Booklet or Tome?

Tome, definitely, nothing is better than a big book. Snuggling up and enjoying a story that keeps going and doesn’t stop after a few pages.

 Though there are times I don’t mind a shorter book. Like when I have a busy day and really want to read something, but not want to start a huge book.

Pre-owned or New?

I would say either. Why? Well pre-owned is nice, but I have seen some pre-owned books that looked like they went to hell and back, or they smelled horrendous (smoke/perfume or other things). But sometimes you can’t find books anymore (because they are out of print) and then it is wonderful to have pre-owned books. In general though, since pre-owned books aren’t easy to find (at least not in English). I tend to go for new books. And both (if pre-owned is in good condition) have wonderful smells. Yes! I confess I am a book smeller. J

Historical Fiction or Fantasy?

Mm, this is a tricky question. I would say in general, that I enjoy Historical Fiction more. Fantasy is nice, but I have tried some true fantasy books and I can say I just couldn’t get through them.

Hardcover or Paperback?

Well this is an easy one, Paperback! There are a few books that I buy in hardcover though, and mostly they are books that I just can’t wait for (like books written by Lemony Snicket or the Abarat Series), but in general I will pick Paperback. They take less room, they are easy and light and also a big pro-point: They are cheaper. There is only one downside, which I hope one day will be solved, that is it takes a year, sometimes years, for paperbacks to be released.

Funny or Sad?

This depends totally on my mood. Some days I just want to read a funny book that will cheer me up or will make me laugh, but at other times I would rather have a more serious (and often) sad books.

Do you prefer reading in summer or in winter?

I would say Either. Both have their advantages. In the summer I can sit on my balcony, or go outside and enjoy the sun and a good book. But in the winter I can grab a cup of hot chocolate, a warm, cozy blanket and curl up on the couch to read.

Classics or Mainstream?

Sorry to all you Classic fans, but if I have to pick I would go for Mainstream. I have tried several classics and while a few were good, I also had enough classics that were just boring or totally not something I would enjoy.

Guidebook or Fiction?

These days I would go for fiction, though at times I enjoy non-fiction (since I guess Guidebook means that). I had a big period when I was young that most books I read were non-fiction (still got a whole of books from that time on my bookshelves), but these days, it is really more fiction.

Crime Novel or Thriller?

Thriller. Crime Novels just don’t interest me that much.

E-book or Print Edition?

Print Edition all the way. I do read e-books, but that is mostly because English books aren't easy to find here and I just don’t have the room or money to buy all the books I might want to read. Especially since I read quite a lot every year. But, if I like a book I will buy the paperback, since again, nothing can beat a real book. The smells, the feels, and the fact you actually own it. Ah, did I mention seeing it in my bookcase? J

Collecting or Clearing Out?

I am a big collector of books. I just love seeing my favourite books on my bookshelves and being able to touch and hold them whenever I want. I do still need to clear out some books I just don’t read or like, but it is so hard to remove them.

I am a true hoarder, and I currently have 2 tall bookcases (about 220 centimetres tall) stuffed with books, with sometimes 3 rows of books (yes, I should buy a new bookcase and spread it out more, since some of them are almost toppling over from the edges), 1 normal sized one (about 170 centimetres) and I have about 3 tall bookcases (again about 220 centimetres) with manga. If anyone wants, I could make pictures of my books. Just leave a message. 

Internet or Bookstore?

While I would love to pick the Bookstore option, 99% of the English books I buy come from the Internet. Why? Because here English books aren't easy to find (especially the new books), or they are expensive (like twice as much from the internet price).

But I love to walk around in a bookstore (whenever I get a chance). I love strolling through them, smelling the book scent that always lingers around in those stores and just checking if there are new Dutch books I might want to get from the library or for my own collection.

Backlist or New Publication?

Either. I don’t really care when a book is published. As long as the book is good or seems interesting I don’t care if it was published 20 years ago or just a month ago.

Best or Bad Seller?

I don’t really care about it, so either it is, I have had many best sellers that I found utterly crap, and read many books that are deemed bad seller that I liked. Though I tend to get a bit tired of the advertisements or the hype that surrounds a best seller.

Cookbooks or Baking Books?

I love cooking, but nothing can beat baking, so I will pick that one as the one I would go for. Muffins.

I was tagged by Themis-Athena.

The folklorist in me wants to find the source of this quiz, but the several glasses of wine in me assures that that will not happen. Instead, I'm just going to answer some questions.

Booklet or Tome?

I feel like the "right" answer here should be tome, but I'm going with booklet. I've grown more impatient in my reading as I age, and I'm less willing to indulge indulgence. As far as the tome goes, I'm more likely to enjoy a shaggy dog over the magnum opus. I have grown to appreciate the stiletto, that fine, smooth blade that cuts even without pain. 

