Do you read?

Hammer89

Have you read pubes? Now that that's out of the way - do you read and if so, how did you get into it?

I don't know what it is but there's something very appealing to me about reading. I've never been a reader - you can count on one hand the amount of books I've finished - but I'd love to be one day. Problem is, it's a very difficult hobby to pick up in 2016. Our attention spans are shrinking. Why read Oscar Wilde when you can pwn somebody on Call of Duty? Why read Stephen King when we can watch the latest film or television show that Netflix has sh*t out? For me, both activities dwarf reading in terms of something to do, but I'd love to change that.

I'd love to be able to bring a book out to my local green on a sunny day and sit there for hours, like I see some people doing around here, but I don't trust myself not to get bored and f*ck off back home to shoot some French bloke on the Playstation. It's sad in a way. I'm well aware there's literally millions upon millions of brilliant literacy out there - I just lack the drive to utilise any of it.

lc180

tldr

Custardpi

The best books, whether fiction or non-fiction should be capable of transporting the mind of the reader to a landscape far more vivid than any World of Warcraft or Call of Duty game. You just have to find the books that work for you. The power of the human imagination is boundless when sparked by a good story - why in the last couple of months I have lived the harsh life of a Blasket Islands fisherman, survived (just barely, twas a close run thing) hand to hand combat with a German intellingence officer, eavesdropped on top level meetings of Jihadist terrorists before finally embracing an ancient Sumerian goddess. All without going near a controller.

Agricola

You think you're distracted now OP. Wait til you discover internet porn.

Hammer89

Bit late for that mate.

Peregrine

Not even half as much as I'd like to but, yes, I suppose I read.

I've actually set myself a taget of finishing a book next week. I usually take weeks, if not months, so it would be an achievement for me and hopefully a way getting into a habit of reading more frequently.

Junkyard Tom

I used to read voraciously before the internet. Now I don't.

Skatedude

k,
Have hundreds of book Literately, but mostly reading kindle scifi due to the fact that some money goes to the the author, I read about 3 to 4 full novels a week

warpdrive

Start by getting a book you think you'd enjoy and read it on the toilet. If you enjoy it enough you'll be tempted to continue reading when finihed going to the toilet.

Coopaloop

I love reading and think anyone that says they aren't a reader just hasn't found the right book or just couldn't give a sh*t to bother sit down and read,which is a shame,as a really good book transports your imagination in ways a video game never could. I have too many books to count and unfortunately no room for them so I've had to donate many of them to charity,but I've kept the ones I've loved and the classics too. I've also got the kindle app on my phone which I resisted for so long as I like holding a book, but lack of book space made me do it. I would read at least 3 books a week,and that's with working full time and having two children under 2 and a half. There is always time to read. I just counted the books on my kindle and there are 542,some are yet to be read but I've read the majority and have the kindle 2 years.

Oh yes. Books are very important to me. Just being near them helps me to feel better. They are all higgledy-piggledy everywhere in my room. A few beside my bed. One or two on it.
For as long as I can remember books have been a part of my life.

When I was a child I had this beautiful illustrated collection of fairytales that my dad used to read to me. It set the tone for my childhood and teenage years of reading. I devoured fantasy and Irish myths and legends.

As an adult my reading is pretty much anything which ignites my insides or makes me think or simply takes me away. Precious precious books.

the_syco

I used to read quite a lot. When I was a child, it'd be fairytales such as Redwall, and then went onto the books about spys and warfare, but over the past few years, I've read less, and watched more TV series.

When reading, I would become so engrossed in the novel that I lose all sense of time. Currently, not many books really captivate me. Am partially reading Neuromancer, but thus far it hasn't really grabbed me.

the_syco

I used to read quite a lot. When I was a child, it'd be fairytales such as Redwall, and then went onto the books about spys and warfare, but over the past few years, I've read less, and watched more TV series.

When reading, I would become so engrossed in the novel that I lose all sense of time. Currently, not many books really captivate me. Am partially reading Neuromancer, but thus far it hasn't really grabbed me.

K-9

Went. maybe 15 years when I didnt read books much. Got back into it the last couple of years and still don't read enough.

A good book (doesn't matter what or who writes it) gets into your head and imagination.

The best, you can imagine yourself as that character, in that place, you can picture The Bronx, Buenos Aries, Communist Moscow, 1950's Ireland in your head, and the really great ones, you are actually living there, feeling the emotions of the characters, second guessing reactions to what was said.

