Kelly and Tom both did this good set of interview questions from BBAW (Book Bloggers Appreciation Week) and I figured I hadn’t done a meme in a while. This one offers a little view into how reading gets done around The Aerie.
Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
Rarely. I usually read before going to sleep at night and there is definitely no snacking in bed. Crumbs in the sheets are gross. On the weekends, you can sometimes find me out back reading during happy hour, so then I’ll almost always have a snack (cheese and crackers or some almonds) and a good drink. If I’m reading up in the retreat, then chances are I’m looking to nap and as such there will be no crumbs.
Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
Unless it’s a textbook, I’m cringe at the idea of marking up a book. With my kindle, I’ve tried to be more proactive about marking passages I like, but it still doesn’t come naturally to me.
How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?
Well, the kindle takes care of it for me for most of the books I read these days. Otherwise, I have a bookmark — my latest is the “business card” from Bar Hemingway in Paris.
Bar Hemingway Bookmark
Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Almost always fiction. Books are escapes and entertainment for me. I probably read about one non-fiction book a year, if that.
Hard copy or audiobooks?
Both! All three if you distinguish ebooks from paper books.
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?
Since I read before bed, oftentimes the head-jerk of falling asleep will happen before I get to the end of a chapter. My rule of thumb is: one head-jerk means try and get to the next break. Two head-jerks means just put it down and turn off the light because you’ll be going back and re-reading that part anyway.
If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
I can usually get it from context, though if I’m on the kindle, I’ll use its built in word looker-upper-er feature.
What are you currently reading?
Currently, I’m finishing off both Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther book If The Dead Rise Not and the audiobook of the last Hunger Games installment, Mockingjay.
What is the last book you bought?
I suppose that would be If The Dead Rise Not.
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 usually have a print book and an audiobook going at the same time — I listen to audiobooks during my commute. Occasionally, I will have a book of short stories that I read bits of between other books — sort of an intermezzo between courses, but that’s more of an exception.
Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
See snacking question. My favorite places to read are bed, backyard chaise lounge, and our retreat daybed. I also like reading on a plane because that means I don’t have to talk to strangers that are next to me.
Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
Funny you should ask. I just posted on that. There are many series that I enjoy a great deal, but I think almost all the books that have really made me think and that I think of as “important” are standalones.
Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
I think I’ve become an advocate for TC Boyle, who writes books that have a great feel for the grey areas of modern society and frames them within compelling stories, especially The Tortilla Curtain and When The Killing’s Done. I don’t think enough people are aware of his writing.
Reading Retreat
How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
Well, I suppose it depends on which room you’re in as we have different bookcases throughout the house. The books in the family room are the ones The Beloved and I consider our “Best Of” collection. Other bookcases have travel and an “Almost Best Of” sets. The bookcase in the retreat is color-coded, which while an idea that I was against initially, I must admit puts some pretty interesting books next to one another.
Does any of that sound like reading in your homes??
Stevil 
we have a lot of the same reading habits.
Wait, Bar Hemingway is only open Tues-Sat. I am pretty sure the man drank 7 days a week. The bar should reflect that in their hours.
Actually — Bar Hemingway isn’t open AT ALL because The Ritz is going through a huge two year renovation.
Don’t really have anything to say but I like this :)
I don’t have anything to say, but I’m glad you stopped in… :)
Nice! I think I’ll hijack this myself.
I will, however, respectfully disagree with your TC Boyle assessment :)
It’s a good “interview” — I remember you didn’t like “When The Killing’s Done”. The Beloved had to stop reading it — it made her too upset.
I read almost exclusively non-fiction. It’s interesting, how the imagination will decide to ride a different horse, but with the same destination in mind.
I don’t have to read to the end of a chapter, but must always finish reading the right-hand page before putting in the bookmark (I’ve been using the ones given to me by the ASPCA).
Another oddity is if I start a book that is part of a series – here is where I find my non-fiction – say, James Bond, or the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, I must always read the entire series, in order. It’s quite a commitment, but never regretted!
Aubrey — the get to the end of the right hand page is the best one I’ve heard yet!! :)
I think the only series I’ve regretted is The Wheel of Time fantasy series that I gave up on sometime around Book 8 (I think it’s complete at 12 or 13). At some point, I think I’d go back, but ooof, that’s daunting.
I used to snack more while reading, but we have a “no eating in the living room” rule with our new cream furniture. The armchair and bed are my two reading spots at home. On my breaks at work, I generally eat a snack and read.
I like the pillows in your reading retreat.
Unfortunately, I could not push through When the Killing’s Done, even though it was for book club.
The Beloved gets the credit for the retreat design. I love hanging out there.
One of the interesting things about When The Killing’s Done is that I listened to it as an audiobook and I wonder if it’s a book that comes across better there than on the page…