i wrote a manifesto for procrastinators because that is what i am.

Another reading meme to whittle away some time I ought not be whittling away so freely.  I forget where I got this from (as usual); apologies!

01.  What kind of reader are you?
A particular one who reads with a pencil with which to mark passages I like very lightly then goes back to copy down said passages into a notebook and erase the light pencil marks.  I’m also not a spine-bender, corner-folder, or book abuser or any sort — hell, I’ll tape book bindings to further their lifespan.

02.  How long do you give a book?
It gets a skim of three random pages to capture my interest.  If I’ve already picked it up and started to read it seriously?  Maybe a quarter, maybe half, maybe five pages.  Depends how indulgent and patient I’m feeling at the moment.

03.  Do you crack the spine?
Refer back to Q01.

04.  Books you don’t care for?
Chick lit, mystery, romance, science fiction …

05.  Why do you like reading?
Why do you like breathing?

06.  Hardcover or paperback?
Paperback — lighter and less nuisance of the dust jacket.

07.  Do people think your book buying is weird?
I return things compulsively (this doesn’t apply only to books).  People think that is weird.

08.  Do covers influence you?
Yes.  Covers are important, and [good] book designers fall in the ranks of people I respect because book designing is hard.  Of course, that said, if I really want to read a book, I won’t let a bad cover dissuade me, but, if I’m on the fence, it can (and has been) a deal-breaker between whether I fuck it and read it, wait for the next edition, or move onto the next book on my list.

09.  Read books or e-books?
Real books.

10.  Could you date someone who doesn’t read?
I’d like to say, No, but we all know that’s a lie.  And, yes, I do judge people according to what they do or don’t read.  What people read and how they treat their books speak volumes about them.

11.  Books you re-read the most?
You know, surprisingly (or not), I don’t reread very many books — or, at least, if it’s a re-read, it’s a re-read that comes a few years after the first read.

13.  Funniest book you’ve ever read?
Uhm …

14.  Does reading make you smarter?
Not if you’re reading Twilight.  But, serious answer, it depends on the reader and how one reads.  It’s like everything else in life; you take from it what you will, what you’re willing to put into it.

15.  When do you read?
Whenever I can.  I try to make a habit of reading while I’m eating, which worked out great when I was working but only sporadically since I’ve come back to university.  Regardless, I do generally read on my own time everyday, usually in the evenings as I’m too busy napping in the library between classes during the day …

what he said

“I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound and stab us. If the book we’re reading doesn’t wake us up with a blow on the head, what are we reading it for? So that it will make us happy, as you write? Good Lord, we would be happy precisely if we had no books, and the kind of books that make us happy are the kind we could write ourselves if we had to. But we need the books that affect us like a disaster, that grieve us deeply, like the death of someone we love more than ourselves, like being banished into forests far from everyone, like a suicide. A book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us.”

— Franz Kafka

happy 75!

Penguin Books turned 75 this year.  Happy birthday, as-of-yet still favoured publishing house of mine.  I’m feeling a twinge of guilt for my recent love for Random House and loving these amusing little perks Penguin has released in celebration.

Also, for the 75th year, an interesting history of Penguin Books can be found here (also the source of the above-posted image).

(In tangent, penguins are still the only reason to visit zoos.)

penguin!

Penguin has a long history of amazing book cover design, but the work by David Pearson indubitably tops my list.  His covers for the “Great ____” lines by Penguin are quite possibly my favourite covers of all time, but is that of any surprise?  They are clean and minimal in execution, centre heavily around typography, and make fabulous use of colour.

[img from boingboing.  more by pearson on his website and flickr.]

we're playing along to mozart's requiem in d minor

Partly because of my love for this quote, it almost saddens me to admit that, thus far, The Cider House Rules has been a rather lacklustre read.  Granted, this seems a rather unforgiving statement that may be arriving too early because I’m admittedly only 41 pages in, but I’m not of the opinion that it’s too unfair to consider passing on a book when the first forty pages have failed to pique your interest.  The Cider House Rules hasn’t reeled me in like A Prayer for Owen Meany did from the get-go (Owen Meany, however, was an infatuation of sorts that went strong but tapered off near the end when it started to read too long), and, so, considering that my pile of books that must be read continues to grow, I may be placing this on hold for a later day.

Pity.  I plan on getting something inspired by that quote inked on me somewhere some time.  And that quote really was the main reason I picked up anything by Irving, too …

But, it must be said:  A Prayer for Owen Meany has some beautiful, beautiful writing.