I thought it would be fun to do another round of reader questions! These definitely struck a nerve the last time (mostly the fact my father often reads the last chapter first, which was universally seen as horrifying) and I’m back with another random assortment of questions.
1. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE CHILDHOOD BOOK?
If I had to pick a single book, it would be The Trolley Car Family by Eleanor Clymer. This lesser-known book (published by Scholastic), tells the story of the Parker Family who moves to the country when their father loses his job. They are joined by their miserly neighbour, Mr. Jefferson; romance and hijinks ensue. I loved this book as a kid, and continue to read it each year with my own children (who also adore the story and characters).
In terms of a series, it would have to be Nancy Drew (I only started reading Harry Potter when I was a teenager).
2. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE BOOK QUOTE?
Out of the thousands and thousands of lines in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, only one has stuck with me since the day I first read it. Uttered by Bilbo Baggins in The Fellowship of the Ring, he said:
“Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread.”
I do know what you mean, Bilbo. I know that feeling exactly. I’ve tried to scrape butter over too much bread. And I’ve felt that way, too, in body and soul. To have a fictional character so accurately capture a life experience moved me in a unique way. I committed the line to memory and thus started my quest of recording quotes, quips, aphorisms – any collection of words that illuminated, encouraged, or entertained.
3. DO YOU EAT/DRINK WHILE READING?
Most of the time, no. I do drink coffee or tea sometimes while reading, but most of the time – NO. Even if I’m eating a lunch solo while the kids are at school, I’m not overly likely to read a book.
4. HAVE YOU EVER MET A “FAMOUS” AUTHOR?
Nope. I’ve also never stood in line to get a book signed, but that does sound like a fun bucket-list item.
5. IS THERE A BOOK YOU’D LIKE TO SEE MADE INTO A MOVIE?
Most of the time I’m underwhelmed by film adaptations (The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Meghan Follows Anne of Green Gables movies aside).
I would like to see A Gentleman in Moscow transformed into an epic cinematic masterpiece. I’m not sure who should be cast as the Count (thoughts?!), but feel like Cate Blanchett – who seems to show up in every single movie that gets produced on any subject (anyone else notice this?!) – would be the perfect Anna Urbanova.
And The Trolley Car Family if it stayed true to the book in every single way.
Oh, and a really great version of the original The Boxcar Children book by Gertrude Chandler Warner.
6. DO YOU HAVE ANY OVERDUE FINES ON YOUR LIBRARY ACCOUNT?
NO! In fact, our library system recently did away with overdue fines. Before introducing this new policy, they had a Food for Fines option every year where people could bring in non-perishables for the food bank in exchange for clearing their account fines.
That said, even before they eliminated overdue fees, I almost never got them. I visit the library every week, so it’s relatively easy for me to stay on top of what books need to go back (and I get auto-emails that remind me when books need to be returned and, if there are no holds, they will automatically renew books for me – love, love this feature).
A few times I’ve had notices that books are overdue and further investigation has revealed they went back, but didn’t get scanned properly (or some such thing) and were back on the shelf after all. This has happened about 4-5 times in the last few years. Every single time I panic and search high and low for the book that I KNOW I returned, and every single time it ends up having been at the library all along.
On a related note: years ago, when I was relatively new to the area and didn’t really know the librarians, I brought back a book that I had transported down the hill in the bottom storage pouch of our stroller. Somehow it got wet during the trip and the head librarian approached me the next time I came in to say the book was irreparably damaged. They had kept the old, waterlogged book to show me as evidence (I had just put it into the returns bin with the rest of my stash and didn’t realize it was wet). I was SO embarrassed. I paid to replace the book, of course, but felt like I deserved to wear my own version of Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter. A D perhaps, to signify I was a: “Destroyer of library property – loan materials to her cautiously”.
I’m glad to say that has been the one and only time I’ve had to replace a book, but it really did feel shockingly humiliating (the librarians were incredibly nice about it, I hasten to add).
7. WHAT FICTIONAL CHARACTER WOULD YOU BRING TO LIFE?
Anne Shirley? She seems like a force for positive change and a true “kindred spirit” in my pursuit of joyfinding and Happy Things.
Cheat alert: Mary Poppins (movie version/Julie Andrews, because ‘book’ Mary Poppins is just too mean and conceited) is also pretty wonderful. If she could teach my kids to snap their fingers and have all their toys (strewn in a most festive manner over their bedroom floors at the moment) march back into their storage bins, I’d be all over that magic.
