Jane Austen discussion
General Discussion
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Reading - what is your style?
Like Magdalena...I prefer reading one book at a time but I have been known to juggle two reads at a time. I like to collect but will go through the bookshelf once a year then donate a big box of books I may never read again to the Library Sale at my local library.
I recently received a Sony E -Reader as a gift from a friend who got tired of me being on the e-reader fence. Therefore, she pushed me off it by giving me her Dad's un-used Sony E-reader. I have yet to purchase books to read on it but I have downloaded several classics and recently re-read North and South on it.
I like that I can keep it in my purse for easy reading access at all times!
It's got to be more convenient than trying to find books via inter-library loan or in thrift stores, I guess... Especially since I haven't found North & South yet!
Yes, I would agree then...e - reader would be convenient especially if you can't find a hard copy of the book you want and I forgot to mention...you can get the classics free since they are in the public domain. I hope you find a copy of N & S soon! It is too good to miss!
I hadn't thought about the classics being free (I've never really checked out Kindle or e-books since I just figured they're not my style), but there are a lot of classics that are referenced by some of my favorite writers that I would enjoy checking out. Hmmm... Food for thought!
So, stupid question time: after purchasing a Kindle, e.g., are there any other fees (other than purchasing mags, books, etc.?)
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_PageAt the Gutenberg Project offers thousands of classics for free, I have yet to pay for a book in over a year
Megan wrote: "We all love to read or we wouldn't be here. But I am sure there are some differences - Do you prefer hardcover books, paperbacks, a Kindle, Nook, iPad or an audiobook?
Are you a buyer/collec..."
hi
well im a buyer buy lots of books. Love to read classical books, supernatural books, romance n sometimes bios.i love soft cover books. n I try to keep with the series im reading but once in a while i read ohter books. I'm read three books at once well sometimes.
Magdalena, thanks for that link! I may eventually have to add e-books to my life...
Karlyne wrote: "So, stupid question time: after purchasing a Kindle, e.g., are there any other fees (other than purchasing mags, books, etc.?)"
There are lots of blogs/websites which track all the freebies. You can score some good stuff if you keep an eye on those! And many many books are less than the cost of a paperback. I have had my Kindle about 10 months and I would be EXTREMELY lost without it!
There are lots of blogs/websites which track all the freebies. You can score some good stuff if you keep an eye on those! And many many books are less than the cost of a paperback. I have had my Kindle about 10 months and I would be EXTREMELY lost without it!
I prefer paperbacks but not the small paperbacks the med sized ones. Another perk about the e-reader is that when I go on vacation I won't have a bag with five books to take. I can just take along the e-reader with classic of choice or if I finally give it try an e book I had purchased!
I have to say, Maggie was right...I would find things I loved about it. Though I still prefer a book even though I was pushed off that e book fence! :-)
Side note: Ironically, I was thinking about getting a Nook or Kindle before my friend gave me the E-Reader so this might be a stepping stone to one of those.
I like regular books but wouldn't be opposed to an e-reader. I just can't afford one at the moment.
Nice topic!I personally love hardcovers, although I also like paperbacks a lot. I haven't bought Kindle or Nook or anything of that kind because I don't like to read on screen, but I admit I'm starting to warm to the idea. Any opinions on which one is best? I do enjoy audiobooks.
I'm a buyer, and I buy a lot of books. I will borrow and swap now and then, but there's nothing like having a brand new book to read!
I don't like to read more than one book at a time. I do it in some cases, like for example, one novel and one poetry book, or one novel and what History book, but even that is rare. I much prefer reading one at a time.
I don't really care if the books are part of a series or not, as long as I'm really enjoying them. Nothing worse than reading a bad book and knowing that there are five others, and if I'm hating a book, I don't finish it. There was a time when I did, but life is too shot to waste time on something that makes you miserable anyway.
Serenella - I like to collect books also. I love audiobooks - makes the commute to and from work much more enjoyable. I have a Kindle 2 - had it 11 months and am totally addicted. I find I read better on the Kindle as with a paper book I tend to skip around and often read the end before I should! Can't do that with the Kindle. I also like the built in dictionary and if you keep an eye on some Kindle blogs, there is lots of good stuff available for free. I like the convenience of having about 300 books with me!
