Book 1

These are my answers to a fun reading habit post I saw on Linda Huber’s blog, and I thank her for inviting anyone who fancied a go, to take part. Here are my thoughts…

Do you have a specific place for reading?

No, I can read anywhere but out of necessity most of my reading is done in bed. I set my alarm 20 minutes earlier in the morning to fit in some pages and read last thing at night, as part of my switching off process, for as long as I can.

As I write this though I’ve just returned from holiday where I blissfully read everywhere and anywhere for hours on end. *sigh*

Reading in the sun

Bookmarks, or random pieces of paper?

Some and some – bookmarks, photos, postcards, event tickets, business cards, leaflets, post its, scrappy bits of paper (once memorably containing a shopping list I then searched high and low for!) – you name it and I’ve used it!

Bookmarks

Can you stop anywhere or must it be at the end of a chapter?

Anywhere, although ideally at the end of a section or chapter, if only to aid me in knowing where to start again. But once I start nodding off and that kindle is about to bounce off my face I stop, there and then.

Book in the sun

Do you eat or drink while reading?

No, because of the whole being in bed thing. But on holiday that is a whole different proposition and purely heeding the advice to stay hydrated I do like to have a little glass of something at my elbow 😉

Books and wine

Music or TV while reading?

No, never! At least not out of choice. I like peace and quiet to fully absorb myself into whatever world the story is building for me. If I’m sitting somewhere where there is noise I’m usually quite good at tuning it out. I’m pretty antisocial like that.

World in a book

Do you prefer to read at home or elsewhere?

Anywhere I get the chance to is fine by me. I guess I’m less likely to relax at home though. I run my own business from there as well my writing and there is always something work related I should be doing.

Book

Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?

Somewhere in between I think. I would never intentionally break the spine *shudder* but sometimes it happens with a wide spine, or an old book. I like my books to look loved, like they have been read many times and cherished. The saddest book is one that still looks pristine, like no one has ever wanted to read it. Horrible.

Read out loud or silently?

Silently. It’s far slower to read out loud. I know that from when it comes to reading my own work out loud during the editing process. However, I loved reading out loud to my children when they were small. Now that was a special time.

Book and Teddy

Do you write in your books?

No, at least not since doing English Literature O Level – particularly in Macbeth, purely to make sense of it all. Otherwise a definite no.

Do you read ahead or skip pages?

No, if I were to do that it would mean I was bored by the read and I’d just stop reading that book – though that rarely happens. I tend to stick with a book whatever in the hope that something good will happen and it’s always disappointing when it doesn’t. I should really stop reading far more books than I do but I hate the thought of giving up on them.

I recently read of someone who read the first and last chapter of a book before deciding if they were going to read the whole thing. I cannot understand that at all – it’s utter madness…

Books sun

Thanks for reading and like Linda, if any of you out there want to take part in this tag, please do 😀

Spread the love
12 Responses to Book Lovers’ Tag – Reading Habits
  1. Lovely! So agree about the little glass of something while reading… Hope we’ll hear more about your holiday in due course!

  2. My answers would mirror most of yours 🙂 I can’t imagine anything worse than reading the last chapter before deciding whether to read or not That would completely spoil the book for me.

    • I totally agree Cathy. You need to approach the ending with it (hopefully) having been set up to leave you just as the author intended – you can’t just jump to it! That just leads to chaos…

  3. judith anne barrow June 25, 2017 at 2:40 pm Reply

    Reading the first and last chapter? Mad!!. I always plod on with a book and then, to my shame,never give a second chance to that author. Should really try another book, I suppose… but why, when there are so many brilliant other authors to go with?

    • Well if you’re put off by what you read why should you give second chances. Like you say there are plenty more out there. And I agree, first and last chapter??? Bonkers!

  4. Like Cathy and Judith my answers are more or less like yours and I never give up on a book once I’ve started. The thought of reading the first and last chapter seems bizarre 😀

    • I do keep thinking I should have given up on some I’ve read – bearing in mind how short life is, but I just don’t seem to be able to. But totally, odd doesn’t even begin to describe it!! Lovely to see you here E 😀

  5. You answers were very similar to what mine would be, Georgia! And I do agree with everyone else about being baffled why anyone would read the first and last chapter before “deciding” to read a book! Nuts!
    On the read out loud question…. always silently, yes. But when my husband and I were travelling in Peru some years ago, he went down with a throat infection and coupled with the effects of high altitude, it meant he didn’t even have the strength to hold a book. So I kept us both sane by reading out loud to him from the PD James novel he’d brought on holiday. I’d never read it before so we both enjoyed the story while he recovered enough for us to continue our journey. A very special memory!

    • Now that is exactly what memories are made of, what a lovely story! And I’m so glad everyone else is on the same page (sorry about that!) when it comes to the first/last chapter thing 😀


[top]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *