Bookworm

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Right now I’m reading a lot more than I have in the last few years, but still not as much as I used to. I saw this survey on a couple of blogs I read and although I believe it was created for a blogging event that has now passed, I couldn’t resist filling it in.

Do you snack while you read? If so, favourite reading snack?

It depends what I’m reading. If it’s something “light” that doesn’t require much concentration, I’ll snack if I’m hungry. If I’m reading something really engrossing however then I will occasionally completely forget to eat and only realise when my stomach complains!

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

I have written in books I bought specifically for essays, however in general I don’t like writing on books. In fact, I’ve been known to purchase a second copy to keep on my shelf if I’ve read a book for uni, written on it, but enjoyed it enough to want to add it to my collection.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog ears? Leaving the book open flat?

I don’t have a proper bookmark, I generally use whatever happens to be lying around, so train tickets if I’m travelling, old to-do lists, receipts, etc. at home. When reading hardback books I sometimes use the inside fold of the dust jacket as a bookmark, and when I need to mark pages in several books at once, such as when I’m writing an essay, I will occasionally slot the books together to save the pages in two of them.

Fiction, Non-Fiction or both?

Definitely both – good fiction is a wonderful thing but I also love learning new things and reading about real life, so non-fiction books are a must too.

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 prefer to read until the end of  a chapter or at least somewhere there is a clearly-defined break, however it doesn’t upset me too much when this is not possible.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?

This may sound a little conceited, but I can’t honestly remember the last time that happened. I would probably look it up straight away though, I hate not knowing things.

What are you currently reading?

Dead Until Dark: A True Blood Novel by Charliane Harris, I’m addicted to the True Blood TV series so thought I ought to start reading the books that inspired it too. I’m also reading various law books as usual.

What is the last book you bought?

Generation A by Douglas Coupland, because I’ve read all his other books and had completely missed the fact that there’s a new one out! Also Bringing Nothing To The Party by Paul Carr, a recommendation, purchased on impulse.

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

I tend to only read one non-academic book at a time, but I can juggle reading for fun and reading for my course.

Do you prefer series or stand alone books?

I don’t really have a preference, though when I fall in love with a character it’s always nice to find out that there’s more available!

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?

I always tell people they need to read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, it’s probably my favourite book of all time and I read it for school!

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)

One day I’d like to organise them properly, but at the moment it’s all a bit haphazard! My course books are all together, and I tend to have bigger, heavier books on the bottom shelf, some books grouped by author where the editions are all similar-looking (Haruki Murakami paperbacks for example) but other than that there’s no real order, everything’s just packed in where it will fit! Perhaps when I’ve moved house I’ll be inspired to organise my reading material properly.

I’d love to hear about your reading habits!