When, where and how do you read?
When, where and how do you read?
Myself personally I get most of my reading done on my 45 minute commute to work on the bus/train. I also enjoy reading in the mornings on weekends and occasionally in the evening on weekdays.
Another thing I like to do with my wife on the weekend is pick up some lunch and coffee and then read at the park.
Generally carrying my ereader around constantly means that idle moments in public end up getting used to advance in the book I’m reading, instead of purposelessly checking my phone or using social media. I think I read a post on here in another thread where someone else has had the same experience.
What about y'all? Any rituals? Do you play music?
On weekdays, mostly in bed before going to sleep.
On the weekends, I do longer bike rides and take my E-Reader. I listen to audiobooks while riding and then stop at a nice spot in the shade and just read for an hour or two before I move on to the next spot or ride back home.
This sounds just lovely
It is. :) It actually started way back when I was still in school. I suffered from pretty severe depression, but being a teenager I thought I had to deal with it by myself and I didn't talk to my parents. Instead, I would skip school, take my bike and just ride off into the forest and just read all day.
Back then it was classic escapism, really.
I'm mostly better now, was in therapy for a bit and while I still have some bad days, the habit of doing this to hide away from the world has morphed into something I do just because I love it, not to get away from something.
I read during my breaks or when i have nothing to do pretty much anywhere its why i personally prefer digital books over physical ones
Me too. I always read before bed, on my lunch breaks, and when I’m waiting for an appointment or something
Yup exactly the same here.
I am always reading my Kindle on my breaks and before bed for at least an hour. With reddit not being an option in allowing myself moving forward, I'm sure I'll be reading even more!
I'm what I call a seasonal reader - I almost exclusively read during the warmer months on my cute little balcony. I don't know what it is, but that's just my perfect setting for reading. I just can't get myself to read more than a few pages when I'm indoors. A cold glass of water, the warm summer sun and a great book are what I need!
Hah I've never heard of someone being a seasonal reader, I like your reason for it!
Honestly, this has been the best part about moving to a city where public transit is the norm. My commute is longer. It used to take me 15-20 minutes to drive somewhere, while now I generally budget an hour to get places. Still, most days I prefer the hour of relative calm where I can escape with a good book to the stress of being stalled thirty honking cars deep on the highway.
It’s definitely made me appreciate the escapism of books more, though! Specifically enjoying sci-fi and romance novels much more. A couple recent favorites were The Sparrow and Red White and Royal Blue
I always read on my Kindle now. If I think I will be somewhere for a while, like at the hospital or a restaurant (sometimes they can take ages to bring food) then I'll take it with me so I can read there too.
Most of the time I read at home though.
I have a lot of physical books and e-books, and I switch between them. Mostly it's reading on my Kindle app on my phone or my Kindle Paperwhite, especially if I'm reading a library book or a KU/Prime Reading book to make sure the author is getting their percentage. I also have the Kobo app and have the new Kobo plus subscription.
I've already read 52 books this year, as I don't work outside the home, and it doesn't take ages to keep house. Before bed is a prime time to read, and whenever I can fit it in during the day. I've been making myself read instead of social media this year when I'm waiting in public.
I own a lot of books. There's a used book store near my house where I get them cheap. Every night before I go to sleep I try to read a chapter.
Mostly either Moonreader on android or an older kindle 5 during the daily commute.
I always do it at home. Usually on the couch or in bed.
Your back doesn't hurt in bed after a while?
Actually, that's the place where I'm the most comfortable. If I sit on a bench or something, it starts hurting.
Reading in bed protip: Lie down, then place a plump pillow across your chest/belly. Prop book or ereader on top of pillow (at perfect eye level). Enjoy reading in bed without weird angles for your wrist/neck or tired wrists from holding something for hours.
I read ebooks almost exclusively (aside from graphic novels), and while I could take my kindle anywhere I feel most comfortable reading at home. I frequently read in bed after I wake up and before I sleep. Scrolling social media in bed is/was one of my bad habits; I see I'm not alone in picking up a book instead of giving my time to twitter/reddit/youtube.