8. DO YOU JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER?
Yes. Absolutely. Doesn’t everyone? Nothing pains me more than a bad cover. Except terrible writing. A good cover is just such a joy to me as a reader.
9. HARDCOVER OR SOFTCOVER; WHAT ABOUT DUST JACKETS?
Hardcover all the way.
And the first thing I do if I buy a hardcover book is remove the dust jacket and throw it away. I can’t stand them.
10. BOOK PET PEEVES?
Yes – inconclusive endings. I prefer happy endings (to fictional tales at least), I really do. But if it has to be sad, at least let it be sad and final. Every once in a while I’ll get to the end of a book and wonder if I’ve lost the last few pages. Like…did the author forget something? (Remember in the movie Elf where they print off books that are missing pages and Walter basically says people are too stupid to notice? I notice.)
Also, books that try too hard to be “stylish.” I don’t know how to describe it, but sometimes the voice just doesn’t match either the material or how I perceive the author to really speak and I find the perceived disconnect to be off-putting.
And books that repeat the same thing over and over again. In general, I think most books are at least 30% too long. Say it once, say it clearly, and move on. Do a streamlined chapter summary if you must.
Okay – what’s the scoop. Are you a fellow book-cover judger? Do you secretly owe $126 in overdue fines? Do you treasure book jackets and think it’s horrific I throw mine away? I’d love if you answered some (or all) of these questions in the comment section below.
- What was your favourite childhood book?
- Do you have a favourite book quote?
- Do you eat/drink while reading?
- Have you ever met a “famous” author?
- Is there a book you’d like to see made into a movie?
- Do you have any overdue fines on your library account?
- What fictional character would you bring to life?
- Do you judge a book by its cover?
- Hardcover or softcover; what about dust jackets?
- Book pet peeves?
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mbmom11
I have had so many library fines in the past, thanks to my kids. We check out a lot of books, so it’s easy for one or two to get lost under a bed, between the mattress and bed frame, in couch cushions… Once I couldn’t find a board book- I think Rafffi’s baby beluga?, so I paid for it and moved on. 6 months later, I found it packed in a box in a kitchen cupboard- my daughter went through a phase of “packing” so she had packed up the booked and popped it on a shelf. I had saved the receipt, though, so they refunded the money. (They don’t do that anymore.) They stopped late fines about 2 years ago- they found they get more books back this way. However, they add a $5 replacement fee to the cost of a lost book which stimks. When I had a certain toddler who would chew on books, that added up quickly. (Not just board books but hard backs!)
I usually have one book/item every two months go back on shelves without being scanned. So I usually look at the library first before home. It happens so often to me that I view it as a game.
Elisabeth
Good for you for seeing it as a game – it drives me crazy! Mostly because I look everywhere at home first.
Baby Beluga…that takes me back!
Suzanne
You know I love these posts! That LOTR quote is stunning. Wow. I am going to remember that one. And I cringed reading your story of the waterlogged book – how awful! I could see myself doing the exact same thing and not having any idea the book was damaged. Ugh!
What was your favourite childhood book? The Ramona Quimby series, which I reread in full a few years ago. It is still so good.
Do you have a favourite book quote? Nope! I am not great at pausing my reading to write things down, although I appreciate beautiful/apt language as I go.
Do you eat/drink while reading? Yes! I think a meal is just an excuse to pull out a book!
Have you ever met a “famous” author? Yes! I have worked with a few (mainly poets) and have stood in line to meet many authors. Most recently, Celeste Ng and Tea Obreht.
Is there a book you’d like to see made into a movie? No, they never live up to the book. (Megan Follows the one exception.)
Do you have any overdue fines on your library account? We are a no fines library too, but I did build them up on occasion. I figured it was just another way to donate to the library.
What fictional character would you bring to life? I like my characters in books where they belong.
Do you judge a book by its cover? No! I am drawn to titles more than covers.
Hardcover or softcover; what about dust jackets? All books in all forms! I usually leave the dust jacket on and use it as a bookmark (drives my husband nuts).
Book pet peeves? Deckled edges! I hate the texture on my fingers as I turn the page. Ew.
Elisabeth
Well this was fascinating:
I think a meal is just an excuse to pull out a book! – hilarious, and said like a true reader
I’m surprised you don’t care about covers; I pay more attention to the design aesthetic than the title FOR SURE.
I know someone else that uses the dust jacket as a bookmark – but they’re so bulky!!!
Agreed re the deckled edges.
