I was thinking about this last night as I was turning the pages in the bathtub. I don't read as often in the tub anymore, but sometimes a page-turner will insist I not ignore it. Usually, I read right before bed, in bed. I have a handy-dandy little nightlight that clips to the bedframe and I can twist it to shine on the pages. I will read about half an hour to forty-five minutes. Yes, it takes me a loooong time to read a book. And generally I have 3 or 4 books going at a time, a couple fiction, at least one non-fiction.
Now, I know some of you out there can read a book a day. That fascinates me! Are you a speed reader? Or do you just have the time to do that? Or are some like me, and it takes forever to read a whole book? Do you steal a half hour here or there, or do you find long periods of uninterrupted reading time? Or maybe you snatch five minutes while stirring the spaghetti?
What about place? Chairs, couches, hammocks under the sun, the middle of the kid's playroom while they're battling it out with nerf sabers and sound effects? Where's your favorite place to read?
And lastly, what genres are your favs to read? Romance here! But I like a mix, so fantasy, fiction and non-fiction as figure in.
Let's talk about how we read today! This should be fun!
26 comments:
I like to read in bed but lately, I've just been too tired! My fav place to read is on the dock at the cabin or in the hammock on the deck. But if it's an engrossing read, I'll have it on the kitchen counter while I'm preparing dinner and read a few lines when I get the chance.
These days, I read mostly research books, some thrillers and of course, romance. And I'm a paper back reader. Love the size, the feel, the smell of the paper and the portability
Hey! Haven't been by for a while, and miss you guys. :)
I read before bed almost every night, and for that reason it usually takes me a week or so to get through a book. Unless, for whatever reason, I break routine and spend some daylight or evening time reading, which I will do if a story is particularly good and I can't put it down, or when I have more free time. I like to sit outside by the firepit on summer evenings and read, or at the beach, when I am lucky enough to find myself on one. :)
I read almost all romance/Prime Crime mysteries, and a few series UF. I tend to go in batches... a lot of PNR, but then I will get tired of that and go on a contemp kick, which I am on now.
I also only read on my Kindle now - if it's not a Kindle book, I don't read it. I just love the Kindle that much. :)
Sam
No matter where, I have to have my feet up. Important furniture item for the new house: chaise or recliner. I also read in bed. Every night. No matter what. I used to read on a recumbent bike, but since we moved, no nearby facility. That's something else I need to put on my list.
I read paperbacks, hard covers and with my e-Bookwise (best for late-night reading in bed because of its back light).
Don't like reading on the computer -- can't turn off the editor if I do that.
Genres: Romance (romantic suspense mostly) and Mystery.
Cindy, I am in awe of kitchen readers! How to read without getting food on the pages?
Sam, good to see you here! All on the Kindle? Do you ever miss the glossy covers?
Terry, a chaise! One of those long fancy jobs with a snuggly blanket and maybe a cat, too. ;-)
Michele - i didn't say anything about not getting food on the pages :o)
I know. THAT little tidbit drives you nuts :o)
Prefer reading in the tub where I can prop my elbows and easily hold the book. Usually (start and) finish the book right then and there, whipping through the pages as quickly as possible.
Take books to badminton with me five nights a week. Between games when no one else is waiting with me, I'll lean forward with elbows on my knees, again reading as quickly as possible.
Take a book for my walks along a paved trail. I can keep on the trail by watching the yellow line down the middle of the path. I get a LOT of reading done this way. Feel like I'm multitasking well.
Don't read in bed at nighttime unless my husband is away, as I KNOW I'll read till I'm done. Since I'm only getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night and I need 7, there's no way I'll throw in a 1.5 hour read too.
I read heavy non-fiction library books while sitting in the living room watching/listening to my taped shows. Love reading books about time management, figure skating, recipes, home improvements, and saving money.
I don't read every word in a romance. I'm not into reading all the scenic parts, so I'll skip those. I'm not into graphic details when H/h hook up, so I'll flip through those pages too. If a book doesn't turn my crank after a few chapters, I too fast-forward to the end and read how the couple finally hooks up. I used to read the entire book because I'd think, "I paid for it so I'll read it all." Now I think, "My time is too valuable to waste reading this." Perhaps it's because I'm in my latter half of life, and time is tickin'.
Prefer paperbacks for romances. HATE creased spines. Use bookmarks everywhere, whether they be ripped pieces of paper or whatever. Haven't tried electronic books yet. Hate ebooks, as I spend enough time on the computer as it is. I also type for a living, so I want off the computer more than the average person.
I absolutely can't imagine reading in a tub. lol I read in bed at night before going to sleep. Have one of those nightlights, too. It's a real treat to take time out during the day or early evening to read, but I'm going to try and do more of that. I'll read anything that's fiction. My non-fiction usually involves research.
Fun topic, Michele!
