What is your reading "style"?

Parents Forum Parent Cafe
21

In some ways, I don’t read as much as I used to thanks to the internet. I am in two book groups so generally have two “assigned” books each month. I read both books and on my iPad nook app, either purchased or from the library. I mostly read early in the morning when I wake up too early to get ready for work and before going to sleep at night. Harder to make time during the day to read.

I read almost all fiction. I re-read books at times, mostly a few favorites for when I wake up and want to get back to sleep. Picking up an unread book seems to wake me up more than one I have already read.

Often I just let the plot play out, but sometimes figure things out ahead of time. Sometimes I get impatient and will read ahead. I am a very fast reader, so don’t often linger over beautiful writing (although I appreciate it).

22

I went back to tracking what I read on Goodreads a few years ago. So I know I read about 50 books a year. I always rate the book and write a short review, more for me than public consumption. I read for an hour or two each night, much more when I am on vacation. I have an audiobook for exercising and one or two on my night table. I’ll read the cheerier one second.

I don’t linger over words and phrases. If I am reading on a Kindle I may highlight them though. My current book (The Historian) has me looking up what all the places she describes look like.

Do you linger over the words and phrases? (I know I shouldn’t but I tend to rush through, to advance through the story)

Do you form storylines in your head or can you remain neutral and let the plot play out? (I tend to guess where things are going.)

I got a Kindle the year we went to Hong Kong and it was great to be able to continue to buy and borrow books without searching out resources there. I don’t really like reading on the Kindle though especially since it’s much harder to indulge in my bad habit of skipping to the end and seeing how things resolve!

I start new books right away, though I’ll mull a bit for the CC BookClub as well.

I read 90% fiction, over half sci-fi and fantasy. I’m making a conscious effort to read all the art catalogs I’ve amassed, especially the ones dealing with Chinese painting. I also started rereading my old History of Asia text book (at least the China section), but it’s pretty dense. It does help put the paintings in context.

I’ll go on a binge of non-fiction when I want to learn something. (How to plan a wedding, how to take care of babies.) I’ve done less of that lately, but the art books fit into that mindset.

I read everywhere. I always have a book on me just in case.

1 Like
23

One thing I didn’t mention is that I also listen to audiobooks. It took some time to adjust as I am a visual learner, so I really had to train myself to focus when listening to audiobooks. I started listening to them four years ago when I drove my son’s carpool to high school 45 minutes away. With traffic, it could be more than an hour each way and just seemed like wasted time. I learned quickly that while making the adjustment, it was easiest to listen to memoirs at first, or books with simple plots and not too many characters. The narrator also can make or break a book.

This has certainly enabled me to “read” (yes, there is a lot of debate whether listening to audiobooks is considered reading) and enjoy many more books. My son is no longer in high school but at the beginning of the pandemic I started taking my dog on really long walks so now I listen to books while I walk. On days when I’m not feeling like a long walk, a good audiobook motivates me to stop procrastinating and get my shoes on.

2 Likes
24

I agree that finding the right book to listen to is key. I’m going to give up on the one that I have now and just read it the normal way. I listened to Between the World and Me and getting the author’s voice literally was, I think, a big plus.

1 Like
25

My biggest flaw as a reader - especially when starting a new book - is keeping track of the characters. I WISH every book would have a listing of characters at the front or back of the book - maybe in order of when introduced - so I could go back and easily place “Sally” and her role in which family or what character!

6 Likes
26

I always have a book or two going. Usually just one at a time, but occasionally I will read two at once.

I always read before bed. That is the main time I do my reading, but if it’s a good book I’ve been known to read while cooking supper or doing other tasks.

We used to listen to a lot of audio books in the car when the kids were little (Harry Potter, etc), but I fell out of the habit of that. It did save me when I had to clean out my parents’ house by myself after my dad died, though. My husband listens/reads with his ears all the time on his walks and runs.

I usually let the plot play out and don’t try to guess what’s going to happen next. I might linger over a beautiful turn of a phrase, but usually read at a pretty steady clip.

I don’t read quite a book a week. Usually more like a book every 1.5 - 2 weeks. Depends on how thick the book is!

I read literary fiction, mysteries, fantasy, non-fiction (been getting into some memoirs lately).

I have a Goodreads account (two actually) but I don’t really like the social part of that. I don’t particularly want all my friends to know what I’m reading so I don’t post there, but I do get emails about what they are reading. Just seems a little too intrusive for me.

