Fantasy Aficionados discussion

Yesterday a co-worker picked up my current read and gave me a look, lifting a brow at all the small post-it's and dog eared pages spread throughout the pages. He isn't a reader, so it was a weird experience trying to explain to him, "They're for quotes, review notes, style notes to keep track of plot points...that kind of thing." Then of course he wanted to know why I'd save a quote, which was even harder to explain. I had to compare a well put together phrase to a breakaway hockey play and the highlights real on TSN.

Just made me wonder what habits other readers have.

I read on my Kindle now. I highlight typos and grammatical errors when I run into them.

I gave up on one short story because I was highlighting 3 or 4 things per Kindle page. If it had been longer than a short story, I would have abandoned the book.

I have a notebook where I write down every single quote I like from every book I read. I think it's a/my personal "thingy" and I like coloring the pages I 'm writing on, adding pictures.. I hadn't thought of taking notes for review purposes-I have to say I like your habit :P
Some times I also write down the name of every character I meet in a story, at least the names of characters I think are important in the book.
Non readers find it hard to understand why keeping notes about a book that's gonna get shelved at some point is important. While "decorating" my notebook with quotes and silly drawing (from lines to circles, from little stars to smileys etc) I have the time to think over and over each quote I liked. It's some creative/quality time combined together for a few minutes every time I finish a book.

Most of my notes/quotes these days are review-focused--phrases or such that stick out. In my younger days, I was prone to stick particularly powerful phrasing in a small notebook.

Now I highlight on the Kindle. For paper books, i keep a sticky note with page numbers and the beginning of sentences. It's harder with paper books because I get caught enough in reading that I don't want to interrupt.

Georgia wrote: "It's some creative/quality time combined together for a few minutes every time I finish a book. "

Yes, that it exactly! that little bit of time you take to really savour what you've read.

I gotta admit that I love the highlight feature in e-reading, so convenient! and it does make putting quotes in reviews much easier.

The notes for reviews came as a direct result of being on Goodreads and wanting my reviews to be informative and coherent. Taking notes helps me remember things I wanted to say or point out. Sometimes my post its only have smilies written on them =]

I did try to draw some of my favorite scenes from books, but my drawing skills are sub-standard...I tried drawing Crowely and Aziraphale shaking hands from the end battle in Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, but they're missing heads since I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out how to draw their faces. =|

I can get a bit obsessed with only reading when I think I will have time to complete a chapter.

Yeesh, I think I do most of these. I bookmark in kindle and with those little 3M removable sticky tags on real books, mainly for reviewing purposes; I can't really picture things in my head, so like Sophie, I tend to draw "fanart" of the characters, even for books I don't like; I also listen to music while I read and construct soundtracks for books as I go; I also sort of hear character voices in my head rather like a BBC radio play. Oh, and I read only on an elliptical at the gym. Other than that, my reading process is totally normal. Honest.

Georgia, I love your idea of a quote notebook. How large is it at this point? Or do you end up with shelves of them?

Oh, and Stuart, do you ever use the kindle app? They've started gearing it for your thought process and give an estimated time until the chapter is complete.

Carly wrote: "...I also listen to music while I read and construct soundtracks for books as I go..."

Me too! I create a playlist on my ipod for whatever book/series I'm currently immersed in. I've even given series characters their own theme songs.

Before I went digital, I would cover all of my books in contact paper, and arrange them on the shelf alphabetically. NO cracked spins, NO dog ears. They are just like new, lol. My husband thinks I'm a freak. Thank the gods digital does it for me because the preview list would be hell to maintain, hahahaha.

Lucinda wrote: "Carly wrote: "...I also listen to music while I read and construct soundtracks for books as I go..."

Me too! I create a playlist on my ipod for whatever book/series I'm currently immersed in. I've..."

Hah! I do the same! I mainly use movie soundtracks for movies I haven't seen (spotify is fantastic for this...)--Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson Williams, Steve Jablonsky, Trevor Rabin, etc. Lucinda, mind sharing some of your favorite character theme song you've come up with?

