Whats your book reading style?

Bodhidharma

Generally I have more than a couple of books on my shelf waiting to be read. I buy in bulk so there is always plenty to read, but the way I do it is to operate a kind of carrot and stick approach.

Normally I go non-ficton, fiction, non-fiction, fiction and so on.

I view the non-fiction books that I read (generally history, autobiographical, sports, and science) as somewhat less enjoyable than fiction, therefore when I finish one I read a fiction as a kind of reward. That way I dont ignore the ones that take more effort (non-fiction) and really enjoy the fiction, as a luxury almost.

So what about everyon else, do ye have a specifc approach to reading?

indough

Bodhidharma wrote: »

Generally I have more than a couple of books on my shelf waiting to be read. I buy in bulk so there is always plenty to read, but the way I do it is to operate a kind of carrot and stick approach.

Normally I go non-ficton, fiction, non-fiction, fiction and so on.

I view the non-fiction books that I read (generally history, autobiographical, sports, and science) as somewhat less enjoyable than fiction, therefore when I finish one I read a fiction as a kind of reward. That way I dont ignore the ones that take more effort (non-fiction) and really enjoy the fiction, as a luxury almost.

So what about everyon else, do ye have a specifc approach to reading?

i have something similar, although not non-fiction as i dont really read much of that anymore

what i do is make every second book i read a classic, and usually the next will be a sci-fi or horror

so i might read moby dick for example, then a PKD book, then maybe robinson crusoe or something similar

Sergeant

Would normally have one fiction and one non-fiction on the go. This can change if the general consensus is that a particular book requires "effort". Then I will stick with a single work.

So, 2666 was read in the most splendid of isolation, while Imperium by Robert Harris was read in tandem with the autobiography of Brian Nolan (Flann O'Brien). Depends on the mood when you feel like something to read.

Same will apply for non-fiction. I read Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 about two years ago. It took me 3 months. I sometimes yearned for a trashy thriller whilst reading, but I realised it needed my undivided attention.

I've also come to the conclusion that life is far too short to read books you don't enjoy, so have no hesitation in firing a book into the tried corner.

lordgoat

I read fiction or classic lit and fantasy mainly. (murakami, bukowski, HST, JT Leroy, Tolstoy, FS Fitz, Fesit).

I pick it up (or possible buy a series) and read it until it's no more. Generally in the space of a few days. I recently read the millenium triology in a week. I go through phases of reading a lot of books and then i'll take a few weeks off. Mood dependant. I also re-read my favourite books if i miss them.

Denerick

I've read a lot of non fiction over the last 4 years for college so I've been taking a sabbatical from it recently. May read the odd book here or there in the near future, but I definately want to read more fiction.

OxfordComma

I always have a dozen or more books at home waiting to be read. I've built up a pretty large backlog over the past few months, and almost every time I go to a bookshop I end up buying something! :rolleyes: I don't really have any particular "pattern" as such, but after reading one book in a certain genre, I'll read another that's completely different. I don't like reading two similar books one after the other for whatever reason. Also, I never read more than one book at a time, although I'll often take a break midway through a long book to read a shorter one, which can be a good idea.

c - 13

No real style as such, only thing I'm a bit fussy about is if I start a series I usually like to finish it out (or all books currently in the series at least) in one go. I don't like to read part 1, then something else, part 2 where avoidable.

zippygirl

SF... mystery... drama... RL story... SF... mystery.... SF... Mystery... drama... etc :rolleyes:

gogo

c - 13 wrote: »

No real style as such, only thing I'm a bit fussy about is if I start a series I usually like to finish it out (or all books currently in the series at least) in one go. I don't like to read part 1, then something else, part 2 where avoidable.

+1, have to finish a series in one go.

Also as I read so much, if I find an author I like, I tend to go and get everything I can by that author, and finish everything they have, which means I could spend months on the same author.

Kalimah

I used to read everything by one author. Now I do fiction,non fiction etc etc. Occasionally I'll have two books on the go especially if one is a hardback and it's too big to cart around during the day. I read a fair amount of bios and history so the books can be a ton weight!

jcsmum

I would order/buy about half a dozen books at a time. The thought of not having an available book to read! :eek:
I swap around my reading choices too, classic novel, factual, fictional novel and always change around the authors too.....

mcgovern

Sci-Fi, Sci-Fi, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Sci-Fi.....

I'll generally try and divide it up though, hard sci-fi, space opera etc.

If I a book is too big, and I'm not really enjoying it, I'll move onto something else with the intention of going back to it.
Currently need to go back to Necromonicon by H.P. Lovecraft, The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelany and The Singularity is Near by Ray Kurzweil (his work is a rare foray into non-fiction).

blue_steel

Only ever have one book to read unless it's two very slim volumes. It would just bother me having ten or twelve books lying around that I hadn't read. Any books I start and don't finish I give to Oxfam. Otherwise I hoard

Edinduberdeen

I'm kind of addicted to buying books, but I don't read as fast as I buy, so I've an ever increasing pile to read. I can't stand not finishing a book though, and tend to drag out a book I'm not enjoying for months, maybe with one or two different books in between (that's currently what I'm doing with American Psycho - it's not that I don't like it, but whatever it is about it, I'm just not getting into it...).

Giselle

I usually have two or three on the go, but its mostly just fiction. I have one for upstairs for night time reading, one downstairs for any spare moment, and sometimes I've another, usually very 'light' one in my bag for commuting or waits.

Sometimes I'll develop a mini obsession with an author who's new to me and I'll read one book after another until I get bored.

PattheMetaller

I read Crime Fiction and particularly enjoy serials. I have about 12 favourite authors and have read the series in order.