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| Inspired by Jana's Confessions of a Reading Life Post |
1. I don't care if my to read list is out of control because I don't look at it as something to get through. Having a lot of books I'd like to read is preferable to the alternative and I actually hope I can never see the end of my list.
2. When I own a book...I crack the spine, dog ear corners, lay it on the sand, get water on it, highlight it, write in the margins. They are not sacred tomes to me. They are sidekicks that roar through life with me.
3. I no longer keep books just so I can say I have a lot of books. If I buy it and don't love it, I pass it along so someone else can read it.
4. I always buy books for myself on my birthday and at Christmas.
5. I don't have any interest in seeing the movie adaptation of most books.
6. My favorite form of book is mass market paperback.
7. I judge a purse's usefulness by if I can fit a standard size library issued hardback in it. If I can't, it's of no use to me because I carry a book with me everywhere and many of them are from the library.
8. Once I find an author I love, I will faithfully work my way through their entire catalog.
9. I usually make the decision to bag a book at around page 33. I do not feel even a little bad when I decide not to finish a book because there are a lot out there but they are not all for me. No one cares that I didn't finish it.
10. I'm genuinely confused why people who know I read a lot ask me what my favorite book is. Hello I can't answer that. Will you accept a top 10 list?
What are some of your book behaviors?
Thanks again to Jana for the inspiration for this post. Other me & Jana things: new episode of the Armchair Librarians will drop Thursday. Show Us Your Books is a week from today!
3. I no longer keep books just so I can say I have a lot of books. If I buy it and don't love it, I pass it along so someone else can read it.
4. I always buy books for myself on my birthday and at Christmas.
5. I don't have any interest in seeing the movie adaptation of most books.
6. My favorite form of book is mass market paperback.
7. I judge a purse's usefulness by if I can fit a standard size library issued hardback in it. If I can't, it's of no use to me because I carry a book with me everywhere and many of them are from the library.
8. Once I find an author I love, I will faithfully work my way through their entire catalog.
9. I usually make the decision to bag a book at around page 33. I do not feel even a little bad when I decide not to finish a book because there are a lot out there but they are not all for me. No one cares that I didn't finish it.
10. I'm genuinely confused why people who know I read a lot ask me what my favorite book is. Hello I can't answer that. Will you accept a top 10 list?
What are some of your book behaviors?
Thanks again to Jana for the inspiration for this post. Other me & Jana things: new episode of the Armchair Librarians will drop Thursday. Show Us Your Books is a week from today!
As a fellow book lover, I relate to many of these.
ReplyDeleteThe handbag size. Yep.
Birthday & Christmas gifts. Yep & yep.
Passing along books that no longer serve a purpose in my life. Yep.
But...
I do enjoy watching movie adaptations of books.
3,8,9. All me. I used to consider myself a failure if I couldn't see a book through to the end. Not anymore. My time is valuable and I should ENJOY my reading time.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind abandoning books if they're not doing anything for me. There are too many others that I will love.
ReplyDelete#4 and #8, yes.
ReplyDeleteEvery year I used to pick out several books at Waldenbooks that my mom would wrap up for Christmas. And I spent every spare cent I had to make my way through several series as a kid.
Also, I usually read two to three books at once. I like to have options about what I'm going to go to on a particular day.
lol i'm the opposite when it comes to books - i never crack the spine, i never bend the pages and i basically treat them like i bore them out of my vagina LOL
ReplyDeleteI need to start adapting your mindset for not finishing books- I've been a lot better about it this year, but usually once I start I try and keep going in hopes that the book will improve even though we all know sometimes that never happens! haha.
ReplyDeleteum, yes, i would accept a top ten list, thanks! i mean, i have a favourite book (i bet you can't guess what it is!) but there are conditions! it's not one i always want to read and it is definitely not one i recommend, but i will re-read it often, and when i am feeling blah or sad or happy or down or alive, i feel like reading it lol.
ReplyDelete' No one cares that I didn't finish it. ' - why don't i think like that?!
i got rid of a purse recently because it barely fit my planner, and if i tried to put my planner and a book, even a paperback, in it i couldn't fit my wallet so i was like bye felicia.
i quite like mass market paperbacks as well. i love love love love seeing movie adaptations though, even if i didn't love the book. isn't that the weirdest thing? and oh i treat my books like that as well, i don't write in them just because i am not a note taker or whatever, but they get wet, i break the spines and i dog ear pages because i don't have time or fucks to deal with bookmarks.
I too am a fan of the mass produced paperback, lol. And yes to #8!