I just have a green notebook, with wolves on, where I write the dates when I start a book, author, title and whether it's an audiobook or not.
I also paste in clippings from magazines and news papers, mostly book related images or business cards from various book sellers.

Carly wrote: "How large is it at this point? Or do you end up with shelves of them?"

It'a (beautifully painted-not by me) hardcover notebook with yellow empty pages. It is about 200 pages. I started writing 2 years ago and I still use the same notebook! Not every book has memorable quotes.
I wish I could draw figures and faces, but my skills are not that good - I do draw shapes though.

Georgia wrote: "I have a notebook where I write down every single quote I like from every book I read. I think it's a/my personal "thingy" and I like coloring the pages I 'm writing on, adding pictures.. I hadn't ..."

That used to be quite common, what you have is a commonplace book. A grand literary tradition in fact, some of the old ones that have been saved are quite remarkable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonpl...

(and I highly recommend going to google search, hitting images, and typing in commonplace book. Some of them are simply gorgeous, and quite inspiring.)

Carly wrote:...Hah! I do the same! I mainly use movie soundtracks for movies I haven't seen...

Yep, Hans Zimmer, Daniel Licht, Jeff Beal, Bear McCreary, et al, are in contention. Soundtracks are prime source material. Right now Micheal J. Sullivan's Riyria Chronicles are set to a mix of Bear McCreary's "Davinci's Demons" Soundtrack, Jeff Beal's "Rome Soundtrack", and Craig Armstrong's "Plunkett & Macleane" Soundtrack.

For characters, some are very old (like me) songs, but I can no longer listen to them without thinking of a specific character in a book:

Riyria
Gwen gets "Sleep Isabella" by Abney Park and "Lucrezia Donati" by Bear Mccreary.

Hadrian gets "Honor for All" by Daniel Licht and "The Battle has Begun" by Jeff Beal.

Royce gets "Rush" by Depeche Mode and "Mercy Street" by Peter Gabriel and most of the soundtrack from the video game "Dishonored" by Daniel Licht

Blood Song

Vealin gets "Stigmata Martyr" by Abney Park

Vorkosigan's Saga

Miles will forever be "Walking in My Shoes" by Depeche Mode

The Dresden Files

Harry is "Backwater" by The Meat Puppets

Vlad Taltos Series

Vlad has been "The Turn of a Friendly Card" by The Alan Parsons Project since 1983

Most people have playlists for artists or moods...I have playlists for authors. I just keep adding/editing them with each new book or re-reading.

Carly wrote: "Oh, and I read only on an elliptical at the gym. Other than that, my reading process is totally normal. Honest."

Oh how I envy you! Been trying for years to read and exercise at the same time, but I just can't seem to do it. Same with eating. I just end up reading the same sentences over and over.


Louise wrote: "I just have a green notebook, with wolves on, where I write the dates when I start a book, author, title and whether it's an audiobook or not.
I also paste in clippings from magazines and news pape..."

Same here! Except I put the finish date and time. I even charted my reading times in a graph. Seems I always finish at 2:30am on Wednesdays =/
I still record it in the physical notebook, but I record it all first on the list app "Paperless" for conveniences sake.

@Lucinda I haven't gotten around to any of the series on your list, but looking through your playlist makes me more eager to read them just so I can see the matches for myself.

Krazykiwi wrote: "Georgia wrote: "I have a notebook where I write down every single quote I like from every book I read. I think it's a/my personal "thingy" and I like coloring the pages I 'm writing on, adding pict..."

Thanks for the link! Never knew these had an 'official' name. Glad to know that there are other info/knowledge magpies in the world =]

Krazykiwi wrote: "Georgia wrote: "I have a notebook where I write down every single quote I like from every book I read. I think it's a/my personal "thingy" and I like coloring the pages I 'm writing on, adding pict..."

