What is your reading "style"?

ignatius
Tue, 16 Nov 2021 18:04:43 +0000

Do you read for hours at a clip? Or just a short burst, like a chapter here and there?
I read throughout the day: a chapter or two and then head toward something I should do, such as fold clothes or paperwork or dinner prep, etc., then read a chapter or two and so on.

Do you linger over the words and phrases?
If the writing calls for it, otherwise not.

Do you form storylines in your head or can you remain neutral and let the plot play out?
I cheat and read the end and then slide back to where I left off.

Kindle/e-books or paper?
Hard copy from the library; Kindle, if I have to do so for some reason.

After finishing a book…do you immediately jump to a new read? Or mull over the one you’ve just finished?
I read more than one book at a time. If I finish one, I concentrate on one of the others till I finish it too or shamefully start another, adding to the several in progress.

Do you stick to either fiction/non-fiction or a little of both?
Mainly fiction though I do read nonfiction. I’ve read 83 books so far this year. Three are anthologies of classic poetry and prose. Only 5 of 83 were nonfiction but I liked them all. (And thanks to GoodReads for quick access to the information I sought.)

Need a quiet spot? Or can you read anywhere?
Anywhere but I take a magazine with me if I’m heading somewhere like a doctor’s office. Easier to stop and start.

Any other interesting things?
I have been in up to four bookclubs at one time. I still am - somewhat; I like something about each one, so haven’t dropped out completely. However, I pick and choose when I want to participate with three of them. One of the three book clubs seems to pick the same book each month. Yes, different title/author/plot but I swear it’s the same book as the ones that came before, if that makes any sense. It’s the book club in which I have the least interest, though I like the ladies in it. Another book club has a diversity of gender/age/race I like. I may be the oldest member; the youngest ones have toddlers/babies/or are newly married. I like it for the mix of people.

The only book club in which I make an effort to read every selection is the one right here on CC. I started with it in 2009. So why do I like it: mix of genres with classics on occasion, among many other reasons. It’s the book club I can honestly say has made me grow as a reader. Would I have read Far from the Madding Crowdor Middlemarch if it hadn’t been with this group? Doubtful. But, without doubt, I would have not gotten as much from either book at one of my other book clubs. My real life book clubs tend to last an hour or so. The discussions have less depth because, well, you’re done in that hour or so. The CC discussions linger over a period of days that give you time to ponder. (That doesn’t mean I’ve loved every book chosen over the years. Reading Lolita in Tehran I’m looking at you. )

I keep track of books on GoodReads. I rate and review each book. The reviews are mainly for me to remember what I like or don’t about each book. I keep it simple.