So Many Books....

I found this over at Reflections of the Times which Carla got from Kim at Hiraeth who is starting a new venture called Bookworm Bookmarks, and I thought I’d play along. Hope that’s okay!

Bookworm Meme

Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?
Either, but a hardback from the library that will stay open on the book rack of the treadmill is great for exercising. That’s where I get a lot of my extra (non-Bible study) reading done – if I can ever get all the kids healthy enough for me to get back to the gym, that is.

Online purchase or brick and mortar?
I don’t purchase much of my fiction reading material – I utilize the library for that! Recently, however, when I have bought books, it’s been online – mainly because we don’t have many good, accesible bookstores around here, and buying books is a bit pricey for a one-income-so-mom-can-stay-home-with-the-kids budget.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?
Neither. We don’t have either one anywhere close enough that I’ve spent any time at all in them to have a preference.

Bookmark or dog-ear?
I prefer a bookmark (usually some scrap paper I find in a pinch or the little due date receipt they give out when I check a book out from the library), but I dog-ear, too, if I can’t find a ready bookmark.

Mark or not mark?
Sometimes. Fiction, no – nothing worth marking when I’m just reading for fun. Doctrinal or teaching type books and my Bible, yes, definitely mark.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?
I used to sort by size on the shelf, but right now things are fairly haphazard. No real order on our shelves. The boys’ shelves are grouped by type of book (Dr. Seuss all together, Junie B Jones all together, etc.) and by size on the shelf, except when they are just thrown into the bookshelf in a whirlwind attempt to just get them out of the floor.

Keep, throw away, or sell?
Depends on the book. If I really liked the book or if it is a meaty, doctrinal or educational type book, or if I think the kids might read it when they are older, I keep it. If it is something awful I’ll probably throw away if it’s something I don’t want to be responsible for anyone else reading – false teaching or something with filthy language/behavior that I didn’t realize when I bought the book. Anything else I’d probably sell or give to Goodwill when finished with it.

Keep dustjacket or toss it?
Toss after I get tired of fighting with keeping it on and not ripped.

Read with dustjacket or remove it?
Remove – sometimes I’ll keep it and use the jacket to mark my place until I find another book mark.

Short story or novel?
Both. It depends on what I’m in the mood for at the time. Short stories are good when I don’t have much time, but there’s something about the anticipation of looking forward to being able to pick up a novel I’m working through when I have a rare spot of free time over a few days, and the character development can be fleshed out so much better in a longer book.

Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)?
Either, though I’ve read some collections I’ve really liked (Jeffrey Archer comes to mind). Come to think of it, I have a book of American Short Stories by different authors that I liked, too. So, yeah, either.

Lord of the Rings or Narnia?
Both! I read Narnia through so many times as a kid I don’t even remember how many. Lord of the Rings is a favorite, too, and everytime I’ve read through it I’ve felt a little sad once I got to the last page of the last book, like I’m saying good-bye to good friends. Silly? Perhaps, but I really enjoyed both series.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
Ideally, at chapter breaks, but now that I have kids, usually I have to stop when someone needs me or to intervene and keep the boys from killing each other if I read when they are awake. When reading after the kids are asleep, sometimes I get so involved in a book I can’t bring myself to put it down until I’m literally falling asleep myself. When I was younger, I even stayed up all night to finish a book once in a while, though, not anymore now that I'm married and we have kids. Sleep trumps reading these days when little Boo is getting up so very early in the morning and I know I’ll have lots and lots to do the next day.

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
Both. I love mysteries and I love wrapping my mind around an eerie (not ghost story eerie, just somewhat mysterious) or intense story, but I also love to get lost in a fairy tale, dragons and knights kind of story. Each has a different mood, both of which I like.

Buy or Borrow?
Borrow. The library is my friend. But, I like to buy books from authors like John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, etc. that I will read over and over and are edifying to my Christian life – also, I don’t find these at my local library.

New or used?
Either, but only if the used ones don’t have that musty, dusty, midlewy old-book smell. Yuck.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse?
Any of the above. But I like to read the flap and a few pages before I actually buy. Checking out from the library – any of the above, but I usually skim a new-to-me author to see if there seems to be much bad language or raunchiness – sometimes you can’t tell until you get into the book. I’ve gotten pretty adept at mentally editting and skipping over occasional stuff, but sometimes an author uses language or raunchiness so profusely it’s not worth reading the story at all, and reviews don’t always tell you this. That’s why if I’m buying a fiction book, I like to be able to hold it and skim it first. A library book that proves too much I usually just put down and take it back – I’ve chosen not to finish an interesting story before because I just couldn’t stomach the language the author chose to incorporate into it.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Tidy ending. I like cliffhanger chapters, but I want the book to have a real ending. Unless there is a good sequel that will tidy up the ending. Then a cliffhanger is okay.

Morning reading, afternoon reading or night time reading?
I’m telling on myself, but I’ll read anywhere, anytime – even the bathtub, car line while waiting to pick up the boys, anytime I have a moment to sit down – I’ve even been known to have a book on the counter while I’m cooking dinner.

Standalone or series?
Either. Sometimes a series is nice because I know I like the author and it’s nice to know what I’ll read next since I don’t have lots of time to browse the shelves looking for new reading material (Boo’s happy times when out on errands are fairly short, so I tend to snatch and grab at the library and hope I’ve picked at least one I’ll like, unless I go in with an idea what I’m looking for.)

Favorite series?
I don’t think I have one. There are several I like, mostly mystery/detective fiction types, but I have to be careful, for a lot of that genre can tend toward the raunchy. Like I said, I can mentally edit mild or occasional stuff, but if raunchiness characterizes the whole book, I don’t waste my time. I tend to devour all the books in a series when I find one I like then move to something else. I’ve enjoyed Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody series about a fictional archeological family in Egypt, but there are others I like as well.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
Can’t think of one off hand. Once again, there are so many books I like to read, but I don’t really have a favorite.

Favorite books read last year?
I hate these kinds of questions. There are just so many I like, and I read so much, it’s hard for me to pick one. I’m not sure if I read this last year, but I really liked Hard to Believe by John MacArthur for nonfiction. For fiction I guess I’ll say I enjoyed reading some Agatha Christie books last year and I also read a series by Fiona Buckley about a fictional woman who is in Queen Elizabeth I’s court in England that was interesting.

Favorite book of all time?
I have to say the Bible. That’s obviously the book I read most and base my life and beliefs upon. I know this little survey was more about fiction, however, and I don’t think I have a favorite in that area. There are just too many I like.


Something that wasn’t asked is what I’m planning to read soon. I’ve been hearing a lot about Pilgrim’s Progress lately, and since I’ve never read it, I think we’re going to order that one online and I’ll read it before too long. Anyway, I must get off this computer now. It’s a nice day out, must go enjoy it!