How do you read?

[bascule]

People get freaked out when they walk into my room and see books strewn about everywhere with various cards, bookmarks, page folds, or other assorted objects acting as placeholders.

 

At any given time I'm actively reading 2-3 books and what books I'm presently reading tend to change quite frequently, with some of those various books strewn about the room swapping into the rotation at various times.

 

All of the books I'm reading are presently nonfiction, usually "dumbed down" approaches to complex topics (i.e. not horribly permeated throughout with specialist jargon or any higher level ideas)

 

Given this approach, it usually takes me about a month or two to finish a book (~500 pgs usually) that I'm really interested. Others I have been working on, chapters or even smaller sections at a time, for years.

 

Anyway, the first thing people ask me when they see the mess of books in my room and I describe the way I read is "How can you stand to do that?!" I guess it's just what naturally happens from my lifelong interaction with computers and constantly starting/stopping projects, multitasking, and mode switching. I'd like to think computers have trained me to be more flexible But consequently, I tend to read "slowly"

 

So, your turn!

[Sisyphus]

I'm currently reading 3 different books, with half a dozen more on indefinite hold. That is fairly typical for me, and I fully expect to finish them all eventually, like I almost always do. Sometimes, though, I will binge on one book, spending many hours a day reading straight through, often at the expense of other responsibilities I really ought to be attending to... Whether the subject matter is literature, philosophy, or pop science doesn't seem to affect my reading patterns.

[ecoli]

I'm more of a read one book at a time kind of guy, but I often breeze through them in a matter of days (depending on how much time I devote to SFN that particular week).

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

I read one book at a time, and usually I spend several hours at a time reading it. Of course, I'm a very fast reader (400+ words per minute at regular pace) so I finish them quite quickly.

[ecoli]

I read one book at a time, and usually I spend several hours at a time reading it. Of course, I'm a very fast reader (400+ words per minute at regular pace) so I finish them quite quickly.

 

I'm not sure how fast I read, but this sounds not dissimiliar to me. Recently, because I spend so much time on forums and school work, it has become impossible for me to read any great length of book in a single sitting.

[silkworm]

I can scan very very quickly.

 

But when I read I read very very slowly. I once took a test that concluded I read at a second grade level, which is ridiculous because I make sure I comprehend everything. A lot of times what I'm reading will make me daydream or research something or work on something a little bit.

 

I normally only read somewhat dense material. Today I read a section of my Linear Algebra book and a chapter in my Biology book, I'm about to read some Physics or maybe some Analytical Chemistry. Later I'll relax and read some Principia Mathematica. You may say I'm just studying, but I'm on break. Whenever I read something I normally end up thinking a lot about it no matter how hard I try and I try to make sure I really understand it.

 

I only read non fiction because fiction is baby babble.

[5614]

I voted for:

One book at a time, start to finish, reading multiple chapters/large sections at a time

which is correct assuming I have enough time to read "large secions at a time".

[AzurePhoenix]

I voted for two at a time, but now that I think back, that's something I often do, not what I typically do. Generally for typically sized books (400 to 700 pages) I'll read them through and through in a couple of days (or as little as one if I'm particularly bored) then start a new one, but sometimes with larger, especially lengthy books (like when I reread the Lord of the Rings) I'll have a shorter book on the side to sort of balance out the tedium, sometimes two.

 

I myself have an overflow of books as well, right now taking up fourteen shelves. Most of these are fiction, but three of these shelves are largely non-fiction aimed at zoology, paleontology, ancient history and mythology, as well as a few strays, plus my National Geographics.

[insane_alien]

i love fiction. although i do read a lot of non fiction books. i read fiction slower because i usually end up lost in my own little daydream that branches off from the story. much better thatn tv

[ffsjoe]

I voted for reading two books at a time, alternating between them. Thats what I generally do, the books are generally quite different from each other so I can take a break from one or the other. Unless I become really engrossed in one such as Lord of the Rings or the Hitchhikers guide series. After reading the first one in the series I kept reading the rest then other books by the same author. I read at medium pace and generally at night.

 

Atm I'm reading Shakey Neil Young's biography, Voices From Vietnam and The Amazing SAS. I finish books that I start reading unless I really dislike the book. I alternate between the books every couple of days.

[starbug1]

I was disappointed when there was no "6 or more books at a time" selection, for that is my average. Right now in the rotation it's about 5. A variety of fiction, non-fiction, biography, and science.

[ecoli]

I was disappointed when there was no "6 or more books at a time" selection, for that is my average. Right now in the rotation it's about 5. A variety of fiction, non-fiction, biography, and science.

 

how do you keep all the material straight?

[starbug1]

I sleep very little.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'

[[Tycho?]]

I often have 3 or sometimes more books on the go, alternating often. I read in any chuncks, from a couple minutes to a couple hours when I'm in bed or have a book I especially like. To be fair though I've barely read anything for pleasure in the past several months. I've had less free time since university has started, and I also have a very fast internet connection and a ton of stuff I download to distract me. I'm just starting reading again, and I know I'll get some books for christmas so hopefully I'll start up again full force. Since I do enjoy reading.

 

I read sci fi almost exclusively. Although I spend an enourmous amount of time online reading random things on wikipedia, mostly science, but some history and technology as well. Actually I probably read more than I used to, its just online stuff instead of books.

