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Footnotes 2017-2018
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Finding the Time to Read
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(While trying not to get defensive—again—of the dissing of audiobooks and how they "don't count"....)I think the key is figuring out where in your personal prioritization that reading lies. For me, it comes after work, school, keepign up with my family and friends, reasonable socializing with friends, the gym, a clean home, and even some TV shows (Outlander specifically!). But, it comes before mindless bing-watching of TV and random surfing of the internet.
In reality, it is actually a pretty low priority for me in the grand scheme of what I have to do and what I really want to do even though I LOVE reading. Most days I only fit in about 30-60 minutes of reading in print, and that just depends on what time I wrap up everything for the day. Sometimes it is even less. Which is why audiobooks are perfect for me, because I can read while driving and doing housework.
However, I totally agree that I am guilty of going down the internet rabbit hole way too easily. It seems like a quick google search to look up something innocuous can turn into an hour of me watching pointless YouTube videos. I should really work on that aspect in 2018.
I read at least an hour every morning before I start my day - usually I get up make tea and read. I also read an hour every night before bed. I also listen to audios when driving, cleaning house, commuting, while riding my bike or just because I'm in the mood to sit and listen. I love audios and for me they allow me to enjoy books while doing mundane chores.
I read a bit in the morning while having breakfast, during lunch at work (I purposely moved my lunch hour to have half an hour to myself before other girls in my department join me) and before bed. Most of the time it totals to barely an hour a day, but it's enough for me. Occasionally I read at other random times, mostly in the summer when I'll sit on my balcony. In the morning is when I'm most likely to get distracted. I have my phone with me, and if I open Twitter, I can spend my whole meal on it. I quit Facebook earlier this year so that one is no longer a problem, and there's so Wi-Fi at work so no potential distractions during lunch.And on the subject of audiobooks, I have to say I'm with Jenni, I personally don't think they "count". For me, listening and reading are two different things. When I read I imagine voices and sounds, but if they're spoken to me, I don't know, it's not the same. If I want to listen to something other than music, I much prefer podcasts.
I read every chance I get! I tend to have my ereader in one hand while I do things like cooking at home, and (I too won’t get defensive about audio not counting!!) I listen to a lot of audio while working, driving, at the gym, doing housework, running etc. I tend to read while my husband participates in his love of watching sport, particularly in summer when cricket is on every night. I have to be careful not to get too immersed in my book. He told me off just now for drifting back in to my book mid way through our conversation. Oops! If the kids are busy at home I’ll read, and I read a lot aloud to one of our sons. My main distraction is also my phone. I have turned notifications for FB off and I leave it in a room other than the one I’m reading in. I’ll hear sms alerts and calls.
I noticed that I was reading a lot more and when I wasn’t so involved with chatting with you guys on Goodreads. When I have a few minutes, I clear out my phone and correspondence and any to do’s. And often there are many, And I’m always behind. But anytime I get a break, my book is open. The key for me, and there’s no space in my life for audio, That doesn’t fit, is to always have a book in my hand. It’s amazing that waiting for appointments, the rest of the world is all on phones. I also find that when I have an a free hour, I like to sit with a cup of coffee and read. Or I’m waiting for the kids, in the car having arrived to shuttle people about And pick them up. It’s every night before I go to sleep, and some mornings when I can hit the snooze a little, I can grab a few minutes. And it’s never between three and eight. Occasionally I get a work break, where I have a good hour, That I should be doing 1000 other things. But if my book is good, that’s going to happen. Hope that helps.
at the risk of sounding defensive, the idea that audiobooks don't count is a bit strange. We know from cognitive science research that the processes involved in reading vs. listening to a book are very similar (of course some decoding differences are involved). That said, I will agree that audiobooks aren't for everyone and of course we will all have our preferences. Maybe instead of saying audio books "don't count' we can just acknowledge that different people will enjoy and connect with different types of modalities. Anyway, here's a funny article (at least funny to me) about reading vs. listening:
https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily...
