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Saturday, October 16, 2004
a book quiz
It's been a long time (in journal years anyway) since I did a survey/meme kind of thing. I was starting to have withdrawals. So here's one I lifted from KiwiRia.
Hardback or Paperback?
I like both. If I'm buying new I get a paperback.
Highlight or Underline?
I'll occasionally do either, but not very often. High school was a different story -- all my novels from those years are highlit wherever I read a line that really spoke to me (use of hushed awed teenaged know-it-all hyper-pseudo-sensitive-intellectual tone advised here). In my Bible I'll highlight if I have one handy, which generally means that I underline.
Lewis or Tolkien?
I like both but I think I only love Lewis.
E.B. White or A.A. Milne?
Both!
T.S. Eliot or e.e. cummings?
Honestly I'm not terribly familiar with either. I liked cummings in high school.
Stephen King or Dean Koontz?
I used to read King in junior high. Never read anything by Koontz.
Barnes & Noble or Borders?
Whichever is handiest. B&N has the Starbucks caramel brownie advantage, while Borders has a better educator's discount and very slightly better prices.
Waldenbooks or B. Dalton?
I've never been to Waldenbooks. There was a B. Dalton in the mall we frequent until a B&N went in down the street (they are owned by the same company). You know my very favorite small bookstore? The one that used to be in my little town until I was in high school. It's been gone ten years and I still mourn its loss.
Fantasy or Science Fiction?
I really don't like either, much. I'll read the lightest of fantasy -- Lewis and Tolkien -- but the more stereotypical fantasy stuff even in Tolkien leaves me a little cold.
Horror or Suspense?
Suspense.
Bookmark or Dog-ear?
Generally a bookmark. I'm not above dog-earing though. My books are for reading and enjoying, not reselling, and paper's not sacred.
Hemingway or Faulkner?
Neither, ugh.
Fitzgerald or Steinbeck?
Again with the neither. Although I used to really like Steinbeck, in my highlighting days.
Homer or Plato?
If I'm ever in the mood for either of these I'll let you know. :D
Geoffrey Chaucer or Edmund Spenser?
Chaucer
Pen or Pencil?
A sharpened pencil or a fine-point pen; either's fine. I do write
in my Bible a lot and I'll use either.
Looseleaf or Notepad?
Looseleaf. My notepads always end up a hodgepodge of various
stuff anyway. Which makes them more interesting when I find them
years later, but not terribly useful as an organizational tool.
Alphabetize: By Author or By Title?
Right now my books are alphabetized by author and then arranged in
chronological order by publication, except for series which are in
series order where that differs from publication order. Sometimes
I'll reorder them all strictly by publication order, with no author
alphabetization, but that's more complicated.
Dustjacket: Leave it On or Take it Off?
Off for reading, on for storage. For the few of my books that
have dust jackets.
Novella or Epic?
Either. I like some of both.
John Grisham or Scott Turow?
Neither.
J.K. Rowling or Lemony Snicket?
Neither. (L.M. Montgomery! Cynthia Voigt! Beverly Cleary!)
John Irving or John Updike?
I've tried both and liked neither.
Fiction or Non-fiction?
Usually fiction. I'll read non-fiction when it's pertinent to something I'm interested in, and I like a biography now and then.
Historical Biography or Historical Romance?
I like a few really good historical romances -- Donati and Gabaldon mainly. I also like a few historical biographies but I have to be in the right mood for them.
A Few Pages per Sitting or Finish at Least a Chapter?
Oh, the joy of having a choice! Usually I just steal a few minutes to read whatever I can manage. On my late-night reading binges I sometimes try to finish chapters before I finally stop, and sometimes don't.
Short Story or Creative Non-fiction Essay?
Each has its place.
"It was a dark and stormy night..." or "Once upon a time..." ?
Generally neither.
Buy or Borrow?
Both. I usually borrow a book from the library first, and if I like it really well, I'll buy it used, and if I LOVE it or have a gift certificate to spend, I'll buy it new. Occasionally if a book is a classic or one by an author I like, I'll buy it without ever having read it, but almost always used or at a serious discount.
Book Reviews or Word of Mouth?
Both, mostly word of mouth.
