Reading the Detectives discussion
General chat
>
When and where do you read?
My readings habits are similar, Judy. Living in a country outside Europe and North America, e-reader (i.e., kindle) gives me an easy way to access diverse books and publications. It's also cheaper, though I recently noticed an increase in e-books prices.
Kindle has changed my reading life. I have hundreds of print books previous Kindle (about three years ago) and probably less ebooks (somewhere around 650 or so) than print books...but rapidly closing.Traveling is easier. I used to pack three or four books in a suitcase, now just a Fire and a Paperwhite. While I still enjoy a printed book, the display/storage of old and new books has been eased (it's just hard to get rid of books once I have read them).
Generally I have 20-30 books on the carousel, and I TRY not to purchase new ones when that happens, but...
I hate to admit that I am still old fashioned enough to stick to paper books!!! And I really don't know why except I like the feel of a book and the beauty of bookshelves jammed with my favorites. My late husband turned our den into a library and built floor to ceiling bookcases....it is such a relaxing and cozy room. Plus I have book cases in other rooms in the house.....I think it is beginning to look like a library!!!But Dee is right....traveling with books is awkward and since I don't read paperbacks, those hardbacks become a real pain.
I have a huge paperback/hardcover library, which is very important to me; however, since I am now older and have some physical difficulties, my Kindle has become a lifesaver. I think the world of reading is big enough for both, and it should be. After all, the pleasure of reading is the important thing.
I still prefer reading physical books by a long stretch, and as a longtime editor, I prefer to support authors to the best of my economic ability. But doing so poses some problems: (1) my sweetie goes to bed ridiculously early and wants me there by his side, but the light keeps him awake; (2) travel—my back can’t handle books in my luggage anymore; and (3) my shelves are full and soon I’ll need to move to a smaller place.So I compromise. If it’s a book I want to take notes from, I’ll always buy a physical book. If it’s a book I’ll want to keep or share with others, physical book again. If I think it’s a one-time read or a travel read, I’ll put it on the Kindle and make my sweetie happy (notice that making my sweetie happy falls fairly low on my priority list! I guess I rely on his good-nature and patience, both of which he has in plenty).
Good morning everyone.If ranking by preference, my reading material choice would be;
➤ The large (trade) paperbacks
➤ Smaller paperbacks, kindle books,
➤ smaller hardbacks
➤ Reading off my laptop
➤ Very distant fifth. Reading off my phone (small screen) or some of those huge hardback books
Has everyone caught up with the new airline regulations on travel? To certain countries you won't be able to have kindles, laptops & tablets in the plane cabin. USA & UK were the top of the list.
NZ & Rarotonga aren't on the above list, but when I go to Raro in June I may take some physical books & then donate them to the local library or an adult literacy scheme.
I read mainly at home - usually after lunch, at around 4pm & in the evening. I usually take a book to work, but don't usually get to it. & if I go anywhere with my husband I have a book in my handbag as his idea of 5 minutes, doesn't match with mine. (or the clock's!!!)
I prefer physical books. I will read anywhere in my house but my favorite place is an armchair with a foot rest and my favorite time is early morning before sunrise.
I read both. The Kindle was a life-saver when I got arthritis because it hurt to turn pages of physical books. But if it is a book I think I will want to keep - mainly histories or biographies - then I will get a physical book, either hardcover or trade paperback.I used to carry a lot of books when I traveled. The kindle helped me to cut on the number of books, although I still carry a couple. But it is a reduction from the ten I used to carry.
I carry a paperback in my purse. I also have books on my phone. When I used to commute I would read either the paperback or my kindle.
I have a large number of books both on the kindle and on my physical shelves.
I read physical books during the day and the kindle at night.
Mod
I use my kindle when commuting and for reading in bed (doing away with a nightlight was perfect, especially when my children were very small and I was often trying to get them to sleep and then creeping out of the room). I like books too, although mostly I buy cookbooks, history books or read Vine books.
