Friday, January 08, 2010

Honest Scrap

Well, Sarah over at Sarah’s Books tagged me to do this meme. It didn’t start off as specifically book related, but Sarah changed it to a book one and wanted a book related response from me too, so here goes.

a. ‘The Honest Scrap Blogger Award’ must be shared.
b. The recipient has to tell 10 (true) things about themselves that no one else knows
c. The recipient has to pass on the award to 10 more bloggers.
d. Those 10 bloggers should link back to the blog that awarded them


1. As a child, after I had been put to bed I would get up and sit on the landing and read. If I heard my parents come out of the living room I would dash back to bed. To this day, I have no idea if they know that is what I used to do.

2. I really, really dislike the defacing of books in any way. Be that bending the corner of the page, writing in it, highlighting words, underlining words or even damaging the spine through normal usage. Sometimes I want to tell people on the tube how badly they are treating their books.

3. However, once I did have a library book in my bag and a pen leaked on it. They asked if it was me who had done it and I said “no”…

4. I like to have a target number of pages in mind to read each day. It gives me a sense of achievement to reach or achieve the target. I find if I don’t have a target in mind I sometimes drift my way through a book and can take far longer to get to the end of it. There is no consequence for “failure” though.

5. For years and years and years I hated anything that could be described as “classic literature”. It reminded me too much of school and being forced to read books. I have started to overcome this aversion (I think this is illustrated by me reading War and Peace about a year ago), but I still take some persuading.

6. I have a printout of the books listed in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die and can often been find wandering around various libraries looking for books on the list to read.

7. I find that the 1001 book list has really expanded by taste in books and has helped me to discover brilliant authors that I would never even have considered otherwise (Paul Auster and John Wyndham to name but two).

8. I often see people on the tube reading books and want to ask them what they think about it. But this isn’t allowed in London, so I have to restrain myself.

9. You are strongly advised never to lend me a book. I have a distinct aversion to returning them to their true owner. Once I have a book in my hands (apart from ones from the library) somehow I struggle to return them. If I really like a book I have borrowed from the library then I will go and buy a copy. Perhaps people who lend me books should threaten me with overdue fines to make sure that I return them.

10. My mum and I sometimes talk about writing a book. The plot often seems to revolve around killing my (fictional, of course) father and burying him under the patio. Perhaps we haven’t written it yet because we feel that we need to have more first hand knowledge before writing it…

I am rubbish at tagging people, but do give it a go if you would like to because I would really like to read your answers (if you don’t have a blog yourself feel free to leave it in the comments here).

12 comments:

mc said...

Oh, I liked that. Especially the last bit.

Random Reflections said...

y - of course the last bit was merely a joke, of course... yes, of course...

I am surprised you had time to comment given your current dating frenzy!

Sarah said...

Great stuff, Random. I shrink from tagging people too, so thank you for doing it.

I'm amused that everyone who has done this so far has some memory of getting past a parentally imposed reading curfew. My girls are allowed to read as late as they like to avoid leading them into similar subterfuge.

And I empathise with number nine; in spirit if not in practice!

Anonymous said...

I laughed out loud at a couple of those. Yep, been there-done that with the first one. I think my parents knew what I was up to, but just turned a blind eye. At least it was only reading, and not anything positively detrimental.

I agree with number 2 as well. Have been known to wince when people actually flatten out their book on the tube, so that the spine gets battered completely. Feel like grabbing the book from their hands and telling them : You don't deserve to read this!

afuntanilla said...

enjoyed reading this! have to tell you though that i "bend" the page cause i don't like bookmarkers. also, I will underline passages that truly spark me.
don't banish me!! LOL

Random Reflections said...

Sarah - I was very tired for most of my childhood due to reading well beyond my bedtime.

I think I might avoid lending you any books, just in case...

anothercookiecrumbles - I feel as though I should ask my parents if they knew about my reading habits, but feel as though it would break the secrecy around it if I were to ask. I agree that there are worse things you could have been doing than reading!

I think you should challenge the next person you see doing that on the tube and then report back. After you have been released from hospital, of course...

afuntanilla - I am speechless... speechless I tell you... I am shocked and appalled! I hope you at least ensure that your books are treated with tlc when you carry them about. This reminds me that I did actually once make a bag that was designed to put my books in so that they didn't get dog-eared when I carried them about. I clearly had too much time on my hands when I was younger...

Anonymous said...

I use post its now-a-days, on the book corners. They work surprisingly well, and prevent the cover from getting "funny"!! I have a separate pocket in my bag, where only books reside, to ensure no keys/wallets/pens get to them as well!

Random Reflections said...

anothercookiecrumbles - I am pleased to learn of the lengths that you go to in order to protect your precious reading material. I feel quite inadequate by comparison!

Kahless said...

1. I hated it at the time, but it was compulsory at school to do English Literature O level at my school. What people dont know is that I am really greatful that I had to do it, because in a million years I would have never read the books I had to then...

2. I loved Enid Blyton Books.

3. Have I spelt her name right?

4. As a teenager I read "Action Man" books

5. yesterday I finished reading Dan Browns "Lost Symbol" and I enjoyed it.

6. I have read "The Thorn Birds"

7. I remember quotes I learnt for my O'level English Lit exam...
"The fly has conqueored the flypaper"
"And what can you do Cordelia, to draw a third more opulent than your sister?"
"I see a raven..."

- Can you guess the books?

8. I have read all the Harry Potter books

9. I hate reading Sci Fi book but I love watching Sci Fi on the TV.

10. I wont ever lend a book to Random Reflections...

Random Reflections said...

Kahless - thank you for doing this!

3. Yes you have.

4. There are Action Man books?

7. I don't recognise any of those quotes. I did GCSEs, perhaps that is why - dumbing down?!

10. What a shame. I am sure I can make some space on my bookshelves...

Kahless said...

4. this one looks familiar

7. Steinbecks - "The Moon is down"
Shakespears "King Lear"
Arthur Millers "The Crucible"

Random Reflections said...

Kahless - I see!

I have read The Moon Is Down and The Crucible. Clearly I have a terrible memory.