I’ve never read ANY of the Ramona Quimby series!
sarah
What was your favourite childhood book? Anne of Green Gables series– the reread was a delight. I also adored The Little Princess.
Do you have a favourite book quote? Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn. (Gone With the Wind was another childhood fave)
Do you eat/drink while reading? I love to read a book at breakfast/lunch
Have you ever met a “famous” author? Yes through my school’s common reading program
Is there a book you’d like to see made into a movie? I am excited for the Thursday Murder Club to hit the big screen
Do you have any overdue fines on your library account? NEVER!
What fictional character would you bring to life? Claudia Kishi from the BSC
Do you judge a book by its cover? OF COURSE
Hardcover or softcover; what about dust jackets? Hard cover with jacket, plz
Book pet peeves? Overly twisty murder plots where the twists sub in for good character development
Elisabeth
THURSDAY MURDER CLUB IS BEING ADAPTED? (*Heads off to Google this*)
All The Light We Cannot See comes out this month as a miniseries on Netflix; I’m not feeling optimistic 🙁
We are deep into retro BSC books, so I read about Claud most days 🙂
“Do you judge a book by its cover? OF COURSE” (I’m glad I’m not the only one).
Melissa
I do not judge a book by its cover. I think I might be the odd one out in this. I generally read based on reviews and recommendations. My favourite book as a child was Playing Beattie Bow. I also enjoyed the Enid Blyton books and the Nancy Drew series. Our library doesn’t issue fines either, add auto-renews if possible which makes things easier.
Elisabeth
I’ve never heard of Playing Beattie Bow; I know of the Enid Blyton books but never read them. But Nancy Drew was like a best friend to me as a tween 🙂
I love the auto-renews. Such a great feature.
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie
Aw yiss!!!! Let’s do this!!!
Fav childhood book – I was big into the series – Ramona, Little House, Nancy Drew.
Fav book quote – I’m drawing a blank
Do I eat/drink while reading – not unless the book is soooo good that I can’t put it down.
A memorable exception is that sometimes on Friday or Saturday after dinner in the summer the hubs and I will set up hammocks in the back yard and read with adult beverages.
Met an author – nope. Ken Follet gave a lecture at my high school back in the day and (cringe) I once saw Dr. Laura in DC.
Book I’d like to see made into a movie – there are books that I’d like to see get made into BETTER movies/TV shows. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie has been adapted several times, but my beef is that all of the adaptations change the ending a little bit. I want a version that’s 100% faithful to the book’s ending. My other candidates are the Nevil Shute books The Far Country and A Town Like Alice – the first had a bad TV adaption and the second had an OK TV adaption – I’d like them both to get the full Netflix treatment.
Overdue fines – thanks to Libby and auto-renewals, my slate is clean.
Fictional character – drawing a blank.
Do I judge a book by its cover – of course;-)
Hard vs soft – ebook>hard>soft. I’d like to make a plea for saving the dust jackets even if you take them off while reading. I have a lot of older books and the dust jackets often have fascinating historical tidbits on them. Example – my 1940’s copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn has an essay written by Betty Smith on the opposite side of the dust jacket and a pitch to buy war bonds on the back.
Book pet peeves – ooh boy!
– dual timelines and multiple points of view when used to disguise a weak plot.
– recycled plots. I can’t tell you how many “we’re lifelong friends but Something Bad happened in college” books I’ve read and walked away from. I’m starting to see a trend with Eleanor Oliaphant copycats==>The Maid==>Strange Sally Diamond. The Maid and Sally are excellent, but they’re a bit too close to Eleanor.
– You Don’t Want To Go There. Mrs. Modern Darcy has a blog post with that title. We all have triggers and stuff that we just don’t want to read about. I like a little bit of a dark side but not too much of a dark side. There’s an art to hinting at things vs going full Fatal Attraction and boiling the bunny. Case in point – Strange Sally Diamond, which I’m reading now. It’s really good, but the backstory is too dark so I’m skimming a lot of it.
Elisabeth
Can I just say, I love and marvel at your enthusiasm for these posts <3
Duly noted on the dustjacket info; I suspect this is a case of old habits and minimalism winning out. They irk me an unreasonable amount. I HATE that I can't remove them from library books and they're all plasticky and taped. Gah. A tactile nightmare.
Nicole MacPherson
What was your favourite childhood book? A Little Princess, but also Little Women. I also loved the Bobbsey Twins!