Oddly, none of my children will read on a kindle. They all like paper books, which is fine. Except my house is, literally, drowning in books.
I use kindle and paper books, paperback for preference. I first bought a kindle when I was going away abroad for ten days and wouldn't have been able to take enough paperbacks without sacrificing clothes, I'd need at least five.I use the kindle now for about a third of my reading, I think that there are cheap deals on kindle so if a book is reduced on kindle I will get it and that is my format. Price is the driving factor or whether I can get it from the library! Now my mum has a kindle linked to my account I use the kindle a little more, before I would get paperbacks if I thought she would want to read, now I can get cheap kindle books instead.
It looks like around a third of the books I read are on kindle, but I have a huge purchased but to read list, three times as along as my purchased but to read paperback list.
I find I can't read just kindle, if I read too many in a row I find myself in a it of a reading slump and need a paper copy. All the books on kindle look, feel and smell the same so in my head it's all a bit beige and boring and I need the different looks and feel and smell and font from a paperback.
As to where I read: everywhere! In the bath, cooking dinner, on the journey to and from work (train, can't read in buses without feeling sick) in bed, on the sofa watching tv, lunchtimes at work, ten minutes waiting in the queue for something. Anywhere I can grab five minutes.
I think you can put the kindle in a suitcase in the hold but you can't take it with you in the cabin to read on the journey,, you could take one paperback instead- I always take a couple in case the kindle dies.But if you fly hand luggage only, which in the main I try to do, then taking the kindle is going to be a problem.
Michelle wrote: "I think you can put the kindle in a suitcase in the hold but you can't take it with you in the cabin to read on the journey,, you could take one paperback instead- I always take a couple in case th..."That's exactly it. & a kindle comes into it's own on long flights, so that you can have a book for every mood.
A woman I work with is very unhappy. She has a big trip to the UK coming up & she wants to take her laptop for writing emails, etc. She has had luggage lost on two previous trips (although it turned up eventually) Really not keen on trusting airlines with her laptop!
I'm also wondering with many of the budget airlines discontinuing their inflight entertainment screens, in favour of passengers downloading an app.
Mod
I hadn't heard about this - then again I've only ever flown once in my whole life! But I am due to fly on holiday this year. Just looked it up and seems that for flights from the UK it is only for travel to a few countries at the moment, so depends on your destination whether it applies - I'll check again before I'm due to fly, though.
Mod
Also worth noting if you fly with a kindle you must be able to turn it on if the airport security ask, so it needs enough power to be able to turn it on. Not a problem with readers like us who will probably fully charge it pre flight, but it has caught some people out. You won't always be asked but they like to see you turn it on so they can see it is a kindle and not a suspicious device. And apparently it is better for it to be turned OFF with wi-fi OFF when you put it through the X-ray machines as when turned on it can get messed up.
Mod
But sometimes I can find myself reading several at once, including Victorian literature, classic and modern crime, and if I'm not careful I start getting them muddled up.
Mod
I don't have any specific time to read in day. But I do read all night long until my eyes are tired.
I always have a paperback book going and an audiobook, usually both mysteries! I read the paperback on the bus to work and at bedtime. I listen to the audiobook while walking, cooking, gardening, and similar activities. Surprisingly, I often finish both books within a day of each other. This is the best method for me because I love physical books, but have also become addicted to the fabulous narrators on audiobooks (and I get them free from the library). Love to read, and listen!
Usually at least two depnding on mood. And also depending on the format, I won't take a hardback or a big paperback around with me so would be reading that at home and taking another - kindle or standard size paperback - when I'm out/at work. And if I have a book club book to read that I'm not enjoying I would take that to work to read at lunch/train home as I have no other distractions and have to read that but only for a shortish chunk, and then read what I want to read at home. And sometimes I pause a book as its not what I want right now and pick up another one or its one that needs my attention and I have had a busy day and have brain fog. I don't tend to get the characters or plot confused except once when I was reading two books where the main character in each was called Henry.
