Most of us here are avid readers, and I like to think that’s a special label. Readers understand other readers, and the title sometimes lends itself to automatic friendship.
As a reader, I LOVE talking about books. Airports are my favorite places to book-stalk people. Travelers are more likely to have a book in their hands, and I want to know what they’re reading.
I worked in two different bookstores while I was in college, and I enjoyed chatting with shoppers at the register.
“What do you know about this one?”
“My cousin recommended it to me. She said it was the best cozy mystery she’d read all year!”
“You’re going to love this one! It’s my favorite Denise Hunter book.”
“I love all of her books. The characters are just so real!”
“Narnia is the best!”
“I know! I’m reading them to my son right now, and he loves them too!”
The excitement of a reader is contagious. Even if the genre isn’t my favorite, I still enjoy hearing about interesting stories. There are so many, and I’m glad there are books out there for every kind of reader.
I sometimes stumble upon these reading pet peeves on the internet, and the teams that form over reading styles or handling of books is always entertaining.
Here are some common reading rules:
- Absolutely NO dog earring pages!
- Never read the last page first.
- Always start a series with book one.
- If you start a book, you have to finish it.
- Books should be read while drinking coffee or tea.
- Don’t break the spine!
- Borrowed books should always be returned.
- Stickers are not made for book covers!
- Silence is essential while reading.
- Don’t diss my book boyfriend.
- The book is better than the movie.
- The original cover is the best.
- Never judge a book before reading it.
- No liquids near paperbacks.
- The characters need to look like the people on the cover.
- Never spoil the ending!
- Never write, underline, or highlight in books.
- Always buy more books than you’ll ever be able to read.
This is just a short list, but they’re things I’ve heard over and over as a reader.
I confess, I’m conflicted on ten of these. I often highlight and write in books. I’ll dog-ear a page if I’m in a hurry. I’ve been guilty of dropping a book in the bathtub. A few times, I’ve admitted that the movie was better.
The truth is, there are no hard rules for reading. Start with the last book in the series, read on the subway if you want, and split that spine if you care more about the story than the spine!
I have one piece of advice that I think you’ll agree with: Keep reading!
What are your rules (or preferences) for reading?
Mary Preston says
I do not need to finish a book if it’s just not for me.
Lilly says
1) Drop the book if you are not glorifying God.
2) Get angry if the theology of the book is wrong and read more hoping it improves.
3) Look for spoilers on goodreads to make sure the book doesn’t contain anything you hate.
4) If you liked the book, follow the author to infinity and beyond to read his works.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Number 6 & 7 are my only hard and fast rules. :)
Renate says
Happy Friday Mandi! For this reader, I would like books borrowed returned – #7. Hopefully in the condition I gave them to you. #18 – I definitely have purchased more books than I can read.
As a retired high school literature (English) teacher, I chuckled at #17. My oldest grandson (Grade 11) attends the high school I retired from. I lent him my copy of a book the class is reading for Contemporary Lit. A class I taught the year I retired. My 2. grade granddaughter wanted to know WHY I wrote in my book. Now I highlight and keep notes on my eBooks. Notes help me when I write reviews.
Enjoy your weekend. Best wishes.
Victoria D Lucas says
1,5,6,7 and 18 are my hard and fast rules. #9 happens in my dream world. I do write in and highlight in my Bibles and Torah reference books, but no others.
Mandi Blake says
I agree. There are few books I’ve ever started and not finished, but I’m glad I didn’t waste my time on finishing.
Mandi Blake says
Those are good rules!
Mandi Blake says
I definitely agree with #7!
Mandi Blake says
I unapologetically write in my books (as long as it’s MINE). I have copies of books I studied in middle school and high school that are FULL of notes and have many pages stuck back into their places. My copy of Dracula is a mess, but that might be one of the reasons it’s my favorite.
Mandi Blake says
I agree with most of your rules. I’ve been known to dog ear pages, but only if the book is my personal copy.
And 18 is my favorite.