[wormholeman]

what I do is read at nice speed that is comfortable to me, if I start reading

to fast then I just put it away and dont bother with it. I just scan the words,

if I dont understand something I just keep reading, if I do understand im happy.

I like it when I read and im able to picture in my head exactly what I read if it's something discribing things places people ect..ect. and I also imagine hearing a voice in my head

when i read.

 

like so..

[Cognition]

I also read several books at a time, although one book will always be the most important. I might stop reading the books when I am reading an article, becuase articles I usually read one-by-one.

I have been working now also on a computer-system that stores articles (comparable to Reference manager or ProCite), but not only stores important

information about each article but also makes it easier to find each article based on the ideas and concepts in the article, and the system even gives

suggestions to the user. It works rather well and it is a great help for me in finding articles back that I have been reading years ago, or even articles that I didn't even consciously considered to be important for a specific subject

[Ophiolite]

These were on my bedside table: they are what I am currently reading.

Before The Flood Ian Wilson Dramatic new evidence the Biblical Flood was a real-life event

The Ancestor's Tale Richard Dawkins A Pilgimage to the Dawn of Life

The Dinosaur Hunters Deborah Cadbury A story of scientific rivalry and the discovery of the prehistoric world

Lorna Doone R.D.Blackmore

In The Kingdom of Gorillas Bill Webber and Amy Vedder The Quest to save Rwanda's mountain gorillas

RedemptionArk Alastair Reynolds Science fiction novel

The Tesseract Alex Garland Complex novel by the author of The Beach

Man of Everest Tenzing Norgay/James Ullman Autobiography of Tenzing

Black, White & Gold Kelly Holmes Autobiography of double gold Olympic medallist

Venus II Bougher et al Geology, geophysics, atmosphere and solar wind environment

Mars: The Living Planet Digregorio et al Examination of evidence for life on Mars

Chasing the Molecule John Buckingham The development of the understanding of molecular structure

The Whig Supremacy 1714-1760 Basil Williams Vol 11 of The Oxford History of England

The Age of Reform 1815-1870 Sir Llewellyn Woodard Vol 13 of The Oxford History of England

National Geographic Encylopedia of Space

Origins Ron Redfern The evolution of continents, ocean and life

 

Actually, this list is a week or two old. I have finished three of them and started onto two more.

[clarisse]

I voted for "One book at a time, start to finish, reading multiple chapters/large sections at a time" but now I think about it I read two or three at a time but focusing more on one and reading more slowly the others.

 

I'm also really glad to see that so far now nobody has voted for tv... books are just so much better... tv will never surpass the dazzling mind

[TeenKing]

I am so proud that everybody here is afraid of televisions!

 

 

I read one book at a time unless it is informational text. If it is fictional, i usually mistake small details with eachother. Informational text -- well if i mistaked my favorite book 'eragon' and started to mix the universe in a nutshell together. . well lets just say i would be very scared of the outcome

[Helix]

I voted for one at a time reading large sections. But that's only true when I get into the book, mostly I read a few pages and get bored. So there's a constant battle trying to find a book that will hold my attention for longer than "It was a dark and stormy....this book sucks."

 

And I don't like regular TV, but I do like the science channel and the Discovery Times channel. Those types aren't bad, they're pretty good.

 

But I wouldn't ever watch something like....the O.C. or Survivor. Those shows should be tried for crimes against humanity

[AzurePhoenix]

I am so proud that everybody here is afraid of televisions!

Eh, I find that teally good television can be on par with books (as long as there isn't a book version it's trying to ruin of course.) I mostly watch the same sorts of things that I read, science fiction and fantasy, science documentaries and comedy, which is basically covered by the science channels, Lost, Surface, Stargate, and the Simpsons. There are others. The difference is that when I watch TV, that's not all I'm doing. I'm usually also writing something, or actually reading something else, so I get some extra "productivity" in there

[YT2095]

I rarely read fiction except just before sleep at bedtime, it`s always one book at a time start to finish, and as much in one session as required before I`m sleepy.

the rest of the time I have several books open and on the go, as they`re all fact books and reference types, I tend to read topic at a time from several different sources.

[The Thing]

I usually have 2 or 3 books and alternate between them. I can simply get bored of the storyline of a book and feel the need to go onto a slightly more interesting storyline, like switching from a classical novel such as a tale of the two cities to a much more exciting novel, like ROBOTECH!!! Yeah!

Sometimes I attack a book, that is, finish reading it in a couple of hours doing NOTHING at all in between, save some certain biological needs nature has bestowed upon me. I can keep going at it (reading the book) for about 8 to 10 hours at a time =). But usually I attack books that are small, like Lord of the Flies, not gigantic books like Ulysses. I rarely read books over 800 pages long.

[Pseudoswallo]

I generally read one or two books, finishing them in about a week, and a host of up to two-score other books that I read "when I can find them". When I find a book that I really enjoy, it can be gone in a weekend, as long as it is under 2k pages. More than that, and I begin to become tired of the story line, and have to switch off to another one. I also find myself developing alternate stories/endings during my spare time or dreams.

[ajb]

I have many books with me in the office. I tend not to read then cover to cover, though sometimes I will. I will flick between books using the chapters/sections that are I need at the time. The books are reseach or postgraduate level mathematics and physics books. I don't think they are intended to be read cover to cover in one go.