Books and reading

That_Girl_ Is_ A_Cowboy

I sometimes buy books with great intentions of reading them but I end up never actually reading them and they end up decorating my bedside. I go to bed often thinking 'I must get around to reading that book' but I never do.

I suppose a reason for this would be life getting in the way and getting tired easily and also having other hobbies. Like I have some creative hobbies that I adore.

Also back in school, I wasn't really one for books like novels for english. I'd be at the end of a paragraph or page and I would have forgotten easily what happened and occurred in lines and sentences above.

Recently I watched the movie Philomena Lee and the movie almost had me in tears. I know it's based on a true story and a book - The Lost Child Of Philomena Lee.

I get the impression from the special features on the dvd that the book is more representative of what occurred. I'm tempted into buying this book.

AHs, do you read books and do you like reading? Has anybody ever been like me in relation to reading and books and did you ever change and get into reading.

Jonny Blaze

Books are great..

They're sort of like the internet but made out of paper!

FatherLen

Jonny Blaze wrote: »

Books are great..

nerd

Adore reading, always have

cletus van damme

bluewolf wrote: »

Adore reading, always have

me too.
I read everything i can.

although I bought Glamorama by brett easton ellis about 10years ago.
It still mocks me from my book shelves.

eviltwin

I read about a book a week, can never resist buying books and have lots on the kindle, recently worked out that if I continue reading at the rate I currently do it will take me ten years to get through all I have.

yeppydeppy

I usually have 3 books on the go at any one time - I listen to them on CD in the car (free from Library) I listen to them on my phone out running (free from library on internet) and I have one beside the bed, I rarely go to sleep without reading a few pages. Sometimes I'll have a fourth by the jacks but usually I pick up the bedside one on the way there.
I like reading it stops my brain from thinking about stuff I don't want to think about.

jimgoose

Yup, try to read as much as I can, occasionally making time for it. I like the old Jurassic-era paper, but my brother gave me an Amazon Kindle for Christmas back in 2009, and it is a wonderful yoke too! :cool:

AnonoBoy

"If you go home with somebody, and they don't have books, don't **** 'em!" - John Waters (the cool John Waters, not the crazy Irish one)

gufnork

I love reading. It's one of the things that makes life worth living. Takes you right out of this world and into another, and all for the price of half-nothing. I honestly wouldn't know what I'd do without a good book by my side. I'm a sucker for a bit of pulp too(Here's a great site for that sort of guff!)

I've not read many novelisations, but am planning on making it my mission to read a good deal more of them over the coming years(and here's the only place you'll ever need for that sort of guff!). I'm on a horror kick at the moment after I spent most of last year(or was it the year before that?) reading fantasy. I definitely got the whole fantasy thing out of my system that year.

Anyway, I'm reading Skeleton Crew - Stephen King, and The Fog - James Herbert at the moment. They're both very good.

Love reading. I have two Kindles, one by the bed and one in the bag so that the nightmare scenario of me having a few free minutes with nothing to read never arises. Also have the Kindle app on my tablet just in case. I go through phases of subjects or authors that interest me.

I'm currently reading "Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition and Other Confusions Of Our Time" by Michael Shermer.

Anyone who reads horoscopes, visits psychics, thinks the Holocaust didn't happen, or that big doses of vitamins changed their life should read it.

AnonoBoy

AnonoBoy wrote: »

"If you go home with somebody, and they don't have books, don't **** 'em!" - John Waters (the cool John Waters, not the crazy Irish one)

If I brought you home to fcuk you and caught you snooping in the room where all my books are, I'd be calling the police :P

*remembers to leave kindle beside bed*

Corkfeen

I went through some occasional periods in my teens where I didn't read. But these days I'm going through a book a week. I love books,stories and expanding my overall knowledge.

tigger123

Candie wrote: »

Love reading. I have two Kindles, one by the bed and one in the bag so that the nightmare scenario of me having a few free minutes with nothing to read never arises. Also have the Kindle app on my tablet just in case. I go through phases of subjects or authors that interest me.

