Originally published in 2018, I thought it would be fun to re-share this reading habits Q & A with updated questions and answers to reflect my current reading life.
What’s your reading life like? This fun Q & A all about reading habits had me thinking about mine. I’ve seen this fun survey for bookworms floating around the web, and since I’m a lover of both books and surveys, of course I had to join in. Here are my thoughts on my own reading habits.
Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback? I’m not picky, but if I have to choose I like trade paperbacks. They’re light enough to carry around, but still worthy of display. I also like the hardcovers that don’t have dust jackets, just a pretty cover.
Locally owned bookshop, Amazon, or big name chain store? I love to support local independent bookstores as much as I can. Bliss Books and Wine is my favorite, and before the pandemic I loved to do some book gift shopping at Rainy Day Books as well. I do shop Amazon as well, usually more for kids books and gifts than for me.
Bookmark or dog-ear? Bookmark! I can’t bring myself to dog-ear books, even books I own. Here’s a nerdy fact: I almost always use the same thin metal bookmark with a ribbon tie. It kept slipping out of my books too easily though (#readerprobs), so I bought little rubber circles and stuck a few to the back so it stays in place.
Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random? The books I own are organized by color on my bookshelves. I mostly use the library, so I don’t own every book I read. I try to only hold onto books I truly love, although it’s hard to let go of any book with a gorgeous cover.
Keep, throw away, or sell? I keep books I love, and sell or donate books I know I won’t read again or don’t like.
Keep dust jacket or toss it? I go back and forth on this one! I used to throw them away, but now I keep them on. They’re such a hassle though!
Read with dust jacket or remove it? I usually leave it on. Thankfully since most of what I read is from the library, they cover and tape those suckers down so you don’t have to worry about it coming off.
Short story or novel? Novel. I do enjoy short stories occasionally, but I’m a novel girl at heart.
Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)? I don’t read much of either, but I’d prefer an anthology. Every time I think about a short story anthology, it takes me back to a memory from my college days. When my husband and I first met as college students, he was taking a short story class for a credit requirement for his Education degree. When I saw his textbook (a large anthology of short stories) I picked it up to read just for fun, and would read a short story or two every time I came to visit his apartment. I liked it so much that I signed up to take the course the next semester. (Most of the reading I did in college was in French–that was my major–so it was fun to read and discuss some stories in English for a change!)
Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? I aim to stop at chapter breaks, but when I’m so tired that the book literally falls on my face, I decide to just stop. I appreciate it when books have chapter breaks or other stopping points built in; I struggle sometimes when the chapters are overly long.
“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”? Probably “it was a dark and stormy night”. I tend to lean more towards the dark and serious, although it’s fun to read something upbeat and lighthearted every now and then too.
Buy or borrow? Borrow for sure! I love local bookstores but if I bought every book I read I would be broke. I don’t know what I’d do without my local library—that is where the majority of my books and my kids’ books come from.
New or used? I’m not picky at all, as long as the book is in good condition. I love shopping for books at garage sales and library book sales.
Choosing your next read: book reviews, recommendation or browse? I usually use my Goodreads to-read list as my starting place when choosing my next book to read, although I know that I’ll never get through the whole thing. (I’m constantly adding books to it… it’s a problem.) I get recommendations from podcasts, blogs, Instagram, book clubs, and friends. I’m an introvert but if I see someone reading a familiar book I feel compelled to ask them about it.
Tidy ending or cliffhanger? I like a combination of both. I don’t like endings that are so tidy that they’re not realistic, but I don’t really like the “what the heck just happened?” ending either. I’d like a conclusion that wraps up the story, but still leaves room for the imagination.
Morning, afternoon or nighttime reading? Yes please! I don’t read in the morning every day, but I do enjoy reading personal or spiritual development books for 20 minutes or so in the morning. I also like to read during my lunch break on work days, even while I’m working at home, to give myself a short mental break from job stresses. I also listen to an audiobook in the evenings when I’m doing mindless tasks, and I always read in bed before I go to sleep. Basically, I try to read as much as possible every day.
Listen or read? Both! I love audiobooks and fully believe they “count” as reading. I get them from the library or from Libro.fm (which supports local bookstores!). I also love reading physical books. If there’s reading to be done I’ll do it whatever way I can!
Single volume or series? I’m not great at keeping up with a series. I prefer standalone books.
Favorite series? I love the Inspector Gamache mysteries by Louise Penny (although I haven’t read one in a while) or the Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French. (I think I like that one because they are all stand-alone books and don’t need to be read in order. And she is so good.)
Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? Hmm, I mean, I’m sure plenty of people have heard of these, but these are a few I read and loved several years ago: A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, and Ireland.
Favorite books read last year? I shared my favorite books of 2020 here.
Favorite books of all time? What a hard question! A few favorites that feel like classics to me are Jane Eyre, Anne of Green Gables, The Poisonwood Bible. I also love anything by Angie Thomas and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
I’d love to hear some of your answers too, share them in the comments!
