Are you all ready to know of my evil ways? This week's Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is bookish confessions, and I have quite a few.
1. I dog-ear pages. If I want to remember where something is, I dog-ear the page. Guilty as charged. I will say, though, that I don't do it to books that do not belong to me.
2. I write in and highlight books. What better way to remember the quotes that I love? I love picking a book up off the shelf and turning to the highlighted pages in order to revisit some of my favorite passages.
3. I take the book jacket off hardcovers. I can't stand to have those extra loose pages flapping around -- they tend to get torn when I leave them on.
4. I don't mind watching the movie before I read the book. *GASP* I feel like this is my most shocking book confession. Honestly, reading the book first frequently makes me hate the movie, but watching the movie first usually makes me appreciate the book even more. I like being able to enjoy both adaptations instead of just one.
5. Sometimes, I like the movie more than the book. For the most part I like the detail and depth that is available in books. However, sometimes it is translated much better to movie form. Some examples I can think of right now are Slumdog Millionaire and Sarah's Key. I also really didn't like the fifth Harry Potter book, but the movie adaptation is my favorite.
6. I like having used books. I like seeing people's old highlights or their names written in the front covers. I've never found a book with a beautiful inscription but it is on my bucket list.
7. I don't mind having battered and bruised books. I like my books to look well-loved. My husband came home from boot camp having water-damaged one of my books, and I didn't even care (as long as it is still readable, of course). Now, whenever we see that book, we will remember that it went to boot camp with my husband and will bring that entire host of memories with it.
8. I sometimes read the last sentence on the last page. I never used to do that -- absolutely deplored the idea of it -- but for some unknown reason, lately I've found myself turning to the last page and doing that. I kind of like it, because while it gives away something, it is usually in a way that I am not realizing or expecting.
9. If a book has a lame plot, I might still like it. If it has lame characters, I won't be able to tolerate it. Characters are way more important to me than plot. I can take a slow plot any day.
10. I am notoriously awful at returning borrowed books. There is only one book I can think of that I never returned, because I fell out of touch with the person from whom I borrowed it. However, I just returned seven books to my sister-in-law that I borrowed almost two years ago. Shameful.
I'm with you on number 9, if the plot isn't good, I might still like the book, but if I don't like the characters, then I won't like the book.
ReplyDeleteGood to know I'm not the only one!
DeleteIt’s true, sometimes the movie does improve upon the book. And I don’t mind battered books either. I think it gives the book character and shows how much you love it and have read it over and over.
ReplyDeleteWhat you said about the battered books showing how much you love the book totally rings true for me. I love when my books have been well-loved.
DeleteI like having used books too! I have a used copy of A Game Of Thrones and inside is an inscription to a Virgil, so my friend Lisa over at Lisa Is Busy Nerding and I call that particular copy Virgil.
ReplyDeleteI like the movie more than the book sometimes too - particularly in the case of PS I Love You.
That's cool that you have a name for your specific copy of the book. And so true about PS I Love You -- I actually DNFed the book but I really enjoyed the movie.
DeleteI love your #7 :-) And I also take the dust jacket off the hardcovers while I read. The hard cover is durable - that flimsy dust jacket is not!
ReplyDeleteThanks! And I so agree -- if I keep the dust jacket on it just gets destroyed. Although honestly, I usually like the way the hardcover book looks better without the dust jacket anyway.
DeleteI liked the Harry Potter 5 movie a lot better than the book, too! And I always check how many pages are in a book, so I see a lot of last lines, too.
ReplyDeleteI do that too. I like to know how close I am to achieving the goal of finishing! I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes movie 5 better than the book. I'm listening to book 5 again and it is still annoying me this time around. Harry is such a grump in it.
DeleteWhen I buy new books, I like to purchase and keep them in pristine condition, but on the other hand, I love to find battered and well-loved books in thrift stores too. And I love when I find old books that have inscriptions in them, especially when they've included the year. Although, it makes me a little sad when it says "Merry Christmas Jimmy, Love, Gramma" and I can't understand how someone wouldn't keep a book inscribed to them!
ReplyDeleteSo true about it being sad when someone doesn't keep a book from their grandma! My sister-in-law just gave us a bunch of picture books that were inscribed to my husband and I love them. I need to start inscribing books that I give as gifts.
DeleteOh my gosh! I thought I was the only person who liked to watch the movie before I read the book! Yay! I'm not alone. I also wish I would highlight my books. I always forget to but I wish I did.
ReplyDeleteI forget to a lot as well. I am trying to keep track of quotes that I really like on my computer so I've been doing more highlighting lately -- we'll see if it lasts. And yay for watching the movie first. It's too bad I'm not in Utah anymore -- we could be movie-first buddies.
DeleteThe book jackets get on my nerves as well...but I left that off my list :/
ReplyDeleteIt seems to bother a lot of people!
DeleteOhhh I'm pretty bad at returning borrowed books too. It's pretty sa though because I'm a librarian. Haha
ReplyDeleteHaha I guess it is just human nature!
DeleteI love used books too! I love knowing that someone has either loved and had and held a book before me and then chosen to let it go, and now I get to have it instead of it getting thrown away. I bet more than half of my books are used and I will scour Goodwill and consignment shops and used shops even for specific titles before I'll give in a purchase them. My husband says I spend more in gas driving around looking for used versions than I would if I'd just buy the new books. :)
ReplyDeleteI have so many more used books than new as well! I found a really good used bookstore in my husband's hometown and I have been going crazy lately. I also love getting books at library sales. I love thinking about the history they have!
DeleteI totally am the same on 4,5,8,and 9! I definitely don't mind watching the movie first, especially if it's of a classic. Then I feel like watching the movie helps me understand the book more. Although sometimes I watch the movie never end up reading the book.
ReplyDeleteI tend to trust your judgment in books so it makes sense that we are the same on 9! I don't always read the book after seeing the movie either -- depends on how good the movie is, I guess.
DeleteI have never minded the condition of my books - whether new and pristine or battered ... well loved & read means it has been enjoyed :-)
ReplyDeleteTanya Patrice
Girlxoxo.com
I agree completely. :)
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