15 Things

Jason Evans (The Clarity of Night - link to the right), of the recent AWESOME musical theory post, has tagged me once again. For this meme, I must list 15 preferences/quirks I have regarding books. This has taken me a few days to come up with. It's really quite difficult. Try it yourself!

1. I take notes in the margins of any thought provoking books.
2. I tend to be reading about 5 books at any given time.
3. Based on item number one, I strongly prefer to own books rather than borrow.
4. If a book is good enough, my life halts until I’ve finished it (yes, I have that luxury).
5. I actually have a lender copy of my favorite book: Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. This way, if anything happens to it, I always have my copy on hand for personal reference/emergencies.
6. If someone makes the effort to recommend and lend a book to me, I will find a way to finish it, no matter what.
7. I’ve always loved reading for English class. I read Beowulf about 20 times as a kid before I even realized it would be required reading in the 7^th grade. Imagine my excitement!
8. When asked for the plot of a book, I always recite it in excruciating detail. I feel like the author included each word for a reason, so I want to communicate the feel along with the major plot points.
9. I have never listened to a book on tape. I like to let my imagination do everything and the reader will inevitably add his or her interpretation. Along the same lines, I prefer books without any illustrations. Maps are acceptable…that’s about it.
10. I believe the sign of a good book is that it’s worn like a favorite pair of jeans. If I wear it out, I’ll get another, but I’m not going to be dainty with a book I love.
11. I think I’d react like a 12 year old Backstreet Boys fan if I met an author I liked. (Although, I can pretty much guarantee that no other celebrity would get that reaction.)
12. Even when I have 500 other things going on, I always find time to read.
13. I’ve actually called work with the “sick” excuse to finish a book. (It was Harry Potter - The Order of the Phoenix, OK???)
14. I have a list of book topics that I keep for when I finally get the time to write them.
15. After a scary book, I still have to sleep with my head under the covers. I’m very brave.

Thanks Jason. To anyone else who feels like trying this: I dare you!