Pre-Owned or New?

Pre-owned, I guess? I'm cheap. I use the library hard, and tend to buy the books I've enjoyed only after I've enjoyed them. I have no problem waiting for a used copy. 

Historical Fiction or Fantasy?

Doy, fantasy. I like and respect history, but when it comes to my fiction, I'm more interested in the fractures in the way we construct narrative than, you know, facts. I do have a serious interest in the alternate history - talk about your fractures - and it irritates me no end when authors take the lazy road of "it's all fiction; anything can happen." So I guess I want my fantasy to have some historical sense to it. To split that baby good. 

Hardcover or Paperback?

Blah, I don't know. There's a bunch of these either/ors that seem either bullshit or specious. I hate mass market paperbacks because they are too small and the spine breaks, which sets off the very small amount of vampire OCD I have rattling in my personality. I like the big trade paperbacks because they are the right size and they're soft. Hardcovers are great, obviously, because they have slipcovers that you can use as bookmarks, but they don't cuddle well. So. 

Funny or Sad?

Scary? Stupid? I hesitate to say sad, because I have no patience with tear-jerkers or stories I feel are intentionally manipulative. Now that I've thought about it a bit, I guess I'd say funny, but with the caveat that much of what I find funny is either juvenile or grotesque. I'm not necessarily looking for funny ha-ha when I read, but more funny what the fuck was that? 

Do you prefer reading in summer or in winter?

This question is dumb.

Classics or Mainstream?

Both, obvs. I feel like there's a ratio here: the considered up against the disposable. I was talking to my husband the other day about a couple trash books I'd read when I had a cold, and he was like, you read two books in a day? Sure, I said, they had a lot of words in them, but it's not like the words were hard. I enjoy being challenged by literature that challenges, whether by historical shift or deliberate feint, but I also read as a pastime. Reading, for me, is often quite literally passing time, and I don't necessarily want to be all in depth right before bed or when I'm listening to some audiobook on the commute. 

Guidebook or Fiction?

This question is also dumb. Why not fiction or non-fiction? I have yet to see anyone choose Fodor's over the entirety of make believe. And to that person: who are you? 

Crime Novel or Thriller?

Thriller, I suppose. I don't have much interest in this edge of fiction, and I don't see a huge difference between the two. Certainly, this could be ignorant insouciance, like the time I said something about metal to my death metal Satanist friend, and he schooled me for a half an hour about all the various different kinds of hardcore metal music. Good times.

Ebook or Print Edition?

Both again. Books is books. 

Collecting or Clearing Out?

A stupid mix of the worse of both. I have teetering stacks of books all over the house, but I do not have the personality of a collector, so they're ill-sorted and badly maintained. I tend to give away books I truly love, and hang onto stuff I feel like I should read - even for dumbass reasons like "I own it, might as well" - so what I have in the house tends to be both unread and unreadable. I'm a non-collector with thousands of books in no particular order. Fuck. 

Internet or Bookstore?

Library. Library. Library. 

Backlist or New Publications?

Realistically, new pubs. I'll stretch back for many reasons, but I really enjoy the churn of new publications, the unfolding serial, the timely statement. 

Best or Bad Seller?

Another dumb question. I could go anti-populist and rag on the best seller, or I could argue that millions of people can't be wrong. For myself, I tend to gravitate to either trash or pomo wankery -- either the high or the low brow. I have some problems with this nomenclature, but the middle brow -- the stuff that tends to sell best -- tends not to be for me. 

Cookbook or Baking Book?

Baking, all the way. I'm an indifferent cook, and I tend to play out the same dozen recipe variations because I simply don't care. Cooking tends to require a kind of flair for invention I can't muster when it comes to food. Baking though, baking is chemistry. Given the right writer, you cannot fuck up a baking recipe, because it is exact. Plus, baked goods omnomnom. 

And so, that's it! I think I'm supposed to tag people, but, given the wine, that's not going to happen tonight. 

I was tagged by Themis-Athena, so here goes.

Booklet or Tome?   Tome, all the way.  I like big books, and I can not lie.  Two of my favorite genres (history and historical fiction) both tend to produce big fat books, anyway.

Pre-Owned or New?  I'm not picky, if the book is in good shape (no pages missing/falling out, etc.).  At any rate, most of the bookstores around here that aren't Christian Bookstores are used or used/new (though we do have a Barnes & Noble). 

Historical Fiction or Fantasy?  Historical fiction, by a mile.  I read fantasy occasionally (and read a lot of it as a child), and have loved Tolkien since the 1970s, but I read a lot more historical fiction. 

