Have your reading habits changed over time?

[Debb Cozzi]

When I was in high school, college and even the early years of my marriage I was a voracious reader. I read EVERYTHING; novels, mysteries, biographies, historical accounts, classics, you name it. I think I probably averaged at least a book a week. Then I started having babies and the struggle to balance motherhood, work and marriage took their toll on my reading. I still read but it probably slowed down to a book a month to every 6 weeks or so.

Then, I had an "Annus horribilis" where I lost my dad, father-in-law and paternal grandmother all within weeks of each other after suffering very difficult terminal illnesses. If you had asked me at the time I would have said the grief was a great struggle but that I was buoyed by faith. I really didn't think there were any long-term effects from it all. But I realize now that my reading habits really changed after that. Somehow, I lost my ability to concentrate for long stretches of time. Whatever reading I did was done in short spurts; my daily devotional, daily reading a passage from the Bible and lots of magazine reading. Occasionally I might read a novel but not often. I did read the Harry Potter series with my boys and I would occasionally read a thriller or mystery; books by CJ Box could always capture my attention but compared to how I used to read it was really different.

I'm thinking I want to "take up the habit" of reading again. I miss the sense of getting lost in other worlds and absorbing others' ideas. My goal is to try to read at least one book a month this year. The first one I've picked up is a biography by Eric Metaxes about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It is REALLY good. The author has an amazing way of telling his story and I find myself delighting in the beautiful way he has with words.

So....my question to you is have your reading habits changed over time, what do you like to read and are you reading anything interesting right now?

[Stacey Jewell Stahl]

In the years after I got married and before I became a mother (about 9 years total) I read about 5-10 books a week. I would go to the library on Thursday and get 10 books and go back on Sunday and get 10 more. Then I started scrapbooking in 1997 and digi scrapping in 2004.

My sister was shocked when she found out I hadn't read a book in 6 months.

I go in spurts now. I got 3 books from the library and it took me 3 days to finish the first one, I'm reading the second one and haven't started the third one.

I do think I've read about 10,000 books in my life.

[Debb Cozzi]

10 books a week?!!! WOW!! You must be a speed demon reader! So what are you reading right now?

[SharLamb]

When I was a young mother, I craved reading time during the day. Now that the nest is empty and I have time to do so, I seldom do, except for art-related and Photoshop-related stuff. I read fiction before I go to bed at night, and the Bible and often spiritual book in the morning with my first coffee. Right now I'm reading Earth's Earliest Ages, by G.H. Pember (very old book).

My favorite authors (fiction) right now are Richard Russo and Elizabeth Berg (although I'm not crazy about some of her subjects, so don't necessarily recommend her). She writes in such a way as to make you think she was right there with you when you were growing up (if you grew up in the 50s/60s). I'm also a mystery junkie. Love all the "Cat Who...." books and anything by M.C. Beaton. I even WROTE a mystery. Came "this close" to getting it published, but it was finally turned down leaving me with no energy left to keep pursuing publication.

I still don't want a Kindle. I can't bear the thought that bookstores will no longer be in our lives, and that libraries will become wifi hang-outs. One of my fondest childhood memories is going to the bookmobile every week throughout the summer. Is that something my grandchildren will never know?

[Stacey Jewell Stahl]

Originally Posted by Debb Cozzi

10 books a week?!!! WOW!! You must be a speed demon reader! So what are you reading right now?

I'm in the middle of a non-fiction book on the German Lutheran immigrants that settled in mid-Michigan in the mid-1800s. The next book on deck is a novel by Karen Kingsbury.

I AM a speed reader! I read "Gone With the Wind" in one day and Margaret Mitchell's biography the next day.

