this post was submitted on 13 Jun 2023
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Literature

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Myself personally I get most of my reading done on my 45 minute commute to work on the bus/train. I also enjoy reading in the mornings on weekends and occasionally in the evening on weekdays.

Another thing I like to do with my wife on the weekend is pick up some lunch and coffee and then read at the park.

Generally carrying my ereader around constantly means that idle moments in public end up getting used to advance in the book I’m reading, instead of purposelessly checking my phone or using social media. I think I read a post on here in another thread where someone else has had the same experience.

What about y'all? Any rituals? Do you play music?

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

On weekdays, mostly in bed before going to sleep.

On the weekends, I do longer bike rides and take my E-Reader. I listen to audiobooks while riding and then stop at a nice spot in the shade and just read for an hour or two before I move on to the next spot or ride back home.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

It is. :) It actually started way back when I was still in school. I suffered from pretty severe depression, but being a teenager I thought I had to deal with it by myself and I didn't talk to my parents. Instead, I would skip school, take my bike and just ride off into the forest and just read all day.

Back then it was classic escapism, really.

I'm mostly better now, was in therapy for a bit and while I still have some bad days, the habit of doing this to hide away from the world has morphed into something I do just because I love it, not to get away from something.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I'm what I call a seasonal reader - I almost exclusively read during the warmer months on my cute little balcony. I don't know what it is, but that's just my perfect setting for reading. I just can't get myself to read more than a few pages when I'm indoors. A cold glass of water, the warm summer sun and a great book are what I need!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Hah I've never heard of someone being a seasonal reader, I like your reason for it!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I read during my breaks or when i have nothing to do pretty much anywhere its why i personally prefer digital books over physical ones

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Me too. I always read before bed, on my lunch breaks, and when I’m waiting for an appointment or something

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I am always reading my Kindle on my breaks and before bed for at least an hour. With reddit not being an option in allowing myself moving forward, I'm sure I'll be reading even more!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Yup exactly the same here.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ereader is great for reading in idle moments. Unfortunately mine lives at work currently (for reading scientific papers). At one point I read while my kids were listening to an audiobook in the evening. I could get a nice amount of extra reading done that way even though it takes some extra concentration.

Usually I read when the kids are in bed, but it’s a bit hard when there are other competing things to do like talking with my partner or watching something. I’m trying to learn from my daughter who just reads during any spare moment in the day, and she has read so much this spring.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah reading in spare moments is definitely the way to go, can confirm. How come you don't just bring your ereader everywhere? Or if it's not actually yours, buy one for yourself?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I always read on my Kindle now. If I think I will be somewhere for a while, like at the hospital or a restaurant (sometimes they can take ages to bring food) then I'll take it with me so I can read there too.

Most of the time I read at home though.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I read ebooks almost exclusively (aside from graphic novels), and while I could take my kindle anywhere I feel most comfortable reading at home. I frequently read in bed after I wake up and before I sleep. Scrolling social media in bed is/was one of my bad habits; I see I'm not alone in picking up a book instead of giving my time to twitter/reddit/youtube.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I always do it at home. Usually on the couch or in bed.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Your back doesn't hurt in bed after a while?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Actually, that's the place where I'm the most comfortable. If I sit on a bench or something, it starts hurting.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Reading in bed protip: Lie down, then place a plump pillow across your chest/belly. Prop book or ereader on top of pillow (at perfect eye level). Enjoy reading in bed without weird angles for your wrist/neck or tired wrists from holding something for hours.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

sweats profusely

Do audio books count? If so, on my commute.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I mostly read on my ereader before I sleep. How much I read depends on how tired I am or if its getting reeeaally late. I can't really read during the day because it always feels like there is too much going on even when I don't really do anything. Reading at night feels so much niver somehow.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

My most common reading times are during my lunch break at work and before work if I wake up earlier than I need to be awake. But other than that, I just read in little bursts throughout the day when I have free time.

I prefer eBooks over physical books because they're easier to hold, have adjustable font sizes and themes, and I don't need a light to read. This is nice when reading before bed so that I can read my book in the dark, with light text on a black background. It's also nice that I can read practically anywhere since I almost always have my phone or some other device on me.

