When you read as much and for as long as I have you develop certain habits, quirks some might say, that you tend to stick with. I like to think of them as totally reasonable, not at all weird or obsessive quirks. I mean why shouldn't I get angry if someone creases the spine of a paperback; doesn't everyone take the time to hold the book open only far enough to see the words and not crease?! And is it so hard to use a dang bookmark! See normal...maybe I should explain a few of my quirky behaviors.
I like a book to look just as new as it did in the store. I never, ever dog ear a page or god forbid break the spine of the book! When I go to a used bookstore I have to accept that most of the books will not be in store quality condition of course but I won't buy one that is too creased up or if there are multiple copies available I will look each one over for the best. Heck I even do that in the new bookstores! I can't help myself. To me treating a book well shows respect for the work.
Ok ready for quirk 2? I have to read a series of books in their proper published order. And if it's not a series then I look for the author's first published work and start there. There are few exceptions to this rule for me. The series ones just make good sense. The characters are going to change as the series flows, references to previous adventures will be made. I want to be in the know on all of that. On the non-series ones, ok I'm a little quirky here, I like to find the first work by the author because I like to watch the author's writing style change and grow over the course of their career. I have followed some author's through the whole "bell curve". They start off alright with the first book and continue to get better until they hit a peak where it's like wow they could not top this story and then they get in a groove that eventually peters out to same old same old, John Saul I am looking at you. Now I will make exceptions to this for older hard to get books where it really doesn't matter if they are read in order. Agatha Christie is a good example of an exception. I never know what AC books the book store will have in stock so I kind of have to settle for the next closest one in line. It doesn't really matter with her because the stories don't really connect at all and very little reference is given to previous books.
Finally, the last little quirk I will fess up to (for now) is the books placement on my bookshelves. It is important to me to find the best place to store a book while it's waiting to be read. Each bookcase and shelf have a certain kind of book on them. Usually they are grouped by type. Classics go in a certain area, adventures another and mysteries somewhere else and etc., etc., etc. I also have a whole system for my to-be-read (TBR) shelves. (that is a whole post discussion in itself though). Hey, in my defense, when you have as many books as I do you have to be organized!
So there is some of my "crazy" with regards to books. So now that I have shared I want to hear some more. Come on don't be shy let me hear all about your book quirks too!
Happy Reading!
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