Daily Diary discussion

How much do you read a day? I'm always fascinated by people who love books...want to consume them and live in their worlds..how much time each day they are able to read? Do you go for a book a week or more or less?

I generally read at least 2-3 books per week. I alternate between urban fiction, christian, and romance not necessarily in that order.

I love to read mysteries. As a matter of fact I write mysteries. On the average I read one to two books a week. If I'm on a writing deadline it can take longer. Because if Christmas my reading has slowed down. Right now I am reading a Collection of short stories titled, Candy Cane Murders. The featured authors are Joanne Fluke, Leslie Meir and Laura Levine.
Pamela James

How much do you need to read a day to read 2-3 books a week?

It depends on the length of chapters but I try for five to seven chapters a day but if they are short chapters I can go higher a day.
Pamela

Sounds great...I try to get in an hour or more but it's hard.

hour or more a day.

I try to spend anywhere from one to two hours a night reading. It also depends on if I write afternoons or at night. The weekends I spend more time reading.

I do a lot of my reading on the subway = half an hour at a time. and an hour or two at night several nights a week. Weekends are the most. I am lucky to be a fast reader as well.

When I am up to a very interesting book, I can read it only for three hour and I finished reading it. Sometimes, I spend two hours to read, because I have many things to do too. lol.. but reading is exciting...

It varies on the time of the year. During the winter months, I read a book a day on the weekend and manage one book during the week.I am a fast reader as well. I enjoy reading series. Right now I am ready the Aegypt series by John Crowley. This is my 'mind expanding' recreational reading...
For my work, Every day no matter the season,I start with WWD,WSJ and sneak a peak at page 6 of the post.
I read alot online-drudge report every day. Since I am a beauty and fashion consultant and an online editor and writer, reading is knowledge and knowledge is income !!!! during lunch I read pertintent blogs and interesting post on twitter.

Depends on what's going on around me. I really just pick up something to read at home, something to read in the car (an audio book), and something to read during lunch break. I tend to read a lot of young adult fiction (because that's my department in the library and that's what I'm writing). So, it goes fairly quickly. I was shocked when I saw the number of books I'd read this year.

I generally read a book every two weeks or so. I read mostly at home in the evenings after everyone else has gone to bed and occasionally during lunch break when I can take the time to get away.

Sounds like a fun group here and thanks for the invite.
I generally read about 2 hours a day....sometimes in the morning while having breakfast, but usually always in the evening for about an hour before bed. I always have at least one book going. Either women's fiction or a current mainstream. At the moment I'm reading The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.....very good, but now toward the end, I'm skipping some paragraphs here and there as it's dragging a bit....over 500 pages.

I think I end up reading up to 5 hours a day. It all depends on what I have to do that day. Ive spent whole days with just my book :) its a good life
Ive got 3 books going right now. There's one I read at work, one at home, and one for whenever.

I usually read quite a bit, but from Nov and Dec, things slow down. I read on the train, to and from work, I read before I go to bed, sometimes I turn the TV off, but honestly, I love TV too.

I don't have cable at my house, so I don't get stuck in front of the TV for hours. There are only a couple of shows I care to follow along with, those I watch online.

I usually read two books a week, give or take, depending on what's going on in my life. I am a reviewer for two places and it's wonderful to get all types of books to read, though there are times I just want to read "my" books. I've been known to read everything from cereal boxes to dictionaries just to have something to read. To me, reading is on the same line as breathing and if I didn't have anything to read, I think I would go into severe withdrawal.

I read every night and when I'm at the gym. I don't sit down to just watch TV -- it's on, but I'm doing other things and watching in sidelong.

I read everyday and I read about 4-5 books a week,sometimes less depending on how good it is/how much spare time I have and so on.

Okay, I'm a freak because I read about 8 hours a day LOL. I work from home so I usually read for an hour at lunch, then I start my reading again about 4:00 in the afternoon. I'm also single so if my son is at home, I'll take a break and make dinner for us but if he's working, I read while I eat dinner. I hardly ever go to sleep before midnight and since I don't watch much TV I spend all evening reading. I guess I read about 3 - 4 books a week depending on how big they are. I read PNR, Urban Fantasy
and erotica. I also read lots of short stories on various erotica sites. Yea...I'm sick. I do have a social life on the weekends though LOL.

Good lord! All of you guys are so prolific, I feel like a slacker. I suppose I get through one, maybe two (if they're short) a week but I don't have as much time as I used to, with a little guy and my own business. I seem to work aaall the time. But that's why I read at night, to get my brain relaxed.

I feel like I was reading one type of book for so long. I'm going crazy trying to read a better variety, its partly why I read so much. Right now I'm on Angelas Ashes, I have no idea where I'm going from there.

I go through fits and starts with reading, where I may read 4 or 5 books a week, to not reading at all for months. I've had a good run this time and have read virtually continually for a year now, mostly crime books, Ian Rankin, Michael Connelly, with the odd chick flick book. I get cranky if I don't read at least once a day. Normally I do what I have to do and spend at least an hour here and there through the day reading, depending on how much I have to do on that particular day. Sometimes I spend all day reading and sometimes I don't get to read at all.

My reading habits are all over the place, but I do try to read at least one hour a day, one or two books a week. Depending on the book, my mood, and whatever else is going on around me, that can increase significantly. The right book can find me staying up far too late at night.

I read on the bus or while waiting for it (that's at least 30 uninterrupted minutes one way), standing in lines, at community events...I am rarely without a book. There was a time I could polish off a 300-400 page book in one day, but I don't seem able to read as fast as I used to.

i read 3 or 4 a day but i lurve bookz WAAAAAAAAYYYYYY more then dat........... if it werent 4 school (and meh friendz who chat/txt meh) i wood b reading all day!!!

i do wanna b consumed in2 their world................... lost in their pg's 4 eternity..............

