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Post by devilinthedetails on Aug 1, 2018 22:08:44 GMT 10
Since this is a forum dedicated to fantasy series we all love, I figure that there must be a lot of voracious readers like me around here. I thought it might be fun to share our reading habits and quirks, so here are a few of mine:
1) I prefer paperback books to hardcovers. I normally only get hardcover if I absolutely want the book as soon as it comes out or if it's the only edition available to me. I just find paperbacks much more convenient to hold in my hands when reading and carry in my purse when I'm commuting or traveling. I also find them more economical and they are more space efficient on my bookshelf.
2) If I own the book, I totally dog-ear the pages. Bookmarks are always falling out on me. If I don't own the book, I suffer through using a bookmark.
3) I normally read between 2-4 leisure books (usually in different genres such as non-fiction, historical fiction, sci-fi, or fantasy) at once. I don't find myself getting confused about what's happening in which book, and changing between books builds up the suspense and excitement for me.
4)If I'm not engaged by a book, I just set it aside and don't finish it. If a book is making me want to avoid reading for entertainment, then I don't bother finish that book (unless it's required for school or work, obviously). Sometimes I'll come back to a book I didn't enjoy the first time and like it or even fall in love with it. My tastes can change over time which is why I might be such a pack rat about my books. I don't want to get rid of a book I might fall in love with in the future.
What about you? Are you a paperback or hardcover fan (or maybe you prefer electronic or audio format)? Do you dog-ear or use bookmarks? Do you read one leisure book at a time or multiple? Will you put a book you aren't enjoying down or do you persist until the end for closure or something else? Anything else about your reading style you'd like to share?
As someone who works in a library, I love to hear the different ways that people read!
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Post by Rachy on Aug 4, 2018 18:44:32 GMT 10
The paperback/hardback is quite interesting - it’s not so much of a thing in Aus that I’ve noticed? I could be inventing things, but I think we get a big tall paperback first, and then the small trade paperback a year or so later. We don’t really get hardbacks as the initial release unless they are the mass produced first editions - eg. HP 5-7 are hardback, and if I’ve ordered them from overseas they are usually hardback. I like the prestige, I guess, of the hardback, but really I just like them to match I definitely don’t dog ear. I’m usually pretty good at remembering page numbers, or as most of my books are from the library, using the receipt. I do have some nice bookmarks I try and remember to use though! In terms of reading quirks, I have a very long borrowed list from the library, and not all of them get read At the moment, I also only listen to audiobooks of books that I’ve read. I don’t know if that’s because it’s like an old familiar friend of my favourites, or because it’s a bigger step? Like a new book and a new narrator to get used to?
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Post by devilinthedetails on Aug 5, 2018 8:19:28 GMT 10
The paperback/hardback is quite interesting - it’s not so much of a thing in Aus that I’ve noticed? I could be inventing things, but I think we get a big tall paperback first, and then the small trade paperback a year or so later. We don’t really get hardbacks as the initial release unless they are the mass produced first editions - eg. HP 5-7 are hardback, and if I’ve ordered them from overseas they are usually hardback. I like the prestige, I guess, of the hardback, but really I just like them to match I definitely don’t dog ear. I’m usually pretty good at remembering page numbers, or as most of my books are from the library, using the receipt. I do have some nice bookmarks I try and remember to use though! In terms of reading quirks, I have a very long borrowed list from the library, and not all of them get read At the moment, I also only listen to audiobooks of books that I’ve read. I don’t know if that’s because it’s like an old familiar friend of my favourites, or because it’s a bigger step? Like a new book and a new narrator to get used to? That's too bad that you don't get as many hardcovers in Australia. Even if I'm not the biggest fan of hardcovers, it's still nice to have the choice available. I can understand what you mean about liking the hardcovers for the prestige of owning them, since it can be very cool to have a fancy copy of a hardcover book on your shelf. A sort of neat little status symbol. That's good that you have such a knack for remembering page numbers. I used to be better at that, ha ha, but now I need to dog ear to help me find where I am. A library receipt does make a handy bookmark, and it's cool that you have nice bookmarks to use at well. I always seem to lose my bookmarks after I get them, unfortunately. I can relate to how quickly a to-read stack of books can accumulate. Books are so tempting. I always want to read them all... That's interesting that you only like to listen to audiobooks that you've already read, but what you say about having to adjust to the new narrator plus the new book can make it harder to get into a totally new book makes sense. Different narrators can make each audiobook experience so different.
