Time for Reading

I always make time for reading, but the issue is what I'm reading. Often, I'm reading articles online. Anyway, I don't want to ignore this blog between reviews, so this post on making time for reading gave me fodder for a post of my own.

1. Forget breakfast TV

I don't watch TV in the morning. I read my email, catch up on Facebook (that includes news articles from sites I follow on FB like the Daily News and HuffPo), check the blogs I follow, and read daily comics online.

2. Read at work

I did this when I was working, sometimes during lunch (when I wasn't going for walks -- need to get some exercise!) and if it was quiet at the reference desk at the library.

3. Listen to an audiobook at the gym

Audiobooks put me to sleep. I read paperbacks at the gym, and yes, it's a bit of a juggling act on the treadmill.

4. Chill at home with a novel

I sometimes read novels at home, but usually, I catch up with graphic novels and comics at home.

5. Keep a book in the glove compartment

The idea with this one is to have a book with you. I always have a book with me, in my bag, or an ebook on my phone's Kindle app.

6. Put reading on the menu

This suggests reading with cooking. Since I don't read audiobooks, this means a hardcopy and I'm no way coordinated to do that.

7. Dive into a story during dinner

I sometimes read while eating, but I'm usually eating at the computer, working on posts and scrolling through my Facebook feed.

8. There’s always the evening

I read after the night's TV viewing and sometimes, during commercials, though I often check Facebook during commercials, too. That's a form of reading, right?

There were some other suggestions on the post that linked to this. It's a graphic, so I have to type the suggestions, along with my thoughts about them.

1. Throw your phone in the ocean or use on airplane mode.

Aside from reading ebooks on my phone, I'm not addicted to the thing. I spend a lot of time at home on my computer, though.

2. Carry a book at all times.

This goes with #5 above. I always have a book with me.

3. Have another book ready before you finish the one you're reading.

I'm iffy on this one. Sometimes, I know what I want to read next, either the next book in the series I'm reading, or something completely different, and if the latter, I tend to wait til I finish a book so I can see what I'm in the mood for. I have a few hundred unread books at home, so finding something isn't a problem.

4. If you aren't enjoying a book, stop reading it immediately.

I try to give a book a fair chance to engage me, but unlike in my youth when I finished a book even if I didn't like it -- something I got from my mother -- I now will stop reading after a chapter or two if the book isn't doing it for me. There are too many books waiting for me to waste time on one not suited for me.

5. Schedule one hour a day for reading on your calendar like you would for an important meeting.

I can see this working for some people, but not for me. I read whenever I can but I'm not always in the mood to concentrate (which is why playing on Facebook is a good time filler or watching TV). Sometimes, my eyes are too tired. I don't like thinking of reading as a chore, which scheduling it could wind up making me feel.

6. Keep a reading log and share it.

I've had a reading journal since 1965 and now I have Library Thing and this blog for sharing my adventures in reading.