While I am a published journalist and not new to blogging, I am a novice when it comes to running my own site. Feel free to offer up any suggestions or link to my site. To authors, publicists and publishers: I would love any ARC's that you may have to throw my way. My reviews get cross-posted at Goodreads and LibraryThing, as well as Amazon (on request). My feed can also be found on a number of social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter, BookBlips and several Ning groups.I am also open to blog tours and giveaways. Anyone can contact me by at jax1204(at)gmail(dot)com.
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Basic Book Meme:
Hardback when I have the extra cash or want the book badly. Trade paperback usually. Mass market for authors I'm new to, books I haven't heard much about or am skeptical about, or simply if I'm on a budget.
2. Barnes & Noble or Borders?
Borders. They have better deals through they their Rewards program. Plus, for some reason there always easier to find or access.
3. Bookmark or dog-ear?
Bookmark. Dog-earing a book is akin to blasphemy.
4. Amazon or brick and mortar?
There's just something about a bookstore . . . but, I will get things online if the price is really good (including the addition of S + H) or the book is hard to find.
5. Alphabetize by author, alphabetize by title, or random?
My bookshelves are completely random. Although I've been thinking about organizing by color one day.
6. Keep, throw away, or sell?
Keep usually. I used to sell my textbooks, but I find that selling novels is usually a waste. It's all aroung better to swap them. Throw away? Again - blasphemy.
7. Keep dust jacket or toss it?
Keep
8. Read with dust jacket or remove it?
Remove
9. Short story or novel?
Novel
10. Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
Harry stomps on Snicket.
11. Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
When I'm tired I try to make it to a chapter break, but that's not always possible.
12. “It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
"Once upon a time". It's a great way to start off something really dark. What can I say? Nostalgia . . .
13. Buy or borrow?
Buy. I hate not being able to keep a book at my leisure. Almost as much as I hate lending my own out.
14. New or used?
New if I can afford it. I used to abhor used books, but lately I've fallen in love with Bookmooch. Just don't have the disposable income right now.
15. Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?
Reviews and recommendations from certain people. But like I said earlier, there's just something about a bookstore. They always induce an urge in me to browse.
16. Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
It depends. Tidy endings are nice (although cliched) for romances and chick lit. I think there's a difference between books with cliffhangers and those that just leave loose-ends. Cliffhangers, in my opinion, should only be employed in books where the story will continue, a la sequels or series. Loose-ends are good for more complex novels where it would be more realistic for the story to not be wrapped up nicely.
17. Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
Anytime of the day is a good time to read for me.
18. Stand-alone or series?
Both
19. Favorite series?
Whoa, there's a long list. I'll just list some that I've recently read an installment from: Ilona Andrews's Kate Daniels, Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress, Kim Harrison's The Hollows, Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries, Richelle Mead's Georgina Kincaid, Jaye Wells's Sabina Kane, Patricia Briggs's Mercy Thompson and Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires.
Non-paranormal faves include: the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella and the Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty.
20. Favorite books read last year?
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, Emma and Persuasion both by Jane Austen,Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates and the complete Southern Vampire and Mercy Thompson series because they were my introduction to adult Urban Fantasy (outside of the Buffy novels that I used to love back in the day).
21. Favorite books of all time?
Impossible to choose a few. I love too many.
22. What are you reading right now?
Black and White by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge, Magic to the Bone by Devon Monk,Another One Bites the Dust by Jennifer Rardin.
I'm about to start Of Bees and Mist for this blog specifically.
23. What are you reading next?
Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love by Lara Vapnyar.
24. Favorite book to reread?
Austen's Persuasion
25. Do you ever smell books?
Of course, especially the used ones.
