BOOK-A-HOLICS discussion

Okay this came up recently in my house and i was currious if anyone else has little quirks while they read. I like to have background noise, not television, but music, or the sounds of a store, restaurant etc. Does anyone else need a background hum while they read, or does background noise distract you?

Background noise distracts me because if someone is trying to tell me something, I can't listen to them and read at the same time. I then can't concentrate as much as I would like to on my reading. Then, I listen to what the person is telling me and I lose where I am in the book.

I like a little background noise. Not people talking or singing because I find myself listening. I turn on the radio to a station that has instrumental with sometimes nature sounds mingling with it.Very relaxing, but nothing that distracts. (Also helps keep the baby asleep longer so I can read)

I love to have the TV on while I am reading. Infact sometimes I will half watch a show and half read. Like during football or NASCAR. I will read and then look up every few minutes check out what is going on in the game and then start to read again. I love it!

I like to burn incense when when I read. Especially in the winter.

In the summertime I like to sit outside in the sun with my book.

i can't read with noise but i do keep the tv on but on mute.

I like to curl up wherever I am - I can read in the car, in front of the TV, outside or in front of the fireplace. Problem is, I also like to snack or have something to sip, so I sometimes make a mess. It bothered my husband when we were first married that I would read while we watched TV or even while we watched a movie - actually I think what bothered him was me reading but not letting him change the channel!

Anyway, the background noise varies depending on the type of material. The more complicated, non-fiction or the more I am actually required to take away from what I am reading the more I need music without words and/or a more quiet place to read. When I am reading to escape I can pretty much escape from anywhere. I do have a tendency to get cranky about being interrupted though we are finding - especially if you expect me to actually put a book down before I finish a chapter and definitely not in the middle of a paragraph!

I can read anywhere. But I'm most comfortable in a nice chair, in bed, or flat on the floor with a pillow. As for noise, it depends on what it is. If Star Wars is on in the background, I'm not going to read. If a documentary on hotdog manufacture is on, I can read just fine. If I'm in bed, I have music on, it doesn't distract me. I've been known to read & watch TV/a movie at the same time, but I usually end up accidently re-reading paragraphs a few times when I do that.

I have to have some sort of noise to just about everything. I can't read without some noise. I am not usually so engrossed that I can't hear and read at the same time.

I usually have music on in the background but it either has to be instrumental or something I've listened to often enough that the lyrics don't distract me. I usually read on the couch in my living room with a glass of water nearby and a dog sleeping next to me.

A lot depends on the book. I can't read intense material, classics, etc. on the train or on airplanes, but I can read lighter material just about anywhere with any distractions. I usually prefer a fan on...white noise, that sort of thing.

I need to have something to drink nearby to read effectively, either water or diet coke. I'm not able to read outside very welll, I'm not sure why, god knows I've tried over the years. I have a screened in porch on which I read a lot.

Sighs...wishes the Wisconsin winter would end...

I really don't like background noise, it stops me from entering my zen mood. If there is even a little bit of noise it is hard for me to concentrate. After I am in my zen I block out all other noise making it almost impossible to get my attention. My brother and sister tried to get my attention by banging on my door, so they say, and weren't able to. The only way they could get my attention was to come over and tap me on the shoulder and say my name.

Background music or white noise are fine when I'm reading. No TV unless all I'm reading is a magazine or catalog.

I can't focus on the words on the page very well, if I'm also hearing words. In college though, I used to like to hang out at a coffee shop in downtown Denver (the Market in LoDo for those who know Denver) when I needed to read something. The background of the people moving around and hum of not quite heard conversations made me concentrate on what was in front of me. I used to do homework with music on (the latest 80's rock in those days)but I was an engineering student and the lyrics didn't interupt the math and chemistry homework.

I can read inside, outside, in the car, on a plane.... My husband and I keep a couple local guide books on the history and geology of New Mexico in the car. When we travel, I frequently narrate the trips by reading selections on the places along our route. Since I'm not a native New Mexican, it's helping me learn more about the state.

i dont really know about me, but my kid sister (she's 9 and not yet a member of GR, not for lack of trying though...hehe)has this thing...she never reads inside the house......she's always on the veranda...hardly ever inside....every evening from 5-7 she sits outside and reads, surprisingly no one at home pressurizes her to do it....i can't get her to read inside unless its raining...even then she sits by the window.....

I do find it much easier to read in natural light. I often read outside in the summer. In the winter, I tend to gravitate towards the 'sun room' in our house. Almost the entire south wall is glass, lots of natural light. Not that I won't read in artificial light. Sunlight is just my preference.