Great, I didn't know it had a name! Thanks Krazykiwi :D

I'm anal in that I can't bear to write or underline real pages, so really glad that I can highlight on my Kindle :)

And I usually read two or three books at the same time. Each one is kept at a different place -- for ex. one in the car, two by bed etc.

Georgia, I think it's really cool you keep one, I always meant to, and I've started numerous times, but I just don't have the self-discipline to keep it up.

Mina: Me too, I often have 4-5 books on the go. Partly because I wander around the house with them and put them down in odd places, but usually there's at least one here by my desk, one on the nightstand, and one in progress on my tablet for when I'm on the train or otherwise on the go.

Kiwi--thanks for the link to the commonplace books. Very cool!

I read everywhere I can - public transportation, at meals, occasionally while walking (paperback required) and yes... on the john. I don't like to write in my books (it feels like grafiti), and I stick to hard copies. I just can't hop on the kindle bus, I'd miss the feel and smell of pages and I don't feel awkward carrying books everywhere I go. I have reread some series 2-3 times, though, which acquaintances of mine can't understand. Books are like old friends - a fresh read is like taking a trip with them, getting to know them better.

Lucinda wrote: "Carly wrote:...Hah! I do the same! I mainly use movie soundtracks for movies I haven't seen...

Yep, Hans Zimmer, Daniel Licht, Jeff Beal, Bear McCreary, et al, are in contention. Soundtracks are ..."

Lucinda--very fun! I haven't heard of most of the songs, but they certainly sound fitting! I went and listened to Backwater--I think it works :) I gave Dresden Gregson-Williams' Metal Gear Solid as his main theme. It's brash, loud, fast-paced, unsubtle, and addictive.

Georgia, your commonplace book (and Krazykiwi, thanks for finding the term!) sounds beautiful!

Carly wrote:I gave Dresden Gregson-Williams' Metal Gear Solid as his main theme. It's brash, loud, fast-paced, unsubtle, and addictive."

Nice! Yes, that one works well...It's now on the Dreseden File playlist. :D

When I buy books secondhand, if there is something in the book- library bookmark, receipt for date of purchase, etc., it MUST stay with the book. Even if I donate them to charity (which rarely happens, check out my piles...) the bookmark, receipt, or happy birthday bookmark must stay with its book. Maybe I took People of the Book too seriously...

Krazykiwi wrote: "Georgia, I think it's really cool you keep one, I always meant to, and I've started numerous times, but I just don't have the self-discipline to keep it up.

Mina: Me too, I often have 4-5 books on..."

I always listen to an audiobook in the car, read a Gutenberg book online while at work, an e-book on my Kobo, 2-3 regular books (on for break time at work and 1-2 or more at home) and then a kindle book on our tablet...

Whenever I buy a physical book I always keep the receipt with the book, a habit I picked up from my mum. She has books with old, yellowed receipts that are older then I am! My husband doesn't get it, but that's alright.

The only other reading quirk I have is preferring to read in silence. I used to be able to read in noisy rooms when I was a kid, probably from getting used to reading at school while everyone else chatted. But nowadays I have trouble concentrating on what I'm reading and find myself having to read paragraphs over and over- it's very frustrating!

After reading about these 'commonplace books'; though, I think I'll start one of my own! Sounds like a fantastic idea!

Jessica wrote: "Whenever I buy a physical book I always keep the receipt with the book, a habit I picked up from my mum. She has books with old, yellowed receipts that are older then I am! My husband doesn't get i..."

I have a few of those, too. The carbon has rubbed off of most of them. The only one I kept purposely was the last book I bought from Borders before it closed =(

Hope you enjoy becoming a "commonplacer" =] . I get a kick out of knowing that my habit has a title. My favourite notebooks to use for it are small little elastic bound things from Michael's craft stores. Mine get beat up, but these things are tough, they fit in a purse and the best thing is that they're only 1.50 each, so I don't get anxiety about writing "unimportant" things. Sometimes I feel like I'm defacing a really nice notebook when I use the snazzy decorated kind.