Today, in the absence of any content that I have to think too hard about (D-Day in 14 days!), I have yoinked another book meme from Catherine, who got it from LitLove.

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?

I don’t particularly, though it’s less about not wanting to smudge the pages than the fact that if I’m sucked into a book I sometimes forget to breathe, let alone eat.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?

I have taken a pencil to a number of books in my time, though obviously nothing valuable, or nothing that doesn’t actually belong to me. As Catherine said, pen in library books is nothing short of outrageous, and is possibly the one offence for which I would reconsider my position on the death penalty.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?

It very much depends on the book. If it’s a hardback, and I don’t have a bookmark to hand, then I use the flyleaf of the dust jacket to keep my place. If it’s a very cheap paperback, and I have no bookmark, then yes, dammit, I will turn down the corners. I am good at leaving bookmarks all over the house, though, so I can generally find one pretty quickly. If you’re interested, I’m currently using a Maisie Mouse one I got free from The Book Depository with an order.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?

Both. I love Victorian fiction, early 20thC fiction, and contemporary fiction (1970s onwards). I seem to have a massive gap between about 1930 and 1970 for some reason that was never designed. In non-fiction terms, give me good biography, Victorian/early 20thC history, women’s history, anything about feminism or a good travelogue, and I’ll be happy.

Hard copy or audiobooks?

Hardcopy nine times out of ten, though I do like an audiobook for a long drive.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?

I can put it down at any point, should the need arise, though I would prefer to get to the end of a chapter.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?

Pretty much, yes. I have a dictionary on my bedside table at all times, since that is where I do the bulk of my reading (regardless of time of day). I also have another dictionary next to a particular armchair that is my second favourite place to read. I really like dictionaries.

What are you currently reading?

My dissertation. Last minute journal articles for my dissertation that I keep finding (where the hell were they when I started my research, eh?). Re-reading bits of novels and short stories for my dissertation.

I’ve also indulged myself with a few pages of The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters each night before I go to sleep.

What is the last book you bought?

I bought a very cheap (sub £1) second copy of The Woman Who Did by Grant Allen because I’m writing about it in my dissertation, and it was a different edition to the one I am mainly using. I wanted it for the critical apparatus. I also recently bought (second hand) a two volume biography of Eleanor Marx that Academic Friend and I are both going to read and have intellectual/whisky-fuelled discussions about.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?

Given the choice, I’d have one on the go, though sometimes I accidentally end up with two. If I do have two going, then it’ll generally be one fiction and one non-fiction, so I don’t get too confused.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?

On weekdays, when I’m working, then reading is purely an evening pursuit. Boyfriend tends to work in the evenings, until about 8pm, so the three hours between getting home from work and us having dinner is prime reading time. At the weekends, it’ll be whenever I’m not doing something else.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?

A bit of both. Though, if I’m reading a series, I’ll usually slot a few standalones in between each volume of the series.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?

Several. Jane Eyre always deserves to be re-read. The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber is probably my favourite contemporary (though set in Victorian times) novel. The Spare Room by Helen Garner is very recent, but absolutely staggering.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)

In my dream house, where I’ll have high ceilings and a room large enough to keep all my books together in, then it will be separated into fiction and non-fiction, and will be organised alphabetically within each section. I believe this tendancy derives from working in a bookshop for four years. As it stands, only my classics are in alphabetical order. Everything else is a free-for-all.