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Post by wordy on Aug 9, 2018 12:47:20 GMT 10
I used to dog-ear pages when I was younger, but now I'm pro-bookmark all the way! It's annoying when they fall out, I agree, but I've got a new favourite bookmark which is magnetic and it's the best thing ever. I guess I prefer paperback, but like Rachy mentioned, large paperbacks are more of a thing here than hardcovers. It annoys me when I have a series made up of both small and large paperbacks, though. I can't help it most of the time because I'm impatient to buy and read certain books as soon as they're released. As a fantasy reader, it's a total pain when a book is a doorstop (looking at you, Sanderson!). You can't hold it above your face to read (arms get sore and there's the danger it'll smack you in the face), your wrists get sore from holding it in certain positions, etc. At the moment I'm determined to get back into reading because I spend too much time on the internet (mostly on my phone) when I could be reading instead. I haven't been reading as many books per month as I used to (not that I've been keeping count). I don't mind e-books and have some on my phone, but I don't have an e-reader and I think I prefer physical books overall. I rarely read e-books. I like audiobooks (I did a year of Audible, so still have one or two leftover from that subscription to listen to) but I usually listen to them when I'm driving to/from work and I have the tendency to get distracted/daydream about other things, which means I then have to go back and listen to what I've missed. There's also a particular American accent I'm not fond of in narrators - I'm not sure what the accent is, but they seem to over-pronounce the Rs at the end of words. I'm quite a book hoarder. Just recently I've gone through my collection (which was spread between my house, my parents' house, and a number of boxes) and sorted out which books I can donate/sell. In recent years I got into the habit of buying from second-hand bookstores (which is great!) but it turns out I'm never going to read half the stuff I buy. So it was tough-love time. I'm trying to make myself use my library more in future to avoid hoarding, and only buy books I'm sure I'll want to own a copy of. Not sure how well that's going to go, but I'll try.
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Post by devilinthedetails on Aug 9, 2018 22:27:59 GMT 10
I used to dog-ear pages when I was younger, but now I'm pro-bookmark all the way! It's annoying when they fall out, I agree, but I've got a new favourite bookmark which is magnetic and it's the best thing ever. I guess I prefer paperback, but like Rachy mentioned, large paperbacks are more of a thing here than hardcovers. It annoys me when I have a series made up of both small and large paperbacks, though. I can't help it most of the time because I'm impatient to buy and read certain books as soon as they're released. As a fantasy reader, it's a total pain when a book is a doorstop (looking at you, Sanderson!). You can't hold it above your face to read (arms get sore and there's the danger it'll smack you in the face), your wrists get sore from holding it in certain positions, etc. At the moment I'm determined to get back into reading because I spend too much time on the internet (mostly on my phone) when I could be reading instead. I haven't been reading as many books per month as I used to (not that I've been keeping count). I don't mind e-books and have some on my phone, but I don't have an e-reader and I think I prefer physical books overall. I rarely read e-books. I like audiobooks (I did a year of Audible, so still have one or two leftover from that subscription to listen to) but I usually listen to them when I'm driving to/from work and I have the tendency to get distracted/daydream about other things, which means I then have to go back and listen to what I've missed. There's also a particular American accent I'm not fond of in narrators - I'm not sure what the accent is, but they seem to over-pronounce the Rs at the end of words. I'm quite a book hoarder. Just recently I've gone through my collection (which was spread between my house, my parents' house, and a number of boxes) and sorted out which books I can donate/sell. In recent years I got into the habit of buying from second-hand bookstores (which is great!) but it turns out I'm never going to read half the stuff I buy. So it was tough-love time. I'm trying to make myself use my library more in future to avoid hoarding, and only buy books I'm sure I'll want to own a copy of. Not sure how well that's going to go, but I'll try. I've seen magnetic bookmarks and bookmarks that clip to pages. Maybe one day I'll give them a try. I've mainly just used