Book Buying Addicts Anonymous discussion
Funny Reading Quirks
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Oh and I also was an English major in undergrad, so I still fight off the urges to (1) highlight; (2) write my thoughts in the margin; and (3) circle and immediately look up words I don't know.
Like many here i too have a variety of book marks. It started in JR High i would draw a picture related to the story i was reading, updating the picture as i read. That evolved into using postcards, letters from GF's, and pictures. I still use pictures for markers, but any piece of paper will work. I work in Law Enforcement so often times i use an evidence tag when i am reading in my Patrol Vehilce.
I usually have to watch the video book trailer before I'll read the book, like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XYUhY...
Wow, great thread here. i share a lot of what's been covered, especially the need to own the books I have read and the desire to always have a book at hand, no matter where I am.I love history and biography, and I always feel like I must be reading one of each, in addition to whatever I am reading.
I constantly highlight key ideas that I like in almost every non-fiction book I read, and i love to check footnotes to see where an author got his ideas from, especially in biographies. I give high praise to authors who seem to have done archival research on their subject rather than just read the other books that are already published on their subject.
Lately I am also highlighting key ideas in the fiction I'm reading, especially in books by Proust and Melville. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with these highlights in the fiction that i read, as I don't know who I'll discuss these books with except for a couple of people here on Goodreads. Highlighting has become compulsive now.
I always feel a little bad if I buy a book new from Barnes and Noble or Borders, although I love to visit those stores. My passion is exploring used bookstores everywhere I go, and so I always feel like I should hold out a little longer and find the book I'm interested in at a used bookstore for a fraction of what I'd pay at a chain or new bookstore. I always a little bummed out if I see a book at a used bookstore that I bought new when it came out, even if I read it years ago.
Again, great thread!
I too have to have a book with me at all times. Especially since I live in DC and commute via the Metro (subway for you tourists). So I get about 30 minutes in the morning to read. I will panic if I don't have a book with me, even though my IPod will keep me entertained for the commute. Also, another thing I have done, if I am reading a book that was recently turned into a movie, I can't see the movie until I am done with the book. Otherwise I will completely lose interest, like I did with Devil Wears Prada.
I take paperbacks, trade and mass market, with me when I go purse shopping. That way, I know exactly how many books a purse can carry. The purse that doesn't look like a diaper bag that holds the most books wins. A couple purses ago, I bought one that was actually a camera bag, though it looked just like a handbag. Very spacious inside, and squared-off edges that were just perfect for stuffing with books.
TK Kenyon
Author of RABID: A Novel "A genre-bending story, part thriller, part literary slapdown." Booklist Starred Review
And CALLOUS: A Novel, coming in May, 2008
Haha, that's funny. I once bought a purse, nice and square and compact inside, to use as a camera bag!
HI Michelle,
It takes a very ingrossing book for me to want to highlight, but that once in a blue moon happens. It's not weird, you're personalizing your copy and actually taking ownership of it vs making it look all brand new/never been cracked open.
I'm finding I won't be lending out my books anymore...it seems people just don't return them in the same condition. I think this weekend I'm going to go through all my books and pick out my keepers and ones I definitely want to read in the future, then donate the rest to my local library.
It takes a very ingrossing book for me to want to highlight, but that once in a blue moon happens. It's not weird, you're personalizing your copy and actually taking ownership of it vs making it look all brand new/never been cracked open.
I'm finding I won't be lending out my books anymore...it seems people just don't return them in the same condition. I think this weekend I'm going to go through all my books and pick out my keepers and ones I definitely want to read in the future, then donate the rest to my local library.
Hey Sean,
WOW talk about a variety of reading. I think I can only handle reading 2 books at the same time....usually I just get confused about the story if I try to read too many different things, but some books are so long I have to read something else to make sure there's a breather.
As for reading in the food court at the mall so you feel yourself surrounded by people, I've only done that when I worked at a mall and was on lunch break.
I do try and keep the book I'm currently reading in my purse..if it will fit. :)
WOW talk about a variety of reading. I think I can only handle reading 2 books at the same time....usually I just get confused about the story if I try to read too many different things, but some books are so long I have to read something else to make sure there's a breather.
