Do you take breaks while reading a book? Or read it straight through? (And, by breaks, I don’t mean sleeping, eating and going to work; I mean putting it aside for a time while you read something else.)
Not really; kind of; and, it depends.
Novels, I read straight through. As quickly as possible. Using any available minute of the day, if it's an especially good one.
However, I'm usually reading one actual novel and listening to one audiobook at any given time. But this works because I only listen when exercising, driving, cleaning, etc.--only when reading is impossible or dangerous. So, although technically I guess you could say I'm taking breaks between books, I'm not really. I read straight through and I listen straight through, and never the twain shall meet.
I usually keep one non-fiction-type book going that I read only a chapter a day of. This is an early morning thing. And I keep only one of these going at a time.
But, if I'm re-reading a book for a class I'm teaching, all I'm really reading for is to get the details back in my head. So, I might read for a while and then stop, not worrying too much about it as long as I have it finished by the time I teach it. This might go on at the same time as I'm reading a novel for pleasure, or not. But it doesn't interfere because it's in the "work" category.
Confused? I know I gave a convoluted answer, used fragments, began sentences with conjunctions, and ended a sentence with a preposition, but it seems crystal clear to me. And I was feeling slightly rebellious. So there.
I can only imagine what an editor would do with this post. . .
2 comments:
I usually have to have breaks...maybe it's the sign of a weak mind, but it starts to wander after a couple hours. :)
When I know I don't have an essay to write, some three century old philosophy to digest (why do people assume that studying the humanities is fluff?)~ I could just sit and read for hours. I don't miss meals because I love to eat but there is no outside world when I am in the middle of a good book. Usually books I can't put down are my Jodi Picoult~ I cried, fell to pieces after reading My Sister's Keeper. Despite that, the Pact is my favourite because it's changed the way I look at relationships. The first time I read it, I kept obsessing, "Did she love him? Did she love him?" But when I got older I realized that there is a place where you can love someone and feel backed into a corner at the same time.
Ahh~ I'm ranting again. Look forward to reading more of your entries!
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