Friday, November 9, 2012

Reading habits

Before I moved to New York, I didn't read as much as I wanted. I'd go through a couple of books a year, I'd read now and then before bed, and if I was traveling to my hometown (90 minute plane ride each way) I'd take a book along and read as much as I could.

Consequently I didn't get many books read. That all changed when I moved to America. My first apartment was out in Newark and it would take me around an hour each way to get to work. There was just so much time sitting on trains that I was suddenly reading for two hours every day. I had bought a few books over to America with me, but within the first week in our new apartment I'd finished them all. I had a lot of difficulty joining the New York public library because of my Newark, NJ address, and I didn't particularly like the library selection at Newark public library.

Once I did join the NYPL I found the book loaning system very strange. I couldn't quite figure out exactly how it worked and it kind of made me nervous! It was one of those little American differences that I couldn't quite get around.

I asked a few people I knew if they had any books I could borrow, and while they lent me some interesting looking stories, none of them were really my genre or really captured my attention. Not only that, but these books were big and heavy.

So, naturally, I bought a Kindle. It changed my life. I could carry my Kindle with me everywhere and the amount of books I read increased dramatically. Once I moved out of Newark and moved closer to the city the amount of time I had to read decreased somewhat, so my reading pace has slowed a little, but I'm still chewing through books as quickly as I can.

What I'm wondering though, is what your reading habits are. When I'm on the train and absorbed in my book I'm in good company. In other places though, I seem to be the only one reading. Maybe I'm just a bookworm, but I'm sure I can't be alone. Once I get off the train, I can't just put my book away, at least not until I finish the chapter, so I road read. A lot of people don't understand this term. I borrowed it from The Sky Is Everywhere (which is a pretty good book y'all should read). Basically it's just walking along the road and reading. Not always safe in NYC if you forget that you have to stop for traffic. I've only ever seen one other person do it for half a block after emerging from the subway. Aside from me and my FH who got the idea from me and only did it while he was absorbed in The Game of Thrones books.

Aside from road reading, I'll occasionally read while on the cardio machines at the gym, while i'm waiting in a line for the restrooms (most commonly) or any other occasion that finds me in a long line, while I'm waiting for the train, at the laundromat or sometimes while I'm waiting for my food to arrive at a cafe or super casual restaurant. I carry my Kindle with me, where ever I go, just in case something comes up that leaves me bored for more than 2 minutes and needing something to do.

Am I alone in this? Does anyone else carry a book or e-reader with them for those lulls in the day, or read in strange places to pass the time.... or simply because they can't put the book down. I'd love to know....!

6 comments:

  1. I used to find the time to sit down with a nice cup of tea and a book, but since focusing more (ok, almost constantly) on writing I mostly end up reading late at night and into the early hours of the morning. I have to confess that I read last night until it was almost time for my husband to get up for work. Could not put my book down! Haha now I'm going to picture you glued to a book holding up all that NYC traffic. I've never heard of road reading. Sounds like an extreme sport :)

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    1. Until he left for work?! Oh my gosh! Did you have to get up for work? I'm worried when I move back to New Zealand and swap my subway time for driving time I'll lose my reading hours!!! I'll have to make time somewhere else!

      Haha yeah I get strange looks when I road read, honestly, walking along with my head buried in my kindle! haha! My mister has the luxury of doing it in the dark as well because his kindle is the paperwhite! Lucky!

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  2. Most of my reading happens at home right before supper and right before bed. There are some days where I'll just read for hours on end, but those seem to be few and far between lately (what with NaNo and other things). I've never had much of a commute except for the one year I was teaching in a bigger city. It took me about an hour by bus each way. The only problem with that is that we were so crammed on that bus, I'm not even sure there would have been room to hold a book. (Worst. Commute. Ever.)

    The Kindle is definitely nice for reading all over the place. Whenever I'm reading an e-book, I find myself bringing my Kindle along more. Not so easy when you're in the middle of a hardback book! As for road reading, I remember that from THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE (which Erin has read too, but just must not remember that part). Sounds dangerous. O_o

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    1. Oh I HATE those buses that you can't even breathe because you're packed like sardines! Horrible! I agree, it's nice to be able to take the kindle anywhere. And I do, it goes with me always just in case I need something to do! Road reading is dangerous unless you have an extra eye.... or just don't become absorbed enough to not look where you're going!

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  3. I have my laptop everywhere, so I use that for ebooks when I have a few spare moments. But I'm pretty lucky in that the library is only about a mile from where I work. I drop by there all the time to, um, 'make copies' (okay, pick out more books).

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    1. Oooh that is handy! How do you find reading on a laptop? I think I would struggle with the glossy screen...?

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