How do you fit reading into a busy schedule?
June 30, 2005 6:59 AM Subscribe
When the time for reading is limited does the dedicated reader read only when she is in the mood, or does he read regardless of mood?
I'm a family man with an 7 to 4 job. My favorite time for reading is the morning when I'm at my most mentally alert. At night I tend to be too tired to concentrate. I'd like to know how you MeFi guys fit reading into your schedules. Where and when do you read? Do you need silence, or do you like background sound? General comments and specific tips all welcome.
I read pretty much constantly, whenever I'm not doing something else, and, frequently, when I do.
For example, I often find myself sitting on my couch watching a baseball game on mute, with the stereo on, reading a book (or magazine.)
Sometimes I'm also having a cellphone conversation (which usually consists of saying "mm hmm" every couple of minutes, but still) at the same time.
So I may not be the best person to answer your question...
posted by dersins at 7:19 AM on June 30, 2005
For example, I often find myself sitting on my couch watching a baseball game on mute, with the stereo on, reading a book (or magazine.)
Sometimes I'm also having a cellphone conversation (which usually consists of saying "mm hmm" every couple of minutes, but still) at the same time.
So I may not be the best person to answer your question...
posted by dersins at 7:19 AM on June 30, 2005
The absolute #1 bestest reading decision/investment I've made as an adult is Audible's "two books a month for ~$22" program. I also purchased a discount iPod mini from them at the same time. The combination rocks.
My reading consumption had dropped to woeful levels in recent years, but now I know I'm guaranteed two books a month, in addition to whatever else I can squeeze in.
If you're not sure audiobooks are for you, borrow one from your public library. (Try to find one that you know will be good; some readers are dull, and no audiobook is better than its source material.)
posted by jdroth at 7:20 AM on June 30, 2005
My reading consumption had dropped to woeful levels in recent years, but now I know I'm guaranteed two books a month, in addition to whatever else I can squeeze in.
If you're not sure audiobooks are for you, borrow one from your public library. (Try to find one that you know will be good; some readers are dull, and no audiobook is better than its source material.)
posted by jdroth at 7:20 AM on June 30, 2005
If I'm not riding the bus to work, it takes me months to get through a book. I lent my car to my wife for a couple days this week and got halfway through The Kite Runner.
Sometimes, though, she and I will sit together and read since there's nothing on TV these days besides reality shows and CSI:SUV shows.
Also, sometimes I take a book to lunch.
posted by booth at 7:23 AM on June 30, 2005
Sometimes, though, she and I will sit together and read since there's nothing on TV these days besides reality shows and CSI:SUV shows.
Also, sometimes I take a book to lunch.
posted by booth at 7:23 AM on June 30, 2005
I don't need silence, that's for sure. My time is pretty limited too, so I read 10 pages at a time waiting for my honey to get ready in the morning, on the subway, in waiting rooms, every so often at lunch time . . . . you name it. I can demolish 400 page books fairly quickly that way, although I do usually find a straight hour or two at the weekend.
posted by jamesonandwater at 7:25 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by jamesonandwater at 7:25 AM on June 30, 2005
Is it possible for you to commute to work by bus or train? Ever since I moved to the sticks and started having to drive everywhere, my reading time has become all but nonexistent.
posted by willpie at 7:29 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by willpie at 7:29 AM on June 30, 2005
I read a lot on the bus and I also get up early so I can read at breakfast. In the evening I can usually squeeze in some time before bed. I don't need silence so much, and tv doesn't bother me. No, I don't get enough reading time any more, being a family man and all.
posted by Mekon at 7:49 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by Mekon at 7:49 AM on June 30, 2005
Response by poster: Years ago, while living in the UK, I commuted to the city by train and got through a power of reading. Here in the US I live in the suburbs and work in the more distant suburbs where public transport is virtually non-existent, so I'm a slave to the automobile. Audio books is a solution with limited appeal. I prefer the printed page where I can read and reread, if necessary, at my own pace. Plus I like the feel of having a book in my hands, the act of turning the page and having the satisfaction of seeing my bookmark advance its way from front cover to back.
