What Kind of Reader Are You?

[Camy]

This is a post by Maureen Lang and it's hilarious but also totally true!

http://christiansread.wordpress.com/2...

Over the years I’ve belonged to or visited a number of book clubs, which taught me there are many different reader styles. After posing this topic to my voracious-reader daughter, I decided to define the ones we’ve either been or encountered and list them here in no particular order. See if you can identify with any . . . or some . . .

Camy here: I think I'm several different types of readers, but I can relate to almost all of them. What type(s) are you?

[Ausjenny]

Im a mixture too. from peeker, to giving reader, to halfway to voracious reader. to series reader to being picky (there are some I dont read and wont read)

[Camy]

I think I'm in between wall banger and picky. Some books I will start reading and just won't finish because I have some objection to the plot or characterization (usually characterization).

[Ausjenny]

I haven't thrown a book at the wall yet (other things yes) Mum has burnt a book before!
but am a little picky its like when I have read a book from an author and really didn't connect its hard to read more even though others say the books is good. for that matter alot said the one I didn't like was really good.

[Camy]

That's happened to me too! I read a few books that so many people said was great but I didn't like it. Or other times I'll LOVE a book and lots of people say they didn't like it.

I think that too sometimes what's a 5 star to me is only a 3 star to someone else. For me, a 5 star is if the story was very entertaining, and it doesn't have to be perfect, but it shouldn't have had anything that annoyed me too much. For other people, that's a 3 star, and a 5 star for them is a perfect book.

[Ausjenny]

after the last few books I have read I think I will be giving more 4 stars than 5. Your book I devoured (someone said where did I start eating it and I said from the right top corner). But the book I just finished while I liked it I was wanting it finished. The story was good but it didn't make me want to keep going and I was waiting for the last roughly 20 pages when things happen. (its annoying knowing its the last 20 pages or so things will happen in some books).
I remember about 2 or 3 years ago everyone raved about one book it was on most peoples top ten of the year and I really didn't connect and would have put it in my bottom ten reads of the year. I know this author has other books out and am told they are good but I just cant read them.

[Camy]

It just goes to show we all have different reading tastes. I think if I'm a 4 star read for most people, I'd be totally happy with that. I don't have to be a "perfect 5 star" read for anyone, but I do hope I at least entertain people and help them get caught up in a story for a few hours.

[Ausjenny]

I agree. I think 4 stars is good. I am finding I giving most books a 5 but then I read a really good book and cant give it higher so from now books like yours that had me riveted get 5 ones that I can stop get 4 etc.

[Camy]

I know, I have the same problem. There are degrees of 5 star reads, I find, but I've just decided to leave it at that. Most "good" books are 5 star reads, but if I've read a really super duper great book, I still just give it a 5 star and then rave about it in the review I write. :)

[Ausjenny]

I wish there was the 4.5 rating. think I will go read for a bit and hope the plumber comes back I really want a bubble bath but until he fixes the taps!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Patriciaw]

Most of my books are rated three or four stars. Three, for me, means I enjoyed it. Nice. Nothing special. Four means it was a really good book. But if a book hits on every cylinder, just gives me goosebumps, now that's a five-star book. Rare.

It would be nice to have half stars because I could do quite a few 3.5 or 4.5 ratings.

[Camy]

Your four star is probably the same as my five star, and your three star is probably the same as my four star. If I finish the book but it had problems, I give it a three star, and if I couldn't finish it, I give it a 1 or 2 star.

[Patriciaw]

Camy, if I couldn't finish, also a one or a two. If I finish but it had problems, likely a two.

I'm glad I see a lot of fours in Christian fiction, though.

[Camy]

I've seen several 1s and 2s on Amazon and Goodreads, esp from people who didn't realize the book was Christian! I'm not offended if someone doesn't like my book, but I appreciate it when people tell me WHY they don't like a book as opposed to a review that says something like, "This book sucked, don't bother."

[Ausjenny]

I know what you mean about the amazon and goodreads ones. it seems to be free books too. My thinking is if you dont like why keep reading and why give it a bad review just cos its a Christian book or a free book.

[Patriciaw]

I agree. I don't think it's right to review a book for what it is, or not, like being Christian. That's the genre context within which it should be reviewed, i.e. is it a good or bad Christian novel, not simply the fact that's it's Christian?

[Camy]

That's a good way of putting it!

[Sandra]

I'm a little late coming to this discussion. (It's been wild around here these days and I haven't been on Goodreads lately.)

I rate books much the same as Patricia. It has to really stick out in my mind for me to give it a five. A four means I liked it a lot. A three means I enjoyed it.

[Camy]

I think it's hard to know what someone's rating system is. For someone else, a 3 might be a perfectly awful book but I wouldn't know if it's that or if it was an okay read.

[Patricia Kemp]

I tried reading The Helper and I don't know if something was wrong with me at the time but I just could not get interested beyond the first chapter. So I put it down and promised to read it another time. So many people say it is a wonderful funny book. I want to experience what everyone else felt about this book.

[Camy]

You know, there have been times I've tried to get into a book everyone says was wonderful but I just couldn't. I mean, I've tried reading Wuthering Heights a total of six times and couldn't get past the middle of the book. I was just too bored and didn't like the characters.

[Rose]

I'm a mixture as well. I'm the dedicated reader, the juggler, bathroom reader, and the travel and vacation reader.

[Julie]

I read anywhere anytime, but I'm not a reader that has several books going at once. It confuses me and I am a person that likes to start and finish what I started. I'm eclectic in my tastes. I like romance, mystery, horror, suspense, some non-fiction, literary, classics, Young Adult...

[Ileana Tsai]

Romance first of all. I also like suspense and thrillers. I am not so much into comedy although the story has to end happily.

[H.L.]

