#BookLover’sTag

That’s the latest bookmark my daughter made for me

Many of my book loving friends have taken up this tag and I couldn’t resist it either. Talking about books and comparing reading habits with other book lovers is fun, isn’t it? So here goes – my attempt to answer 13 questions on books and reading.

1.  Do you have a specific place for reading?

Nope. Somedays it’s the beanbag on the balcony, somedays my bed, somedays I curl up on the sofa in the living room. Sometimes, when I want to be around the children, I even make place for myself in their room among sketch pens and stuffed toys and other such mess. So just about any place is good.

2. Bookmark or some random piece of paper?

Bookmarks, generally. However with three readers in the house there is a constant struggle for them resulting in deep debates on which bookmark belongs to whom. For instance, if my daughter makes one and gives it to me – is it hers (because she made it) or mine (because she gave it away)? We still haven’t figured that one out. In desperate times I make do with old receipts or pamphlets or ends of teabags (the dry ends, okay!) or even a comb. One time I put the TV remote in my book and had the whole house looking frantically for it. That was fun, for me, not so much for the others, perhaps.

3. Do you eat or drink while reading?

Yup. Drink, for sure. Tea and books make for a perfect combination, isn’t it? I participated in the Write Tribe Contest on Tea and Books and won another book for this picture. That’s what I call a win-win situation :-).

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Eat, not so much, unless you count snacks as eating, or chocolates, which I do. Occasionally, if the book is super gripping I might take it to lunch or dinner too. I do strongly recommend having munching material around while reading. Makes the whole experience much more fun.

4. Music or TV whilst reading?

Nothing. Ideally I like to read in silence. However since the children came along I can read with music, television, arguments, laughter, teasing, fighting… pretty much anything.

5. One book at a time or several?

One. However, if the book isn’t too engrossing I might wander off with another one and then come back to it.

6.  Do you prefer to read at home or elsewhere?

I do prefer to read at home but I’m not too particular. I’ve read at the dentist’s clinic (the wait is pretty long and the book helps take my mind away from what is to come later), on the steps of the clubhouse while the children are in an activity class or on a bench in the park.

7. Read out loud or silently?

Silently. Are there people who read aloud? Even if they’re reading for themselves? That would be odd, no?

8. Do you read ahead or skip pages?

Mostly, no. However some books are made for skipping lines/pages. Have you read The Hunchback of Notre Dame? The descriptions are mind bogglingly long and I mean pages and pages and pages of descriptions of the church on and on and on. I completely hopped, skipped and jumped through that. The story was beautiful though, sad and touching.

9. Break the spine or keep it like new?

Keep it like new as far as I can.

10. Do you write in books?

No way. But if I’m reading a book for a professional review I like to make points. Kindle is a blessing because I can highlight the bits I need to get back to.

11. What books are you reading now?

I am between books, so to say. I bought Shashi Tharoor’s An Era of Darkness (at just Rs 199 on the Kindle! Thrilled with that!) and am wondering if I should start with it. But then again I think it will make me just too angry/outraged. I recently read Lolita and that had me feeling sick for ages. So perhaps I should stick to something happier and keep this one for the vacations.

12. What is your childhood favourite book?

Like most people from my generation Enid Blyton ruled all the way. I loved her Faraway Tree series as also St Clare’s, Malory Towers best of all.

13. What is your all time favourite book?

I refuse to answer this one. It’s like the twins asking me who I love more. And perhaps only the recent ones will jump out of my memory which would be so very unfair to the ones I read earlier. So no, I won’t answer that question at all, thank you.

If you liked the tag and are a blogger, do take it up or else share your preferences with me in the comments.