We need to talk about books! #4
This week I have the pleasure of catching up with Patricia from
BookishGeek, where she writes irreverent book reviews, mostly YA and middle
grade but sometimes, occasionally, adult fiction.
Are your bookshelves a ‘work in progress’ like mine or are
they clearly and systematically organised?
They are not organized in any way, shape, or form. Should they be? Absolutely! In reality, I pull down whatever looks good to me at the time, and fill in the holes with new books. This is an ungainly method, and it’s not photogenic or cute at all - I would love to do them by author, or by colour. But other than keeping my series together, I don’t really do much else with it. I might have to change it now...
Apart from books, what is to be found on your bookshelves?
Let’s see. A reindeer votive holder that I put out during the winter time. A sign that says “call your mom,” from my mom, who is full of jokes. A little tiny Precious Moments statue of a small blonde toddler holding a white rabbit - a holdover from childhood. The big box that says my name on the side is where I stash my bookmark collection. And my “home is where your cat is” sign because… well, it is!
What do you do with books once you’ve read them?
I tend to hold onto them until I have a few en masse, and then I go to my local 2nd & Charles store. If I am really jonesing for a new book I’ll trade them in, but nine times out of ten I will put them in the free bin outside of the store. You only get back $2-4 per book for the most part, and I’d rather make someone’s day with a great condition new release in the free bin. Especially since I tend to read YA.
How do you feel about lending books to friends?
I used to do this a lot, but have stopped since I realized that 90% of my books that I lend out don’t make it home. My copy of the first Game of Thrones book is evidence of that - where is it? I don’t know. Is it a beautiful hardcover? Yes, yes it is. I can stop crying. Hold on.
What is the prettiest book to be found in your current TBR pile?
The A Court of Thorns & Roses series has gorgeous cover art … I keep meaning to read ‘em.
If you take physical books on holiday with you, how do you choose them?
I have always been the type of person who says “oh I’m leaving for the weekend, crap, better take the book I am reading now, and another one in case I finish it, and another in case I finish that …” in reality, I almost never finish the one I am currently reading, much less the others. I try to pack lighter these days, and will take the one I am reading now, and maybe another if I am close to finishing it. I also have the Kindle app on my phone - where I stash all my Netgalley eARCs - and so those are an option too!
Do you take a book with you whenever you go out, just in case?
Absolutely. If a purse can’t hold a book, I don’t want the purse. I have been gifted adorable bags before, but if I can’t stash a 600 page tome in there, it won’t be very useful to me in the long run.
Are you a ‘spine bender’ or do you like your spines to be pristine?
I keep my books as pristine as possible. I was given an Etsy version of the “book beau” (basically a sleeve for your book) in a Reddit exchange and it is the best thing ever - I get so sad when my paperbacks get bent. The idea of cracking a spine hurts my soul a little. I was raised with a Matilda-esque, reverential touch when it comes to books.
Do you write in books, do you use sticky notes for your comments or something like that?
I don’t write in books, ever. If there is a quote I really like, I might stick a sticky note on it, but that almost never happens. Just the concept of dog-earing or writing in a book makes me feel queasy. [gif of Michael Scott yelling ‘no!’ goes here].
If you have a partner, do they love reading too? If they do,
do you have the same taste in books? If they don’t, have you ever tried to
convert them?
My partner is a reader, but he doesn’t read as much as me, and he likes two genres I am not super into - high fantasy (I will read it but I don’t seek it out) and biographies/nonfiction (*makes a retching sound*). We live apart, and some nights we’ll call each other on the phone and read Harry Potter to each other. That always makes me feel super happy. He’ll walk around a bookstore with me for ages, too. I am lucky in this regard - he’s nothing but supportive of my bibliophilic nature.
And that was my last question for you. Thank you so much for joining me today!
