Do you still read books, in any format (regular books, Kindle, Kobo, tablet, computer, etc.)? In a given month, how many books do you read? For discussion, which books have you read? What genres do you prefer? Anything else about books?
How many of you have read a book in the last month?
- Thread starter Ken Anderson
- Start date
Beth Gallagher
Well-known member
I read every day; all kinds of books. Currently I'm reading The Talisman, an older novel that's a collaboration between Peter Straub and Stephen King. I'm pretty sure I read it years ago but I don't mind reading it again. It's book 1 of a trilogy so I'll likely buy the other 2 as well.
I mostly read on a tablet or Kindle these days because I need to be able to enlarge the print.
I mostly read on a tablet or Kindle these days because I need to be able to enlarge the print.
The Talisman was a very good book, although it's been a while since I've read it. Black House, a sequel, was written long after, in 2001 (The Talisman was published in 1984). A third novel, Other Worlds Than These, hasn't been released yet. I haven't read the sequel.
I read pretty much every night, sometimes for hours, sometimes for five minutes, and I also read while we're on trips, when my wife is driving, and sometimes I'll go to a restaurant, eat, then read and drink coffee for a while. I would guess that I complete 3-4 books a month. Most of my reading is on a Kindle Paperwhite or a Kindle Fire. Although I prefer my Kobo, most of my books thus far are on Kindle; if I am going to pay for a book (versus Kindle Unlimited), I'll buy it on Kobo. Kobo has a subscription program, too, and I might try that.
Hoot Crawford
Well-known member
I can't read books, etc, any more. My lips get too tired.... 
As far as genres, that would be a broad range. When something is written very well, I can often enjoy it even if the subject or story isn't of particular interest, and it it offers me information that I'm looking for, I can tolerate even stuff that isn't written well. This isn't true across the board, however. While I have enjoyed nearly everything that John Steinbeck wrote, I couldn't finish The Pearl even when it was an assigned reading, despite the fact that I suppose it was written well.
In elementary school, which went through 8th grade, when they handed out reading lists, there would be one or two books that were required reading, and then we could choose a specified number of other books from a long list, and I would usually read them all. On a report card from 3rd or 4th grade, the teacher had actually written, "Reads too much," but that might have been a reference to my reading a novel while she was trying to teach math.
I have also chosen book in spurts. For example, I read every John Steinbeck book I could get my hands on in 6th or 7th grade, and I would do that with other authors as well, and still do to some extent.
Alternatively, I might do something similar with topics. A couple of years ago, I devoured memoirs written by ordinary people about growing up in different parts of the country around the same time, or as much as a decade earlier, than me. Many of them were not particularly well written, as these were probably the only books an author had ever written, but I enjoyed the stories of what childhood was like for people in the South, out West, or in New England.
Then, I read novels that targeted the then growing Boy Scout movement in the early 1900s. To meet their interests at that time, there was a whole genre of novels for kids 11-18 or so, many of them written horribly, or with a formulaic structure similar to the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew.
I have delved into memoirs and a few novels written by or about people who lived in Germany or the areas taken over by the Nazis in World War II, wanting to get a perspective of World War II from the other side. While there were some of what seemed to be genuine perspectives, there was a lot of virtue signaling. Of course, fervent Nazis in Germany were not generally permitted to publicly maintain that stance after World War II.
World War II and the U.S. Civil War were also topics that I delved into pretty heavily, while, for some reason, the American Revolution didn't hold the same interest, at least not to the same extent.
In elementary school, which went through 8th grade, when they handed out reading lists, there would be one or two books that were required reading, and then we could choose a specified number of other books from a long list, and I would usually read them all. On a report card from 3rd or 4th grade, the teacher had actually written, "Reads too much," but that might have been a reference to my reading a novel while she was trying to teach math.
I have also chosen book in spurts. For example, I read every John Steinbeck book I could get my hands on in 6th or 7th grade, and I would do that with other authors as well, and still do to some extent.
Alternatively, I might do something similar with topics. A couple of years ago, I devoured memoirs written by ordinary people about growing up in different parts of the country around the same time, or as much as a decade earlier, than me. Many of them were not particularly well written, as these were probably the only books an author had ever written, but I enjoyed the stories of what childhood was like for people in the South, out West, or in New England.
Then, I read novels that targeted the then growing Boy Scout movement in the early 1900s. To meet their interests at that time, there was a whole genre of novels for kids 11-18 or so, many of them written horribly, or with a formulaic structure similar to the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew.
I have delved into memoirs and a few novels written by or about people who lived in Germany or the areas taken over by the Nazis in World War II, wanting to get a perspective of World War II from the other side. While there were some of what seemed to be genuine perspectives, there was a lot of virtue signaling. Of course, fervent Nazis in Germany were not generally permitted to publicly maintain that stance after World War II.
World War II and the U.S. Civil War were also topics that I delved into pretty heavily, while, for some reason, the American Revolution didn't hold the same interest, at least not to the same extent.
I have Kindle Unlimited, and I read for both entertainment and education purposes. It takes me 2-3 days to finish an average size novel, mostly reading in the evenings, but sometimes in the day when I am taking a break from yard work or whatever.
I almost always have several books that I am reading, a novel and some kind of health book, or something else I am interested in learning about.
I liked reading on my Kindle, but it was easier for me to close books and start new ones on my iPad Kindle app, so I re-homed my last Kindle several years ago . Mostly, I use the iPad Mini for novels, and the 11” iPad for books that have picture, diagrams, or anything I want to be able to see better.
I still have some regular books, both paperbacks and hardcovers; but it is harder for me to read the small print in a regular books, plus the iPad is really lightweight to hold, no matter the size of the book, and I can have nice large print.
I also like the built-in dictionary because I can look up the meaning of a word, and also the origin of the root word . Many words, I know what they mean, but not how they came into our language and what they meant originally, and the dictionary explains all of that for me.
I almost always have several books that I am reading, a novel and some kind of health book, or something else I am interested in learning about.
I liked reading on my Kindle, but it was easier for me to close books and start new ones on my iPad Kindle app, so I re-homed my last Kindle several years ago . Mostly, I use the iPad Mini for novels, and the 11” iPad for books that have picture, diagrams, or anything I want to be able to see better.
I still have some regular books, both paperbacks and hardcovers; but it is harder for me to read the small print in a regular books, plus the iPad is really lightweight to hold, no matter the size of the book, and I can have nice large print.
I also like the built-in dictionary because I can look up the meaning of a word, and also the origin of the root word . Many words, I know what they mean, but not how they came into our language and what they meant originally, and the dictionary explains all of that for me.
Marie Miller
Well-known member
Both of us are avid readers. It also helps to retain vocabulary of secondary languages.
Marie Mallory
Well-known member
I don't read many books now. I mostly listen to podcast .
My eyesight still allows me to read regular books and I have an appreciation for them, but Kindle or Kobo books are so much more convenient that most of my reading is in those formats.