Yeay! I've been tagged by Bookfool. Thanks, Bookfool, this is a fun meme!The Rules: Each player of this game starts with the “6 weird things about you”. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says “you are tagged” in their comments and tell them to read your blog.
6 weird things about me:
(since this is mostly a book blog, I'm going to restrict my weirdness to books/rading material)
1.I cannot read a book that has a torn or stained cover - I just cannot do it.
2.I don't read the preface of a book until I am almost halfway through the book.
3.I generally read magazines backwards, starting with the last article first.
4.When I am about to start a new read, I take great pleasure in creating the right mood for the book. For instance, if it's a book set in Morocco, I will play Moroccan music, visit a Moroccan restaurant a couple of times, read a few Moroccan blogs, light some frankencense in the study...I love immersing myself in the culture that the book is going to take me to.
5.When onboard a train, bus or plane, I have to look at the titles of books that fellow-commuters are reading even if it means staring. I can't seem to help myself!
6. I love bookstores, but I can't spend too long in one or I get claustrophobic - guess that rules out ever working in one! ;)
I know I'm supposed to tag 6 people, but it's a busy time so I'll say, if you like this meme, consider yourself tagged!
(since this is mostly a book blog, I'm going to restrict my weirdness to books/rading material)
1.I cannot read a book that has a torn or stained cover - I just cannot do it.
2.I don't read the preface of a book until I am almost halfway through the book.
3.I generally read magazines backwards, starting with the last article first.
4.When I am about to start a new read, I take great pleasure in creating the right mood for the book. For instance, if it's a book set in Morocco, I will play Moroccan music, visit a Moroccan restaurant a couple of times, read a few Moroccan blogs, light some frankencense in the study...I love immersing myself in the culture that the book is going to take me to.
5.When onboard a train, bus or plane, I have to look at the titles of books that fellow-commuters are reading even if it means staring. I can't seem to help myself!
6. I love bookstores, but I can't spend too long in one or I get claustrophobic - guess that rules out ever working in one! ;)
I know I'm supposed to tag 6 people, but it's a busy time so I'll say, if you like this meme, consider yourself tagged!
37 comments:
Great meme! I can relate to your claustrophobia. I was tagged to do this one by someone else, so I better get to it!
Hey Lotus! We are twins separated at birth! :) I too like to create an atmosphere for the type of book I'm reading. When I read "Hindoo Holiday," I listened to sitar music while reading it. It really added to the book. WOW! I also don't read prefaces and I really dislike stained and tattered books. I like that new book feel! Oh, and I read magazines backwards too. Great meme!
Oh, I also have two new books to read, "The Namesake," and "The Counting House." Can't wait to get through them!
Lotus:
I share #2, 3 and 5 with you! I have had some stares back from commuters which can be disconcerting!
Great 'weird' things! I don't always do it but on occasion I do the 'set the mood' thing you describe before beginning a book.
Love the Weird Tales picture!
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas (if you celebrate it in any way) and enjoy the rest of the year!
I can almost imagine a scene where the person sitting next to u in flight..doesn't want to show you the title..and you are trying hard to find it moving ur head back and forth as he moves his book :) Interesting 'weird' ones there,Lotus!
I usually come right out and ask the stranger on the bus/plane/train what they are reading. My sister and niece told me recently that people who do that drive them crazy, so I guess I'll start with the staring.
I also read a magazine backwards.
Very interesting meme. I have been known to read the ending of a book first at times. Ya go figure that one :)
But creating the right atmosphere for reading a book might not always be possible right? Depending on the book that is.
Ah, sweet Lotus you can not imagine how wierd I am. lol I'll do the meme
Happy New Year my dear friend.
-love bd
Lotus, I might do the book a month thing, but instead of waiting till January, I started now. I should have a post up on the December the 27th about it.
Lotus,
Thanks for playing! I love the idea of setting the atmosphere for a book! That's so cool! I also can't keep myself from trying to see what everyone else is reading. And, if I go to someone's house, I feel magnetically attracted to their bookshelves or those books sitting around on tables. LOL
Interesting about the claustrophobia. You'd probably have a panic attack in my house. :)
Wow, that was fun reading!
ml Hurry up and get to it, I can't wait to find out how weird you are! ;)
beenzzz If you did the meme on book weirdness, we'd have the same responses, how weird is that??? :)) Can't wait to read your thoughts on "The Namesake"! You'll want to see the movie too when it comes out. Hey, and I have a copy of "Umrao Jaan" here - will be sending it your way the minute I'm done.
Sai hahaha, I hate when they catch me staring...I want to dig a hole and bury myself in it, but it's always interesting seeing what people around you are reading!
Carl Yes, we had a wonderful Christmas and I hope you did, too! Yeah, isn't that a cool picture, maybe a little too weird for the meme, but I loved it so I thought I'd use it anyhow! :)
motorama hahaha, that is an amusing image, isn't it? Tell me, if your fellow-commuter was craning his/her neck to look at the title of your book, would you engage them in conversation or would you consider it an invasion?
booklogged I have often been tempted to approach a reader on a bus or waiting room or wherever and talk to them about their books but so far I have lacked the courage! :)
And, about the magazine thing, any clues why we read them backwards? I used to think it's to save the best for the last...but that's not always true.
