While visiting Eclectic Alli’s blog a couple of weeks ago, I ran across a “consider yourself tagged” post about reading habits. Alli talked about how and when she reads and what she does and doesn’t do during that time. It started me thinking about my own reading habits, so for fun, I decided to answer the questions. Thanks, Alli!
1. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?
My writing space doubles as a reading space. I went into a Borders bookstore when they were going out of business a while back and discovered they were selling their 76-inch-tall bookshelves very cheaply. I came home with six of them (okay, I made two trips with my van) and turned my office/writing room into a small library. It’s nice to curl up with a blanket in my comfy chair, surrounded by books, and read.
2. Bookmark or random piece of paper?
Bookmark. I love bookmarks and have collected quite a few over the years. I rotate through them as I read. When I finish a book, I switch to another bookmark for the next book. Occasionally, though, in a pinch, I’ve used whatever odd thing was at hand — a clean tissue, a receipt, a plastic Lego sword.
3. Can you stop reading anytime you want or do you have to stop at a certain page, chapter, part, etc.?
I prefer to stop at the end of a scene. It doesn’t have to be a chapter end, just at a transition point. When I get interrupted in the middle of a scene, I feel unfinished and have to keep sneaking back to the book to find out how the scene ended.
4. Do you eat or drink while reading?
Yes. Sometimes the book is so good, I have to read straight through lunch. Half the time, I don’t even remember what I ate.
5. Can you read while listening to music/watching TV?
No. Not at all. I need a quiet space with no distractions, so I can get lost in the book.
6. One book at a time, or several at once?
One at a time. I can’t be in several stories at once. It makes me feel scattered, like being in a cluttered, messy room. I need order and organization, or I get stressed.
7. Reading at home or everywhere?
Everywhere, definitely. I like to read anytime I have to wait for something — appointments, picking up my kids. I’ve even read while waiting for my food to arrive at a restaurant (when going solo).
8. Reading out loud or silently in your head?
Mostly silently in my head. The only time I read out loud is with my own writing to see how it sounds. I used to read out loud to my kids all the time, but I don’t so much now that they’re older and like to read for themselves. Except for Mad Libs. We read those aloud, if we can stop laughing long enough.
9. Do you read ahead or skip pages?
As a rule, no. If I run across a book that I just can’t get into, I’ll skim through it to see if it gets better before relegating it to the DNF pile.
10. Breaking the spine or keeping it new?
I like to keep my books new-looking. I try not to damage them in any way. They are prized possessions.
11. Do you write in books?
No, other than to put my last name in the front cover if I’m taking the book out of the house. I’m more likely to get it back that way if I accidentally set it down at an appointment somewhere. I don’t like marked up books. It’s a pet peeve of mine. It detracts from my reading experience. Handwritten words catch my eye and pull me out of the story every time.
What are your reading habits? If you feel like answering any or all of the questions, consider yourself tagged!
© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2015. All rights reserved.
I read before bed. I read e and regular books. I’ll mark up research books. I use random paper and bookmarks. Yay for books! http://mpaxauthor.com/blog/
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I like to read before bed, too. Yay for books! 🙂
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This was such fun to read about you, Lori 😊 i like the ‘tag’ idea without the pressure of calling out specific bloggers. This is one I’m bookmarking because I’d like to think about these questions for myself.
Happy Valentine’s Day 💖
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Thanks, Sammy! I’m looking forward to reading your answers. Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too!
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I read every night before bed. I normally now-a-days read on my kindle–love the backlight.
I stop by to say Hey, I have an award for you at my blog!
My post
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Thanks so much, Juneta! I’ll come check it out.
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Writing in books drives me crazy, too. I want to have a clean page. Although I prefer quiet places to read, I’m good at tuning things out. My mother used to tell me the house could burn down around me while I was reading and I wouldn’t notice!
I have a dream that someday I will have a room big enough to be a true “library” room with lots of bookshelves, comfy chairs, and a big bay window. Sigh…
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Ha. That’s funny. Have you seen the library in the castle in the Disney animated version of Beauty and the Beast? That is my dream library.
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Oh, yes…now that’s a library! You have excellent taste. 🙂
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Thanks!
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I don’t mark up my fiction books, but my non-fiction books all have highlights and notes. Sorry!
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To each, his own, as they say. 🙂
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This is an interesting tag. Like you, I use bookmarks, don’t bend the binding, and read without music. The only books I write in are cookbooks, because I like to be able to remember my thoughts about recipes.
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I could see doing that. I tend to stick notes in the pages, but sometimes they get lost.
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Ah, if only I had the liberty to read easily. I have to scrape up every second I have in order to read. Considering I read mostly e-books (otherwise I’d never get any reading done), some of the stuff doesn’t apply to me. #3 is stopping at any time, because my children are demanding and impatient. 🙂
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Ha. Yes, they can be that way. It doesn’t make reading very easy.
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Oh Lori! Your “home library” sounds amazing! 🙂 I’m sure I’d never leave it if I had that at my house. 🙂
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It’s small, but cozy, and I share it with my kids. I think they have as many books as I do. 🙂
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