Book Meme

If there's one thing that's been a constant in my life, it's reading. Thus, I've always had lots of books. I currently have three books sitting on my nightstand waiting to be read. And I'm once again approaching the point of having more books than I have shelf space, even though I recently donated a bunch of books to a yard sale fundraiser.

So, a book meme seems natural. I'm actually interested to see how I'll answer.

Hardback or Paperback?
Most of the time , I buy paperback simply because it's cheaper and I tend to read a lot. I will buy hardback if it's a title that I want to read right away, instead of waiting for the paperback. There's one category that I'd add to the above: ebooks. When space on the bookshelf became hard to come by, I started purchasing and downloading ebooks to read on my PDA. Granted, it's not the same as holding a book in your hands, turning the pages, etc. But in a pinch, it's a good way to get a few more titles into my library.

Highlight or Underline?
Highlighting is something I did when I was college. When it comes to my personal collection, I don't usually highlight. If there's a passage that's very important to me, I'll underline it because I want to be able to come back to it and locate it quickly. But it's pretty rare that I'll mark up a book.

Lewis or Tolkien?
Hmmm. Honestly, I've not read much of either. I did read Lewis' Chornicles of Narnia before I could recognize the heavy Christian symbolism. Chances are I wouldn't read much Lewis now. I read Tolkien mainly because my friend informed me that I would be going to see the Lord of the Rings Trilocy films and that I'd better read the books, because if I asked any questions during the film, they would kill me and no one in the audience would tesitfy against them.

E.B. White or A.A. Milne?
A toughie. But I'd have to go with White and his Charlotte. There was just something about Charlotte's attitude I liked.

T.S. Eliot or e.e. cummings?
I miss poetry. I don't read it much anymore. I haven't written any in over 10 years (and, yes, I wrote poetry; even had a bit of it published). My favorites in the past have been Auden and Rukeyser. If I had to choose bewteen the two of the above, I'd probalby lean slightly more towards cummings, though I've always loved "The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock."

Stephen King or Dean Koontz?
Can I be honest? I've never read either of these guys. Can I choose Poe instead?

Barnes & Noble or Borders?
If these are the choices, I'll take Borders. I generally prefer them over Barnes & Noble, because I can look up their inventory on the in-store kiosk and usually find the books myself. That combined with the ability to search inventory online, and have books held for me at the country greatly reduces the amount of time I spend in the store. On one hand this is great, because as a working parent time is a precious commodity. On the other, it's not so great, because I love book stores and would love nothing better than to have all the time in the world to spend in one.

Waldenbooks or B. Dalton?
Probably neither. I'm not often likely to find one I'm look for on the shelves of either one.

Fantasy or Science Fiction?
I guess I'd have to go with Fantasy, since I've read more of that genre than the latter. But I can't really call my self a fan. I did, however, get into alternate-history fiction after coming across some interesting titles in my search for new reading.

Horror or Suspense?
Either, but probably leaning more towards the latter.

Bookmark or Dogear?
Bookmark. Not sure why I prefer it, but I do.

Hemingway or Faulkner?
If I had to choose bewteen the two, I'd go with Faulkner. I've made valiant efforts to read Hemingway, and I just can't do it. That said, I haven't read much of the latter.

Fitzgerald or Steinbeck?
I've read both, and I don't have a strong preference. I may lean more towards Steinbeck, but only just a little.

John Irving or John Updike?
I've read two titles by John Irving: The World According to Garp and A Prayer for Owen Meany. I haven't read any Updike. So, I guess I'll have to go with Irving.

Homer or Plato?
Geez. This is taking me back to my high school lit. class. I'd have to say Homer. Definitely Homer.

Geoffrey Chaucer or Edmund Spenser?
Again with the high school stuff. Yes, I was one of those who had to memorize (and recite) the opening stanza of The Caterbury Tales. So with that, I'll pick Chaucer, since he's the one I remember most.

Pen or Pencil?
Pencil. If I'm going to mark up a book at all, it has to be in pencil. Preferably, mechanical pencil. (No sharpening.)

Looseleaf or Notebook?
Notebook, if at all. To be honest, putting something on paper is a guarantee that I'm going to lose it at somepoint. On my PDA, I keep a running list of titles I've heard about and want to read someday, and that list gets backed up to two different computers, at home and at work. I haven't lost it yet. Maybe I'll start a chapter of "Bookworms for a Paperless Soceity."

Alphabetize: By Author or By Title?
Ideally, by author's last name, then first name, then title. Multiple-author works go at the end, by primary author and then title. Currently, my bookshelf is a hodgepodge, since I had to move several books and cram the ones on the bottom shelf as tighly as I could after my son started to extend his reach.

Hmmm. On, until it becomes so battered and worn that I have to toss it out.

Novella or Epic
Either. A novella is nice because I can read it quickly and move on to another title I'm anxious to read. Epics are good because sometimes finishing a long book gives me a feelng of accomplishment. Plus, I can get really engrossed in a good, long book.

Fiction or Non-fiction?
It depends on the mood I'm in. Lately, I'm more intersted in non-fiction. But I've read some good fiction in the past year.

Historical Biography or Historical Romance?
Biography definitely. Never been much of a romance reader, but I love a good biographyif the subject is right.

A Few Pages per Sitting or Finish at Least a Chapter?
It depends. If I'm commuting to work, it's until I have to get off the bus. If I'm in bed, then it's until I finish the chapter or get tired. whichever comes first.

Short Story or Creative Non-fiction Essay?
Short Story. I like reading collections of short stories, and in many ways it's easier to see the craft of the author in a short story than in a longer work.

Buy or borrow?
Buy. I used to go to the library, but I'm never able to get books back on time. I quickly figured that with the amount I was paying in late fines, I could buy the books I wanted to read, and read them in my own time without having to worry about getting them back on time.

Book Reviews or Word of Mouth?
A mix of both. I read book reviews to see hwat's new and to get ideas on books I might not otherwise choose. If I read a great review, I'll sometimes buy the book even though I don't know the author. Do blogs count as word of mouth? Because I've discovered several of the books I've read this year by seeing titles on other peoples' blogs.

Via Michael ateclecticism.