Book meme!

[amberdreams]

Because, even though I'm not reading proper books like I used to, I can't resist talking about books!
Stolen from septembers_coda

Hardback or paperback:

e-Book! Though actually I have a combination of all forms. So for instance I have Lord of the Rings in paperback (two copies) and the delux hardback edition with paper so fine the whole book including all the maps and appendices is only around an inch thick. I usually buy whatever is on offer, so if there's a hardback version going cheap, I'll buy it.

Borrow or buy:

Buy. I've always wanted my own copy, though when I was a kid I used to go to the library every weekend with my tickets and my parents' and get out twelve books at a time.

Fantasy or Sci-Fi:

Both. My main criteria is that there must be a good story based around people - so sciency sci fi or fantasy that is all about the world building or the technical aspect of magic don't appeal.

Love-Triangle or love at first sight:

Yep. And also love that grows, either out of misunderstanding and dislike or simply out of getting to know someone.

Wall shelves or bookcases:

We have both. A lot of both, but mostly bookcases because building shelves requires some DIY skills which we don't have.

Bad plot with good characters or good plot with bad characters:

Neither. I need a good story (which would entail a plot, I think) but I also need people I care about. If a book is lacking on either front it's going to fall down for me.

Harry Potter or Percy Jackson:

Are those the only choices we have? Huh. What about Diana Wynne Jones, Alan Garner, Garth Nix?

Booklr or Bookstagram:

No idea what these are.

Contemporaries or Fantasy:

What are contemporaries? Because you can have contemporary fantasy, can't you? But if we're talking about, say, would I chose chick lit over the dragons of Pern, then it would be Pern every time.

English books or books in your native language:

Heh heh both

Buy in a bookshop or buy online:

Charity shops and e-books go hand in hand I still prefer a physical book to an e-book but I love the portability of the iPad & kindle.

Amazon or Book Depository:

Both but charity shops come ahead of both.

Buy because of the cover or because of the description:

Both.

Alphabetical shelves or color coordinated:

Why would I colour coordinate? How impractical and cosmetic. I'd never find what I was looking for! I have all my fiction in author alphabetical order, non fiction is sorted by both size and subject, so, for instance most of my art books are together.

Different sized books or matching sizes:

Not bothered really, though having some even sizes is handy for fitting in books on their sides when bookshelves start getting full...Different sizes can also cause problems with bookshelves where the height of the shelves varies.

Wait to marathon a series or read as they’re released:

I've done both - George RR Martin, I'm looking at you, you ridiculous tortoise.

Movie or TV adaptations:

What about them? Usually I don't like either, because it's very hard for a tv show or a film to live up to a book. I tend to have very strong ideas of what a character might look or sound like and then it takes me ages to settle into whatever the actor gives me. Plus of course, plot elements get left out or sometimes changed and that disturbs me too LOL

Reading indoors or outdoors:

I don't mind. Once I start reading my surroundings are lost to me.

Coffee or Tea:

Neither.

Bookmarks or random objects to mark your page:

I never used to use bookmarks, I used to memorise the page numbers I was up to. But then they started making such fun, cool bookmarks that were also waterproof (very important when I used to do a lot of reading in the bath!) so I started using them.

Be your favourite character or be their best friend:

I don't really have one single favourite character, but I used to want to be Robin Hood. It would depend on whether I would want to self insert into their adventures or not.

Physical or e-book:

Already covered this - both for different reasons. i could never replace all my library of physcial books with e-books anyway. I've got nearly 2000 fiction books, think of the expense of replacing that lot!

Read in bed or on a chair:

Anywhere that's comfortable suits me.

Audio book or e-book:

I can't listen to books - the voice has to be just right and they have to get the dialogue just right or I switch off. Plus I can't sit and just listen to something, I'd have to be doing something else. When I'm arting, I have music on because I will tune in and out so I miss great chunks of stuff - which is a bummer if I'm listening to a story.

Series or stand-alones:

Both

Reading in the winter or reading in the summer:

What, and not read at all during Autumn or Spring? Silly question. If you are a reader, you read all the time.