Yes, I like to have noise too. Either just general house noise (like the washing machine) or classical music on very quietly.

nothing distract me when I'm reading. When I'm reading the world just fades away and I'm lost in the pages of my book.

I'm with Ann, nothing distracts me. I can read any time, any where. One of my favorite places to read when I was a kid was on the school bus. I would lean back and prop my knees on the back of the seat in front of me and read all the way to school in the mornings and all the way home in the afternoon. If I could tune that stuff out, I can tune out anything. :)

I like to have the TV on for sure..I also HAVE to have something to drink..
I used to have an ice-chewing thing but I've gotten over that.

I do weird things with my mouth, according to my students. I never noticed that before!

My favorite place to read is in the car
My husband needs the radio on while he drives and I don't mind it. I tend to fall asleep if I sit at home to read. Def! can't have the tv on though

I can deal with music, and alone in a coffee shop with people I don't know doing thier thing, but I cannot deal with the TV on, it has to be muted.

coffee shops don't work for me I get distracted by people moving and talking
which is probably why I don't do so well in front of the tv

I can read in most places....even when im eating, but it can get kind of messy. But i try to limit the noise if i can, it can get distractiing to here vioces.

I need absolute quiet when I read. And I read best in my "reading" chair. Love classical music......but also like to listen to it when I am doing nothing else.

When I am home I need to be locked away in a room with no noise or distraction. And, if I hear the kids or grandkids talking -- ack -- concentration is blown. On the other hand, I can ride a bus and somehow block out all the noise and distractions -- go figure.

I can read with music on. After a while I get absorb with the book and don't realize that theres music playing.

No music, esp. with lyrics ... splits my attention. And I'm ridiculously obsessive when I start a book. Once I pick it up, I can't stop 'til it's finished - which can be exhausting, esp. during the work week. I have to know how it ends, or what happens next. My DH reads leisurely - a few pages here; a chapter there. I'm sure it makes the reading much more pleasurable and relaxing, but I just can't do it. Not really O-C in any other area of my life.

When I was young I was like Cindy (message 18), I could read on the school bus. Mostly what I did was my homework on the way home so that I could read in the evening (not much television back in the early 60's). Now I prefer quiet. I can read with the TV going (during commercials) but prefer no TV, no music. I cannot read on a plane or in the airport, I am too nosy--I watch people.

I cannot read outside. The glare on the book page bothers me. When home I read either in my recliner or in bed.

I always have something to drink beside me (but that doesn't happen just for reading). I usually have water but hot tea is another favorite. I do read while I eat (if I am alone) but I hate it if I get something on the book. I also find that I try to scrape off stuff other people get on used books or library books.

If I am reading a book with a dust jacket I will tend to take the dust jacket off so as not to tear it. Of course this does not apply to library books as they have the jacket attached.

When I'm absorbed in my readings I tend to tune out all background noise so if there is any I don't really pay attention to it. However, my quirk is that I must have a pen, pencil, highlighter in hand ready to underline my favoite passages when the mood strikes me. Post-it's flag pens have become one of my most favorite reading tools.

I can read anywhere anytime no matter what's going on around me, I even read when I'm waiting in a queue (I always have at least one book on me at all times). My dad reckons I could read on a rollercoaster if they would let me and not get distracted (tempted to try that one day lol). I think I've got my brother to thank for this particular skill as he tended to try and distract me when I was reading as a kid so I got pretty good at blocking things out.

As Ann has stated, I also cannot read a book with the dust jacket on (unless it's a library book of course). I can read if it's moderately noisy in the house. I can read while my fiance watches most of his sports programs. But, I do have to play the classical music on my ipod when he plays his video games (why must he have the volume turned all the way up???) I have also found that when I'm trying to read in bed that I pick up on all of the dogs in the neighborhood "talking" to each other. That makes me lose all concentration.

My favorite way to read is on a couch or in bed where I can lie down and relax. In the summer i take a chair and sit in the balcony beside my few plants, and beside me there is usually a cup of tea or coffee or some biscuits ! Some light music or classical music in the background would be nice, but no singing or TV programs.
I can also read at any place, one of my common places to read is when riding in a long-distance bus or tramway. I have finished a lot of books this way. I also like to read something light - a newspaper or magazine - during the meals on the table !

I hate using bookmarks while reading. Even without looking at the page number I can go to my page right away. I love reading while lying down way more than sitting up. I prefer reading in silence but sometimes I listen to music. I can't have the TV on though.

I really don't mind backround noise when I read. I just can't have someone taking to me because then the words on the page mean nothing. A little classical music always helps concentrate. And a nice comfy chair!!! and a blanket....

Kimberly wrote: "I hate using bookmarks while reading. Even without looking at the page number I can go to my page right away. I love reading while lying down way more than sitting up. I prefer reading in silence b..."

why the dislike for bookmarks?

