I have done a couple of these on Instagram, but never here, on my blog and I thought it would be a fun idea to try and do it now. I found this particular idea over on A fangirls opinion - you can go and check it out - and decided to do it as well.
So, here we go...
I can't deny that hardbacks look beautiful and can make your bookshelves look perfect; however, most of the time I prefer paperbacks. They are not only light and easy to carry around and handle, but also much cheaper. These are the reasons that I usually prefer paperbacks, but still I can't deny the charm of hardbacks, so if at some point I could invest more money in it, I would love to have a nice collection of hardbacks as well.
There are very few things in life that can beat the feeling of a bookstore, an actual physical bookstore. The smells, the shelves, the overall atmosphere, the book searching and the people are just a few of the things that make it a beautiful experience. In the more recent years, however, I have come to love searching and shopping online, as it offers more options, more editions of the book, and a bigger price range. Online shopping also offers more choices when it comes to second-hand shopping, which is something I've taken up in the more recent years and have come to love. To sum it up, I tend to gravitate towards online, but I'll never turn down a trip to the bookstore.
I love both, but my preference is usually series. Even though series take more of a commitment and take up much more of your time, and standalones could be much easier psychologically and mentally to read, I usually bond with the characters and commit to the storyline, and I love to keep going back for more, so I guess my choice here is series.
Both are fascinating, but what can I say, I'm a Sci-Fi girl. Not much more explaining or depth into this answer, I just usually prefer it, it talks to my heart.
I have discovered audiobooks in the more recent years, and I love them mostly because they give me the chance to read books that I wouldn't read otherwise. But physical books are uniquely magical, and I love them. I love reading them, I love buying them, I love collecting them, and as every proper book lover knows, these are all entirely different hobbies, so I'll pick the physical book.
I prefer indoor reading, because outside I get too distracted. I like to read in silence and enjoy the peace and calmness reading gives me, so I try to avoid too much distraction.
I've always been more of a night reader. I love to read before I go to sleep, at the end of the day, after I've done all my work and chores, and when I'm relaxing. It gives me a little bit more relaxation and calmness. I hardly ever read in the morning as I'm usually working or studying.
I am a slow reader for the most part. I have done my share of binge reading, especially when I was younger. But for the last few years, I have been a slow reader, both because of limited time and personal preference. As a matter of fact, I have talked all about it in one of my previous posts, which you can check out here.
I can't choose for that one, I'll just say both. And honestly, sometimes you will get both in the same work. The same book that can make you cry your eyes out can also make you laugh your heart out. If we had books that strictly belonged to one category or the other, I wouldn't be able to choose, as I think I would need and enjoy both for different times and occasions in my life.
I always read in silence. I don't want any distractions while I read, I enjoyed more that way.
I mean, both... For me, it doesn't matter that much if the character is a hero or a villain; what matters to me is that the character is well-written, rounded, and interesting. If these criteria are met, he could be a hero, a villain, an anti-hero, a morally gray character or whatever. I enjoy reading about deep, and interesting characters, and more often than not, a strong hero will coexist with a strong and interesting villain and vice versa and create a compelling dynamic.
Both can be done well, and I have good examples of both in my mind, but if I had to choose, I would pick character-driven stories. I feel that a character-driven story that has even a mediocre execution could still be better than a very well-done plot-driven story, because, as it is in life, in most stories, every little thing is being moved and controlled by people, by characters. People or characters are usually the driving force behind most decisions and actions. There are only a few things that people or characters cannot control, but still, it is human choices regarding those uncontrollable situations that can change the route of events. So, a story that pays attention to the driving forces behind the incidents, I feel, would be the strongest story possible. Stories are usually about people, after all. Even if the story is plot-driven for the most part, the characters should still be interesting, memorable, and have agency. A story in which the plot pushes and pulls the characters around, while the characters have little to no say in the outcome, feels like a poor story to me.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you liked it, feel free to do it as well and tag me so that I can see your answers. Also, you can always leave a comment down below, I'd love to read your thoughts.
Thanks for reading!
