Reader's Habits

This meme has popped up a couple of places, but I found it on Storywings, a blog I really enjoy. (So click on the link and check it out, already.)

Do you snack while you read? If so, favourite reading snack:

Usually not, although I have discovered Black Pepper and Sea Salt chips (best brand is the Archer Farms from Target), and they are incredibly addictive. Usually, though, I'm too engrossed to stop and have some chow.

What is your favourite drink while reading?

I drink mostly water, but I really like the Strawberry Lemonade that Santa Cruz puts out. It's organic, if you go to look for it in your local grocery store.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?

Absolutely not. I'm impeccable with my books. A few exceptions would be books I have studied in the past for a class, or that are so incredibly written they demand highlighting and notes. Ex: Les Mis, Anna Karenina...etc. In those cases I have a specific copy just for marking up.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?

Random pieces of paper come in handy, particularly when you're interrupted by a very persistent 2-year-old.

Fiction, non-fiction, or both?

Fiction, although I like really well written non-fiction. I don't seek it out, (non-fiction) but if I see something that looks interesting, I'll grab it.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of a chapter, or can you stop anywhere?

I can stop just about anywhere. Unless it's particularly engrossing, like the endings, or the stressful climaxes...then people just get pillows thrown at them so they'll go away. :)

Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you?

No, of course not! Who does that?! If I get irritated by an author, though, I'm more inclined to not finish it or fume about it until I've calmed down before I finish it.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away?

No. I have been reading long enough to get the gist of what a word means from the context. Plus, authors tend to reuse certain words over and over again.

What are you currently reading?

Hmm. Nothing, actually. I'm in-between books. But I'm about to choose between The Case of the Gypsy Goodbye, by Nancy Springer (Enola Holmes mysteries) or The Pretty One, by Cheryl Klam. I know, very different books. But both have been checked out and are due!

What is the last book you bought?

Straw Into Gold, by Gary Schmidt, and no I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but I love Schmidt's writing. (He won the Newbery honor for Wednesday Wars, which was fabulous.)

Are you the type of person that reads one book at a time, or can you read more than one?

I almost always am reading more than one, unless what I'm reading is particularly amazing. I tend to get distracted or forget that I've even started a book until I see it by my bedside at night or sitting on a chair the next morning...

Do you have a favourite time/place to read?

The couch or my bed. I like to prop my knees up and use them to balance my book on.

Do you prefer series books or stand alones?

Stand alones. I am notorious for not having the patience to continue reading a series.

Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over?

Patricia Wrede. John Flanagan's Ranger Apprentice series. Tisha. Victoria Hanley. Kristin Cashore. Shannon Hale's The Goose Girl.

How do you organize your books? (by genre, title, author's last name, etc.)
Ah. I am in a 2-bedroom apartment and have an enormous amount of our 2000 books in boxes. However, a variety of bookshelves are up and crammed full. They're mostly by genre, at least as much as stuffing shelves can be!