Do you have a favourite book quote? “I thought Jem and me would be grown and there wasn’t much else to learn, except maybe algebra.”
Do you eat/drink while reading? Sometimes, but not usually.
Have you ever met a “famous” author? the woman who is teaching the course I am taking right now wrote a book I loved called Consent, so kind of? But it’s virtual.
Is there a book you’d like to see made into a movie? NO. I hate that!
Do you have any overdue fines on your library account? Goodness, no, I’m not a CRIMINAL. Also do any libraries still have overdue fines?
What fictional character would you bring to life? Hmmm, can’t think. Pass.
Do you judge a book by its cover? No but I do like a nice cover.
Hardcover or softcover; what about dust jackets? I probably prefer soft cover, but I don’t have a huge preference.
Book pet peeves? None!
Elisabeth
Ohhh…I loooovvveed the Bobbsey Twins. My mom read them to me as a child.
Thank goodness you’re not a criminal – phew. I’ll admit I had been worried – haha.
Jenny
Well, I have to admit I’m not much of a visual person, so I don’t actually think too much about book covers! Like I’m trying to picture the cover of the book I’m reading right now, and I can’t.
Favorite book from childhood- I read SO MUCH as a kid. I may have to steal Suzanne’s, which was the Ramona Quimby series. I also loved a book called The Christmas Tree Mystery by Wylly Folk St. John. I used to read it every year on Christmas Eve. A few years ago my sister sent me a copy (my old copy was lost long ago) and I still take it out and reread it every couple of years.
I LOVE reading while I’m eating- although these days I’m usually reading blog posts during meals (I’m eating breakfast right now!)
Favorite quote: “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”
Elisabeth
It fascinates me that some people don’t give two hoots about book covers. We’re all unique! While I judge a book by the cover, obviously I have read MANY good books with covers I don’t like and vice versa. But it really adds to the whole experience for me if a good book has an equally great cover.
NGS
These are such fun questions! I love reading everyone’s responses, too.
What was your favourite childhood book? Oh, I read the Romana books like crazy. I am scared to revisit them because I fear they won’t hold up.
Do you have a favourite book quote? Hmm…I’ll have to think on this. Maybe it’s a post of its own. Just off the top of my head, it’s from Harry Potter: “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”
Do you eat/drink while reading? Yes. I absolutely read at all meals.
Have you ever met a “famous” author? I was at college the same time Tony Doerr was a grad student and went to a book signing for David Sedaris.
Is there a book you’d like to see made into a movie? No. I’ll never watch it.
Do you have any overdue fines on your library account? Our library is also a no fine library, but I would occasionally decide that the five or ten cent five a day for being overdue was worth it if I could finish a book. I never owed more than fifty cents or so.
What fictional character would you bring to life? Clifford the Big Red Dog. No explanations needed, right?
Do you judge a book by its cover? Yes, it’s why I didn’t read the Neapolitan quartet for years. Those books are GREAT, but the covers are terrible.
Hardcover or softcover; what about dust jackets? Ebooks, please.
Elisabeth
Ebooks; of course!
Love that you and Jenny had the same quote idea <3
Clifford the Big Red Dog. This makes A LOT OF SENSE. I recently watched the live action movie with the kids and it was...really sweet.
Kyria @ Travel Spot
What was your favourite childhood book? I loved all of the ones everyone else has said — Anne of Green Gables, Little House, Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High, Bobsey Twins, Ramona Quimby…oh and also those Choose Your Own Adventure books, and ATGIB, of course!
Do you have a favourite book quote? not really, although Sarah is right re Frankly my dear. Great book. Great movie too!
Do you eat/drink while reading? Yes, if I am alone, or if I am eating lunch at work, I read emails and articles.
Have you ever met a “famous” author? Nope.
Is there a book you’d like to see made into a movie? Not particularly.
Do you have any overdue fines on your library account? We also do not have fines anymore, but I used to always return on time. However, I did live in London and I was traveling in France and our plans changed, and I asked my friend to return my library books for me and he did not do it and I found them in my luggage weeks later when I was already in a different country. I felt so bad and I probably owe the Swiss Cottage library a bunch of money!
What fictional character would you bring to life? I would like to sit in the shire with Bilbo and Frodo and have a feast and smoke a pipe and talk about their adventures.
Do you judge a book by its cover? Definitely.
Hardcover or softcover; what about dust jackets? Depends. For my shelf: hard, no cover. For actually reading: soft, cover N/A.