If you’d like to stay in touch with Patricia and not miss one of her irreverent reviews, you know what to do:
Bloglovin: https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/bookish-geek-12809813
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bookishgeek
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookishgeek/
Please share some love below in the comments or head over to Twitter to let me know what you thought!
They are not organized in any way, shape, or form. Should they be? Absolutely! In reality, I pull down whatever looks good to me at the time, and fill in the holes with new books. This is an ungainly method, and it’s not photogenic or cute at all - I would love to do them by author, or by colour. But other than keeping my series together, I don’t really do much else with it. I might have to change it now...
Apart from books, what is to be found on your bookshelves?
Let’s see. A reindeer votive holder that I put out during the winter time. A sign that says “call your mom,” from my mom, who is full of jokes. A little tiny Precious Moments statue of a small blonde toddler holding a white rabbit - a holdover from childhood. The big box that says my name on the side is where I stash my bookmark collection. And my “home is where your cat is” sign because… well, it is!
What do you do with books once you’ve read them?
I tend to hold onto them until I have a few en masse, and then I go to my local 2nd & Charles store. If I am really jonesing for a new book I’ll trade them in, but nine times out of ten I will put them in the free bin outside of the store. You only get back $2-4 per book for the most part, and I’d rather make someone’s day with a great condition new release in the free bin. Especially since I tend to read YA.
I used to do this a lot, but have stopped since I realized that 90% of my books that I lend out don’t make it home. My copy of the first Game of Thrones book is evidence of that - where is it? I don’t know. Is it a beautiful hardcover? Yes, yes it is. I can stop crying. Hold on.
What is the prettiest book to be found in your current TBR pile?
The A Court of Thorns & Roses series has gorgeous cover art … I keep meaning to read ‘em.
If you take physical books on holiday with you, how do you choose them?
I have always been the type of person who says “oh I’m leaving for the weekend, crap, better take the book I am reading now, and another one in case I finish it, and another in case I finish that …” in reality, I almost never finish the one I am currently reading, much less the others. I try to pack lighter these days, and will take the one I am reading now, and maybe another if I am close to finishing it. I also have the Kindle app on my phone - where I stash all my Netgalley eARCs - and so those are an option too!
Do you take a book with you whenever you go out, just in case?
Absolutely. If a purse can’t hold a book, I don’t want the purse. I have been gifted adorable bags before, but if I can’t stash a 600 page tome in there, it won’t be very useful to me in the long run.
Are you a ‘spine bender’ or do you like your spines to be pristine?
I keep my books as pristine as possible. I was given an Etsy version of the “book beau” (basically a sleeve for your book) in a Reddit exchange and it is the best thing ever - I get so sad when my paperbacks get bent. The idea of cracking a spine hurts my soul a little. I was raised with a Matilda-esque, reverential touch when it comes to books.
Do you write in books, do you use sticky notes for your comments or something like that?
I don’t write in books, ever. If there is a quote I really like, I might stick a sticky note on it, but that almost never happens. Just the concept of dog-earing or writing in a book makes me feel queasy. [gif of Michael Scott yelling ‘no!’ goes here].
If you have a partner, do they love reading too? If they do,
do you have the same taste in books? If they don’t, have you ever tried to
convert them?My partner is a reader, but he doesn’t read as much as me, and he likes two genres I am not super into - high fantasy (I will read it but I don’t seek it out) and biographies/nonfiction (*makes a retching sound*). We live apart, and some nights we’ll call each other on the phone and read Harry Potter to each other. That always makes me feel super happy. He’ll walk around a bookstore with me for ages, too. I am lucky in this regard - he’s nothing but supportive of my bibliophilic nature.
And that was my last question for you. Thank you so much for joining me today!
If you’d like to stay in touch with Patricia and not miss one of her irreverent reviews, you know what to do:
Bloglovin: https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/bookish-geek-12809813
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bookishgeek
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookishgeek/
Please share some love below in the comments or head over to Twitter to let me know what you thought!
Such a great interview ššš I can't believe I missed it this week
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