I volunteer at our local library and mostly check out books there. Their COVID protocols are great and have been all through the pandemic — just as good as the grocery stores or better. I will occasionally buy a book to help out our local bookstores and I do a lot of my holiday shopping there, but I mostly use the library. It feels much freer. You can give it a try and if you don’t like it, send it back — no money lost. I can also do most of the same things on our library website that I can do at Goodreads, but it can be set to private or shared, and your reviews can be anonymous. I have a user name there like I have here so don’t have to broadcast the whole town what I thought of a book under my real name. You can rate books (give stars), track how many books you have read, put books on your “for later read shelf” or your “completed shelf” or “in progress shelf”. Of course, you can put books on hold. You can also make lists, rate books and write reviews.

I have a Kindle, but only use it or my phone in a pinch. Much prefer real books and usually take them with me when I travel and usually buy a few more on my trip.

27

I don’t do the social part of Goodreads. I have a couple friends (people who I know who are big readers) but I don’t really see their stuff nor do I participate in any social opportunities on GR. Except I will sign up for their book give aways! Haven’t won one yet!

28

There might be a way to turn it off. I’m not sure. I think I signed up with Facebook for one account and then signed up with email for the other one? At any rate I get emails all the time from Goodreads telling me what my friends are reading and rating and I am just not interested in sharing that info via Goodreads. I will share it in person with a friend, but not interested in sharing it via social media.

29

I keep track of characters by writing them down in my notes app.

30

Good idea but too much trouble for me!

31

Do you read for hours at a clip? Or just a short burst, like a chapter here and there?
I read throughout the day: a chapter or two and then head toward something I should do, such as fold clothes or paperwork or dinner prep, etc., then read a chapter or two and so on.

Do you linger over the words and phrases?
If the writing calls for it, otherwise not.

Do you form storylines in your head or can you remain neutral and let the plot play out?
I cheat and read the end and then slide back to where I left off.

Kindle/e-books or paper?
Hard copy from the library; Kindle, if I have to do so for some reason.

After finishing a book…do you immediately jump to a new read? Or mull over the one you’ve just finished?
I read more than one book at a time. If I finish one, I concentrate on one of the others till I finish it too or shamefully start another, adding to the several in progress.

Do you stick to either fiction/non-fiction or a little of both?
Mainly fiction though I do read nonfiction. I’ve read 83 books so far this year. Three are anthologies of classic poetry and prose. Only 5 of 83 were nonfiction but I liked them all. (And thanks to GoodReads for quick access to the information I sought.)

Need a quiet spot? Or can you read anywhere?
Anywhere but I take a magazine with me if I’m heading somewhere like a doctor’s office. Easier to stop and start.

Any other interesting things?
I have been in up to four bookclubs at one time. I still am - somewhat; I like something about each one, so haven’t dropped out completely. However, I pick and choose when I want to participate with three of them. One of the three book clubs seems to pick the same book each month. Yes, different title/author/plot but I swear it’s the same book as the ones that came before, if that makes any sense. It’s the book club in which I have the least interest, though I like the ladies in it. Another book club has a diversity of gender/age/race I like. I may be the oldest member; the youngest ones have toddlers/babies/or are newly married. I like it for the mix of people.

The only book club in which I make an effort to read every selection is the one right here on CC. I started with it in 2009. So why do I like it: mix of genres with classics on occasion, among many other reasons. It’s the book club I can honestly say has made me grow as a reader. Would I have read Far from the Madding Crowdor Middlemarch if it hadn’t been with this group? Doubtful. But, without doubt, I would have not gotten as much from either book at one of my other book clubs. My real life book clubs tend to last an hour or so. The discussions have less depth because, well, you’re done in that hour or so. The CC discussions linger over a period of days that give you time to ponder. (That doesn’t mean I’ve loved every book chosen over the years. Reading Lolita in Tehran I’m looking at you. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:)

I keep track of books on GoodReads. I rate and review each book. The reviews are mainly for me to remember what I like or don’t about each book. I keep it simple.

2 Likes
32

I’m almost exclusively an e-reader these days, but I do love the feel and smell of books and love it when someone gives me a book either as a loan or gift. Not exactly sure why, but I rarely read fiction anymore unless someone highly recommends a book with a meaty description of why. I do follow the best books thread here and have enjoyed several CC recommendations.

I always have a read in progress although sometimes my loan expires before I finish as I don’t always have time to devote every day. I’m a bedtime reader and like to read until I fall asleep. I’m also a slow reader as I read every word at the same pace I’d read aloud. I guess that’s the English major in me. I appreciate words and believe they deserve to be consumed, all of them, as the author intended. If I find myself skimming, that means the book isn’t for me, and I won’t finish it.

