I’ve already accepted the fact that I don’t read quickly and I don’t dedicate as much time to reading as others do and that is why I will never come close to three digits in one year. But after this week in which I failed to even pick up a book, I’m wondering when other people read.
I generally read on the weekends and often have weeks like this past one where I didn’t read at all. I regularly read a lot during the day for work and by the time I get home I just want to turn on the tv and not think. I also go to dance class and (less often lately) the gym in the evening and it makes that time disappear. Not to mention the 10,000 television shows I seem to watch these days. In the back of my mind, I’ve had a one book per week goal for this last part of the year. And I’ve come close. But I read it all on the weekend. I just end up reading for hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Occassionally, when I have the apartment to myself or when Ben is working/reading, I read in the evening after work. Maybe I should dedicate one evening a week toward reading. Or an hour each night. Or maybe I’ll win the lottery and just sit on the beach and read all day.
So, to ease my curiosity, when do you read? Do you have a favorite time of day to curl up with a book? Do you read mostly during the week or on the weekends? Do you read on your commute?
my books. my life. 
The end of the year will mark 6 years of reading a book a week. Here are a few tips and strategies I use to read more:
Always have a book. Paper or digital, whatever works for you and is your preference. When you have a book, you can use little chunks of time to read. Example: I always take a book with me to the barber. Sometimes the wait is 30 minutes or so and that’s 30 minutes of book reading time rather than flipping through magazines you could care less about, or texting, or surfing, etc.
Have more than one book in the process of being read. I typically have between 8 and 10 books going at the same time. Do I read each one every day? No. But your mood and interest levels vary. By having different types of books, reading a chapter here and there, they all get finished at some point in the future. Maybe it’s not reading A book a week but reading parts of books on a consistent basis.
Be consistent. Read every day.
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I read as often as I can (seriously). I read before work and on my days off. It’s not like I do nothing but read, though; I watch a lot of TV, too.
I have also been known to read at work (the weekends are slow, and during the week, I’ll read during the downtime), but I don’t get to do that too often.
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Loved reading your post! I think it is a challenge that most of us struggle with – how to read more pages in a week 🙂 I think you are doing great reading around a book a week!
I try to read mostly during weekends like you. Sometimes I shut myself inside a room and read from the morning till night! Other times I sneak in some reading during the morning, during breaks here and there. It is amazing how much reading we can accomplish by sneaking in a few pages here and there! I used to read while commuting earlier, but I don’t do it much nowadays. Sometimes when the mood strikes me, and I don’t have much to do, I take a book and go to a cafe and read for the whole day 🙂
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I love this post! Like the others, I read as much as I can. I recently quit my job as a high school teacher because I was miserable and therefor have had a ton of reading time on my hands while job searching. But I also completely understand you, when I was teaching I didn’t have as much time to dedicate to reading, I’m a dancer too and I have several classes a week and I feel tired when I get home, but I always read before bed not matter what. It’s a great way to help me fall asleep too!
Lately though, I read constantly. Last night I stayed up until 3 am…….yes I am very tired today. Good thing it was Friday 😉
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I read whenever I feel like it, no sense in forcing yourself to read just to get to a certain number each month or year. I also have to read alot for uni but I consider that practice for fun reading 🙂 I have about 40 minutes on the subway each day and I always have at least one book with me. That´s what helps alot, always carrying a book around with me. There´s so many times you have to wait in lines, I use them or reading. I also like to read a chapter before going to sleep. I think a book a week is plenty, and it always depends on what you´re reading 🙂
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I read all the time, but usually not for pleasure. This semester, it’s all for women’s lit. By the time I read 300 pages a week for the class, write up lesson and classroom management plans, work with demon 5th graders after-school, exercise, and cook supper, I’m exhausted. I don’t want to do anything other than watch television or sleep. On weekends, I’m usually working on homework, cleaning, or going to Radio City shows, so I’ve been horrible at keeping up with pleasure reading this year. Hopefully once I’m no longer an English student, I’ll find more time to read for me.
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I read whenever I feel like it, during semester it’s been mostly at night and on weekends. But now that I’m finished and currently only have one day of work a week I can really read whenever I want! Hopefully it doesn’t take too long to get a job though, otherwise I’ll be reading and going to the beach every day all summer.
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I read while I watch television! And I end up ignoring my son too much as well 😉 But usually I just end up reading after he goes down to bed for the night and then stay up way too late getting it in!
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Michelle,
I’m also a slow reader, I’ve accepted that fact. I can not skim a page I need to read each word. I have weeks when I don’t feel like reading, and others where I read as much as possible. I don’t watch much television, and I can get some reading done at work if it’s quiet. I love to sit down and read for awhile, I hate picking up a book for a few minutes. I feel like I can’t enjoy it as much as spending an hour on it.
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I get a lot of reading done during my commute – I usually get a solid hour of reading time in a day from the train to and from work. (Although lately I’ve been exhausted and sleeping a lot on the train!)
I also usually read an hour or two a night, a few nights a week. Some weeks are busier than others, depends on how many social activities I have after work.
I always mean to do a lot of reading on the weekends. Sometimes I do a lot, sometimes hardly any.
And I almost always read in bed before going to sleep. Sometimes I can stay awake about 20 to 30 minutes, sometimes I’m out cold in 3 to 5. 😀
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Being a SAHM/WAHM I feel guilty reading at home because there are a ton of over things I should be doing. Because of this I almost stopped reading when my children were small.
I got back into the habit when they started after school activities. I don’t drive so I couldn’t use the waiting time to rush around doing something ‘useful’ instead I got in the habit of always having a book in my bag.
The one annoyance is that I am so travel sick I can’t read in the car or on the bus and I find so reading so engrossing I can’t do anything else not even to drink or nibble on a snack.
Now the children are more independent I don’t have to take them places and I find my reading time is again severely limited.
I have recently decided that if I get to the end of the month without finishing a book I will ignore all the housework and sit down to read for a couple of hours.
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Thanks everyone for sharing your reading time with me. It’s interesting to hear how everyone manages their time a little differently.
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