How or when do you read?

I can only read in the evenings, in bed, because I can't go to sleep without a good book! It's a way to switch off from the day. What about you? :-)

Pretty much the same - after I decide that I am done with the computer for the day and go and hide in the bedroom :) Although lately I read more and more during dinner (kindle helps when you eat out alone). And of course any business trip usually means a lot of plane/airport reading.

I usually read in bed for at least 15-30 minutes before I go to sleep, for 10-15 minutes during breakfast, and then whenever I can fit it in. If I have to go into the city for work, that's a nice treat - an hour each way to read! If I'm having a more relaxing weekend, I'll read in bed for an hour or so when I first wake up.

If I start reading and the book is good, I cannot sleep and I have a hard time getting anything done. I think I have a book addiction.

4 'I think I have a book addiction'
Don't we all? :-)
LT is like the meeting place for Book Addicts Anonymous (BAA)!

It is true that reading a good book can change the habit, because you can't put down the book until you've finished it. I have had this from some good thrillers, like Stieg Larsson's millenium trilogy, or Val McDermid's 'Tony Hill' series (psychiatric profiler)... In terms of old 19th C classics, it has always been easier to read, because the narrative always took sooo long to develop that I have had no problem putting those down to read again in the following days.

I try not to do that a lot anymore... and to sleep at least 3 hours. Does not work every time with an interesting book but if it starts getting light outside and I am still reading, I will close the book and try to sleep... does not always work though :)

>6 soniaandree:

You know - I never thought about it but the only books that can keep me up for a full night before a working day are the new thrillers/fantasy books where the action just moves fast. The old-style ones where there is a lot of words weaving will have breathing places where I can leave them for the night...

7 new thrillers/fantasy being more fast paced
I agree. This is why I wonder if authors with 'slower' plots, but good writing styles, are not being left out because of this. Have we, as readers, changed to the point where we cannot appreciate slower plots?

Nonetheless, I still appreciate 19th C books, poetry and so on, but they are now a minority, compared to modern fast-paced books.

>8 soniaandree:
That is why I said old-style as opposed to old :) I read some more literary works... and some genre ones that would fit better in the 80s than nowadays. But I agree - they are a minority. In most days I love the old style - it just adds so much to a book. But I also can appreciate and like the fast-paced ones - and in some weeks these are the only books I can really read and like

Getting in late on the conversation here-- but I'm an any time, any place sort of reader, always carrying around a couple of books in case I get a spare moment. Usually, though, I'm in coffee shops or reading on the couch or in bed. At the very least, I end just about every day with an hour's worth or more of reading.

I'm also someone who reads mostly slow-paced (or not fast-paced) works-- although many of them are from the twentieth century on.

Good to see other readers! I envy the fact that you can read anytime, anywhere - this is a skill I haven't mastered yet! :-)

>11 soniaandree:

Get yourself a job with a lot of traveling (not driving) involved... I have books that I had read in 4 different countries... plus a few airplanes :) If that cannot teach you how to read anywhere, I don't know what I can. Although the "Yes, Mom, I am studying" (with a book inside of the textbook) also helped me read anywhere, anytime I guess. There was no way for my parents to believe that I can read a history/geography/whatever lesson once and be done with studying... so I pretended I read it a lot more than once :)

>10 KatrinkaV:

We need to exchange notes on such works :)

Once I get work, meals, exercise, etc., etc., cleared out of the way, I make room for winding down a bit from the day's general stress with a book before bed. I think I have to put some printed words between me and everything that's happened between me and the day-- not necessarily fiction, just something that takes me out of the everyday routine for awhile. That said, I'm also a big fan of stolen moments when I can squeeze in a bit of reading rather than being stuck staring off into space, and if I do ever have a large chunk of time that's not devoted to anything else, I'll likely allocate it to a little read-a-thon.

12
Well, I am used to travelling with articles, pdfs, etc. but this is no leisurely read, just academic! Reading for pleasure is mostly at bedtime.

I used to read books under my bedsheet with a torch - mum used to get angry at me for reading too much. I used to prefer that to meals, even, as she couldn't feed me properly if I had a book by the plate. I stopped doing that because it was not very practical - who likes a book with food stains? Not me.

#14 - get an ereader, they're perfect for reading with food, because you only need to push a button to turn the page. And you can always wipe it down if there are any accidental splashes.... not that I would be so uncouth or unappreciate of the food I'm eating, no not at all.

I too read anywhere. Public transport is great, I ensure I have my lunch breaks as non-working time by reading through them. And have set aside an hour of me time after dinner when I get home - drink a pot of tea and a quiet read.

15
Got one two weeks ago - the Kindle, because (in spite of the interface) I found that the pages' loading time was excellent!
That's it, I have now turned to the dark side of the force...

>16 soniaandree:

My kindle has permanent residence in my purse and on my dining table :) Which does not stop me from buying paper books but that's a different story :) Although I was really good at eating and reading without messing up the book :)

As for on-the-go reading -- I can read work-related stuff (and sometimes I need to) but with the amount of traveling I was doing for a while, I am used to also reading non-work related ones. :)

I have read before I go to sleep as long as I can recall. I also read at lunch and at the pool. If I am really into a book and have run out of Netflix then I will read after work when I am home.