Book pet peeves? I agree with you; when the ending is inconclusive it drives me nuts. I am also not a huge fan of meandering character novels that have not only no plot, but no point.
Elisabeth
Sweet Valley High was AN ERA for me. I have never read Ramona books – I clearly must have been missing out. But BSC books are all the rage with A now and that is taking me back 🙂
Kyria @ Travel Spot
Yes! I forgot about babysitters club! I also loved Anne of Green Gables… I have my original copy which was a gift from my grandmother (I think it was even hers beforehand)!
Ernie
I liked the Happy Hollisters when I was a preteen. Think Bobbsey Twins knock off. I didn’t read a ton when I was a kid, even though my mom was a teacher. I think she tried, but I wasn’t all that interested. I was a very slow reader and my younger brother was a very proficient reader/hailed as an intellect. He used to make fun of me, so I think I just abandoned ship.
I used to work hard to avoid library fines, but happily they don’t really charge fees anymore. Most of our fines were for late DVDs because back in the day we rented movies there to avoid the Blockbuster rental fees. Am I dating myself?
I hate contrived books. Ick. I liked the book Lessons in Chemistry, but honestly – the ending was a little too neat and tidy and it felt too contrived to me.
Dustcovers get in my way.
I usually read books that my book club has scheduled, so I don’t really choose a book by the cover. If I’m looking for a book – a bad cover is a turn off.
I don’t eat or drink when I read, because I’m usually in bed.
I don’t think I’ve met a famous author.
I’m enjoying The Dutch House, but I’m afraid if that was turned into a movie it would not do it justice.
Elisabeth
I’ve never heard of the Happy Hollisters – sounds fun and I was a big fan of the B Twins.
YES – dustcovers just get in the way and waste more paper. Down with dustcovers I say.
I loved The Dutch House and am contemplating doing a re-read soon!
ccr in MA
I love this post and I love all the comments! (I was going to comment on part one last week, but life got away from me. However, I: Never read the last chapter first. Try not to skim but sometimes do [How did they get away from the bad guy? I don’t know, I was reading too fast to make sure they did get away, I missed details]. Love the smell of old books. Re-read constantly! Buy a chosen few, mostly borrow.) Now, from this one!
What was your favourite childhood book? The first that comes to mind is Who’s A Pest? An early reader full of the wordplay that I always have loved. Later, a big fan of Charlotte’s Web.
Do you have a favourite book quote? Hmm, not that I’m thinking of
Do you eat/drink while reading? I would say rather that I read while eating, whenever I can.
Have you ever met a “famous” author? Not to speak to, I don’t think, but I did make eye contact with Douglas Adams while he was signing my book! He seemed surprised to see The Meaning of Liff (a fun little book he co-wrote) rather than one of the Hitchhikers books. I still have my signed copy.
Is there a book you’d like to see made into a movie? I am wary of adaptions, as they so often change things and it makes me so mad, especially when it’s for no reason (I’m side-eye-ing the Harry Potter movies with great annoyance that they changed the Forbidden Forest to the Dark Forest–still mad about that!) I did really enjoy the movie version of The Martian, but even then, I noticed a few things they changed.
Do you have any overdue fines on your library account? No, I rarely do: I watch the due dates and renew or return accordingly.
What fictional character would you bring to life? Hmm, none!
Do you judge a book by its cover? Sometimes yes, but I try to read the first few pages and see what the book is really like.
Hardcover or softcover; what about dust jackets? My eyes popped wide open when you said you throw out dust jackets! I do sometimes remove the covers while reading the books, but I don’t get rid of them. Well, I have done that exactly once: I picked up a copy of a beloved book and the dust jacket had a photo of the cast from the adaptation, which did not at all match my feelings about how everyone looked. I had to get rid of it.
Book pet peeves? Authors who don’t use quotations marks when anyone speaks.
Elisabeth
I loved the Martian (but never read the book). I basically just despise all the HP movies except #5. That was the only one I liked. The Wizarding World is much more magical in my imagination and, frankly, I found a lot of the actors voices very annoying (sorry Emma Watson, but ugh – YOU DON’T SOUND LIKE Hermoine).
Linda
Hello, fellow readers, count me in with all those who LOVE to talk about my favorite books! We never tire of this subject, so near and dear to our hearts!
1. I read these series over and over again in the 50’s and 60’s—Trixie Belden (rich neighbors + horses + teen detectives!) I still have my worn and tattered books, 59 cents back in the day! I also read the Betsy Tacy books, Madeleine L’Engle books, Donna Parker, Nancy Drew books.
