I found this tag over at VivaTramp and decided to join in! It’s a fun little quiz all about your reading habits – We spend so long talking about what we read, it’s time to discuss how we read it!!
Do you have a certain place at home for reading?
Yes and no! I have the advantage that I live alone, so any place I sit down can be a quiet space to read. That being said, I do have a small book nook set up in my living room. I’m actually changing furniture in the near future, and this armchair will be gone, so I’m on the hunt for a nice cosy wingback chair to replace it with. Preferably with a matching ottoman. Though that may be just a dream for a while longer, as I technically already found the perfect set, but as it’s over £600, it’s going to have to stay where it is!
Where do you like to read?
I’m more an opportunist than a creature of habit, so the answer to this is anywhere and everywhere! I have my usual haunts at home such as my bed, the sofa, the reading nook, or out in the garden in the sunshine. But I’ll steal away any small slice of time to get some reading done; a few chapters while I’m travelling, waiting in the doctors office, a few sneaky pages on my phones Kindle app during quiet times at work. Though I have to admit my favourite place to read has to be out in my garden on a hot day. I adore sitting in the sun with nothing but time and a book!
Bookmark or random piece of paper?
As someone with a rather large collection of gorgeous bookmarks, you’d think I’d be a solid ‘bookmark’ answer here, wouldn’t you? Sadly not. I do use my bookmarks, but they live in a box upstairs in my spare room when not in use, and I’m a lazy girl at heart. If I’m downstairs and pick up a new book with no bookmark in reach, I will use anything. Shopping receipt, torn flap off a cereal box, chocolate bar wrapper. It’s honestly such a shame for all the pretty bookmarks I own!
Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter / certain amount of pages?
As stated in one of my earlier answers, I’m an opportunist and will read anywhere, which sadly means interruptions can lead to me abandoning ship mid-sentence at times, let alone mid chapter! When it is within my control, though, I am strictly an ‘end of the chapter’ girl. I can’t be putting a book down mid-chapter and carrying on with my day, or rolling over and going to sleep. I need that natural stopping point (Plus I have a memory like a goldfish, stopping in the middle of a chapter is just asking me to forget what’s going on!)
Do you eat or drink while reading?
Always! I like to stay hydrated anyway, so there’s always at least a water bottle near me. Tea or coffee, or the occasional gin, are always welcome reading companions. As for snacks, I have one hell of a sweet tooth, so you’ll catch me with sweeties, chocolate, or biscuits, long before you see me with a packet of crisps or a bowl of peanuts!
Music or TV while reading?
Music. Living alone, my TV is normally always on when I’m in the house, purely for background noise. But unless it’s something I specifically want to watch, I usually change it to a music channel or radio station. If I do happen to have an actual TV show on in the background while I read, the volume is on low so as not to distract me too much. It’s weird, I can be in a room full of people chatting away and read no problem, but alone with the TV on and I get majorly distracted!
One book at a time or several at once?
Majority of the time, I read one book at a time. If I am reading multiple, it’s a maximum of two books, and usually one fiction and one non-fiction to help make sure I don’t get storylines crossed! Especially helpful when it comes time to write reviews. Again, I have a goldfish brain, there are days where I’m impressed I remember my own name, so I don’t push my luck with having half a dozen books on the go at a time!
Reading at home or everywhere?
As already stated, I’m one to read anywhere and anywhere I get the chance to. That being said, I much prefer reading at home. With my pillows, blankets, snacks, favourite coffee mug and, most importantly, my furry reading buddies!
Reading aloud or silently in your head?
Silently in my head, always. My speech isn’t always great and I trip over a lot of words, sometimes even saying words in the wrong order on a bad day, so reading aloud would result in more frustration than anything! My ‘out loud’ reading is reserved purely for short, simple childrens books when I am on babysitting duty! (And even then I still muddle my words up sometimes!).
Do you read ahead or skip pages?
This habit has changed over the years, I must admit. These days I am strict with myself and there is no reading ahead or page skipping allowed, but I was rather naughty in years gone by. I used to love flicking to the very last page of a book before I started it, and reading the end first! I wouldn’t dream of doing that now, I don’t want to risk ruining it!
Break the spine or keep it like new?
I wish I could keep each book like new. I try, I really do. Sadly, I suffer with joint pain in my hands, so sometimes a bit of a break in the spine is necessary for me to be able to hold a book comfortably, particularly with bigger books. It’s easier on my joints if I can hold a book that’s easily pinned open, and not continually fighting against the force of the book trying to close in on itself. It makes me sad, because I have some very pretty books that I feel I’ve ruined a little bit with cracks down the spine.
Do you write in your books?
Absolutely not. I have to admit I am very precious about my books – The only writing I ever allow in them is if I’m getting an author to sign one! If I want to leave a message in a book I’ve bought as a gift for a friend, I’ll use pretty note paper and tuck it inside the front cover – Then it’s up to the individual if they want to stick it in there permanently. That being said, if I ever receive a book as a gift and the giver has chosen to write a note directly inside the book, the doesn’t bother me in the slightest! I think I view that at a more sentimental thing, whereas writing in them myself just feels like I’m ruining the book!
Even in my textbooks/academic-purpose books for studying, if I want to make notes, I have a wide array of sticky notes I use to add annotations. In the past I’ve even bought foreign language textbooks with areas designed to be written in, and I set up dedicated notebooks to copy down the necessary information and do my writing in there instead. I just cannot bring myself to put pen to paper inside a printed book! On the bright side, this does allow me to indulge more in my stationary addiction, buying all sorts of pretty notebooks and sticky notes!
Who do you tag?
Anyone and everyone! If you’re reading this and fancy letting the world know about your reading habits, go for it! Don’t forget to tag me or forward me a link to your post, though. I would love to see how your answers compare with my own!
K T Robson 