I'm currently reading "Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition and Other Confusions Of Our Time" by Michael Shermer.

Anyone who reads horoscopes, visits psychics, thinks the Holocaust didn't happen, or that big doses of vitamins changed their life should read it.

Cheers for the recommendation. You should try try Voodoo Histories by David Aaronovitch, reckon you might like it.

tigger123

tigger123 wrote: »

Cheers for the recommendation. You should try try Voodoo Histories by David Aaronovitch, reckon you might like it.

If you like books in that vein, another good one is "Paranormality: Why We See What Isn't There" by Richard Wiseman.

Tigerbaby

Its a great form of escape. to create a World in your own mind thats uniquely yours.

Reading stretches the imagination, the brain and the soul.

Try it.

Ilyana 2.0

When I was younger, I would fly through books; I'd easily read three books on a two-week holiday and sometimes need to buy a fourth. I learned to read far more quickly than other children, and my parents really encouraged me to read as much as possible.

I still love reading, but I find the internet very distracting (especially blogs), and I'm often wrecked when I go to bed. I got a tablet in the hope that it would get me back into reading, but I've found myself drifting back to paper books because I spend enough time looking at screens all day as it is, without taking one to bed with me.

Currently re-reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Comfort reading

Ilyana 2.0

Ilyana 2.0 wrote: »

I got a tablet in the hope that it would get me back into reading, but I've found myself drifting back to paper books because I spend enough time looking at screens all day as it is, without taking one to bed with me.

Currently re-reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Comfort reading

Get a Kindle paperwhite Ilyana, it's much, much easier on the eyes than reading on the tablet. I use both and there's no comparison, especially if you're going to have a read for more than a few minutes.

Ihatecuddles

I read a book most nights, unless I'm pissed.

I pick it up and can't put it down. All of a sudden I'm finished and its 4am

Ilyana 2.0

Candie wrote: »

Get a Kindle paperwhite Ilyana, it's much, much easier on the eyes than reading on the tablet. I use both and there's no comparison, especially if you're going to have a read for more than a few minutes.

I might do that actually, it gets very tiring reading a bright screen all day. Thanks for the suggestion

Until I can afford one, my house is chock-full of books so I don't think I'll run out of things to read

mauzo!

mauzo! wrote: »

I read a book most nights, unless I'm pissed.

I pick it up and can't put it down. All of a sudden I'm finished and its 4am

I do that I keep looking at the Time Left In Chapter estimate on the Kindle and convincing myself I can afford that extra 15 minutes or whatever, but I just keep going onto the next chapter anyway regardless!

D1stant

AnonoBoy wrote: »

"If you go home with somebody, and they don't have books, don't **** 'em!" - John Waters (the cool John Waters, not the crazy Irish one)

All well and good unless the library is a mix of medieval torture, butchery, body decomposition and the like

Legs.Eleven

I got a Kindle (the cheapest one) a few weeks ago and I can't believe how much I love it. I'm reading about 5 books at the same time now, which I was always completely against, probably because I couldn't carry all of them around. I mainly read on public transport because I spend a lot of time commuting around the city for work. Great way to block everything out and relax.


Reading is a big part of my life and I've my dad to thank for that: he used to bring me to the library every Saturday to choose some books to read that week and would also read stories to me.


Reading!! Woohoo!!

D1stant

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

Reading is a big part of my life and I've my dad to thank for that: he used to bring me to the library every Saturday to choose some books to read that week and would also read stories to me.

Cool Dad!

Legs.Eleven

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

I got a Kindle (the cheapest one) a few weeks ago and I can't believe how much I love it. I'm reading about 5 books at the same time now, which I was always completely against, probably because I couldn't carry all of them around. I mainly read on public transport because I spend a lot of time commuting around the city for work. Great way to block everything out and relax.