2. Alas, after 65 years of reading, I have not captured favorite quotes. Oh well, I’ll have to reread the old favorites and keep a list handy.
3. I love to settle in with coffee or a glass of wine and read away. As a child, my family scolded me for not playing outside more but I do not regret a millisecond that I spent reading! I do read while eating—love it!
4. Have not met a famous author but I love reading about their lives and experiences.
5. Honestly, I’m ok with carrying the book world inside my head—“movie magic” cannot compete with the lovely pictures I have of the books I’ve loved!
6. I’ve had a few fines now and again and maybe a lost book, but the library is right on my driving path to everything in my town, so it’s pretty easy to drop off and avoid fines. I’m sorry you had the wet book incident, that would have bothered me too but stuff happens, even to library books!
7. Fictional characters brought to life? The character of Jimmy Perez is someone I greatly admire and would love for a friend—the character actually is beautifully portrayed on tv in the Shetland series.
8. I love book covers—I love vintage illustrations. Since I do read many older books, I want to see the actual cover, if possible.
9. Prefer hardbound books—I set aside book jackets.
10. Pet peeves—I dislike books that are too idealistic to believe or too realistic to enjoy—a happy medium of believable real-life and a hopeful outlook.
Thanks for this opportunity! Happy reading to all!
Linda
Elisabeth
Hi Linda!
I read Trixie Belden, too! Only a few of the books and I think they might have been my moms when she was a teen (I’m dating myself now as a youngn’).
I love how much you love books and how you don’t regret any of the time you spend reading <3
You capture the balance I think almost all of us are looking for in a good book in your answer to #10
ccr in MA
The book of The Martian was really good! I did skim over the science a bit, but the character is kind of hilarious about how he’s trying to figure things out as he goes, so I didn’t want to skim too much.
Elisabeth
I did this with Drowning; some of the science bits (even though that’s my background) felt like a snooze to me! I should read the Martian – I’ve watched the movie twice.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
I don’t have library fees. I think I only ones or twice had them as a kid. But I have to admit that I once stole a library book. This was pre-digital area when there were cards in the books which were taken out and the loaner was noted. They forgot to take out the card and so I just kept it.
I don’t like dust jackets and always remove them when reading aa book however I would nit through them away.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
Oh and I will be meeting author Kirsten Miller in our next book club meeting. I have also met Jill Santopolo in one book club meeting. I did meet a number of non fiction historical authors. Or maybe they are more contemporary witness who wrote books.
I think my favorite childhood book is Pipi Longstocking and for a little older (teenage years) it is the Solitaire Mystery. Best book out there even today.
Elisabeth
Ohhh. I read Pipi Longstocking to the kids a few years ago and it was just delightful <3
Elisabeth
I love the look of books without dustcovers; they’re usually relatively neutral colours and I think they look so much prettier on a shelf! So I remove them both because they annoy me while I’m reading + prefer the way they look without them on!
Grateful Kae
I love the butter scraping quote! It reminds me of when I tried counting macros for a while and would measure out like 1 Tbs of peanut butter, only to find… hmmm… this is really not the amount of peanut butter that I need to properly cover my toast. LOL!!
And Omg I Would LOVE to see A Gentleman in Moscow made into a movie. I love love love that book!!’
Also, I think I do judge books by their covers. But maybe more so their titles?? I’m not sure. Definitely the cover if I’m just browsing in the library. If someone tells me of a book or I know the topic and it interests me, and then I look it up and the cover is blah, that’s fine- I will still definitely get it or read it. But I might not be as apt to pick it up on my own, if that makes sense.
Elisabeth
Wouldn’t it be an epic movie? But then maybe it would be horrible and I’d hate it? Gah. It’s very rare for things to make a good jump from page to screen but if done right, this would be a WINNER.
Anne
Well, for favorite books, pretty much copy Kyria’s, above. And everyone else’s, save for CCR and Charlotte’s Web. If you had asked, what book *traumatized* you? Yeah, CW.
I can’t pick one quote, and much like NGS, I wouldn’t watch a movie even if it were derived from a book. 🙂
I’m a “read anytime I can” reader, so, um, eating, drinking, brushing teeth, in bed, drinking tea, etc. I wish I liked audiobooks more; I could get a lot more reading done if I did.
Pet peeves – those danged uneven edges. Are those deckled edges?
Elisabeth
Ha! I love that you go beyond just eating – brushing teeth! That’s dedication. I do sometimes read while I blow dry my hair, I guess.
