While catching up on my Delta Alpha sister's blog, Lisa's World of Books, I stumbled upon this survey of sorts. Enjoy.Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack:
I think this answer is going to show everyone how truly nerdy I really am. I do not eat anything while reading because I do not want to defile the pages. If I am reading a mass market paperback, which would be rare because I prefer hardcovers, a few cubes of Williams' Sharp Cheddar might be on my tea cart.
What is your favorite drink while reading?
Contrary to my previous answer, I will drink while reading. It really depends on the book and the type of reading at hand. Anything academic related typically caffeinated soda. When I was trying to save Huron County (insert sarcasm), I would unwind with a book and a cocktail, usually cranberry and vodka. Night reading always calls for a glass of ice water, or rather, ice with a water.
Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
In general, the idea of writing in books horrifies me. However, I have been known to own multiple copies of a book: a trade paperback and a first edition/author signed piece. If the book is for a review or Literature to Film Club, I will mark only in the paperback edition. My paperback edition of East of Eden (Steinbeck) has paperclips on several pages.
How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
Again, I think this answer shows my nerdiness, but I will not dog-ear a page and leaving a book lying flat while open is very hard on the binding. Definitely a bookmark or a mental note of the page number.
Fiction, non-fiction, or both?
Typically both. Right now, beyond my textbooks for library school, for my research interest (LIS 7850) I have been reading several non-fiction works on the Second World War, specifically, The Diary of Anne Frank (a recent re-read) and currently I Will Bear Witness: A Diary of the Nazi Years, 1942-1945. For Literature to Film Club, I recently finished reading a fiction piece titled The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides. On my list next, for Literature to Film Club, An Education by Lynn Barber.
Are you a person who tends to read to the end of a chapter, or can you stop anywhere?
While it is ideal to read until the end of the chapter, life can be unpredictable. I can stop anywhere, but I prefer to pause at the end of a section.
Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you?
This answer should be easy to predict: no. However, in the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit that I did throw Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (the last book in the Twilight series) and it took much coaxing and a bit of coercion from a few friends to finish reading it.
If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away?
Absolutely. My motto: Ancora Imparo. I am still learning.
What are you currently reading?
Management Basics for Information Professionals (Evans and Ward, 2007)
Cataloging and Classification: An Introduction (Chan, 2007)
Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (2nd edition, 2002 revision, 2005 update)
I Will Bear Witness: A Diary of the Nazi Years, 1942-1945 (Victor Klempere)
What is the last book you bought?
On Monday, I did a little antiquing, with a friend, and purchased a 1911 edition of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
Are you the type of person that reads one book at a time, or can you read more than one?
At any given time, I am normally reading more than one book.
Do you have a favorite time / place to read?While I can read just about anywhere and at any time, I prefer Bad Axe Area District Library. I love the atmosphere of that library. Part of my routine for unwinding, I often read in bed before falling asleep. Since resigning from SafePlace, it is not unusual for me to wake up at 3:30a and pick up where I left off earlier.
Do you prefer series books or stand alones?
To answer the question, I do not particularly prefer them. A few years back, I fell in love with J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series and for a conversation piece as well as common thread with my father, I picked up Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I am still plugging away at the Wheel of Time series as the newest book has been out for awhile and I haven't had the time to read it as of yet.
Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over?
As far as authors go, I always recommend David Sedaris, John Irving and Jhumpa Lahiri. I often recommend Blindness by Jose Saramago, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.
How do you organize your books?
Considering I bought an old turn-of-the-century farmhouse that is being renovating...until completion, most of my books are packed away in boxes and totes. I have plans to turn the dining room into a library. Considering that I am in library school, I will likely create a basic second level catalog for my collection and then catalog my special collection at the third level. My non-fiction works will likely be classified via the Dewey Decimal system.
