BBAW Meme (better late than never)

I didn't participate at all in Book Blogger Appreciation Week, but I like doing memes, especially book-related memes, so here goes...

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack? I don't usually snack when I read because I don't like to get the pages dirty... but I do like to have popcorn when I read sometimes, and I love a cup of tea to sip on. I like crackers and cheese, too (although I rarely have this). I love the idea of John Bellairs' character Johnny Dixon (or was it Louis?) having pimento cheese spread on crackers and laying on his bed reading.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you? I like the *idea* of writing in books, but I never do. Probably because the vast majority of books that I read are library books, and I have much respect for library books. I do like writing in textbooks. I also *love* reading manuscripts and writing editing comments. In another life I am an editor.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open? I always use a bookmark, although my definition of 'bookmark' is pretty loose. I will use receipts, scraps of paper, gum wrappers... even another (thin) book, if I'm really desperate. I would never dog-ear a page or lay a book flat. I've been given some really lovely bookmarks but I'm always afraid I'll lose them, so they end up in drawers to be 'saved.' I should dig them out. My favorite are free bookmarks from bookstores. I also like to make my own but I usually forget to do this.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both? Both. I usually read fiction, but I'll read anything.

Hard copy or audiobooks? I never listen to audiobooks. I once listened to "Silence of the Lambs" and it was a very enjoyable experience, but I so much prefer to actually read the book. Sometimes I think I'd like to listen to some, but I never remember to and I can't think of when I'd actually choose to listen to one rather than just read it.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put down a book at any point? I read to the end of the chapter, or to the paragraph break if I need to stop before the chapter. I'm pretty good at picking up where I left off so it doesn't really matter, but I like a sense of closure before I stop reading.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away? I really like looking up words, but I always forget that I have a dictionary by the bed, so I rarely do it. On the very rare occasion that I can't figure out the word from the context, I will look it up, but usually I figure it out as I read, and if it really bugs me or if I really like the word, I will confirm its meaning later.

What are you currently reading? I'm currently reading a friend's unpublished trilogy, and it's very good. I've got a stack of other books ready to go: By The Pricking Of My Thumbs, The Thirteenth Tale, and Rebecca.

What was the last book you bought? Um, oh! I bought Hell House by Richard Matheson. I like haunted house books so I bought this for RIP. I haven't been able to find it at the library so I treated myself to a used copy. I rarely buy books anymore, but it's very difficult to go to Dark Carnival and not buy something.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time? I definitely CAN read more than one at a time, but I notice that I read them faster if I read just one at a time, so I usually stick to that. Sometimes I will have one that's my 'daytime' book and one that's a 'before-bed' book, but usually I just stick with one because I like to read quickly. If I get more than 3 or so, then I tend to lose focus and it takes me months to complete them. I don't like that.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read? I will read from the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep, if I can. I like reading in bed, and I like my cozy chair in the living room. My parents had the perfect reading sofa when I was in high school and college and I could spend hours there (and did). I don't like reading outside. Unlike many people, I like reading in the car or on airplanes.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books? I like either... it really depends. I love stand-alones, but if I really love the author or the story, I like series. I like series that have a definite arc, however. I'm not a fan of the eternal series. After awhile the quality starts to suffer. I like trilogies a lot. I also like books that can be read out of order, but which feature a recurring character. That way I don't have be all anal about the order in which I read them.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over? Not especially. Sometimes if I've just read something that I really love, I'll gush about it to the people who I know love to read, but usually I find it difficult to recommend books. I'm really picky and I assume other people are, too. However, I will readily chime in if someone is discussing a book I've already read.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc). Uh, what? Organize books? Ummm. Yeah. I don't really do that. We had to get rid of SO many books when we moved, and haven't gotten around to organizing the ones we have. I usually just group them by type: children's, travel/reference, and then by themes. No other specific order. I tend to put them back in the same place, so I tend to just know where they are by memory. But right now we only have three bookshelves of books (not counting cookbooks) so it's easy to find something if we're looking for it.

**

And to all the book bloggers -- what fun you all are. I'm so glad I discovered this community. I rarely feel like I fit in anywhere, and I love feeling like I have something to contribute. You are wonderful writers and readers and truly wonderful people.