Books/Reading/Remaining Sane

[lorilei]

Hey guys -
Again, I'm lamenting that I can't participate in the February book thread... because I haven't been reading.

OK, nix that comment. I'm READING -- but it's not for fun. I'm taking a class this semester, so I'm reading for that. But I haven't been finding time for pleasure reading. I keep telling myself that I'm just too busy.

But, I'm thinking... maybe I'm just not taking advantage of time I have during my day. Maybe I COULD be reading something fun in between all the academic stuff.


So, I ask:
When do you find time for reading? Is it something you do for hours a day? Or just 15 minutes here or there? Do you prioritize it? Or just gravitate towards it?

[gertdog]

I usually read for a minimum of a half an hour at night before I go to bed. It's such an ingrained habit that it's almost become a physical need for me- brain food before sleeping. If I'm able to find more time, I do- but even the half hour adds up over a series of days.

Other times when reading seems to fit into the rhythm of my day are at breakfast- generally I read the entire newspaper, though sometimes I'll read a bit of whatever novel I'm working on- and in the transistion from work to home life, when it isn't yet time to start dinner, but I've turned off the computer for the day.

[Terrytx]

when I'm into a book it can be any time or even all the time, but generally I read while eating lunch and then for an hour or two before I start fixing dinner.

[srahndennis]

My pattern is like gertdog's. Reading in bed is my time to unwind. If you only have a few minutes what about short stories? There's a series of "The Best" books that cover just about any interest - recipes, essays, short stories, mysteries, etc. They are easy to incorporate in a busy day and you still feel like you have "finished" something.

[Peggy]

DH and I are trying to incorporate reading into our daily schedule. We are attempting to get into bed by about 10pm on weeknights so we can read for 1/2-1 hour before lights out. If I don't schedule in reading time I don't sit down long enough to do any reading. There is always a distraction around the house to keep me from it.

Peggy

[kristalsnow7]

If I get a seat on the train, I usually read during my commute to and from work. That adds up to at least an hour a day. I also read before I go to sleep at night, anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. Most of my reading is done on the weekends, though, when I have more free time.

[HUNGRY!]

When I take classes I usually make a deal with myself that the night of the class I can read whatever I want- no school reading. I also wake up early some mornings to read.

Mostly though, I have a long commute on the metro so I read then. If I had to drive I don't know when I'd get the chance to read as much as I do.

[lorilei]

Apparently this whole "finding time to read" must be a perennial problem for me... since I posted a similar thread on this topic before. :) A friend pointed it out to me -- so, before anyone else finds it, I'm admitting it right up front.

ANOTHER THREAD ABOUT FINDING TIME TO READ: http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?threadid=43694&highlight=time+AND+read

Anyhow... still looking for answers. And very interested to hear from anyone who will patronize me a bit on this count :o :D

[clairea]

I usually read in bed each night. I carry a book with me, too, and often can do some reading while sitting in carpool lines or whenever I find myself with a few spare minutes.

Claire

[SusanMac]

One of my fav times is a Sat or Sun afternoon. Summer - in the park. Winter - in a cafe.

We also try to keep the TV to about an hour each night (based on what we want to watch) and read. It's very relaxing. Now when watching, TV, the ads are starting to drive me nuts!!

[rosie_one]

I'm an escapist reader. I read when I'm bored, bummed, sick or stuck indoors. It is great therapy for me when my head gets spinning too fast. Though sometimes I like to take a book out into the yard and read in the sunshine too, when the weather is nice.

[Natasha]

Hi Lori!

My big opportunities to read are during my afternoon commute about 3-4 days a week, and then for a little while before bed. I find that I get a lot of reading done that way. I do read occasionally on, say, a weekend afternoon, but not often or usually for very long.

Natasha

[krhm]

I read absolutely nothing for pleasure while I was in grad school and then nothing for 6 months after completing my degree. I was too burned out!

Now I am a little of everything already posted here...definitely an escapist reader when life gets too stressful, definitely one to make reading a priority when the book is really intriguing me, and definitely one to read, on average, for at least 20-30 minutes each night as a way to wind down.

I did sit in my closet with the lights on last night to finish the last 20 pages of a book. DH had been reading with me and he was ready to go to sleep. I could have gone downstairs but the heat was off! :)

[Canice]

I know, Lori - sometimes it just doesn't seem to fit in! My family are all big readers, and DBF...well, I've posted about his house-eating library.... so I felt really guilty when, for a good two years or more, I couldn't seem to get much reading into my life. Ignoring my bad feelings was the best thing I could have done! :) Truly. I just let go of it, figuring the books would find me when the pace of my life was right. And they did!

That said, public transit is my best reading friend; not only is it time to read, but I then get so into my book that I feel compelled to read at every possible opportunity, including standing in line at the grocery or waiting for the bus, on hold on the phone, over lunch, waiting for friends, a quick stop for coffee, etc. I buy paperback editions and decide not to care if they get folded, wrinkled, or splattered with Thai curry, mayo, or soup (my dad was obsessive about the care of books, so this was very liberating!) I never leave the house without one in my bag, and the opportunities do present themselves. When I don't have blocks of time to read before bed, I just count on reading over meals or while waiting...for just about anything.

[beckms]

I read every night before bed, IN bed. I have a strict rule that no academic books are allowed in the bedroom; no studying allowed in bed.

Last year I found that if I stayed up late studying and then fell into bed, I'd dream about whatever I had just been studying. And when I was studying for Gross Anatomy, believe me, my dreams were not nice. :eek:

So I made the rule that I read something for pleasure right before I fall asleep. Sometimes I only manage to eke out 1 page, but at least it gets my mind off of whatever I was studying before.

[lorilei]

I love all of these ideas... thanks so much for indulging me in this matter. :)

I'm beginning to be jealous of those of you who can read on your commutes! If only I took public transportation to work, I'd be set!! On the other hand, I'm going to attempt to start reading at night before bed -- that's a definite possibility.

Rebecca - And there will be NO reading of academic works in the bedroom!! ;)

And Canice -- thanks for the assurance that I can let this go, if need be. :) If I set it free, it should come back to me, no?




Now, the trouble will be finding something that's truly engaging. So, maybe I'll head on over to the Feb book thread now to get some concepts :)

[Kay Henderson]

Lori, I agree that even lifelong, enthusiastic readers go through periods when they do less reading than their average. (I read very little for fun when I was an undergraduate, for example.) If you are ready to work some reading in, here are a couple of ideas.

I am a big library fan, and have often "just browsed." Most libraries I have patronized have their larger books (mostly nonfiction) shelved in a special "quarto" section. It is usually a relatively compact area, so you can quickly pick up a number of books on many topics. You can then "graze" on these books, actually read one or two of them, and have an interesting and eclectic reading experience.

Another thing I've recently discovered is that I enjoy listening to books on tape while cleaning house. This coming week, for example, I will be finishing John Grisham's The Runaway Jury. His novels are not brain surgery, but they are fun, complicated enough to keep my interest, something I don't usually read, and make the time pass quickly.

Good luck!

Kay

[sharon kopenski]

I read on the treadmill,bike or eliptical machine. It's the only thing that makes exercise tolerable.