Kim, who writes Hiraeth, is beginning her own web-venture. Bookworm Bookmarks is her way of bringing together her two loves: books and calligraphy. I’ve already taken advantage of her talented hand, and I’ll share the work she did for me soon. To kick off the start of her business, she created a book-lovers meme! I couldn’t resist. I have to come off of my blogging hiatus to participate. Please click over to Bookworm Bookmarks to take a look at her handiwork. It’s beautiful!

Bookworm Bookmarks Meme

Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?

I take them any way I can get them. I can’t say that I have a preference.

Online purchase or brick and mortar?

Both.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?

Neither. The only chain store we have is Books-A-Million. BUT the new midtown project will have a Barnes & Noble. If I want a book ASAP, I go to BAM. If I don’t want it right away, I use Amazon. That way, I usually end up buying three books to take advantage of the super-saver shipping. Mmwua-ha-ha-ha-hah!

Bookmark or dog-ear?

Bookmark. Definitely bookmark. I used to dog-ear my books, that is, until Hubby turned me from my evil ways. He’s a bibliophile like myself, but he is the sort who will not even break the spine of a book when he reads it. I remember the first time he gave me one of his books to read. When I returned it, he asked what in the world happened to it. He bought another one to replace the one I borrowed. I was so embarrassed I haven’t broken a spine since.

Mark or not mark?

It depends. If I’m reading a book that is challenging, that I really want to learn from, I mark it up. I take notes and make summaries of the chapters in a notebook. If it’s a book for a group study, I mark it up. I usually do not mark up a hardback book. I take notes and write down the page numbers I need to go back to, with a note regarding paragraph and sentence. I don’t know why—I just like to keep my books neat these days. I don’t want to use up the margin space on a book I know I will read more than once. I just finished How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler. I marked it up! It just seemed like the right thing to do. I felt invited by the author to mark everywhere. If you’ve read it, you’ll understand.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?

We organize by owner. We have shelves of books that are just mine. Karl has his own case of books that are just his. Then, there are cases full of books that we both enjoy.

Keep, throw away, or sell?

Keep, give away, and sell. I can tell after the first reading if a book is one I’ll ever read again. I could never bring myself to throw a book away. At least I don’t think I could. I take that back. There is one book I know I threw away—it was so bad I couldn’t justify passing it on to someone else. I have given lots of books away. I walked into Sunday school one morning with bags full of books. I threw them up on the table and told the ladies they could take whatever they were interested in. I was never going to read them again and I was in immediate need of shelf space. I’ve also sold lots of books online.

Keep dustjacket or toss it?

Keep it.

Read with dustjacket or remove it?

Remove it.

Short story or novel?

Both.

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

Collection. I think the only anthologies I have are books I have from my college years.

Lord of the Rings or Narnia?

Without hesitation, Lord of the Rings.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?

Chapter breaks. OR when the author creates a break within a chapter.

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

“It was a dark and stormy night.”

Buy or Borrow?

I take them any way I can get them. Right now I am reading a borrowed book (Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands). And it’s the kind of book I would mark, so I have to fight the urge!

New or used?

I usually buy new. I have scoured yard sales for old books, though. I really love old books.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse?

All three.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?

Tidy ending.

Morning reading, afternoon reading or night time reading?

All three. I read early in the morning. I read during rest in the afternoons. I read while cooking. I read before sleeping. I read in the night when I can’t sleep.

Standalone or series?

Both.

Favorite series?

My favorite new series is The Mitford Series by Jan Karon. The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien is probably the best.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?

I don’t know if I have one of those.

Favorite books read last year?

I read Future Grace by John Piper last year. I can’t tell you how that book has helped me understand how to kill sin in my life!

Favorite book of all time?

The one I plan on reading every day for the rest of my life—The Holy Bible.