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message 1: by Ed (new)

Ed | 30 comments I'm always fascinated by others' reading habits. How much do you read a day/week (an hour a day??) or do you try to read a book a week, etc or does it just vary? What about television/internet distractions--are you able to avoid those or do you find that those have taken a toll on your reading time? I've found that to be so true and have not really found a solution. I know after several hours of reading I really enjoyed the experience but often that comes about from being stuck at an airport, swim meet, etc. without the distractions of at least tv.


message 2: by carol. , Senor Crabbypants (new)

carol.  | 2616 comments Internet--distraction. Television--rarely. I find tv usually annoying, as I don't DVR, and the commercials (let alone the programming) drive me nuts. Reading has ruined me :D I read every day, but not always pleasure reading--some trade journals, magazines and trade journals as well. I tend to average two books or more a week; less when I'm taking classes, more when I'm not.


message 3: by Ed (new)

Ed | 30 comments I would love to get to the pony of one book for pleasure a week.


message 4: by Helen (new)

Helen I used to read on my commute, good hours worth of reading each way. Having moved, that's stopped. I do read before sleeping, 30-60 mins. I read for a few hours over the weekend and when on school holidays. There are never enough hours really.


message 5: by Randy (new)

Randy Harmelink | 1041 comments I've gotten into the habit of picking up my PaperWhite as soon as a commercial break comes on.

Every once in a while, I don't even notice when my program comes back on. :)

If it's a good book, I may stay up until 2 or 3 am to finish it.


message 6: by MrsJoseph *grouchy*, *good karma* (new)

MrsJoseph *grouchy* (mrsjoseph) | 7282 comments I normally go through 3-5 books a week. This year is a total bust for me. :(

I got sick and zoned out - now I really do find the internet to be a big distraction. I'm trying to work my way back up.


message 7: by Sophie (last edited May 07, 2013 02:59PM) (new)

Sophie (imhrien) | 433 comments People and the telephone are the biggest distraction for me. I have to hide away in some corner of the house or yard to sneak as many pages as I can.

Otherwise I have to read at night, and like Randy said, if the story is good I'll read till morning comes. I rarely read on the weekends, we use that time to get stuff done or to just get outta the house.

My average per month is really erratic, can go anywhere from 1-8.


message 8: by Amanda (new)

Amanda (daughterofoak) I don't have a job at the moment so I'm practicing my skills as a housewife ;) which means I have a lot of time on my hands. I read at least a few hours everyday. If I'm busy during the day then I read at night before bed and just sleep less.
I don't watch tv unless it's either The Walking Dead or a Laurel and Hardy movie. So I read when the family is watching tv. I've gotten used to the noise and it isn't so distracting anymore. Tv just doesn't hold my interest enough to make me want to put the book down.
Most days, I can read a book a day. If I have a lot going on, then I usually finish one every other day. I don't read much in November because of Nanowrimo and the same goes for April.

My real distraction is Goodreads. I can spend way too much time on GR, browsing shelves and joining challenges.


message 9: by Emily (new)

Emily | 96 comments I usually set aside reading time in the morning for nonfiction or something I've made assigned reading for myself but want to read in small doses (I read most of Tom Jones this way until the last 150 pages or so, and then I plowed through the rest).

I have a fiction book for work breaks, evenings, commercial breaks and insomnia.

Graphic novels are my weekend reads, and I often read them when I've just finished a regular novel and I'm trying to decide what I'm in the mood for next.

Audio books for work commutes-mostly things that haven't hit the top of my reading list, things with especially good readers (the Outlander series has an awesome reader) or re-reads.

I still don't come close to some of you guys in monthly count. Mine is more like 10 a month, more if I'm on a graphic novel kick or blowing through kids' books or YA.


message 10: by Kimberly (new)

Kimberly Read | 156 comments I read one to two books a week for pleasure. I also do a lot of reading for school - journals, textbooks etc. I always read until I fall asleep, which has led to this quirk of having a book or two and my iPad tucked into the covers with me. I watch very little television, but I am pretty active on FB and GR.


message 11: by Thaddeus (new)

Thaddeus White | 50 comments It varies a lot. For TV, I tend not to watch much (although one channel's now running two hours of Stargate a night). I'm on the internet quite a bit, though.

I probably average a book every week or two, depending on how much work I've got on. Sometimes if I've been staring at a screen all day long I just want to give my eyes a rest.


message 12: by Jalilah (last edited May 08, 2013 06:31AM) (new)

Jalilah I love to start my day with a couple of mugs of strong tea and a good novel. I don't mind getting up a little early for this. This little period of bliss usually only lasts about half an hour. After that, I run around all day. I also like to read before going to bed,but this often puts me to sleep. For this reason, I rarely manage to read more than one book a week unless it is a fast paced thriller or YA. I am also the mom of a teen, meaning a chauffeur, so I get a chance to read some more while waiting. Except for the daily news, I rarely watch TV anymore. We use our TV more for watching movies.
Goodreads is a fun distraction. There really is always something else I ought to be doing, but I have discovered so many amazing books through this site.


message 13: by MrsJoseph *grouchy*, *good karma* (new)

MrsJoseph *grouchy* (mrsjoseph) | 7282 comments I do wish I had time to read in the morning. If I have time, I usually try to exercise in the morning. It helps me to get going and I like the tired feeling. It would be great if I had time to do a cup of coffee, a book AND a workout in the morning. I'd have to get up a lot earlier. And that would suck, lol.


message 14: by L.Y. (new)

L.Y. Levand (lylevand) | 131 comments I don't like reading unless I can read a whole chunk of a book at once. Mostly because when I get really into it and I get interrupted, people don't like me too much for a while afterward. Apparently I get a little grumpy. I wonder why that would be...?