posted by TheManticore at 7:51 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by TheManticore at 7:51 AM on June 30, 2005
When I've been in times in my life when reading was more difficult and diffuse than it is now, I set aside special time to do it. Frequently by waking up early. It seemed a bit wierd at first, but then I got into it and realized that it is no more strange than making time to do anything you love. The issue is that reading takes time, not that you don't want to do it. A special reading time, even an uninterrupted half hour, can go a long way toward finished books.
posted by OmieWise at 8:24 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by OmieWise at 8:24 AM on June 30, 2005
On preview (or post-view, or whatever)- I also like the several books approach, and I think that it works best for me when the books are of different tones and contents. I usually need a chunk of time to read serious non-fiction or philosophy, but I may be fine with just a few minutes for the comic novel I'm reading (although I may want more than that). There may also be books that I cannot read before bed, and others that are perfectly suited. Reading several books at once keeps me from not reading because I don't have a solid hour to sit down and concentrate.
posted by OmieWise at 8:27 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by OmieWise at 8:27 AM on June 30, 2005
Historically I have a hard time sitting myself down to read anything other than a newspapers. Currently, I do most of my reading in the evening, after work, on the Metro train. But lately I have also started picking up my book and reading at home. Sometimes though that is because the book is that entertaining to me. The less busy I am (HA!) the more likely I am to just sit quietly and read. While I can handle many distractions while reading, I generally prefer silence.
posted by terrapin at 8:27 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by terrapin at 8:27 AM on June 30, 2005
I read on the El all the time, and before I go to bed every night. I usually wear earplugs while reading.
posted by corpse at 8:49 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by corpse at 8:49 AM on June 30, 2005
I'm not dedicated. I'm obsessive. I can't stand eat a meal alone without something to read. I have a personal rule: never leave the house without at least one book. Never travel with fewer than four books.
Although I can't read in a moving car or bus, I can read on airplanes. And there are very few environments that are too noisy or distracting that I can't read. If I do need isolation I have my iPod and the instrumental music of my choice - typically jazz or classical.
posted by cptnrandy at 8:50 AM on June 30, 2005
Although I can't read in a moving car or bus, I can read on airplanes. And there are very few environments that are too noisy or distracting that I can't read. If I do need isolation I have my iPod and the instrumental music of my choice - typically jazz or classical.
posted by cptnrandy at 8:50 AM on June 30, 2005
I read pretty much constantly, whenever I'm not doing something else, and, frequently, when I do.
I can't stand eat a meal alone without something to read. I have a personal rule: never leave the house without at least one book. Never travel with fewer than four books.
These statements all apply to me as well. I can read under any circumstances: silence, noise, airplane, car, while walking... (One think I liked about NYC was that I would pass other people also walking as they read. In Los Angeles walking was weird enough all by itself; I think they arrest you automatically if you're reading at the same time.) And I have a book open beside my computer in case a site takes a minute to download: I can get through a couple paragraphs while I'm waiting. (At the moment it's Lucy Herndon Crockett's Popcorn on the Ginza, a surprisingly good 1949 book about the Occupation of Japan I picked up at a library sale.)
And I doubt there's been a time since grade school when I was only reading one book at a time. Fortunately, I have a highly developed ability to mentally keep my place, so that I can go back to Proust after a year or two off and get up to speed without too much effort.
posted by languagehat at 9:04 AM on June 30, 2005
I can't stand eat a meal alone without something to read. I have a personal rule: never leave the house without at least one book. Never travel with fewer than four books.
These statements all apply to me as well. I can read under any circumstances: silence, noise, airplane, car, while walking... (One think I liked about NYC was that I would pass other people also walking as they read. In Los Angeles walking was weird enough all by itself; I think they arrest you automatically if you're reading at the same time.) And I have a book open beside my computer in case a site takes a minute to download: I can get through a couple paragraphs while I'm waiting. (At the moment it's Lucy Herndon Crockett's Popcorn on the Ginza, a surprisingly good 1949 book about the Occupation of Japan I picked up at a library sale.)
