Inspired by Steve Lawson who was inspired by John Scalzi.
- I’ve only ever read three books from cover to cover on first reading: The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy, Disclosure by Michael Crichton, and The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco.
- I have a very large collection of books about (and by) Richard Nixon and Watergate. (A few hundred titles, honest.)
- I once waited several hours at a campus book sale because I was broke and at a certain time books went to $1/box. I really wanted the 1921 20-volume set of the complete 1001 Arabian Nights printed by the Burton Society and still have that set.
- Sometimes I’m embarrassed to admit that I love the books of Edward Lee and Carlton Mellick III since most would not consider their work fit for “decent” people.
- I once spent $1500 for a mint condition pornographic paperback written by Dean Koontz under a pseudonym.
- I own a book bound in lizard. (Beast Child by Dean Koontz)
- I have an extensive Dean Koontz collection. (In case you haven’t figured that out already.) It includes 15 unique editions of Intensity including two versions of the manuscript.
- I can read a book and you’d never be able to tell it had ever been opened. I am extremely hesitant to loan any of my books to anyone and cringe at folded page corners and cracked spines.
- All hard covers I purchase are immediately encased in archival-quality acid-free dust jacket covers from Bordart which I buy in 300 ft rolls.
- According to my parents, my first full sentence was asking they why the bookstore we were driving by was only for adults. They answered that it had books kids wouldn’t be interested in and I accepted the answer.
- In sixth grade I made a deal with my parents: I wouldn’t watch TV for a week and in exchange I’d get a paperback copy of Shogun by James Clavell. I think it took me months to read it. I still have that copy despite having log ago upgraded to a first edition hardcover.
- An author has 100 pages to impress me. If I’m not convinced by the end of page 100, I’m not going to finish it.
- I’m typically in the process of reading five or six books at a time.
- I will typically intentionally avoid reading books that are currently in vogue. I have regretted this a few times but generally don’t mind waiting until the furor dies down.
- I have thousands of books in my collection and more than 500 of them are autographed. (Living in Denver for a decade with all the authors that came to The Tattered Cover really helped.) Some of my favorite autographs include Kurt Vonnegut, Gene Simmons, Neil Gaiman, Neal Stephenson, and Bruce Campbell.
Re #2: And I have something that may be unique: "TIME on The Fall," three hardbound volumes containing all of the original Time Magazine coverage related to Watergate, from January 1, 1972, through August 19, 1974–the front cover and relevant pages for each Time issue that seemed relevant. I've always figured I'd go through it some day… (But, you know, for a price…)
I REALLY liked #10 — that was a great answer from your parents!
Michael got his love of reading from pretty liberal parents–most would have said Shogun was not appropriate for a sixth grader, but Michael read the whole thing with no ill effects.