'Lost In A Book' Tag

Hi all!

I hope you're having a great evening (or morning/afternoon/night, depending where you are)!  Today I'm doing the 'Lost in a Book' tag. No one has nominated me to do this, but I look reading and all things literature and I really wanted to do this! I don't have any of my books with me as they are all in my student flat so I won't be able to take pictures of any of my favourites, but I'll do my best to discuss the answers fully. Ready?

1. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?

When I was younger I could read anywhere - lying in bed, on a sofa, in a car etc. But now I find it really hard to concentrate on reading sitting anywhere other than an armchair. I know that's really strange but I just can't read when I'm not sitting with a straight back and arm rests. I can also read on trains but not buses for this reason. I know, I'm odd. I just think chairs get me in the right frame of mind for reading.

2. Where do you like to read?

I travel a lot - part of my family lives in North Scotland, and the other part live near London, so I'm often on trains with terrible wifi, and so I really like to read on train journeys. Yesterday I had a five hour trip and I started and finished a book in that time. 

3. Bookmark or random piece of paper?

I never use a random piece of paper. I do have this bookmark which I love from the V&A:

But this is usually stuck in one book while I'm reading another. I am mainly - whisper it - a corner folder! Please don't hate me! 

4. Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop at a chapter?

I tend to just stop reading. Obviously not in the middle of a sentence, that would be madness! But I don't have a problem with just finishing a sentence and folding over the corner. Unless I am particularly hooked, but in that case I'll probably finish the whole book in one sitting!

5. Do you eat or drink whilst reading?

I never eat while reading, but I usually have a cup of tea for the ultimate relaxation. Although it's usually gone cold by the time I remember it if I get too involved in the story.

6. E-reader or real book?

Nothing will ever beat a real book. The smell, the pretty cover, the browsing a book store for something new, and I love seeing my book collection grow. It is, however, very handy sometimes to have the kindle app on my iPad. Sometimes I can't get to a book shop if I'm desperate for a particular book, or it'll be much cheaper on Amazon. Also, reluctantly, I guess I am running out of space for all my books.

7. Music or TV while reading?

Neither, I like silence when I'm reading. I can't read words and hear words at the same time without getting the two confused.

8. One book at a time or several at once?

I'm someone who can't not finish a book, even if I really don't like it. Recently, I was reading Luckiest Girl Alive which I was definitely not a fan of, and so I started another book. I did go back and finish LGA, but I was not happy about it haha. But usually, I would only want to read one at a time.

9. Reading at home or everywhere?

Mostly I'd say I read at home, As I've already said, I do read a lot on trains, but I guess the majority of times I read at home. I don't really get the opportunity to read anywhere else.

10.Reading aloud or silently in your head?

Definitely silently. Sometimes I find myself reading the same sentence over and over again, and if that happens I'll read it aloud so it sinks in, but that's only if I'm not concentrating. 

11. Fiction or non-fiction?

Definitely fiction. I was just thinking earlier that I really wish I read more non-fiction books, like sciencey or psychology ones, but they don't interest me all that much. I read as a form of escapism, to get away from reality!

12. Do you read ahead or skip pages?

I hate it, but I can be a bit of a skipper! I'm like it with films and TV shows too, I'll often be watching something and Google the ending. I don't care about spoilers that much, and I usually find it easier to concentrate if I know roughly how it'll turn out. Weird, I know!

13. Break the spine or keep a book like new?

Oh gosh I wish I could keep a book like new! I am a spine bender through and through! I can't read properly if the book isn't flat in my hand, and it usually doesn't get enough light if the spine isn't bent. My best friend is very particular about not bending spines, and I remember I didn't know this, I was looking at her book and just bent the spine right in front of her! She looked like she was going to kill me!

14. Do you write in your books?

Never. It feels so wrong to me, I used to hate it in school when we were made to do it, I know it is good for revision, but there's never enough room for coherent notes anyway so I don't see the point.

15. Your favourite book?

That's such a difficult question! My favourite genre is crime/detective books. There are obviously lots of books which I love, but my favourite author right now is Lars Kepler and his Joona Linna series: The Hypnotist, The Sandman etc.

It's the perfect mix of grit and crime and mystery and I just love it. My other favourite book right now is Under the Skin by Michel Faber. I wrote about the sexuality in this book for my dissertation and I just loved all the political and social discussion and implications.

The concept is so bizarre but there are so many interesting cultural observations on today's society that it makes for such a fascinating read!

And that's it! I really enjoyed writing this, I love books and literature and this was something really fun to do to reflect on my life through the books I love, Let me know some of your answers, or do this tag yourself.

Until next time,

Jo.