Reading is a big part of my life and I've my dad to thank for that: he used to bring me to the library every Saturday to choose some books to read that week and would also read stories to me.


Reading!! Woohoo!!

I'm evangelical about the Kindle, and I was always saying I wouldn't ever have one because I need the feel and smell of books.:P It's a fantastic yokie.

Have barely bought a conventional book since I got it a few years ago.

ThirdMan

I can't imagine how different my life would be if I didn't develop an interest in literature and reading. "It fortifies the inner life", as Seamus Heaney put it.

Legs.Eleven

D1stant wrote: »

Cool Dad!

He's that alright.

tigger123

Candie wrote: »

If you like books in that vein, another good one is "Paranormality: Why We See What Isn't There" by Richard Wiseman.

Yep, read it and loved it! Got a kindle too, never leave home without it.

Legs.Eleven

Candie wrote: »

I'm evangelical about the Kindle, and I was always saying I wouldn't ever have one because I need the feel and smell of books.:P It's a fantastic yokie.

Have barely bought a conventional book since I got it a few years ago.

Yeah, I got over the lack of smell almost immediately. :pac: The fact that I can stick it in my handbag when I head out is brilliant. I used to have to carry my book round in my hand or bring a separate bag for it, which turned me off bringing one out when I was out and about, so I'm reading more often now.


Ah it's just brilliant. Really delighted with it.

Zed Bank

I love books but being honest I would actually have to have a book made out of paper. I don't know why really, I suppose its the novelty of it. I can't deal with reading on a tablet, thats just me anyway.

LizzieJones

I love reading and have since I could read. Currently I am reading a book called Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution.

gufnork

There's a girl on another site I visit that has set herself a challenge to read 365 books this year. She swears blind it's do-able, and is blogging about it. At the last blog post she was about 20 books behind I think(don't quote me...). She says her dad tested her once to see how much she's actually taking in and says she managed to tell him pretty much everything he asked about. I remember seeing something about Oscar Wilde once being able to take in an entire page in an instant simply by glancing at it for a second. Must be nice to have a photographic memory like that!

ThirdMan

gufnork wrote: »

I remember seeing something about Oscar Wilde once being able to take in an entire page in an instant simply by glancing at it for a second. Must be nice to have a photographic memory like that!

The current speed reading champion is Anne Jones. 4,700 words per minute with 67% comprehension. Phenomenal.

gufnork

Zed Bank wrote: »

I love books but being honest I would actually have to have a book made out of paper. I don't know why really, I suppose its the novelty of it. I can't deal with reading on a tablet, thats just me anyway.

It's nice to have a real book to read I must admit, but it's been forever since I've actually read that way. I've spent the last 4 years using my Sony PRS 505 pretty much exclusively and have only recently switched to using my Kindle Fire, again, pretty much exclusively. In an ideal world I'd still be reading via dead tree, but ebook readers are just too damned convenient for me to stop now.

Legs.Eleven

gufnork wrote: »

There's a girl on another site I visit that has set herself a challenge to read 365 books this year. She swears blind it's do-able, and is blogging about it. At the last blog post she was about 20 books behind I think(don't quote me...). She says her dad tested her once to see how much she's actually taking in and says she managed to tell him pretty much everything he asked about. I remember seeing something about Oscar Wilde once being able to take in an entire page in an instant simply by glancing at it for a second. Must be nice to have a photographic memory like that!

What a pointless exercise. I know another fella who's doing that and I don't see any point to it. Just read the books and enjoy them ffs.

RoboRat

although I bought Glamorama by brett easton ellis about 10years ago.

Ah man, I envy you, that book is ****ing immense. Bat**** crazy like all his stuff but I loved it!

gufnork

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

What a pointless exercise. I know another fella who's doing that and I don't see any point to it. Just read the books and enjoy them ffs.

