The Reading Habits Book Tag

I was having a nosey at some other blogs, and after repeated mentions of Thrice Read by my friend Emma @ The Terror of Knowing, I decided to have a look at their site myself. I stumbled across this tag pretty quickly, and decided it would make a nice Thursday Tag to do.

Do you have a certain place at home for reading?

I will read anywhere in the house. I like to read in bed, which is possibly the place I read most often in the house. If not my bed then it’s likely to be in the living room, sprawled on a couch or chair. I also listen to a lot of audiobooks in the kitchen while washing up.

Bookmark or random piece of paper?

I have lots of bookmarks, and do tend to use them. I will shove something in to replace one if I don’t have them, usually a tag from a new piece of clothing or business card. I know it’s practically blasphemous, but, if I don’t have a bookmark I’m more likely to dogear the page than use a scrap of paper.

Can you stop reading anytime you want or do you have to stop reading at a certain page, chapter, part etc.?

I can stop at any point for sure. If I am putting the book down for a while then I prefer to stop at the end of a chapter, but I’m not really bothered.

Do you eat or drink while you read?

I often have a drink, probably a tea or coffee while I read, and sometimes will have a snack. I don’t mind drinking, but anything more than a simple snack distracts me from my reading if I’m honest.

Can you read while listening to music/watching TV?

I can read while the TV is on, or while there is music playing, I just prefer not to.

One book at a time or several at once?

It is very rare for me to only have one book on the go, mainly because I read via a multitude of formats. This usually means I have a book (or 2) to read before bed that are often hardbacks or paperbacks with nice covers that I don’t want to ruin. In my bag I will often have a throwaway paperback, and I have e-books on my phone. In addition, I have almost always got an audiobook on the go as well for when I’m driving or doing housework.

Reading at home or everywhere?

I will read anywhere and everywhere. Yes, I like reading at home and probably find it easiest to concentrate here, but I always have some form of reading material with me wherever I go, and will read whenever I get the chance, whether it’s commuting, travelling, sitting in a waiting room, on my lunch break, or at home.

Reading out loud or silently in your head?

Absolutely definitely reading in my head. I like to hear people read aloud, and love an audiobook, but I’m not one for actually reading out loud at all.

Do you read ahead or skip pages?

I don’t read ahead or skip pages no, mainly because I read pretty quickly, but also because it ruins the plot and the flow of the story. The only exception to this is a re-read. If I’m re-reading something I know and there is a passage I don’t like or enjoy then I might skip it, or skim read it even more than I usually would.

Breaking the spine or keeping it new?

I do like a pretty set of book spines on my shelf, but I won’t compromise the reading experience by not breaking it. There is a satisfying crunch in breaking the spine, but I won’t bend and mishape it, juts crack it enough to read the book properly. For me, a book without a bit of a cracked spine and a dog ear or three is a book that’s not been loved and enjoyed.

Do you write in books?

I don’t. It’s not that I won’t or would never do it, it’s just not something I do. I actually really enjoy reading a book that has been annotated, I love to see what a previous reader thought or felt, and how they interpreted the printed words. I maybe should start doing this.

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If you fancy a go, please go ahead and consider yourself tagged, I’d love to hear from you!

What are your reading habits? Where do you like to read?