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Do You Have Personal Reading/Book Quirks?
Oh, my! I thought I was the only one who did that! Now I don't feel quite so odd. lol
I used to read the very last page of the book, sometimes it was only a paragraph. It would give you a hint, without giving you everything. Sort of like the teaser previews for the next new episode of your favorite show. I did that for a long time, until I found a book that literally gave everything away in the last two paragraphs. It was part of a series I had been reading for awhile. I tried to start it, (several times) months later, and I could still recall the ending. The one thing I still do, is consider page 50 as the Point of No Return. Once I've read past page 50, I have to finish the book, whether or not I like it. Sometimes, it's taken years to finish. However, there have been maybe six books that I just could not finish, no matter how hard I tried to get through them.
There was one book that I was bored with, and I just couldn't get a handle on it. I almost gave up on it, until I realized I'd already read past the 50th page. So I forced myself past that little hump in the book... Good thing too, cause it turned out to be the start of the BEST SERIES. EVER! IMO. :D
Becca said:The one thing I still do, is consider page 50 as the Point of No Return.
Me too, but not quite the same way as you do. If I'm hating a book, I give myself 50 pages for the book to hook me-- or whatever the book is going to do. If I'm hating it still at 50 pages, I find another book to read. All books aren't for me. Or aren't for me now. At some point later I might pick up that same book and love it.
About 2/3rds of the way through a book, I find the last page number, so I know exaltly how many pages I have left before I'm done. I even do this on books I love and don't want to end. That started when I was reading a book I found increasingly annoying, but I was too stubborn to just put it down. Now, I check how long I have to go on everything.
I have to know how many pages are in a book before I start reading it. It doesn't matter how many, but I have to know.
I have a very hard time with stopping mid-chapter, and it bugs me when someone tries to talk to me when I'm close to finishing one, or in the middle of a good scene. If I'm reading for a stretch, I also set mini-goals of how far I need to get. For example, I might make myself read at least 100 pages or get to at least 2/3 of the way into the book. Sometimes life interrupts me and I can't make the goal, but I always set them in my head.
Stacia ~ the bad influence wrote: "I have a very hard time with stopping mid-chapter"I have a hard time with that too.
Before I got my Kindle, I used to collect items that could be used as bookmarks. Not only would I mark the page that I left off at, but I would also mark the next couple of chapters. This made it easy for me to keep track how long the chapters were. I hate stopping mid-chapter, so this was helpful in determining if I had enough time to finish the chapter.
I can't really think of any. Maybe forcing myself to read every single night could be considered a quirk? Even if I'm dead tired I'll make myself read. Not because I see reading as a chore that needs done every day, but because it just doesn't feel right to not read a little bit every day.
I never stop mid chapter. I always have to stop at the end of one.. it bugs me otherwise lol
The color of my bookmark has to match my book in some way. O_o
Oh my! That is so cool Marissa!I imagine you have a ton of bookmarks :D
♥Tricia♥ wrote: "Oh my! That is so cool Marissa!I imagine you have a ton of bookmarks :D"
Or insane, due to the fact that I have at least 40 bookmarks. lol
Darcy wrote: "I have to know how many pages are in a book before I start reading it. It doesn't matter how many, but I have to know."Me, too. I have to know the exact number of pages, so I can keep track of how far I am... I also don't stop in the middle of a chapter. :)
I use to have to finish the chapter I was reading, mark the half way piont, mark the last page, and use my "special" bookmark.NOw I really don't do any of those things, I still have my special book more. It bugs me if I don't use it.
hmmm, where do i start?Have to know how many pages there are.
How many chapters there are (both of which are a bitch with my kindle).
Cannot stop mid chapter.
When I stop - the chapter number has to be an even number *cringe*.
Have to have the television on - but the sound turned off.
I have favourite bookmarks (but still can't stop buying them on e-bay).
I never throw a bookmark out.
I'm not keen on 2nd Hand books (they feel funny).
Don't like cracking the spine.
Must have plenty of light.
Don't like lending my books out (especially if I haven't read them yet).
I know a lot of people who are right there with you on some of those, Charlotte! Spine cracks in particular.I, on the other hand, am really hard on my paperbacks. I bend them wide open to keep the book open flatter, write in the margins, dog-ear, leave them open face-down on tables... LOL.
I used to only buy brand new paper backs, no used copies of anything. I would read them so fast, and try to take care of them that when I was done, the book still looks new. You couldn't even tell I'd read them. I've got quite a few books like that. Now, I go the used book route first, to save money, and its recycling in a way. Or giving an old unwanted book a new home, like for a pet. :) I started getting used books when I was looking for out of print books in a series. There is a limit though on how damaged a used book is that will keep me from buying it. If I can't read the spine because of the creases, or the front cover is bent, torn or missing, no buy.
