I have books. I have eBooks. I have eBook readers. (Yes, plural) I have eBook conversion tools. I have shelves. I have books on those shelves. I have a “shame pile” of books to read that could easily intimidate the most avid bookworm.
Yet I can’t seem to find the time to read.
When I do, I’m never sorry. Ever. Any time I’ve stayed up late reading a book, any sleepiness in the morning is worth it, because books are like magic. Real magic, the kind you get to live out just by reading them.
So my question is, when do YOU do most of your reading? I know many of you read like crazy, so much so that I’m bitterly jealous. *cough* Candy *cough* So I’m curious, when do you do the bulk of your reading? Is it right before bed? Do you read in bed? Is it in the morning? At lunch? All of the above?
I also wonder if you have to make yourself stop what you’re doing to take time to read. I think if I want to actually do some reading, I’ll have to make myself stop working. I know I work too much, so that might be a good thing.
So simply put, when do you read?
when not on vacation (where I read most time), I read myself to sleep in bed
I read at night mostly, I keep my Kindle with me at all times, pretty much. I read while I’m waiting to get my kids at school, I’ll take a 10 minute break and read. I don’t watch TV (I do, but while I’m doing data entry and not a whole lot) so I read at night. I read before I go to sleep, etc etc. I only read 100 books per year. I have friends that read 200-400 because they don’t work. Ah, to be retired! And yes, I make myself stop working/piddling around at a certain point to read. It’s MY time.
I read before bed, usually about an hour. I used to read every time I was in my Other Office, but not so much anymore.
Shawn, my situation is different, since my kids are off the payroll and no longer require me to be “available” to them. So I do a lot of listening to my books. I carry my iPod EVERYWHERE, and every minute I can, I plug it into the car stereo or put in my headphones and listen to my books. While I’m cooking, while I’m doing chores, while I’m running errands. Adding audiobooks to my daily life has quadrupled the number of books I’m able to get through in a month.
There is only one good thing about a long commute combined with public transit: I get to read at least 40 minutes a day. (And that doesn’t even count time spent reading in the bathroom.)
I like to read at the end of my day, hunkered down in bed. The bad thing about that is, whenever I read any other time of day I get sleepy. It doesn’t stop me from trying, though, I have something to read just about everywhere I go. Reading makes the more mundane things of life, standing in line at the post office or waiting in the doctor’s office, much more pleasant.
Lately I’ve been reading in the evenings after dinner, some nights way too late. Usually try to knock off by midnight, does not always work. Don’t have a reader of any sort yet and although I’ve listened to a couple books on my ipod, if I’m on transit or other noisy area I have trouble hearing some of the readers, so not so much on audio books.
However, I’ve discovered that no matter how much I try, the to be read stack just never gets any smaller. Doesn’t help that I’m always getting more books either.
Grin!!
It depends on what I’m reading. If it’s fiction, I usually read it before bed. If it’s non-fiction, I read it whenever I get a chance NOT before bed.
I don’t read as much as I used to, mostly because I am so focused on my writing. However, I do read other books periodically as time permits. Right now that’s mostly when I need to let my brain relax. Writing novels is hard work, but it’s lots of fun at the same time. 😀 I hope to have book 5 of my Earthfleet series proofed out soon, so once that’s done, I’ll have even more time to read. Well, until it’s time to start working on book 6. 😉 The best part of that though isn’t so much the writing, but rather seeing other people read your stuff and enjoy it!
I read mostly on the bus to/from work, (only if I don’t have a psycho bus driver — I get carsick easily,) and at work, when the kids are laying down for nap. (We can’t move around too much, or they don’t go to sleep.) Sometimes I read before bed, but not every day — some days I’m WAY too tired! I do occasionally plop down on the couch on a Sunday afternoon with my book, too, but those times are rare!
I read in bed, I read at meals (especially breakfast and lunch, when I eat alone most of the time), I eat when I watch TV (unless it’s something I really want/need to focus on), I carry a book at all times and can read any time I have a few minutes with nothing going on.
I’ve tried audio books, but find I can’t concentrate listening like I can when I actually read.
I have a confession… I rip books on CD from the library and “read” them from my droid. In the car, out for a walk, riding my bike, getting around for bed, or decompressing after work… it doesn’t matter. I toss in some earbuds and “read.”
I’ve considered an Audible subscription, but I just can’t force myself to pull the trigger. If I were to do that, I’m sure I’d love it… but for now, I’ll just have to continue justifying my leaching from the library. Oh, and Yes, I delete them when I’m done. I’m still a good person, right?
For those situations where the book I’m wanting to read isn’t available on CD, I’m in the same boat with you. I just don’t seem to get to it very often. I usually take about an hour after dinner when the kids are getting ready for bed and get some reading done. Interestingly enough, my wife is much more accepting of me reading from a dead tree than from my laptop.
I do most of my “reading” in the car with audiobooks. Aside from that, most of the reading I do at home, if any, is a few minutes here or there after the kids are in bed.
I sit on the side of my bed and read every night. My wife and I both read during meals at the table (often interrupting one another with lively conversation). I often continue sitting at the table and reading after the meal is over. I read in the car when I can persuade her to drive. I don’t like audiobooks. Don’t know about eReaders as I don’t own one. I like books; short ones, fat ones, tall ones, thin ones, as long as they’re Fantasy or Science Fiction. Rarely read anything else.
I keep going and back forth between reading when I can’t sleep in bed and reading during commute time and free periods in the work day. It seems that in bed is best because I have problems shifting focus from leisure reading to the day job or fiction writing. But of course when I become dissatisfied with how much reading I do, reading ends up bleeding back into the day. I am constantly conflicted about how much time I spend reading and writing. Electronic media lowers my drive to do both, so I am always struggling to protect reading/writing focus. I am a genre reader: scifi, fantasy, romance and suspense.
I have to support Michael. I barely get time to read so I tend to buy by audiobooks and rip them to my ipod. I listen to it when I get on the bus and I usually squeeze in about 20 minutes a day. Besides that I read at night when I can’t sleep.
My brother here reads in the restrooms and spends his quality time doing just that.
You won’t find the time for it, you have to make time for it.
My friends just saw my post, and they wanted me to elaborate that you can also make time at the gym. If you rip a cd audiobook or download one from itunes you can also listen to it at the gym when your doing cardio or lifting weights.
This is a great way to make efficient use of your time.