Like Ileana, I enjoy suspense and thrillers with a little romance and happy endings. Like Julie, I read only 1 fiction book at a time. I can read a non-fiction book simultaneously with a novel, but never 2 novels at a time. After I started writing, I had quite a shock. I have to carry 2 or 3 stories around in my head all the time now, one for my WIP, one for the novel I'm submitting, and one for the story in final editing with my publisher. :(

[Beth]

I like suspense/thrillers too with a Christian "flavour". I do read others too though, like Mary Higgins Clark and Iris Johansen but prefer the Christian ones. I also read Stargate and Star Trek. I rarely give up on a book but did just that with the book I returned to the library today, just did not care about the characters that much, although I made through chapter 12. I rarely give 5 stars but did with a couple of Ronie Kendig's Discarded Heroes books. Generally if I thought a book was ok I give 3 and better than ok a 4. I think Irene Hannon and Kathy Herman might have rated 5 as well a few times. Jordyn Redwood's book Proof got a 5 if I remember correctly.

Oh, and I do read the odd non-fiction as well; currently have CBC Exposed, Weird Things Customers say in Bookstores (I worked in one for 5 years) and Sugar, Salt, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us on my library request list.

Beth - ;)
in Calgary

[Miranda]

I'm a fan of romance, thriller and fantasy any day. Just finished a romance with a mighty kick of thriller book. Loved it! That's what I call an awesome combination.

[Norma]

I like romance, suspense, mystery, that is christian books. I only read one book at a time. i like to start and finish a book before i start to read another one, but that is my way of reading.

[Deb]

I like romance, suspense, mystery, thriller, religious books. I read about 2 or 3 books at a time - and usually keep them straight.

[Norma]

I like romance, mystery, suspense, and all way religious book.But when i start a book i like to finish it. Deb, i am glad you are able to do that , i wish i could read books like that. My granddaughter she read like that 2 or 3 books at a time.

[Camy]

Rose wrote: "I'm a mixture as well. I'm the dedicated reader, the juggler, bathroom reader, and the travel and vacation reader."

Haha! Lately I've been a total bathroom reader.

[Camy]

Julie wrote: "I read anywhere anytime, but I'm not a reader that has several books going at once. It confuses me and I am a person that likes to start and finish what I started. I'm eclectic in my tastes. I like..."

I'm pretty eclectic in my tastes, too! Lately I've been reading more non-Christian fiction so I know what my non-Christian friends are reading. Although I won't be reading 50 Shades anytime soon.

[Camy]

Ileana wrote: "Romance first of all. I also like suspense and thrillers. I am not so much into comedy although the story has to end happily."

Romance is totally my go-to genre! I only rarely read non-romance novels.

[Camy]

H.L. wrote: "Like Ileana, I enjoy suspense and thrillers with a little romance and happy endings. Like Julie, I read only 1 fiction book at a time. I can read a non-fiction book simultaneously with a novel, but never 2 novels at a time. After I started writing, I had quite a shock. I have to carry 2 or 3 stories around in my head all the time now, one for my WIP, one for the novel I'm submitting, and one for the story in final editing with my publisher. :( "

Doesn't that suck? I hate that, too. I get confused.

[Camy]

Beth - ;) wrote: "I like suspense/thrillers too with a Christian "flavour". I do read others too though, like Mary Higgins Clark and Iris Johansen but prefer the Christian ones. I also read Stargate and Star Trek...."

I don't often read non-fiction these days, although I just picked up a diet book. :)

[Camy]

Miranda wrote: "I'm a fan of romance, thriller and fantasy any day. Just finished a romance with a mighty kick of thriller book. Loved it! That's what I call an awesome combination."

LOL I agree! I've been reading a lot of speculative fiction lately.

[Camy]

Norma wrote: "I like romance, suspense, mystery, that is christian books. I only read one book at a time. i like to start and finish a book before i start to read another one, but that is my way of reading."

I find that for mystery and suspense, I have to finish it quickly because otherwise I lose track of the mystery thread!

[Camy]

Deb wrote: "I like romance, suspense, mystery, thriller, religious books. I read about 2 or 3 books at a time - and usually keep them straight."

I think 3 books at a time is my limit, but usually I won't have that many since I'm either really into a book at the time to the exclusion of all others, or I'm bored and I put the book down anyway.

[Camy]

Norma wrote: "I like romance, mystery, suspense, and all way religious book.But when i start a book i like to finish it. Deb, i am glad you are able to do that , i wish i could read books like that. My granddaug..."

The teens at church do that, too! I wonder if it's a mark of youth. :)

[Norma]

I don't know if it is a mark of youth or not, also my granddaughter read so fast i am a slow reader other wise it doesn't soak in, i want to enjoy everything i read. I am older and a lot slower,ha ha, so it takes a while to soak in.

[Kim]

I'm a peeker or skimmer if I am not enjoying a book or like where it is going. If I am enjoying a book I am not a peeker or skimmer. I am definetly a juggler. Read or start more than one book at the same time and feel funny if I am not doing that. Sometimes one will suck me in more than the others I am reading at the same time.

[Camy]

Norma wrote: "I don't know if it is a mark of youth or not, also my granddaughter read so fast i am a slow reader other wise it doesn't soak in, i want to enjoy everything i read. I am older and a lot slower,ha ..."

I find that with certain books, especially, I want to read slowly to enjoy what I'm reading more. :)

[Camy]

Kim wrote: "I'm a peeker or skimmer if I am not enjoying a book or like where it is going. If I am enjoying a book I am not a peeker or skimmer. I am definetly a juggler. Read or start more than one book at th..."

I also find myself skimming if I'm not enjoying a book! But when I catch myself doing it, I will usually put the book down since I figure, I'd rather use the time to read a book I really enjoy rather than one that doesn't interest me.