icRKphJXQm-ezth8lntKydifkDg The Loose Screw: Reading Habits?

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Reading Habits?

So, this may be a strange question.  I'm wondering who else, besides me, has 'rules' for their reading.  I've always been a big reader, and much prefer reading over TV.  Don't get me wrong, there are several shows I record on DVR to watch.  I also enjoy the occasional movie.  But I LOVE reading.  I honestly don't think I'd enjoy one of the new E-readers or anything similar.  I need to have the physical book in my hands.  I get most, almost all, of my books free.  The library is visited at least a few times a week for both Chad and I to restock.  I get hand-me-downs, books from Booksneeze, and occasionally buy from used sales.

Anyway, back to my 'rules'.  I've always read at least a few, up to several, books at once.  If I were to only read a fictional book I'd feel guilty, like I'm wasting time, and if I only were to read an educational or non-fiction book I'd feel bored.  So, I've used a few different systems over the years. I do all of my Bible and Bible study reading during the day, and my fiction and non-fiction reading at night, at bedtime. The only problem with this is that there tend to be many nights when I only hold my book, never opened, and fall asleep.  Or I fall asleep after only a few paragraphs.  For many years I would alternate nights-fictional 'fluff' one night, educational/non-fiction the next.  Lately, I've tried something different: I read a chapter from the non-fiction, then read until I fall asleep from fiction.  This is working well for me. 

What do I read?  For fiction, it's nearly always either Amish fiction or fiction about polygamy.  Occasionally I will get sucked into a popular series, such as the 'Hunger Games' series recently. Yes, I know I have strange tastes!  For non-fiction/educational it is usually a homeschooling or parenting book, with the occasional book related to chronic illness or a current issue that has caught my interest.  Aside from my nighttime reading, I read from the Bible during the day while we are doing our homeschooling, and I have two studies I go to during the week that I read for, one is a women's group and the other a small group Jeff and I go to.  So, I have lots of books going at one time, but it seems to work for me.  I also have a very long list of books I want to read-I don't know if I will ever catch up!!

Here is my current reading list:
Fiction: 'Autumn's Promise' by Shelley Shepard Gray
Non-fiction: 'And the Bride Wore White'  by Dannah Gresh (this is a dating book, as I'm preparing for the big 16th birthday in January!!
Bible Studies: 'Romans'  by John Stott and Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney for my Women's group
A Praying Life by Paul Miller for my small group study

Then there are all the kids books we read during our day! As Chad is a beginning reader, we are doing a lot of reading together!

So, that's it-I'm really interested if anyone will respond with their reading habits, or if I'm the only one like this!

2 comments:

Sarah said...

I read quite a bit, and several books all at once.

Currently, I have the same books as you for Metochoi, am reading the first Harry Potter book to my bigs, and am in the middle of a couple others for learning/pleasure:
Fiction: Crossfire, by Dick Francis (mystery); Happy Every After, by Nora Roberts (romance); In the Company of Others, by Jan Karon
Non-Fiction: Paul Among the People, by Sarah Rudin; What Good is God, by Philip Yancey

Yes, I really do read all of them at the same time. The Dick Francis book is in the car, the Karon book is on my nightstand, and the Roberts book is here on my desk. The non-fiction ones are both shelved for the moment; I'm knitting too much to spend time on them for now.

I don't separate my reading by time of day, but I do get done with my Bible study/Bible reading before opening any other book.

Langworthy said...

Sarah, I am glad I'm not the only one. I'm amazed at how much fiction you can read at once! Fiction is one thing I can only handle one book at a time. My Mom is a huge Nora Roberts fan and passes down all her books to me, are you interested in them after I read them? Unless she got them from someone else she usually tells me to just donate them or pass them along. Also, how is What Good is God? I've looked at that before, but haven't read it.