On your mark,

Get set, go!

I've been trying to think of some fun ways to get the word out about my new online venture, Bookworm Bookmarks.  I'm generally a behind-the-scenes, bookwormish sort of person, so self-promotion is difficult for me.  And yet I know that without some well placed links, my little bookmark page will languish in anonimity.

 So, in the interest of making this as fun as possible, I'm inviting ALL of you to play this meme on your blog as a way of getting the word out.  I am NOT asking for you to promote my bookmark undertaking; only to introduce the meme with a link to Bookworm Bookmarks.  And of course, invite ALL your friends to play along.  Maybe their friends will play along,too.  (why do I feel a little like Kermit the Frog?--it's a whisper campaign)

I'd be very grateful if you take me up on my invitation!  Here's the meme , found online, with a few tweaks of my own:

Bookworm Meme

Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?

      I much prefer hardback books, but I've bought and read a lot of paperbacks.  (It's a budget thing, you know.)  Some books become such favorites, however, that when I wear them out I replace them with a hardback copy.

Online purchase or brick and mortar?

      Both.  I love to browse in bookstores, but I find I'm buying more books online in recent years.  My favorite online bookstores are Monergism Books, Soli Deo Gloria Books, (a division of Ligonier Ministries), and Solid Ground Books. I also order a lot of books from amazon.com.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?

      I prefer Borders, myself.  I think it has a more library-ish feel about it.

Bookmark or dog-ear?

      Dog-ear?  What a dreadful thing to do to a book!  Especially when you could have your own, unique laminated-for-durability bookmark, rendered by yours truly. (hehehe)

Mark or not mark?

   The only novel I've ever marked is Les Miserables because it is so satisfyingly quotable, but I do mark most other books.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?

      You mean when they are on the shelves and not in beside every chair and bed in the house?  I don't alphabetize my books, but they do "live" together with other like-minded books on my shelves.  I shelve all similar books together (theology, biography, history, fantasy, novels, resource books, etc.) but they are never alphabetized.  There is a hierarchy of sorts which makes sense to me and probably no one else, and even if a book lives at my bedside for months, it still has a spot to go home to somewhere on my shelves.

Keep, throw away, or sell?

      I almost always keep my books.  I usually give novels away, unless they are classics.

Keep dustjacket or toss it?

      I keep them, but not on or even with the books.  I don't really like dustjackets myself, but they do belong with the book, so I keep them.

Read with dustjacket or remove it?

      I take them off immediately and deposit them along with all the other dustjackets.

Short story or novel?

      I love them both. 

Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)?

      I prefer collections.  My favorite is my two volume Kipling, A Selection of His Stories and Poems, by John Beecroft.  I do like anthologies of poetry, though.

Lord of the Rings or Narnia

      Lord of the Rings, by a mile.  I do like The Chronicles of Narnia, but Tolkien far surpasses Lewis, in my opinion.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?

      That depends.  Usually I stop reading when I fall asleep.  I do not feel compelled to stop at the end of chapter breaks; however, especially if I am reading a theological book, I will stop at a natural break.

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?

      "Once upon a time."

Buy or Borrow?

      I mostly buy books unless they are novels because I mark my books.

New or used?

      I love cracking open a new, hard-bound book, but lately I have learned that I can have more books if I buy them used.  More is better.

  Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse?

      I select books through a combination of reviews and recommendations from friends. 

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?

      I prefer everything tied up with a bow, which is not to say I do not like cliffhangers.  I just like them near the end with a sense of closure.  I guess you would call them temporary cliffhangers.  Kind of like kissing the Blarney stone.  You dangle there for a moment, but deep down inside you know that someone is holding your ankles.

Morning reading, afternoon reading or night time reading?

      Every time is reading time. I love to stir the pot with one hand and read from the other.  Cooking and reading is a very satisfying activity.  Have you tried it?

Standalone or series?

      Both.

Favorite series?

      The Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?

      That's a tough one for me because I like classics and theology.  I guess it would have to be my copy of God's Minute.

Favorite books read last year?

Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo

Jonathan Edwards, A Life, by George M. Marsden 

The Christian Life, by Sinclair Ferguson 

Favorite book of all time?

    The Bible.  It really is a book of all time!

_______________________________________ 

If you let me know you've played along, I'll add your link to a list.  I'm thinking that, with the fellow literary-types who frequent my blog, we'll all end up with some good reading lists.

Thanks in advance for playing!  Oh, and if you leave a comment to let me know you've played, your name will go into a drawing for a free custom bookmark.

 

Comments

[Rebecca]

Sounds like fun! I'll do it on Sunday!

[Kim from Hiraeth]

Thanks, Beck! I appreciate it!

[Leslie]

I'll play along!

[annette]

Hi Kim, I played along. :) Here's my link to it. http://ladysown.blogspot.com/2007/03/bookworm-meme.html

Oh plus I figured out to feed two dogs for three months costs us $120. A wee bit cheaper than feeding kibble. Just thought I'd update you on that. :)

[jen elslager]

I love these things... Here's mine:
http://tobysthoughts-jtc.blogspot.com/2007/03/books-thing.html

[Shanna]

I'm in. Here's the link:http://givengraceblog.blogsome.com/2007/03/09/bookmarks-meme/

[missmellifluous]

I'll play. I'll play. But I don't need a bookmark, I already have a gorgeous one! Yay! Book memes are great. I'll get to it soonest!

[missmellifluous]

There you go.I couldn't wait.

[Kim from Hiraeth]

Thanks, everyone! I'm excited to go read your answers!

[lisa writes]

I'll play!

[connie]

Well, I'm a bit late to this game, but I'll still do it cause it sounds like fun--and I want to encourage my friends/readers to explore more reading! Great idea, Kim!