I am sure others have opinions on the topic - that's just mine!
I am sure others have opinions on the topic - that's just mine!
I like to read books that match my mood and inspire me while I'm writing.... If I'm hitting an obstacle in the chapter I'm working on, I try to think of a comparable scene in a favourite novel and read that scene over many times, while lounging on my threadbare chaise-longue, and sometimes I even copy out the scene in my notebook to get into the groove. For me, reading and writing are flipsides of the same experience.Ex Lit Prof
www.the-reading-list.com
Megan wrote: "Serenella - I like to collect books also. I love audiobooks - makes the commute to and from work much more enjoyable. I have a Kindle 2 - had it 11 months and am totally addicted. I find I read bet..."Thank you, Megan, I'll keep that in mind when it's time to buy my e-reader. :)
I like hardcovers and paperbacks pretty much equally. :) I love how sturdy hardcovers are and how pretty they look on the shelf, but I buy a lot of paperbacks. I don't have or want an e-reader of any kind, and I don't listen to audiobooks.I'm a buyer and a collector. If I like a book, I'll most likely buy it eventually, and of course sometimes I buy books that I haven't read yet. Sometimes I buy books just for the beautiful covers, even if I already own a copy (I'm talking to you, "Pride and Prejudice"). I can hardly stand to get rid of a book!
I prefer to be reading only one book at a time, so I can put my full focus on it and finish it quicker, but sometimes I'll have 2 or 3 going at a time. Like when I look at my "to read" pile and start to feel overwhelmed. :) I like both series and stand-alone books.
I have totally given up on hardcovers unless somebody gives me one. Then off it goes to library donation. I love tradepaper, almost the same size as hardcover, but much lighter. OTOH, Kindle next.
I like hardcovers for the classics, for one day when I eventually will get to reading them. Never heard of tradepaper, Patricia. what is that. I usually just read what I enjoy either from the library or my own personal library.(Books stored near my nightstand).
I'm a book buyer. I love the feel of a book and I love to smell the pages (is that weird)? I do take books out of the library but I really love buying because I like the joy of owning a book, espically if it's of a book that I really love. I just recently bought an i-phone and on my i-phone, I have I-Book, Kindle, and Nook.
I know I love books too. I don't smell the pages, I savor the written word, though.LOL
Michele wrote: "I'm a book buyer. I love the feel of a book and I love to smell the pages (is that weird)? I do take books out of the library but I really love buying because I like the joy of owning a book, ..."Not weird at all :)
my reading style? well, this is how an obsessive compulsive person does it..first of all I have a phobia of used books, so I buy them.
then I put them into an order to read so that the subject matter, theme, time and place, or emotional qualities flow nicely from one to another.
then I get my big tin of bookmarks down from the shelf and pick one that goes with the book... either its subject or the colours of the cover, that in someway they belong together. I never use the same bookmark for two books in a row.
as I read, I do all my own mental casting, some of the characters get people I imagine myself, but sometimes I see the character as a particular person, regardless of whether a movie has been made with different actors in it. For instance, The Twilight series, I see Bella's father not as the actor from the movie, but as the actor who played Veronica Mars' dad in the tv show.... I did this before seeing the moive and I think I like my guy much better!
then I read to the point that I abandon all other plans, I might have said to myself, let me read this until my favourite tv show comes on at 8.30, but when the time rolls around I am in no way willing to put down the book, even though missing the show means that the next week when I don't have a book to read, and I watch the show, I won't know what I missed. The reading at the time just becomes the most important thing.
when I finish the book, if I loved it (which I usually do) and am keeping it, I mentally pick its 'companion book' the book it will flow nicely with in the future when I re read it!
so that's how I do it!
Wow, I don't match my bookmarks, first I have to just tear out a piece of paper, or find a piece of paper on the floor, that is my bookmark. I don't arrange according to themes. I do visualize the characters in my book, since I don't have television, I just read or do whatever with no time constraints to bother me. Happy Reading, Starry.
