Reading meme

Thanks to @flexnib over at Ruminations, I've decided to do the reading meme. As she says "this may help those of us who’ve crazily agreed to blog every day of June... given that it’s about reading, I don’t think it’ll be difficult for librarians to do."

Do you snack while reading? Not really, no. At the moment I don't really snack at all, but thinking back to when I ate everything in sight, it was more of a TV activity, less of a reading activity.

What is your favourite drink while reading? Probably water. I drink a lot of water. Sometimes a cup of strong white tea.

Do you tend to mark your books while you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you? It doesn't horrify me, but no I don't mark them. I'm too lazy.

How do you keep your place? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book open flat? This is going to shock so many librarians, but I used to dog-ear. Since becoming a librarian and realising that I'm surrounded by Book Nazis, I try more and more to bookmark, and never dog-ear a borrowed book, but I don't have that "books must be pristine" gene. Who cares? They're objects to be USED, people! Unless it's a first edition and you need gloves to touch it, use it how you want!

Fiction, non-fiction or both? Fiction fiction fiction. Non-fiction bores me to tears, I'm the worst librarian in the world, I know, but I HATE IT.

Do you tend to read to the end of a chapter or can you stop anywhere? I have to read to the end of a chapter, or at least to the end of a paragraph/logical place. Although as I start to read more suspenseful novels the end of a chapter just eggs you on more, so for the sake of sleep I have tried to stop somewhere more boring.

Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you? Occasionally. The Twilight books definitely got a bit of a work out. They were so. fucking. annoying! But I couldn't stop reading them! AAARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away? Nope. I tend to try and figure it out from context, and I used to then "mean to" look it up but really forget about it and never do it. Now with the iPhone I probably look more up on the spot.

What are you currently reading? I am currently avoiding reading because I am having a great deal of trouble getting through In the Kitchen and I am seriously considering ditching it. I am so bored by it I couldn't even read that whole review I just found. Yep, time to ditch it, which I rarely do, I hate not finishing books (that should be another question of this meme!) I also should be reading 90 packets of instant noodles because I'm meant to be reviewing it for inCite. But every time I ask for a book to review I get my second choice, and I end up shirty and not really wanting to read it. Though I just saw a book review that said it's really good so I might try and read it today. The last book I read and really enjoyed was The City & The City and it blew my mind. I've gotten obsessed with the author and paid my 80cents three times to reserve his other books and am desperately wanting to read them.

What is the last book you bought? Since having to ditch so many books in London I rarely buy books any more, I've become a proud library user, so I can't even remember.

Do you have a favourite time/place to read? I usually read in bed before sleep (except for the last couple of weeks as I've been avoiding it) but my favourite time would be on a lazy Sunday. Hey, it's Sunday!

Do you prefer series books or stand-alones? I love series if I like the characters. Loved the Millennium Trilogy, I used to read a lot of fantasy (sort of feel like I've outgrown a lot of it in the last ten years though) and I used to love it how Marian Keyes used a family to write stories around. But I like stand-alones too.

Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over? The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Thanks to virtual librarian for gifting it to me all those years ago! I still haven't seen the movie because I can't stand the idea of Eric Bana destroying the lovely gentle American librarian Henry with his ocker accent.

How do you organize your books (by genre, title, author’s last name, etc.)? I have very few books these days, and they're currently in boxes. It used to be by author surname.

Barbara’s additional question: background noise or silence? Silence generally. I'm really aural so I have trouble concentrating if there's music on in the background - it tends to take over my head.