BBAW Reading Habits Meme

Book Blogger Appreciation Week fun continues with this meme! Which I'm, uh, supposed to answer in as few words as possible? We'll see about that...

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?

Sometimes, depending on the book and my mood. I'll snack on anything from fruit to salty chips to chocolate to crackers with some sort of spread--in short, anything that won't melt!

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?

It's rather horrifying, although if it's a book I know I'll read over and over and keep till I die, I'll have less of a problem underlining (very lightly, and in PENCIL!) my favorite lines, to repeat to myself or to learn from.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?

In the past I just tried to remember where I left off, but ever since I started receiving bookmarks after winning them in blog giveaways, I've been using them. Never dog-ear, ever.

Laying the book flat open?

I'm okay with that, as long as it doesn't permanently damage the book. Laying it open temporarily for a few minutes while you get up to do something else is fine.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?

I prefer fiction. As for non-fiction, it depends on the subject, and how it's written.

Hard copy or audiobooks?

Hard copies. The last book-on-tape I listened to was, like, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix way back when!

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?

I can put it down at any point; with some books, it's actually easier to put it down randomly than to try and stop after each cliffhangery chapter ending!

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?

I'm ashamed to say that I mostly make a reminder to myself to look it up later, only to forget. If a word comes up multiple times in one reading, however, and I remember it the day after and look it up, I'll remember it for a long, long time. (The last word I learned this way was "ebullient": overly enthusiastic!)

What are you currently reading?

I'm reading two books for review: The Waking: Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall, about an American girl who attends a school in Japan that seems to be haunted by an evil spirit (Bloomsbury / Sept. 29, 2009), and How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford, a quirky story about two different misfits who befriend one another (Scholastic / Oct. 1, 2009). I'm also reading Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (bleeeechhh!!) for class.

What is the last book you bought?

That might've been Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey. I borrowed it from the library, enjoyed it, and wanted a copy of my own.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?

As evidenced by my answers to the question two prior, I most certainly can read more than one book at a time!

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?

Not really. I read when I can. Most of the time it's during meals, or on my walk to class, or on the train, or in bed right before I go to sleep.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?

I have no preference: there are good books in both "types"!

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?

It depends to whom I'm recommending books. Earlier in my Children's Lit class I recommended When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead to lovers of A Wrinkle in Time and science. I just wrote a review in which I recommended Psych Major Syndrome by Alicia Thompson to Meg Cabot fans. It really just depends.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)

Due to limited bookshelf space, they are currently by size, and then alphabetically within each size grouping. :)