I am a fast reader but like Nicole I plan my reading after other priorities (work, family, social obligations). I make it a habit to save 30 minutes each night before bed to read. I do this every night without fail. Like Amy, I also take my books with me to appointments, my daughter's gym classes and other places. I make it fit into the gaps I have in my day. Amy's suggestion is a good one to fit in more reading.
I used to hate the idea of audiobooks but then I learned with a 2 hour daily commute, that they allow me to accomplish more in terms of reading goal.
Jen wrote: "Maybe instead of saying audio books "don't count' we can just acknowledge that different people will enjoy and connect with different types of modalities ..."I completely agree with this statement! Not everyone has to love audiobooks, that is for sure. While I have always thought they "counted," if you would have asked me four years ago if I thought audiobooks were for me I would have said no.
But, I quickly changed my mind on that when I moved states and jobs and now spend so much time in my car!
Jen wrote: "at the risk of sounding defensive, the idea that audiobooks don't count is a bit strange. We know from cognitive science research that the processes involved in reading vs. listening to a book are very similar (of course some decoding differences are involved). That said, I will agree that audiobooks aren't for everyone and of course we will all have our preferences. Maybe instead of saying audio books "don't count' we can just acknowledge that different people will enjoy and connect with different types of modalities."Thank you for saying that. I wasn't trying to dis anyone who likes audio books. I'm just very weird about it not feeling like reading to me. But, I see that how I wrote it, it can be very off-putting, whereas how you wrote it, it is much more palatable.
Nicole R wrote: "Jen wrote: "Maybe instead of saying audio books "don't count' we can just acknowledge that different people will enjoy and connect with different types of modalities ..."I completely agree with t..."
same with me. I didn't like audiobooks until my commute and work changed. Now I love them. And to be honest, I find that I have to concentrate more on audiobooks than I do when I read print. So often times I find that I take in more when I'm listening. Of course if the narrator is bad, it is hard.
Jen wrote: "Anyway, here's a funny article (at least funny to me) about reading vs. listening: https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily......"
Hahahaha! I love that article. There is also one about a person who had no idea they were pronouncing so many words wrong until they heard someone read them to them on audio. Both of those sum me up!
Jenni Elyse wrote: "Jen wrote: "at the risk of sounding defensive, the idea that audiobooks don't count is a bit strange. We know from cognitive science research that the processes involved in reading vs. listening to..."No worries, Jenni. I understood where you were coming from. Audios don't work for everyone and it's too bad they don't work for you b/c they do make it easier to get more reading in. Maybe one day that will change for you. I used to feel similarly to you until relatively recently.
I also read on the treadmill which will probably result in me breaking a bone one day. 😂
I work full time (no choice - I pay the mortgage and all the bills! I live alone - until/unless I ever win the lottery!). However, I don't drive; I take public transit, and it takes over an hour each way to/from work. I do a combination of audio books (walking to/from and in between buses and trains; if I have to stand...) and print or ebooks while sitting on the bus or train. I will sometimes read on my lunch breaks (if I go buy lunch), but if I bring a lunch (3/5 days of the week), I stay at my desk and am on facebook at lunch.
I do watch some tv, but I've cut out a lot. I used to watch a lot more. When I get home from work, I'm online for a while (GR, LibraryThing and facebook), then I'll either go watch something on tv (while playing games on my tablet, usually!), or read for a while before bed. Sometimes I have time to do both: tv, then read before bed.
Weekends, I have more time to read, but I also sleep in, take time to bake and maybe cook, do housework, etc, and sometimes go out with friends.
However, housework does suffer in my house much of the time because I choose to read instead! :-)
But, I also do listen to audio books while doing said housework and also if any yardwork needs to be done. I started with audio books because I HATE mowing the lawn and needed something other than music to take my mind off it while I had to do it. Audiobooks usually manage to do that for me!
