Why do you read?

[Anonymous]

I normally read to get away, kinda get a happy ending and not be so focused on the problems of my current day life.

But as I read different books and different genres, I'm finding new reasons why I read. For example, I'm enjoying reading autobiographies because there are so many stories that are of interest in these people's lives that probably wouldn't be enough to make it into a work of fiction but they are stories from their lives that made them, and they are so different that that makes them stand out.

I feel bad because I'm on a streak of good books and I'm questioning do I ride the hot hand or take a break before I get a bad book?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I normally read to get away, kinda get a happy ending and not be so focused on the problems of my current day life.

But as I read different books and different genres, I'm finding new reasons why I read. For example, I'm enjoying reading autobiographies because there are so many stories that are of interest in these people's lives that probably wouldn't be enough to make it into a work of fiction but they are stories from their lives that made them, and they are so different that that makes them stand out.

I feel bad because I'm on a streak of good books and I'm questioning do I ride the hot hand or take a break before I get a bad book?

You might be over thinking this, you know.
If you get a bad book, put it down and pick up another!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I normally read to get away, kinda get a happy ending and not be so focused on the problems of my current day life.

But as I read different books and different genres, I'm finding new reasons why I read. For example, I'm enjoying reading autobiographies because there are so many stories that are of interest in these people's lives that probably wouldn't be enough to make it into a work of fiction but they are stories from their lives that made them, and they are so different that that makes them stand out.

I feel bad because I'm on a streak of good books and I'm questioning do I ride the hot hand or take a break before I get a bad book?

You might be over thinking this, you know.
If you get a bad book, put it down and pick up another!

Have you ever read a bad book? One that was recommended by a close friend? They tell you that you have to finish so you can talk about it? So instead of reading it you're sitting with your eyes going over the page and thinking about how bad this book is and how much you want to be doing other things, then thinking about all the other things you could be doing and wondering why you're not doing those things and reading this bad book instead? Then you start to hate your friend for recommending this book in the first place? You want to put it down but can you? Is this book worth losing a friend over? Are they really a good friend? Maybe you're drifting apart? I mean other than books you don't talk much? And if this is the type of book they're going to recommend maybe they don't know you that well.

A lot goes into the decision to put a book down.

[Anonymous]

I read because…I like to read? It’s enjoyable to read a good book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know! I love reading (listening to audio books). I have loved reading ever since I learned to read. I have no other explanation. I read some for my book club. I only read books I enjoy.

Is this really "reading"? I have a friend who used to say she read 10 books a week. I was like wow, how do you find the time? Then I realized she was listening to audiobooks (in the car, out in the garden, mowing lawn, chores, etc). Sometimes while reading I'll come across a word I've never seen before (don't know what it means or sometimes how to pronounce it). I'll stop, look up the meaning and pronunciation and then re-read the sentence or paragraph again. I would imagine most people don't do that with audiobooks. I don't know, audiobooks just seems like "cheating"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know! I love reading (listening to audio books). I have loved reading ever since I learned to read. I have no other explanation. I read some for my book club. I only read books I enjoy.

Is this really "reading"? I have a friend who used to say she read 10 books a week. I was like wow, how do you find the time? Then I realized she was listening to audiobooks (in the car, out in the garden, mowing lawn, chores, etc). Sometimes while reading I'll come across a word I've never seen before (don't know what it means or sometimes how to pronounce it). I'll stop, look up the meaning and pronunciation and then re-read the sentence or paragraph again. I would imagine most people don't do that with audiobooks. I don't know, audiobooks just seems like "cheating"

Do you make this inquisitive statement as you read zero books?

The scenario you mention certainly comes up with audiobooks and I'm more likely to just ignore it or use my context clues to get the meaning of the sentence without looking up the word, but this only becomes a problem when I'm having trouble understanding the book. This comes up more often in a scientific text (which I a more likely to listen to as well). For these though, I'll either have a hard copy of that text in hand or try to jot down some notes as I'm listening.

But I have friends who complain about me listening to audio books and say I'm not reading, but they sit watching reality TV.

[Anonymous]

I find myself fascinated with reading about intelligence. On one hand I am curious about the average Joe and how they make their day, but I think about Good Will Hunting and Ben Affleck vs Matt Damon. I think a book about Ben would be ok but the story about Matt ignoring his gift, just seeing the emergence of this gift in various ways, is just beautiful.

Now imagine reading this. If could be fiction or nonfiction, school and theory or action and practice, but it's so cool to read about this. And I think this is why my book likes varies. Genius comes in so many forms that I can't just pigeon hole it. At the same time. I can limit myself my looking for geniusrs in writing because people try to write about them but do a bad job. But these stories are so interesting when done well

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know! I love reading (listening to audio books). I have loved reading ever since I learned to read. I have no other explanation. I read some for my book club. I only read books I enjoy.

Is this really "reading"? I have a friend who used to say she read 10 books a week. I was like wow, how do you find the time? Then I realized she was listening to audiobooks (in the car, out in the garden, mowing lawn, chores, etc). Sometimes while reading I'll come across a word I've never seen before (don't know what it means or sometimes how to pronounce it). I'll stop, look up the meaning and pronunciation and then re-read the sentence or paragraph again. I would imagine most people don't do that with audiobooks. I don't know, audiobooks just seems like "cheating"

That’s ableist BS right there. Please watch this: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRQposSe/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I normally read to get away, kinda get a happy ending and not be so focused on the problems of my current day life.