ReplyDeleteI love both paperback and hardback. I love hardback because it is so solid and I love the weight of it, but I love the ease of the paperback being able to take it anywhere! Plus with the paperback I feel more like if I dog ear or crack the spines or something like that it's not as detrimental to the book. I really need to adopt the 33 pages and I'm out policy though. I am tired of finishing bad books for no reason!
ReplyDeleteI may have to steal this post idea, too. As you know, #2 does not apply to me but not because I consider the books sacred; it's just the way I am. LOL
ReplyDeleteI agree with #1. My "to read" list is the only to-do list in the world that I have that I'm totally ok with never totally checking off!
ReplyDeleteI used to force myself to finish every book, but when college put a damper on my reading and I was slow to pick it up again, I realized that life is too short to read uninteresting/bad books. Haha!
My book behaviors: I absolutely must buy a book from an airport bookstore. Also, I dog ear mine too! And whenever someone asks me for a recommendation, I end up giving them ten! I am so borrowing this idea for a post of my own so I don't take up too much room on your comment section ;)
ReplyDeleteNumber 7...ME TOO!
ReplyDeleteI also kill my books. I love to read in the pool in the summertime, and getting them wet is unavoidable. And I also will abandon a book, even one that I'm "supposed" to read, if I can't get into it. I can't tell you how many friends have been incredulous that I haven't red The Kite Runner. Dude, it wasn't interesting to me. I didn't read it, and I'm not going to. Accept it.
ReplyDeletehaha - I just switched to a small purse but had to make sure my Kindle fit in it - but a book doesn't... so I'm debating finding another purse now :)
ReplyDeleteJust cleaning out my book room, I'm learning the same thing - get rid of things that aren't my favorite - what's the point in keeping it - it maybe someone else's favorite.
Cracking a spine & writing in books & dog tagging corners are totally fine with me too - but I dont want someone else doing it in my book.
But books are so heavy! I like to at least have one ready to go on my kindle app though, so I can relate. I'm not good at picking a favorite anything. It always depends on the person and when I experienced the thing as to if I can recommend it. If that even makes sense.
ReplyDeleteNot a big reader these days but I think it's super important not to finish books you're not into. I think we all feel like, "I paid for this; I should finish" but...nope. I only love reading when I'm REALLY enjoying and loving a book; otherwise it feels like a chore.
ReplyDeleteSo what's your favorite book?? ;) Jk! I can't answer that either... I usually give people a few options in each category that I love to read. I also fold corners, write in books, etc- they are my friends and they are okay with those behaviors!
ReplyDeleteReading is succeeding. I heard that recently. I was a more voracious reader before. This iPhone has opened up the world to me and I read my phone! I see and read about places I will never visit! BUT I like to have a hard copy of something to read, too. Books over movies except for The Thornbirds and GWTW!! This weather is good for snuggling up with a good book! Love. Your. Momma.
ReplyDeleteI ditch books too if they don't capture me. I'm the same way with movies. People tell me I'm crazy, but I don't want to waste my time on something I don't enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI like a big TBR list too and don't want mine to ever be finished either. My problem is that I will look through my TBR, get giddy and put too many books on hold, which leads to a mountain of books that feel like work. I'm getting better at just returning them unread and reminding myself this isn't Netflix - the books aren't going away if I don't read them this very moment! LOL! I love #4 and am going to make that a rule in my life too. And I just recently returned a purse because it wouldn't comfortably fit a book or two!
ReplyDeletei agree about not holding books sacred. i like that they have a little WEAR to them. i do like movie adaptations but i like to (hopefully) read the book before it gets spoiled by the movie. like before they even announce that it will be a movie.
ReplyDelete7, 8, and 10. I do all of those, too.
ReplyDeleteMovie adaptations (podcast topic, perhaps?). I waiver with those. I tend to see them but I don't often make it a priority. Except The Martian. That happened quickly.
There are a certain few books that I don't want anything to happen to, pretty much my hardback Harry Potter books, but I also have other copies of those books so I don't have to risk damaging my pretty hard backs. I don't know what I'd do if I ever got to the end of my TBR list either! It's crazy to me how many books I've been able to add to my list, especially after joining up with Show Us Your Books, and that just makes me even more excited for the next book I'm going to read!
ReplyDeleteI don't buy books these days, unless they're children's books or YA that I want my kids to read one day or books that are awesome (eg. The Martian). LOL on choosing purses/bags based on their ability to carry books and I also love paperbacks because they fit better in bags :).
ReplyDeleteHahahaha I hate when people ask me what book to read or what type of book I read. There are too many to name don't make me pick!!! And I am with you on dropping a book if you dont love it and not keeping books around just to have books.