standard bookmarks in the past. I could see it being irritating to have a series in different sizes. Sort of like having a series with different editions can be annoying but can end up happening anyway. I can totally relate to being impatient and wanting the new release right away. That's almost always how I end up with a hardcover even though my preference is toward paperbacks. Oh, I know exactly what you mean by doorstop books being hard to find a good way to hold. I mainly like to read doorstop books when I'm laying down somewhere like a bed, sofa, or towel on the beach during the summer. That might be part of the reason why I read so many different books at once since there are definitely certain books that aren't conducive to reading on a train during a commute but I still want to read them at home in my bedroom or living room. The Internet can be sneaky addictive. I feel like a lot of time I log in just with the intent of checking my email or something quick and then being on the Internet way longer than I intended. The Internet definitely can take time away from reading and other things. I think it's precisely because I spend so much time looking at screens (phone, laptop, computer at work) that I like you haven't gotten an e-reader. Reading a book gives me a chance to not look at a screen so I kind of believe it is better for my eyes. Audiobooks can be great for drives, but I know what you mean about a tendency to be distracted or to be annoyed if you don't like a particular accent. If the narrator's voice doesn't work, it's hard to want to listen to the story. I'm a book hoarder too. I have two big overflowing bookshelves plus boxes of books in my closet, and I'm still always acquiring more. A local library has book sales about twice a year where you can buy a big bag of books for $5, and those are days when my collection of books really expands. If a book looks like something I might like to read, it goes right into my bag even if I wouldn't have bought the book in another context where it was more expensive. I have to admit that I'm prone to building up my collection soon after I thin it by donating, but I wish you good luck in using your library more.
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Post by Idleness on Aug 10, 2018 16:50:26 GMT 10
E-books for me. I just love the convenience of being able to carry my entire library in my bag, and the not ending up with heaps of books collecting dust and fading in the sun in my house. Also, if I'm not into a book, I don't even have to leave the couch (or bed!) to get another one! I do get the urge to romanticise the materiality of a book, though; I've just decided that convenience and having minimal clutter is more important to me. That said, I don't actually do much reading these days. My job is pretty demanding, so when I get home after work I want to do mindless stuff, and on the weekend too. If I read something, I read from start to finish, and I detest interruption. If it's a series and I get really into it, I will compulsively devour the whole series like it's crack. So in the interests of maintaining my relationship and social life, I tend to only read when I'm on leave for at least a week!
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Post by Rachy on Aug 10, 2018 20:03:38 GMT 10
wordy agreed on the not matching of the large and small! Especially when you get into a series and then the new book is released in the large one. I’m also a victim of oh, the internet, oh, fic, but I have found ebooks are good for that! I read them on my phone mostly, and at the moment I actually feel a bit strange reading on a bigger screen.
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Post by Rosie on Aug 10, 2018 20:51:01 GMT 10
I vary between e-books and paper copies - sometimes, I'm more in the mood for convenience, other times I like the tangible feeling of a book in hand. I don't dog-ear, and I do my best not to crack the spine, too. I tend to use whatever's around for bookmarks - receipts, tickets, boarding cards. I hate lending books out because they invariably come back to me in terrible condition.
I like to finish books if I've started them, and I usually will unless they're unbearable and/or I didn't make it past the first chapter. I've got a stack of unread books both on my Kindle and on my bookshelf; hopefully I'll make some headway with those on holiday!! I find setting targets of new books I want to read at the beginning of the year helps - a few years ago, I managed to hit a 100 book goal, but I generally set them lower than that (especially after my commute time reduced!). Goodreads helps me keep track.
Also, I'm in a book group which meets every six weeks or so, and that definitely helps broaden my reading horizons.