And I doubt there's been a time since grade school when I was only reading one book at a time. Fortunately, I have a highly developed ability to mentally keep my place, so that I can go back to Proust after a year or two off and get up to speed without too much effort.
posted by languagehat at 9:04 AM on June 30, 2005
I, too, can read under any circumstances, except when I have the most available reading time--on the bus. Makes me sick. When I'm on the bus, I listen to audiobooks (Audible member).
Much of my reading is done online these days, and I find I don't have patience with non-fiction books. I just want the New Yorker length feature article about a topic.
I keep ebooks and audiobooks on my Palm for those times when I have a few minutes here and there. I have one philosophy book I've been trying to plow through for years (Being No One by Thomas Metzinger).
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 9:18 AM on June 30, 2005
Much of my reading is done online these days, and I find I don't have patience with non-fiction books. I just want the New Yorker length feature article about a topic.
I keep ebooks and audiobooks on my Palm for those times when I have a few minutes here and there. I have one philosophy book I've been trying to plow through for years (Being No One by Thomas Metzinger).
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 9:18 AM on June 30, 2005
I read in bars. I can't read at home (too many other passive distractions), on the train (I usually only ride it with other people, thus must chat), or in bed (I fall asleep). The right bar provides just enough ambient noise to cancel itself out, plentiful snacks and drinks, and something to do when you need to give your eyes a break from the page. Of course, while I tear through one or two books a week (read the first Flashman over a brace of IPAs on Tuesday), my liver is likely not the better for it.
The only downsides are overfriendly drunks who want to chat (usually only occuring later in the night) or bar managers who insist on turning down all the lights to candle-level at 6 o'clock.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:42 AM on June 30, 2005
The only downsides are overfriendly drunks who want to chat (usually only occuring later in the night) or bar managers who insist on turning down all the lights to candle-level at 6 o'clock.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:42 AM on June 30, 2005
Most of my reading these days is done on an old Palm III xe pda in the dark, in bed. That model of palm has a soft green backlight that doesn't disturb my wife sleeping next to me (she's not a compulsive reader!) The pda also has the advantage of holding a lot of books -- 12 to 25 for the 8Mb IIIxe.
Newer pdas have brighter screens, less usable in the dark but maybe preferred by some. I like the IIIxe because it runs for three weeks on alkaline AAA batteries, though I use rechaargables which only go a week between charges. Pdas with built-in rechargable batteries are more problem if you're camping. The IIIxe is just as readable sitting in the sun too, which is not the case for most newer models with color screens.
Until I tried it I thought the tiny screen would make "a good read" impossible, but if the book is good the small screen makes no difference -- it can be totally immersive.
There's a huge amount of books on the Net for download, free and for-pay. I use several free ebook readers -- Plucker (for Project Gutenberg books, and anything HTML), Read-them-all (for standard Palmdoc format books) and CSpotRun (also Palmdoc) -- and have avoided using any DRMd books and readers.
(More detail by email if anyone wants -- I'm in the middle of Dr. Zhivago concurrent with the Discworld series, taking a break between vols 10 and 11 of the Master and Commander series, with programming books on the side)
posted by anadem at 9:57 AM on June 30, 2005
Newer pdas have brighter screens, less usable in the dark but maybe preferred by some. I like the IIIxe because it runs for three weeks on alkaline AAA batteries, though I use rechaargables which only go a week between charges. Pdas with built-in rechargable batteries are more problem if you're camping. The IIIxe is just as readable sitting in the sun too, which is not the case for most newer models with color screens.
Until I tried it I thought the tiny screen would make "a good read" impossible, but if the book is good the small screen makes no difference -- it can be totally immersive.
There's a huge amount of books on the Net for download, free and for-pay. I use several free ebook readers -- Plucker (for Project Gutenberg books, and anything HTML), Read-them-all (for standard Palmdoc format books) and CSpotRun (also Palmdoc) -- and have avoided using any DRMd books and readers.
