on such a survey. But I do vaguely recall reading some hysterical Christian Reich literature and some Ann Coulter in the attempts of learning something about "the enemy", and being so repulsed I could barely get through either (although I did just for the sake of reading them). The best laid plans, as they say.....

25. What are you reading right now?

"A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ismael Beah as well as "Devil's Knot: the True Story of the West Memphis Three" by Mara Levitt.

26. What are you reading next?

Time and tastes will tell.

27. Favorite book to recommend to an eleven-year-old?

All depends on the eleven-year-old. I was a very weird kid at that age. But then, I'm weird at any age, apparently. Oh, well.

28. Favorite book to reread?

Hard choice, but non-fiction aside, I'll go with "She's Come Undone" since I feel better every time I read it. It might be amongst the quintessential American literature.

29. Do you ever smell books?

Indeed. I love the smell of bookstores and libraries, too.

30. Do you ever read primary source documents?

If so moved. It does all depend on the book.

31. In the comments, recommend a book you like, or think I'd like.