I also like background noise. Usually the TV. I am used to a chaotic house, so quiet actually makes me nervous....lol

I don't mind background noise, but don't require it while I read. I remove the dustjackets from my hardcovers while I read, as they slip and annoy me. I like to read in a comfy chair. I loved when I was riding a train an hour each way for work b/c I got tons of reading done. I read with a pencil in my hand (horrors book collectors!) if it's something I want to absorb...I'll jot notes to myself, or summarize each page as I finish it.

Kristopher

In almost every case, when I read, I have the habit of having to fuss with the following or preceding page or two by thumbing them, wiggling them bit, back and forth, flicking them apart and letting them fall lightly back again.

It may be because I can never stay completely still, some part of me must be moving ever so slightly. It's a very unconscious habit though, I didn't really know I did it for a long time, and I'd almost rather not read than attempt reading without thumbing and rustling the pages, such as when I have to share a room with my sister, who detests when I do this.

As for background noise, if it's a light read, non-requiring of intense concentration, it's alright. Otherwise, I like silence.

I started reading instead of watching tv because my husband's taste in tv shows sometimes differs from mine, but I usually like to go off to myself somewhere(in my bedroom or out on the porch if the weather is nice). My favorite time to read is in the early morning with a cup of coffee. If our deck ever gets built you would find me there on a nice spring morning. I like to hear the birds and lack of other noise that reading outdoors provides.

I don't like background noise, and I cannot read with the TV on - it's impossible for me to focus. I can do crossword puzzles with the TV playing, but not reading. I like to read at night, before bed, although, since I had kids I seem to fall asleep almost the moment I open my book. To Susanna - I wonder what will happen if you ever get a Kindle/Nook? Do you think it will bother you not to be able to fuss with the pages?

Julie -

Oh my goodness, yes, immensely so. Yet another reason why I couldn't convert to e-books. Cozying up with a Kindle is not for me!

I can read anywhere with just about anything going on around me. Over the years, growing up in a noisy house I learned to block things out when I wanted to read (or do anything else).

Now, it really annoys my husband, though, because he'll be talking and it'll take me a while to realize that I should be listening.

Christine, I really envy you! Wish I could drown out everything and read!

Sometimes background noise helps and sometimes it distracts me. When I was on a crowded school bus in high school, for example, I would put my headphones on, turn up my CD player or MP3 player, and read like crazy. Now, I usually need quiet to read and maintain my concentration. The only reading habit I have is smoking while I read sometimes, especially if I have to take my book to the bathroom to get away from the noise in the house lol.

Julie wrote: "Christine, I really envy you! Wish I could drown out everything and read!"

Sometimes it is great, sometimes a curse. Last week I was reading something that I was really into and I missed my train stop. I had to get off, get on going the other way, and I was 45 minutes late for work :(

I'd listen to some Paul Mauriat or Bach or Martin Taylor while I read.I usually hide and read because someone would always find something for me to do, so I'd lock the room door find the soft spot in the mattress with the and put the AC on ...mmmm...Bliss... I just get so lost the the books my mom would get all annoyed.I Hate,absolutely Hate it when people interupt me when I read.I get all snappy and don't give two hoots if I hurt their feelings,humph.
I also read in-between and during classes especially those books that seem impossible to put down.Books rule!!!

i love to listen music while i read but it has to fit the book. it is like watching a movie without a soundtrack. since i went with a nook all the annoying things that come with paper aren't there anymore. no need for bookmarks. no dust covers. no more new book papercuts and i can now sit and read 4 books at once without losing them any more.

I don't need background noise, but I don't mind it unless it's more interesting than the book I'm reading (rare). I do like to eat & drink while reading-- maybe it would be more to the point to say I can barely eat without reading. Drives my husband crazy. ;)

L wrote: "I started reading instead of watching tv because my husband's taste in tv shows sometimes differs from mine, but I usually like to go off to myself somewhere(in my bedroom or out on the porch if th..."

I have that issued too. I can usually read while he watches t.v unless Family Guy is on and then I have to leave the room. That show is too annoying to tune out and I just can't tolerate it. Otherwise I can read about anywhere. I love to sit on the porch and read when the weather is nice. But then the cat usually decides thats when its time to sit in my lap lol.

I can read just about anywhere but I prefer lying on the couch with a nice hot cup of chai tea and maybe some soft music like Bach or a bit of jazz in the background. I like to keep a book in every room so that, no matter what I'm doing, there's something close at hand to read when I have a spare moment - cooking in the kitchen, cleaning, laundry, that sort of thing. For some reason, though, I never seem to get anything done except the book. LOL