Question...WHEN do you read?

[KayLR]

I am trying to establish a new routine for myself and I want to read more books and less online stuff (far less doomscrolling).

Do you have time carved out for reading? Or do you just pick up a book here or there? Morning reader? Nighttime?

Rosa, how do you manage to read so many books?

I seem to have trouble allowing myself to sit and read because there's always something else to do and I feel guilty. I know this is dumb thinking. I used to read during my lunchbreak at work, but I don't work anymore and kinda got out of that habit now I'm home all the time.

[catherine]

Great question! I'm also trying to eliminate daily time wasters and read more. I would read more at night but DH likes us to watch TV together. So do I, but after dinner would be a logical time to read, but then again, I might fall asleep. Which, BTW, is what I do when I "read" audiobooks in bed. So I set the sleep timer for 30 minutes, and I usually have to rewind about 10 minutes the next day.

My favorite free time period of the day is 3pm until dinner time. I can often find that time because I schedule my own work hours. When I was living with my aunt in the summers, 3-5pm was when I would read, sew, or learn something new. Here is my favorite reading spot.

IMG_1633.jpg

[rosarugosa]

I have some of the same thoughts in terms of things I need to do before I allow myself to sit down with my book. So I guess my reading time is literally dessert, and I read in the evening after dinner. I seldom plan anything else for my evenings.

It's kind of funny that in the 8 years of my retirement, I think there was only one day, maybe two, that I allowed myself to just spend a whole day reading. I also almost never stay up past my bedtime no matter how good a book may be. In the rare instances that I stay up a bit late, it's never past 10PM (very late for me!)

In the winter and inclement weather, I get a lot of reading done while I get my steps. I used to pace my bedroom and read, but now I have a small treadmill. I am noticing that I find it less comfortable to read a book on the treadmill though. So I've been trying some different things. Magazines are OK, because they are light enough for me to hold in 1 hand, while I hold the handgrip with the other. (I subscribe to several good magazines with a lot of actual content, that I read cover-to-cover). I listened to a podcast that had been sitting in my inbox for months. I also find it easier to read stuff on my laptop, but I'm not exactly aiming for more screen time in my life. It will be interesting to see if my book consumption decreases with the treadmill.

[rosarugosa]

A couple of additional thoughts:

I almost never get sleepy when I'm reading.

Catherine: I love your cozy reading spot. Here's mine:

reading chair in winter.jpg

[happystuff]

Excellent question and something I have wondered about with all the avid readers on the site.

I've definitely started reading more the last couple of months. I do not, however, have a specific time for reading. Sometimes I just stop everything during the day and sit and read, sometimes it's at night. Definitely want to get more reading time in.

Oh, no "cozy" spot, just the end of our one and only loveseat/couch with the dog next to me. Well, I guess that is cozy. LOL.

[catherine]

A couple of additional thoughts:

I almost never get sleepy when I'm reading.

Catherine: I love your cozy reading spot. Here's mine:

reading chair in winter.jpg

Thanks, rosa! When I took that picture I was actually in the midde of rereading The Serviceberry to review my margin notes and pick a couple of good quotes for my next chapter on True Wealth .

I love. your cozy corner, too!

[iris lilies]

Rosa, your cozy reading looks like something out of a magazine. Well done! Those lace curtains add so much atmosphere.

Katherin is nice too, by the fire.

[Alan]

I've always been an avid reader, especially post retirement where I find myself spending several hours most days catching up on current events, news and opinion. The one category of reading that I make sure to do every single day is the leisure and entertainment variety which I do almost exclusively in the evenings, in bed.

I think it's probably been 10 years or more since I last missed an evening of bedtime reading although there's no guarantee that I'll spend much time each night doing so. I'm one of those people who simply can't put a book away until I reach a logical ending point such as the end of a current chapter and before the next. With the advent of electronic reading devices I find myself paying strict attention to the "minutes remaining in chapter" feature of the Kindle app when starting a new chapter and using it as a guide to whether or not I'll stop at that point or go on. That results in some nights reading for a half hour or so and other nights reading two or three times longer.

[hana]

I mostly read in the evening as part of the wind down before bed. I also listen to audiobooks during my day when I'm doing mindless tasks at work. This could be a book, posdcast, or a comedy special. Also have an audiobook for road trips.

I'll read during the day when I go to meet clients since it's easy to carry a kindle while traveling or waiting.