Another book meme. (Shelly's Book Shelf)

1. We've all heard the phrase, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Have you ever picked up a book based solely on the title or the picture on the cover?

I bought Penelope Lively’s Spiderweb solely because of the cover. I still love this Richard Maury painting.

2. Along the same lines, do you ever look at whichever book someone else is reading in public or whatnot, and based on that make a snap judgment about their character or literary taste?

Truthfully, I don’t run across too many people reading in public since I live in the South where everyone generally travels by car instead of public transportation. Even doctors’ offices aren’t good places to spy on people’s reading choices because most people either glue their eyes to the TV or read the magazines provided in the office.

Someone once made a snap judgment about my character because of what I was reading out in public. My daughter and I were at the doctor’s office, waiting for her to get an allergy shot, and I was reading a book on the history of witchcraft in Europe (not a how-to-manual by any means). The woman next to me was clearly upset to find herself next to such a wicked woman and kept trying to edge her chair away from me. I thought R. was going to have hysterics.

3. Do you buy books online? If so, where is your favorite place to find them?

Online, offline, I would mainline them if I could. But I’m trying to keep from buying many at all this year, so I’m not spending anymore time answering this question.

4. From someone who's had more than her fair share of library fines... what is the largest late fee you've ever incurred at a library for returning a book past the due date? Have you ever borrowed a book from a library and never returned it?

I have no idea. Library privileges are cut off completely when fines reach $10, and I’ve reached that number many times. After I found a library discard of an E.C. Spykman book in a library book sale several years ago I deliberately checked out the remaining two Spykmans in the library and the fourth Spykman from the library in the next county (I signed up to get a library card there for just that purpose) and then declared I’d lost them all. I no longer go to such lengths since I can find out-of-print books online.


5. What is the first book that you can remember reading by yourself as a child?

Green Eggs and Ham. I still have my original copy.