Questions 11-20 About Books and Reading

John Guillen45 Comments

Hopefully you read my post from yesterday in which I started a list of 55 questions about books and reading. If not, you can read my answers to the first 10 questions here. If you have, then let’s see what I have for you today.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?

The answer to this question would normally be that I rarely do, but this year since I’ve started reading the Amazon List of 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime I’ve managed to read out of my comfort zone several times.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?

I think every person who’s ever read one of my posts knows this. Crime fiction.

13. Can you read on the bus?

Well I haven’t been on a bus since my junior year of high school. I rode the Monorail we have here a couple months ago. Does that count as a bus? Anyway, no. I hate reading in public around other people I can’t shut up. I’ve read in the ER waiting room and between college classes and a million other places. I’ve noticed that my reading pace slows down significantly when I read in public. That annoys me so I don’t do it.

14. Favorite place to read

Well the comforts of my bed, of course.

15. What is your policy on book lending?

I may be mistaken, but I can remember every time I’ve ever offered to lend one of my books to someone. It happened once during my senior year of high school. I think a friend of mine maybe asked about what he should read or maybe I just offered? I don’t remember, but I did lend him one of my books and he gave it back to me exactly the same way as I’d given it to him. In more recent years I’ve twice offered to lend out my THG books. The first person randomly texted me to tell me that she was newly obsessed with the series and another person said she hadn’t read them yet even though she saw the second movie with me. So I offered and both ultimately never happened. Thankfully. I would have been worried sick the whole time. I’ve never even offered to lend a book out besides those three times.

16. Do you ever dog ear books?

What the heck? Who came up with these questions? NO. And if you do I want to shoot you. You’re a book abuser.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

These questions are fast becoming annoying. NO. Again. You know, I’ve never understood someone reading for pleasure and then proceeding to take notes all over the book and underlining paragraphs everywhere. Like what the heck is wrong with you? Are you unable to retain the information from the story without doing all that? I didn’t even take notes or mark up books in college. But then proceeded to write the essay on it the night before it was due and oh wait, got a 97 on it. So I’ve never understood marking up the pages of your books. Makes me want to take it from you and hit you across the face with it.

18. Not even with textbooks?

No. Now shut up.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?

What? I only know one language. I’m glad this set of questions is about over.

20. What makes you love a book?

Another mini rant is on the way. Okay. I seriously HATE how other people claim to be so moved by books. I’m just like “whaa?” Why do books suddenly have to move you, whatever the hell that even means, to be any good? I’ve read the first Harry Potter book, I thought it was pretty good, but I wasn’t moved by anything. I read The Fault in Our Stars, an even better book, but I wasn’t moved by it. And of course I’ve read Anne Frank. Again, no moving going on. I read because I love reading. But it seems everyone else has to have some further explanation. I love a book because of its story. Period. Especially since I read so many series that I already know the characters I read.

So that’s all for today. Any thoughts on this group of questions? 21-30 on the way tomorrow!

45 thoughts on “Questions 11-20 About Books and Reading”

  1. I’ll pick one question that doesn’t boggle my mind: Writing in the margins of a book, underlining, etc. I don’t do it. Yes, I talked about people buying hard-copy books rather than e-books for that purpose, but I DON’T write in books (or dog ear the pages). Textbooks? Certainly not. Call me crazy, but I cannot bring myself to do it. I’m with you on this one, John.

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  2. The only books I’ve highlighted stuff in are books on writing themselves. I would never think of writing in a novel, and I tried to keep textbooks in mint condition so I could sell them back for decent money. My writing books are with me till the end though, and it’s easy to flip to important charts/info when I need them by looking for the bright yellow.

    I’m with you on being unable to read in public, though. I also wasn’t moved at all by The Fault In Our Stars, which led me to think it’s actually a rather bad book, but perhaps there was too much build up of “omg you’ll be so MOVED.” Truthfully, I thought the characters were pretentious pricks though, so it could have been that too 😛

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    • Well I have no writing books. I probably wouldn’t write in them if I did.

      And I thought TFIOS was pretty great. The fact that a lot if other people had read it was irrelevant. I read it just cause I wanted to. So I wouldn’t call Hazel or Gus pricks. Not at all.

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  3. I no longer lend books. Because people never give them back, even when I remind them. If they ask for a recommendation, I’ll give it, but they’ll have to buy their own copy. And I get carsick if I read on anything that’s moving. Except a plane. Boo hiss. I can read in public without much problem. I’m quite adept at ignoring other people when I need to. I’ve been babysitting since I was 11 or 12, so I’m great at tuning out extraneous noises.

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    • I have no idea how reading in the car makes someone carsick. Not to be rude, I really don’t know how that happens. I don’t even know what car sickness is. So I’ll just say okay to that. At least I understand not lending out books. And reading in public is much the same as reading on my Kindle. Perfectly fine with it, but not my preference.

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      • Yeah, I don’t know how/why people get carsick, either, but it happens. And it’s not rude to say that. But I’m not the only one I know who has that problem, so it’s either genetic, or it has to do with the motion of the car, like seasickness works with the motion of the water.

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      • At least on a boat the boat’s moving while you’re moving. But in a car you’re just sitting. Oh well. Some things are beyond my understanding. Especially the reading part.

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  7. can I just say I laughed out loud over your responses! However, DON’t HIT ME WITH A FREAKING BOOK, I mark in my books… I used to use a highlighter but now I just cut strips of post-its and highlight funny things or things that meant something to me. I also mark in my textbooks but that came from nursing school. It’s the only way you could keep up with taking notes was to just highlight your textbook.
    I about have a heart attack anytime I lend a book… I only lend to my soon to be mother in law and a close friend. I cringe at the fact that I used to lend like it was nothing… then I had four of five books never returned and one returned with the cover ripped off. NEVER LEND YOUR BOOKS PEOPLE… NEVER!

    On a side note… I used a lot of shouty words in this comment! lol

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  8. I have tried to read in public many times, but it is distracting, so I find no point in reading in public as well. I even tried to write stories in public, such as the library or coffee shop, but that doesn’t help either. People are always causing some sort of distraction. For me, home–or some place where there are very few people, are the best places for me to read and write.

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    • I can actually write with noise and stuff going on better than reading. Cause I’m sitting there in my head while writing. There could be a hurricane going on and I wouldn’t pay attention. I’d just be sitting there with this blank look on my face, thinking.

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