I can't crack the spine. About every 10 pages or so I have to run my finger over the spine to check if it's still in the perfect state it started in. I have to do the same thing with paperbacks, which means I have to read some books only opened halfway. Plus I have to check the last page, see what number of pages the book has, and skim through the page. Luckily I forget about what was on that page pretty quickly so it doesn't spoil the story while reading.
I don't like it when other people touch my book while I'm reading it. I guess it's a fear of them losing my place ???? when i'm done I don't care. Oh, and don't, DO NOT read over my shoulder !!!! ARGUH
Darcy wrote: "I have to know how many pages are in a book before I start reading it. It doesn't matter how many, but I have to know."I record the number of pages in a book in my book journal when I start reading it along with the author, title, genre, where I got it, when I started it and why I read it.
The pages are particularly important for a library book. Since I know how many pages I can read an hour and how much time I have to read on any given day, I can figure out how much time it will take me to read the book and whether I can get it done by the time the book is due.
1. I now prefer ebooks to dead-tree books. Reasons: I like putting 500 books in my purse when I leave the house. Scalable fonts. Light weight is easier on arthritic fingers and hands.2. When I read dead trees I use book marks, never dog ear.
3. I have a very difficult time leaving a series before I've read everything available to date in that series. I might leave a series I'm not thoroughly engrossed in to read a new publication of a series I love, but I go back to the other series and finish it nearly always.
4. I shelve authors who write cliff hanger endings and don't read the series until it's finished (if I'm still interested). It's a new rule, but one I can live with. Thank Karen Marie Moning for the rule.
I like the "shelving authors" rule Suz. Makes a lot of sense. I'm glad I've only just started the "In Death" series - going to take quite a bit of time to catch up with that one!
I don't hurt my books - no spine creasing, no dog eared pages - most of my books still look brand new. Those that don't either had an accident or were brought used.I use the 100 page rule - every book gets 100 pages minus my age. If I still hate it, I won't bother reading any further.
I'm a stickler for reading series in order, and I'll read series in one go (even if it's like the Dark Hunters and more than 20 books long). I even count anthology shorts as part of the series.
I also hate stopping in the middle of a chapter, and it has to be silent when I read unless I'm on public transport in which case I have whatever is loudest on my MP3 playing.
I heard about the 100 page rule somewhere on GoodReads last year. Basically you take your current age away from 100 and that's how many pages you have to give each book a chance for. So I'm 24 and always give books 76 pages, but my Mum is 51 so only has to read 49. I think the idea was the older you are, the quicker you are to figure out if the book is worth reading :)
Nairabell wrote: "I think the idea was the older you are, the quicker you are to figure out if the book is worth reading :)"I think the more you read the faster you know too. Sometimes I know before 10 pages that a book isn't for me, sometimes it takes me over 100, and there is also everything in between.
Darcy wrote: "I think the more you read the faster you know too. Sometimes I know be..."Definitely! When I started reading cozy mysteries I'd read the whole book, even the one where I figured out who did it in the first couple of chapters, but now I am more sure in what I like and what I won't put up with. That said, it's rare that I give up on a book as I tend to be lucky with my purchases.
I find I am quick to give up a book that doesn't interest me. At almost 500 books in my tbr why spend time with a meh...book. There are good ones waiting for me.
@Charlotte - it seems to me like more and more lately books are being released with their intentional cliff hangers or the seeds for the next book planted so blatantly that it might as well be a cliff hanger. I enjoy anticipation for a new book (in small doses), but what I'm seeing lately looks to me like blatant marketing. I resent attempts to manipulate me, it always leaves me wondering if the author isn't secure that the merits of their story telling alone will hold me to the next release, and I don't like to be toyed with. It's not why I open the book in the first place. Cliff hangers just feel like broken trust to me.
So, once an author breaks trust with me in this way I no longer trust them not to do so again. If I've enjoyed the series to that point then I will wait until either the cliff hangers stop (sometimes the next book) or until the series is over so I can read it in its entirety. If the series ends without the outstanding questions being answered and a spin off being created - I give up on the author.
There are too many really good books out there for me to willingly let some publisher's tool of an author muck about with me. I'd kick a lover to the curb for less, why not an author?
I hear ya Suz. In some cases I do think that cliff hangers work (The Parasol Protectorate for example with the ending of Book 2 Changeless, I held off finishing it until Blameless came out). But it if happens continously in a series then it does feel like the Author thinks it's the only way to keep the reader interested. A good story should keep the read interested.
