Reading Habits

Whilst browsing the archives of Theatregrad’s blog, came across a questionnaire about reading habits which has done the rounds on a fair few blogs (though nobody seems to know where it originated from!). Couldn’t resist giving it a go:

Do you snack while you read? If so, favourite reading snack?
Every now and then I’ll have a glass of squash and some chocolate while reading. It relaxes me and feels like a luxurious treat!

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
If it’s a fiction book there’s no need to mark it, unless I’m reading it alongside an accompanying revision guide (which I sometimes do just for fun. Sad, I know.). My text books are FULL of annotations and scribbles.




How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
I’m quite fussy about bookmarks; I have about 15, most of which were bought as presents. I’m a fan of magnetic bookmarks. They never fall out. Ingenious!

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Love fiction but I’m quite partial to comedy biographies (Peter Kay, Michael McIntyre etc). I try to be a diverse reader and mix it up.

Hard copy or audiobooks?
Hard copy.... paperbacks every time! I’m a bit anal here, I must admit, my boyfriend thinks I’m crackers. Hardback covers act as a barrier between the reader and the story. They prevent you from ‘becoming as one’ with the book – you can’t break the spine, roll the cover, squeeze in it a bag, caress the pages in the same way. They’re too heavy, solid and awkward. I must admit, however, I'm quite fancying the idea of an e-reader.


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 always try to finish at the end of a chapter unless it’s late at night and I can’t keep my eyes open any longer.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
If it’s in a text book then yes, you need to look it up. I don’t bother, however, if it’s in a fiction book, unless it’s a fairly central word used several times.

What are you currently reading?
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. An uncle recommended it and gave me his old, tatty copy. I know it’s received negative press in recent decades because it solidifies stereotypes, but it is a product of its time and was intended to be an abolitionist text.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
Sometimes, though rarely, I’ll have a book on the go at home and another at work (for my lunch breaks).


Do you have a favourite time of day and/or place to read?
Not particularly, though I tend to read at the end of the day whilst in bed.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
I like to read series books. You become friends with the characters and get drawn into their world more so than with stand alone titles.


Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
One book recommended to me, which I’ve recommended in turn, is the Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Working in a school library means I frequently recommend books to pupils. Recently, this has included the Twilight series, the Darren Shan saga, the Wimpy Kid books and the Skulduggery Pleasant series.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
By size, and there's usually a few stuffed horizontally on top of others. (Have included a photo of my bookcase so you can judge for yourself how tidy/untidy it is.)