Sanjay Do you really read the ending of the book first at times? Tell me it isn't true, or atleast tell me it's a non-fiction book! :) So glad you're starting the "To Be Read" challenge, I will definitely want to peek at your book choices, thanks for letting me know!
Melanie *rubbing hands gleefully* Cant' wait to find out how weird you are! Seems like I am pretty normal after all! :)
Bookfool I hear you about the bookshelves! I, too, love to explore bookshelves in people's homes, my daughters love to do that, too! I know, the claustrophobic thing is weird - I think it's because most bookstores are quite closed in. I'd be OK if they had nice, big windows and bigger aisles.
Hollydolly Oh yes, when stale smoke permeates the pages of a book, the book's a write-off for me. How do you feel about clean but old books? Do you like the smell of old pages?
hahhaha, and soon I'll have my virtual bookshelf c/o Library Thing, so you are welcome to peek all you like! :))
hi lotus
when i see a good book,i buy it immediately.sometimes i end up buying half a dozen books.i like my book to remain 'fresh from the printer's'. i don't like when there are hand written comments in the margin or when some sentences are underlined.or when pages are foldedi to serve as pagemarkers.i never read lying down.because certainly i will fall asleep.and i too read magazines starting from the last page.i am also curious to know what my neighbour is reading in a train or in the aircraft.i read many books parallely.
Oh, I stare at other people's books too. Especially on the metro. I think every book lover does that.
We have lots of "weird" traits in common! Not only do I not read torn or stained books, but I search for a pristine copy when book shopping. If I can't find a nice copy, I wait until the store restocks! I don't read prefaces or book reviews until I've actually finished the book. I think the majority of magazine readers start at the back. My husband likes this as his monthly column is on the very last page of Smart Computing magazine. :) I love to see what other people are reading (on planes, in restaurants, at the doctor's office, etc.). I love bookstores and loved working in one, but I feel overwhelmed (maybe not claustrophobic) if I spend too much time in one. I'm always thinking, in the back of my mind, why am I here?! I could be at home, curled up with my current book, but instead, I'm shopping for more? Ack!
When I filled in this meme, before I tagged Bookfool, I put in the same thing about not standing a messed up cover. Actually, I can't stand a book with stains, tears, or worst of all, a cracked binding. I always thought that was very strange of me, and now I'm glad to see you agree. (One of my good friends has a Bible which is stuck together with duct tape, pages hanging out all over, and I offered to buy her a new one this year. But, she knows where everything is in hers.)
Do you really read the ending of the book first at times? Tell me it isn't true, or atleast tell me it's a non-fiction book!
:)
Yep just the last page but not always. It frustrates the heck out of *A* when she sees or hears about it. Haven't done it in a while though.
I always look at what other fellow commuters are reading too! I've gotten into several interesting conversations because of it! :)
This is a great meme! I love your answers, especially the one about setting the mood for the book. I like that idea. I do find that if I'm reading a book with really good food descriptions, I start craving the food and will have to get some.
That's funny about reading the magazines backwards. I went through an interesting phase where I would read the end of novels before I started the book. I know it's horrible! I did find that it didn't really matter though. Because it was out of context, I usually wouldn't understand the ending, so by the time I finished the book, I was still surprised.
i shudder to think of your reaction when i sent you the well "loved" book of mary queen of scots! :) it was a really good read, but the cover was ruined.
i also get claustrophobic in bookstores and libraries. maybe that's why i amazon/bookcrossing/thrift shop most of my books.
Creating the right mood thingy is soooooo cool :)
I share # 1,2,5&6.
Stay Beautiful...!!
I read newspapers and magazines backwards, too. Annoys the hell out of MyGuy.
And I love seeing what other people read, that's one of the reasons I like book blogs.
i look at all the ads first in magazines and then read articles.
gs It's interesting that you read several books at the same time, I have tried that in the past, but will admit I'm not very successful at that. I,too, cannot read a book while lying down - I'm asleep in 2 secs! :)
Angela Yeah, we book lovers are weird like that. Can't wait to start "Good Earth", have you?
Les I'm going to have to look for a copy of "Smart Computing" and ofcourse, I'll start at the very back! :) After reading comments to the meme it seems to me that all magazine readers seem to read backwards - wonder why? Did you enjoy the experience of working for a bookstore? I keep wondering if being surrounded by books day in and day out intensifies one's love of books or dilutes it?
bellezza I'm with you on the cracked binding, I don't enjoy that either, but I will admit,rather guiltily, that sometimes I might highlight certain passages in my books or make cryptic notes in the margins. Ofcourse, I would never dream of giving those books away. Isn't it weird how the inside of a book doesn't bother me as much as the cover? Am I shallow or what? :)
Sanjay OK, you sound like a reformed last page reader :) When I first started recording my thoughts on books on this blog, I would unthinkingly provide spoilers galore - I don't do that so much anymore! :)
Lauren Glad to know it's been a positive experience for you - I'd like to think most people would be happy discussing their books, I know I would!