(More detail by email if anyone wants -- I'm in the middle of Dr. Zhivago concurrent with the Discworld series, taking a break between vols 10 and 11 of the Master and Commander series, with programming books on the side)
posted by anadem at 9:57 AM on June 30, 2005
My wife calls it my purse, but I never leave home without a bag--generally vaguely military looking--in which I carry my journal, pens, business cards, sunglasses, and at least two books. One book is generally some tome on whatever programming widget I'm working on at the time. The other is a collection of short stories and/or poetry*--the sort of thing I can knock out while waiting for/riding a bus, waiting for an appointment, eating lunch, etc. Sometimes I may also carry along a novel I am reading if it has a decent interest::bulk ratio.
I have been an avid reader since I first learned how and probably burn through 1500 pages a month with no more than a few blocks of reading time > 1 hour using this method. The first time I read Infinite Jest it took approximately five days although I invested most of a Saturday in that task. I get compulsive about reading new-to-me material so tend to not pick up new books when deadlines are on the horizon.
*Frequent companions are the Penguin portable series (Beat Reader, Jack Kerouac, Harlem Renaissance), Studs Terkel ethnographies (Working, Hard Times), or any number of haiku/tanka anthologies that litter my shelf. The haiku and tanka are great for commuting because you have time to reflect on each one while staring off in the middle distance like all the other train riders.
posted by Fezboy! at 10:12 AM on June 30, 2005
I have been an avid reader since I first learned how and probably burn through 1500 pages a month with no more than a few blocks of reading time > 1 hour using this method. The first time I read Infinite Jest it took approximately five days although I invested most of a Saturday in that task. I get compulsive about reading new-to-me material so tend to not pick up new books when deadlines are on the horizon.
*Frequent companions are the Penguin portable series (Beat Reader, Jack Kerouac, Harlem Renaissance), Studs Terkel ethnographies (Working, Hard Times), or any number of haiku/tanka anthologies that litter my shelf. The haiku and tanka are great for commuting because you have time to reflect on each one while staring off in the middle distance like all the other train riders.
posted by Fezboy! at 10:12 AM on June 30, 2005
Try to find one that you know will be good; some readers are dull, and no audiobook is better than its source material.
If you've been watching The Daily Show, then you know that Bill O'Reilly reading his Those Who Trespass is sure to become a modern comedy classic.
posted by mkultra at 10:28 AM on June 30, 2005
If you've been watching The Daily Show, then you know that Bill O'Reilly reading his Those Who Trespass is sure to become a modern comedy classic.
posted by mkultra at 10:28 AM on June 30, 2005
When the time for reading is limited does the dedicated reader read only when she is in the mood, or does he read regardless of mood?I don't know what defines a "dedicated reader." I'm a writer, and I believe that any decent writer's reading should outweigh his writing by at least 2:1. So yeah, I read regardless of mood. It's homework.
posted by cribcage at 10:52 AM on June 30, 2005
can't stand eat a meal alone without something to read. I have a personal rule: never leave the house without at least one book. Never travel with fewer than four books.
Me too! I had a really long trip that included five extra hours in an airport yesterday and I actually ran out of reading material before I got home. Crisis! I got the fidgets badly enough that I decided I need to maybe get a little bit more balanced about my reading thing. Things that work for me:
- reading in the morning. I try to get up an hour or so early, make coffee and then go back to bed with a book. I find I start the day much better than if I get up, make coffee and start reading email.
- many many different types books in case the mood isn't right. many sizes for reading in bed, opened on tables, in a teeny airplane seat, by the river.
- since I carry so many books when i travel, I often try to keep a stack of high-interest low [money] value books that I can start a trip with and then give away as my trip continues. Similarly, I'll often borrow books from friends as the trip continues so I have something new and appealing as I head home [backfired this time!]