Hardcover or Paperback?  In most cases, I don't really care.  The exception comes where my passion for big fat books comes in, as sometimes huge hardcovers are just more than I can physically handle well.  (My copy of Gone with the Wind, for example, is my grandmother's hardcover from the 1930s, but I have found I will have to get another copy to actually read it, as I can't manage it.  Tried and failed a few years ago.)  This is a great improvement from my situation 10 years ago, when I came home from the hospital after my stroke, and could only manage hardcovers (and then, only hardcovers of a certain size).

Funny or Sad?  Funny.  Though I don't read non-stop humor books, I'm really not one for tear-jerkers.  (That goes for films, as well.)

Do you prefer reading in Summer or Winter?  I'm going to go off the reservation and say "autumn."  I love snuggling in bed with a book when the air is starting to get crisp at night, and the leaves are falling.  My alternate answer is "all year."

Classics or Mainstream?  Classics.  My parents are English professors, and I grew up with large numbers of English and American classics all over the house, and listening to them being discussed.  (I still recall with amusement when we had 31 copies of Leaves of Grass floating around the house.)  I sometimes have problems with insomnia, and my standard remedy is Victorian novels, of which we have a ton, many of which I haven't gotten to yet.  I will sometimes read and like bestsellers, but the better bet for me is a classic.

Guidebook or Fiction?  I'm interpreting this as fiction or non-fiction.  Probably non-fiction, though I read plenty of novels.  Most of my non-fiction reads are history or biography, but I also read popular science and general non-fiction.

Crime Novel or Thriller?  Mystery, especially either "golden age" mysteries by Sayers, Christie, Stout, etc., or historical mysteries.  I read a lot of historical mystery.  It's like catnip for me.

Ebook or Print?  Most of the time, it doesn't matter.  Whichever version has the best price, or in whatever form I can most easily find the book I want to read.  The exception is really thick books where the choice is hardcover or ebook, where my preferred form is ebook.  Because I find it a lot easier to physically manage.

Collecting or Clearing Out?  Collecting!  I am *at least* fifth generation in a line of people who prefer to never throw anything out.  (You should have seen my grandmother's attic!)  I still have books given to me when I was two.  We have (full) bookshelves in every room of the house, baring the bathrooms (fear of damp hurting the books).  Also books in piles, on various pieces of furniture, and on the floor.

Internet or Bookstore?  Uh, both?  I can't resist shiny new books in either place.  The internet is great for books I know I want, and bookstores (especially independents) are great for serendipitous discovery.

Backlist or New Publications?  Mostly backlist, though I have recently signed up for NetGalley, which is changing that slightly.  Still a lot of backlist, though.

Best or Bad Seller?  Given that choice, probably "bad"?

Cookbook or Baking Book?  Cookbook.  Baking takes more precision than I can manage.  Also, chemically it often requires real sugar, which is problematic for me.

Who's Next?  Oh, gosh, can't keep track of who's done it or not at this point!  If you'd like to take a shot at it, and you're reading this, consider yourself tagged?

A new meme, and I can't sleep, what apropos timing! I was tagged by Themis-Athena

OB cat + books pic, here is Sepideh demonstrating the second most important use for books ('scuse the evil eyes, she doesn't like the flash much. But she does like sitting on piles of books. And pieces of paper. Or both, if she can manage it. :)

And so to the questions

Booklet or Tome?

Tome. I love to settle down with a really big huge book, and just lose myself in it. But that said, some of my all time favourites are fairly slim - I am Legend, for instance, is barely novella length. And I'm a huge fan of a good short story. But I'm still answering tome, because even with my love for the shorter forms, they're even better collected up into big fat anthologies. Single author, multi-author, on a theme, or not. I don't mind. 

Pre-Owned or New?

I really don't mind second-hand books. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents when I was a child, and after they retired and sold the farm, they were big auction junkies. There was a big weekly auction sale in town, went nearly all day Friday, and my grandad, since Nana wouldn't let him buy tractors to take home, would buy broken bicycles to repair and resell, and Nana would buy bits of furniture and reupholster them, and they would give me $5 or $10 and let me bid on giant boxes of books, often from estate sales, but sometimes just people cleaning out their houses. Often the tables were so busy and the boxes so full, you couldn't even see what was in them past the top layer, so winning the bids on a box full was like getting a treasure chest. 

We'd take them home, sort them out, and I got to keep anything I liked, and then Nana, who could do a million and one crafty things would fix bindings and repair any leftovers. I got my first copy of Lord of the Rings out of one of those boxes, one of the old ones with the black covers. It's also how I ended up reading Solzhenitzhyn at age 12. And once an entire huge moving box full of harlequin romances. 

