I normally avoid memes like the plague, but I’ve seen it pop up three times in my RSS reader since this afternoon, and I’m waiting for a download to complete, so—eh—whatever:

(But I will spare some of you by placing this off the front page.)

To mark your page you: use a bookmark, bend the page corner, leave the book open face down?

I use a bookmark exclusively. I’m one of those people who even curls paperback pages slightly to avoid creasing the spine of a book at any cost. Right now, I use a card from the old mini-card deck for Ticket to Ride.

Do you lend your books?

Occasionally, though I use Delicious Library to keep track of who has what so I don’t lose anything.

You find an interesting passage: you write in your book or NO WRITING IN BOOKS!

I used to believe writing in books was a horrible idea, but I’ve recently begun doing so. I have no need to write in fiction, but business, technology, and theology books now get highlighted, written in, etc.

Dust jackets – leave it on or take it off?

I keep them. I don’t necessarily like how they look on a shelf, but I once got rid of one and saw the effects of human skin oil on a hardcover without a jacket when taken everywhere. It wasn’t pretty.

Hard cover, paperback, skip it and get the audio book?

If a choice is available, only hardcover. I never purchase audiobooks.

Do you shelve your books by subject, author, or size and color of the book spines?

I don’t necessarily care, but my wife shelves our books roughly by subject.

Buy it or borrow it from the library later?

I buy. I’m in the camp that believes Amazon.com has made it way too easy to spend money. Also: I work in publishing. You should be buying books, too.

Do you put your name on your books – scribble your name in the cover, fancy bookplate, or stamp?

I always write my name—print, not signature—on the inside cover of hardcovers. For some reason, I rarely do this with paperbacks.

Most of the books you own are rare and out of print books or recent publications?

I have healthy mix of old and new books, trending towards new because I’m still young.

Page edges – deckled or straight?

Deckled page edges make it too hard to thumb through a book. That’s not helpful. Straight edge.

How many books do you read at one time?

I only have the attention span to read through one book at a time. There’s only so much information that can swim around up in my brain.

Be honest, ever tear a page from a book?

Never. Sacrilege!