A bit like the_syco, I'm a sucker for spy novels. But you've spy novel page turners and then John LeCarre, who has transcended the genre. I'm going through a phase of rereading his novels.

Just as good as a movie. Bonfire of the vanities was a turkey of a movie, but the book is brilliant. It describes the racial tensions, the gap between rich and poor, the police and DA's, the courts better than any film can do.

If you're a Tv fan, the closest TV can come to a good novel is the Wire. That's TV at its very best, but that's just normal for a good book.

Wibbs

I've got some attention deficit mentalism going on and it comes out in needing to know more and more about random shíte, so reading is a big part of that. Non fiction mind you. I could count on the fingers of one hand how many fiction books I've read. The coming of the interwebs just broadened my supply TBH.

ElleEm

Wibbs wrote: »

I've got some attention deficit mentalism going on and it comes out in needing to know more and more about random shíte, so reading is a big part of that. Non fiction mind you. I could count on the fingers of one hand how many fiction books I've read. The coming of the interwebs just broadened my supply TBH.

I am exactly the same. I love non fiction. I have definitely found that my attention can waver so I have to work on focusing on reading a book and not picking up my phone every few minutes to google a subject or word from the book. I try to make time for reading too. I used to be able to read anywhere but now I find I have to set aside time to turn off the radio or tv and sit quietly reading. I could easily get stuck into a book for hours but getting started can be difficult.

Boskowski

Yes I do, always read a lot since I was a child. Nothing fancy, most of it wouldn't be called literature strictly speaking, but I always read a lot. Fiction mostly, but also non-fiction. Nowadays I don't read as much as I used to, rat race and all that, but I'm still reading quite a bit.

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one." - George R.R. Martin

Edit: Since I moved to Ireland I have switched to English books almost exclusively. I had pretty decent school English before my move, but it has greatly helped me getting a proper command of the language.

Figbiscuithead

My dad is a voracious reader and used to read to me all the time as a kid. He'd bring me to the library every Saturday morning and while he'd go off and choose his books, he'd leave me to choose my own. I think giving me the opporunity to choose what I wanted to read and letting me discover what was out there for myself got me into it. After that we'd head off and park somewhere quiet by a river or somewhere and read for a few hours - it's one of the nicest memories I have.

I always have a book on the go and I read one every 3 weeks as I'm studying and working full time at the mo. I'm reading a lot more since getting my Kindle and I have it in my handbag and take it out whenever I'm out and about. I can't read on the sofa because my laptop is here and distracts me, so I lie on the bed and read and can do that for a few hours. I read in parks, cafes, bars and public transport commuting to work but I don't make a point of going anywhere and reading, I just take it out of my handbag when the mood takes me.

It's all about finding genres you like: don't waste your time on books that bore you - give it a few pages and if it doesn't grab you, move onto something else. I don't believe in suffering just to say you read such and such a book - life is too short and there's too many great books out there to be wasting time. Once you find one writer you like, it's easier to find similar online through recommendations on the internet.

I don't have a telly, don't care about TV series and there's nothing online that I prefer to reading, so maybe it's easier for me. I'd definitely recommend getting yourself a Kindle, downloading a few books and bringing it with you wherever you go.

Fleawuss

I love the new coloring books for adults. It's so satisfying staying between the lines until you're nearly done and then making Shyte of it. Good times.

Turtyturd

Not as much as I would like.

My OH gets through multiple books in a week, she can pick it up and if she gets interrupted a few seconds later can just put it down, go off and do what she has to do and come back and continue where she left off. I envy her because I can't do that, I have to finish a chapter when I read so have to set aside a bit of time but reading is competing with tv, gaming, comics for that time and it rarely wins out. The main time I get to read is before bed for an hour and I am not the fastest reader so can take me a while. Also find myself reading a lot of philosophy/sociology related stuff over fiction lately.

Did start a reading log a few years back on here to track/inspire me to stick with it but gave up after a while, might give it another go.

CFlat

When I go on my hols I'm a voracious reader. Would do nothing but read books and would consume 3 fairly decent sized ones in a week. When I'm home, nothing. I spend far too much time on Boards the other 51 weeks of the year...I mean FAR too much time.

Your Face

I want read?