I’m just not an audiobook fan and, to be fair, don’t have huge chunks of time (like a daily commute) where I could listen to one.
And yes, those danged uneven edges are deckled edges. They look funny and the pages always seem to stick.
Lindsay
3 for fun!
Do you eat/drink while reading? I do. Every since I was little, I would read through meals (and everything else, if possible) and, to this day, I love a casual breakfast or lunch with a book. (I’ve also been known to drop my book in my dinner, so, maybe don’t try this?)
Do you judge a book by its cover? 100%. I own this. I also get slightly frustrated when a book with a cover that doesn’t appeal for me is breathtaking and vice versa!
Hardcover or softcover; what about dust jackets? Hardcover, no dust jacket for both library books and my own collection. For Lil Momma, we do paperback because she will say the excuse “it’s too heavy” and “it hurts to hold” as a way for me to hold her book while she reads.
Elisabeth
Sorry – I did laugh about the “dropping a book in my dinner” quote. A has started reading at breakfast a lot and I kinda love it. The kids don’t fight this way and it’s always a delight to see kids reading!
AND YES to the book content/cover not lining up. Very frustrating and makes me second-guess my ability to judge books by their covers. But, sometimes, WHAT WERE THE AUTHOR’S THINKING?!!
Ali B
What was your favourite childhood book? the Little House on the Prairie series if I had to choose
Do you have a favourite book quote? I don’t know that this is my all time favorite, but I found this one in the notes on my phone: “Or maybe I wanted the impossible: to be a grown woman walking alone on a frosty Parisian sidewalk, but also to have my mother with me always.” – Maggie Shipstead. And now that I’ve googled this, it doesn’t come from a book at all but an article she wrote for “O” magazine. Ha!
Do you eat/drink while reading? Not usually
Have you ever met a “famous” author? Nope
Is there a book you’d like to see made into a movie? No. Books are so much better than movies 😉
Do you have any overdue fines on your library account? No, but only because my library doesn’t use them for books.
What fictional character would you bring to life? All of the Thursday Murder Club
Do you judge a book by its cover? Not really
Hardcover or softcover; what about dust jackets? All of the above
Book pet peeves? When people talk to me when I’m trying to read – does that count?
Elisabeth
I read the entire Little House series to my kids during the first stages of lockdown. A few things haven’t aged well, but they are classics for a reason and the kids loved them.
The Thursday Murder Club is a stellar cast (and Sarah Jedd mentioned this is headed to the big screen; I also think those books just keep getting better and better!).
Agreed – it’s very hard to settle into a book when people are trying to talk to you. Don’t they get it??!!! Important stuff is happening here.
Hks
The author doesn’t always get to pick the cover, so you can usually blame the sales dept. I work in sales for a book publisher, but it’s not always our fault. 🙂
Hks
I replied to the wrong comment but you probably figured it out!
Elisabeth
Great point! I know this first hand as a friend is an author and she does not have say over the cover or the illustrator (she does children’s books) most of the time.
Gigi
I’ll play!
What was your favourite childhood book? Pick a favorite? That’s impossible. I loved The Borrower’s (I recently re-read this; still love it), The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, Little House on the Prairie, Little Women, the list is endless. If Harry Potter had been around when I was a child; that would definitely be on the list. Actually, I still love it today.
Do you have a favourite book quote? Not really.
Do you eat/drink while reading? Generally, I always have something to drink at hand; so yes in that regard. Normally, don’t eat while reading but I don’t have a rule against it. As I child I would absolutely eat breakfast while reading.
Have you ever met a “famous” author? No.
Is there a book you’d like to see made into a movie? Not that I can think of.
Do you have any overdue fines on your library account? No. I don’t think they even charge them anymore.
What fictional character would you bring to life? Because I guess I’m still stuck on the childhood books, maybe Jo from Little Women. I adored her.
Do you judge a book by its cover? No. I judge it by what’s inside.
Hardcover or softcover; what about dust jackets? Doesn’t matter to me. Generally, I keep the dust jackets on but I can live with it if they aren’t on – but why are they called dust jackets; they certainly don’t keep the tops of the books from getting dusty
Book pet peeves? When there isn’t a synopsis on the front flap or the back and it’s just blurbs about the book. Generally, I want to know what the book is about before I’ll commit to reading it. The only time I’ll give it a pass is on someone else’s recommendation.
