Dearest bookworms,
So, being a former librarian and all, I like books. Don’t read near as many of them as I would like but life has a way of keeping me busy with other things. Like family.
Discovered these reading related Qs for bookworms over at RAD, a blog by Rachel A. Dodson. Get it? RAD? Clever. And RAD discovered these questions, here, on Goodreads. Anyway, thought I would have fun answering them then encouraging my fellow bookworms to play along, too!
3, 2, 1…blast off!
22 Qs&As for Readers of All Genres and Authors
Shelve Under Shopping
- Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback? Library bound. You know why. I am a former librarian, which feels like something you say at an AA meeting.
- Amazon or brick and mortar? I like to walk around B&N but don’t do it very often. Will take photos of the covers of the books that look interesting and then buy them through Amazon. That kind of sounds like cheating somehow. I’m sorry B&N.
- Locally owned bookshop or big name chain store? Very rarely a dusty locally owned bookshop. My fav has gone out of busy. Succumbed to the dust. Usually Barnes and Noble.
- Buy or borrow? Rarely borrow. I might lose it. And have.
- New or used? Cheap=often used. Or audio with my ‘free’ Audible credits each month.
- Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse? All three. Love blog book reviews. Then will check Amazon or B&N for additional reviews. Occasionally, I browse. Like the time I needed to read a book with a green cover for the “Book By Book” reading challenge. Read my post, here. Not only is Fish in a Tree a great book but it’s cover is the best color in the world. Or at least a shade of it.
Shelve Under Book Care (or lack of)
- Bookmark or dog-ear? Dog-ear? Really? Who does that!?!!!? I have taught 28 years about handling books like babies. Would you dog ear your granddaughter? I think not. And there’s your answer.
- Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random? By subject. I am a former librarian. I use the Dewey Decimal system for my nonfiction children’s books. I am also OCD so use size for everything else. I like my books to descend by height on my shelves. So much prettier.
- Keep, throw away, or sell? Tough one. Taking my former librarian’s hat off for this one. There are a few of my own books I have tossed, ever-so-gently, into the recycling bin. Many more from libraries where I’ve worked. Have donated others to our public library. Keep far too many. Just ask PC.
- Keep dust jacket or toss it? Keep and preferably cover in plastic. Look at my 1952 edition of The Diary of a Young Girl. That’s why we use dust jackets, bookworms. Need to get this jacket wrapped ASAP.
- Read with dust jacket or remove it? Read with it on. That’s why it’s there.
Shelve Under Reading Preferences
- Short story or novel? Almost exclusively novel. Although, I have promoted short stories to my my former students who were reluctant readers. Did you know, I used to be a school librarian.
- Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)? Anthologies. But rarely. My favorite is Birthday Surprises: Ten Great Stories to Unwrap edited by (children’s author) Johanna Hurwitz. The premise: at Hurwitz’s invitation 10 well-known children’s authors have written pieces based on a single idea: a young person finds an empty box among his or her birthday gifts. Sad, funny, inspiring.
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- Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? Depends. I usually skip ahead a little to see where the chapter will end.
Added that for you, PC. He does a mean Monty Python. Where were we…oh, yes. When to quit reading. If it is too many pages ahead, then I just quit for the night.
- “It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”? Have you seen the title of my blog? Read why I named it that in a recent post, here.
- Tidy ending or cliffhanger? Again, have you seen the name of my blog? But I can tolerate a cliffhanger from time to time.
- Morning, afternoon or nighttime reading? Pleasure reading at night, spiritual, devotional, self-helpish reading in the morning. Learn about my Miracle Morning routine, here. Which is also a book.
- Single volume or series? Single volume.
- Favorite series? Single volume!! Ha! I like Phillipa Gregory’s books and have enjoyed some of her series. Have read most of the Plantagenet series. Then there’s the “Tudor Court” series featuring The Other Boleyn Girl, on which this movie was based. So good.
- My favorite book of which nobody else has heard? Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly. Such a fabulous ‘listen’ via Audible. Please read my review here, then hurry to Amazon to buy it yourself!
- Favorite books read last year? Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys and A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.
- Favorite books of all time? Going to make you work for this one. Click here!!
If you and I have been buds or relatives for awhile, you know that my favorite genre is historical fiction set during World War II. I read books about the Holocaust almost exclusively. But I think it might be time to take a little break and try something lighter. Last night I dreamed I was in Germany. Trying to get my daughters into the country or out of the country, not clear which. The German immigration officials (all women) told me I had to sweep their offices naked before they would release my daughters. I pleaded and begged with them to allow me to wear a half-slip. They conceded and I did. I awoke trying to scream “Paul” to my PC. Terrifying. So I’m in the market for a light little ditty to read before bedtime.