Oh my, dear, aggh! Food on the pages? Yes, that would put me into a conniption. :-)
Laney, very interesting that you skip lots of stuff in books! Have you ever gotten to a point in the story and feel like you missed something? Or are have you become an expert in detecting all that 'extra' stuff that some readers skip? And the bathtub. Ever drop a book? I haven't yet, but I'm always worried it'll be a hardcover instead of a paperback.
I read almost anywhere -- in bed at night, couch in the living room, the bus, and even a hot bath on occasion. I rarely read outdoors as I start to burn after only ten minutes in the sun.
There was a time I could read an entire book in one day, but I'm a much slower reader than I used to be, now averaging only 1-2 books a week. Of course, this depends on the type of book, author's writing style (some authors read quicker than others), and whatever is going on in life at the time.
I read primarily paperbacks and an occasional trade size book. I typically dislike trade and HC books as the larger size makes them more difficult to carry around or hold for any length of time. When I do read a HC I remove the dust jacket as it just gets in the way.
I read across genres: romance, mystery, suspense, classics, general fiction. Very rarely do I read nonfiction, but I will pick one or two up a year if something really interests me. That is the only time I might have more than one book going at a time - reading the nonfic at home in the living room, and the fiction everywhere else.
Fun blog, M.
As for me, you KNOW I'm a tub girl. Love reading while soaking. Paperbacks almost exclusively but lots of genres.
Oh, a friend gave me a Lush bathe bomb. That was my morning reading buddy today. Yummy.
In bed, on the couch, in a chair, but never, Never in the tub. The steam wrinkles the pages and ruins the book.
My sister likes to borrow my books and we always fight over whether or not they're allowed in the tub, because that's where she likes to read. We've decided that she can read my paperbacks in the tub, but if it falls in she has to buy me a new one. And the hardbacks are NEVER allowed in the bathroom with her. So far, that agreement has kept her alive.
GunDiva, that must be some HOT water! Although I admit to lobster-red hot water at times, too. Wouldn't it be such a horror to drop a book in the tub? I have actual nightmares about that.
Those LUSH bath bombs are the bomb, aren't they? Except I learned my lesson to never buy the confetti one. Because cleaning the tub afterward? Not fun.
Heather, another dust jacket remover like me. I think I'd just freak if the jacket got the tiniest tear in it, but I sense you are more practical, and just don't like to deal with keeping that thing on the actual book while reading. :-)
I have 4 kids (4, 3, almost 2 and 2 months) and I read/facebook during nap time from 1- 3. I also read any moment I have free during dinner prep. I'm also a kitchen reader that doesn't get food on the pages since most of the books have been reading have been library books. I just LOVE that our library allows you to reserve and get books delivered so I can borrow all of a series at once.
If my husband is studying or doing the finances then I read after the kids go to sleep around 8:30 or so until about 9:30 - 10PM. He doesn;t usually mind since he reaps the benefits of my "mood" after reading my romance books. ;o>
My friends call me a read-a-holic. I had been able to finish a book in a day but with the 4th baby here it takes me about 2- 3 days to finish a 400+ pager.
I read any kind of books; e-books, harbacks, paperbacks. I'm not picky. I don;t care if there are highlights, torn edges or other people's food spilled on the pages (which is OK as long as it doesn't appear to be body fluid). I don't have an e-reader since the library is free and I can DL to my laptop.
I love reading everyone's responses!
Hey Michele,
1st off thank you for guest blogging at Everybody Needs a Little Romance the other day. I enjoyed your post.
I love to read in the bathtub if I have time I can relax and hang out. The hotter the water the better. I too am always afraid I'm going to drop the book in the water though.
I usually read on the couch in the evenings. I have my corner that nobody sits in. I read at my desk at lunch. I have been known to read at red lights going home in the afternoon. I now have Kindle for my Iphone so I can read it while in the car.
I love paperback books. I probably have over 600 or more books total (all paper types) and I have 35 pages of ebooks on my kindle. I like the size of the paperback books because they fit in my purse easily but I also love trade because my fav publishers (EC, Samhain, Aphrodisia) all print trade size. I too take the covers off my hardbacks. They get in the way and get tattered if you leave them on the books.
Once last summer we went to a local waterpark and I took a cheap harlequin with me and I sat in the wave pool and read while hubs and everyone played on the water rides. I figured if it got wet, no worries, it was only a few dollars. It actually faired pretty good.
I read sitting for the most part. Either curled up in the "magic chair" which is what I call the chair and ahalf in the bedroom. Or sitting up in bed. On a plane. In the car. On the...::cough::
Well, just lots of places.
Michelle,
That "please say no, please say no" made me laugh out loud. And I'm in a Barnes & Noble right now, so that's not a good thing. (But I really enjoyed it anyway.)
I usually read in bed, because I'm lazy, but last night I took a book into the kitchen with me to wait out the time it took my rice to cook. I don't trust my stove. It likes to burn things.
I also read in the tub when I have the energy to run a bath. I always slip the dustcover off a hardback. And no, I don't break spines in my paperbacks. :)
Your library DELIVERS books? How cool is that?