Elisabeth
I’ll play. Love it <3
I also love Harry Potter now, but didn't start reading it until I was a tween, so it doesn't have as much of a connection to childhood. But they sure do for A. She has listened to/read each of the books multiple times and has some chapters basically memorized (for real).
Jo is an awesome character; I would support that choice!
And I agree with you about the pet peeve of not having any idea what the gist of the story is about.
coco
What was your favourite childhood book? I don’t remember any book in particular. Reading was not a common hobby in my generation back in china .
Do you have a favourite book quote? can’t remember, I’m terrible right?
Do you eat/drink while reading? mostly not.
Have you ever met a “famous” author? no.
Is there a book you’d like to see made into a movie? my favorite movie adaption is normal people, the series is even better than the book and I still watch it when I need some romantic feeling
Do you have any overdue fines on your library account? no access to library here.
What fictional character would you bring to life? can’t think of any. I like to keep it mystery sometimes as I feel like when adapted into a movie, often time I don’t feel it’s the right match
Do you judge a book by its cover? 100%
Hardcover or softcover; what about dust jackets? I don’t really care, I read mostly kindle now.
Book pet peeves? too many tangents. I don’t like long books in general, I like to read books where every word, story, means something in the book.
Elisabeth
You’re not terrible at all – I forget plots and just focus on quotes. We all have our favourite ways to enjoy books!
You don’t have a library?!! Wow. I can’t imagine life without my library!!!!
And yes – I think just about every book is 30% too long.
Meike
Our library also has no fines anymore and I think it’s the best thing ever. I had to pay a fine ones for spilling tea over a book (so embarrassing) what brings me to the point that I should not eat and drink at least while reading library books what I do. I like the feel of paperbacks even though hardcovers feel more solid.
San
Oh that was so fun to read. It’s interesting how we all “read” but everybody has a whole different way of going about it.
My biggest pet peeve with books is “loose ends”; I usually pay very close attention that every side story that is mentioned somehow ties back to the main story (because if not, why is it included?).
Elisabeth
Yup – loose ends drive me to distraction. And then I wind up Googling book synopses to see if I missed a resolution somewhere? Usually I didn’t and I’m just like: What was up with that tangent?
Leneigh
Favourite childhood book: way too many but I’m going to go with the Emily of New Moon trilogy as reading that series was formative for me.
Series? I’ll say the Ender’s game series which showed me I could like sci fi.
Favourite book quote: the entire midterm essay in textbook Amy Krause rosenthal is the first thing I think of right now but there are many, I love quotes.
Eating and drinking while reading- of course, all the time 🙂
Ever met a famous author? Unfortunately I don’t think so.
Book made into a movie: I think the fourth wing would be a fun movie (possibly a better movie than book if done well!)
Overdue fines: our library doesn’t charge these any more but we used to have them frequently! Like another commenter said I try and get things back on time but i see fines as a way to donate to the library too so don’t begrudge them.
Fictional character to bring to life: lots but for a recent read I would say Marx from tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
Judge a book by its cover? Maybe a little bit but it’s not that important to me
Form of book? Again it’s not that important to me, if it’s a really special book it’s nice to own it in hard cover. Dust jackets don’t bother me!
Book pet peeves? I don’t have a lot. I would say for the industry as a whole the dominance of amazon in undercutting book prices and dominating the self- published market is a pet peeve of mine, I wish they had more competition and I try to avoid buying from Amazon but sometimes it’s the only place I kind find a certain book.
Elisabeth
I don’t think I ever read that series but it is a classic (I watched a miniseries and it was SO depressing that I think that turned me off from reading the Emily of New Moon books).
I should read The Ender’s Game series. I’ve heard so many great things about it.
Lisa’s Yarns
I don’t like book jackets either, especially on children’s pictures books. We also throw them away. I prefer softcover to hardcover if I am reading a physical book (which I rarely do) because of the heft factor. I don’t like holding heavy books!
I used to judge books by their covers but now I find most of my books from podcasts so I am kind of ambivalent about covers!!
Elisabeth
Yet another area where we align 100%. I don’t like dustcovers so why keep them! I recycle them in the paper garbage at least. If I could, I’d opt of getting a dust cover entirely!
Stephany
I always love the thoughtful questions you pose! I think I shall use these as a NaBloPoMo post, with full credit given to you, of course!
Book signings can be really fun! I’ve gone to a few and it just feels so cool to talk directly to an author about their work!
Following Up, 2023 Blog Top Fives, and More Randomness - The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist
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