Mod
I really enjoy a quality paper book (cheap paperbacks that don't open well annoy me) and also want something on kindle for time away from home. I get my book at the library (paper, e-book or audio), library overstock sales, little free libraries, and kindle deals so often it is whichever format is available.
I try, but am often not successful, to have a non-fiction book going. As second choice, at least one that is not a mystery!
Mod
Betsy wrote: "I have a huge paperback/hardcover library, which is very important to me; however, since I am now older and have some physical difficulties, my Kindle has become a lifesaver. I think the world of r..."That's pretty much my situation, though I can still read my paper books. But the other element is that running out of bookshelf space even with a two-story dedicated library and bookshelves all over the house (see photos on my profile page), I'm running out of bookshelf space. (For insurance purposes about ten years ago I calculated my library at well over 10,000 books, and I'm still buying.)
So when I can, now, I tend to collect books on my two Kindles (one original, which has the benefit of a removable storage chip so it has essentially unlimited storage, and one recent which doesn't) and my Nook, I have a couple thousand more, many of them downloaded from Gutenberg and other free sources. Also, I can download from my library, and do.
So while I would still rather read a paper book, in many cases I would rather read a free ebook than buy a paper book. Also, I seriously dislike paperbacks, which are more and more the default for classics, so it's often a choice of a free ebook or a $25 hardback.
Finally, in the evenings, when my eyes are getting tired, the ability to enlarge the font on the ebooks becomes an important factor.
What a magnicent library! I have many, many bookshelves, but mine are not so neat although some do frame a fireplace, which makes them look impressive. :)
That is quite a library. My shelves are spread out in each room. Even my "reading room" has low shelves - bought in the days when I had a long hallway.
I do prefer real books, especially when I want to get stuck into my latest novel and find I've forgotten to charge the kindle. But The Kindle is an amazing invention.
I have to confess that I only read real books.....there is something about holding a book....the tactile effect that we talked about on another thread in this club. But they take up so much room and my home is overflowing, even though I have a library (not on the scale of Everyman's however, [post #24]).I love to read in bed and have done so almost every night of my reading life. I don't think I could go to sleep unless I spend at least 2 hours reading!
Strange I know, but I can't read in bed. I'm never comfortable with it, but I always read last thing before I go to bed. I must admit I have fallen asleep in the armchair when I have been reading,but not very often.
Mod
Like so many of the bibliophiles on this thread, I read whenever and wherever I can. I prefer physical books always, but I do have several kindles as well. When I first purchased a kindle years ago I read it a lot (I tried to alternate between that and a physical book), but I came to realize over time that it just wasn't the same experience. It is quite good for convenience though--I tend to take it with me for travel/flights. My husband and I often go auctioning, so it is quite good for that use as well. I prefer audiobooks for my commuting since it is mostly walking, and reading a book would be difficult, if not dangerous! The best audiobooks are rock/celebrity (auto)biographies--they are my guilty pleasure when I need a break from the history and non-fiction I often gravitate towards. I also listen to them while cooking, in the shower, or cleaning around the house. For physical books, I prefer hardcover, especially beautifully bound/leather ones to add to my collection. Paperbacks are convenient for on the go or if its something you want cheap, but I like nicer pieces if I intend to keep it. I generally actively reading 3 or 4 books at a time, and I read from least two of them daily. Most of my reading is done at night, after dinner and before bed. I usually read on the couch or in bed, but I'm looking forward to renovating one of the rooms in my house to an office/study that I can stock with my books and do my reading comfortably without keeping my husband up late (I feel your pain Abigail, post #6)!
I am an enthusiastic user of kindle(s), mainly because it allows a faster and sometimes cheaper access to books, but I agree with you Tara. Nothing surpasses the experience of reading a paperback/hardback.
Mod
Judy wrote: "I agree there is nothing like the experience of reading a real book. Trouble is, I keep finding the print in my old paperbacks has strangely got smaller since the last time I read them! So the Kind..."Those sneaky paperbacks! Shrinking on you like that :)
Not only do they shrink but they also double or treble their weight!
