Bookish Meme

I saw this meme a while ago at Blue Archipelago, and she got it from Tuesday in Silhouette. I haven’t done a meme for a while, so enjoy!

Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?

Oh.  It so depends.  First editions of books by my favorite authors and other books I must have NOW must be, obviously, in hardback.  I generally prefer the trade paperback version of any other book I want to purchase.  I only buy mass-market paperbacks when there is no other option, when I know I’ll never want to read it again, or when I’m going on a trip and need the book to be smaller.

Bookmark or dog-ear?

Bookmark!  Well, usually I don’t use anything.  I remember what page I’m on from reading session to reading session.  Last night, though, I did dog-ear my copy of Gone with the Wind when I came across the titular reference.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?

My inner organization freak prefers alphabetized by author, but right now, aesthetics win and the books are organized by how they look the best in the living room and how they fit best on the bookshelves in the office/library.

Keep, throw away or sell?

Keep. Keep. Keep.

Keep dust jacket or toss it?

Keep.  It gets removed only when I loan the book to someone else.

Last book you bought?

Let’s see.  It must have been Gone with the Wind.  Oh, nope.  Yesterday I bought The Madam, my book club selection for the month.

Last book someone bought for you?

I can’t remember.  It was probably at Christmas time, and I received too many books to name.

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

All the books in the known universe?  Isn’t that the right answer?  No, not really.  All the fiction in the known universe is probably closer to the truth.  I will probably buy the following books in the next few weeks: North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell; The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins; The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie; and First Love, Last Rites, by Ian McEwan.

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

I like the idea of collections better, but tend to read anthologies more. 

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?

Harry Potter, but only because I’ve read every HP book and none of the Lemony Snicket books.

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?

All the time!  In a typical day, I read on my lunch break, after work, and before bed.  On the weekends, I like to stay in bed in the morning and read.

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

So many books that I NEED!  Let’s see, the most pressing needs are the rest of Ian McEwan’s oeuvre.  I also need some more Graham Greene to fill things out.    I also need more children’s and picture books.

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

I carry a book with me almost everywhere I go, so I can read whenever I have a spare moment.

Do you have seasonal reading habits?

Not really.  Though I do try to get in a few scary books in October and some Christmas books in December.

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

Generally, I have one book in progress at a time.   Well, that’s not really true.  I guess I usually have one work of fiction in progress at a time.  Right now, for instance, in addition to Gone with the Wind, I’m reading the Old Testament; The Paris Review Interviews, I (essays/interviews); and Sailing Alone Around the Room, by Billy Collins (poetry collection).

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

I don’t mind how other people treat their own books.  It drives me to insanity, though, when people borrow my books and treat them badly.  Crazy.  I’m furious right now just thinking about it.  I actually have an unofficial list of approved borrowers, who have demonstrated responsibility with my beloved books.

Name one book you surprised yourself by liking.

Gone with the Wind.  I’m actually right smack in the middle of it right now, but I can tell that it is going to become one of my favorite books of all time.

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

Almost never.  Last year I didn’t review one because it was middle grade fiction, I didn’t have much to say about it, and I didn’t feel that it really fit in with the rest of my blog.  Most of the time, though, I review everything I read.

What about your book and reading habits?  Come on, share!