This one is courtesy of BookTuber The Book Jazz (stolen, naturally), and it gives you an excuse to find out all about how I read (which must be a good thing because, as the best reader out there - I wish - my way must be the only real way to do it, no?). But of course you can tell me about your own reading habits in the comments, if you really want to. I guess it's possible that some reading styles are equal. *tosses hair like an elitist*
I'm hoping that wasn't too sarcastic, so that you won't all come after me with pitchforks and hardbacks for writing such arrogant words . . . shall we just get on with the tag before you find out where I live?
1. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?
It sounds odd, but I don't actually read at home all that much. Most of it happens at school, or on the way to school, or on the way back from school. My life pretty much revolves around school.
SCHOOL!
Okay. While I put nerdy Lara back in her box, I will tell you that when I do read at home, I like to do it outside. We have a sofa, we have a specially-grown vine that provides shade, and WE EVEN HAVE WIFI! It's just perfect . . . so why would I read anywhere else?
2. Bookmark or random piece of paper?
Just in case it's disastrously unclear, that GIF is supposed to represent me and my amazing memory. Because I don't use a bookmark or a random slip of paper, despite having a whole bookmark collection. I just remember the page number because I am clearly a monster of rememberence.
I'm really not. In fact, at least the first two or three minutes of my reading time is usually spend frantically searching for said page because I've forgotten the actual number. And yet I have a collection of unused bookmarks.
I know! None of it makes any sense! But did you really expect me to make sense anyway?
I know! None of it makes any sense! But did you really expect me to make sense anyway?
3. Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter/ a certain amount of pages?
Um . . . I usually just stop . . . but that doesn't mean I want to. If I had the chance, I think I'd probably read to the end of a chapter before putting the book down just as an excuse to read more, but because "putting down" the book usually involves having it ripped out of my hands by a parent because NO IT'S REALLY BEDTIME NOW; my reading time rudely interrupted by getting to school (so I'm expected to put it away and get out of the car - urgh) or my English teacher telling me it's time to get on with the lesson, that never really happens.
It's usually all I can do to snatch a look at the page number and let go fast enough so the pages don't get ripped by the person wrestling it out of my hands.
4. Do you eat or drink while reading?
I want to be a neat reader so badly, you guys! I want to keep my spines pristine and my paperback covers wrinkle-less and my pages free from splashes of stuff I've been eating. But when teatime comes? I'm not going to make that oh-so-important chapter wait even ten minutes, so . . .
The one food to really avoid while reading is chorizo. It stains horribly, drips oil that will go nowhere else but your book, and also creates grimy fingers. But it's delicious. Don't hold that orangey stain in All of the Above against me, okay? I don't tend to drink while reading though, probably because the acceptable bookworm beverage - particularly the acceptable British bookworm beverage - is tea. And I don't like tea.
*cowers in fear of the tea-lovers*
5. Multitasking: Music or TV while reading?
No. I can't concentrate on reading at all if I'm doing anything else. Literally anything. I have one of the scattiest brains on earth, and I honestly think that if I listened to music or watched TV as I read, it would take me at least a year to get through a book.
And I'm seven behind on my Goodreads goal as it is.
And I'm seven behind on my Goodreads goal as it is.
6. One book at a time or several at once?
It does depend, but I generally only end up reading one at a time just because
it means I get to find out what happens quicker. If I'm getting so fed up with
a book that I don't actually care about the ending, I have conditioned myself
to DNF it without any guilt.
Or at least, with as little guilt as possible? I do get guilty about things that aren't my fault pretty much constantly.
I guess the exception to this is non-fiction books. I'll quite happily dip in and out of one or even two of them whether or not I've finished the fiction I'm currently reading. It helps give me some variety, which is how I like to fight off the Dreaded Reading Slump (trademark absolutely not pending).
7. Reading at home or everywhere?
 |
| Get it? Home? |
As you'll have seen in my answer to question
one, I read in random places so often that it's rare to find me with a book in
my hand at home. In fact, I do everything in odd places at odd times: I'm
writing this particular section of the post on my phone while being driven to
school.