I need to turn the tv off and I think then my reading will increase. I hope to pick a week in January to turn the tube off. :) Let me know if anyone is interested in picking a particular week in January and we can share our thoughts.

I will always struggle with balancing tv time, movies, stitching and reading. Reading will always still be the most. But gotta do what I enjoy, which is all of them. LOL

Debra, I usually have the TV on as background noise too. Either that or music. I don't like it quiet unless I'm in bed reading. Strange, isn't it?

when I don't read for a while, I get really irritable.

I have to have my little fan on. It's not even pointed at me...it's just for the noise.

i can only read one book at a time, and i have to be able to read in large chunks. i can't just read one chapter or a few pages at a time - i need to be able to get into it and read as long as i want.

Ed wrote: "How much do you read a day? I'm always fascinated by people who love books...want to consume them and live in their worlds..how much time each day they are able to read? Do you go for a book a we..."

Hey, Ed. Thanks for the invite. How much I read in a day depends on a bunch of factors, but usually at least 2-3 hours a day; an hour and a half during smoke breaks/lunch at work, and then however much I can fit in after work when not doing the many other things that need done. Been off work a few months (damn layoffs), and I've been reading a lot more during that time, obviously-- I usually get in 5-6 hours a day these days.

edit: as for how many books per week, well, that also depends on the kind of book. When I'm going through one of my phases where I read a lot of poetry, that obviously ups the total a great deal, as do graphic novels or "genre" fiction (sometimes-- it can take a week or more to get through one of Steven Erikson or George R. R. Martin's doorstop-sized novels. Heck, I started reading Erikson's latest in November, and I'll be finishing it in the next couple of days.)

I do keep track, though. Total number of books read in '08: 462.

Robert - one of the books I am currently reading is A Storm of Swords by George RR Martin. Over 1100 pages, seriously big book

Terri wrote: "Robert - one of the books I am currently reading is A Storm of Swords by George RR Martin. Over 1100 pages, seriously big book"

Oh, it is, but my god, what a book it is. The last few pages literally made my jaw drop. One of the great endings in fantasy literature; I actually got the idea that Martin had written the first three books just to set that scene up.

(Too bad A Feast for Crows doesn't deliver on that promise, at all, but I still have high hopes for the fifth book. Assuming Martin doesn't die before he finishes it, that is...)

Oh wouldn't that be hideous! Terrible thought

Wow, I think this could be a fun group. My reading habits, Given my druthers, I'd read a few hours each day, but even if I could fit that in, it can still take me weeks to finish a book. It took me months to read Virginia Woolf's "The Voyage Out."
However, I take a book with me everywhere I go. I defnitely consider myself a reader, but I'm slow, which is okay with me, because I like to savor a good book. As a result, though, you'll see far fewer books on my reading list than some of you have.

It is, but he's been writing the stupid thing for eight years (A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons were originally going to be one book, but it finally got so big he split it in two; ...Crows is the half with the not-so-popular storylines, so the faithful have been waiting to find out what's going on with Jon Snow, Tyrion, etc. since 2000. grumble). And the guy ain't exactly young, y'know?

Erikson has penned the entire Malazan series, save the final book (which has yet to be written)-- nine main books in the series and three side novellas-- in that time. Which at least gives us something to do while Martin struggles with writer's block.

Should I start the Martin series?

Ed wrote: "Should I start the Martin series?"

Depends on how you feel about waiting. The first three books are very, very good, and well worth your time. The fourth is mediocre, but you've already invested three thousand pages' worth, might as well keep going. And then there's the fifth book, which is coming real soon now, honest...

I'll do it then.. :)

I try to read a least 1 hour a day. I used to read a lot more before my daughter was born but now my free time is limited. I rarely watch TV so that isn't a problem. I usually average about a book or two a week,

As far as the Martin series goes, I usually wait for a series to be completed before starting it but for some reason I started the Martin series and am glad I did. The first three are excellent and the fourth is a little stiff. I can't wait for the fifth to be released. Should be sometime this year. Some sample chapters are all ready out.

Another recommendation is The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. It is a trilogy and the second book is due out in March. I really enjoyed the first.

Joe Abercrombie has a great trilogy out called The First Law. Highly Recommended.

I just got the Martin book one out of the library so I will add it to my stack. :)

I NEVER avoid TV. I can't understand people who don't watch it constantly. I watch at least 10 hours a day!

As for the book thing, it depends on if or what I am studying at the time. I usually just read about 200 pages a day.

Christy, I'm older and married with a kid and a full-time job. Seems like the few hours I have before bed can either be spent cleaning the house, watching TV, or reading. I prefer reading every time. So, I haven't seen 98% of the shows on TV.

What I meant to say, I guess, is why people choose lives that doesn't allow them to watch TV all day long.

Family...Friends...Work...Social life...These are all things I have phased out of my life.

Christy wrote: "I NEVER avoid TV. I can't understand people who don't watch it constantly. I watch at least 10 hours a day!"

Sorry, but for me it's really weird. Do you watch TV for a living? I'm watching TV only when I'm at my parents's house - which doesn't happen much lately.

I watch TV despite a living.

I don't have a TV and have found that I have lost my taste for movies. I have seen 3 movies (not including little bits and pieces of the old VHS kids movies that my children watch) in the last 5 years. I read about 3 books a week. Sometimes when I am at the dentist or chiropractor I will read a current copy of US and see that I don't recognize 80% of the movie stars. I am a little more up on current pop stars because my 13 year loves the girl bands.

I try to read about an hour a day. Sometimes I get two in if I can't sleep. On weekends I can do like 4 hour marathons, though. I also carry a book with me at all times so if I find myself waiting with nothing to do, I can dig into some paragraphs.