I don't play music when reading. I prefer a quiet environment.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I go through phases where I'll read more than others. At the moment I'm getting 3-5 hours in a day counting commute, lunch breaks and before bed. I also enjoy heading out to the woods on the weekend and getting a couple hours in there.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

It sounds like there are a number of us who enjoy reading amidst nature, myself included.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I own a lot of books. There's a used book store near my house where I get them cheap. Every night before I go to sleep I try to read a chapter.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I've been dealing with a chronic illness and for some reason reading was one of the activities that really took a hit.

I still keep a book with me in my backpack, so if I'm on the move I'll eg. read on the subway or if I have lunch away from home. In the summer I also used to love just setting up my hammock somewhere like the central park here in Helsinki (which is basically a 10km long strip of forest and not so much a park park) and getting lost in a book.

I also read in bed before going to sleep (my bed's pretty wide and one side usually has at least two books on it 😅).

I'm staunchly in the "physical books" camp nowadays. I used to have a Kindle and read pretty much constantly, but I realized that I didn't remember what I read half as well as I did when I read paper books – something about how it's easier for me to eg. remember where in a book something happened when I can physically feel "how much book I have left" if that makes any sense.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

It does make sense. One thing I like to do is after I read quickly summarize for myself what I just read. Later as I'm returning to the book again I recall/reproduce that summary. that's been really helpful for me. Also that park looks incredible.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Honestly, this has been the best part about moving to a city where public transit is the norm. My commute is longer. It used to take me 15-20 minutes to drive somewhere, while now I generally budget an hour to get places. Still, most days I prefer the hour of relative calm where I can escape with a good book to the stress of being stalled thirty honking cars deep on the highway.

It’s definitely made me appreciate the escapism of books more, though! Specifically enjoying sci-fi and romance novels much more. A couple recent favorites were The Sparrow and Red White and Royal Blue

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Mostly either Moonreader on android or an older kindle 5 during the daily commute.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I find the best moments to be during breakfast with a cup or two of coffee, and before bed.

Where I live access is either through Kindle or Paperback, and my wife has rights over the bookshelf, so I stick to the kindle.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What kind of books does she stack the bookshelf with? Or is it even being used for books?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Oh she reads exponentially more than I do, and quite a lot of interesting national books that I want to read too, IF ONLY I COULD BURN THROUGH MY BACKLOG :(

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

In bed every night on my kindle. Amazon sucks but damn if it isn't convenient, at least it has kept my reading habit going for years.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I know it is probably too late now since you're entrenched, but I went over to a Kobo e-reader because I wanted to get away from amazon.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

@books I've been using @voice aloud reader to listen to my epub files and webserials when I commute back from work. Best app ever, highly recommend.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I carry my ereader around with me and read when I have time mostly. Sometimes its in the morning while I'm having my coffee, other times its later at night while I'm winding down. I usually don't listen to audio while reading unless my partner is watching TV before bed. Then I'll listen to the noise generators on mynoise.net to block out whatever they're watching.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I wake up very early in the morning and cannot catch sleep. So I read there, in the bed. Also during commute and at night. Quitting Facebook and the like was crucial, one day I noticed how much time I was wasting by scrolling forever and ... That was it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Dark mode on the phone before closing the lid

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Sometimes in bed. Otherwise in the evening when I fancy some peace and quiet.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I mostly read on my e-reader as well, during the week lunch break at work, and I have set off an hour before going to sleep that I read, no other screens allowed for that time. Over the weekend I usually go find a nice place to sit and read for a bit.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Music helps me keep doing something if I can't focus at the moment; when I can, I always prefer silence when reading.

I usually read before sleep and sometimes randomly during the day. Seasonally, I find myself reading more in periods of increased stress, e.g. exam sessions.

While I like the feel of paper books, they're rarely as practical as a mobile app (on Android, I'm using PocketBook), especially when you can make unlimited notes in your books and search them quickly.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Interesting, does reading provide a calming effect or escape from your stress for you?

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