- I keep track of my books with a little book blog thing which sometimes encourages me to finish books that are borderline interesting. bad books I stop reading and get rid of, life's too short.
- I usually need repetitive sound or silence when I read, so music is okay, TV is not, rain is okay, neighbors in the pool is not. I can usually turn up the music to drown out the others and I'm fine but at some point it's too loud to read.
- I can't read with headphones on. I rarely listen to books on tape/MP3 unless I'm on long multi-day car trips in which case they're indispensible.
posted by jessamyn at 12:27 PM on June 30, 2005
Me too! I had a really long trip that included five extra hours in an airport yesterday and I actually ran out of reading material before I got home. Crisis! I got the fidgets badly enough that I decided I need to maybe get a little bit more balanced about my reading thing. Things that work for me:
- reading in the morning. I try to get up an hour or so early, make coffee and then go back to bed with a book. I find I start the day much better than if I get up, make coffee and start reading email.
- many many different types books in case the mood isn't right. many sizes for reading in bed, opened on tables, in a teeny airplane seat, by the river.
- since I carry so many books when i travel, I often try to keep a stack of high-interest low [money] value books that I can start a trip with and then give away as my trip continues. Similarly, I'll often borrow books from friends as the trip continues so I have something new and appealing as I head home [backfired this time!]
- I keep track of my books with a little book blog thing which sometimes encourages me to finish books that are borderline interesting. bad books I stop reading and get rid of, life's too short.
- I usually need repetitive sound or silence when I read, so music is okay, TV is not, rain is okay, neighbors in the pool is not. I can usually turn up the music to drown out the others and I'm fine but at some point it's too loud to read.
- I can't read with headphones on. I rarely listen to books on tape/MP3 unless I'm on long multi-day car trips in which case they're indispensible.
posted by jessamyn at 12:27 PM on June 30, 2005
I had a really long trip that included five extra hours in an airport yesterday and I actually ran out of reading material before I got home.
But jessamyn -- that's why they have bookstores in airports! I found myself in the same situation on a layover in the Atlanta airport once and picked up a nice fat sf novel to tide me over. (Green Mars, since you ask.)
posted by languagehat at 1:03 PM on June 30, 2005
But jessamyn -- that's why they have bookstores in airports! I found myself in the same situation on a layover in the Atlanta airport once and picked up a nice fat sf novel to tide me over. (Green Mars, since you ask.)
posted by languagehat at 1:03 PM on June 30, 2005
I need quiet. So I get up on weekend mornings, make a pot of coffee and settle in on the couch before anyone else is up. I can usually get a good couple of hours in, and if the book is interesting enough I'll go back and try to finish it later. I usually have three books on my table, a thick novel for immersive reading, some short stories for a quick read, and some non-fiction for a change of pace.
posted by cali at 1:16 PM on June 30, 2005
posted by cali at 1:16 PM on June 30, 2005
Well, you cram reading in whenever you can. I find that if a song is familiar, I don't really hear it when I read, so if I'm reading in public, I'll listen to familiar music. If I'm reading off my handheld computer, can simultaneously listen to music on it as well.
(anadem writes "Most of my reading these days is done on an old Palm III xe"
anadem: Used to do this myself when I had a Palm. You have discovered the various font-hacks to switch to better reading fonts, right?)
posted by orthogonality at 1:45 PM on June 30, 2005
(anadem writes "Most of my reading these days is done on an old Palm III xe"
anadem: Used to do this myself when I had a Palm. You have discovered the various font-hacks to switch to better reading fonts, right?)
posted by orthogonality at 1:45 PM on June 30, 2005
I used to have loads time for reading, now I have to make the time. I'm not sure when that started to happen.
I need silence when reading. During the week I'll get about a half hour in during my lunch break and some before bed. Some nights I can devour half a book, others not even half a page. On weekends, if I'm lucky, I can get a few hours worth at the beach.
It really helps if your S.O. is a reader as well.
posted by btwillig at 3:23 PM on June 30, 2005
I need silence when reading. During the week I'll get about a half hour in during my lunch break and some before bed. Some nights I can devour half a book, others not even half a page. On weekends, if I'm lucky, I can get a few hours worth at the beach.