I've been lucky in that I've come to a lot of series very late - Dark Hunters, BDB, Sookie, Dresden, In Death, Anita Blake and still have many more to start!
I too will shelf books that have cliff hangers if I am told ahead of time.I haven't started Parasol Protectorate for that reason. I have so many TBR books that I now put off those books that are one or two away from having the series complete. I can't wait for the next/last Georgina Kincaid book to come out. I am going to have a Georgina week and go into a succubus coma reading.
Charlotte (Buried in Books) wrote: "...I've been lucky in that I've come to a lot of series very late - Dark Hunters, BDB, Sookie, Dresden, In Death, Anita Blake and still have many more to start!..."Charlotte,
I, too, came to many of the same series fairly late. The Parasol Protectorate is on my tbr list and I was not aware of the cliff hanger, but since the third is released I will take your word for it that it's safe for me to go forward with this one. :)
I haven't read any of the Dresden books, although they are on my tbr list. Have you found there to be cliff hangers in many of them? If this is a device that Jim Butcher employs often I may just skip it.
I just don't like to be played with and teasing is not erotic or pseudo-erotic to me. Where I come from you get permission from the other player before you start toying with them. I think a good long story arc holds enough tension by itself and that's about as willing as I am going to get with patiently waiting for a conclusion. I understand that not all books can contain the entirety of the subject matter and that sometimes pacing alone requires a book be stopped in an inconvenient part. Still, there are ways to conclude a short arc and give a sense of completion and still allow for anticipation for the longer arc. Stopping a book in a critical spot is either poor planning (too many words to write before being able to get to the dead line, or perhaps willing to commit to one book due to word requirements in a contract), or it's blatant marketing. Both situations put me off.
I suppose it's easy to be judgmental as I'm not a published author and haven't faced the situation. But I am an avid reader and vocal supporter of the authors I like. Reciprocity is essential for both reader and writer. Cliff hangers leave me feeling like I was forgotten in the process, or disrespected.
Suz wrote: "Stopping a book in a critical spot is either poor planning (too many words to write before being able to get to the dead line, or perhaps willing to commit to one book due to word requirements in a contract), or it's blatant marketing."There is an exception to this though - I've read Linger and The Haunted recently. Both have MASSIVE cliffhangers at the end, but both are the middle book in a trilogy. Thinking back to other trilogies, without a cliffhanger I've taken forever to read the last book - whereas this way I'll be reading them as soon as they're released.
On the other hand I'm flat out refusing to buy the rest of Rachel Caine's outcast season until all four are out. That didn't build to a cliffhanger like the two above, it just stopped. I'll wait and read them through once I have them all.
Oh - and Dresden doesn't have many cliffhangers (more like tiny plot lines that are carried through the whole series) apart from the newest one Changes which apparently has a massive cliffhanger.
Nairabell wrote: "There is an exception to this though - I've read Linger and The Haunted recently. Both have MASSIVE cliffhangers at the end, but both are the middle book in a trilogy. Thinking back to other trilogies, without a cliffhanger I've taken forever to read the last book - whereas this way I'll be reading them as soon as they're released..."Nairabell, with all due respect and without any intention at all to be antagonistic - your statement reads to me like "I swallowed the marketing manipulation hook, line, and sinker and would stand in line to do it again."
Here's a question - did these books let you know in advance there was a cliff hanger? Did you start the books knowing you would have to wait for a conclusion? I see that as the exception. If you tell me there will be a cliff hanger and let me decide for myself then I may choose to come along for the ride and then it's all on me.
My most recent, and therefore easily used, example is the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. At the beginning of the series she stated that the entirety of the story would be in five books. She asked her readership to hang in there with her for five books and all would be revealed. At no time did she say "I'm going to leave you with Mac getting raped by four people on the steps of a church, and with your possible hero getting killed by your heroine in the process, too. Oh yeah, and I'm going to push release of the last book back a bit, too" but still I stuck with her because she had promised all things would be answered in five books.
So now we've seen the fifth book. Not only do I not know what Barrons is, but KMM has stated in interviews that no one will ever know what those guys are. It's a question that will never be answered. Do YOU know what happened to Dani and to Christian? No. Why not? Can you say SPIN-OFF?
So I stuck with her for the five books she promised, endured really insulting cliff hangers, and the original promise to reveal all in five books is just the piss. It may not be clear, but I'm really pissed off about this. :D I'm angry enough to be reconsidering whether I read any more Moning at all. We'll see. There are things I like about her stories and it's not good to make decisions when angry, this I know. If I was nailed down right now I'd be blowing Ms. Moning off forever. We'll see.
