Would You Rather: Bookish Edition

Would you rather only read the first book or the last book in a series? The first. I don’t want to be completely lost

Would you rather never go to a bookstore or a library ever again? Bookstores. I love libraries too much. I can always buy books online.

Would you rather live in a fictional world or have fictional characters live in your world? I want to live in a fictional world. That’d be fun.

Would you rather buy every book or borrow every book? I love buying books. My bank account doesn’t however.

Would you rather read out loud or listen to someone read to you? Read out loud. I don’t do it often enough.

Would you rather always bring a book with you or never be able to? Always bring a book. Ebooks make this much easier.

Would you rather throw a book into a fire or into water? Water. I don’t have what it takes to burn a book.

Would you rather eat dinner with your favourite author or favourite character? I’ll pick the brain of an author any day.

Would you rather spoil a book for someone else or have someone spoil a book for you? I can’t stand spoilers. So I’m going to spoil a book or ten for someone else. Sorry not sorry.

Would you rather have to recommend books you hate or be recommended books you hate? Be recommended books I hate. What an awful life either way.

Would you rather only read at home or on the go? I’m such a homebody. I do a lot of reading at home. I’ll survive doing other things on the go.

How To Tell A Good Story

Here’s my advice on how to tell a good story.

Create dynamic characters.

They shouldn’t be perfect because everyone is flawed in some way.

Make everyone want something.

As simple as wanting a glass of water or as complicated as saving the world.

Have stakes.

Every action has a reaction.

Don’t sugarcoat.

Tell the story in all it’s ugliness.

Never underestimate the intelligence of your readers.

Enough said.

Aim for clarity.

Confusion is bad communication.

Get creative.

Put your own twist on tried-and-true tropes.

Finish.

A complete story will always win against an incomplete one any day.

Give your readers some closure.

You don’t have to answer every question, but you still have to tie up a few loose ends.

Keep writing.

You won’t write good stories until you write a lot of bad ones.

A Reader’s Thoughts In A Bookstore

I read this. I need to read that. I own this one already.

What a great deal. Wow, how expensive.

I don’t need to buy more books, but I want them all.

That’s cute. Oh my god, it’s so pretty.

My wallet is going to hate me. I better not spend over my credit limit.

What a beautiful cover. Yes, please.

I remember reading that forever ago.

Oh, boxed sets are the best.

It smells amazing in here. I need to buy a perfume that smells like old books.

I could sit here all day and read. But I should go home and read the book I started.

It’s getting late. It’s dark out already? I’ve been here for how long. Two hours? I don’t have anywhere else to go though.

You know what would be perfect right now? A coffee. Tea doesn’t sound too bad either. I’m thirsty. Come to think of it, I’m hungry too. Maybe I should get something to eat, so I don’t starve to death.

I wonder how many books I can carry before I break both arms. How much is too much?

No one can ever have too many books. I’m running out of space on my shelves. I’ll make room.

I really ought to sell some of my books. I could use the money to buy new ones.

I should borrow from the library. Will I have enough money for food if I spend most of my pay check on books? Why do humans have to eat anyway? Stories are nourishing.

What should I buy? That looks interesting. Let me take a picture of all of these, so I can check them out later. Am I really a reader if I walk out of a bookstore empty-handed?

It’d be cool to work in a bookstore. I wonder what that’s like. I wonder if they’re hiring. I could tell them how much I love reading on my resume.

Underrated Talents Reader Possess

• Forgetting everything they just read but remembering something they read ten months ago.
• Lying to themselves when they say “one more chapter”.
• Navigating their way around bookstores and libraries.
• Spotting red herrings a mile away.
• Reading multiple books at once.
• Recommending great reads on demand.
• Organizing their shelves by colour, genre, and height.
• Picking up a book but not putting it down.
• Keeping snacks on hand.
• Owning novels they haven’t read.

Why I Love Books But Hate Showing People My Bookshelves

I love books. I love reading. But I don’t know why I don’t like showing people my shelves.

Maybe I’m just weird.

A lot of my relatives don’t read. You can’t pick family, right? At least, my best friends read.

I’m all for being surrounded by books. It brings me so much joy to look at my shelves. But I don’t love the prospect of someone else staring at it.

My younger cousin walked into my room one time and proceeded to count how many books I owned. I was curious and mortified at the same time.

Since then, I’ve added many more to my ever-growing collection. It’s grown so much bigger than I expected. So now I’m way too lazy to count all the books I possess.

I’m not embarrassed by my shelves. If anything, I’m quite proud.

My one issue is that I only have one bookcase.

At the rate I’m buying books, I’ll need an entire room to store them all one day. Hopefully, by the time I run out of space, I’ll have the means to move out into my dream house. A girl can dream.

I think you can tell a lot about a person by looking at their bookshelves. I wonder what my collection would say about me.

I love books, but I don’t love showing people the shelves in my room. I’m not the biggest fan of sharing my babies either.

I’m strange. But that’s okay.

Get To Know The Reader

Why do you love books?

What’s there not to love?

Why do you read?

To escape from the real world. Fictional ones are better anyway

What’s your favourite genre?

Anything suspenseful. Crime. Mystery. Thriller.

What’s your least favourite genre? 

Romance. At times, it’s a bit repetitive.

When do you read?

I tend to read in the morning or afternoon. Natural light all the way.

Where do you read?

In my room, in my bed.

Do you have a favourite author?

I can’t choose one. But I like David Baldacci, Pierce Brown, Sarah J. Maas, and Jodi Picoult.

Do you have a reading routine?

Kind of. I wash my hands before reading since I’m a bona fide germaphobe. I update my Goodreads status after (if I remember).

10 Reasons Why You Should Buy Books

1. Support other authors. Artists supporting artists will never get old.
2. Writing novels is hard. Reading stories is not.
3. Add to your ever growing to-be-read list. May you get to all of them one day.
4. Escape the real world. Fictional worlds are the best.
5. Walking out of a bookstore empty-handed is wrong. I don’t make the rules.
6. Take cute pictures. Do it for your Instagram feed.
7. Books are magical. Experience that magic first-hand.
8. You need a distraction. For all the times you need to forget about how you embarrassed yourself in front of your colleagues or crush.
9. Make new friends. Get this, you don’t even have to leave your house.
10. You only love your bed and your books. I’m too old to make references to pop culture.

Falling In Love With Ebooks

I’ll be the first to admit I’m old-school, super traditional. I also describe myself as a stubborn person with specific habits.

Which is why for the longest time, I never even read an ebook, much less reached for one. But last year, I discovered I don’t mind them as much as I thought I did. So now I’m a fan.

I still and will forever love physical books. Nothing can replace the experience of turning real pages. Too bad they aren’t as portable as ebooks.

As someone who takes the bus and train, I love having a collection of books on my phone. I’m never truly alone then.

While in transit, I tend to pore over non-fiction. I love fiction, but I don’t love having to stop in the middle of a chapter when I reach my destination. With non-fiction, regardless of where I left off, I find it easier to pick up at a later point.

Both print and digital books have their pros, their cons. Either way, we can use the format that best suit our preferences or lifestyles.

Admittedly, I haven’t given audiobooks a go. Part of me wonders if I ever will. But it’s great to know that many people out there love listening to them.

I don’t own a dedicated e-reader of any kind. My phone does a decent enough job. But if anyone wants to get me one, I wouldn’t be opposed.

No matter the form it takes, reading is a wonderful thing. I will never be against anyone who loves any and all kinds of books.