Football season’s underway, baseball season’s getting into the “good part,” basketball season would like to start practices in a few weeks but has labor trouble – drama!, and the prospect of increasingly inclement weather as we move toward winter (for those poor souls unfortunate to live where I don’t) all combine to keep more R&BLers indoors. Got me wondering about folks’ reading habits – if they vary with the seasons and how, if the consumption rate of books read increases as alternate diversions decrease, if tastes change with the seasons, and questions like that.
With the weekend before us, I thought I’d indulge in an informal exploration of the Reading You, a topic that endlessly fascinates me, as you may know based on my R&BLers newsletters. Therefore, Readers & Book Lovers is conducting this nosy, prying, intimate inquiry into your personal lives. I’ve found a distinct eagerness among most Kossacks to share their deeply personal biographical bits, so, heck – what’s one more way for them to spill the beans about themselves? We’re all voyeurs here. So, both “sides” of the equation are balanced. Fair and balanced, I’m all about that!
If you take offense at being asked to reveal facts of taste and personal conduct, read no further. Go Back! CEASE!! This is not for you. MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY ! ! !
Take as many comments to answer as many questions as you like. You don't have to respond to all 10 in a single comment. You may wish to answer the "quick and dirty" ones first, think about some others and get back to the thread with another comment later. You're perfectly free to change your mind and come back with an emendation in a reply to your own post. Messy is good!
Now, for those intrepid souls still with us, here’s the questions for you:
1. Which do you prefer: fiction or non-fiction ? Why?
2. Why do you read? Open question, but some reasons may be a) for escape – real life sucks!; b) for brain/mind development; c) my TV is broken; d) I’m a paid book reviewer, etc.
3) What is the first book you remember reading by yourself?
4) In the event of a fire, what books would be in the one armload that you save from the flames destined to consume your tree book library?
5) Name one book that you literally could not put down, but read beginning to end in one fell swoop.
6) You are in heaven/hell (pick a favorite). You are the heavenly/hellish host of a literary manna/temptation party, to which you invite 5 of your favorite dead authors. Who are they and what do you want to be THE topic of discussion as you consume/lust after your repast?
7) You are a TV host on a show that features controversial topics of our times. Pick a highly controversial topic and pick three writers who you’d like to see come to blows discuss it.
8) If you could write or have plans to write a non-fiction book, what will it be about?
9) Ditto fiction (short story, novel, yes– even poem!).
10) You don’t own this book, haven’t downloaded it, it’s not available at the moment in your public library, but you want to read it next.
There, that was painless now, wasn't it?
Bonus question: What question not on the questionnaire do you want to ASK and ANSWER?
Announcements
1. Editor needed for My Favorite Books/Authors. The position requires less time and effort than completing this survey and provides greater rewards! Please message me, if you want to become a much revered Editor about the place. If you have qualms, ask another of our fine R&BLers editors how they're managing. Here's some but not all gurus you can go to for their opinions on being an R&BLers Editor:
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2. The second and final discussion of Dava Sobel's Longitude will be right here, THU, Sept. 22 at 2PM ET. If you have suggestions for our next e-book read, please make them below as I will be announcing the choice in the next R&BLers newsletter TUE, Sept. 20 at 8PM ET.
Titles I'm considering:
Lady Chatterley's Lover (the unexpurgated edition) D H Lawrence
Alison Wonderland Helen Smith
My Life in France Julia Child, Alex Prud'Homme
House of Mirth (free) Edith Wharton
The Life of the Cosmos Lee Smolin
Face the Winter Naked Bonnie Turner
Please remember our rules for selecting: Books must cost less than $8 in e-dition and NOT be one of a series.