Do you read?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my kids were young, I gave up reading books for personal pleasure. I tend to get completely lost in books, and while it’s okay to forget to feed myself, I couldn’t do that to kids, much less miss a need for help. I read a lot to them through the years, and as they grew more self-sufficient, I started reading again. They’re grown now, and I’m back to reading voraciously. The vast majority of what I read is pure fluff that much of DCUM would probably sneer at, but I don’t care.

This is similar to my situation, except in addition to being a mom, I also had to spend my time reading for professional purposes versus pleasure. When I was able to get back to reading for pleasure, it was such a joy! I did not realize how much I had missed it. I listen to audiobooks (free via Overdrive + library card) and also read "book books" (physical books), mostly purposed for $1 or less at a local friends of the library book sale or checked out for free from the library.

I don't typically enjoy literature/literary fiction, and that's okay.

[Anonymous]

I used to metro for my commute and I read so much. I have an ancient Kindle and I use Libby. I'll read just about everything.

[Anonymous]

I made a New Years resolution to try and read one book per week. Normally I end up blowing off resolutions, like most, but this one I've actually done pretty well with so far. I prefer fiction over nonfiction, and I mostly stick to sci-fi, fantasy, and bestsellers. Lately I've been picking and choosing random titles from Real Simple Magazine's book lists. I've found some real gems among them.

[Anonymous]

I've gone back to reading all the classics, including some I had to read in high school but never really grasped back then. Very enjoyable.

Also I've found it beneficial on the dating scene. The women I've dated love it when you gift them a book, if it's one you've read and enjoyed... not just some random book on sale at the bookstore.

[Anonymous]

Not sure if it’s been mentioned but everyone needs to read “Reader, Come Home” by Maryann Wolf —it’s about the pleasures, and importance, of reading and how reading has changed in a digital society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most books are mass produced by Amazon to sell the author's consulting services accompanied by Ted Talks and podcasts and YouTube channel videos. It's so much noise to me. I learn nothing from any of these activities.

I stick to reading the classics.

Interesting! Can you give popular examples?

[Anonymous]

I do. I didn’t for a long time and just putzed around on the internet, wasting wasting wasting time. I still do that but I added reading back in slowly because I could feel my brain turning to jelly in some senses.

My preference for reading is non-fiction but to get back into it I started reading Agatha Christie, starting with Poirot, then Miss Marple and now her standalone novels. And then I discovered the recently returned section at my library. It is browsing par excellence, and if you have a wonderful large library system, it is like a microcosm of it.

[Anonymous]

I try to read at least half an hour before bed at night. Experts recommend a break from lighted screens to prepare your body for sleep, so I see that as a win-win. (Computers do definitely mess with my sleep, phones less so, but for whatever reason my Kindle Paperwhite doesn’t seem to have any negative effects. Using that feels the same as “avoiding screens,” at least for my brain.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I try to read at least half an hour before bed at night. Experts recommend a break from lighted screens to prepare your body for sleep, so I see that as a win-win. (Computers do definitely mess with my sleep, phones less so, but for whatever reason my Kindle Paperwhite doesn’t seem to have any negative effects. Using that feels the same as “avoiding screens,” at least for my brain.)

Yes Kindle (other than Fire) are back lit, so they are easy on the eyes and do not interfere with sleep cycles.

I was so anti ebook, but my Kindle is now my most used item I own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I try to read at least half an hour before bed at night. Experts recommend a break from lighted screens to prepare your body for sleep, so I see that as a win-win. (Computers do definitely mess with my sleep, phones less so, but for whatever reason my Kindle Paperwhite doesn’t seem to have any negative effects. Using that feels the same as “avoiding screens,” at least for my brain.)

Yes Kindle (other than Fire) are back lit, so they are easy on the eyes and do not interfere with sleep cycles.

I was so anti ebook, but my Kindle is now my most used item I own.

+1
I love my Paperwhite. Because it's not backlit, it's not hard on your eyes and it doesn't have the blue light of a computer screen that interferes with sleep.

[Anonymous]

Yes but only since both my kids reached 1st grade and the pandemic gave me extra time. Before that I was too fried also.

[Anonymous]

I take a bath every night and read in the bathtub. I've done this most nights since high school. I've only dropped a book into the tub once in all of those years. I was in college and it was my notes for a class. Thankfully my roommate took the same class and I could photo copy her notes.

[Anonymous]

Constantly, yes.