Two things you should know about me (among a few others, sure, but we’ll start with these): 1) I’m an opportunist when it comes to book-talk, and 2) I’m a fan of the booktube channel Amrita by the Book. So when Amrita did a video for The Book Addiction 2020 tag, I decided I’d hop right on that wagon, too. Nobody asked me to this hayride, but did you really think that tiny fact would keep me away? Ha!
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the longest amount of time you can comfortably go without picking up a book?
It really depends – sometimes I can go days without reading, but other times I get into high reading mode, which is where I’m at now. In this mode, I can go max 8 hours before I start wanting a book, but I’d say I’m averaging about 4 hours between reading sessions (if we include audiobooks – which I most emphatically do).
2. How many books do you carry on your person (physical or device) at any one time?
Hm… including ebooks/audiobooks books, I usually have about three on-hand and ongoing. If I’m currently reading a physical copy, I’d usually carry that in my bag, but I’ve cut that out since COVID-19 hit. The less things I have to disinfect after a trip out into the world, the better, thanks.
3. Do you keep every book you buy/receive or are you happy to pass them on to make space for more?
I am definitely a book hoarder. The few times I’ve purged a book from my collection, I’ve always regretted it. Except for Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. I may have only gotten a couple of bucks from the local Half Price Books for it, but at least I got something. Biggest waste of money (and time) I ever spent, that book.
4. How long would you spend in a bookshop on a standard visit?
Average time for me is about an hour – time to hit my main spots, looking for authors who are always on my buy list (Jane Austen, Rafael Sabatini, James Hilton, etc.) and then wander around for a while, browsing and checking out the clearance section.
5. How much time per day do you actually spend reading?
Uh… 4-6, with a book in my hand, and then maybe another 5-8 listening to an audiobook? I dunno. I never really stop to count. 🤷♀️
6. Where does the task “picking up a book” appear on your daily to-do list?
Anywhere I can fit it in! Back when I was still commuting 5 days a week, designated reading time was on the bus back and forth, and then I’d fit in audiobooks at work and maybe some more reading in the evening at home, but now it’s more of a free-for-all.
7. How many books do you reckon you own in total (include ebooks)?
Somewhere around a thousand? Including ebooks, maybe two thousand. This is another thing I don’t count but not because I’m not interested. No, no, I love making lists and tracking and knowing the numbers, but… I realized a long time ago that I just can’t keep up when it comes to my library, and I’d rather spend that time actually reading my books than counting them.
8. Approximately how often do you bring up books in conversation?
When do I not? If I had my way, I’d be talking books all the time – that, or old movies and Korean dramas. But I do have manners enough not to force the issue, so if someone isn’t a reader, I don’t make them listen to me go on.
9. What is the biggest book (page count) you have finished reading?
Hm… I think that would have to be The Count of Monte Cristo, at 1,243 pages. I usually avoid super-long books, but when I do get invested in one, it’s one of my favorite experiences – spending so much time with characters and stories. I almost always cry when I finish a book over 700 pages, just because I know I’ll miss having the characters with me every day. And The Count was well worth the effort. Dumas certainly took his time telling the story – and got sidetracked with several side stories along the way (the glories of old-time serialization, ha!) – but I like his style so much that I don’t begrudge him the extra word count.
10. Is there a book you had to get your hands on against all odds (searched bookstore, online digging, stalked author, etc.)?
You know, with the rise of online shopping, it’s pretty easy to find books these days, used or new – through Amazon, AbeBooks, eBay, Bookshop, etc., etc. etc. So this isn’t something a problem if I don’t mind digging around online. BUT. For in-person shopping? Gene Stratton-Porter is near impossible to find (I think in the past ten years of browsing, I’ve found only two volumes?), and it’s only every now and then that I can find Rafael Sabatini on a bookstore shelf. It’s really those early 20th-century writers that are hardest of in bookstores – the ones who are still under copyright and/or aren’t being taught in schools, so the demand is low.
11. Is there a book you struggled to finish because you refused to DNF?
I’m generally pretty good about tapping out if I’m not jiving with a book, but, yes, every now and then, one comes along that I refuse to let beat me. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues was definitely one of these – and to be honest, I probably would have DNFed if it hadn’t been for a book club discussion (which never happened because we both showed up, realized neither of us wanted to waste another second on the book, and promptly moved on to other things). The Turn of the Screw was also a bit of slog for me – I just couldn’t get into it. And then, of course, there was some of my assigned reading in college – Tancred, The Plot Against America, Hemingway, Faulkner, and so forth.
12. What are 3 (some) of your main book goals for 2020 or 2021 (if you’ve started planning)?
I don’t usually think of reading in terms of goals, but I suppose I do have some “soft” goals for the new year. My reading this year was weighted heavily in favor of contemporary fiction – mostly historical romance (it’s 2020! I need fluff!) – which came at the expense of my classics reading. So I want to add more classics back into my TBR in 2021. And since most of the classics on my list are by white authors, I also want further diversify my reading in contemporary fiction to balance that out.
13. Have you ever had the privilege of converting someone into a reader (by inspiration or your incessant nagging)?
I don’t think so. I’ve definitely turned fellow-readers on to certain books or authors, but if someone isn’t into reading, I don’t push it on them – I just find other things we have in common to talk about. But if someone does ask me about my favorite books or for recommendations, I’m always happy to share.
14. Describe what books mean to you in FIVE words.
Books mean: home, family, exploration, understanding, and comfort.
So there are my answers to the Book Addiction 2020 book tag! Feel free to leave your answers in the comments – or tag yourself and answers the questions on your own platform! Let’s keep sharing the bookish love.
–b
Book It With Becca 