As for reading in the food court at the mall so you feel yourself surrounded by people, I've only done that when I worked at a mall and was on lunch break.
I do try and keep the book I'm currently reading in my purse..if it will fit. :)
I myself have cracked up laughing or gotten chocked up while reading a book......it's almost like having a private conversation with the author....if you can't show emotion while reading a book then I'm wondering if the author did their job.
I also zone out when I'm reading.....sometimes if I'm supposed to be cleaning or what not I'll stop read a bit get engrossed in it and then forget to clean. :)
I also zone out when I'm reading.....sometimes if I'm supposed to be cleaning or what not I'll stop read a bit get engrossed in it and then forget to clean. :)
Yeah books are the security blanket for bookworms.... :)
I had to laugh at TKK's post about taking books with her when buying purses. My first consideration, when buying a new purse, is whether I can fit a hardcover book in it. I, too, always have a book with me plus books on my iPod, and audio books in my car. I NEVER write or highlight in my books and, if they are paperbacks, I try very hard not to crease the bindings. I don't lend out my books. When I buy hardcovers, the first thing I do is put an archival myler cover over the bookcover so they don't get torn or damaged over time. When I read a book, I have it in a fabric bookjacket with a sewn in bookmark. I have six boxes of books I'm donating to my library. They love my books because they are in pristine condition and they can add them to their catalog.
TK,
HA HA HA wow yeah making sure at least one book can fit into a purse is important. Of course I have fit in my two journals, my planner, some make up (not that I remember to use it), and other random stuff. My purse seems as big as me (I'm only 4'9")...but it works. And it's a nice bright red color. Even though I'm not a fan of red, it stands out and fits all my stuff. :)
HA HA HA wow yeah making sure at least one book can fit into a purse is important. Of course I have fit in my two journals, my planner, some make up (not that I remember to use it), and other random stuff. My purse seems as big as me (I'm only 4'9")...but it works. And it's a nice bright red color. Even though I'm not a fan of red, it stands out and fits all my stuff. :)
I have to read the back cover and the front reviews (if there are any) and the intros and all the extraneous materials that are present in the book so as to "prepare" for the "meat" of the book itself. Weird, I know. I also flip the pages and take in that fresh paper scent or that musty library smell or whatever...almost as though I need to meet and become acquainted with the book before becoming so intimate with it that I am reading its pages...isn't that odd?? Also, I get a little nervous just before I pick up a new book. For some reason I get just a teeny bit scared that I won't like it or that for some reason I won't "get" it or something. Yeah, and I have kids so a diaper bag is perfectly ideal for shoving a book into! 
Fenixbird- great poem regarding highlighting/margin writing in books - it captures the feel of those tempting white spaces perfectly.Reading quirks -I need to read all books in a series, and must re-read each when a new book comes out. I used to be a freak about not cracking the spines - but then I saw Toy Story 2, and wondered - if a book isn't well-used while being read, are we really immersing ourselves in it?
If I'm at least halfway through a book, I'll need to bring two more along on a business trip - even if it's only overnight or a short flight - to have reserves with me.
If I'm reading, don't expect me to answer any questions or carry on a conversation - I don't hear you. If you're sitting next to me in the plane and want to chat - you'll be talking to yourself.
I deeply inhale the pages of the book I am reading/browsing. I don't know, there's something about the scent of a book that really interests me.I don't do it too often in bookstores when other customers are around, though. I've gotten weird looks before.
I always read the Acknowledgments. Because I'm an author myself, I'm curious who the author's agent and editor are, who they usually thank. Also, in the process of thanking all the experts who helped them in their research, I learn something about how the author went about researching the book. Lastly, you can glean some personal details as the author thanks his/her family, mentors, critique groups and more. All of this makes me feel just a little closer to the author, and I often follow-up by visiting his/her website to get more information.
Eric, me too! I try to keep my books in pristine condition. ie. no dog ears, uncreased spine etc. It's very difficult to do with thick books though.