Great question and something that I often have discussions with others about. I actually think that reading helps me stay centered and when I’m in a reading slump, it feels very strange.I almost always read before going to sleep. I often fall asleep with a book in hand. My husband laughs because if it’s my Kindle, apparently I have a death grip on it. I love that I can read my eReader in the dark if I wake up and cant get to sleep.
I also carry my Kindle around in my purse, so if I have to wait in line or at appts, I will pull it out. I sometimes read while making dinner, but more often listen to an audio book. I also thought that audio books were not for me.....but what I figured out was that certain audio books are not for me. Cozy mysteries, narrative non fiction, historical fiction and YA usually work, but I don’t do as well with fantasy or books where the point of view changes a lot.
This year I noticed that instead of reading multiple books in different formats, I actually would see if the library had another format so that i could switch. I sometimes check out the ebook and audio book at the same time.
I do still watch TV, but I seem to binge watch more and cut down on the weekly series. I also spend way, way too much time playing games on my iPad/computer.
JoLene, oh the games on the iPad! I am super guilty of that one!
I love how everyone fits reading into their busy lives. There are definitely a lot of great ideas I'm going to have to try.JoLene wrote: "I also thought that audio books were not for me.....but what I figured out was that certain audio books are not for me. Cozy mysteries, narrative non fiction, historical fiction and YA usually work, but I don’t do as well with fantasy or books where the point of view changes a lot."
That's a fair point. Maybe I haven't listened to the right audio books. I've only ever tried to listen to the types of books I read the most which are usually extremely dense-plotted heavy-charactered fantasy novels, lol.
Jenni Elyse wrote: "I love how everyone fits reading into their busy lives. There are definitely a lot of great ideas I'm going to have to try.JoLene wrote: "I also thought that audio books were not for me.....but w..."
Not that anyone has to listen to audio books, but if you ever want to try again...I found that listening to comfort reads that I have read before to be a good way to get used to it. For me that was Dresden Files books. I used to listen to them doing chores and driving long distances, but I was so familiar with them that if I missed things it was OK. Now a days I can listen to really complicated fantasy epics with no problem (I am listening to Sanderson's Stormlight Archive series right now).
Cora wrote: "Now a days I can listen to really complicated fantasy epics with no problem ..."I do think that, should you choose to listen to audiobooks, that it is actually a skill that improves the more you do it—just like reading. I also started with pretty straight-forward contemporary fiction, but now I read longer and more dense/complex books. In fact, I know longer listen to my contemporary romance books because I can read them SO MUCH faster than I can listen to them! lol
I have even started to listen to more history and science, which I NEVER used to do, but still like to have a copy of the book to flip back and reference stuff. I also like to peruse the index. I am currently reading The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons and am glad I am not listening to it because it has all of these great historical footnotes that I think were either likely dropped from the book entirely or not integrated in a way that I would like.
Thanks for the conversation-starter, Jenni Elyse! I've been asking myself some similar questions over this break as well - I never seem to have as much time to read as I feel I should have and want a better balance. My attention span is also a lot shorter than it should be! Work can be pretty consuming, and I often don't take a lunch break though I always have my book with me just in case. So opportunities to read for pleasure during the day are limited. At home, I'm not that into Facebook (Goodreads is my social network fix, lol) but my time-eating sin is daft computer games. They're great for completely switching off from work, but are addicting without being satisfying. I've deleted most of them and that's made a big difference.
I'm also walking a lot at the moment so audio books are great, as long as it's not a walk where the scenery matters ;)
I love this thread. Great conversation topic. So, of course I listen to audiobooks for a large portion of my day during work, but I also read some.
So my life is filled with a wife and 2 kids. On top of audiobooks, I have a few shows I watch when in the mood. The Crown and The Toys That Made Us on Netflix along with some documentaries here and there. I also listen to This American Life, Radiolab, More Perfect, and Serial podcasts. (For mystery lovers, season 1 and 2 of Serial are real life mysteries and they are amazing and free) Then I'm on Goodreads a bit and have bible meetings 2 times a week and I study and prepare for that, as well as going out and preaching to people house to house.
