I googled "book meme" and this is what I got. I took this from an old entry at sfsignal.com. So much better than those old "bold that one's you've read, italicize the one's you beat your children with, etc." surveys, but doesn't require as much thought as "name the book that convinced you to be a [whatever] and explain why" survey.
Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror?
If you'd look at my bookshelf, you'd see more of a fantasy trend, however, I do enjoy the other genres. It really depends on the writing.
Hardback or Trade Paperback or Mass Market Paperback?
Hardback books look great on the shelf and make me feel a bit superior when I'm carrying them around. That said, they're also a bitch to lug. Mass market, while easy to store, just feels and looks cheap to me; they're so drugstore generic. Trade paperback is really the best of both worlds.
Heinlein or Asimov?
I really haven't read enough to make an opinion.
Amazon or Brick and Mortar?
Oh, I'll take a real store over the internet any day. Amazon is cheap and easy, sure, but such are other things in life, many of them wearing mini-skirts on 10th Street. Besides, I like to touch before I buy. :]
Barnes & Noble or Borders?
Borders. They offer more coupons. B&N might have them on atmosphere though.
Hitchhiker or Discworld?
I...I can't choose! Don't make me choose!
Bookmark or Dogear?
I have a tendency to lose my bookmarks, but even still, I feel all gross inside whenever I fold a page.
Magazine: Asimov's Science Fiction or Fantasy & Science Fiction?
I'm not a reader or subscriber of either.
Alphabetize by author, alphabetize by title or random?
I go by hardcover/paperback first. Then by size. Then by author's last name. It pleases me.
Keep, Throw Away or Sell?
There are very few books out there I could just throw away. I like to keep them, it makes me feel smart. If I really don't like something, I'll at least try to get a couple bucks out of it. If I can't, then donation.
Year's Best Science Fiction series (edited by Gardner Dozois) or Year's Best SF series (edited by David G. Hartwell)?
No idea.
Keep dustjacket or toss it?
Keep it, of course. Who tosses them out?!
Read with dustjacket or remove it?
If I'm in bed, I leave it on. Travelling, I take it off.
Short story or novel?
Edgar Allan Poe once said something to the effect of Short stories rock, long stories suck. Maybe not quite in those words, but that was the gist of it. Me, I appreciate both, knowing how difficult it is to write either.
Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
Oh, Harry Potter, most definitely.
Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
If I get tired and keep reading, I'll end up having to re-read it anyway, so I just put it down when my eyes start drooping.
It was a dark and stormy night or Once upon a time ?
Once upon a time has so many more possibilities. Sorry, Bulwer-Lytton. Oh, and sorry, Snoopy.
Buy or Borrow?
I'm poor and I like to keep the library in business, so I mostly borrow. A book isn't truly a book unless it's been thoroughly thumbed by hoboes, I always so. Books as gifts, however, are excellent.
Buying choice: Book Reviews, Recommendation or Browse?
I don't like reading reviews of books before I've read them, but recommendations are usually very helpful. It's rare that I'll just pick a book off the shelf and buy it.
Lewis or Tolkien?
Tolkien. Narnia was intriguing, but Middle-earth was engulfing.
Hard SF or Space Opera?
I don't know what Hard SF is, but space operas can be neat.
Collection (short stories by the same author) or Anthology (short stories by different authors)?
Both, though I'd say I own more collections than I do anthologies.
Hugo or Nebula?
I don't know, except that Neil Gaiman has won both!
Golden Age SF or New Wave SF?
Unsure.
Tidy ending or Cliffhanger?
Tidy ending, with a few things to muse here and there.
Morning reading, Afternoon reading or Nighttime reading?
I like reading in bed when I get up in the morning, but then again, basking in the warmth of the sun and plowing through a half-dozen chapters is nice. But of course, reading myself to sleep is a ritual...
Standalone or Series?
In series, there is so much potential for doom. Isn't that right, Ms. L.K. Hamilton and Ms. Rice? Standalones are tidy; they make you want for more. Maybe a trilogy, but more than that can push it. There are exceptions, of course.
Urban fantasy or high fantasy?
Urban fantasy. One gets sick of the same vaguely-Medieval times/fantastic creatures/stones and swords crap.
New or used?
Depends on the price and the condition of the book.
Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
I'm afraid I haven't read too many indie books. Do I lose my biblio-scenester cred?
Top X favorite genre books read last year? (Where X is 5 or less)
1. Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny
2. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
3. World War Z by Max Brooks
4. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (a re-read)
Top X favorite genre books of all time? (Where X is 5 or less)
1. Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
2. The Giver by Lois Lowry
3. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
4. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
X favorite genre series? (Where X is 5 or less)
1. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
2. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
3. Sandman by Neil Gaiman (it counts, I say!)
4. Xanth by Piers Anthony
5. His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman.
1. "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin (thanks, Prof. J.)
2. "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
3. ...I suppose I should read more genre short stories
And, I tag everyone who's still reading this old blog.
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