Historical Fiction or Fantasy?

Oh that's easy. Fantasy every time. Historical Fantasy always ends up with me nitpicking an inaccuracy somewhere (or spending more time looking for one than enjoying the story.) With a good fantasy I can just let go and dive into the story.

Hardcover or Paperback?

I love a good hardback, but they're hard to curl up in bed with. Most of my non-fiction is hardback though, and a few most beloved novels that I've worn out multiple paperbacks of.

Funny or Sad?

I'm more of a drama queen, but I like a good sense of humour in a story too. Not really one for tragedies.

Do you prefer reading in summer or in winter?

Winter I read more, but summer out on the patio in the cool breeze is pretty nice too. So both.

Classics or Mainstream?

Both. A lot of what I have on my TBR list was mainstream but is becoming classic purely due to age. 

Guidebook or Fiction?

Fiction. I can't even imagine reading a guidebook for fun (maybe I should try it!)

Crime Novel or Thriller?

I don't read either all that often, but if I had to choose, I'd go with a crime novel. I do have a fondness for a good (usually old) noir novel. Most thrillers leave me cold though.

E-book or Print Edition?

This one goes with the next one: I'll buy the e-book edition most often, although I like print for non-fiction. If I really love a book though, I've probably got both.

Collecting or Cleaning Out?

I collect e-books, but not paper books anymore. After moving a dozen times, 6 of them internationally, I've learnt to keep it down to one box worth of the really beloved ones. I have more than that in the house now, but I wouldn't have any trouble letting go of most of them. 

I always let the kids take as many of their books as they wanted though, when we moved, and now they're all book collectors worse than me!

Internet or Bookstore?

Bookstore, by preference. Internet by practicality, since my reading habits tend to lie outside mainstream current best-sellers.

Backlist or New Publications?

Backlist. I have a very few autobuy authors that I grab the new books as they come out, but otherwise I have hundreds upon hundreds of books I already know I want to read, and the list is always growing.

Best or Bad Seller?

Most bestsellers leave me cold. I rather like finding the forgotten gem and maybe introducing it to someone else. 

Cooking or Baking Book?

I love to look at baking books, but I'm a terrible cook! 

It took me all day to get this written, so I think probably everyone I know is already tagged. But just in case not, Bookstooge, this is for you.

I've been tagged by HUNGER FOR KNOWLEDGE http://hfk.booklikes.com/ - thanks ;) - so here goes!

BOOKLET OR TOME? Tome. I'm not afraid of long books. The bigger the better.

PRE-OWNED OR NEW? New. I never buy used books, but I'm always picking up books from the library.

HISTORICAL FICTION OR FANTASY? Don't make me choose one! But I think most of my bookshelf is filled with fantasy books.

HARDCOVER OR PAPERBACK? Paperback. But I always buy the hardcover when the bank account allows. After all, I'm just a poor (jobless) student. 

FUNNY OR SAD? Sad (with a happy ending). I don't like books classified as funny - I read, but they're not usually my favorites. I prefer that laugh that comes when you least expect it.

DO YOU PREFER READING IN SUMMER OR IN WINTER? Hahahahahaha. Sorry, I had to laugh at this question. Winter? What is winter? In the place I live in Brazil is summer 12 months a year. I don't even have a coat. It would be sad if I preferred reading in winter.

CLASSICS OR MAINSTREAM? I love both genres. But if I really had to choose, I would say classics. They will always have a special place in my heart. Isn't that right, Jane Austen?

GUIDEBOOK OR FICTION? FICTION. In capital letters. Non-fiction are 0.5% of my bookshelf and I've never bought a guidebook.

CRIME NOVEL OR THRILLER? Can I be honest? I don't really know the difference. All I know is that action plus suspense equals my true love (yeah, I have a big heart).

E-BOOK OR PRINT EDITION? I will always prefer print edition. However, I like to read books in English and they are not easy to find (at least where I live). So, I surrender to e-books and my Kindle is my best friend. Thank you, Amazon Brazil. ;)

COLLECTING OR CLEARING OUT? Collecting. Too bad I can't exhibit my e-books on my shelves.

INTERNET OR BOOKSTORE? Like I said before, I buy a lot of books on the internet. But I love to spend some time in a bookstore and buy a paperback or a hardcover when it's po$$ible. 

BACKLIST OR NEW PUBLICATION? Both. I read whatever I am in the mood for.

BEST OR BAD SELLER? Both. I don't care much about that. 

COOKBOOK OR BAKING BOOK? Neither. I'm a clumsy cook. The kitchen and I are not compatible.

That was fun! Feel free to tag me anytime!

Now I'm supposed to tag someone, right?
Well, I tag everyone! Don't be shy. ;-)