Reading Habits

[Johnny Carson Whit]

May make me sound like a 5 year old child, but I dont care. The best tip I have received for keeping my attention on a novel is to actually mouth the words as you are reading them. I could read underwater with a fork in my eye doing this. In the last 12 hours I have read more than I have read in months just by doing this!

[BookJumper]

I could read underwater with a fork in my eye doing this.

As a very easily distracted bag of anxiety with no attention span, this sounds promising, I'll let you know if it helps!

[Inver]

Is noise allowed? The TV or the children?

I do prefer it to be quiet when I am reading, very quiet music if at all, but find it difficult to concentrate if telly is on.

Indoors or out?

Indoors usually in the evening, but there again once the nice weather (!) comes outside in the garden is nice.

Morning or Evening?

Usually the evening (but usually take a book with me if going into town in case I stop for a cuppa)

 

Do you read on sofa or do you prefer to snuggle in bed with a good read?

Prefer to snuggle up in bed and read a night.

Is a cuppa close to hand? Do you feast while you read?

If I am out and about and stop for a cuppa it would normally be a cup of tea and a scone.

Does everything have to be just so?

Not really, but depends where I am at the time.

[MountainGirl]

Where is the best place to read? If you had a whole [beautiful] day.. where would you go to read?

 

I'd probably go sit by the lake, or just in my back yard under a tree.

When its raining, I love curling up with my dog and reading while she naps, dreams and kicks me in her sleep

[Michelle]

Hi MountainGirl.. I've merged your post with the existing general thread we have.

[Chrissy]

On a baking hot day I like to sit on my back step. Everything I might need is within reach, and I am in the garden but not actively squishing grass. The cats and the dog like to lounge in the shade of the nearby trees. Perfect.

[MountainGirl]

Ahh! Thanks Michelle! I was looking for something like this.. obviously not hard enough!

 

Is noise allowed? The TV or the children?

I don't get bothered too much by noise. If I have a headache though and am still trying to read then I cant handle when people are talking AND the TV is on. One must go, and its usually me - to another room.

 

Indoors or out?

I really love reading outside on the deck, or when I'm camping, out in the sand by the lake. there is something about being sucked into the book, and (a) knowing that the beauty is right there for you, to ( look up at anytime you lift your head. But if it's windy, I come inside and read where ever I find a good spot.

 

Morning or Evening?

All the time, I have a bag just big enough for my wallet and one book, that way I always have it just in case the opportunity presents itself!

 

Do you read on sofa or do you prefer to snuggle in bed with a good read?

Love both, today I snuggled up in bed with my dog as it was raining and windy on and off.

 

Is a cuppa close to hand? Do you feast while you read?

Lately I have had tea.. don't usually eat though unless the book is soooo good I cannot put it down and therefore need to multitask.

 

Does everything have to be just so?

No, not at all. I can read whenever, wherever. I think my boyfriend likes that about me, because I can go with him when he has to do something manly like, help a friend chainsaw a tree, while I sit there and read.

Edited May 6, 2010 by MountainGirl

[Skírnir]

Depends on what I'm reading. I usually prefer silence, a cup of coffee and the sofa - when no one's at home. Otherwise, I get comfortable in my bed.

 

If I manage to get easily absorbed in the story, all other noise just fades away - the TV could be on and family members can be talking as well. I wouldn't hear it anyway.

[Kylie]

Kyile do you work where customers can see you?

 

 

No, I only have work colleagues around me.

[pontalba]

It varies. I used to mostly read here in the study with a cup of something, tea or coffee handy. I have a comfortable office chair in here, and something to prop my feet up, so it was pretty comfy.

 

Now though, since I have my OH, we usually sit together on the sofa and read. This sofa is in close proximity to the kitchen and we are both in and out of there replenishing our tea or coffee, and treats.

 

We both like it to be quiet while reading, and the only sound is the occasional cat mucking about and the turning of pages.

 

I don't really like to eat that much with a book in hand, I'm naturally messy, and hate the idea of getting updoc on the pages.

[KarenMac]

Is noise allowed? The TV or the children?

I prefer it quite, but some noise is fine. I can read in the living room while the kids watch TV.

 

Indoors or out?

The weather here can make outdoors reading difficult, so I normally read indoors. But on the odd occasion when we have a sunny day, reading outdoors can be lovely.

 

Morning or Evening?

Usually in the evening, and in bed at night. Also in the morning at the kitchen table. Really any time!

 

Is a cuppa close to hand? Do you feast while you read?

Mostly with a cup of tea. Not normally with food. And sometimes with a glass of wine!

 

Does everything have to be just so?

Not at all! I take whatever free time I can get.

[Kidsmum]

It's very rare that our house is totally quiet so i've got used to reading with the TV on. I often read while i'm cooking in the kitchen or if i go out i'll take my book to read on the bus or in the doctor's waiting room. Ideally i'd love to be able to go to bed early & curl up with a good book but our youngest still sleeps in our room so that's not possible.

[Susie]

I prefer a quiet house and usually lay across my bed to read.

Afternoon or evening works best for me.

[lauraloves]

Is noise allowed? The TV or the children? im not too fussed either way.

 

Indoors or out? if its sunny outdoors but i normally get very into a book and end up sunburnt

 

Morning or Evening? evening

 

Is a cuppa close to hand? Do you feast while you read? tea, coffee, choccie, ice cream, crisps not all at the same time

 

Does everything have to be just so? nope

[emelee]

Is noise allowed? The TV or the children? NO! Can

[Brida]

Noise and music is allowed. Sometimes I need to concentrate and any sound can distract me, but usually I can (and like to) listen to music while I read. Even when I study sometimes.