My point - to bring it back to the topic - is that my quirk is that I have to believe the author respects and values me as a reader. Give me a heads up and let me decide about cliff hangers, which leaves me feeling respected, and I may or may not come along for that ride but I won't write the author off. But disrespect me as a reader through the use of cliff hangers and other marketing manipulations and you'll lose me...loudly.
Thanks for the insight with Dresden. It's sort of a back burner TBR for me and I may just hold off until the next is out. We'll see on this too.
Suz wrote: "Here's a question - did these books let you know in advance there was a cliff hanger? Did you start the books knowing you would have to wait for a conclusion?"Sorry what I should have said was that when I brought the first books I knew that these were triologies, so I knew that the storyline wasn't going to be resolved completely until the end of the third book. Trilogies are the ONLY place where I will happily accept cliffhangers, mainly because they tend to suck without them, and then only then if I know in advance it'll play out like that.
I knew with Shiver that there would be a cliffhanger by the way the blurb was written, and by the time I read Linger I'd figured out that the author had based her trilogy on 'what if x happens?' but then 'what if y happens?' with the third book to fill in 'answer = z'.
With The Haunted I wasn't expecting the cliffhanger. The first book (The Hollow) didn't resolve everything but as the first of three I didn't expect it to. This one came totally out of left field and left me wondering 'what the heck?'. Is it a marketing ploy? Yes, at least in part. Did I fall for it? Yep. Do I care? Not really - I can't think of any other way to end that book so it leads well into the last one. The ending was impressive, and without it I don't think there would be material for a third book without it stretching the storyline.
In any longer series I hate them. I got Beautiful Creatures from the library the other day and am now glaring at it. No idea if it has a cliffhanger but there's a 'look for the continuation of Lena and Ethan's story in...' BEFORE the story (heck it's even before the copyright). Had I brought it not borrowed I'd have chucked it across the room.
I wonder if we should start a cliff hangers discussion thread before we inadvertently high jack this one. :/@Nairabell - Thanks for such a well thought out response, and for clarifying your feelings. Am I correct in assuming that you expect cliff hangers from a trilogy but not from a longer series? What about the author that's only contracted for three books when the story starts and then gets a longer contract later?
Perhaps a more thorough discussion about what is a continuing long story arc and what is a cliff hanger would be enlightening? I really don't mind knowing there is more resolutions to come in future books. I don't always LIKE having to wait for those resolutions but I understand the logistics a bit. But I HATE to be left hanging. HATE it.
So, what's the difference and are the differences the same to all of us? I'm thinking new thread.
And now back to your regularly scheduled discussion on Personal Read/ Book quirks... :)
Suz wrote: "@Nairabell - Thanks for such a well thought out response, and for clarifying your feelings. Am I correct in assuming that you expect cliff hangers from a trilogy but not from a longer series? What about the author that's only contracted for three books when the story starts and then gets a longer contract later?"That's exactly it. With trilogies where the author has planned it as a trilogy and only writes the three books, I expect cliffhangers and don't care. The only series I've read where it was a trilogy to start that became a series is the Nightcreature Novels by Lori Handeland. To me they didn't really count as a trilogy as each book is a different couple, so it made no difference continuing on. If it was a 'true' trilogy that suddenly got extended I wouldn't take any cliffhangers after book 3.
@Everyone else - sorry for the hijack :)
I hold my books (hard, soft and large formats) and turn the pages with the thumb of my left hand- even though I'm a righty. I also dog ear pages, but only if I truly LOVE the scene so I can go back and reread over and over again! :)
I can generally tell one to two chapters in whether or not I will continue reading the book.
JK wrote: "I can't really think of any. Maybe forcing myself to read every single night could be considered a quirk? Even if I'm dead tired I'll make myself read. Not because I see reading as a chore that nee..."I think that's one of my quirks too. Reading till 2 in rhe morning even when I know I have to wake up in 4 hours. Another one is getting more books to read even when I have whole bunch at home that I haven't finished reading.
I have to read at least two reviews first -- one that loved it and one that hated it. Then I go 100 pages and decide who was right. If the bad review is looking right, I cut my losses.
jD wrote: "I have to read at least two reviews first -- one that loved it and one that hated it. Then I go 100 pages and decide who was right. If the bad review is looking right, I cut my losses."LOL, I do that too! I usually read one 5 star review, then several 1 or 2 star reviews. A lot of the critisms point out things I might dislike too. Sometimes the 5 star reviews only go on and on about how great this or that is, not any of the weak points.