Anyway, I tend to read while my family watches TV. Books are better. They get frustrated with me sometimes, because they'll be watching a movie and trying to talk to me about it, and I'll just nod and say 'uh huh' because I'm reading and really don't care. xD


message 15: by Natasha (new)

Natasha den Dekker (dendekkerns) | 13 comments Lovely to see what other peoples' habits are. :)

I try to read a book a week but this is usually something along the lines of:
- fantasy
- YA
- trashy romance

But I try and operate on the one serious : one not serious ratio of book reading. I read on my bus journeys, usually in the morning and if it's a really good book (aka The Rook, or Scott lynch) I will on the bus ride home as well, but it depends how tired my eye are after being in front of a computer all day.

I love sitting in bed and reading before I go to bed. Usually try and make sure it's a paperback. I set myself, (depending on the book) so when it was 'A Clockwork Orange' it was a chapter a night. But when trying to read 'Crime and punishment' 10 pages was a challenge! But then there are the books that have me compulsively turning, sad to say that the Daylight War had me reading before bed, while i was having breakfast, on the bus, and while I was waiting for my computer to boot up at work!

I'm currently studying long distance at the moment and I work full time so fitting in reading and TV time is hard. But I sorta have to. There's a part of my brain that craves the escapism and relaxation that i get. I tend to watch a lot of things online usually trashy TV like Revenge/Arrow/Once and I'm looking forward to getting stuck into Game of Thrones and MadMen after my term is over.

I can't read 2 books at once though. Never quite understood how people did that. Unless if one is really long (like 'A Clash of Kings') and you need a break....


message 16: by Ed (new)

Ed | 30 comments I somehow will be reading several books but usually that means I'm not so crazy about the main one I've been reading.


message 17: by Nancy (new)

Nancy I've gone back to school, so during the semester I don't read for pleasure very much, except maybe between classes or in bed before I go to sleep. Since I'm not taking summer classes this year (that will change next year), I'll be able to get more reading in. I still spend way too much time on the computer. I do sometimes read during commercials while I'm watching TV. I'm usually reading multiple books at a time, usually at least three and sometimes more.


message 18: by jaw (new)

jaw | 85 comments I read often and vigorously.

I have a public transit commute that is 2 hours one way. Which means I have about 4 hours or more (if there are delays) to read. I usually finish a book every other day. I try to only read on the train because when I read, it's all consuming. I don't talk, I don't listen, I don't eat. It's pretty much a bad formula if you have two young children, a wife and a house full of work.

When I read a really good book I know it because I read it at every opportunity. I read on my lunch break, at home, on the weekends, early in the morning, all night, in the car while my wife is in the store, while my wife is getting dressed, until the water boils, etc. I think you get the picture.


message 19: by H. (new)

H. (hanthe) I used to read almost constantly, but these days I'm lucky to finish a novel before its three-week library checkout is up--unless I'm really into it, at which point it takes about a day and I'm up until 3am or later. The Internet is a huge distraction, so I mostly read on my breaks during work, which don't add up to much. But I go through graphic novels quickly; usually I have one book and one graphic novel being read at the same time, and I grab the graphic any time I know I'll have more than a minute away from the computer. Did get a book read recently at a doc's appointment though.


message 20: by Mimmi (new)

Mimmi (pearlmutter) | 12 comments It depends if I'm in a good mood for books or not. When I'm in the zone and reading a good book I'm usually done with it the same day, and the weeks when the flow is good, 10 books are quite normal to get through. Then comes the weeks when I find some faschinating new series on Discovery, goes throu some old movies and start ut doing a movie-marathon on the evenings, then I'm down at a totall of ZERO. So it kinda depends on whatever floats my boat at the moment. I'm happy either way, Tv-series, Books, Movies, they are all fine to spend my time with. When I'm watching something I can also do some work by my hans, so it I have a project, knitting a scarf, crochetting an amigurumi, something like that, the bookcount is down due to tv and movies. But then comes the break, the handwork sucks, there are no more good movies that I've got a hankering for, then I go back to the bookland and eat up the latest 20 I've picked up at work.

These are my free-time books. At work I usually goes through 2-3 a week. Children and YA mostly.


message 21: by Ed (new)

Ed | 30 comments I'm finding the combining of listening to mistborn audiobook from audible and walking is really working out great.


message 22: by Sophie (last edited May 27, 2013 01:43PM) (new)

Sophie (imhrien) | 433 comments Emelie wrote: "When I'm watching something I can also do some work by my hans, so it I have a project, knitting a scarf, crochetting an amigurumi, something like that, the bookcount is down due to tv and movies...."

Yay! A fellow crafter! I hadn't thought of it, but knitting and crochet sometimes get in the way of reading. I cram a project before a baby shower / birthday / holiday, so on the rare occasion I start something I mean to finish, it drastically cuts into my reading. Instead of mumbling, "just one more page, one more page..." It becomes "just one more row, one more row..."


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