What are your reading habits?
 

What are your reading habits?

What format do you prefer?
Do you go for the traditional 'Hardbacks and paperbacks' or are you into the new formats like 'kindle and audio'?

What stories do you like to read? Is it crime, thrillers, detectives, science fiction, westerns, romance (present day or historical), horror and vampire stories that draws your interests?

Or do you prefer true stories of peoples' lives, like memoirs, biographies or auto-biographies?

And which authors are or have been your favourites?

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

That's a whole bunch of questions ...

I don't think reading is a "habit" ... I don't believe the format is all that important ... I like science fiction. Asimov (particularly "Foundation") ... Herbert's "Dune" novels ... anything by Niven; (particularly "Ringworld") ... I don't see "memoirs, biographies or auto-biographies" as being "true'; in fact, I would argue that they out-fiction fiction; anyone who has plowed through Newman's "Apologia Pro Vita Sua" usually comes to a similar conclusion. Bottom line is: they are as "real" as "reality shows.":rolleyes:

Interesting questions though.;)

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

i prefer the feel of a good old fashioned book mainly because when i run out of loo paper i find the kindle to be ineffective and difficult to flush

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

I met a lady on a coach trip a while back, and I asked her what her reading habits were, She said "I only read true stuff", as opposed to made-up stuff; her definition of fiction and non-fiction.

But, you're right! How true is true?

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

In a sense all fiction is "true" in that it is true to the fictive world it creates. It sets up rules and follows them. Even the worlds of science fiction have rules which their creators have to follow in order to render those worlds "realistic." And the human characters in these worlds have to follow rules which are essentially "human" and which the reader recognizes as such. Without characters who love, hate, laugh, cry, and in a general sense, feel you would have a fiction which nobody would want to read, because nobody could identify with it.

And, by the way, I'm always right ... it's my one failing.;):D

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

Right again, Eric. :D

To help me to decide where my reading habit will take me next, I look in a website called 'Fantastic Fiction.' This site is run by a small family run company based in Lancashire, and is affiliated to Amazon.

It holds bibliographies for over 30,000 authors and information on over 350,000 books. It's an entertainment in itself just browsing the site. I love it.

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

I like Fantastic Fiction too. It is easy to find any author and look through the list of all their books. Even lists books that have yet to come on shelves so you can look out for them. I prefer a proper book than a Kindle. I like a good mystery or murder as well as historical novels especially ones based on real events. Also love books about mountaineering. The Eiger has a fascination to me.

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

I just love reading ... don't know why ... I could read before I went to school. Somehow, the letters on the page just made sense.:confused:

But, now we are on the topic of fiction (in the sense that everything ever written is fiction ... anyone who dreads the sentence "Some assembly required." and has then tried to follow the written instructions may agree:D) I do believe that there is an upper limit to what the human brain will accept ... In music too. I can handle most stuff from Gregorian Chants to much of the pop stuff that is being written today; but the atonal crap from Schoenberg and Stockhausen is too much experiment ... and music from other cultures too; just doesn''t quite "fit." I think there is maybe something in us, possibly a survival advantage from the Pleistocene,;) that loves a good story, whether it be Zane Grey or the biography of someone notorious. "Finnegan's Wake" just doesn't do it ... It's more boring than "Sir Charles Grandison", and that's saying something.;) There's no story, no "tune" our brains can hum along too. I suppose it's impregnable "boringness" is why it is inflicted on students of "English."

The only chaotic novel that actually worked for me ... and I consider it pure genius ... is Sterne's "Tristram Shandy". A true "cock and bull" story.:alright:

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

I didn't learn to read until I was seven.......but once this skill was learned I read everything.
even the scraps of paper hung on the nail on the back of the lavvy door.
I like a wide variety of genres....and a wide variety of authors too.
I read hardbacks paper backs and I especially like my Kindle...purely for the fact that it is practical and I can carry many books(of all types) on it.
It would be easier to tell you what I don't like....Charles dickens would fall into that category as would the Bronte sisters...Jane Austen doesn't float my boat either.

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

Earlier this year my brother laughed at me for having a large collection of books. He arrogantly told me that books were old hat and Kindle was the way to go. Well off he went to Istanbul on holiday and, low and behold, he sent a message to say his Kindle had died on him while he was away! Did i laugh! I told him her could borrow one of mine if he wanted as mine weren't in any danger of dying on me !

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

I was brought up on Enid Blyton's Famous Five and Jungle Book and Dr. Dolittle. Later my mum read to me Nevil Shute books and Australian Travel books. I got quite an expert in all things Australian.

My all time favourite book is 'Forever Amber' by Kathleen Winsor. Unfortunately, it's not available in kindle or audio formats. I must have read that story about five times.

I also love reading Jean Plaidy (aka Eleanor Hibbert) books about the King's and Queen's of Europe.

Michael Connelly books I also like; his Harry Bosch series are a favourite.

