Thursday, March 8, 2012

How do you find the time to read?

It's Literary Blog hop time, hosted by The Blue Bookcase. This month they ask:

How do you find time to read? What's you're reading style? Where do you think reading literature should rank in society's priorities?

First up, how do you find time to read? 
Since graduating college the majority of my reading has happened on public transportation. Commuting is not my favorite thing but at least it gives me a nice, (mostly) uninterrupted stretch of reading time. Plus a good book is a wonderful way to pretend I'm not squished between people of questionable hygiene in some metal tube. When I wasn't regularly commuting I had to work harder to find time to read, but that just meant reading instead of watching TV or playing on the internet or whatever else I could be doing. But I don't force myself to read. I don't want it to be a chore and if I'm not in the mood, I don't beat myself up over it.

What's your reading style? 
Umm left to right, typically.
If C-C at the Blue Bookcase hadn't already answered, I probably would have left my response at that cos I wasn't really sure what it's asking. I'm still not entirely sure. I don't like to write in books so I'm not making notes or underlining passages. At least not in physical books. I underline in my Kindle. I read for enjoyment, so I'm not normally reading something with a certain criticism style in mind or investigating every detail for a hidden meaning. I majored in English so I think I may just do some of that because it's what I spent all that time training to do, but it's not a conscious decision before picking up a book. It doesn't mean I'm just reading to escape, or I won't give deeper thought to things. It's just not my primary intention.

Where do you think reading literature should rank in society's priorities?
This is an odd question. Are we counting things like stable economy, effective government, etc as part of society's priorities? Cos if so, while I LOVE reading, it's going to come near the bottom of that list. I want to make sure I'm alive and well and safe enough to do all that reading I want to do. However, if we're talking about our society's (and I mean the society of people who have an internet connection, the times, the means, the resources to read a book blog) entertainment priorities, then I think reading literature is up there. I love reading because it lets me look at the world in so many different ways, from so many different point of views and I think seeing the world in different ways is important for the individual and for society as a whole. Or else you grow stagnant and boring. And while I may enjoy some realty TV (damn you Hoarders), reading is still a priority. Which is why I normally read WHILE watching Hoarders. Multitasking, people.

So what do you think? How do you find time to read? What's your reading style? Where does reading lit fall in terms of society's priorities?

Comments (27)

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Love the way you answered these questions. I want to do the blog hop, but this time I don't know - I'm so thrown by two of the three questions, mostly the final one. I'm pretty much with you on where reading lands - entertainment-wise, reading is near the top (but i love so many tv shows right now that reading doesn't even always land at the top of my priority list) but, taking everything in the world into account...reading is much, much farther down the list of important things. ie, as important as i thought it was for my students in macedonia to read more and have access to more books, it would have been nice if before they had 300 new english books in the library they were in a school with a working heating system and windows that aren't broken, and were receiving dental care, and well-rounded meals.

anyway, great answers! I think I talked enough in this comment that I can tell myself I kind of, sort of, participated in the hop this month.
1 reply · active 679 weeks ago
I love Hoarders so much, but it's literally never on over here. SAD FACE! Literature should clearly be at the top of society's priorities! (obviously I'm kidding- you guys need government provided healthcare to start with, then we'll talk about where books come in importance. Seriously.)
1 reply · active 679 weeks ago
I love my commute for the reading I get done -- otherwise, I don't think I'd read nearly as much! The best books cause me to miss my stop, which I tend not to mind since they're so good!
1 reply · active 679 weeks ago
Three cheers for commutes during which much reading can be accomplished!

The last question is a tricky one to respond to, isn't it? Because it assumes a certain amount of privilege before you can answer it, really.
1 reply · active 679 weeks ago
I actually miss commuting because of all the time it gave me to read.
1 reply · active 679 weeks ago
Commuting's TOTALLY my favorite thing. (notreally/beingsarcastic/justlettingyouknow)

I like how everyone's like "LET ME TALK TO YOU ABOUT COMMUTING."

Dude, my room's messy again. I need to watch Hoarders.
3 replies · active 679 weeks ago
I'm jealous of people who commute because of the great reading time. My drive to work doesn't even let me listen to enough of an audiobook to start really listening, if that makes sense.

Did you by any chance see the Hoarders with the book hoarders this week? I saw a possible future there that I must avoid.
1 reply · active 678 weeks ago
To me when I pondered the role of reading as one of societies priorities I wondered how life would be different for my home town, an Asian city of ten million or so if just a tiny fraction of the money spent on high rise condos with every luxury in the world, next to terrible slums, or in building some of the world's biggest and fanciest malls was spent on public libraries and reading programs for the millions whose parents never buy them a book.
1 reply · active 678 weeks ago
I find time to read by just making time when I watch sports in the evenings and on the weekends.

I really liked how you answered the questions; they were how I would have liked to answer the questions.

Hope you have a good weekend :)
1 reply · active 678 weeks ago
Commuting: I don't do it, but I do read on the train. So much better than not-staring at people!

I also have a book on my lap when watching tv. The tv programme has to be extremely interesting before I put my book away. Usually I multitask too.
1 reply · active 678 weeks ago
"Umm left to right, typically."

LOL. I don't really know what that question is asking either. I've never really thought of a "style" of reading... just different preferences, goals, motivations, ways of processing what you read, etc.

Also, a good point about how other stuff is definitely more important than reading... but at the same time, I can't help but feel that if we elected more book-lovers, all of that stuff would be better as a result.
1 reply · active 678 weeks ago
I didn't regard the last question as pitting reading against bigger social ideals. I looked at it from a more central point of view (me) and how I regard it's importance in society. Does that make sense? Also I watch too much tv too and even though some of it is reality tv I also love programs that have narrative and story to it. Ahem, did someone mention The Bachelor somewhere.........
1 reply · active 677 weeks ago

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