Why, might you ask? (You probably didn't, but I'm going to ramble on and answer anyway.) It's because, when I am actually in a semi-sensible place for reading or blogging or homework, I'm watching YouTube or procrastinating in one of a thousand other inventive ways.
So these random reading habits are vital for disorganised me to actually get anything done.
8. Reading out loud or silently in your head?
If I wasn't silent, I couldn't read in half of the weird and wonderful places that I do. And I'm pretty sure quiet reading time would be a bust.
9. Do you read ahead or even skip pages?
Are you - did you just bang your head or get a little tipsy? Or both? SKIPPING PAGES IS THE CARDINAL SIN, PEOPLE. Sure, maybe it will make you more efficient than me (maybe it's why I seem to be the only person around that is seven books behind - only slightly bitter about that - on their Goodreads goal) but what if you miss something seriously important?
The only reading ahead that is possibly permitted (although still impossibly frustrating) is when your eyes move to the bottom of the page by accident. Am I the only one who wonders why it's always a mahoosive plot twist your eyes land on, and not just someone asking what's for breakfast?
10. Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?
Unbroken spines are one of my favourite things about well-kept books, but I am absolutely incapable of maintaining them unless I literally don't read the book. And we all know that isn't an option, so ... MY SOUL IS CRYING A LITTLE BIT. I'm not going to say anything else in case I shed actual tears and have to retreat to save face.
11. Do you write in your books?
Usually, no. I try and maintain as many appearances of a reader with pristine books as possible, and while I struggle to keep the spines from breaking or prevent food splashes, I can just about refrain from reaching out for a biro and scribbling on every page in sight. Usually.
The exception was The Diary of a Young Girl. I started making notes on it for my lovely little Read-Along-Diaries post, and that soon spiralled into highlighting a few quotes which I wanted to use to break up the text (just because I didn't have another piece of paper handy, you understand). That then unravelled into highlighting quotes that resonated with me, which basically meant almost every word because the entire diary's just a melting pot of resonance. Some of the pages are now more highlighter than page.
So when it gets out of hand again - spreading to other books, of course - and I have to attend the next meeting of page-scribblers anonymous, I will let you know.
I'm tagging Ely and Inge because I feel like maybe they'll need some light relief after all the hard work they put in to Read-Along Diaries this week. Hannah, as my newest follower, I feel I must honour you somehow, and I'm genuinely interested in your answers to this one. No pressure, obviously, but I'd love to see all three of your posts if you want to write them.
If I haven't tagged you, that was clearly a massive oversight on my part. Sorries! Please take the tag and run with it if you fancy. Don't forget to share your link in the comments so I can have a peek!
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In the comments: Thank you for listening about my probably boring reading habits! What sort of habits do you have when reading, then? (I'm not the only one who has to share things, you know.) Do your reading choices change depending on what you read? Have they changed over time? TELL ME NOW!
I feel you about being behind, I'm USELESS! I used to get everything done on the way to school as well, when I lived in Houston it was a 40 minute commute! I am with you on the tea front, my friend, I don't get it and would rather be sipping a Pepsi Max any day! Great post! It's nice to read about someone else's quirks so then I don't feel bad about my own ones haha :)
ReplyDeleteURGH YES BEING THIS BEHIND IS SO FRUSTRATING! I was worried it was just me, tbh, so thanks for commenting and making me feel a little bit better ;-).
DeleteHmmmmmmmmmm . . . I can "get" Pepsi Max a little bit more than tea, but hot chocolate is generally my beverage of choice. If you like fizzy drinks, I'd recommend you'd try what I like to call a "Summer Garden" - about equal amounts of apple juice and lemonade (mint-infused if you can get it), with a splash of elderflower cordial. Might not be your cup of tea (ha!) but I really like it.
Thanks for your comment! I'm glad you liked the post.