Trudy says
Number 9 would NEVER work for me!! I read while the tv is on, radio, in doctor’s offices, anywhere and everywhere! If it had to be quiet, I’d never read!! Number 7 is a must! I do like to read a series in order, but if I don’t, the world isn’t going to stop, so it doesn’t matter. I do NOT finish every book I finish. I’d say at least 99% I do, but if I can’t get into the book, it has stuff I don’t like in it (cuss words, etc.) then I won’t read it. I will skip ahead if it’s moving slow and try again, and if I still can’t get into it, then I’ll read the end to see if I really need to go back and give it a try, but if not, I just put it down and forget it.
Mandi Blake says
Those are good rules.
Jcp says
I never finish a book I don’t like
Surprisingly, I never discuss what I read in real life. And I try never to judge what others read.
I read mostly read ebooks because of space issues so some of the rules don’t apply to my situation
Deb Galloway says
I love the list Mandi & agree with several. 1,8,14 and 17 are lumped together for me. I am very anal about the condition of my books! If they don’t stay in prime condition it drives me nuts! Except for my Bibles and concordances, those are all marked, underlined and highlighted. The exception is dog earring, I can’t stand that! I will use thread-even with needle attached, a Kleenex, toothpick, anything to avoid it! I’ve always found books better than the movies, & will only not finish those that have language or explicit scenes I didn’t realize were there, I will hold out hope they improve. My review will be honest though! Coffee, absolutely! I never thought about those two going together but that makes perfect sense-that’s why I drink coffee all day long, because I read all the time. Returning books, I only wish all those I lend books to felt the same, I have lost more than a few books. Now I put one of my return address labels in each book I own, it helps some. Silence depends on the type of reading. To just read a pleasure book I don’t care what is going on, it doesn’t affect me. I will even read while waiting in a long drive-through line. But when I’m editing I have to have total silence, even the dog barking throws me off. The last one on your list, buying more then you will ever read, guilty as charged! Thankfully I have started reading ebooks because I live in a mobile home. There are still books everywhere, most that I still need to read. Ebooks, on the other hand, even if I live to 100 I doubt I could go through what I have already-even if I stopped adding to them today (like that’s possible!). I have at least 4-5,000 now. I actually figured & if I stopped now and did live to 100 I could go through them if I read 10 books a month! 🤣
Kendra Muonio says
#18 Always buy more books than you’ll ever be able to read I have about a whole library in my bedroom and then I check out books from the library.
I agree with #7 Borrowed books should always be returned especially the library books.I always have drinks while I’m reading so I don’t agree with #14
Mandi Blake says
That’s true. Maybe the rules need to change for ebooks!
Mandi Blake says
4-5,000!! That’s amazing! I always have a ton of books that I haven’t read, and I tell myself that it’s like having a bookstore stocked with only books I want to read. Sounds fantastic, right?
Mandi Blake says
I always return borrowed books, but I don’t care so much about getting back the ones I loan. I sometimes tell the person they can keep it. If I’ve already read it and loved it, I want someone else to enjoy it, and it’s not bringing joy while it just sits on my shelf! I also donate a lot of books, and I’m really sad that my small town doesn’t have a used book store any more.
Lincoln says
Hi, Mandi! Oh, so many wonderful thoughts and memories are stirred by your list! (As well as a few disasters, lol.) I do tend to be a stickler about the condition of books but writing and note-taking are primary means for reinforcing learning so Bibles and text books are always fair game. Reference books I prefer to keep clean (until I find mistakes, lol).
I am 100% a member of the “buy more than you read” club. Reading is good for you. Always have some for tomorrow.
Your mention of a used book store reminded me of one in Bloomington, Indiana called Caveat Emptor which was a former house which had been taken over by shelf after shelf of well-loved books of every variety. I used to go in there and just wander. I found some gems by authors of C. S. Lewis’ writing group of friends, The Inklings. Sometimes, just searching there was a respite from the struggles of life. I have no idea if they are still in business, but my memories of them certainly are.