Oh, Heather please tell me you NEVER read while driving. Only when completely stopped? How is it to read on the iPhone? I would think the screen is so small you could see maybe a paragraph at a time?
Deb, that chair sounds delicious and I don't even know what it looks like. But your own special reading chair. SIgh...
Yay, Venus! No spine breaking! I think we need to have Spinebreakers Anonymous to help cure some of you book murderers out there. They idea of breaking the spine... Ouch. I like to think my books look even better AFTER I've read them than before. I think they do. Hee.
I love books, yes I do. I love romance, how 'bout you?
I will read it in a tub. I will read it in a club.
Romance can be read most anywhere! Read it here, read it there.
I read it nightly in my chaise. With a soft light in my face.
I read it nightly in my bed. Romantic scenes in my head.
Romance books are the best.
I like them better than the rest.
And yes, it has been that sort of day...slinking off for a stiff drink. That's the only thing that helps when I come home from school talking in rhyme!
I like to read while sitting on the couch or in bed. No to the tub, because I would be too clutsy and I would drop the book in the water!:/ Ooog.... I love reading without interruption with a fan swirling overhead... Now THAT is bliss! Great topic! -- Leanne Banks
I mostly get the chance to read in bed in the evening lately. but i do try to read whenever i get the chance. I take my book with me where ever i go. I also redesigned my office and added my own little reading corner with a confy chair. but *sigh* i only get to use it every so often! ;0(
I prefer paper backs, and no spine bending. I do read hard backs if thats all there is,i just find it hard to hold some of them. But the ones i do read i take the covers off. i don't want to mess them up.
I have a nook, and i haven't read much on it yet, but i am starting to read more and more on it!
My favorite genre is Romance. Paranormal romance, highlanders *sigh*, urban fantasy, erotica.
Never, ever read in bed! I just can't get comfortable. I sit in my recliner and read thru the week, while hubby's at work. On the weekend I let him have it and I sit on the couch. (We've got to get another recliner!!) don't read in the tub, either. Kylie, loved the rhyme!!!
Forgot to say what I like to read! I love paranormals, reomantic suspense, historical, contemporaries! Mostly read paperbacks, only hardbacks from the library!! By the way, you ladies are some of my most fav authors!!
If a good day has you rhyming, Kylie, I'd hate to see you on a bad day. :-)
Welcome, Leanne, and nice to see you pop in.
JoJo's got a Nook! I think it would be fun to be able to compare all the eReaders in one spot Kindle, Nook, Sony, others. I wonder if there's a store that has them all?
Wow, no bed reading for Martha! I can't imagine not reading in bed. hmm...
Hey Michele, love the blog topic today. I read anywhere except the tub. I love books too much to take them in such a humid space...LOL!!!
I usually have several books going at a time. I am a pretty quick reader though, and if one of the four or five books I am reading grabs me, I tend to stay up and finish it. If that happens, I tend to read it in bed until I finish it.
I switch books depending on what mood I am in. During vacations, I tend to read a book all the way through. If I am reading hardcover, I take the dust jacket off, and I don't break the spine. It kills me when someone does that, and if they bend the page to hold their space, I completely freak out. So, I usually carry around bookmarks.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Hi again, Michele!
I wouldn't say that I skip "lots of stuff in books". It's just that some books go on and on about the scenary in some exotic location. I'm more interested in seeing how the H/h hook up. I might only skip a total of five pages in a book; I wouldn't consider that "lots". Sometimes I read when the H/h are making out, but if I don't like the way it is written, then I skip those pages. I can't explain what I like and don't like; I just know. Don't get me wrong; there are some books where I really enjoy those parts of the book too!
Yes, I have "gotten to a point in the story and [felt like I] missed something", so I go back and read it "properly". Doesn't happen often, as after almost 40 years of reading romances, I'm getting a better idea of what not to skip.
Funny you asked about the bathtub and have I "ever [dropped] a book". I was working on a Sudoku puzzle in the tub last week and set it on the edge of the tub. Apparently my towel grazed it, so off it went into the water. I "dried" it on the register, so now instead of being perhaps 8 mm thick, the book is 30 mm thick, but I'm still plugging away at the puzzles! No, I've never dropped a romance. I put them far away from the tub when I'm done reading them, as I know I could drip on them and wreck them (whereas I'm okay with dripping on a Sudoku puzzle book).
Since I'm a writer too, I have to steal some extra time either while at work (not always possible, since I drive transit :>) so it's usually before bed, or while I'm waiting for dinner to get done.
I sit in a chair. But sure would like to have that doo-dad of a light you've got.
The only thing I've read while in the tub was my own print-offs, but any more, I don't like getting all pruny, not good for my skin.
I am a fan of urban fantasy. Romance, if it happens can happen there, and maybe unexpectedly, in unusual places, unusual beds, or no bed at all :D and that's how I like it, whether it's with a vampire, a were-something, or a shifter, as long as it happens, or gonna happen eventually.
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