Ola - I, too, enjoy smelling books. Especially old books! Some new books smell enticing, too (good-smelling paper, sometimes the glue), but old books almost always smell wonderful. That little bit of mustiness... a little bit of dust... it makes you wonder what the book has seen, and what has happened in that book's lifetime. *chills down the spine* :)
*** GROSS OUT ALERT ***The following may be GROSS for some so consider yourself warned. :-)
When I don't have a lot of reading time available, I like to take my books with me to the potty. I know it sounds yucky but it's one of the few times I don't feel guilty about lollygagging. LOL
I always take the cover off the hard backs so I don't mess them up and I'm always careful w/paperbacks like LJ.I always read the first pages to learn who the publisher is (I work for a publisher).
I always use different things as a bookmark even thought I have a lot of bookmarks. I tend to lose them or misplace them so now I use random papers and have my bookmarks on display on my book cases.
I love reading before bed and in bed and have been testing a number of different lights.
Like a few of the other posters, I always have a book or a newspaper with me, because I hate standing in lines and reading distracts me.
I have a bunch of quirks. I ALWAYS have to have at least 3 to 4 books going at the same time. Usually all different genres too. I have to read before bedtime and with Jay Leno on at the same time so I can read during the commercials. Lately I have been reading in the bathtub before I go to work in the morning and sometimes before I go to bed as well. I like to smell the pages of a book, the newer the better. I'm not really a bookmark person, I use whatever is laying around ie; receipts, pictures, bills etc. Sometimes I skip further in a book if I can't stand to wait to find out something and then go back to where I left off. I keep books in my car, purse, at work, by my bed etc. so that I always have something to read. And for books that have many characters, I get a piece of paper and list the characters with a description aobut them next to their name. That way I can refer back to my list when their name pops up in a book and I can't remember who or what they are about.
I thought I was the only one who smells the pages of a book... what a relief.I have to read a series in order. There's just no other option. This is even the case if the books are stand-alones set in the same universe. One particular visit to a bookstore I just about drove myself crazy trying to figure out which were set earliest, Isaac Asimov's Empire or Foundation or robot series. I think I finally gave up and bought a Ray Bradbury book of short stories instead.
Let's see... I keep track of the books I read and when I read them, though I just started doing that about a month ago.
Very rarely do I read the same author two books in a row. The only exception to this rule I think I've ever made is Stephen King's last three Dark Tower novels, which I read back-to-back-to-back.
I always have 2 books with me. One that I am currently reading and the next one in line. Even if I am only on page 2 of the book I am reading I have to have another one with me.When we go on vacation I take at least 3 and this drives my husband crazy.
I read every where I can...red lights(not while I am driving), waiting for my deli order at the market, in the bathroom.
I do not like to get books from the library, because I like to collect books. Only on occasion will I check out a book. The only books I highlight and write in are professional texts.
I love to read the acknowledgements too. I try to use bookmarks, but I constatly lose them. So, I use whatever is laying around.
I thought of another one: when I'm browsing in a bookstore I have an overriding compulsion to straighten the books on the shelves (and, sometimes, to arrange them if they're out of alphabetical order). This comes from having worked in a Barnes & Noble for three years during the 1990s. I have given up fighting this quirk and now I just give in to it.
OMG I can't believe I forgot to mention I too am a total page smeller. It's so funny. My partner has caught me doing it too and he asked me if I was smelling my book. I told him yes and he just laughed at me .
OOO I remembered another quirk I have ..my I am quirkier than I thought. But if I know by reading that a character has a distinct thing about them I will emulate that thing in my brain as I read ie; an accent;Southern,British whatever kind of accent is called for as long as I know how it sounds. If I am reading and I find a character, has a lisp or other speech impediment I read that in my brain too. I think that may be why it is harder for me to "get " books with female lead characters ..because I am not a girl(though I play one on TV). Not that it stops me from reading them however, I may be many things but one of them is not sexist.
Another book sniffer here!My husband is no longer shocked, he just hands over the bag whenever he buys new books.
When I was kid, I used to be a spine biter. Not quite sure when I grew out of that habit.
Do you book sniffers get the same joy out of used books?
I find that most used /older books don't smell as good as the new ones.With the older/used most of what I smell is dust, or ancient Kung Pao Chicken...it might be General Tsao's Chicken though.
I also alway's bring the next book I want to read even if i'm only halfway through!!
