Bookishness

I can't resist a good book, and I can't resist a good book meme, either.  I found this one over at Just Peachy.  If you want to play along, leave your link in my comment section below!  (Oh, and by the way, while we're on the subject of books, don't miss the Spring Reading Thing over at Callapidder Days.  It begins March 21.)

Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?  Hardback, whenever possible.

Amazon or brick and mortar? I prefer Amazon, because browsing is so easy, and they have everything (not to mention all the access to used books).  Brick-and-mortar bookstores usually tempt me to spend way too much money.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?  Borders. There's one about three minutes from my house.

Bookmark or dogear?   Dogear.  I know, it's an awful habit. 

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?   You mean, there are actually people that alphabetize their personal book collections?  It boggles the mind.  I'm doing well if all the books just make it to a shelf.

Keep, throw away, or sell?   I usually plan pretty carefully what I want to read, so I don't stumble across many "bad" books in my reading.  There all keep-able.  Which means I need a bigger house, at some point.

Keep dustjacket or toss it?  Toss it.  Immediately.  Does anyone think it's ironic that dust jackets seem to attract so much, um, dust?

Read with dustjacket or remove it?  See above.

Short story or novel?   Novel, though I enjoy a short story collection every now and then. 

Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)?  Both, though I generally prefer a collection.  Here's a good one.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? I'm wild about Harry.  Go Gryffindor!  My 9 year old is wild about Lemony Snicket right now, though, so that probably means I'll be reading it soon.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?  Chapter breaks.

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?  Both.  It totally depends on my mood.  I've been in a dark-and-stormy phase lately. 

Buy or Borrow?  Buy, or borrow from the library.  I don't like borrowing from others, because I shudder at the thought of losing someone else's book. 

New or used?  Used, whenever possible.  Does anyone know how those booksellers on Amazon.com make any money by selling used books for a penny each?  Actually, I don't care, as long as they keep doing it.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse? I really don't like book reviews--reading them or writing them.  I'd prefer a recommendation from a friend who knows my taste in books.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?  Tidy ending, unless it's part of a series--then I don't mind a little unresolvedness.  I read the western classic Lonesome Dove last year, and the random ending nearly made me put my head through a wall.

Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading? Nighttime.  If I read in the morning I'll fall asleep in my Raisin Bran, seriously.

Stand-alone or series? I enjoy a good series every now and then, but generally I prefer stand-alone books.

Favorite series? Anne of Green Gables

Favorite children's book?  Time For Bed by Mem Fox, and anything by Audrey Wood.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?  Thundering Sneakers, by Prudence Mackintosh.  Her writing has really inspired my own.

Favorite books read last year?  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen was my very favorite, and Jewel by Brett Lott was a keeper too.   

Favorite books of all time? The Anne of Green Gables series is second only to the Bible in terms of books that have profoundly affected me.  The Hiding Place was another life-changer.  I also love Til We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis (it's generally considered his greatest masterpiece, which should tell you something, since everything he wrote is spectacular).  I love historical fiction; two of my favorites in that genre have been London by Edward Rutherford and The Autobiography of Henry VIII by Margaret George.  Ooooo, and Jane Eyre--now there's a book I wish I could read again for the first time.

Least favorite book you finished last year?  I had heard good things about The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley, but it wasn't as good as I hoped. 

What are you reading right now?  The Chili Queen by Sandra Dallas.  I'm only a couple of chapters into it, but it is excellent so far.  Anything by her is excellent.

What are you reading next?  Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss