Habits and Quirks we do while Reading
We all have them. Things we do (or don't do) while we read. Position, snacks, time of day, length we read, format preferences, etc.
Well here are a few of mine.
The ideal reading setting: Curled up on a comfy couch or in bed, A candle lit nearby for a relaxing scent sets the basic scene. For some reason I like to pull my hair back in either a loose ponytail or bun and where loose, casual clothes. Or a long, swishy skirt or a robe even. I find it easy to get and stay in a relaxed position without feeling confined by tight clothes, jeans, etc.
For snacks my favorites are baby carrots that I can nibble on or lightly buttered popcorn when I have a junk food craving. I slowly nip off all the uneven parts then let the center slowly dissolve so I don't eat too much. When I want sugar it's all about the red vines. For a drink-tea is my choice. Usually chilled (no actual ice) and I love slowly sipping through a straw (prolonging the drink by bending, then biting the straw).
I don't read well with other verbal distractions. I can handle some music as long as there are no words but if the tv is on in the room it takes forever to focus through a single page!
How long I read varies greatly. Sometimes it is just a few minutes I sneak in between projects or on a break at work, other times I can read for a couple hours if I can find the time. An ideal reading session is about 1- 1 1/2 hours though although the older I have become, the harder it seems to be to find a good chunk of time like that.
At night I tend to read mostly on my kindle. This is so I do not have to read a bad booklights or keep a lamp on which distracts my husband. The backlight on the kindle is perfect for bedtime reading. At work- paperbacks. They are light and easy to pack in my purse. Otherwise, general reading I prefer paperback or hardback. I do not care which but there is something about the weight and feel of a book as you hold it and turn the pages. Plus (and yes this might sound weird) the smell of a book adds to the environment for a good read session.
So what about you? Any habits or quirks in common or different? Please share!
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I'm not really picky about the format of the book. I read on the iPad, my phone, paperbacks, and hardbacks. It just depends on how I can get the book I'm in the mood to read at that moment. I will say that I have to take dust jackets off hardbacks, though. They look so pretty, but they irritate me to no end!
ReplyDeleteAs for HOW I read, I am usually curled in my favorite armchair, or sometimes in bed if my husband is playing or watching something loud. I pull my hair back loosely, too, or I fight it being in my face the entire time!
I do almost all my reading at night so after dinner, I changed into my PJs and lie on my bed to read-with some snacks nearby! I usually put the TV on with the sound down in the background but sometimes I just switch it off, depending on my mood. I alternate between paperbacks and my ereaders depending on which book I feel like reading next.I try to read from 7pm to 11pm, sometimes longer if I'm reading something really good. I'm a pretty fast reader so I can get through a 200 page book in one night-and I do read every word, I never skim!
ReplyDeleteI like to read in or on the bed, and I also like my iPad mini at night as it is easier to see. I don't like music, as I find it a distraction, but I do like tea or iced water nearby.
ReplyDeleteI like to be comfy, too when I read. With winter I feel like I wear jeans almost daily. As soon as I start reading the belt comes off though. I can read with lots of distractions. I think being able to block things out comes with the fours kids I have in my house. If I couldn't block things out i would go insane trying to find a quiet place.
ReplyDeleteI read every single night as part of my routine to get to sleep. It used to be that I'd shut off the tv/computer and go to my bed at 9 pm to start, then read for 2 or 3 hours before falling asleep. I get into bed earlier now, 6 or 7 pm, and read for sometimes more than 5 hours. Because of my health, I'm home a lot and use the reading to distract myself from pain/"travel" and "explore" places. I have a pillow on top of one of those u-shaped body pillows, and then a plush golden retriever on top of that to support my back and neck. Always read on my back, too. I'll try to turn to a side, but that just gives me pinched nerves. I usually have ginger ale nearby and maybe a snack, but I don't touch them while I read. I'm too sucked in. If it's a good book, that is :-P I also like to put in earplugs, since there's so much city noise leaking into my apartment. I sleep with earplugs in too, so if I fall asleep while reading, they're in and I'm less likely to wake up through the night. I take my Kindle with me everywhere I go. If something were to happen and I got stuck in the hospital, I'd want my Kindle with me to have something to do. Before I went out on disability, I'd read on my Kindle for the 30 or so min bus ride to work, too. And, if I get a physical copy of a book as a gift or prize, I usually put the ebook on my wishlist to see if I can catch if it goes free. I just don't think to look through the physical editions in my apartment when picking a new book (kind of like how I forget about what I have to eat or what medicines I have stocked unless they're out of the cabinets and fridge.) I'm like you and like a little more heft to what I'm reading, so I always have my Kindle in a case. It doesn't bulk it up much, but it makes it more comfortable to me. Like a coworker once pointed out, it's funny how tech toys keep getting smaller and smaller, yet we slap cases on them and make them larger. Really interesting post :) It's cool to read these and see what others do!
ReplyDeleteI will read whenever and wherever I can find the time. Sure, I love to be comfy, but lately I don't have the luxury of choosing all that often. I also like to read my Kindle at night so that I don't disturb my husband - but if I'm in the middle of a really good paperback or hardcover, he can sleep right through it. :-)
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
When I am home, I like to sit on the chaise lounge part of my sectional to read. I have to read sitting up, because if I lay down my arms get tired from holding up the book or Kindle. I usually read with music on, but silence is okay too. I won't have the TV on when I am reading because I find it distracting. At home I do not like to eat or drink when I read. At work I read on my lunch break (which is an hour). I find an empty table in the breakroom in the corner somewhere so that no one will bother me (although most of the time someone will still sit with me and ask what I am reading and not notice the death stares I am shooting at them - don't people know that reading a book is a universal sign for "leave me alone"?). I do not bring my Kindle to work, so I always have a physical book. I use my phone to prop the book open while I am eating so that I do not spill anything on the pages. At work the break room is noisy but I just tune it out.
ReplyDelete