Reading Habits

I was talking to a friend the other day (well, actually texting, but still some form of communication) and she told me about how she was reading 4 books at the same time. I texted back something like, “How the heck do you do that? I can barely read two books at a time.” She responded with “I just do.” Then, “You’re the one who massively plans what you’re going to read next.” 

This texting conversation got me thinking about all of the different ways readers read. How all of us readers, even though we all read the same stories, read them so differently. So this week, I’ve come to analyze the randomness of different reading… strategies? Habits? Styles? 

Thus begins my analysis: 

TBR Planning 

Sometimes, I plan what books I’m going to read next, usually when I’m coming to the end of my current read. I take a look at my giant To Be Read list, my bookshelf, or the online library, and figure out what i”ll read next. Most of the time, though, the book I choose goes with my mood. I’m planning on rereading Jane Eyre soon because I really want to read something gothic/creepy-ish.

I don’t plan out my reading list too far in advance, because that honestly gives me the feeling of “So many books, so little time.” I think I plan them out because I like to have a little bit of control of future events. I know some people who plan theirs out for the year, and others who don’t plan anything out. Some readers make goals, others read completely spontaneously. 

Seasons 

I have some friends who read a certain book only during a certain time of the year. This time of the year might be related to something in the book. In The Scorpio Races, November 1st is pretty special. So last year I read it on November 1st with friends. 

Maybe a date isn’t specifically mentioned in a book, but it has an overall feeling or vibe. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before has such fluffy springtime vibes, you almost have to read it in the spring. Anne of Green Gables is a fun fall/autumn read. I’d say Jane Eyre is a fall read too, but more of the ominous-chilly-october fall as compared to colorful-cozy-apple-pie fall. 

On a more personal note, you can read books the same time of the year as you first read them. I first read The Lunar Chronicles during the late summer, and now they just fit there really well. I think of those books and my mind immediately goes to summertime and hammocks. 

Or maybe you read a book during a certain event so you just reread it during the same activity/event every year. I’ve deemed Six of Crows my road trip book because I’ve read it twice, but both of those times were hundreds of miles away from home on a road trip. The Hunger Games has sidled in as my camping trip series. I’ve read it while camping a number of times (which honestly, that just adds to the survival aspect for both the book and camping) 

Multiple Books at Once 

And now we come to the final overarching category of reading habits: reading multiple books at once. 

Like I said at the beginning, I know people who read 4+ books at once. How they do that, I have no idea. The most I can read is 2 maybe 3 books at one time. 

One thing I’ve been wanting to do for a while is read more classics. But I just never seem to fit them in. I can read through a normal YA or MG book pretty easily, but classics take a lot more time and attention. So I’ve devised a system of reading two books at once. A classic (sometimes nonfiction) and a more normal, fluffy read.

Every evening, I read a bit of the classic before my fluffy read. So far, this has worked really well. I haven’t had issues of getting the story mixed up so far, and it’s been great! 

The Same Thing read a Million Different Ways 

Even though we are all different and have different likes and dislikes, we all read the same books. People have read the same books or watched the same movies and gotten something totally different out of it than the person sitting next to them. We read books in different ways, too, tailored to our preferences and habits. 

And I think that’s the magic of stories. Despite all of our differences, the different ways we live and talk and the different things we enjoy and hate, despite all of that, we can find one common thing between us: a love for books. 

I’m gonna leave it at that. What are some of your  reading habits? Do you read multiple books at a time, or are you part of the side that reads only one or two at once? Do you plan your books ahead? Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great rest of your day! 

-Hannah

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