The chicken smell probably wouldn't bother me. It's the stains I find unsettling. :)
I've never been that good at future planning. The only time I choose books ahead of time is when I travel. I lug my own carry-on bag around so my husband doesn't complain about its weight. Generally, my book choices are impulsive which is why I'm terrible at group reads.
I think my biggest quirk, when it comes to reading is that I cannot leave the house without my book. I don't care where I am going, I cannot leave it home, or even in the car. My friends and family think it is worse than a child with a security blanket, and maybe they are right. But I have to have my book with me.Another one of my quirks is I can't stand to watch someone dog ear the page of a book. It absolutly sends me into orbit! Extending this idea, I also can't stand to watch someone abuse a book in any form, it just traumatizes me. This doesn't, however, extend to marginal notations. I do make notations in margins -- usually word definitions, or references to other books that have similar ideas that I encountered in my reading adventures.
because my to-read shelf is way too over-filled, I generally pick my next book by picking out about 8 that sound interesting and then eliminating them by playing eenie-meanie-minie-moe.I completely agree with Lisa- it absolutely devastates me whenever I see someone dog-ear a book or crack the spine. All of my books tend to look brand new, except those which I bought used- I explain it away to my wife by saying that I'm preserving them for future generations and the better you treat it, the longer it will last. But inside I know I do it because I'm absolutely neurotic.
I have a weird quirk, I guess...well I will read the back/inner cover of a book to see if it sounds any good (like many of us do), however, I cannot read the book to soon, after reading the cover. I have to wait a couple of months, leave it on my shelf, and pick it up at random. This reduces my expectations, and leaves me with a bit of a surprise on the content. All I know when I pick up the book is that it sounded facsinating when I bought it. It helps me eleviate the stress...LOL...of choosing what to read next. WEIRD HUH!!!
Lulu I am glad someone enjoyed the Billy Collins poem...I don't remember where but I had just run across that poem before that last post.Reading several books simultaneously just means (for me) that it might be a busy time (like for instance when we moved mid-summer just before my father died)...I am actually quite surprised that I did not pick up my existing books...but instead picked up different books I had on hand but had not yet read.
History Book Club books just arrived but I have not had a chance to crack them yet (still in school).
Reading is truly a passion. Who can explain our quirks?
I hate to say it, but I don't read books that much anymore. Actual books, that is. Oh, I always keep some paperbacks around for the odd times I feel like curling up with a book, but these days I spend most of my time writing books, or editing other's books, so it kind of takes the enjoyment out of just curling up with a book. I even find things in books by big name authors that should have been caught in editing but weren't, when I do read books. Once in a while, I'm able to slip out of editor mode and just enjoy a book, but it has to be a really good one, that moves along very quickly to keep my mind off the infinitesimal mistakes that are to be found in EVERY book.
I too was an English Lit major and markup my books. Before, I used to feel it was a great offense to write in books, but they are my books and I will write in them.
Well I have a long list I collect bookmarks and now I have so many of them that I don’t have a place to keep them that’s not it.. I have lucky bookmarks (yes I know its quirky) for example one of my lucky bookmarks has this thing that when ever I use it i always find a good book and another one makes me read in speed
I cant borrow books, I don’t have problem with reading and buying used books but I cant borrow books from other people and read it (I seriously don’t know why)
I love my books sooo much that I just HATE it giving it to other people
And I love a list of places and countries I want to go to so that I can buy books and book marks from different places
that is soo true ... i do the same thing even when i know that i wont get time to read it but even then i have to take my book with me ,, no matter what Rachael wrote: "I always have to take a book with me to work. Even if I don't get a chance to read it, I still have to have it with me. Anytime, I go on vacation, I have to take a book with me. Even if I don't get..."
Shasta wrote: "I have a weird quirk, I guess...well I will read the back/inner cover of a book to see if it sounds any good (like many of us do), however, I cannot read the book to soon, after reading the cover. ..."I do exactly the same thing. And when I start reading the book, I usually re-read the back/inner cover description, but only after I've already read at least half of the book, because I don't to know something is going to happen before it actually does!
I too am a page sniffer. I also have books that follow me into the bathroom; but only into the tub. I don't like reading in front of the TV and have had to resort to getting a DVR as not to have to tear myself out of the pages of a particularly captivating read. I have 3...yes, 3 songs on a 16GB MP3 player that I have named "Sweetie Pie" and is full to bursting with audiobooks. I can never just read one book in a series. I must read them all...even if the first was bad. What can I say? "Hope springs eternal."
