A Bookish Meme

I don't do a lot of these meme-posts, but this one (from dbackdad and CK) seems harmless enough. And it's about books, which can't be bad.

***

Do you snack while reading?

Not specifically, no. But I snack a lot in life and snacks and books will overlap.

What is your favorite drink while reading?

I drink gallons of Diet Coke (preferably caffeine-free) every day, and I make no exception here!

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

I'm definitely a write-in-my-books kind of guy, especially with non-fiction. I typically mark things I suspect I'll want to revisit, and I'll mark occasional passages in fiction that are beautiful or well-constructed. With some books the amount of underlining becomes silly. I should just dip the whole book in highlighter ink.

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

Whatever's handy. Typically the sales slip. If it's not a high-value book I'll dog-ear the pages.

Fiction, non-fiction or both?

I used to read only non-fiction, but have begun mixing in fiction this past couple years. Partly this is because I've begun to listen to audiobooks for my daily walk and while driving, and I find that it's much easier to follow a fiction audiobook than, say, a book of history or science.

Do you tend to read to the end of a chapter or can you stop anywhere?

I can stop anywhere, but I like to find a logical break--chapter or section or whatever. But sometimes I have to break off mid-sentence, and that's fine.

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

Nah. I don't take anything that seriously. I'd just stop reading.

What are you currently reading?

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest; Stieg Larsson (third book of this trilogy)
Oracle Bones: A Journey Through Time in China; Peter Hessler
The Wachula Woods Accord; Charles Siebert

What is the last book you bought?

The Stieg Larsson book.

Do you have a favourite time/place to read?

I get my most useful reading done when I'm commuting, spending hours in airports and on airplanes. At home I'm too distracted (tho I read over my daily Qdoba salad at lunch), and on layovers I'm often engrossed in sightseeing.

Do you prefer series books or stand-alones?

No preference. I just haven't found too many series that I care about (there aren't many non-fiction series). I read mostly science and history, and these are necessarily stand-alone (though Shelby Foote's fabulous history of the Civil War was in three volumes...).

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

I recommend everything by Richard Dawkins to everyone.

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

If I can (if the computer is nearby), otherwise I mark it in the book or make a list on my phone.

How do you organize your books (by genre, title, author's last name, etc.)?

Roughly by genre, but nothing too rigidly (unlike the CDs, which are rigidly arranged by composer!) I keep the to-read pile separate so I can find them.

Background noise or silence?

Silence, or music too boring to be distracting.