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Post by devilinthedetails on Aug 11, 2018 0:31:43 GMT 10
Idleness , I think the convenience aspect of e-books are probably what is most appealing about them. I could definitely see how useful it is to be able to have whole collection of books on one device. I've heard from quite a few people how convenient that is for traveling (whether for business or on vacation or the daily commute), but you're the first person to mention to me how it can remove clutter from the bookshelves. That makes a lot of sense and probably would be helpful to someone like me (a major book hoarder). Mainly it is just the fear of spending even more time on a device (since I know I probably spend too much time on them already) that hold me back, but perhaps one day I will end up embracing the convenience at least some of the time. E-books also sometimes are cheaper so that is a nice perk. After all, to use e-books some of the time, I don't have to entirely abandon my old books. Who really knows what the future holds for me and technology? When I was a kid, I never would have believed what I would be able to do on my phone...I used to read like you describe, without interruption until I was done with the book/series, but I think it was reading on commutes that broke me of that habit. When you have to get off the train at your stop, you have to put down the book regardless of where you are in the story. I definitely prefer to read lighter stuff after work but during the weekends or on vacations tends to be when I'll read heavier stuff (like non-fiction to satisfy my history buff side). But long vacations are definitely the best time to catch up on reading! Rosie , that balance between e-books and paper copies sounds neat. I could see myself one day perhaps making a similar transition (reading an e-book might be easier on my commutes, for instance) and still being able to feel like I'm not constantly on some device or other. I'm with you in not liking to lend out my books because a lot of the time they come back to me with food or coffee stains and most people read slower than me, so it can take me awhile to get the book I lent back. Some people also steal books I lend to them, which makes me sad since I end up having to buy the book again. Just because I have a lot of books, family and friends assume I am a library, and sometimes that gets irritating but they might not read at all if they didn't borrow/steal books from me, ha ha. I know quite a lot of people (especially book lovers) who like to finish almost every book they start. I think I'm probably a bit weird among people who enjoy reading in not necessarily having that desire. I do finish most books I start (being able to read a couple of pages online or in person at a bookstore/library helps me) but if something about the author's style isn't clicking for me, I don't really have a qualm putting it down, which I know is a bit odd. I always have a stack of unread books like you describe, and I have a (horrible or wonderful) habit of adding to it constantly almost as soon as I finish a book. Perhaps I have a subconscious fear of being left without new reading material. A target number of books to read sounds interesting. I don't think I've ever really tried that. Book clubs are great. Sadly I haven't been in one since I was a teenager, though I did enjoy that (and it was actually that book club that introduced me to the first Alanna book, which brought about my Tamora Pierce interest). There are book clubs at my local library so maybe I should take advantage of them sometimes. For a librarian, I sometimes forget to take advantage of my own library, ironically enough.
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Post by MythicMistress on Nov 13, 2018 1:35:49 GMT 10
I primarily read ink-and-paper books, though I will read ebooks through my public library's Overdrive and Hoopla subscriptions.
As for finishing what I start, it depends on the factors of whether or not I like the book or if there's problematic content in it. If I don't like the book all that much or find problematic themes in it, it's going straight back to the library.
I used to do book clubs, but stopped when my dad started insisting on coming-the librarian running the group doesn't do any kind of screening on the books beforehand, and I don't want to listen to his complaining about the content and the group going off on tangents only slightly related to the book.
I have too much of a book hoard to even think about buying too much new stuff. I'd donate some, but the whole reason I have a hoard is that I've overindulged in buying from the library's discarded book sales.
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Post by devilinthedetails on Nov 13, 2018 4:45:02 GMT 10
I primarily read ink-and-paper books, though I will read ebooks through my public library's Overdrive and Hoopla subscriptions. As for finishing what I start, it depends on the factors of whether or not I like the book or if there's problematic content in it. If I don't like the book all that much or find problematic themes in it, it's going straight back to the library. I used to do book clubs, but stopped when my dad started insisting on coming-the librarian running the group doesn't do any kind of screening on the books beforehand, and I don't want to listen to his complaining about the content and the group going off on tangents only slightly related to the book. I have too much of a book hoard to even think about buying too much new stuff. I'd donate some, but the whole reason I have a hoard is that I've overindulged in buying from the library's discarded book sales. We seem similar in preferring written books to ebooks. It's nice to have someone else on this thread who will put down a book if it's not enjoyable or problematic. It's a shame that your bookclub experience didn't end too well with your dad wanting to come and interject comments on the content. Maybe in the future there will be an opportunity for you to join another bookclub where that won't happen. Library booksales are definitely a place where it is easy to buy more books than you need since they are at such great prices. I'm proud of myself that I recently weeded through some of my books and donated them to the local library but I know that my shelves will soon be overflowing again because I just love to buy books.
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