Another Book Meme?! No!

I’ve been tagged by JaneAnne. Here goes.

Hardback or trade paperback or mass-market paperback? No particular preference, although, I’ll admit: I’m a snob and a misophobe and prefer my books new. This is why I don’t have a library card. I don’t know who's sneezed in the books at the library. My one exception would be good condition books I buy either at used bookstores or at the Wheaton Library Bookstore.

Amazon or brick and mortar? Amazon. If I go into a retailer, I end up buying more than I went in for. Amazon has saved me money, because I just order what I wanted. I don’t browse.

Barnes & Noble or Borders? Borders, but if B&N is more convenient, I’ll go there. I also try to support small, independent bookstores, if they're around.

Bookmark or dog-ear? Both. I use a bookmark to note where I’m at in the book, but I dog-ear if there’s a particular passage I want to remember.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random? Neither, nor. I group by topic or theme. For example, I have two shelves of nothing but World War II and the Holocaust, a shelf or two of biographies, shelves of cookbooks and Cook’s Illustrated, sections on religion and society and religion and spirituality, religious texts (Bibles, prayer books, etc.), children’s books… Well, I’m sure you’re getting the picture.

Keep, throw away, or sell? It’s hard for me to get rid of books, unless they’re really, really bad or I’ve ‘outgrown’ their needfulness. I never throw away books; just because I might not have liked it, doesn’t mean someone else won’t. I haven’t sold books yet. I usually give them to Goodwill or the Wheaton Library Bookstore.

One thing I absolutely never, ever, ever do is lend books. I never get them back in the same condition in which I lent them out. My books are pristine and on the few regrettable occasions that I’ve lent out, they’ve come back tattered and torn. I even had a book come back once with coffee stains on it. I’ll buy you the book first before I’ll lend it to you. So, please, don’t even ask.

Keep dustjacket or toss it? Keep. Although, I’m going back and forth on this one lately.

Read with dustjacket or remove it? Remove it, so it doesn't get battered.

Short story or novel? Either.

Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)? One author. Short stories are an art form and few people have properly mastered it.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? Neither. I’ve read a few of the Potter books, but they’re overly long and only okay. I can take ‘em or leave ‘em. That said, though, I'm thrilled that they've contributed to increased reading by young people. With computers and Game Boys and iPods and all the other gadgets kids have these days, it thrills me when I see a kid with a book in their hand. If Harry or Lemony piques their interest and gets them reading, that's fine by me.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? I stop wherever I am, whenever that is.

"It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time"? When I’m interested in a new book, I generally flip to the center of the book and read a few pages. If it grabs me, I’ll buy it. If not, I reshelve it. I don’t trust first lines. However, if I had to choose between “It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time,” I’d take the former. I don’t understand why this sentence was panned so long ago. It’s descriptive. It sets the mood. It’s ominous. Once upon a time is unimaginative.

Buy or Borrow? Buy. In addition to never lending, I also refrain from borrowing.

New or used? Ninety-eight percent of the time, new.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse? Depends on my mood. Although, I rarely read book reviews, aside from what’s on Amazon. I suppose that makes me a peasant.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger? Hadn’t really thought about it. I like books that make me think; if the ending is tidy or leaves me hanging, I’m indifferent. If, on the other hand, the book just ends and I’m left asking myself, “What was the point of that?!” then it pisses me off.

Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading? Whenever and wherever except at the dinner table or in the bathroom.

Standalone or series? Mostly standalones, though I’m currently caught up in reading John McPhee’s books.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? The Physicists, Fredrich Dürrenmatt.

Favorite book(s) read last year: Rising from the Plains, John McPhee. I read quite a bit last year, but I can’t recall what, aside from McPhee.

Favorite books of all time? See here.

Tag? My siblings (you can post it in the comments, if you want), Sister Mary Lisa, The Gunfighter, Holly, Creole Princess, Zanne, Church of the Big Sky.