The Reader’s Confession Tag

Hello,

I came across this tag in the page of Kindred Ruminations. I was really excited about the questions and decided to post it in my blog even though I was not nominated for this. Here comes the confession !

1. Have you ever damaged a book?

Even though I am very careless about a lot of my personal belongings, I am particularly careful with books. I am reluctant to fold the book while reading even if the size of the book is large. So, the answer is no.

2. Have you ever damaged a borrowed book?

I am usually very careful with the things that I have borrowed from others. Unfortunately, the answer is yes for this one.

The book was ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ which I was reading during a train journey. Somewhere in between I had dozed off and had woken up only when the train reached my station. While packing my things I searched everywhere for the book, but alas, I couldn’t find it. Even though I did not damage the book, I lost it and I feel that losing it is worse than damaging.

3. How long does it take you to read a book?

I am not a very fast reader and the time I take to finish a book depends on how interesting the book is. If the book is gripping, I don’t mind staying in bed an entire day to finish it. Once, I got so deeply drawn to a book such that I could not prepare for my exam that was just a few hours away till I finished reading it.  For a more serious read, I take anywhere between a week to a month.

4. Books that I haven’t finished

I make it a habit to finish all the books that I have started even if I find it dreary. Occasionally, a few books come along where despite my best efforts, I struggle to make progress. The number one in this list is ‘The Remains of the Day’ by Kazuo Ishiguro. If I am unable to complete a book I attempt reading it again after a few months.  However, I have never tried re-opening this book again as it utterly failed to engage me the first time.

5. Hyped or Popular books that you don’t like?

I am a stickler for good quality writing and choose my books based on it. This automatically eliminates Hunger Games and Twilight from my list. The book which really disappointed me was ‘The Catcher in the Rye’, a must-read book for many people. I started reading it with great expectations but could no way identify myself with the protagonist and his thoughts. The book made no sense to me, maybe because I was already past my rebellious teenage years when I got my hands on it.

6. Is there a book you wouldn’t tell anyone you were reading?

No. Regardless of whether I liked a book or not, I wouldn’t mind disclosing the books which I have read.

7. How many books do you own?

I have started purchasing books only since the past five years. I own less than 150 books.

8. Are you a fast reader or a slow reader?

Neither fast nor slow, I am an average reader. My pace depends on the book I am reading.

9. Do you like to buddy read?

No way! I am totally against buddy reading and would like to read the book according to my mood and at my pace. I am open to a discussion about the book after reading it, but I dislike group readings.

10. Do you read better in your head or out loud?

I read better in my head. Reading out loud for me is more like preparing for an exam and is not an enjoyable process.

11. If you were allowed to own one book, what would it be and why?

No need to think twice for this one! 1984. This is my all-time favorite book but I don’t have a personal copy as I had borrowed it from a library then. I love all the quotes in this book and would like to go back to it every now and then.

I nominate all my followers to answer this really fun questionnaire.