Yann Tiersen's music makes for great background for reading imo Also, for some reason lately I put Runaway by The National on repeat while I read I've noticed doing that a lot lately

 

I prefer to be alone while I read, outdoors if the weather is nice, or indoors, although I find I'm more easily distracted indoors... I can ''zone out'' outdoors

 

I like to have a cup of tea while I read. Or juice in the summer.

 

I'd like everything to be just so, but since that's almost impossible I can adjust, or at least I try to.

[ilikebooks]

Somebody once told me that he could train himself to read a book or rather feel a book by simply flashing each page in front of him subliminaly almost. This is supposed to accelerate learning in this regard. As you become intuitive to the material.

 

I considered that this might have meant that for some of us there is a homunculus capabale of processing text at an incredible rate but existing only in our unconcious mind. Aparently this theory does have credence and would explain our apetite for reading....

 

A more traditional approach woud be to use simulated rain or the sound of a waterfall and maybe some bird's chirping in background. I live in a city so when this is possible is when I leave the water on or at about 4 or 5 in the morning - the best time.

 

" I read best in a tent on a mountain undisturbed except by the howling wind, oh with my

dog, prefer in a storm but not too much of one!"

Edited September 15, 2010 by Michelle
Commercial link removed and formatting fixed again.

[AbielleRose]

I prefer to be alone while I read, outdoors if the weather is nice, or indoors, although I find I'm more easily distracted indoors... I can ''zone out'' outdoors

.

 

Isn't that the funniest thing? I can't read at 'home' even if it's quiet unless I have ear buds in because it HAS to be totally silent for me to read, but if I'm on a break at work and it's noisy or in public somewhere the bustling and noise doesn't bother me at all (usually).

[Beccles]

All housework done, home tidy, usually late afternoon laying on the sofa, complete silence. Glass of milk and a bag of wine Gums. Evenings in bed and I usually read until the small hours

[imma89]

I read alot when I was a kid/teenager but it was mostly cheezy teenage drama books along with Harry Potter. In those days I had time... Then I took a phase where I was really into parenting and psychological stuff so I moved to self help and non fiction books (a phase I really dread) along with school books.

 

Now I'm kind of re-invinting myself by starting to read fiction again but now I'm old with kids (well I'm actually only 22 but with kids it feels old) and I feel like I never have time to sit down and just read. I take my books along everywhere I go and I often read when we're visiting family or if we're spending time in our summer house, but I often feel like I'm rude for not talking to people and wanting to be alone. I love to read in the car so when we travel I hardly ever look out of the window to admire the landscape - my head is always covered with some book (this really bothered my father when I was a kid (and that I always had some music in my ears too) and he claims that's why I'm so bad with directions - because I was always in some other world. I don't know what to think about that).

 

I mostly try to read in the evening when the kids are down but then, I'm so tired I fall asleep after only 2 - 6 pages! Then when I actually have some time I often spend it too much on watching TV shows and surfing the internet.

 

Are you having this problem too? When/where do you do your reading?

[scarymary555]

I read alot when I was a kid/teenager but it was mostly cheezy teenage drama books along with Harry Potter. In those days I had time... Then I took a phase where I was really into parenting and psychological stuff so I moved to self help and non fiction books (a phase I really dread) along with school books.

 

Now I'm kind of re-invinting myself by starting to read fiction again but now I'm old with kids (well I'm actually only 22 but with kids it feels old) and I feel like I never have time to sit down and just read. I take my books along everywhere I go and I often read when we're visiting family or if we're spending time in our summer house, but I often feel like I'm rude for not talking to people and wanting to be alone. I love to read in the car so when we travel I hardly ever look out of the window to admire the landscape - my head is always covered with some book (this really bothered my father when I was a kid (and that I always had some music in my ears too) and he claims that's why I'm so bad with directions - because I was always in some other world. I don't know what to think about that).

 

I mostly try to read in the evening when the kids are down but then, I'm so tired I fall asleep after only 2 - 6 pages! Then when I actually have some time I often spend it too much on watching TV shows and surfing the internet.

 

Are you having this problem too? When/where do you do your reading?

 

 

Good question and I have a feeling that my reading habits will be changing a bit now thanks to my new e-reader. I still love books and will be reading them at home during the day or in the evening if there's not much on TV (which is most of the time!) But now I will be taking my e-reader everywhere (as it's so light) with me in my bag and will happily read in doctors or dentists waiting rooms, while waiting to meet someone, on a park bench etc.

 

M x

[simongrant]

Great thread BTW,I mostly read in the big chair at home,being a pipe smoker I always have a pipe in my mouth while reading,seems to help my concentration no end.I also always have a large travel mug off the strongest kenco to hand.

 

@simonjamesgrant

[Echo]

A new reading habit of mine: Leaning back in my chair at work, feet up on the desk. I work alone, so no one can see me! I've been burning through books lately!

[slimmergirl01]

I can read with music or the radio on, but definately not with the tv on, or my husbands x box ( that drives me potty )

 

Love to have a glass of diet cola by my side , also read in bed and have been known to stop reading as the

birds start singing and then wonder why I am tired all the next day, but being a mild insomniac reading helps me from looking at the clock and wondering why the rest of the house is sleeping but I am not :giggle2:

[ticketyboo]

Is noise allowed? The TV or the children? It has to be quiet otherwise I'll be listening to the other sounds I can hear

 

Indoors or out? Morning or Evening? Tend to read inside but outside I suppose would be nice

 

Do you read on sofa or do you prefer to snuggle in bed with a good read? My bed

 

Is a cuppa close to hand? Do you feast while you read? No, I drink coke but nothing else

 

Does everything have to be just so? yes the pillows have to be just right and I have to feel 100% comfy!