Reading is what it’s all about, isn’t it? That’s why we writers turn up to the computer, day after day, to grind out the words.
In fact, reading invariably came first. As children we devoured books; at least I did. Now I look back at those days with yearning, because I seemed to have so much time to read. Not a night would go by when I didn’t spend an hour or two in bed before the lights went out, lost in a novel.
Back then, I could sometimes get on a roll and read until 4 or 5 in the morning. There were always the tricky times during the evening to negotiate — the times when I was supposed to have turned out the lamp beside my bed, the times when I would hear my mother making her way towards my door and I would frantically reach over and turn it out so she wouldn’t see. Of course, I was sprung too many times to count, and even more often than I realised, I daresay.
But then would come the time of evening when I heard my parents retiring for the night, and I would finally relax. Because if the book was really good, there was no way I was switching out the light for another few hours yet… I’d look at the time and shrug. I’d tell myself I could easily survive on 6 hours sleep, and then 5, and then finally 4 seemed eminently possible.
Oh wow, those were the days. Sometimes I’d have to push through leaden eyes, but more often than not I was so far from sleep, it seemed impossible anyway.
(She sighs.) These days I have to carve out reading time to get any at all. There seems to be so much to do! Probably reading in bed at night is still my preferred location and time, but the more I try to jam into my evenings (as in writing and blogging and…) the later I collapse into it and the less likely I am to read.
Gone are the days when I can stay awake until 4am reading. I can barely keep my eyes open past midnight half the time.
A couple of years ago I worked in the city for a year and caught the train to and fro each day. That was a total rediscovery of reading for me. Two daily doses of blessed reading on the train. I rediscovered the habit for a year, and found the more regularly I read, the easier it was to make use of the 20 minute spaces. A bit like writing really.
Perversely, I also rather appreciate hangovers. This is because they give me an excuse to spend an entire day languishing on the couch with a good book (so long as it’s a weekend!). Such luxury. But, alas, it doesn’t happen very often.
This reflection was inspired by the third of my eleven questions: Do you read in noisy or quiet spaces? An odd question, really, because I can only assume most people would prefer quiet, when it’s easiest to concentrate.
But I can read when and where it’s noisy. Last year, when I wasn’t working, I would sometimes take myself off to a cafe with a book or my kindle. It was an excuse to get out of the house, really, and I whiled away many an hour or two with a coffee, snack and novel.
So how about you? Where and when do you prefer to read? What are you reading right now? (I’m reading For whom the bell tolls, by Ernest Hemingway.)
E V Gregory 
I’m reading the Game of Thrones books right now, which would not normally be something I’d pick up, but, I figured, what the heck? I find it really hard to carve out reading time…usually, I end up staying up later than I should, rationalizing that I don’t need that much sleep…lol… (so glad that caffiene exists!)
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I find these days I just can’t keep awake… So annoying. I never got into the book Game of thrones, and now the series is here, I find there’s no need to read it. Are you enjoying?
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Right now I’m reading several books: Queen of Dreams by Chitra Divakaruni, a writing craft book about using Method Acting techniques, Tender is the Night by Fitzgerald, and Paper Towns by John Green on audio book in my car. Yes, it gets challenging to keep them straight in my head though they are all different enough that I can do it. Usually.
I have to stay up late in order to get most of my reading in so I’m often sleep-deprived. Echoing Laird’s sentiment – I’m so thankful for caffiene!
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Wow, that is a lot. I have a pile of half-read books I intend to get back to, but can’t honestly say I’m reading them all at once. I do, however, have another book going in the car on audio – Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb. Sometimes I cheat and listen to it inside as well!
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Dragon Keeper’s a brilliant book! I’m currently reading The Hunger Games (I know, jumping on the bandwagon), but I have the same problem as you – I have too much writing to do to read. I know the old spiel about writers needing to read, yadda yadda, but I just don’t have time often. Especially if I’ve spent all day writing, the last thing my brain and my eyes need is to stare at more words! But when I do get back into reading I read ravenously. Now I think about it, I must read in the same way that I write – sporadically, but frantically.
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Yes, I’m enjoying Dragon Keeper… In fact, last night I downloaded it onto my kindle and read until 2 am!! So much for listening to it in the car. (gee kindles are great!)
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I can pretty much read anywhere – bed, the kid’s swim practice, on the bus to work… You name it, I’ve probably tried to read there. Haven’t tried the audiobook thing. Driving is actually kind of a quiet time, where I work out plot kinks in my head.
😉
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Yeah, sometimes I think in the car, but when I’m in the middle of a good audio book, that generally takes precedence!
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Isn’t it remarkable how the hours of each day seem to have shrunk since the world of Social Media and platform building exploded on the scene? When I read, I have to stop and remind myself that it’s okay because my myriad of tasks are always waiting and, unfortunately, growing!
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Yes, social media can be so time consuming! I’m finding it so hard to fit everything in.
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So much to read, so little time. My book TBR book pile just keeps growing.
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Tell me about it! I’ve already reconciled myself to the fact that I won’t be able to read everything I want to… Ever.
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