I almost forgot about the Booking Through Thursday today!
There was a widely bruited-about statistic reported last week, stating that 1 in 4 Americans did not read a single book last year. Clearly, we don’t fall into that category, but . . . how many of our friends do? Do you have friends/family who read as much as you do? Or are you the only person you know who has a serious reading habit?
While I know people who don’t get to read as much as they’d like to, and who don’t read as much as I do, I’m not aware of knowing anyone who actually doesn’t read. I suppose it’s possible; I certainly don’t quiz all my friends on their reading habits, and I can think of one or two people who might or might not read. However, I think just by nature of my interests I tend to get along best with other folks who read. We have more in common to talk about if nothing else.
Speaking of which, someone noted on one of my reviews the other day that I had read the book really quickly after my previous review. I can read a book in anywhere from 2 weeks to 12 hours. This figure depends on several things: how busy I am with other matters; how restless I am (ADD & PTSD both contribute to bouts of extreme restlessness); how interesting or boring the book is; and whether I’m in a “reading mood.” I’ve finished big, thick hardbacks by starting in the morning and finishing in the evening, but sometimes I’m lucky if I get through a few pages in a day. Just yesterday evening I read the first 200 pages of Connelly’s A Darkness More than Night, probably in the space of about 4 hours.
I know there are times I don’t get a chance to read as much as I would like. When our business is really going, it’s all I can do to get my reading in before bedtime 🙂
Same here! I get along with pretty much everyone but my best friends are avid readers, too. And same as you, I can read an interesting book in six hours, if I can afford it.
Happy BTT!
I don’t read as much as I’d like to either. I used to read about a book every 2 weeks. But as I got into college and grad school, I started having to read so much for school or work (textbook chapters, primary papers, etc) that my recreational reading fell off. I still managed to squeeze in time to read and re-read all the Harry Potter books (of course!), and I do manage to get in a recreational book now and then, but I am down to like 10 a year, from in the mid-20s. I hate that but after doing so much reading and writing as part of my job, it’s hard to get up for doing yet more reading for recreation. So I tend to surf the web, watch movies, or play games instead.
C
Judy: I can understand that. Part of how I managed to pick up my reading frequency again was by turning book reviews into part of my job. 🙂
DeN: One of the things I love about BTT is finding yet more avid readers and book lovers to chat with. 🙂
Chessack: That makes a lot of sense. But at least at 10 you still beat the average, and that’s not counting books you read for work, which I imagine people answering that survey did. So I figure you aren’t doing too badly!
I agree with DeN – one of the best things about BTT is getting to read others’ blogs!
I’m surrounded by a reading family (Dad, Grandparents, Jennifer), but my friends are a lot more into glowing boxes. (TV, MMOs, etc.) It’s a little strange… but less strange now than when I didn’t watch TV at all and had no common shows to discuss with them.
When I’m not busy with other things, I read at least a book a day — My 8 y.o. DD goes through at least that much. People ask how — because we don’t watch much TV and I don’t own a video gaming system. ALL of our “down time” is reading time. I like it that way ( though we have been accused of abusing our DD because we don’t let her play video games… yes, really).
Thanks for visiting and happy BTT!
I don’t really get to read as much as I want to, esp with two young children. Now that our youngest is sleeping in the other room with her big sister, I can have the lamp on and read as long as I want to.
Thanks for visiting!
melanie: I only recently started memeing, but I have to admit, for that reason it’s got me hooked!
ScottM: “into glowing boxes”—I love that way of putting it! 😀 I have a few shows I like, but honestly I have so little interest in TV as a habit that most of the time I can’t keep up with them. I let the DVR fill up and then occasionally sit down and catch up.
Marianne: Lack of video games as abuse?! But… how can that be abuse when we all didn’t even grow up with video games? Well okay, I had the little TI-994A cartridge games in my teens, but that doesn’t really count.
meowminx: Aii, I can’t imagine what having kids would do to my reading time. As it is the cats like to interrupt quite a bit. 😉
My family members and friends don’t read as much as I do, however I’m glad there’s internet and book blogs! ;P
Happy reading!
I know a few people who are tv free as well. They do tend to be readers and, interestingly enough, quilters. One time I tried to get my elementary students to turn off tv for a week. I actually had a mother cry because she didn’t know what to do with her kids and was shocked when I suggested reading a book together. That was a sad moment.
I totally relate to your last para, Heather. People wonder too, how I manage to read and review fast. I think you’re a much faster reader than I am though. Hehe… Happy Friday!
Melody: Yeah, the internet is wonderful for finding folks who share your passions!
BookGal: Yikes! That is truly sad. The idea that the only way a parent knows to relate to their children is through TV is rather scary. What about board games? Card games? Hikes or walks?
Alice: One of the fun things about the internet book blog community is that I’ve finally met people who read as fast as I do (or faster) and who don’t think I’m a freak for reading quickly. *grin*
I’m like you in that I really don’t ask people whether they read or not. The subject usually comes up after awhile though if I’m with a person day in and day out. 🙂
And although I do not have ADD or PTSD, I can relate to your comment about reading a book within a short time frame or taking a while to get through one. A lot depends on what is going on in my life at any given moment, how interesting the book is, and where I am mood wise. Sometimes it’s just a matter of my interest being drawn elsewhere because something else catches my fancy.