It really helps if your S.O. is a reader as well.
posted by btwillig at 3:23 PM on June 30, 2005
During the semester, I usually read at night or on my daily jaunt(s) to the coffee shop/bagel store. On vacations...I'll read several hours a day. I do read in cars, in airports, and on long plane flights (which require multiple books).
When I have a research project going, I read three or four books at one time. Otherwise, I'll usually have a novel + whatever rereading I need to do for my classes.
posted by thomas j wise at 3:48 PM on June 30, 2005
When I have a research project going, I read three or four books at one time. Otherwise, I'll usually have a novel + whatever rereading I need to do for my classes.
posted by thomas j wise at 3:48 PM on June 30, 2005
Specific tip: Silence is good, but if you can't get it try a white noise machine, like this here HEPA filter sitting next to me.
I read before bed- I can't read in the morning before my caffeine, ablutions, and eyewear issues are set right, and by that time I've got some forward momentum.
General comment: The dedicated reader almost never has a gender change in the middle of a sentence, so you might try to avoid that.
posted by ikkyu2 at 3:58 PM on June 30, 2005
I read before bed- I can't read in the morning before my caffeine, ablutions, and eyewear issues are set right, and by that time I've got some forward momentum.
General comment: The dedicated reader almost never has a gender change in the middle of a sentence, so you might try to avoid that.
posted by ikkyu2 at 3:58 PM on June 30, 2005
Personally, I found my reading time fast approaching zero and I didn't like it, as I was by nature a voracious reader. It seemed like my only real reading time was on "the throne". It wasn't adding up to enough. SO... I just said, unless i'm too drunk or something, I will read 20 minutes before I go to sleep every night. Its MUCH easier than you think once you agree to do it, and its not that much time, really. But i started CHEWING through books like cotton candy. Reading at a leisurely pace, i was getting through three books a month. Thank jeebus for libraries!
posted by indiebass at 4:05 PM on June 30, 2005
posted by indiebass at 4:05 PM on June 30, 2005
before my son was born I had much more time to read. (I had much more time to do many things) but even now, I take him on a walk to a nearby mall so while he takes his afternoon nsp, I eat my lunch and read for a solid hour. before him, I used to do the same thing at lunch. I would go to a nearby cafe/eating establishment and read for a full hour. I also read before bed, when my husband is driving somewhere (even if it's one block away), and as I walk down the street (this one can be a bit problematic). But my favorite time is the lunch hour.
Like jessamyn, I can't listen to books on tape unless we're on a long car trip in which case I love them. Oh and I can read pretty much under any condition. Noise, no noise, light, little light, nothing matters. Many years of training to tune everything/anything out has worked perfectly.
posted by karen at 5:45 PM on June 30, 2005
Like jessamyn, I can't listen to books on tape unless we're on a long car trip in which case I love them. Oh and I can read pretty much under any condition. Noise, no noise, light, little light, nothing matters. Many years of training to tune everything/anything out has worked perfectly.
posted by karen at 5:45 PM on June 30, 2005
I always have a book with me, and usually more than one: in my handbag, in my courier bag, in my pocket, in my canvas grocery bag. At the dentist's today, I had a tiny copy of As You Like It clasped in my hand for the intervals when he stopped jabbing metal bits into my sadly abused mouth, and walked away to prepare further surprises for me.
I read in line at the grocery store, at the bus stop, on the bus, at the coffeehouse, in the tub, while cooking dinner... If it were food rather than books, no one would call me a gourmet, or even a gourmand, but a glutton.
All of that is more a personality quirk than a helpful piece of advice, however. The nugget of advice resides in this: if you're earnestly motivated to read more, find the slivers of time that suit you and make the most of them.
posted by Elsa at 7:14 PM on June 30, 2005
I read in line at the grocery store, at the bus stop, on the bus, at the coffeehouse, in the tub, while cooking dinner... If it were food rather than books, no one would call me a gourmet, or even a gourmand, but a glutton.
