Ebook? Kindle? Physical book? Phone? Audio books?
Quiet place? In bed? Waiting in line at the Doctor’s office? While the kids are asleep? On the beach? Or on the couch?
There are so many places to read and enjoy the written word. That is why I just love reading!
I read on my phone, Kindle, physical books, on my computer….sometimes even audio! I read every place that I can too. I can read in a waiting room to my car. There is nothing wrong with needing a quiet place. When I read a classic, I have to have silence. When I read any easy and light read, I can read in public.
For me, reading an audio book is difficult. I cannot pay attention and/or comprehend what the speaker(s) are saying. But when it is a podcast where the audio is presented like a TV show with sound effects, I comprehend it a lot better. More power to people who can listen and comprehend an audio book!
My favorite spot to read is outside in my hammock or porch. It is nice to just relax and enjoy the birds chirping while reading a good book. I live in Western PA (The PA Wilds) and we only get good weather for about 3-4 months. so reading outside can be rare. But when I have the opportunity, it is so nice!
Reading is done on my lunch breaks or after work. It is a stress reliever. You can tell how stressed that I am by how many books that I am reading at once!
I spend at least 1 hour each day reading. I set daily and weekly goals on how many pages that I need to read. I keep a notebook with the page numbers or percentages for each book. If these goals are not met that day, I need to “catch up” on my reading. That started when I was not able to complete a book by its due date for the library. I just kept doing it for every book that I read. *** I sometimes with set a post it note on the page that I need to get to that day. My daily and weekly goals has helped me keep on track. Crossing off the daily goals on my notepad gives me a sense that I have accomplished my goals for that day. Additionally, Goodreads yearly tracker also helps me keep on track for my reading goals. I set my goals at 150 for this year, but knew after starting a new job in September that I was not going to make my goal. I lowered my goal to 130 to reduce the chances of me getting frustrated. It is okay to lower a goal, as long as you can make it there!
*** I take the total number of pages then divide by the amount of days that I want or have the books. (For example, the book is 340 pages long and I have it for 14 days. I take 340/14. This means that I need to read 24 pages a day. If it is an ebook, I do 5% a day for 21 days and 7% for 14 days. Even with multiple books, I still only read for about an hour a day. If I read more than my goals, then the next day, I keep reading with the goals for the following day. I can then finish the book earlier than expected!***
All my life, I have been “looked down on” or judged for reading. In high school, I would read at home and never in public. Just recently, I told people about my reading habits. Their first reaction was shock about how many books that I read. Their next reaction was laughing at me, and I felt ridiculed. People will tell me how little they read or the last book that they read was in high school. The joke was on them though. As they were laughing at me, I felt sorry for them. I have been all over the world in a book. I have had experiences that they will never have. Until social media, I never knew that there were so many people who read books just like me! The book community has made me not feel ashamed to read but embrace the nerd that I am! NEVER feel ashamed for reading a book. Read, learn, share, and grow as a person!
So in conclusion, it does not matter how, where you read that book, or even setting or changing goals just as long as you are reading! Keep reading, Book Nerds!