Rubberchikken

used to. not any more. now it's audiobooks all the way. oh and boards too;)

ElleEm

Figbiscuithead wrote: »

My dad is a voracious reader and used to read to me all the time as a kid. He'd bring me to the library every Saturday morning and while he'd go off and choose his books, he'd leave me to choose my own. I think giving me the opporunity to choose what I wanted to read and letting me discover what was out there for myself got me into it. After that we'd head off and park somewhere quiet by a river or somewhere and read for a few hours - it's one of the nicest memories I have.

That is such a lovely thing to share. I will definitely do something similar when I have kids. My da is the same, he loves books. He used to read to myself and my brothers most nights when we were kids. He would position his chair between our rooms so we could all hear him from bed.

I eat all of the books. Om nom nom

hairyslug

My attention span is brutal,I could read all day but it would have to be about a lot of different topics, normally 1 leading on from the other, Wikipedia is great for this.

The shorter Roald Dahl books that I read to my daughter hold my attention but I just couldn't keep going over a number of days on the one book.

osarusan

Yes.

Love reading, love it.

I'm not any kind of fan of the argument that 'if you don't like X, it's just because you haven't found the right X for you', but I feel a kind of pity for people who just don't get the kind of pleasure I get from reading.
(I suppose they feel the same about music or art or whatever floats their boat but not mine).

Dickens, Coetzee, Steinbeck, Marquez....I could go on forever.

Medusa22

I really love to read and I always have, from a young age. My Dad also used to bring me to the library at the weekends and this helped to foster my love of reading.

I don't read a lot of classic literature, mostly I read crime novels and embarrassing books like 'Twilight' and 'The Hunger Games', though I do have a special place in my heart for Ovid's Metamorphoses and 'The Aeneid', and Homer's Odyssey too.

I have to say that boards distracts me a lot though so it takes me a while to get absorbed in a book whereas it didn't before.

I also have a terrible habit of starting a book and then reading it for a while and then starting another book so I end up with a couple on the go but then I forget where I am or I forget about a book. I have to stop doing that but somehow I have no patience and I just want to read everything, now!

mahamageehad

I've always enjoyed reading, and I'm another one that was brought to the library every week when I was younger! I used to go through phases of reading more and reading less. Since I moved to Germany I'm reading a lot more (even though I need to either bring the books or buy them from Amazon) as I spend about 90 minutes a day during the week on public transport. Nothing like the feel of a book, ebooks can't compare imho. I actually started a reading log on boards a few months ago when I found that forum (link in my sig if anyone wants to start their own!)

Actually, we're currently redecorating and we just built a floor to ceiling bookshelf so I'm looking forward to filling that up!

Dirty Dingus McGee

I don't understand the idea that having a supposedly short attention span stops people from reading.If anything reading is much more accessible than watching a film where you have to concentrate for 2 hours straight.You can read a book in short bursts 7 or 8 pages at a time.

Reading can be more difficult if you are tired but if your not tired then it is easy to do.

Reading is without doubt the greatest hobby of all as anyone can do it and there will always be a plentiful supply of great books to read.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I have been an avid reader since childhood. I lost the joy of it at secondary school, when we had to read novels of no interest to me. At university, I had no time for reading for enjoyment. When bringing up our family I read thrillers and the like to unwind before sleeping at night.
Since I retired, I continue with the fiction at night but devote about an hour of every day to reading science or history books. It's relaxing, enjoyable, informative and inspiring for me.

Dial Hard

I'm an absolutely voracious reader, have been since childhood. Outside of the academic year I could easily read 3-4 books a week. Don't really have time to read for pleasure during the academic year as I also work full-time but my degree is in Literature and History so I still read a LOT - just not stuff of my own choosing :-)

I've come across people over the years who actively boast about not having read a book since secondary school and I can't really understand why they think it's something to be proud of.

etoughguy

Incessantly
I have read 100s (probably a few thousand by now) of books - the answers to so many things have been written down in books from overcoming depression, increasing your net worth, losing weights, spirituality for people like me who aren't intellectual enough to be atheists etc. You name it, the answer is most likely written somewhere. There is so much quality fiction out there also

Skatedude

I read 5 or 6 full novels a week since i was old enough to read, mostly scifi and have hundreds of books but using kindle on my tablet for a while now as it's so convenient and the authors actuality get some money where they dont from most sales as they are second hand.

