My Reading Habits

 

Yesterday Sian,  who blogs at From High in the Sky, shared her responses to the questions in the 'reading habits' meme and tagged any of her readers who wanted to join in.



Reading is a big part of my life and I can't remember a time when I didn't enjoy losing myself in a story; I don't understand people who don't love reading!  Here's my answers ...



Do you have a certain place at home to read? | I live on my own so I don't ever need to look for a quiet place where I won't be disturbed.  Currently, my favourite reading place is the sofa in the living room; snuggled up under a blanket, and shutting out the world.  A close second is reading in bed and my third place is reading, and dropping books, in the bath which is why I have lots of wrinkled books about the house. Sometimes in the summer, when it's not too hot, I sit out on the decking to read during the golden hour.

A bookmark or a random piece of paper? | Definitely a bookmark.  I have lots of them - it's one of the things I buy as mementoes of my day's out. I've never understood how people can use scrappy bits of paper to mark their place, or - the biggest sin of all - how people can fold the corner of the page. 

 

Can you stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter or number of pages? | Yes, I can stop reading if I have to, for example to start work or for an appointment,  and I always find it really easy to pick up where I left off.  However, I do have a tendency to read into the early hours of the morning to finish a good book even though I know I will be sleep deprived the next day; I never start out intending to read so late but I keep allowing myself one more chapter, and then I get so close to the end that it seem silly to stop!

Do you eat or drink while reading? | Yes, and unfortunately some of my books bear the evidence of this.  I am always really careful with library books and borrowed books though.

Do you watch TV or listen to music while reading? | Not now.  I only turn the TV on if there is something I want to watch and I mostly listen to music when I'm driving.  In my previous home, when Ced was still with me, he always had the TV on and I just learnt to block it out and carry on with my book.

One book at a time or several at once? | Usually several.  I always keep a book in the car to read when I have time between teaching commitments and there are usually a couple of books on the go in the house. I'm usually working my way through a couple of non-fiction books as well, and I choose to read the non-fiction or fiction depending on my mood at the time.

Reading at home or everywhere? | I can read anywhere ... it's something I do regularly.  I always carry a book with me on day trips and read on the coach, or during breaks if I'm driving myself and I take a book if I know I'll have to wait somewhere such as the doctor's surgery or for hospital appointments.

Reading aloud or silently in your head? | I read silently for myself.  Reading aloud as a adult has only been a feature of babysitting or in schools when I worked as a TA.  I did enjoy reading aloud way back when I was in senior school but it's never occurred to me to continue as an adult.

Do you ever read ahead or skip pages? | No, never. One of my friends always reads the ending of the book first to see if she's going to like it, but I've never understood why she does it. Reading ahead would definitely spoil a book for me.

Do you ever write in books? | Never!  I didn't even mark the actual books when I was doing my A levels, and don't get me started on people who write in library books!

So that's all about my reading habits, except to say it has to be a proper book, not a Kindle.  I'd love to hear about you so if you'd like to join in, then you are tagged.  Many thanks to Sian for sharing this.