My reading quirks? Well... I would like to say that I dont have any... but I do! One is that I collect bookmarks, and lately I have somehow figured out that I have to have bookmarks in all kinds of colors. Do you know why? Because it needs to match the color of the book, or the mood of the book. Where I have gotten that in my head I dont know.
Two, I cant loan my books away... it just hurts! These are my babies we are talking about. I have loaned only to two of my bestfriends, because I know they will take good care of them.
Three, I cant make myself borrow any books, not from friends nor from the library. Audiobooks are the only books I borrow.
Four, this is why I cant do nr. three... because I just need to buy books! I feel like I am deserting or betraying the books when I dont buy them. Also, it might have something to do with I just love the feeling of owning/buying a book. My friend called me a book-a-holic, and thats in the self-destructive way. I dont think so though. Also after I have listened to the audiobook, I... buy the "book" in paper format....
Five, I can read five books at a time.
Six, I can walk while reading, but ever since I almost got hit by a truck... I dont to do that that much anymore.
Seven, I have tendencies to read while I stand on the bus, as I get thrown one side to the other.
Eight, I cannot, I mean ever, read the last part of the book before I read the whole book. Is it wrong if I say it hurts to think about it? Or even think about others doing it. I feel like screaming, "Nooooo!" and smack the book away (you know in slow-mo just like in the movies).
Nine, this might be the weirdest thing I ever do (when it comes to books)... but some times I sniff a couple of books just to savor the smell... here comes the weird part... then I twirl around in my room, in satisfaction and utter happiness, while I open my arms and have atleast one book in each hand.
Ten, I have atleast one book with me anywhere I go. In my purse, schoolbag... if I'm going to the store, to the mall, to visit someone... you'll never know when I will need a book to read...
Wow... This was umm... a long list...
I am also one of those that carries a book with me perpetually. Just b/c you can't see my book doesn't mean I don't have one - I have traveled before and upon arriving at the hotel room when my co-worker saw the books in my suitcase he said "Man we're going to be busy all week - why did you bring 3 books? You won't have time to read even one!" and my answer to him was "Welcome to my neurosis".I probably won't get an electronic reader until they can make 'em to smell like old paperbacks. (but i don't twirl around the room after i sniff my books :-)
...and i stay up way too late reading (books or comics or goodreads)
Someone just compared my writing to Hemingway. Now I feel like getting drunk and punching someone.Oh well... amzn.to/d0MUEz
Ha! Love this thread.At the beginning of a chapter I have to flip through the pages to see where it ends. I don't know why, I just have to know how long it is.
I can only take a Mass Market Paperback to the swimming pool with me. It feels wrong and I can't read at the pool if I have a hardcover or trade paperback.
I love reading in the bath so I take the Kindle along... in a zip-sealed plastic bag. So far it has not fallen into the bath. Desperate times call for desperate measures!
-I have to know how many pages are in the book before I begin reading so I know how far along I am in my reading. (I have NO idea why this is important to me.)
-When I walk into a bookstore, I get so giddy over the new book smell that I HAVE to buy a book. Then, I keep it in the store bag for about a month so that it still smells like a new book when I go to read it. Ah!
-Whatever I pick to read has to match up with the month, season, holiday or weather. For instance, books about winter must be read in the winter, summer in summer and so on. If a book is about a particular holiday, it must be read during the month of that holiday...i.e. books about Christmas must be read in December, books about Halloween must be read in October. And I always have on reserve, mood books that pertain to the weather...'spooky' page-turners for dark, rainy days or nights, comforting classics for major snowstorms, etc.
-I read all chick lit on the treadmill. They are usually fast, fun reads that I get bored with if I try to sit still and read them.
-I have to record every book I've read (started this about 5 years ago). I keep a book journal where I record the title, author, publisher & publication date, the library or bookstore that I got it from, date that I borrowed/bought and read it, and my review notes. Sometimes I will add who recommended the book to me or who I plan to recommend the book to. This is all a little OCD, but I like having a record of what I've read each year.