Ask Lemmy

I don't read as much as many people strive to, and that's by design. Growing up, books were all the rage, and in some ways still are. Reading one book a week was the kind of thing people bragged about. There's like this aura to books where people think they're these precious things which at most can be "imperfect" (cue flashbacks of school book report assignments), and what they don't tell you is how prone to being junk they can be depending on who someone is. How does someone think something like, say, the complete L Ron Hubbard collection is going to influence the experience? I read to map out the rabbit hole, not just because words exist, though the medium doesn't matter.

I spend most of my day reading, as a translator. But it's almost always stuff that I wouldn't read, if not being paid to.

If counting only books that I read for fun, I guess it's ~2 books/month? Typically fantasy light novels. I also read a fair bit of manga (~5 chapters/day).

Beyond those LNs I think that the last book I've read was in September; Um Copo de Cólera (lit. "a glass of rage"), from Raduan Nassar. Short but good first person story.

I'm almost 40. I'm... tired. I don't read stuff to feel myself cultured; I read stuff when I need to (because of my job) or when I feel in the mood to do so.

On a screen only, in epub format. 10 books or so per year. Almost entirely non-fiction. In theory a chapter at a time. Often in the hour before eating, when I'm most awake and able to concentrate.

As to how I get hold of the book, first I check the Open Library on the Internet Archive. If it's not there (often the case) then I pirate it in about 3 clicks from the usual places.

BUT: if the book is recent and the author is still active, then I will also pay for the book on Amazon or wherever it's cheapest. While reading the epub I pirated earlier. That's only fair. The last time I did this was literally yesterday.

I wish there were better book trailers. Part of it is we get more picky about our time and know what we do and don't like. But sometimes this leads to a certain prejudice that doesn't let us explore something we otherwise would've stumbled onto.

For me with young kids, work, and generally limited time audiobooks are a compromise that allows me to combine with another activity, like cleaning or running.

Funny I'm seeing this post, though, as I placed aside 2 books that were gifted to me in hopes to read a physical book (but how.)

Audiobooks, baby. 1.75x speed (1.25x speed if there’s a heavy accent involved or it’s information dense).

I try to never do chores without an earbud in and a book or podcast going. (Makes dishes so much more enjoyable.)

Edit: spy books by John Le Carre really revived my love for books in older age.

I really love reading. When little, my mom said I read my way through the kids section in the library in like a year then moved on to the grownup side.

But then I had kids, and read magazines, short stories, and comics because I didn't have uninterrupted time.

Now, when I do have a book I read it while husband is watching TV, we both have entertainment time that way. If we go to the beach I bring the e-reader, and read on days off - still a lot of comics as I'm still busy, and I love them, but more library books than when the kids were kids.

You don't have to read books if you don't enjoy them! Everyone is different. I read really fast and effortlessly (learned to at the same time I was learning to speak, it's a language not a skill for me) so it's a better pace for me personally than other forms of entertainment.

But of my kids, fewer than half read for pleasure. There are so many other ways to use your time that are just as good for you or better.

I got back into reading about 8 years ago. I used to read a lot as a kid/teenager. At some point I realized how much time I was spending scrolling through things on the internet and decided to try and read books with that time instead.

At first I set a goal to read one book a month. I got a library card so it was free. I found the loan timeframe actually helped, since it had a due date. Audiobooks have been great too, since I can listen while doing things around the house. I made my goal the first year. Then each year after that, I try to match or surpass the previous. I’m currently at 38 books this year!

I like to read fiction but mix some nonfiction in there too. I mostly gravitate towards fantasy.

As for life stage, similar age, with a partner, and no kids, so I have quite a bit of leisure time.

For reading habits, I have tried to allow myself to put books down and not force myself to finish if I’m not enjoying it. I used to try and power through, but would end up dreading reading. So now, doesn’t matter how far into the book - if it’s no longer interesting, I’m done and move on to the next.

At night, Kindle paper-white, one book at a time. Some nights i read for an hour, some just a few minutes. If it doesn't hold my interest, I move on.

What are your reading habits like?

Reading for work related issue and for leisure daily from waking up to going to bed. light article reading to complex peer reviewed journals. That said, I let my mind guide what i am inerested in reading for the day or week. I usuallu would not force myself else everything gets fuzzy and it becomes a waste of time.

What do you like to read?

• Autobiographies of people that cut across all walks of life across the globe. Politics, law, finance, Medicine and Agriculture. Amazon cart is constantly getting added to.

• Journals like Lancet, AVJMR, etc. Once in a while if a caselaw in a country interest me i source it out to review. Daily journal or Justia can be helpful for US related ones.

What kind of stage of life are you in, and how does that affect it?

Mid-30's, same leaning for books or materials of interest to read since i was a teenager. Not a fan of fiction since Harry potter and Otherworld series.

Have you made any changes, positive or negative, to your reading habits?

