Questions about reading

It has been a while since I responded to my daughter's blog. (Time to have another blog marathon, Julia!). She pinched the questions from somebody else's blog, so I pinch it further.

1.  Audiobook or printed book?
Printed book. I have almost never listened to an audiobook because I cannot stand somebody else's voice reading for me (except for my husband - he is an excellent reader).

2. Pocket or hardback?
Pocket! I hate hardback books, they are so heavy to read in bed. Unless I have no choice, I always wait until a book is available in pocket. There is also a cultural reason: in my youth, Western pocket books had high status. 

3. Fiction or nonfiction?
I assume that the question is about leisure reading. I read tons of nonfiction for work, but for leisure I mostly read fiction. That said, I have recently read popular science about plants, teenagers, cancer cells, English mentality and other exciting subjects.

4. Harry Potter or Twilight?
That was a silly question.

5. Fantasy or reality?
What is reality?

6. Kindle, iPad or something else? 
Mostly Kindle, but if I travel and carry my paddy for work I read on it as well, not to have too many devices to think about.

7. Borrow or buy?
Buy. If I really want to read a book I probably want to own it. Again, we are not talking work, for I borrow work-related books from my library, although I buy books for work if I know I will use them again and again. I also borrow books from friends.

8. Bookstore or online?
I like to browse bookstores because then you find books you didn't know you wanted. I like conference bookstores. But if I want a particular book I will order it online.And if it is available as ebook I can start reading it at once.

9. Single book or trilogy?
I prefer single books. I like to see a plot rounded up within a single book. Sequels are rarely as good as the first book. In some of the most popular multivolume fiction right now I have only read the first and have no desire to read more. I have read all seven Harry Potter books, because I had to for work, but they just kept getting worse.

10. Long book or short book?
I like long and slow novels, but sometimes a short book can be brilliant because of being short. I hate unjustifiably long books

11. Romance or action?
Neither.

12. Cuddle in bed or bask in the sun?
I used to read a lot on the beach. Nowadays I don't go to beaches so often, and when I do, I watch the waves. Cuddle in bed is best for reading.

13. Hot chocolate or latte?
To accompany reading?? In bed? Never.

14. Read reviews or make up your own mind?
This is an interesting one. If I see a book review that even remotedly interests me, the first thing I do is look who wrote it. Some reviewers I know will praise books that I will hate and the other way round. Some reviewers' opinion I value. I am always grateful for colleagues' and students' advice. But I would never like a book, or say I like a book, merely because everyone is saying it's great, and I would be prepared to defend a book nobody likes if I do.

I can think of some other good questions about reading, but it will have to be some other time.