I'm curious about each other's reading habits. Where do you read? How many hours a day do you spend reading? Do you read with the TV on or in silence? How long does it take you to finish a book? Anything you want to add about how you read, please share.

Generally I read in the living room in my rocking chair.. somedays I spent 4-5 hours others I dont read at all (I'm catching up on my TIVO'd shows) but I always read late at night from 10pm til 4am . I read with the TV off or at least the sound on MUTE unless I'm really into the book then it doesnt bother me at all! Most books I can read in 2-3 days sometimes less sometimes more.. I dont read as much as I'd like to with three boys I always seem to have a mess to clean up, laundry to do, or I help DH with his company or run errands for him.. its always something!

I read when I'm not doing something else! I keep a book with me at all times -- and a booklight, and a flashlight. I have at least one Book-on-CD in my car in case I'm forced to drive, but I prefer for hubby to drive so I can read. I read in bed at the end of each day -- may be as little as 15 minutes or all night long. Depends on how tired I am and whether the book falls out of my hands. Personal rule is that if the book is dropped 3 times, I must turn off the light. I travel for work, so I read in airport waiting rooms, on the airplane, and in the taxi -- remember I have a booklight or flashlight if I need one. When it's just the hubby and me at a meal, I read while eating. (Hubby has mild aphasia and won't talk while eating.)

If I'm enjoying the book, I can read with anything else going on. I take that back... I can't read to music. Being a musician, the music demands my attention and I can't concentrate on the book. But the chatter on TV or radio doesn't cause a problem at all. And, I've been known to multi-plex a TV show and a book at the same time. Only occasionally do I have to ask hubby to back up the TV show because I missed something critical.

I read in the evenings once the boys are in bed - don't have to worry about the girls as they don't demand so much attention! The TV is always on - I may or may not be watching the programme while I'm reading - depends what the programme is or how deep I'm into the book. I occasionally read during the day, but not very often - too much else to do!

As to how long it takes to read a book - depends how long the book is :lol:

I often read with music on. I will tune out video games and TV by reading too. I read whenever and where ever I can. I get about an hour of solid reading in a day, sometimes more after the kids go to bed.

I read mostly at night after everyone has gone to bed during the week, and all weekend long. It really just depends on how much spare time I have and rather I am reading something that I am really enjoying.

I can read a book in a day or two if I am enjoying it and have the time, but with work and kids I only manage one or two books a week currently. Of course during holidays and over summer vacation I read a lot more as I have all day at home!

I read anytime I am in the car waiting on the kids to get off various practices or while waiting for appointments. I always carry a book with me if I know that I will have any spare time to kill.

At home I normally read in the den in my recliner, but I also like to read in the library on occasion (this is where my computer is so I often end up on it instead of reading). On the weekend I lay in bed and read during the day, but DH takes over in the evenings to watch TV.

I often leave the TV on when I read, but I turn down the volume. My DH gets really annoyed because if I am reading a really good book I tune everything else out. He will speak to me and I will ignore him. lol That bothers him, but then he is not a reader.

That exactly what happens here too. :rofl: Men! :rolleyes: :giggle:

I read in bed at night, waiting for my boys in the car when they get out of school, waiting rooms, sometimes while I'm on the computer too. I don't watch much tv so I don't usually read a book if I'm in the living room where our only tv is located.

I read before falling asleep. I read when watching TV, during the commercials. I read in the car. I read in waiting rooms or standing in lines. I read when on the net. I read sitting in my family room sitting herbal tea. Although this happens rarely because I like to be doing something

With school wrapping up the only time I get to read is for a little while before I go to sleep and through my lunch.

Once I finally graduate I'll have lots more time for reading!!

I read one or two books a week while school is in session. When we're on vacation, I can read much more. Like many others here, I read every chance I get. While waiting whether it's a drive thru line or a doctor's waiting area. I do most of my reading in my bed, but sometimes lay on the couch in the family room to read. I'd much rather read while lying down instead of sitting up. I read with the tv on, usually during commercials, but if the show doesn't hold my attention, I'll read and just catch snippets of the tv show.

I used to read on the bus to work when I worked far from home. Nowadays my bus trip takes 10-15 minutes, so I prefer to listen to music instead.

