Booking Through Thursday has been absent here for a while, but fills in the mental gap today –
Would you say that you read about the same amount now as when you were younger? More? Less? Why?
Well, even with a birthday having just gone by, I don’t think I could describe myself as old… so I’m going to have to compare to when I was reading children’s books, I suppose. Ironically, I remember finding it quite difficult, learning to read – well, in comparison to The Carbon Copy, anyway. That’s the thing with twins – even a tiny bit of difference is magnified, so the fact that it took me a few weeks longer felt like quite a big issue. Hasn’t held me back too much in the reading stakes.
Let’s see. I don’t really remember a time when I didn’t love reading, when I didn’t have a book on the go. During University I read fairly few books outside the remit of my course, but that was time constraint rather than anything else. As I develop my reading tastes, especially since I started blogging, the tbr pile gets steadily higher and higher. I remember the days when I couldn’t think of anything to read next – so I’d just read the same book again. Right now, I’ve probably got enough to last me until retirement. My book-obsession has only got worse – I would never go anywhere without a book in my bag, usually two, for emergencies. As a child, that probably wasn’t such an issue. SO, I think I read more now than when I was younger, but it’s all relative…
How about you? Has there been a period in your life when you’ve read more or less than normal? Tell us why!
I read more then – meaning childhood, teens, and twenties. Work and family intervened. In high school it was not unusual to finish a book a day, and occasionally, two. I understand your taking books along with you – I still do that – hate to be without. Until I finished school and went off to teach, access to books was limited to school libraries and the bookmobile. I can remember (somewhere after 6th grade), making an uncle who lived with us sign up with a book club and letting me pick out the books for us.
So did you get any books for your birthday?
I read far less now than I ever did. In fact I more or less just read on the trasin to andfrom work which is only 15 minutes each way and more often than not some of my “traiun friends” are on board so I don’t even get to read then.
I read a lot of collections of short stories as they are ideal for this situation.
Unfortunately as an adult I don’t get school holidays which I’m sure were invented so a person could read, read read….
I’ve read more books so far this year than ever before. That’s partly due to having to read quickly for review deadlines, and partly just general momentum coupled with wanting to talk about books often on the blog. Whatever the reason, I am glad!
I read enormously avidly as a teenager, mainly 20th C European literature in translation, but for many years my professional life has taken up almost all of my reading time. I finally decided, with encouragement from Karen who knows me from my well-read “youth”, to start reading non-technical literature again. In the last 12 months I have managed about one novel per week, which is poor stuff by your standards (and those of your loyal weblog contributors), but I am still often working on something to do with Physics very late in the evening. I do review books occasionally, but I don’t think that they will be of much interest to you or your readers – “Gas Lasers” anyone? I have also taken up seriously again my flute playing (hence the “flautist” identity) and this takes up another “spare” hour each day in practice. I think my physics may be suffering (and it pays for the mortgage)!
This is an interesting question. I was a heavy reader as a child, many times reading the same books over and over. I didn’t read much ( for pleasure) during college, being immersed as I was in textbooks but did read during time off. I would say my reading has picked up since college, year by year (time off for becoming a mother). There are more books that I want to read now than ever, and as you said – I could probably read what I have now and not run out of things for many, many years.
hey simioni,
they have the virago book of twin stories (or something like that) in the blackwells second hand department…looks good… XxX
lge
Good question. Read avidly as a child/young teenager. Beyond that, fairly consistently but with gaps and peaks due to circumstances or influence of other people/other interests affecting what and how much.
Had brief spells working in the press amd book trade (academic and general) Read xxx flyleaves! Have a mixed bias – more nf; but couldn’t describe myself as a wide reader.
I know someone who used to download texts to a small laptop to read while commuting. Takes determination but an advantage is being able to alter the font size.
I am still reading as much now as I ever did. Even in college, I set aside time for pleasure books.
When I had my kids, I’d leave my book open on the arm of the chair where I’d feed them so I could read in the middle of the night.
I always have a book in my purse and get a little panic attack if I don’t think I have one with me.
I make my school kids do Silent Reading 3 mornings a week and I read with them.
I’m sick, sick, sick! ~Linda
My health visitor told me off when she found me reading while breast feeding – apparently I should have been making bonding eye-contact with the baby. The baby had its eyes closed concentrating on the matter in hand actually. My next HV said she read more book when pregnant and breast feeding than before or since and to carry on. Both babies grew up to be big readers so I rest my case.
For my 12 years of school education I used to have a daily half hour commute to and from school. As my Dad drove me I would always have a book to read on the trip.
I stopped reading quite so much in university…well I read, but economics textbooks and journal articles! I did notice, however, a trend to start reading novels around exam time. I would reward myself for an hour’s study with a chapter of my book.