However, I never want to give up actual reading. Before bed I try to read a couple chapters. I am a slow reader in relation to most (I blow my 3 year old out of the water though) and it takes me forever to actually read a book. Although I love physical books, I also keep books on my phone and read when able. Audiobooks are always #1 though. I will be actually reading much more this year with my century challenge. Many of those books are not easily available on audio.
I do agree with whoever stated above, that audiobooks is a learned art. It took me 2 or 3 books to really be able to concentrate while also diverting attention to other things. At times, audiobooks adds to the story and experience with sounds and voices and sometimes it don't.
As mentioned above, I also had to decide where books are prioritized in my life. I wanted it kind of high. Not the top, but top 10 for sure. Once I made that decision, I found I make time for books which lead me to try audio books. I may finish seaon 2 of The Crown by the time season 4 comes out, but thats okay, I can read a book about all that anyway. :)
My husband and I are about to start the Crown from Season One. We hear it’s great!
Amy. Season 1 was really good, a bit slow compares to most popular shows and movies but that don't bother me. Great acting and very informative. Queen Elizabeth has been impressed with it.
Do you keep a to do list or do any sort of habit tracking? Put it on there. The satisfaction of getting to mark it off always helps, and you can set how long counts as having read for the day.Also as much as I love the convenience of ebooks, I find I read more when I read a physical book. Less distractions.
Keeping a book with you at all times is a big help too. I personally fill up my 'waiting time' with knitting, but it works just as well with reading.
Jason wrote: "I may finish seaon 2 of The Crown by the time season 4 comes out, but thats okay, I can read a book about all that anyway. :) ..."LOL! Books are higher on the priority list than tv, though there are a few tv shows I try to keep up with (on regular tv). I have made my way through most of season 1 of The Crown. I think I have one episode left. I'm not sure if I'll continue with season 2, as there are so many others I want to try, but it takes me so long to get to/through them all because it's not a priority.
I actually saw an add recently for an iPhone app that tracks the amount time spent reading. I think it’s like a timer. Too much work for me,.I forgot the name, but if interested, I’m sure you can look up book apps to find it.
LibraryCin, If you like character development and really good acting, I recommend season 1 of Anne on Netflix. It's the Anne of a Green Gables story.
Thanks, Jason! I love the movie from the 80s with Megan Follows (it's one of my all-time favourites and I watched it on New Year's Eve). My concern is that it wouldn't live up...?
But maybe I should give it a try at some point, anyway....
Sara wrote: "Do you keep a to do list or do any sort of habit tracking? Put it on there. The satisfaction of getting to mark it off always helps, and you can set how long counts as having read for the day.Als..."
I do have a habit tracker. Well, I started one at the beginning of the year anyway, lol. So far I've read every day this year. Woot woot! :D
And, for those watching The Crown, I love it. I've seen season 1 already and I'm making my way through season 2. I'm only on episode 3, but reading is taking a higher priority. :)
JoLene wrote: "I actually saw an add recently for an iPhone app that tracks the amount time spent reading. I think it’s like a timer. Too much work for me,.I forgot the name, but if interested, I’m sure you can..."
My friend uses an app like that. I thought about using it, but I kind of feel like I need another app on my phone like I need another hole in my head. I'll end up just spending more time with the app than reading, lol.
LibraryCin, I love the 80s movie too but I like the series better. can develop the story and characters even more. The series has lead me to wanting to read the books.
Jason wrote: "LibraryCin, I love the 80s movie too but I like the series better. can develop the story and characters even more. The series has lead me to wanting to read the books."Hmmm, interesting. I read the books as a teen, and I would be interested in reading them again some day.
LibraryCin wrote: "Thanks, Jason! I love the movie from the 80s with Megan Follows (it's one of my all-time favourites and I watched it on New Year's Eve). My concern is that it wouldn't live up...?"The series is much darker than the Megan Fellows mini-series. They aren't really even comparable. I enjoy both, but you can't go into either expecting the same story.