I usually read 2 or 3 books at a time: one I keep at home and read before going to bed and during the weekend. An e-book I keep on my work PC and read whenever idle (and this may be the e-book version of what I'm reading at home if I am really enjoying it) and a third book usually goes with me on my purse wherever I go. This I read in waiting rooms, bank lines, long bus/subway rides and whenever I have to kill some time.

I usually don't read with the TV on, except for Sundays, while catching up on the TV shows I missed during the week. Then I read during the commercials.

I am a slow reader, comparing to you guys. I read an average of one book a week. Depending on the size of the book, I even take more than this. :coolwink:

I'm like that too, stellarv. My reading habits have changed considerably since I've gotten older.

I no longer try to read in a waiting room or in a room where others are watching TV. I used to be able to finish a 200-300 page book in an evening, but now I can only read 30 to 50 pages before I lose my concentration. I read every evening from about 7:30 (like now) to about 8:30 or 9:00 (yes, it takes me an hour or 90 minutes to read 50 pages!). :shrug:

I try to read at least an hour a day. I usually read before bed. Lately I've been staying at my desk during my lunch hour since the weather has been so nasty. If I'm really into a book I'll set my alarm early and get up to read before my shower. I carry a book in my purse at all times and read whenever I have any down time.

Where do you read?
Anywhere, and I mean this as literally as possible. I read in bed, on the couch, at my boyfriends, at work, at school, [when I had to go to]church...I've read upside down (that was fun) and I've even read while driving (yes I know very dangerous, but I don't read while actively driving. when I have those stupid traffic hold ups in the morning commute that last anywhere from 5 minutes to 2 hours I take out a book or magazine, prop it so I can have one eye on the traffic and one eye on the book and do it that way).

How many hours a day do you spend reading?
This varies depending on my mood/energy levels/busy-ness. Most nights I read between 1-3 hours before heading to sleep. I read about 40 minutes of my hour long break at work and Saturdays (when I'm not babysitting or out with my friends) about 5 hours. The last week I've read about 9 hours out of the day if you add it all up, but that's because I find solace and comfort in books when I'm very sad or upset. I also read about 15-20 minutes each work day to my kids in the center.

Do you read with the TV on or in silence?
Both. I sometimes like to have a favorite movie or re-run of a program I watch in the background, or the news if I had no other choice. If its a book I know I'm going to be enthralled with then I read in utter silence.

How long does it take you to finish a book?
Depends. On average for a book about 300 pages? About 2 days. Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder, which I had been looking forward to for about 2 years was about 450 pages long. I read that in 4 hours flat because I LOVE that series so much and I was so excited to have it finally. Touch the Dark, by Karen Chance, was a book I was interested in, but not overly so. It's about 320 pages long or so. Took me close to a week because while I was interested, it didn't capture my attention completely, I kept getting sidetracked by shorter romance novels and longer works like Ash by Mary Gentle which is an omnibus of 4 books and well over 1100 pages long. It draws me in for about 200 pages, I lose interest for a few weeks then go back to it for 50 pages or so...I'm only 500 pages in and its taken me about I don't know 3 months? Which is fine, I enjoy the story and its not my usual genre quite frankly so reading it over an extended amount of time means I won't get burned out on it and never finish it. I prefer THAT over reading too much at once and hating it completely (that happened with The Dalemark Quartet--I got the omnibus of that as well, but read so much of it so fast that I couldn't finish. I HATED it so very much...).

:D

Like most others mentioned, I read anywhere and everywhere - always carry a book with me for any time spent waiting anywhere, including waiting in traffic. I always read before bed and that's however long I read before falling asleep, sometimes minutes, sometimes hours. I read on the bike at the gym - not only gets reading time in, but makes the time pass and takes my mind off my legs and feet! If I'm watching TV myself, I read during commercials - but I often read in the evening while my hubby is watching TV - doesn't bother me any more, used to, but I got used to it. I also always take a book with my to the Saturday night auction - since beginning of this year when I stopped cashiering there - I look around and find the things I'm interested in, then sit and read until they get to any of those items, then I pay attention to the auction. This isn't straight reading time as I know lots of the regulars there from working there all last year, so I often get interrupted with chatting and I enjoy that too so don't mind - but I always get at least 50 pages read during the evening. I've become pretty good at blocking out what's happening around me when I read. So - I'd guess I get in a minimum of 2 hours per day and right now I'm reading about 4 average length books a week.

