Sunday Salon | It's all about the books

I made time to catch up with other TSS readers this afternoon by reading the RSS feed on my iPhone. And I discovered a wonderful blog called tuesday in silhouette – I’ll be adding it to my regular feed list. The author (I’m sorry I couldn’t find your name anywhere on the site) had a fabulous extended meme which I thought I would complete for this Sunday’s salon. Feel free to play along on your own site or in the comments – and be sure to stop by tuesday in silhouette and say hi.

Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?

Mass-market paperback as it’s the cheapest way to get hold of books. Sometimes I’m tempted to splash out on a hardback if it’s one of my favourite authors, but I find them so cumbersome and unweildly that I prefer to sit it out patiently for the paperback release.

Bookmark or dog-ear?

Oh book mark most definitely – though usually it’s a scrap of paper or a post-it note; whatever is at hand as I always forget to pick up a bookmark!

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?

I spent some time organising two large bookshelves in our guest bedroom this summer. I have one for read books, and one for to-be-read. Both are alphabeticised by author, and then chronologically within author. It’s much easier to find things this way.

Keep, throw away or sell?

Until recently it was always keep, until the piles of read books just grew too large. I decided that unless I am definitely going to read the book again then it has to go, I’m now a big fan of Bookmooch as I can clear some space and feed my obsession all in one go!

Keep dustjacket or toss it?

I remove the dust jacket while I’m reading the book as it tends to get in the way – then as long as I haven’t ‘filed it somewhere safe’ I put it back on before shelving it.

Last book you bought?

A Thousand Splendid Suns I’ve already read it and loved every minute of it.

Last book someone bought for you?

As in a gift? I really can’t remember. Might have been Eclipse last Christmas. I have a birthday coming up soon though and would love some more bookish gifts.

What are some of the books on your to-buy list?

• Songs of a Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult
• Testimony by Anita Shreve
• The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

Collection (short stories, same author) or anthology (short stories, different author)?

Erm, neither – I’m not a fan of short stories I’m afraid; I prefer something I can get my teeth into.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?

Harry Potter all the way; I am a big fan of the books and have read the earlier ones two or three times. One day when I get through the 180 unread books on my shelf I’ll go back and read them all again.

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?

I’m an anytime anywhere reader, especially now I have stanza on my iPhone – I have a book with me at all times and will happily escape whenever I get the chance.

The books you need to go with other books on your shelves?

I don’t really ‘need‘ any books, which ones I ‘want‘ is another matter! The Picoult and Shreve previously mentioned are needed to complete my collections from those authors; other than that I’m not one of those people who collects rare or historical books.

Do you read anywhere and anytime you can or do you have a set reading time and/or place?

Any time anywhere, though I prefer a train or a plane where I know I will have hours of uninterrupted reading time.

Do you have seasonal reading habits?

Not that I can think of, though I tend to read more in the summer; its an excuse to sit out in the garden.

Do you read one book at a time or do you have two or more books going at once?

Always used to be one at the time but just recently I’ve increased to two or three; generally one in audio format for the car, a normal paper novel and then a classic on my phone.

What are your pet peeves about the way people treat books?

I have to admit to being a spine-creaser but other than that my books are well looked after and look almost new. I can never understand people who dog-ear the pages, or read in the bath so they go all crinkled, or *gasp* put a coffee cup on the cover and leave a nasty ring. This is one of the reasons why I’m not a massive fan of second-hand books. I’ve had some pristine ones from bookmooch but some are so badly damaged I’m not sure I’ll ever read them.

Name one book you surprised yourself by liking

To Kill a Mockingbird; it was one of the first ‘classics’ I picked up this year when I decided I needed to start reading some ‘proper’ books; I loved every minute of it and it is now an all-time favourite.

How often do you read a book and not review it on your blog? What are your reasons for not blogging about a book?

So far this year never; I started this site to review the books I’ve read and I’m very proud of myself for keeping it up – though some reviews are a little shorter than others! (Which reminds me – I must review Lord of the Flies before I forget what it was about!)