Starry - thanks for telling us your style! I have a large collection of and a large "thing" about bookmarks too. I agree with you - getting the "right" bookmark is an essential part of the experience!
Megan wrote: "Starry - thanks for telling us your style! I have a large collection of and a large "thing" about bookmarks too. I agree with you - getting the "right" bookmark is an essential part of the experience!"I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves bookmarks. I have recently started to make them.
Starry, did you see the thread with Jane Austen bookmarks? I think you would love those. I think you can download it and put it on cardstock. It is in one of these threads.
Starry - I can relate to your bookmark issues (for lack of a better word). I match the bookmark to the book (more often I just think "Well, that bookmark just doesn't go with this book!) I don't know if they are ever really 'matching', they just don't clash. My reading style has changed. I used to love only hardback, but as I got busier and read more paperbacks, and now kindle on my phone. With 2 little kids and a full time job I need to grab my chance to read whenever I get it! I also listen to audio books during my commute. Some audio books are great!
Now, I just finished Persuasion in paperback AND on kindle and I had a great bookmark. I started reading Bridget Jones' Diary, paperback. Problem is - I don't have a good bookmark for it. :(
Starry, that's why I love my DVR. If I'm too caught up in a book to stop, I know that the show will still be there, conveniently recorded for me. I prefer to use bookmarks, but mine are all freebees from bookstores plus a large handful of promotional bookmarks for my friend Cat Valente's book, The Habitation of the Blessed - they were leftovers from her book tour and very nice stock. My husband, on the other hand, is a corner-turner (shocking!), so I have to resign myself to damage if I give him a book of mine to read.
We are both book buyers, and have to cull frequently to keep our collection from overwhelming the house. As it is, our family room is overrun with books--all the shelves full and stacks on the floor. We have to find someplace for another bookcase, but we are pretty much out of walls!
As far as e-reading, I don't have a dedicated device, but I do have dozens of books on my iPhone. I have the Kindle, iBooks and e-Reader apps, and am never stuck anywhere without a book to read. I don't want a separate device to carry (and keep track of, and lose), so I am really happy to have it all in my phone.
And I generally have a book that I'm reading in the bathtub, one that I'm reading in the evenings, one that I read while working out on my NordicTrack (sadly languishing just now), and one that I'm listening to on commutes. So definitely not a one at a time reader.
I am reading more and more on my Nook. I find that I love using it to read my HUGE books on the go. It is so much easier to carry since it fits in my purse.
It's interesting hearing about everybody's ideas for bookmarks -- I'm so different! lol I bought a tin of PagePoints from Levenger's a few years ago and I love them! They're small, interchangeable, unobtrusive, and they won't hurt the paper if left in too long. Plus they don't fall out if the book gets dropped. :)As far as reading styles, I guess I'm omnivorous. Hardcovers, paperbacks, tradebacks; I have an e-reader on my phone and a Nook app on my tablet, so it can be that I'm reading several at once. I'm also a great re-reader.
That's my watermark for buying a book too. If I know I won't ever look at a book's pages again, out it goes! If it's a book I want to keep (and most likely reread), I have to have an actual copy of it on my shelves. I've found that my personal definition of a book is something that takes up physical space, not just digital bytes.
My favorite kind are vintage hardbacks (with or without the dustcover). I adore older books - the heft, the type of paper, the feel of the covers. Even the typeface seems more like an old friend to me.
I have a OCBD (obsessive-compulsive bookmark disorder), too!!!! It has developed over time. It started with bookmark collecting. After I had so many, I liked to match them thematically or aesthetically. Now, I can't do otherwise! D: I prefer the magnetized bookmarks, because they stay in; I constantly misplace traditional bookmarks.I prefer actual, 3-D books to e-books. I like the weight, smell, and feel of them. Although I can understand and appreciate the convenience of e-books, no doubt, and am not anti. For reading, I like paperbacks, because you can curl up anywhere with a paperback and fit most of them easily into a bag for commuting. For collecting, I prefer old, leather-bound hardbacks. I have been known to buy a random old hardback just because it is pretty - most recently the auto-biography of P.T. Barnum (I think a late 1800s-early 1900s mass-produced copy). I once saw a first edition of Emma (in the three volumes) and wanted it so badly it hurt. Of course, the price was somewhere around the remaining balance of my student loans... so, yeah, that couldn't happen, but oh... *sigh* ...a girl can dream.