Oh, I also often read while cooking - you know, while standing at the stove stirring something or keeping an eye on something that's cooking.... ;)

That's one of the few places I can't read!

When I go outdoors I always carry a book with me.
2 weeks ago I was reading the Kite Runner and I could not stop so i was reading and riding my bike at the same time. :blush:

Because of the computer I don't read as much as I should do . I am trying to pull myself away from the PC to read during the day lately.

When I read, TV is out, no sound. I curl up on the couch. smokes nearby.
Prefer to use a bookplate bookmark?

I always read before going to sleep. sometimes just 30 minutes, other nights when I wake up.
(like last night, I woke up really scared about the situation in Kosovo :ph34r: ) I pick up my book and read a bit, calm down and then go back to sleep.

My best reading time is on my lunch hour at work. I'm lucky enough to have my own office so I can shut the door, switch off the phone and read for a good solid hour.
At home, I read during commercials of shows I'm watching, when I eat breakfast and at bed time. I don't get much reading done on weekends because anytime I sit down I feel like I need to be doing something else...vacuuming, laundry, etc.
I carry a book in my purse at all times just in case I get stuck in a line or have to wait on something.

Oh and if I'm not real busy at work, I'll do a little sneak reading there. :blush:

And so far, no one has mentioned the one unmentionable place to read ... in the bathroom. I take my book with me when I head to the toilet. I tried reading when soaking in the bathtub/jacuzzi/spa, but I'm really worried about splashing or dunking the book, so that's one of the few places I *don't* read.

It varries. I'm a little weird, so it makes sense that my reading habbits are off. I don't read a lot at home. Some nights after J is in bed I work on things or try and watch Lost or Moonlight on my iPod.

When I'm at work I try and play an audio book in the background. Helps me keep my mind on work to have something in the back ground... it's kinda like my brains have two halves, I have to keep one on work, and the other busy with a book to keep myself on track.. (ADHD I guess :shrug: )

I read on breaks at work, in the car at the drive thru waiting in line, any where I would be waiting like dr offices, etc, I read. Sometimes when I can get away with it, I'll read at home while on the couch with my parents watching tv, my daughter playing or watching some Disney movie. That I don't get to do much.

I really don't read as much as I want/need to. I've only read 34 books this year. An av. of 1.9 days to read a book. It doesn't seam like I'm reading that much, as I feel like I'm not getting enough.

I do read some teen books that are really short, so that kinda helps... that and the audios at work. If I get a teen book in my hands that I can't put down, I've been known to just read all dang day until it's done... or at least close to it. I do lay in bed and read some times... if I do that, I'll be up half the night trying to finish before I go to sleep.

oh... yeah.. I do that too. I keep one in there to read.

I have one in the bathroom
one in the bedroom
one in my purse
one in my palm pilot
one in my pc at work


ok.. so I have them everywhere :blush:

That's because I hadn't yet replied in this thread! :giggle:

So here's one for me and you, elsi!! (And leilani too)

The bathroom is definitely my #2 :rofl: place to read, besides bed.

I only read in the bathroom when no one else is at home. I used to get into a lot of trouble this.

I'd take a book in with me, finish doing my business, but by then I wouldn't want to stop reading so I would be in the bathroom for a hour or so at a time in this one bathroom apartment. One time I was in there for almost 3 hours. My dad thought I had died he was so worried. So at a family meeting (yes we had a family meeting about my reading habits) 3 things were decided:

--I can not read in the bathroom cause then I'm in there for hours and no one can use the only bathroom available.
--I can not read my ebooks while anyone else was home (this was before I got my laptop) because then I am on for hours and no one can use the computer.
--I can not read while cooking on the stovetop or microwave. Invaribly I will get so engrossed in the book I will either stop moving the plastic spoon inside of the pot and set it on fire, just keeping adding time to the microwave because I forget how much I already put on there and can't be bothered to check causing an explosion and/or fire OR I will get too excited while reading, drop the book on top of the lit but unused burner (having forgotten to put the skillet on there), scream as my book is burned, burn my hand to save it only to hit into the unused skillet sitting near by with oil in it, flip that over onto the fire, splatter it across the wall, floor and countertop and nearly burn down the kitchen and apartment...and then sob because the book I just burnt up to ashes was really hard to find and old.

I read in my bubble bath :rolleyes:

I sometimes take my book to the toilet, but this only happens on the weekends, when I spend the day in bed reading and watching TV and I don't want to put the book down.