[pSyren]

I've always been a big reader. I read every night before I go to sleep. Unfortunately some nights I read instead of going to sleep. As my average bed time is around 3am it's not hard to waste away the rest of the night reading.
I've always been a sci-fi and fantasy fan. I started reading the adult books when I was in primary school. Authors like Michael Moorcock, Andre Norton and Tolkien.
Over the years I've been reading more fantasy than sci-fi because pure sci-fi is hard to find, everything seems to have more magic than science these days.
I've add some mystery and crime books to the collection in the last 10 years and these days am reading more teen fiction and vampire novels. It's all pretty light reading until I can find a new heavy sci-fi author
I have a bad habit of reading 3 books at once and reading the beginning and end before the middle but I got a Kobo ereader for Christmas which has forced me to stick to one book at a time and it's too hard to skip to the end because the kobo doesn't have page selection.
I never wanted an ereader but there's a series of old fantasy books I wanted to reread but couldn't find in store or the library but I did download an electronic copy of the whole series. So I had to get an ereader just to read them.
Surprisingly I looooooove my Kobo and can't imagine life without it. It's lighter than a book so I don't get cramps in my hand and I can take it anywhere without having to worry about bending the spine or losing my bookmark. I'm already up to book 8 in the series and it's just blissful to be able to read book after book like that.
I still love my paper books and collect favourite series and authors but they're all in storage right now while we're trying to sell the house and I must admit it's nice to have the extra space rather than 8 book cases

[sakura-panda]

I used to read a lot -- I worked at the public library while I was in high school and brought home books every couple of days or so. When I married and moved out, I continued to read, but found I was reading less and less and eventually only picked up a new book every three or four months or so.

I don't think I was ever as proficient as Stacey -- although I did have a lot of books that I could finish in a day or two.

I never really stopped reading, but once I started having babies, I found that the time for my hobbies dwindled down a lot and reading was one of the ones I put aside.

About two years ago, I bought an ebook reader, and my reading has gone back up again. Not quite as much as it had been before, but when I kept track, I read over 60 books in 2009, and that was a big jump up for me! I didn't keep a list last year -- I tried to use Goodreads and I just didn't keep up with it -- but I'm going to keep one this year: 2011 Book List. I've even signed up for a "Read 100 books in 2011" challenge, although realistically I'll be happy if I get through 40 books by the end of the year.

In the past I used to read a lot of "cozy mysteries" and "general fiction", but that now I'll try just about anything.

I usually read more than one book at a time and I'm currently reading a mystery ("To the Nines" by Janet Evanovich), a science fiction ("On Basilisk Station" by David Weber), an historical fiction ("Sentence of Marriage" by Shane Parkinson) and reading aloud the Narnia books to my 7 year old.

I'm kind of a shallow reader and I don't read a lot of nonfiction -- when I do, it is an occasional biography or an historical event.

[Debb Cozzi]

Originally Posted by SharLamb

My favorite authors (fiction) I'm also a mystery junkie. Love all the "Cat Who...." books and anything by M.C. Beaton. I even WROTE a mystery. Came "this close" to getting it published, but it was finally turned down leaving me with no energy left to keep pursuing publication.

I still don't want a Kindle. I can't bear the thought that bookstores will no longer be in our lives, and that libraries will become wifi hang-outs. One of my fondest childhood memories is going to the bookmobile every week throughout the summer. Is that something my grandchildren will never know?

I like mysteries too. Have you ever read any of Rita Mae Brown's "Sneaky Pie Brown" series? They are mysteries that she "co-writes" with her cat. I really enjoy the world she has created in this series.

I love the feel of books too and I think they will always have a place in my home. But....I do pine for a Kindle; I just love the idea of having all my favorite books "at my fingertips."

[Debb Cozzi]

Originally Posted by Stacey Jewell Stahl

I AM a speed reader! I read "Gone With the Wind" in one day and Margaret Mitchell's biography the next day.

I bow to you my friend!! I haven't read Gone with the Wind since high school but I'm certain I spent the better half of a summer reading it.

[Debb Cozzi]

Originally Posted by pSyren

I've always been a big reader. I read every night before I go to sleep. Unfortunately some nights I read instead of going to sleep. As my average bed time is around 3am it's not hard to waste away the rest of the night reading.

I still love my paper books and collect favourite series and authors but they're all in storage right now while we're trying to sell the house and I must admit it's nice to have the extra space rather than 8 book cases

I've had nights like that too. I will play the game with myself saying, "okay, just one more chapter and then I'll turn the lights out and go to bed!"

I hear you about the storage. I will always have bookshelves filled with books but with all the e-readers now it is nice to think how much more we can access without having to move out of our homes!!