Favorite Reading Setup?
When I read I become completely immersed in the story. If I’m reading an extremely good book, I forget to eat, lose track of time, don’t sleep, and any distractions (once they finally penetrate what my husband has dubbed my “book coma”) are met with high annoyance. In theory I like a nice cup of tea while reading, but in practice I generally forget to drink it as I get sucked into the story. If I could create the ideal reading setup for me, it would pretty much look like a sensory deprivation chamber, but well lit and with a bathtub that has continuous hot water. I prefer paperbacks to hardbacks (I find them difficult to hold) or e-readers (though I do love their convenience!).
What is your favorite reading setup? Hardback, paperback, or e-reader? Inside or outside? Music? A sidewalk cafe in an exotic locale? At home on your couch?
9 Comments
Debi Morton
July 24, 2013Love this question as I’m always fascinated by the different ways people like to sit and read for some reason. For me, I like to sit in my favorite chair in the family room, which is a recliner, with plenty of light (fortunately the chair backs to lots of windows) and a cold drink at hand, usually a large glass of water. I prefer reading on my Kindle as I can tuck under my blanket and easily turn pages without even bringing my hand out from under–I am always cold!
When my children were growing up, I read however and whenever I got a chance. I can remember being interrupted at the stove, stirring a pot with a book in my hand, and being asked when dinner was. I would have lost track of time and had been stirring for no telling how long! The kids knew I was a goner once I was lost in a good book!
lectorsbooks
July 24, 2013Clever trick with turning the pages under the blanket! I’ll have to remember that for winter. One of the things I love the most about my Kindle is that I can hold and turn the pages with one hand, so I often end up feeding the baby with a bottle in one hand and my Kindle in the other. Occasionally I’ll look down at his unhappy noises to discover the bottle has been out of his mouth and dripping down his neck for who knows how long – fortunately he’s not shy about sharing his annoyance!
Beth Hennings
July 24, 2013My favorite place to read is outside, with the sun on my neck and shoulders. If the weather isn’t good, I scoot a comfy chair as close as possible to a big window for the natural light. I used to enjoy reading on airplanes, while I was in-between worlds at 30,000 feet. No phones, no chores, no distractions other than PA’s by the flight attendants and pilot–which can actually be seriously distracting if I haven’t already dived deeply enough into the book! Now I don’t see well enough to read much on flights, more’s the pity.
lectorsbooks
July 24, 2013Planes are a great place to get some reading done – it is a shame that you can’t see well enough anymore. If only the seats were comfier, it would be pretty close to my ideal. Although now that I have a baby to accompany me on flights, I’m not sure how much reading I’ll get done! 🙂
intexplorer
July 24, 2013As an occasionally-avid reader, I associate reading with being out of my normal routine: on a plane, at the beach, on the terrace. And, of course, it has to be a real book. Pixels are fine for some things, but not for reading a book.
lectorsbooks
July 24, 2013As soon as you get an e-reader, you will be singing another tune, and you’ll wonder how you survived this long without it.
Diane
July 24, 2013I don’t have a ‘favorite’ reading setup as I will read pretty much anything, anywhere – I’ve been known to read the back of a cereal box at the breakfast table. I cannot travel, however, without a book, magazine and/or e-reader (print material is necessary on an airplane so I have something to read during take-off and landing even if I’m in the middle of a book on my nook). I probably do most of my reading in bed each night before going to sleep – it is part of my bedtime routine.
lectorsbooks
July 24, 2013An omni-reader, I love it! I get sucked in to reading text anywhere I find it, so I hear you on the cereal boxes! If I am in public and don’t have any reading materials (the horror!) I’ve been known to read over the shoulder of those sitting next to me. It’s a horrible habit, but it’s like my brain is addicted to text.
Stori
July 28, 2013I love a big comfy chair, but since I haven’t had one since we got married, for some reason I always end up on the couch on my tummy, which is so uncomfortable. Although if its a book I really love, I tend to move around a lot – I get especially squirmy if I’m at a particularly excited plot point. I also always end up reading on my iPad Kindle. Also so uncomfortable. Sweets somehow always find their way in my hands while I am reading.
Anyway that is about to change. I am setting up a reading corner in every single room of the house or want to. We have comfy chairs coming for our bedroom and living room :). I love hardbacks if I really love the book because I love how permanent it feels. I’ve always had this secret fear that one day all of the books in the world are going to get wiped out, like the library of Alexandria, but my private little stash will remain! eReaders are great for my formerly frequent traveler self, but since we are going to be settled for a little while of course I am going to try to only get actual books and use our local library :).
One more thing, as a mom, I love it when I get a few hours out of the house to go and read and the library or Barnes and Noble without interruptions and I hear you on reading in the bathtub! If they ever make a waterproof eReader, my husband will have to pry my pruney body out of the bathtub.