Yes Judy. That's an advantage. But I'm recently annoyed by the e-book price. Here in Brazil (amazon.com) sometimes the hardback is cheaper than the e-book. I can't understand that.
Mod
Very true, Jill !
I like reading factual books Judy and sometimes read ebook editions of ones that are big and heavy.
Marcus wrote: "Yes Judy. That's an advantage. But I'm recently annoyed by the e-book price. Here in Brazil (amazon.com) sometimes the hardback is cheaper than the e-book. I can't understand that."In the UK, so may not be true for the .com site, the publisher sets the price for the ebook but Amazon buy the physical books so can set the price themselves. So that's often the difference. Also here we pay VAT (tax) on ebooks but not on paper books so that adds to the costs. May be the same in the US.
This may sound an odd one - if I'm eating a meal alone, I absolutely MUST read, rather than just stare into space. This is nothing to do with feeling lonely but seems to be more to do with aiding digestion! I don't know really, but I've been doing it for so many years. Whether I am grabbing a sandwich on a work day or eating breakfast before the rest of the family get up, a book must be found from somewhere.Of course that's really difficult with anything that requires two hands to eat. I do a lot of propping paperbacks against butter-dishes and the like, which never works properly.
I know that "feeling" Annabel. Besides that, I read a lot in my phone during meals. Mostly news.
I read when I eat alone. It used to be a newspaper,as they were bigger so had more on each page. But since owning a kindle I find propping up and just a quick tap to turn the page is my preference now.
I always read when eating alone. This is where the kindle is so easy, no propping or having to turn the page so awkwardly. I often go to coffee shops etc. and choose to eat alone with my book. Another good use of a book/kindle is reading when one is in a queue. I have even had the experience of the person (once I got to them) looking quite annoyed that I used my time productively! it was a bank, in the 'olden days' I think so I must have been reading a book.
My favorite place to read is the bathtub, keeps the teenagers from interrupting me. I also have a chair in my living room that I read in a lot especially bigger non-fiction books. I also listen to Audible while I commute and while I knit/crochet. I just bought a Kindle Paperwhite because I want to read in bed and not have to get back up to turn off the light.
Michelle wrote: "Marcus wrote: "Yes Judy. That's an advantage. But I'm recently annoyed by the e-book price. Here in Brazil (amazon.com) sometimes the hardback is cheaper than the e-book. I can't understand that."..."
Publisher sets the price in US, too. And, in tge last couple of years, they have started adding tax.
I love the actual feel of a book, electronic books are not for me.
I love physical books too, but do read some ebooks. They are handy when travelling.
Melanie wrote: "I love the actual feel of a book, electronic books are not for me."I also love that feeling of a physical book, one reason why it is important to me for my Kindle to be in a case (so that I can hold it like a "real" book). But I have been converted to the convenience of ebooks, not just the size and portability of it but the many free public domain classics. Plus, I like being able to use the text-to-speech feature when I need to put down the physical device (such as to go to the kitchen for a drink)! Unfortunately, that feature is not available in the newer Kindle models - I don't know what I will do when my old Kindle Keyboard gives out.
As for when I read - whenever I can during the day! In the evening, I tend to watch TV unless my book is particularly compelling. I generally start off the day with an audiobook, which I listen to while I make and consume breakfast & in the car. I try to read either a print or ebook (or both if time is available) before & during dinner, though I might return to my audiobook while cooking (or the ebook text-to-speech feature)...
I have quite a few books stored on my kindle, including recent freebie offers, so it's sometimes hard to decide what to read next! I do a lot of reading on long bus journeys to and from work, and find kindle more convenient for that (and also in bed at night)
But I also still love reading on paper, and I find it has big advantages - including the fact that it is so much easier to flip back and look at previous chapters, lists of characters, etc, and to look at notes at the end in classic editions.