My Good Reading Habits Tag

Hello everyone! Good morning/afternoon/evening/whatever-time-of-day-it-is-over-where-you-live! I decided to take a little break from packing up all my stuff, and what better way to do that than with a nice little tag? Thank you to the wonderful Marta @ The Book Mermaid for giving me the opportunity to rest my arms a bit. Who knew moving was so stressful and energy draining?

The RULES:

1 – List some of your good reading habits.
2 – Tag the person who tagged you.
3 – Pingback to the original post by Ally Writes Things.
4 – Nominate some of your blogging friends.

Let’s get cracking!

1 – not dog-earring pages

Yes, I admit that I stole this idea from Marta, but I think it’s such a good reading habit! Half of reading is the book itself, meaning that you have to take care of the books you own. Dog-earring can damage the pages and makes it look less neat and in tip-top condition. I try to keep my books in the best condition I possibly can so that, later down in the line if I wanted to get rid of it, the person who would be receiving it will have it in good condition. Plus, you can use anything as a bookmark. I’ve used a banana as a bookmark before.

2 – book sleeves!

This kind of goes hand and hand with the whole “taking care of your books” thing. Before I got an e-reader, I would carry my books in my backpack just in case I had some free time to read. A book being jostled around in a backpack can damage it pretty easily, especially if it’s a paperback. By using a book sleeve, I’m able to protect my books while I’m doing my day-to-day activities.

3 – buying second-hand books / e-books

We can all agree that our resources are dwindling, yes? Okay. Cool. Those resources include trees, which is the plant that paper is made out of. Buying second-hand books are a great way to cut down the number of trees that are being cut down for paper (pun intended). Also, e-books are another great way to slow down the use of paper. Plus, e-books and books from used book stores tend to be cheaper than the original price, so why not buy second-hand/electronically? That being said, if you want to buy a brand-new book, I say go for it (I buy new books too at times). But if the option is available, maybe check out some local used book stores.

4 – reviewing books as I read

Now, I might not post my book reviews right after I finish a book, but I do write my thoughts down immediately after finishing a book. In fact, I write my thoughts down while I’m reading a story, so I don’t forget anything. I have a journal that I keep by my bedside just for this purpose. It contains all my thoughts on books I’ve read and reviewed. I try to give myself a week or so before writing the actual review that will go up on my blog. By doing this, you’re getting my immediate reactions from while I was reading the book because I wrote all my thoughts down in my journal, but also you’re getting my thoughts after my brain had some time to process the story in all its glory. That way, I’m not glossing over the good, bad, and the ugly just because I’m so emotional by the end of the book. I don’t want to get swept up in the hype, so I give myself sometime to think it out.

5 – try not to be too critical

There was this quote I read a couple years ago that still resonates with me today. I can’t find the exact quote, but it goes along the lines of:

“If you look for flaws, you will find them.”

To me, it means that nothing is perfect. If you look hard enough, you will find flaws. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a book, though. It’s all about attitude, and if I go into a story thinking that I’m not going to like the book, I’m more likely to look for its flaws rather than actually enjoy the story. That’s why I try to be open-minded to the genres that I don’t enjoy as much as I love fantasy.

That’s a wrap on my good reading habits! Here are the people I tag.

I tag…

Alex @ Whimsy Pages

Reads & Reels

Gianna @ Gianna & Gemini

Lisa @ Lisa’s Books, Gems, and Tarot

… and you! If you want to give this a go, consider yourself tagged!

Until next time….