There are some very distinct departures from the book, but I think Anne with an E does a great job highlighting the underlying darkness of the books, whereas the mini-series completely glossed over it.
I'm not sure I would call it dark. My 8 year old daughter loved the series. It does focus on and develop the negative side much more realistic. The struggles Anne goes through and how they effect her. I haven't watched the 80s one I a while, but I remember it being more happy go lucky like. This one is not so much fairy tale.
I love audiobooks and sometimes I listen to the while also reading the book physically at the same time. So I’ve got the book and the audiobook going on. It has helped these past few years when I’ve been too busy and from my reading slump. It’s helped me read faster and it’s always nice hearing the reader tooZ
Sara wrote: "The series is much darker than the Megan Fellows mini-series. They aren't really even comparable. I enjoy both, but you can't go into either expecting the same story. atched it on New Year's Eve). My concern is that it wouldn't live up......"Thank you, Sara! This is good to know.
Jason wrote: "I'm not sure I would call it dark. My 8 year old daughter loved the series. It does focus on and develop the negative side much more realistic. The struggles Anne goes through and how they effect h..."I just watched the Megan Follows one on New Year's Eve. :-)
Jason wrote: "I'm not sure I would call it dark. My 8 year old daughter loved the series. It does focus on and develop the negative side much more realistic. The struggles Anne goes through and how they effect h..."I think we have very different interpretations of dark. ;)
Audiobooks are definitely how I fulfill my quota of reading, last year I was about half and half audiobooks VS any other format. Finding the time to read outside of audiobooks is something I struggle with. During "life" TV, friends, sports, outings, hanging out, socializing, pretty much anything will come BEFORE reading. I try to read every night before bed, but depending on the day it would be anything from 2 pages to a whole book.
I'm actively trying to get better at "multitask reading". As Jen mentioned, I also read at the gym (when I go to the gym that is....lol). I want to get better at being able to retain reading while watching sports. Its NBA season at our house, and my fiance watches a lot of Blazer games. I can read and watch at the same time, but I don't retain a lot. My mom can read and watch ANYTHING- and double pay attention to both. I strive to be like her in this way lol.
I read mostly during my commute to/from work (about an hour each way) and then at night and on the weekends whenever I can. My wife is very understanding and considerate of my interest in reading. She herself is not a big reader but she knows that it is one of my few interests. She will often ask me to stop doing whatever I'm doing in terms of helping around the house and say, 'please, go upstairs and just read for a little bit'. I have a room on my third floor (a renovated attic) that is lined wall to wall with all my books, a big leather reading chair and a reading lamp. This is my refuge and where I go to be by myself and my books.
Charlie wrote: "I read mostly during my commute to/from work (about an hour each way) and then at night and on the weekends whenever I can. My wife is very understanding and considerate of my interest in reading. ..."Your reading room sounds like heaven!
Joi wrote: "I try to read every night before bed, but depending on the day it would be anything from 2 pages to a whole book...."This is me. But I range anywhere from 2 pages to maybe 15-20. I think my body is conditioned that when it is in bed, it is time to go to sleep! lol
Charlie, I want your reading room!
Charlie wrote: "I have a room on my third floor (a renovated attic) that is lined wall to wall with all my books, a big leather reading chair and a reading lamp. This is my refuge and where I go to be by myself and my books.. ..."This sounds awesome!
Wow — a reading space, that is so awesome.
I am never without a book. I carry one in my purse; there's a book in the bathroom; an audiobook (CD) in my car; another audio on my MP3 player. I read when I'm standing in line at the deli counter, or waiting my turn at the grocery check-out, or at the dentist. Before I "tuned in" to audiobooks, I'd read when I got stuck at a train crossing (and only "came to" when someone honked to let me know I could drive again). I read when having my lunch or breakfast. I read before I go to sleep (typically only a page or so). I listen to audios when in the car, and when doing miscellaneous chores - or "multi-tasking" while working sudoku puzzles.
And sometimes I just sit in my favorite chair by the fireplace and .. read.
