I generally prefer “brick and mortar” over online stores but I’ve bought a lot of books (in the past) from eBay.ph and one of the other local auction sites.

Anyway, I forgot where I got this but it’s one of the best memes I’ve ever come across. But then, it’s about books..so I’m biased.

1. Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?
   I collect the hardcover editions of my favorite authors’ novels. If I can’t find a hardback, I settle for the trade paperback. For all other books, I buy the mass market editions — especially when money’s a bit tight.
2. Amazon or brick-and-mortar? (buying online or in a store?)
   I prefer buying in a store because I can check the condition of the book — I’m very particular about scratches, nicks, bumps, etc. especially with hardbacks. Plus, I love just going around the store and finding new stuff. BUT I’ve acquired some pretty rare finds online so I still browse when I can.
3. Amazon or the Co-Op Bookstore?
   Uh… Sorry, what?
4. Barnes & Noble or Borders?
   We don’t have either here. Here, it’s either Powerbooks or Fully Booked. I have discount cards for both stores but I usually make reservations with Powerbooks since it’s more convenient. I love browsing through the collections at Fully Booked though.
5. Bookmark or dog ear?
   BOOKMARK!!! I hate dog ears… I don’t care if it gives the book “character.” I like keeping my books’ pages crisp and neat.
6. Alphabetize by author, or alphabetize by title, or random?
   I alphabetize by author then by title.
7. Keep, throw away, or sell?
   I have an extremely hard time letting go of any of my books — even if I didn’t really like it. I could never throw away a book (no matter how old and battered it is) so I either give it away or sell it but only if I’ve acquired a better copy or if the person I’m giving it to would really appreciate it.
8. Keep dust jacket or toss it?
   Why would you throw away a dust jacket?! It’s PART of the book.
9. Read with dust jacket on or remove it?
   When I have time or I’m not in too much of a hurry to start reading, I cover my books with plastic WITH the dust jacket on… When I’m not able to do that, I just slip the dust jacket off and put it back on when I’m done reading.
10. Short story or novel?
    I prefer novels but I love short stories by local (Filipino) authors.
11. Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)?
    I usually end up buying anthologies but I buy short story collections by my favorite authors.
12. Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
    I love Harry Potter. I’ve always wanted to read Lemony Snicket but I watched the movie before I got around to it… I still hope to read it someday.
13. Stop reading when tired, or at chapter breaks?
    Chapter breaks.
14. “It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
    Hmmn… The former always makes me think of Snoopy — I love the Peanuts gang! Hmmn… I suppose I still prefer the latter.
15. Buy or Borrow?
    Buy. Unless it’s a book that I’m not that interested in.
16. New or used?
    New. Unless it’s a rare first edition then I wouldn’t mind if it’s not in mint condition.
17. Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation, or browse?
    Browse. Sometimes book reviews. I rarely go by recommendations unless it’s by someone I know understands or shares my interests.
18. Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
    I like cliffhangers but only if the book is written by one of my favorite authors — George R. R. Martin, for example.
19. Morning, afternoon or night-time reading?
    I read whenever I get the chance. I’d read all day if I could!
20. Stand alone or series?
    I love series. My favorite genre is fantasy and most of the novels I read are part of a series.
21. Favorite series?
    The Lord of the Rings. George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is a close second.
22. Favorite book which nobody else has heard of?
    Catch Me a Firefly and other stories by Freda Jayme (a Filipina author). It’s a short story collection.
23. Favorite books read last year?
    Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman and The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. I didn’t get to read much last year because I was so busy with school.

I’m tagging Sarah. And anyone else who wants to do this meme.

Chestnut is here again. She can be so annoying! She makes me so mad… But before she went all bratty today, she gave me these:

I thought it was really sweet of her…except I found out that she used the sticker paper my mom was saving — well, I can’t remember what for but I’m pretty sure it was important. haha.

Every morning before I leave for school, my mom panics because she can’t find her car keys. I’m hoping that tomorrow we won’t have another episode of that because I found the keys in the bathroom and placed it on top of her dresser.

I had a pretty good day. My DESKPUB prof loved my design studies. I digitalized them during class this morning then emailed them to him.

I spent a few minutes during lunch sorting out the papers in my planner and I found this:

Hey guys… I just wanted to let you all know that I might not be around for a while and I might have to take my blog off commenting rotations. I’m going to concentrate on schoolwork. I need to figure out some things. I talked to my mom again about maybe not finishing my second degree. I’ve been thinking about it since last term… I get all these questions from my classmates about why I’m studying again, if I ever get tired of studying, what am I going to do after I graduate again, etc. I’m not exactly sure what to tell them.

My brother offered to take me to school this Wednesday. I think he just wants to talk to me about it. I still have over two months to decide whether I’m going to stay in school or start working — so much for not pursuing a career in Psychology. We’ll see.

“I believe if there’s any kind of God it wouldn’t be in any of us, not you or me but just this little space in between. If there’s any kind of magic in this world it must be in the attempt of understanding someone sharing something. I know, it’s almost impossible to succeed but who cares really? The answer must be in the attempt.” ~Celine, Before Sunrise (1995)

I got a message from one of my college friends (from DLSU-M) about something we’d planned a few years ago. She’s thinking of finally going through with it. We still have to brainstorm… I’m going to call her on Wednesday when I get home from my PROFES1 class. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Well..I’m off to draw for a while. I need to clear my head.

You know where to find me if you need to contact me.

Oh BTW, the password-protected post below has the same password as the previous ones.