I think most of the rules you list come from a place of respect, though perhaps some who hold to them are a bit heavy-handed. I like your conclusion. Keep Reading!
Mandi Blake says
That used bookstore sounds wonderful. I love just browsing, though it always leads to purchases. Reference #18!
Priscila Perales says
My rules are #1, 2, 7, 8, 15, 16 & 18. #6 is definitely #skills that I don’t possess, lol. #9 works for me for studying or research, but if it’s for pleasure, it’s not exactly necessary. #10 is also lol. I may have been #17 as a teenager, but now I really love the highlighting option for ebooks. #7 & 16 should be basic curtesy; and #18 is #life.
Ausjenny says
5 and 14 don’t gel. Always have tea or coffee and the no liquids near paperback/
Absolutely NO dog earring pages! I agree
Never read the last page first. woops sorry do that sometimes.
Always start a series with book one. not a hard and fast rule for me.
If you start a book, you have to finish it. Nope if I don’t like it or cant get into it by the end of the first couple chapters It gets left.
Books should be read while drinking coffee or tea. (nope I don’t drink either).
Don’t break the spine! This is even more important than 1. I have lent books that people break the spine and no apology or anything. I see them bend the book around and I have actually told people checking out the church library for doing this.
Borrowed books should always be returned. Yes
Stickers are not made for book covers! agree
Silence is essential while reading. yes and no I often have background noise or read watching cricket or listening to music.
Don’t diss my book boyfriend. true
The book is better than the movie. mostly
The original cover is the best. not always.
Never judge a book before reading it. True I got given a book with a not nice cover but excellent book.
No liquids near paperbacks. true (or cats)
The characters need to look like the people on the cover. Yes
Never spoil the ending! Biggy
Never write, underline, or highlight in books. I wouldn’t but it depends of the person.
Always buy more books than you’ll ever be able to read. Hence the TBR pile.
One of my pet peeves is Don’t put in red herrings that have no result. I read a suspense with a clue that lead no where it was such a huge thing and then it wasn’t mentioned again. It frustrated me no end. Like having a cat that does something and its made to sound like it is part of the story but its then forgotten and I still need to know did the cat finally do xxxx or did it get found or is it still missing etc. (ps if you have a cat don’t leave me hanging a dog I don’t mind).
Debra J Pruss says
I do like it quiet when I am reading. I am an only child so I believe that I come by it naturally. Now that I am older, I do have problems writing or marking in books. I still think twice before I highlight a verse in my Bible. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
Amy Perrault says
Don’t have any rules but as long as it’s good read it all & get the collection
Sylvain P says
My rule is read the full book & to have a series
Deb Galloway says
It does! I only started reading ebooks about 5 or 6 years ago too! I agree with being stocked with only books you want to read. That is what I have always told people I loved the most about that and also about proofreading. Not only do I love doing that in general but being able to do so for only authors who write in the genre, style and content I love. I will never tire of the blessing of reading so many books that build my faith! This is the biggest blessing God gave me when I was forced into staying home for all but doctors appointments and absolutely necessary shopping. It turned life upside down and the seclusion was so lonely. But He opened the world to me in a different way, through my love of reading! Now I am still stuck at home alone but have never been busier or had such a great group of friends! When you ladies write you don’t know how powerfully you can touch so many people!
Shannon Taylor Vannatter says
I love the list, Mandi. The characters looking like the cover makes me cringe though. Sometimes the author and the artist don’t see eye to eye and the result is beyond the author’s control.
Trixi says
Most of these are true for me, #4 (finish a book once started) is one that depends on if I’m invested in the book or not. My rule is if I can’t get into the book by the end of chapter one, then I put it down to start another. I don’t waste my time on a book I’m not enjoying.
#5 must read a book while coffee or tea….not true for me. I don’t like to risk sloshing on the pages by accident. Sounds like this goes along with #14, no liquids near a paperback.
I don’t really have any to add to this that I can think of.
Natalya Lakhno says
I need to follow rule #2 closely 😂
I regret when I pick at the end 🙈