Comic: The Angst Of Reading A Good Book

Comic: Book Purge Angst

Gah. I have (once again) reached the point where there is no more room on my office bookshelves for new books, so I've been piling my "to read" books on the floor -- but these are starting to get tippy.

I know I need to give away older books I'll likely never read again, at least in physical form, but.....BUT IT'S SO HARD!

Anyone else feel like this when they're about to start reading a much-anticipated book?

To Dog-Ear Or Not To Dog-Ear?

Do you or don't you? Here are the results of the dog-ear poll I did a couple of years ago.

A new Will Write For Chocolate comic! Confession: I have a wee bit of Esme in my bibliophile soul.

 

A comic for bibliophiles

Comic: Bibliophile Ultimatum.

There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them. - Ray Bradbury

Comic: Bilbiophile Angst

Trying to make room for new books on my shelf by purging old ones but it's HARD. Here's how I feel.

Comic: Bibliophile Breakup

Poll Results: Do You Dog-Ear Pages In Books?

Thanks to those who answered my dog-earing survey! Exactly 100 people responded. Here's what you said...

Click to read more ...

A survey: Do YOU dog-ear pages in books?

After posting the found object doodle below on FB, a flurry of comments (turns out I'm not the only one who has a strong emotional reaction to dog-eared pages in books :-)) prompted me to post this anonymous 1-question survey:

How do you feel about dog-earing pages? After you answer my anonymous 1-question poll, you'll see what others have said.

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Curious about my other publishing industry surveys? Feel free to browse current and past Inkygirl Surveys online.

Comic: The Book Sniffer

Comic: Books Or Me

And once again, I am out of bookshelf shelf. AUGH. Gradually converting my favourite print books to ebooks (by giving away the print books, buying the digital versions) to make more room.

Except for picture books, which I still strongly prefer in print.

WILL SOMEONE PLEASE INVENT A BOOKSHELF TARDIS?

KEIKO: The First Time

Anyone else purposely slow down near the end of a really, really good book?

Also see my previous Keiko comics.

Comic: Harry Potter Fan

Bookworms comic: Dinner conversation

From the archives...

Making time to read (and a new Will Write For Chocolate)

Updated Will Write For Chocolate.

My life has gotten progressively busier over the past few years, and I'm finding it more necessarily to actually schedule in pleasure reading time. Sounds stuffy and formal, I know! But if I don't do that, my reading time gets cut way down.

By "pleasure reading," I mean reading just for the joy of it. Not because the books are written by people I know (even though it's likely I'll love those books, too) or books I've promised to review or books to improve my craft or business. I mean stories that I'm reading JUST FOR FUN.

And I'm thinking it's time for another of my own Secret Dates very soon. Happily, my husband understand. :-)

Quickie Poll Results: Strange Things That People Use As Bookmarks

Earlier in the weekend, I asked what you used as bookmarks in the last print book that you read. 42% said that you just used a regular bookmark. 9% said you fold back the corner of a page (GAH!!!). 6% said you didn't use any bookmark. The rest used irregular bookmarks (see comments below). I also asked people to list the most unusual item they've ever used as a bookmark.

Glad to see that I'm not the only one who has used my Kindle to mark my place in a print book. I do have a large collection of bookmarks, but more often I just grab whatever nearby object's handy to use to mark my place.

Here's a list of items that some of you said you've used as bookmarks in the past:

"Reading glasses (bonus: you also know where your reading glasses are). @amgamble"

"My wife used the dustjacket flap, which may be grounds for divorce. - @RonCharles"

"Candy wrapper. @ConnieBDowell"

"Another book, probably. Maybe that's not all that unusual. @jenhoward"

"My Kindle? True story. Or my reading glasses. I have also used clothing items. @janflora"

"A botched square from my string quilt project @krwhimsy"

"A Burger King straw, still in the wrapper. It was all I had on hand at the time. Still, CoffeeandKiwis on Twitter."

"Leaf I pulled off of a tree @MomDude56"

"An old photograph I found in a used book: three fierce-looking men standing in front of a Model T Ford."

"Another book! @rfarrenbarber"

"Leaf or twig while on the dock at the cottage @SuzanneDelRizzo"

"A sock @CMLasswell"

"Probably a hair tie - it was an emergency and the first thing that came to hand."

"(clean) tissue"

"A knitting pattern chart! Though I don't suppose that's actually 'unusual' when it's marking your place in a knitting book... @Knitronomicon"

"A pokemon card! @katefall"

"Anything that comes to hand: sticky notes, stick flags, tissues, napkins, old train tickets, receipts, photos, old Metrocards, paper money (usually just a one-dollar bill). I have plenty of real, purpose-built bookmarks, but they are never where I need them."

"I make my own by tearing reply cards into narrow strips."

"Reading in the car at kid's soccer practice, used the tow truck operator's business card that he left after last repair."

"I often use bits of paper my kids have doodled on. They make me smile. @jenhoward"

"I like to use old hotel key-cards (or similar - used gift cards, etc.). They're good and sturdy! (@JBD1)"

"Yes, I marked them all, which seems ridiculous, but I do them all and I did most of them to the recent book. I have tons of bookmarks, but I often fall asleep reading, so the book falls shut or I just grab a piece of paper in a hurry. And I have a book laying upside down and open beside me now. Note: I don't think I cornered the book I just finished, but had to check it out of residual guilt because that was a habit my mom always reprimanded me for as a child ("A tree died for that book!"). I did fold a bottom corner (of the laying open book--so bad!) to mark a quote I need to find later (guiltguiltguilt). @janflora"

"I used a letter from my girlfriend. It's still in my copy of No Plot? No Problem!. I'm CoffeeandKiwis on Twitter."

"Airplane boarding pass @MomDude56"

"I used one of my own promotional postcards..."

"One of those post-it sticky arrows."

"I usually use those "subscribe" postcards that fall out of magazines like the New Yorker. @annerallen"

"(My irregular bookmark was my chiropractor's business card). @dragonwrites"

"I made mini bookmarks from Moo mini cards to accompany promo materials. I always keep a few for myself ??@SuzanneDelRizzo"

"Don't fold the corner!! I used a glossy promotional card that was given to me by an author. @CMLasswell"

"Discarded backing paper from a sticker."

"I like The Last Line bookmarks that slip over a few pages - they stay in place and there's nothing sticking out to get caught and dislodged. Unfortunately, I don't think they're made any more... @Knitronomicon"

"Bookmark from the (indie!) bookstore where I purchased the book. @wisekaren"

"Kleenex"

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Also see the list of other Inkygirl survey results.