Hollydolly Yes, there's something to picking up an old book and wondering what its story is (literally)...where it has been and how many people have thumbed through its pages.
Anali Thanks! I'm with you on the food - it makes me crazy until I can get some! Recently I went to the book launch of "Half of A Yellow Sun" (a book set in Nigeria) and the organizers thoughtfully provided a whole table full of local Nigerian food, so there I was munching on fried cassava as the author read - a beautiful experience! :)
Interesting observation you made on reading the ending of a novel - Sanjay, I'm sure, will agree with you!
Melissa You know what is so weird? I wasn't affected by the cover of "Mary of Scots", I didn't even notice it. This weirdness about book covers is very recent! :)
Sugarlips Good thing you share all that weirdness with me. We book lovers are a weird lot, aren't we? :)
kucki If you ever discover why we magazine lovers read them backwards, do clue me in. I'm really curious about it! :)
thy Welcome to my blog! My daughter does the same thing, she spends hours pouring over the ads before she gets to the articles, interesting!
It was fun reading your 6 things related to books/reading. I was really fascinated by your devotion to setting a mood. What a splendid idea.
Peace~
I loved working at Borders Books & Music. It was so much fun to talk about my favorite reads with the "regulars" who would come in seeking my recommendations, as well as chatting about books with fellow booksellers. And of course, it was always a thrill to unpack the new boxes of books and see what gem might be waiting for me to buy. I fondled a lot of books when I was working in that store! :)
quite interesting .. so you can't read a book that has a torn cover .. hmmm .. never heard that one ..
why are all the werid things about you related to book and reading?
Hah! I know what you mean about #5 - I have the same habit too. But there was a time when A LOT of people were reading THE DA VINCI CODE on the buses and trains. I was most distressed. "Don't people read anything else?" I wanted to scream.
And #6 - bookstores make you claustrophobic? Now this is strange. I actually work in a book store, so imagine if you have my job. Hee.
Hey Lotus,
Didn't realize there was a question for me there..
"Tell me, if your fellow-commuter was craning his/her neck to look at the title of your book, would you engage them in conversation or would you consider it an invasion? "....Andddd the answer is....."depends on the fellow passenger. It all depends on their body language..of curiosity or Nosey..but am a chatterbox..u know ;)"
getzapped Hi! I thought I was weird for doing that, but apparently lots of booklovers do it, too. If there's one thing this meme has taught me, it's that I am not as weird as I thought! :) Thanks very much for stopping by.
Les Ooooh, I want to fondle and caress some books, too, but knowing how I react in bookstores sometimes, it would have to be in the privacy of my own home! :) Yes, I do think of one of the perks of working for a bookstore is to enjoy pleasant chats with other book lovers!
Nabeel Because this is a book blog, I thought I would keep the meme book related. Ofcourse, all that might change in a bit because I'm thinking of mixing up the content a little - we'll see how it goes.
Dark Orpheus I have noticed that, too! Most people are reading bestsellers, not the ones that appear on the NY Times' list, but ones that feature prominently in airport stores and the like. I want to shake them up, too! :)
Motorama Well, I squeezed the question in there just to see if you actually read the responses to your comments! :) Glad to note you passed the test...you were late however! And yes, how would you resist talking to a fellow-commuter, you chatterbox, you! :)
You would scare me if I met you on a train and you stared at the cover of whatever I was reading! But I know what you mean about books with ripped or dirty covers - I lent a copy of A Clockwork Orange to an arty friend, and when she returned it covered with paint and a crumpled front cover, I knew I could never pick it up again, so I ended up giving it to her as a gift!
Happy New Year to you Lotus! Hmmm I can kind of relate to most of them but the one about reading a magazine backwards is very strange indeed. Maybe you were an Arabic speaker in your previous life ;-)
I don't like reading books that are all grungey either! That is the problem for me with library books. I have to try and get them really new or I can't bear reading them. Glad I am not the only one. I also don't read prefaces until the end!
LOL traveller See, that's why I hate myself for staring at people's books, I sense that a lot of people are discomforted when a stranger looks at them, but I can't help myself, I just have to stare until I read the title! Sorry that your book was returned to you in such a state!
Hi act Hmmmm, well I have studied Arabic, so you could have a point there :), but how do you explain why so many other magazine lovers do the same thing? :)) Happy New Year to you, too - wishing you the best this year has to offer!
Hi Prithi You know what? I think you are on to something here - the "Newsweek" too, has all the gossip on the pages towards the end, guess that's why some of us are in the habit.
hiDanielle You're right about library copies,ugh! I hate library DVD's with equal passion, they always seem scratched and grungy by the time I get them.
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