Yes, I agree. For the last 2 years I've done the goodreads yearly challenge, 40 and 45 books respectively, and even then I felt like I was taking as much notice of the book count as anything else, so this year I'm not doing it at all, and I have to say I'm much happier for it. God only knows what pleasure can be had from reading a book a day for an entire year. Sounds like hell.

ivytwine

I'm replying to this thread because I want to keep up with all your recommendations.

I love reading and tbh I feel sorry for people who say they don't read. I can't imagine living life without all the wonderful characters and stories I've enjoyed throughout the years.

Like a lot of 'weird' kids, books got me through childhood and my teen years

ThirdMan

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

What a pointless exercise. I know another fella who's doing that and I don't see any point to it. Just read the books and enjoy them ffs.

Exactly. I set myself a similar task with films in January. Yeah, I was flying through them, but I wasn't taking them in properly. I quickly stopped it. Now I only watch two a week. A contemporary one on Friday nights, and a classic on Sunday afternoons. Much more enjoyable.

MRnotlob606

Funny how in school i never read anything the teacher assigned, then I started buying books and became so enlightened by it all, Reading is a great cure for boredem

Strangely, I know a guy on a journalism course who has never read a book in his life, and is very proud of that fact. How he got on that course is a mystery, why he's interested in words for a living is an even bigger mystery.

Micky Dolenz

I read all the time, in fact I am reading right now.

Ilyana 2.0

When someone tells me they don't read, it reminds me of people who say they don't listen to music. Fair enough if it's not your thing, but I couldn't imagine living without reading or listening to music. I genuinely don't understand it.

ThirdMan

ThirdMan wrote: »

The current speed reading champion is Anne Jones. 4,700 words per minute with 67% comprehension. Phenomenal.

Jesus
I thought I was a quick reader
I haven't tried to actually "speed read" much though

Oranage2

Never really read books until about 3 years ago, now I love them, with a really good book I could spend till I wake up to when I go to sleep reading one.

The only bad thing about reading books that are turned into a movie is that the movie never comes close to how good the book was.

AnonoBoy

D1stant wrote: »

All well and good unless the library is a mix of medieval torture, butchery, body decomposition and the like

True. Although Mister Waters doesn't say you have to f*ck them just because they have books. Merely that if they have none, definitely don't.

meoklmrk91

I was an avid reader as a child, went through books like there was no tomorrow, no one else in my family was reader at all, wasn't encouraged, I just loved it and had a reading age of 17 at the age of 11! In my early teens I didn't read as much, the odd book here and there, I just didnt have the concentration level, got back into it in my mid to late teens and now I always have something on the go, I read on my ipad these days and fly though books, love browsing the kindle store to see what I am going to get next. I also don't understand people who don't read, it is such a brilliant pastime. I am of the opinion that a book is the best gift you can give, I always try to give books to the children in my life, pick something that they are interested in a buy a book about it, they love it!

RayM

Candie wrote: »

Strangely, I know a guy on a journalism course who has never read a book in his life, and is very proud of that fact. How he got on that course is a mystery, why he's interested in words for a living is an even bigger mystery.

I did a journalism course a few years ago, and there were one or two people who very obviously didn't read books, newspapers or magazines. They couldn't really write very well, and didn't seem to know anything about anything. Yet they somehow thought journalism would be a good idea.

Cabaal

That_Girl_ Is_ A_Cowboy wrote: »

Recently I watched the movie Philomena Lee and the movie almost had me in tears. I know it's based on a true story and a book - The Lost Child Of Philomena Lee.

The book is always better then the movie,

It has been the case for numerous movies including
- World War Z (the movie was awful but the book was fantastic)
- Congo
- Jurassic Park
- Jurassic Park The Lost World
- Any of Clive Cussler books that were made into movies, Sahara, Raise the Titantic etc

Really the only movie I've ever seen that is perfectly in-line with the book is 1984,

IvyTheTerrible

You're never bored if you've a book to read.

gufnork

Cabaal wrote: »

The book is always better then the movie...

You've obviously never read Jaws then. My God, if there was ever a movie that surpassed the book in almost every respect, it's that one.