I'm reading 'I am Pilgrim' by Terry Hayes at the minute and very good it is too.

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

I used to like Enid Blighton books when i was little too, I noticed that they are being sold again when I was shopping at Asda. I hope today's kids get the innocent enjoyment that I did.

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

that is strange as a full charge lasts something in the region of 6 weeks on mine.
Perhaps he did not check that it was fully charged before he went away.
I have just discarded about 14 large bags of books......to the charity shop.
I felt like I was killing off old friends.
I still have lots of books though....there were some I just could not part with.

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

I try and stick to a regime of 'one book in, one book out', but it's not easy.

I'm into audiobooks now; they take up no space as they're in the PC. But there's a draw-back with them. They tend to send me to sleep.

I've found a cure for this by doing an electronic jigsaw puzzle in my desk-top PC at the same time. One half of the brain is taken up with the jigsaw, the other half is coping with the person reading the story. Works great.

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

Mostly only read books when on holiday, Too much to do these days, being a pensioner.:D

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

It wasn't the battery Margaret, it completely conked out, served him right for sneering at my 'old fashioned' books. :p

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

You must have an iron will to stick to that rule. I admire you for it.
I do pass many of my books on and periodically send them back to the charity shop...where many of them came from anyway.
If I have particularly enjoyed a book and think I will re-read it I buy it on Kindle...that way it takes up no room space.
I cannot go to sleep without having at least half an hour of a read.......I have never tried audio books, but I think I would prefer to read.

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

No, Margaret! We don't have an iron will. My husband keeps cheating. :D

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

i prefer audiobooks. But they aren't new :D

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

There is a problem with the question "What are your reading habits?" What we read and enjoy reading is not a habit; and there is little personal about it. Language itself is, primarily, a survival advantage. Those of our remote ancestors who developed language had an advantage over those who didn't. Hunting and gathering were more efficient with language. Trial and error in the choice of what was safe to eat and what was not did work, sort of. But if one's extended family or clan could, through language, teach the young what was nourishing and what was poison, the survival rate of the adept was always higher. Eventually reading developed as social groups became tribes and then nations. Oral communication and oral transmission of "history" was rendered ineffective. Stuff developed ... Once you have, for example, the Lascaux cave paintings, the I-Phone is inevitable.

It's also worth considering that whenever we read, we change what is written and intended to be understood. I believe it was Terry Eagleton (a Brit at Cambridge) who wrote "Every reading is a re-writing." If six of us were given the same Penguin version of "Emma" (I chose that because I have a big, fat, lovable cat of that name;)) none of us would read the same "book."

The word "book" is not as easy to define as we first assume. We know it exists as an artifact ... but if a book has, say, a million readers, it has a million different forms.

Sorry about all this ... but language and reading are much more complex than most people realize.

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

I agree that we all have our own perception of whatever book we choose to read....and that this perception has everything to do with the things we have experienced in our own lives.
When I read, I see the story in my head. That is why I like to read the book before I see the film of it.....I always think my version is better than that being shown on the big screen.

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

Me too ... I think it's much better when you do the creativity yourself, rather than have some clown in Hollywood do it for you. And the special effects one can create in the imagination are way better ... and weirder.:D I think I might have to do some more reading on the imagination. I believe it's more important than we think;) Maybe it's one of the things that defines us as human. And it's tied in with the play that kids (used to) involve themselves in. And play too ... without a Play Station and Health and Safety Regs.

But the second half of the Grey Cup final has just started ... Calgary Stampeders ahead of the Hamilton Tiger Cats 17 to 10.:alright: I'll get back to thinking tomorrow.:D

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

I read just about anything although I particularly enjoy history, both fiction and non fiction. I started using a Kindle earlier this year because I don't get rid of books and space was becoming a serious issue. My wife, who has dyslexia, got one about this time last year and finds it much easier to read than books because she can alter the font size, contrast etc.

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

I tried audiobooks, and found that the reader's voice got in the way of my understanding of the words. It's a stranger's voice, reading words that my own 'voice in my head' would read (no I don't move my lips as I read hah hah.) Maybe it wasn't a fair trial though, as it was an audiobook of one of my favourite series. But I suspect it would be that way with any book, for me.

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

My Kindle will 'rad' to me...but I find the voice robotic and without any feeling.
I prefer to read......if I wanted to listen to someone reading to me I would tune in to 'book at Bedtime'(if it is still going)

Re: What are your reading habits?
 

I used the word 'habit' in the same context as 'eating habits', and 'shopping habits'.

The actual act of reading is not a habit, it's a pastime, and a great teacher. I'm merely trying to draw out from the members of the forum what they're personal preferences are.

How, where and who they like to read can be habit-forming, such as 'Accyman' likes a good old-fashioned book to read, and 'Cashman' only reads when he goes on holiday.

The way I see it, these are all habits that people could move away from.