All of that is more a personality quirk than a helpful piece of advice, however. The nugget of advice resides in this: if you're earnestly motivated to read more, find the slivers of time that suit you and make the most of them.
posted by Elsa at 7:14 PM on June 30, 2005
I've finished more than 70 books since the beginning of the year. I have my walking book (for reading during the 15 minute walk from the parking lot to my office, as well as during my lunch break), a bedtime book, something in the living room that I'll read when tv gets boring, one for the car in case I have to wait for someone, and maybe one in the bathroom so I can read while brushing my teeth. Heck, I'd read while driving if I could. Having 4 or 5 going at once lets me pick one to fit my mood and I get a little antsy if I've finished something and haven't had time to get to the library.
Books on tape don't work for me most of the time; I get distracted and my mind wanders. The only time I enjoyed one was this winter when I listened to "Catch Me If You Can" while stripping wallpaper in the bathroom.
posted by belladonna at 8:08 PM on June 30, 2005
Books on tape don't work for me most of the time; I get distracted and my mind wanders. The only time I enjoyed one was this winter when I listened to "Catch Me If You Can" while stripping wallpaper in the bathroom.
posted by belladonna at 8:08 PM on June 30, 2005
I'm struggling with this myself. At one point I was an avid reader, consuming up to six books a week. I have no idea where I found the time!
After several months without even completing a novel, I've decided I need to do SOMETHING to start reading again. I started reading outside during my one hour lunch break and I've noticed it makes me want to continue reading whenever I can. I'm not going to get back up to several books a week with this method, but it'll get me reading regularly again.
posted by lynda at 4:43 AM on July 1, 2005
After several months without even completing a novel, I've decided I need to do SOMETHING to start reading again. I started reading outside during my one hour lunch break and I've noticed it makes me want to continue reading whenever I can. I'm not going to get back up to several books a week with this method, but it'll get me reading regularly again.
posted by lynda at 4:43 AM on July 1, 2005
Response by poster: ikkyu2, I stand corrected. It just goes to show how trying to be PC can come to back to bite you in the ass!
posted by TheManticore at 5:04 AM on July 1, 2005
posted by TheManticore at 5:04 AM on July 1, 2005
Response by poster: Let me try that again: ikkyu2, I stand corrected. It just goes to show how trying to be PC can come back to bite you in the ass!
posted by TheManticore at 5:07 AM on July 1, 2005
posted by TheManticore at 5:07 AM on July 1, 2005
I like to read with background provided by motion picture scores or environmental effects (thunderstorms, babbling brook, etc.)
Some favorite scores:
- Gladiator
- Lord Of The Rings
- The Patriot
- A River Runs Through It
- Braveheart
- Glory
- Ken Burns' Civil War
- The Mission
- Schindler's List
- Gods and Generals
- Thirteen Days
A great source for environmental effects (and other unusual background noise) can be found at Sleep Machines.
posted by Independent Scholarship at 9:46 PM on July 24, 2005
Some favorite scores:
- Gladiator
- Lord Of The Rings
- The Patriot
- A River Runs Through It
- Braveheart
- Glory
- Ken Burns' Civil War
- The Mission
- Schindler's List
- Gods and Generals
- Thirteen Days
A great source for environmental effects (and other unusual background noise) can be found at Sleep Machines.
posted by Independent Scholarship at 9:46 PM on July 24, 2005
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Like you, I often feel too tired in the evening, but I don't let that stop me from at least reading a few chapters. The key is to make sure you're reading in an unfamiliar position - not necessarily uncomfortable...just not a place that caters to falling asleep (ie: laying in bed, in a comfy LazyBoy).
When I'm reading for leisure, I do just that: read leisurely. I don't adhere to any sort of schedules. If I feel like reading, I read. If I don't, I don't. On average, I read about 600-700 pages a month.
posted by nitsuj at 7:07 AM on June 30, 2005