Your Turn
Would enjoy reading how you bookworms would answer the questions above. I know that none of you dog-ear, right? And don’t be removing those dust jackets either, girls. God put them there for a reason!
How ’bout suggesting a title for my current bedtime story. I need your help. Otherwise I will wind up with some book that is going to scare me to death. I appreciate all suggestions!
Off to spring clean. Wanna help? Thanks for stopping by today. Enjoy a springy week!
Hugs and kisses,
Gail
Lilac Girls appeals, will download it when I’ve finished my current read (All That Remains, true account of Prof Sue Black, forensic anthropologist). I love Philippa Gregory too.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Lilac Girls is my new favorite book, not to replace Diary of Anne Frank but to accompany it on that special shelf in my heart. Loved it. But listening to it was a real treat, too. The Audible narrator was wonderful. I probably need to read another Philippa Gregory, soon, too. And take a break from the Holocaust!
Alisa
Loved ‘Lilac Girls’ did you read “All the Light We cannot see”? Amazing loved it!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Hello, new friend!!! Thank you for coming by, Alisa. I just loved, loved, loved ‘Lilac Girls’. I haven’t read ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ but will check it out. I think I may have downloaded a sample and then tried to talk myself out of reading another Holocaust themed book. It is about the Holocaust or WWII, right? I will check my Nook tonight. Thank you!
Hope you will come back again. Be sure to say hi if you do!! Welcome!
Laura
Great post! I loved A Man Called Ove but hated Bear Town!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, sugar, for coming by. We listened to A Man Called Ove in the hot tub together. Not in one soak!! But then ordered Backman’s ‘Grandmother…’ book, can’t remember the title. We were really, really disappointed. And didn’t get beyond the third chapter. Not sure how an author can write something as moving and funny and sweet as Ove and then flop so badly with other titles. I think we will skip Bear Town. Thanks for saving us from that one!
Carrie
Look at all those sweet books for your grandbabies. You made me feel better that I take pictures of books and B&N. When I get home, I check out the public library for them.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
That’s a great idea to take pics then try to find them at the library. Our local branch of the library is closed for remodeling and the next closest branch is some drive away. So I haven’t been to the library in quite awhile. Anxious for it to reopen.
Jennie
I enjoyed reading all of your answers and got really tickled a few times. :0 Succumbed to dust… Hahahaha!!! I love reading and always have, but these days the only way it’s going to happen is with audible books. I currently use Overdrive because its free. I am currently listening to “All the Light We Cannot See:” and am enjoying it. In the mornings I do actual reading and start my day with a devotional usually on The Bible app and in the evenings it’s typically a self help book – again “real” reading. 🙂
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Yay for getting tickled. Glad I could make you smile. I am succumbing to dust all over this house. But working on spring cleaning this week. Used to love doing it but getting fat and lazy in my old age.
I have heard great things about “All the Light” – twice in the comments to this post. I think I downloaded a sample. Need to check it out. Which Bible app do you use? I use BibleGateway because as a newbie Bible reader, I sometimes need to re and reread the verses in different formats…Amplified Bible, The Message, KJV, Contemporary English Bible, before I finally ‘get it’. Yeah, I can be that dense!!
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom
I’ve been really bad about reading lately, been reading the same book since January. Almost done with it though. Does dog ear mean folding the corner of one page? Haha! I do that. I also toss the dust covers usually! They just get in the way. I can tell you’re a true librarian and I’m am amateur! heehee! Fun post!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Girl, I need to send you a book mark. Be on the look out!! I will overlook tossing the book jackets. They can get in the way. But for special, special books, saving the book jacket might be good. Then put it back on after you have read the book. No spankings for you today!! XO
ShootingStarsMag
How fun! I tend to take the dust jacket off when I’m reading, but I don’t throw them out or anything. I like having them on there when I’m done reading and have them on my shelves. Plus, some books have cool designs under the dust jacket, so you have to check it out. 🙂
I like historical fiction, but yeah, most of what I’ve read is WWII/Holocaust based.
-Lauren
Leslie Roberts Clingan
You are a good girl to put those dust jackets back on. No spankings for you!! I guess I have never taken a jacket off so have missed out on some of the designs underneath. All of the library books I ordered for my various schools, came with the dust jackets covered in plastic and attached to the books. Never had an opportunity to peek underneath.
I am going to try to take a little break from WWII themed books so my dreams lighten up a bit. If you haven’t listened to/read Lilac Girls, I would sure recommend it!
Dara
I’ve been dog-earring the Harry Potter books I’m reading to the kids because I know if I put in a bookmark, the kids would knock over the book and the bookmark would fall out! lol!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Ha! I approve of dog-earing out of necessity. It is terribly frustrating to lose your place in a book – especially a thick volume like H.P.