Lisa MH wrote: "jD wrote: "I have to read at least two reviews first -- one that loved it and one that hated it. Then I go 100 pages and decide who was right. If the bad review is looking right, I cut my losses...."Don't know about you but not all 5 stars ratings work for me because some people are just too generous with those stars. I try to find the picky ones that write as though they really wanted to give it 3 stars but the book beat them at their own game LoL Same for the 1 and 2 stars, if you don't like vamprres in the mix, don't hate the whole book. I avoid those and get to the ones that are not just being stupid.
jD wrote: "Lisa MH wrote: "jD wrote: "I have to read at least two reviews first -- one that loved it and one that hated it. Then I go 100 pages and decide who was right. If the bad review is looking right, ..."I usually read 3 stars reviews before I put a book on my TBR list. You could think that a 3stars rating would be simply "didn't love the book didn't hate it either" but in fact it's often quite positive or negative. If I find many 3stars reviews that are positive then I'm interested. If it's mainly negative then I skip the book.
I used to dog ear my books but now I have books I really care about and I find myself protective of them so I use bookmark (usually any piece of paper, I love bookmarks but I keep losing them) and I have a hard time lending them to people I know aren't careful.
Love this thread! I now know that I am not alone! I hate cracking the spine and my books often look new when I'm finished. I had one recently that snapped on it's own and I was seriously upset when it happened. Why is that? I try so hard to be sane... I actually love used books now (as long as they aren't over-used) because I don't have to worry about the spine.
I always read page one and then look to see how many pages are in the book. I never remember to look before I start reading for some reason.
My newest quirk is that I try very hard not to read a description of a book. Of course, if the author is new to me I have to read the book cover, but if the book is by an author I like and/or in a series I'm reading, I don't like any kind of hints at all before reading. I find that I am constantly trying to find the parts mentioned on the cover while I'm reading to the point of distraction. I dislike when the cover is a bit misleading because of course they don't want to give away the whole book, but I find myself concentrating on comparing what I'm reading to what I've been told about the book. So, now, I'm better off not reading the description at all.
I can read with any kind of distraction around me until the last 30 pages or so...I get irritable, to say the least, if interrupted with so little of a book left!
I find I don't have to stop at chapter endings...hadn't thought that was so popular...but I do find myself stopping mid-chapter if there is about to be something very detailed or action packed. I find a lot of books whose chapters end with cliffhangers so I like to stop before the big action leading up to that cliffhanger.
Definitely a book mark girl.
Tiphaine wrote: "I usually read 3 stars reviews before I put a book on my TBR list."For me a 3 star book is a "solid good" book. That seems to be where most of my ratings land.
I could probably come up with a long list of my rituals like Sherri did, but I've got a book to "review!"One of my main things is that each book I read, I write a one to three paragraph review of, often with a quote from the book. My reviews consist mostly of a syopsis and what I think of the book, also where the book came from, if I paid for it how much, when I got it, if I'm reading it because of a recommendation, who rec'ed it. Then I (try to) take out the spoilers and post it on Goodreads. I should have a book blog, but today I don't. I write these on my wordprocessor, though the first draft often is written longhand in a steno book. I know some use Excel, but not me. The original point of the list was so I could follow a series without having to reread the whole series when a new installment came out. It's also to have a record of what I've read and what I think of it. I've been keeping this list for about fifteen years...
LOL! This was so fun to read!! I don't think I have many quirks... maybe a few....I love how some of you don't like to crack the spine of a book. On all my paperbacks, I would go through and crack it in a few places before I started reading. Now I have my Sony Reader and won't ever read a regular book again.
I like to be the first one done with a book. If I'm reading the same book as a friend or family member, I HAVE TO FINISH FIRST! I have no idea why. I'm not even competetive.
I also have a habit of aquiring more books than I know what to do with. Then complain that I have nothing to read. lol.
I also have a spreadsheet that I update regularly on all the series that I have read or want to read, icluding short stories and when the next book is coming out.
This thread did make me feel a lot better about my reading obession! LOL Thanx!
Michelle, have you been on fictfact.com? You can track series on there and it updates with new books as they come out.
Urban Fantasy
Books mentioned in this topic
Linger (other topics)The Hollow (other topics)
Beautiful Creatures (other topics)
Shiver (other topics)
The Haunted (other topics)
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Here's mine: With every book I read, by page 20 or so I have to figure out the halfway point of the book. I need to check the page # of the last page of the book, divide by 2, then flip to the page that's the halfway point.
I don't make a note of the halfway point or remember it, so I have to do this 2-3 times while I'm reading the book.
I have to do this with EVERY book I read ;-)