I have included audiovisuals to my repository . I listen to Podcast (Wondery Plus is the Goat!!!) and documentaries (History Channel) if the material i am trying to read or study is in that form.

I'm reading when I'm traveling longish distances by train. Which isn't often but it makes the rides way better. Currently I'm reading up on some political/economical stuff.

I'm out of university for ~3 years and I noticed I have regained my appetite for learning new stuff. So I'm reading stuff that I want to know more about.

I tried to have a more regular routine of reading but similar to you it made me read less because it felt like a chore. And I realized that it's for entertainment and personal growth, which I'm fine with going at its own pace.

I never got how people read more than one book at once but if it works for you that's great! I feel like I'd just forget what the other books are about while I read one of them.

I have always enjoyed reading, but for the first 40 years of my life I just didn’t do much of it. It felt like a slog; difficult to focus and stick with it, though I always felt gratified when competing a story.

Then I discovered audiobooks. Something about the way my brain and lifestyle are, it just works. I read tons of books now. All fiction. I’m not crazy.

I love it. One the walk to work or bus rides I listen constantly. I take several hour walks in the mountains and listen the whole time.

This year I read The Expanse Series, Dune (Frank’s), Snow Crash, The Bobiverse, and part of another trip around The Wheel of Time. Audiobooks bring me so much joy.

I read quite a bit, though it's notched down a bit since my wife and adult son got me back into playing WoW in the evenings (we used to be away into it, then stepped away for some years). Like others have said, my book reading is 100% for pleasure, and I don't feel bad if I don't read, except that I feel reading is healthier downtime than WoW or TV.

A key for me is having some consistent times that I read. Most important for me is that I read in bed for about half an hour before going to sleep, and I find that that routine helps me go to sleep (I have trouble shutting my brain off). I take the dogs for a jog/walk on weekend mornings, and also consistently read for a while after I get back.

I read almost exclusively science fiction with a dash of fantasy. I'm an older guy, nearing retirement, and the only factor there is that our kids are grown and I can afford a gardener, so I have more free time than when I was younger.

I go back and forth between reading novels and difficult non-fiction books. Also, I read in the morning with coffee and in the evening with non-caffeinated tea.

When I fall out of my reading habit, I restart it by reading a page-turner. Stephen King, Neal Stephenson, whoever.

When reading a difficult book (philosophy) I treat it like a serious undertaking, something I might not be ready for. I have a dictionary nearby. I'm here to learn, to struggle. And it's like a sport. But an extremely edifying and satisfying sport. It's like climbing a mountain. Some philosophy books require reading like three other philosophy books first. These are geniuses talking to each other, and I just get to watch.

And when I'm done with a difficult book, I follow it up with a page-turner. Alastair Reynolds, some comedy novel, or whatever.

I never read a book "just because it's a classic." That's no fun. There has to be something about the book that makes me want to read it.

And I try not to read multiple books at the same time. I'm currently breaking that rule.

Edit:

Also, find your niche. I never feel guilty about not reading. I just love all the experiences and ideas I get from books. You do it for the love of it. So find the kind of book you love. History (of Europe, of technology, of whatever), spy novels, whatever!

Just like any hobby or leisure activity, my interest peaks and wanes. Marie Kondo said it best, "if it's not sparking joy, yeet it out the window".

Pretty sure that's exactly how she said it.

Personally, I tend to enjoy listening to audiobooks over reading. I keep a looooooong list of books that look interesting so I can pick a title when I feel like reading. Note, I don't call it a "to-read" list because I am not going to read them all. I will never read everything on the list unless I stop adding to it at least ten years before I die. And that approach to a to-read list does not spark joy. From the get to, recognize this is not a list to ever be "completed" by design.

I am in my 40s, kids, office job, etc. I have read 114 books so far this year, and am aiming for 120. Every one of those books are books I enjoyed. If it doesn’t grab me, I put it down. I put one down yesterday after two chapters.

I have always been an avid reader. Buying an ereader (kobo) has been the biggest game changer for me. I carry it everywhere and use it constantly. I can check ebooks out from the library and they automatically load on my device. If I go for a walk, I’m reading while I do it. I read during my rest times during a workout. If I have 3 spare minutes, I’m reading a book. Are most of my books “fast food” from a literary perspective? Absolutely. Sci-fi, fantasy, and romance are my jam! I’ve never not been a reader. Books were an escape as a teenager and never stopped being a huge part of my life, even decades later. I listen to podcasts or audiobooks when mowing the lawn or doing dishes, but those 114 have been ebooks or paper books. However you consume them, finding what you love is huge for building the habit.

I occasionally read non-fiction, but it’s actually work to do it. The best way to read is to find a good story and let it sweep you away! Stuff that is harder to get through is going to create a little friction. That friction makes you hesitate to pick up the book. That next YouTube video or TikTok is going to be easier at that point. If reading is work, you’re less likely to do it. Trying to read “good” stuff has caused me to slow down.