I have to be honest Jenni Elyse and say that your post kind of freaked me out. Lol. I felt like you literally plucked every single word straight from my brain. I feel the exact same as you from how much you think about reading, to how you're not a fast reader, to the whole issue with your phone being a major distraction, to how you feel about audiobooks.My reading situation is this: I try to read-walk every night for at least 20 minutes after dinner, before I start watching TV. It's winter in Iowa so I'm temporarily stuck walking from one end of my apartment to another. Thank heavens my apartment is super long. But the rest of the year I read-walk on the bike trails or around the track at the high school in town. If I attempt it anywhere else I've been known to trip up a curb, etc. ;) Then I also read before bed every night. Sometimes it's only 2 minutes before my head hits the book, but most nights I get a good 45 minutes in. Those are my only two dedicated reading times. Other than that I always have a book with me if I have to wait for an appointment, etc. I get a lot more reading time in on the weekends as I live alone and have no kids (yet;).
As for audiobooks, look--I've tried hard to change my opinion on whether they count or not. I just can't get there. I do a few every year and in my mind I still struggle with counting them as reading. Oh trust me I know they take way more concentration than reading an actual book. That's part of the reason I struggle with them. I can't concentrate on them enough. I've got 500 other thoughts that start going through my mind before I even realize I'm no longer listening. The other reason audiobooks are harder for me is because I am very sensitive to people's voices. So many voices are annoying to me. But despite this, I continue to try them here and there and I don't feel quite as strongly as I used to about them "not counting".
One of my New Years resolutions was to make sure my phone is less of a distraction this year so I'm working on that one. What can I say though--I love my word games! Gah!
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I won’t lie. I think about reading a lot. I especially think about how much time I have to read each day. I mean if I ever want to read 50 books in a year, I have to. I also think about how much time I don’t have to read. Normally, I have about an hour or two each day, sometimes more if it’s a slow day at work. How much time do you usually have to read each day?
I’m not a fast reader so it takes me a while to get through a book. If I’m immersed and it’s an easy read, I can usually finish the book in 6 to 8 hours. Usually, it takes me 12 hours of actual reading time to get through a 300-page novel. Add more time if it’s a more difficult book.
I’ve realized I waste most of the time I could be reading. I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I do have a few shows I watch religiously. Fortunately, their off seasons stagger. Otherwise, I’d be watching TV a lot more than I do. Thankfully, it’s not much of a distraction.
The real distraction is my phone. Once I’m in my recliner, bathtub, or sitting on my bed, getting read to read, I’ve noticed that I check Facebook and Twitter for signs of life. If there aren’t any, I’ll usually aimlessly surf the Internet or play a game. I have no idea why I do this, especially when I know I want to read. All I know is I need to break this habit stat.
I’ve taken the first step. I’ve determined that it wastes my time. My phone is my main time waster, but my computer and TV are on the list too, just lower. What are yours (if you have any)? Now I need to take the second step and not let these things waste my time.
Other than frivolous time wasters, responsibility takes a lot of my time too. I work full-time (until March 2 🎉), I have a husband I shouldn’t ignore, and I’m starting to be more active in my church again. There are all the household things to keep up with. I don’t have kids, so that’s a non-issue. But, there are other things I want to do besides read too, like go to the gym, go back to school in the fall, binge watch a few Netflix shows, and volunteer at my local library after my last day of work. I’m not sure how to get around these other things in life without disregarding them in favor of reading. How do you keep up with your responsibilities and still find the time to read?
Some of you may suggest audio books, but I’m not an audio book person. First, I don’t think they count as reading. I know it’s weird; it’s just the way I feel. Second, and more importantly, I can’t concentrate when I listen to audio books. I think the only way I’ll ever embrace audio books is if I lose my eyesight. *knocks on wood* There’s got to be other ways to get more reading in without audio books.
I think the key is balance and prioritization. I just need to figure out how. How do you prioritize your time? We all have 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week, but it seems that some have found better ways to prioritize/manage that time than I have.