Reading Habits Tag

Time for another tag! I’ve been tagged by Lori from Food for Thought, which is great because I love these things. (Also, can we make Book Tag Tuesday a thing?)

1. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?

I didn’t used to, but this year I seem to have staked out the couch in the piano room. That room is perfect – I get the full benefit of the AC and the Wi-Fi, I don’t have to listen to the TV, and it’s close to the kitchen.

2. Bookmark or random piece of paper?

Hahahaha. Ha. I have a long history of inventive bookmarks. When I was little I used to dog-ear, which annoyed one of my friends so much she straightened out all my dog ears and consequently lost all my places, but as I grew up I abandoned the dog ears in favor of random shit I happened to have lying around (old receipts, clean napkins, other books, etc). Within the last couple of years I discovered Barnes and Noble sells the cutest bookmarks, so I’ve been using those because I buy too many of them.

3. Can you just stop reading, or do you have to stop after a chapter/certain number of pages?

Currently I’m reading at least 100 pages a day. I used to be able to stop in the middle of a chapter, but nowadays I have to finish whatever chapter I’m on before I call it quits. Thanks, OCD.

4. Do you eat or drink while reading?

Fuck no I don’t want my books getting dirty

5. Multitasking: music or TV while reading?

I’m easily distracted, so no. I can’t have other words floating around me while I’m reading.

6. One book at a time or several at once?

Several at once. I’m currently reading Conjure Women (Afia Atakora) and Americanah (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie). This is low by my standards, given that I generally have three or four going on at a time, but I want to finish these two by the end of the month to round out my book count to 15, so I won’t start any new books until they’re done.

7. Reading at home or everywhere?

Always at home at the moment, but everywhere when we’re able to roam freely. What are waiting rooms but free reading time?

8. Reading out loud or silently in your head?

Silently in my head.

9. Do you read ahead or even skip pages?

No. I do skim over passages if I don’t like the book and want it to end, but I wouldn’t feel right skipping pages. (I have gotten into the bad habit of glancing ahead on a page or even onto a next page, which has led to some significant spoilers that I wasn’t very happy about, but that’s on me.)

10. Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?

What kind of monster deliberately breaks a spine?

11. Do you write in your books?

No.

12. When do you find yourself reading? Morning, afternoon, evening, whenever you get the chance or all the time?

Usually during the evening and night when I’m working. During the three weeks I was off work, I read at all times of the day.

13. What is your best setting to read in?

In a quiet room by myself. A squashy couch and a moderately comfortable floor would be preferable. Sometimes I get tired of lying on the couch and have to lie on the floor instead because #VARIETY

14. What do you do first – Read or Watch?

Read. The only cases I can think of where I watched first and read later are Bridget Jones’s Diary and The Prestige: with Bridget Jones my roommates happened to be watching it and I liked the movie enough to go back and read the book, and with The Prestige I wasn’t aware of the book until after I’d seen the movie.

15. What form do you prefer? Audiobook, E-book or physical book?

Physical book, but I like to listen to audiobooks while I work (only for books I’ve already read or I’ll get distracted and won’t get anything done). I’m not a huge fan of eBooks because it’s not the same as holding an actual book in your hands, but I’m getting used to the idea.

16. Do you have a unique habit when you read?

Uhhh sometimes I lie on my back on the floor with my legs up on the couch, does that count?

17. Do book series have to match?

YES! It drives me crazy when I don’t get to read a matching set omfg how hard is this