For those of you know me well, the fact that I have rules regarding reading won't be surprising. I can't help it, I like structure and organization! Sure, throw around the term control freak (a reference that I strongly feel has a completely unjust negative connotation, by the way), I don't particularly care. I'm not necessarily implying that these rules should be universal, but they're pretty damn good and work for me.
One book per genre at a time
While an English major there were weeks where I was reading four novels at a time for school, and I ended up not enjoying the process as much as I should have. I like to devote my energy to one story at time, while dabbling in other genres if necessary (currently I'm reading one novel, a textbook for possibly another credential, a book on teaching high school English, and then there's that poor Che biography by my bed that needs some attention).
Thou shall never fold pages
I don't care what the issue is, pages should not be folded. I swear, it causes the book pain (see blog posting on post its).
Books are alphabetized according to genre
How else would we find what we need?
Amateur reviews are only to be read after finishing the book
I really don't want my decision to buy to inadvertently be tainted by dumbass Joe Schmo's opinion, nor do I want to know what Jane Doe thinks about the ending (since most people decide a "review" means a summary... another day for that). A few trusted critics, possibly. And yes, I appreciate the irony (if you're being mean, hypocrisy) that I am an Amazon reviewer.
Book before movie
This 90% of the time ruins the movie for me, not just because I know the ending, but because I get really pissed at how the novel has been botched. I don't care that the novel was 500 pages and the movie is two hours, try harder! I'd rather have the movie ruined than the book, though.
Background checks for borrowers
Not everyone is allowed to borrow my books. There may be crumbs on the counter you'll lay my poor copy of A Hundred Years of Solitude on, or, worse yet, you may eat Cheetos while reading.
Books I haven't read yet may not be borrowed
So you past the inspection, now you're only allowed to borrow the book if I've read it. So, for the thirty or forty novels that I haven't read- you'll have to wait. Oh, and one at time. Luckily, no one really asks for a loan (I wonder why...).
Naked is best
Hardback copies are stripped of their jackets as soon I start reading to prevent the creasing, tearing, or staining of the covers.
Just mine first
I won't read my husband's books until I've read all of mine (he's the only person I borrow books from). This is problematic, as I never quit buying books and he has ten or twenty I'd like to read. I must admit that this is the one rule that I have been broken, but mostly because he buys it before I do.
No quitting
I've spent a large portion of my life learning how to select books that match my taste; if I screw up and choose a bad one then my punishment is finishing it. Plus, I get to lambaste the poor thing when I do my Amazon review later.
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