I have a serious book addiction. It is dangerous to let me in a bookstore, especially without supervision. I will just keep grabbing books that I "need" to have. I do not have this problem with other things... ok, that's a lie. I have it with movies, too, but only books and movies! It is a serious issue for my wallet and my shelf space.
I like to bounce around genres to change things up. A classic to a mystery to a romance to a children's to a biography, and so on, so I don't get too bogged down with one style or emotional plane. Sometimes I find a series I like and have a little binge, but then I go back to the usual method.
I know I buy some hardbound leather of Great Expectations,and Cranford also. I love the way the older books stand up the test of time. I have seen others that I wanted, but couldn't afford the asking price. You would love the little bookstore, Bookends.
I have a serious book addiction. It is dangerous to let me in a bookstore, especially without supervision. I will just keep grabbing books that I "need" to have. I do not have this problem with other things... ok, that's a lie. I have it with movies, too, but only books and movies! It is a serious issue for my wallet and my shelf space. We could be twins. lol.
Michele wrote: "We could be twins. lol."Oh yay! I feel like we are in an Anonymous meeting; first names only, confessing our book issues.
Robin wrote: ""Hi Manda and Michele!":)"
Hiiii Rooobinnnn!
Hi Robin and Manda. Manda, how are you finding Becomming Jane? That's the next Jane Austen Bio on my list. Is it any good?
Michele wrote: "Hi Robin and Manda. Manda, how are you finding Becomming Jane? That's the next Jane Austen Bio on my list. Is it any good?"I was enjoying it. I stalled out because I was reading it on a trip and then came home and got caught up in life, plus I'm in a book club and have to keep moving to other things so it keeps getting pushed sideways... but I was actually enjoying it more than I thought I would. I think I was expecting it to be dry, for some reason, but I found it interesting and well-written.
Hi everyone, waving. Even tho' I am the "other" Robin.
Have you seen the movie? I've heard people say that the movie and book are different.
I saw some of the movie. The book I have not read.
Michele wrote: "Have you seen the movie? I've heard people say that the movie and book are different."No. I haven't been able to make up my mind about wanting to see it. I probably will eventually, but at this point I'm still on the fence. That didn't stop me from picking up the book, though! :)
Even though not everything is historically accurate, I found Becoming Jane to be entertaining.
I have just one shelve in my room just filled to the top with books and I am trying with much failure not to read too much of Jane Austen but I can't help it and I grab Pride and Prejudice and just drive inside. My style is hardback whenever I can and my style for reading is: grab a window-seat and a million books piled beside it and I am all set...someday when I have my own place it will be filled with books mostly Jane Austen and some others but I'll just walk around in circles until I have found the right book then I'll have a window-seat and settle down with my right book and an apple and just read until I can't anymore. *dreamy eyes*.
Anna C. wrote: "I have just one shelve in my room just filled to the top with books and I am trying with much failure not to read too much of Jane Austen but I can't help it and I grab Pride and Prejudice and just..."Anna, what a lovely picture you paint of your window seat and pile of books! It warms my heart. I am visiting my friends Tom and Angie and they have a screened porch with stuffed chairs looking out on their back yard where they read. I like to read in public place, a library, a resturant or sometimes a park. I like to look up occasionally and watch people. Bill
We have cascading books everywhere in our house. My daughter devours books as well. We don't have enough bookshelves available. Bleak House is a good choice in books, you may want to stick with that for a while. I can't read more than one book when I am reading Dickens. But I notice they are both British writers. so its okay.
I prefer reading an actual book and not from a kindle or an iPad. I don't mind if it's hardbound or paperback as long as the words are clear and not too small. Also, when it comes to Austen, I always buy the book. And I don't have a preference as to if it's a stand-alone or a series. A good book is a good book.
Jane Austen
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I prefer my Sony Reader because it's very convenient, compact and I can store many books without taking the space (which I no longer have), also perfect for traveling..
I prefer reading one book at a time and getting it over with.