I might add another question of my own:
Is there any room in your house that doesn't have at least one book in it?
My answer at the moment is yes, currently there are no books in either of our two bathrooms. Otherwise, every room has books.

Comments

[beelikej.livejournal.com]

Can't believe how many answers we have in common *high fives* I'm gonna do this one tomorrow, so you can compare;)

Heh, I too have shelves and bookcases in all my rooms, even the hallway. But indeed, not in the shower *weeps for lack of bath, because reading in bath is such bliss* nor in the toilet, although I do offer quite a selection of magazines there. *grins*

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

We have had books in the upstairs toilet but there are none in there at the moment. And I wouldn't keep books in the bathrooms because the steamy air would make their pages curl.

Mmm thinking about it, that's another reason to prefer paper over e-books, because at least if you drop a paper book in the bath you can dry it out, an iPad or kindle would probably be kaput!

[jdl71.livejournal.com]

No, all rooms in our home have at least one book, if not more.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear it! I was shocked when i went to one of my early boyfriend's house - they had one tiny bookshelf in their living room with the bible and complete works of Shakespeare and that was it. I remember looking round the room, then the house and saying - but where are all the books?

[jdl71.livejournal.com]

Is that why he's the ex now 😀? I'm not sure if I could trust someone without a books all around. Usually why I can't be left unsupervised in a book store. Now, I may have to be monitored on LJ, AO3 and a couple other places. I seem to hoard stories (it's not a bad thing & I can stop, I swear 😺). But, I love books.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Partly the reason, yes - the irony being he was an English Literature major. I hear you on the hoarding - my hard drive is as full of stories from AO3 and LJ as my house is of actual books! It's an addiction. LOL

[jdl71.livejournal.com]

We have a lot of things in common. There's nothing I love more than to settle down with a good book. I have a few friends who don't have a love of reading. One who falls asleep from it. I'm still horrified at that.

[kalliel]

Aahaha, I love your answer about reading in autumn and spring, too. XD And GARTH NIX. <333333

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

It bugs me that Garth Nix doesn't get the same recognition J K Rowling does as a premier children's author. Or practically anyone else really. It's like people think J K (must as I love her) invented kid's books.

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

i don't have books in my bathroom either! but to be fair i don't have a very big apartment, so it's not hard to put a bookshelf in every room. the one in the kitchen is full of cookbooks. and i feel the same way about audiobooks - i can't just sit and listen, and if i'm doing something else i'll miss chunks of the book and then what's the point? i don't love being read to but i love to read out loud.

>>George RR Martin, I'm looking at you, you ridiculous tortoise<<

hee!

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I couldn't wait to learn to read so I could devour books for myself. I think I've never grown out of that. All the advice about writing tells you to read it out loud while editing - that isn't something I've taken up, it just feels too laborious, somehow.

[reapertownusa.livejournal.com]

So fun to read all your answers. Robin Hood is a totally awesome choice, and I can't believe you were able to remember page numbers without bookmarks. That's seriously impressive--I read way too many books at once to even begin to remember what page I left off on. And yay books in nearly every room!

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I pretty much always had several books on the go at once too, but I'm sure I couldn't remember so many different page numbers now!

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

I'm a charity shop buyer too! I also borrow from friends too. If one of us reads a book and loves it, it often gets passed around. I'm old fashioned, I like a real book in my hand, and I prefer soft backs (I'm trying to read a hard back now and struggling a bit!)

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Hard backs are a bit heavy. especially longer books - I like to read them at home with a cushion or something to rest them on. LOL

[julchen11.livejournal.com]

So many answers could be mine...

"Reading indoors or outdoors:
I don't mind. Once I start reading my surroundings are lost to me.

Oh Yes - I know this too well, hubby, too. You can't imagine how many times we had to order pizza because the dinner got burned (though I was right beside the oven and I really really were stirring up the meal... mayyyyybe I had a little break now and then and all noodles were black let alone meat for hubby and vegetables for me...) .

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

My hubby gets really huffy when I'm reading and don't hear him talking to me!