I also like to read aloud and both DH and our son when he was growing up loved our nightly reading hour(s). I read a lot of series books to them, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc., voices and all. Not much TV in our house.

DH, OTOH, drives me crazy at times. He likes to read the end of a book first (!) so he can see how the plot works. He also skims like mad (maybe because he already knows the ending?) and finishes books without any appreciation for the words or imagery. I don’t call that reading.

It’s funny though. Early in my career, I took a few speed reading courses and am able to fly through and digest business articles, documentation, white papers, online info, etc., but I never use that method for pleasure reading and don’t have to think about when to switch.

1 Like
33

In a pinch my Kindle will tell me who characters are, if I highlight the name. Usually it shows the passage when the character was first introduced.

34

INTERESTING. I’ll have to check that out!

35

I also use that highlight feature to get the definition of unfamiliar words…

1 Like
36

For the last four years, I’ve kept track (have a small notebook) of what I’ve read. On average, I read 40-45 books a year. I mostly read literary fiction and mysteries of any kind. I don’t read much non-fiction, but lately I’ve been drawn to memoirs. (My book group read Dani Shapiro’s book, Inheritance.)

I go to a book festival every year in the place where we have a vacation home; I always read a few authors who participate in the festival. Will Schwalbe, Alice Hoffman, Amor Towles, Ann Leary, Min Jin Lee, and Nathaniel Philbrick are some of the authors I’ve started reading as a result of attending the festival.

I tend to binge on authors. If I like one book, I’ll read all of the books that author has written. Now that I’m retired, I read when I get up in the morning and when I go to bed at night. I prefer hardback books, but for traveling I’ll use my Kindle. I just started listening to audiobooks–my kids bought me a subscription to Audible last Christmas.

I definitely pay attention to words and phrases. I also pay attention to how the book is put together (I used to work in book publishing). I’ve noticed that the quality of book production has gone down in recent years. (I know I sound like an old fuddy duddy when I say that, but it really has. Publishers are clearly cutting costs.)

1 Like
37

That’s true for me. I used to read a lot of books on home repair how-to, design and decorating, architectural history, etc. and now I prefer to do that online. I also used to have quite a few cookbooks that I read like others read novels. Most of them were donated before our move. It’s easier to check a recipe online than in a cookbook.

I still read a few books in hard copy, mostly those with illustrations. Mainly, I read on a Kindle Paperwhite. I like being able to adjust both the brightness and the font size according to how my eyes are doing at the time.

Most of the books I read these days are light mysteries, such as those by Agatha Christie, as well as some modern British cozy mysteries. They’re an escape from reality. I used to average 10 books per month but it’s been fewer since I’ve been busy with the new house.

H listens to books on his earbuds any time he’s not online or watching TV. They distract from his tinnitus. Eventually, I’ll start listening to books as my vision continues to deteriorate.

One thing I looked forward to when our kids were little was having time to read the way I did in my teens and twenties. Back then, it wasn’t unusual for me to get caught up in a book and stay up until the early hours of the morning to finish it. Getting up the next morning was never a problem, but it would be now.

1 Like
38

Thank you for confirming what I’ve been noticing and complaining about for several years.

1 Like
39

If I find a book that really draws me in, I read for long periods of time. If it’s a book that hasn’t hooked me, I read a chapter or two and then put it down. Quite often I don’t finish those books, unless it’s a book for one of my book clubs.

I primarily read mysteries, so I’m constantly trying to solve it on my own. Because of that, I pay attention to wording and any small hints the author might give. For me it’s a game.

I primarily read a hard copy. I like the ease with which I can page back to reread a passage. But I’ll read an e-copy if I can’t get to the library when I run out of books. I like being able to highlight a character and find when he/she was first mentioned, as well as being able to look up unfamiliar words.

When a book hooks me, or as I say, controls me, my other chores don’t get accomplished, so sometimes I’m relieved not to have a good book. For the past six months or so, I’ve been finding it more difficult to stick with a book, even with some of my favorite authors. Another friend of mine is having the same issue. We are wondering if it’s the pandemic.

I usually read 2-3 books a week.

40

I always feel guilty giving up on a book. I’ve caught myself a couple times lately saying to myself….”Sheesh, I can’t wait to be done with this one, I hate it!” I feel caught between giving it a chance and not wanting to waste my time. Especially if I’m getting ready to abandon a book that I’ve heard rave reviews about (sometimes even on the Best Books” thread!!).

2 Likes