I wish I had a bathtub where I could read. I'd definetely do it!!!

:rofl:

I hit all the same reading hot spots as most of you. The majority of my reading is done in bed at night before falling asleep. As the queen of insomnia I also often read in the middle of the night when I wake up for no good reason and can't go back to sleep for hours. I will occassionally read in bed in the morning if I am really close to finishing a book. I read in the bathtub about 3x a week and in the loo daily. I read at work on my lunch break sometimes and sometimes when its really slow. (Shhh! That's a secret!) I read in the car when I am in the drive thru line for the bank or at red lights when its late at night and there is no traffic. Mr. Ramson plays alot of tournament poker and I will read while he plays. I read in line at the post office or in doctor's waiting rooms. Anywhere, really but my preferred spot is in the bed. Now that the weather is so nice I am on the hunt for a big, comfy, squishy all weather chair to put on my porch so I can read out there.

I can read a 300 - 350 page book in about 2 days depending on its format. My format of choice is trade paperback. I have bad carpal tunnel and holding a big hardback can get to be too much after an exteneded period of time. I find mass market paperabcks are printed on cheaper paper that has more of a tendancy to yellow and I don't like that but they are the easiest to fit in a purse. I really only like to read one book at a time and the mass market are easiest to keep on my person.

I think that's about it. :reading:

Ooh, I always read in the bath! Usually end up staying in there till the water gets cold :lol:

I haven't posted yet, so here I go.

I mostly read on the couch at night. Hubby goes to bed at 10.30 / 11 p.m. and then I have 1-2 hours to read before I go to bed as I don't have to get up as early as he has to. I run my own business so in the mornings I usually do housework, prepare lessons and do sports. If I have time left I read for a half an hour but that doesn't happen often. At noon I start driving to my students. On the drive I listen to audiobooks. That way I get 2-3 done a week in the car plus 1-2 at home. If I am early somewhere and have to wait I pack out my book and read. Some goes for doctor's appointments, waiting in line, etc.

I also read on the toilet! :lol: I don't read books in the tub because they are too heavy and I am scared that they fall in the water. But I usually read a magazine...

I am a slow reader (I read fast in my youth but while studying it slowed down, don't know why) and read one book a week. If I am lucky maybe 1,5 books :D

At the weekend I try to sneak in more reading time but if we are busy it doesn't always work...

Very interesting topic btw!

The only place I don't read is in the car, it makes me carsick - at my age too! :angry2:

I love to read in the bath but don't take a book in that belongs to someone else or is going to someone else, & no hardbacks. It would be extremely :blush: to drop it in the tub, which has happened to me twice - both times I'd dozed off, jerked awake & dipped my book :lol:

I too take my book to the loo :)

Oh I always take a book with me to the bathroom. even if it is for a pee. :giggle:

I read when I take a bubble bath too. I add hot water to stay in the tub longer. :giggle: I also read when on the toilet. :blush:

I haven't read through this thread yet, but I noticed something weird the other day when I was at the beauty salon. When I was under the dryer (and it was pretty loud) I had no trouble reading. When I wasn't under the dryer and everyone was talking and laughing loudly I had a really hard time concentrating.

Thats is hilarious!

I am also a bathroom reader. Sometimes I get out of the shower and put the lid down on the toilet seat and sit there and read for an hour. Not sure why there are more comfortable areas in the house. :shrug:

Are you still naked? :giggle:

:lol: No I have the terrycloth bathrobe on, but I am naked under that. I don't get fully dressed. :lol:

I also do that, Marlene, bring a book even when I only go for quicker reasons. :lol: Of course, I then have this annoying habit (to the rest of the family, of course) of staying in there way past the time I should for a pee because I start reading and forget the time! :)

Hee hee, kindred spirits!

I have a book with me at all times. I read at the dinner table if there is no one else. I take it to the washroom for any amount of time. I have an ebook on my Treo that I secretly read during staff meetings and in waiting rooms. I read in the car and luckily got my hubby hooked to audiobooks on long drives. Most of my reading is done in bed before falling asleep. Although, I do not have a set time limit.

It depends on the book and my interest level, but I read about a book a week. If I am not as interested in the book it takes me much longer.


What a fun topic!

I do that after a bath - get out and instead of drying off, sit on the floor wrapped up in my towel and read until I'm dry!!