Ruu

Not much of a reader person but yes to audio books when out for a run/bike.

darkpagandeath

Shock horror the medium of entertainments changing... Brig back embroidery !

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

darkpagandeath wrote: »

Shock horror the medium of entertainments changing... Brig back embroidery !

I don't know if it has changed too much where reading is concerned. Libraries are still busy and, I believe, 52% of us use our local libraries regularly. Many libraries changed the number of books you can borrow because of public demand.

Yes, sales of books in Ireland dropped by 14% recently but it is thought that internet purchases from abroad and the growing number of second hand outlets balances it out.

I think the OPs question is valid even if reading was a minority activity. Threads discuss MMA and suchlike which have a smaller audience than reading.

Embroidery hasn't gone away you know.

Figbiscuithead

osarusan wrote: »

Yes.

Love reading, love it.

I'm not any kind of fan of the argument that 'if you don't like X, it's just because you haven't found the right X for you', but I feel a kind of pity for people who just don't get the kind of pleasure I get from reading.
(I suppose they feel the same about music or art or whatever floats their boat but not mine).

Dickens, Coetzee, Steinbeck, Marquez....I could go on forever.

Yeah, reading is not for everyone and there's no point in feeling guilty because you feel it's something you *should* be doing - if it doesn't float your boat, then so be it.

I read constantly, both fiction and non-fiction. I know people just aren't into it, but I do feel they're missing out. It's a far richer experience than watching tv or a movie, but I suppose that's only my experience and everyone's different.

I'd read up to about three books a week, outside of the many hours of reading I need to do for my job.

razorblunt

Mainly on holidays, over 2 weeks I'd fly through book, never tend to keep it going during the rest of the year but I do enjoy it.

freshpopcorn

I can go through phases of reading. Generally only like something humorous or maybe a good murder/mystery. Not really into reading books about historic events or books that were written along time ago.
When I do get into a book I do like it but I do understand why some people hate reading.

Dial Hard

freshpopcorn wrote:

When I do get into a book I do like it but I do understand why some people hate reading.

I don't.

Not being facetious here but I genuinely don't get how anyone could hate reading.

To paraphrase Stephen King, books are a uniquely portable type of magic.

freshpopcorn

Dial Hard wrote: »

I don't.

Not being facetious here but I genuinely don't get how anyone could hate reading.

To paraphrase Stephen King, books are a uniquely portable type of magic.

I really believe in this saying.

One man's meat is another man's poison.

Books aren't poison, they're an antidote.

Shenshen

I love reading, and I love books. I'm what I call a story-adict, and the best stories are written down.

I don't read as much as I used to any more, life just gets in the way sometimes, but I still go through 2 - 3 books a week these days. More when I've got time off, or when the weather is bad.
I'd never leave the house without a book in my bag.
It used to be mostly novels, but I do like to read a good bit of non-fiction as well now.

I have to admit I never got into electronic books - just not for me. I've be terrified of losing the reader thing when carrying it around with me, just because they cost a good bit of money. So I'd only use it inside the house. And there, I really prefer the paper experience.
Also, how do you lend an electronic book to a friend? Or borrow one from one? If they do have a reader in the first place. It's just too awkward and too much money.

sebcity

My new years resolution is to read 12 books in 2016.
The problem is that I read when I go to bed and I fall asleep after 2/3 pages so it takes aaaaages to read a book.

Hammer89

Hammer89 wrote: »

Our attention spans are shrinking. Why read Oscar Wilde when you can pwn somebody on Call of Duty? Why read Stephen King when we can watch the latest film or television show that Netflix has sh*t out? For me, both activities dwarf reading in terms of something to do, but I'd love to change that.

Well one approach is not to HAVE a television or games machine. I have neither myself. So although I do not feel all that drawn to wasting hours of my life in front of a flickering box at home - even if I did the option is not there to tempt me in the first place.

I do try and read when I can - but there are other aspects of life that I engage with that are a draw on my time and resources.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

c_man

I read somewhat regularly (leaving aside news and work related stuff), I always have a book on the go. Starting into a collection of Robert Burns stuff today (anyone doing anything for Burns night? :pac: ) and just finished a bunch of Beckett's novellas. That makes me sound very high-brow but I read a wide range of stuff (went through Johnny Giles autobiography recently).

Its hard to understand people who do not read, its not just entertainment it helps you develop a inner life.

It also gives you insight into other lives and perspectives and ideas, fiction or not