This or that tag
Ayunda @ Tea and Paperbacks tagged me for the new idea she dreamed up. Not sure I can do the questions justice but here goes.
One: Reading on the couch or on the bed?
Most of my reading is done in bed. Ever since I was a child I’ve had to have some quiet reading time to myself before falling asleep. I have to be absolutely zonked not to read (I have been known to fall asleep with book in hand).
Two: Male main character or female main character?
I know sitting on the fence is not part of the rules but I absolutely have no preference either way on this point.
Three: Sweet snacks or salty snacks when reading?
If I’m reading in bed then I’m not eating full stop. But when I read during the daytime – if I’m on holiday or on a flight somewhere, then my snack of choice has to involve chocolate. The more chocolate the better….
Four: Trilogies or quartets?
Since I can remember reading only one quartet and no trilogies then its going to have to be quartet. My one and only venture here is Paul Scott’s the Raj Quartet which I love. He then went on to write a fifth novel Staying On which set in the same hill station in India as the quartet and featuring some of the lesser known characters and is superb.
Five: First person point of view or third person point of view?
Sitting on the fence time again. The best novels for me are the ones where ostensibly its a first person narrator but then they refer to themselves as if they are a different person so you get the benefit of both first and third person narrative. Take a look at Jane Eyre if you want an example
Six: Reading at night or in the morning?
Mornings? What are they?
Seriously, I am either not awake enough in the mornings to do more than scan the newspaper and peruse a few emails OR I am running late for work so don’t have time.
Seven: Libraries or bookstores?
I’m biased here. I love public libraries so much I’ve been campaigning for the last year to save the one in my village from closure. From June it looks like I will be helping to run it as a volunteer service.
Eight: Books that make you laugh or make you cry?
Oh cry for sure. Books which are meant to be funny often leave me frustrated because it seems the author is having all the fun rather than me. Or they are trying to hard.
Nine: Black book covers or white book covers?
I love the black covers of the Penguin Classics – not so much because of the colour but because they always feature an original work of art. Reading these editions makes the experience even more delightful.
Ten: Character driven or plot driven stories?
Probably character driven. I do read the occasional crime novel which by its nature is focused on the plot but I tend to forget them easily whereas the character based stories I can recall more easily (especially if I enjoyed it). I’m reading one of the ultimate character-driven novels right now – Mrs Dalloway. Fascinating to see how she spins a whole novel out of one day in which not that much really happens.
Now its your turn
I don’t pass along tags but if these questions interest you, feel free to join in.
My best time for reading is weekend afternoons when the miniature is taking a nap, and the elder one is doing homework. I can see now why I get so little reading done these days if I only read about 4 hours a week 🙁
I have no such excuse and yet probably read even less than that these days – so darn tired when I get into bed I can hardly stay awake to get through five pages
1. Bed
2. Male
3. Sweet
4. Trilogies
5. First person
6. Night
7. Bookstores
8. Cry
9. Black
10. Character-driven
very economical answers!
I also like to give myself some time in bed to read every evening/night – it is the best thing to relax me. Also like you when is there time to read in the morning?! If only 😀
the only time i read in the morning is on a weekend when I love getting up, making a cup of tea and snuggling back down under the duvet with a book
I read Staying On based on your recommendation – and I thought it was a real gem!. My question is how do you think it compares with the Raj Quartet? I started on JG Farrell’s Empire trilogy and was put off by the detailed war descriptions. Before taking the plunge on the Raj Quartet I’d like your opinion.
there are some war elements in the quartet because its set against that background but you don’t get to that for a longtime. the first book is really about a relationship that crosses the boundaries between indians and the british. do give it a go.
I too like Penguin Classics and have shelves full of them, but I am a little annoyed that their latest editions of Dickens’ novels don’t have nice oil painting covers, but have blurry close ups of black and white illustrations, which do not look at all nice. I’ve just bought Bleak House, but went for the Oxford World Classic rather than Penguin and I may do the same for the other Dickens’ I want in my collection.
i haven’t looked that closely but yes that wouldn’t appeal to me either. i do like the Oxford World Classics also. All my Zola’s are Oxford editions
I think chocolate is a great snake while reading too! And I also have to read a little bit before falling asleep if I don’t I am just too wound up and I end up just laying there with my eyes wide open. Hope you are enjoying Mrs. Dalloway! It is one of my favorite books 🙂
sometimes it really is just a little bit of reading – so it takes me a long time to read anything these days
Oh, I agree about Paul Scott’s Raj Quartet – what a fantastic series of books that is.
Hooray for another fan
I was happy to read that you’ll be a volunteer at your library, since that means it will stay open, right?
thats the plan yes TJ. there are many in our community who don’t agree with it – they think we should keep it as a professional service which I agree with in principle. but we don’t have any choice – its either volunteer or it closes
I’m with you on most of your answers, if not all of them.
I love that you’ll be helping to run your local library. You’ll have to keep us updated on how that goes!
And, I hadn’t really thought about it before, but it’s so true that the character-driven novels are the ones that stick.
I might end up boring you all with stories from the library…..
Never!
1. Bed
2. Either
3. Sweet
4. Don’t usually read series…
5. Either
6. Night
7. Bookstores
8. Cry
9. Never thought about it!
10. Character
I don’t read series much either
Yay to saving your local library!