I've been dealing with a chronic illness and for some reason reading was one of the activities that really took a hit.
I still keep a book with me in my backpack, so if I'm on the move I'll eg. read on the subway or if I have lunch away from home. In the summer I also used to love just setting up my hammock somewhere like the central park here in Helsinki (which is basically a 10km long strip of forest and not so much a park park) and getting lost in a book.
I also read in bed before going to sleep (my bed's pretty wide and one side usually has at least two books on it 😅).
I'm staunchly in the "physical books" camp nowadays. I used to have a Kindle and read pretty much constantly, but I realized that I didn't remember what I read half as well as I did when I read paper books – something about how it's easier for me to eg. remember where in a book something happened when I can physically feel "how much book I have left" if that makes any sense.
It does make sense. One thing I like to do is after I read quickly summarize for myself what I just read. Later as I'm returning to the book again I recall/reproduce that summary. that's been really helpful for me. Also that park looks incredible.
Ereader is great for reading in idle moments. Unfortunately mine lives at work currently (for reading scientific papers). At one point I read while my kids were listening to an audiobook in the evening. I could get a nice amount of extra reading done that way even though it takes some extra concentration.
Usually I read when the kids are in bed, but it’s a bit hard when there are other competing things to do like talking with my partner or watching something. I’m trying to learn from my daughter who just reads during any spare moment in the day, and she has read so much this spring.
Yeah reading in spare moments is definitely the way to go, can confirm. How come you don't just bring your ereader everywhere? Or if it's not actually yours, buy one for yourself?
Just got back into reading after not doing it for a few years. Right now it's on an app (moon reader) on my phone. Mainly because I downloaded 20 000 leagues under the sea on project Gutenberg. Found myself reading a lot during slow moments at work. Otherwise I prefer to read a physical book before bed or on the balcony.
Forgot to mention that carrying my ereader around constantly means that idle moments in public end up getting used to advance in the book I'm reading, instead of purposelessly checking my phone or using social media. I think I read a post on here in another thread where someone else has had the same experience.
I find the best moments to be during breakfast with a cup or two of coffee, and before bed.
Where I live access to books is either through Kindle or Paperback, and my wife has rights over the bookshelf, so I stick to the kindle.
What kind of books does she stack the bookshelf with? Or is it even being used for books?
Oh she reads exponentially more than I do, and quite a lot of interesting national books that I want to read too, IF ONLY I COULD BURN THROUGH MY BACKLOG :(
I read on my lunch breaks at work. It's nice to get away from 3 computer screens and a phone. Sure, paperback books still don't help eyestrain, but it's a nice break lol
Music helps me keep doing something if I can't focus at the moment; when I can, I always prefer silence when reading.
I usually read before sleep and sometimes randomly during the day. Seasonally, I find myself reading more in periods of increased stress, e.g. exam sessions.
While I like the feel of paper books, they're rarely as practical as a mobile app (on Android, I'm using PocketBook), especially when you can make unlimited notes in your books and search them quickly.
Interesting, does reading provide a calming effect or escape from your stress for you?
Some of both, though they usually are side effects rather than the purpose.
I go through phases where I'll read more than others. At the moment I'm getting 3-5 hours in a day counting commute, lunch breaks and before bed. I also enjoy heading out to the woods on the weekend and getting a couple hours in there.
It sounds like there are a number of us who enjoy reading amidst nature, myself included.
I carry my ereader around with me and read when I have time mostly. Sometimes its in the morning while I'm having my coffee, other times its later at night while I'm winding down. I usually don't listen to audio while reading unless my partner is watching TV before bed. Then I'll listen to the noise generators on mynoise.net to block out whatever they're watching.
Long train trips and subway rides are pretty ideal. Mainly since they get rid of that nagging sense of whatever other things I "could be doing" in those moments (going to the gym, practicing an instrument etc)
sweats profusely
Do audio books count? If so, on my commute.
I either listen to audiobooks or I put PDF books/ebooks through a text to speech program and I tend to read at home. I don't like to read (or listen to books) when I'm outside, too much noise to be able to concentrate in what i'm reading/it's being read to me.