But as I read different books and different genres, I'm finding new reasons why I read. For example, I'm enjoying reading autobiographies because there are so many stories that are of interest in these people's lives that probably wouldn't be enough to make it into a work of fiction but they are stories from their lives that made them, and they are so different that that makes them stand out.

I feel bad because I'm on a streak of good books and I'm questioning do I ride the hot hand or take a break before I get a bad book?

Ride a hot hand. (Also tell us the list )

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes I talk to "readers" but then they say they aren't reading anything right now, and their last book read was like years (plural) ago. I get things like stress, little kids, changes in life, etc. But when do you stop calling yourself a reader and maybe say something like "I used to read".

This is my biggest thing about readers. It's like people who called themselves nerds but hated studying. No you weren't a nerd, you were unpopular.

We. Are. Not. The. Same

My reading increases during times of stress and increased when my kids were little. The type of book I need(ed) in those situations are different than what I would pick at a different time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I normally read to get away, kinda get a happy ending and not be so focused on the problems of my current day life.

But as I read different books and different genres, I'm finding new reasons why I read. For example, I'm enjoying reading autobiographies because there are so many stories that are of interest in these people's lives that probably wouldn't be enough to make it into a work of fiction but they are stories from their lives that made them, and they are so different that that makes them stand out.

I feel bad because I'm on a streak of good books and I'm questioning do I ride the hot hand or take a break before I get a bad book?

You might be over thinking this, you know.
If you get a bad book, put it down and pick up another!

Have you ever read a bad book? One that was recommended by a close friend? They tell you that you have to finish so you can talk about it? So instead of reading it you're sitting with your eyes going over the page and thinking about how bad this book is and how much you want to be doing other things, then thinking about all the other things you could be doing and wondering why you're not doing those things and reading this bad book instead? Then you start to hate your friend for recommending this book in the first place? You want to put it down but can you? Is this book worth losing a friend over? Are they really a good friend? Maybe you're drifting apart? I mean other than books you don't talk much? And if this is the type of book they're going to recommend maybe they don't know you that well.

A lot goes into the decision to put a book down.

No, not a lot goes into the decision. If a friend is trying to compel you to read a terrible book, you can just say no, especially if you’ve given it a fair chance and it’s just not for you. Life is too short to force yourself to finish bad books!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know! I love reading (listening to audio books). I have loved reading ever since I learned to read. I have no other explanation. I read some for my book club. I only read books I enjoy.

Is this really "reading"? I have a friend who used to say she read 10 books a week. I was like wow, how do you find the time? Then I realized she was listening to audiobooks (in the car, out in the garden, mowing lawn, chores, etc). Sometimes while reading I'll come across a word I've never seen before (don't know what it means or sometimes how to pronounce it). I'll stop, look up the meaning and pronunciation and then re-read the sentence or paragraph again. I would imagine most people don't do that with audiobooks. I don't know, audiobooks just seems like "cheating"

This made me crack up because I read (or "read"?) slower if I'm listening to audio books and tend to actually get more details out of them. If I'm reading a physical books, especially a new one I'm enjoying, I tend to read really quickly because I just want to know what happens next. I definitely never stop and look up words unless I'm on like my fifth reread of something or reading in my non-native language. Audiobooks don't count as reading is such a weird flex.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I normally read to get away, kinda get a happy ending and not be so focused on the problems of my current day life.

But as I read different books and different genres, I'm finding new reasons why I read. For example, I'm enjoying reading autobiographies because there are so many stories that are of interest in these people's lives that probably wouldn't be enough to make it into a work of fiction but they are stories from their lives that made them, and they are so different that that makes them stand out.

I feel bad because I'm on a streak of good books and I'm questioning do I ride the hot hand or take a break before I get a bad book?

Ride a hot hand. (Also tell us the list )

Well, in the other thread I felt bad about not liking an autobiography written by a woman, so I read another, also by a woman and loved it - Zora Neal Hurston. But from there I was more addicted to autobiographies than who the author was, so I read John Thompson, Miles Davis, and a streak of people from the Harlem Renaissance. I am kind fascinated by the early 1900s right now so I have people from that time on my list. But not all the books I want are in the library and one was 46 hours (audiobook) so that's taken some time to complete.

Right not I have about 5 books I've downloaded that I want to get through. It's cool because well written or not. I'm very interested in these people so it is interesting to me to know what made them different. That said some of these are just excellent reads.

And unlike fantasy books, there's so much more to read. Like I can read Langston Hughes, Zora Neal Hurston and Alain Locke and get 3 different perspectives on the same event. Amazing.

But I'm at a point in my life where I think this is what I need to be reading. So many lessons on life in these books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And why do you read what you read?

...is it for your own self pleasure?
...is it to get away?
...is it to have things to talk about?
...is it to fill time?
...is it to learn about people?
...is it to relate to people?
...is it to find people like you?
...is it to find people different than you?

Something else?

Does why you're reading change? Why?
When you finish a good book how eager are you to talk with somebody about it? Or is it your secret treasure? Does this change with whether it is fiction or nonfiction / self help or low brow?

Why do you ask these questions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And why do you read what you read?

...is it for your own self pleasure?
...is it to get away?
...is it to have things to talk about?
...is it to fill time?
...is it to learn about people?
...is it to relate to people?
...is it to find people like you?
...is it to find people different than you?

Something else?

Does why you're reading change? Why?
When you finish a good book how eager are you to talk with somebody about it? Or is it your secret treasure? Does this change with whether it is fiction or nonfiction / self help or low brow?

Why do you ask these questions?

Because we're on a message board and I wanted to generate a conversation