ReplyDeleteThe purse must fit a library book. I'm with you on that. I should definitely adopt #4! Such a fun birthday and Christmas treat! That gives me an idea: I think I'll start gifting the niece with a book every Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI love this! I pretty much hate when people ask my favorite anything--food, song, book, movie... Hello, there are too many that I love. And I'll quit a book if I don't like it too. I even quit the 5th Harry Potter book because I just COULDN'T (after starting it twice) and abandoned the rest of the series.
ReplyDeleteThe choice of purse is definitely important if you carry books with you everywhere. For me, it's my planner (kind of book like) but the perfect purse needs to accommodate it.
ReplyDeletei can relate to SOOO many of these! the favorite book question is brutal because i don't really think I can compare a psychological thriller to say a historical fiction book, ya know? i typically have favorite books in a genre. for a while i was trying out a smaller-ish bag and i canned that realllll quick because i couldn't fit a book in it and i never go anywhere with out a book. #priorities. also I have to add i have a rule that i usually don't just browse through the shelves at the library (because i will end up leaving with 34390403 books) i usually just put them on hold and then stop at the hold desk and no where else. otherwise i'm like a gambler in a casino when it comes to comes to books!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on movie adaptations. Harry Potter? Not better than my imagination. I'll read YA books and not care that you are judging me. Sometimes you need a little levity. I'll give my favorite books to others and bother them to find out if they have read them. My parents HATE that. lol. I judge my library for not having enough books that are on my list. I have a LONG list. I used to try and get through it. Now I read more leisurely. Reading is a luxury, not a to-do.
ReplyDelete1. I can't read two books at the same time even if Goodreads says I am, I'm not.
ReplyDelete2. I just gave up my big purse and found myself carrying a book the other day, I'm not sure if I'm going back to my big bag or not though.
3. I usually give a book 50 pages to hook me, if I'm not into by 50 I move on.
"They are sidekicks that roar though life with me." I love this. People are often shocked to hear that I don't baby my books. I wanted them to feel as lived-in as my favorite yoga pants. I highlight, underline, write notes. The only thing I won't do is write on the pages of a book I'm gifting to someone, because I hate to assume how others keep their books.
ReplyDeleteAnd number three, I've been on this journey for the past few years. Truthfully, I love looking at my books as decor, but in a small apartment and after a few moves in a few years, I simply had to let some go. Now I hold onto books I love and want to re-read or refer back to, books I'll loan out, or those that still have yet to be read.
I'm also with you on shamelessly abandoning books. They were just meant for someone else besides me to love, and I was meant to love a different one.
I agree with all of these except 4 and 5. The only time I purchase new books for myself is if I have a coupon code, though I'll buy them for others whenever possible. Usually I get new-to-me books from paperback swap, and swap them again if I don't like them. I need to move my book cut-off page to 33-ish instead of 50; I already know by around there whether I'm going to read it at that time or not.
ReplyDeleteI read this post when it went up, but didn't have time to comment at the time. It's so interesting to see how much our reading behaviors differ!
ReplyDeleteThere are a few that I agreed with (1, 8, and 10 especially), but I'm one of those weirdos who will freak the fuck out if you dog ear the pages in one of my books or spill shit on it. A cracked spine is something I can (mostly) deal with, but that other stuff is unacceptable. Obviously I don't care if someone does that with their own books, but if I loan someone a book, I expect to get it back in generally the same condition it was in when I lent it out. (And I understand that accidents happen when it comes to spills, but I do always tell people I loan books to that I'd really appreciate it if they didn't dog ear the pages. At least I only loan books to friends, so they know I'm not always a complete crazy bitch. Haha.)
I also can't quit books, but I think you knew that already. It's silly, but I can't bring myself to do it.
Movie versions I can take or leave. Sometimes I really want to see if it will match the images I had in my mind while I was reading the book, but most of the time I'm indifferent. Often it's the other way around for me: I'll see a movie, discover it was adapted from a book, and then want to read the book.
I don't treat books that carefully either. I am slowly learning to not dog-ear, but I use very random things as bookmarks. DNF is still tough for me but I'm getting there...
ReplyDeleteI know we have talked about this before but I get anxiety over a long to read list. I love always having a book to chose from but I also get anxious I won't ever get through the good books on there because it is so long. If that makes any sense.
ReplyDeleteI need to be a lot better about doing number 9. Which is funny because I have commitment issues IRL
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love this post!
ReplyDeleteSo I'm the total opposite of you. I hate mass market. My favorite are trade.
I tend to try and keep my books nice and hate loaning books for that reason. When I worked out the book store, we would literally cringe when someone would come in and open a book and fold back and curl the cover over or crack the spine open.
I too will work my way through an author if I find a book by them I love.
I can go both ways on the never ending TBR. I have one and love adding to it but it makes me sad because I'll never get to read all the books I want to. Unless that magically becomes my job.