She determined to look at screens a lot less and get back to reading books. And she succeeded. She has read 46 books in 2022, and plans to read at least 60 next year. She feels happier, she's sleeping better, and above all it's fun.
Luckily I haven't succumbed to a screen obsession. Not having a smartphone helps. Not having a craving for attention also helps. So I've continued to be a persistent reader, getting through around 60 books a year.
But I'm always astonished when I get on a bus or train nowadays and most of the passengers are on their phones. Not a book in sight. There's so much wonderful stuff to read but they don't want to know. Or am I just a book snob?
I read a lot first thing in the morning, as I often wake up at 4 or 5 am. I also read when I'm waiting to see the doctor or the practice nurse.
I can't read for hours at end, and I don't find anything "un-put-down-able". I read 10 or 20 pages of something and then need to have a break before I continue.
Even if I read a book and conclude that it's a clunker - badly written, hardly any plot, one-dimensional characters and too many loose ends - there's usually something to take away from it, if only a few memorable crooks and eccentrics.
Who could ever forget Ebenezer Scrooge or Sherlock Holmes or Robin Hood (or Hermione Granger if you're a Harry Potter fan)?
I am now so used to reading books on my Kindle reader that I struggle to read an actual book. Still, I read.
ReplyDeleteColette: I think reading on a Kindle counts as reading!
DeleteI’ve read about 75 books this year. I generally read while I’m eating my breakfast and lunch. So enjoyable!
ReplyDeleteBijoux: It takes me about five minutes each to eat my breakfast and lunch, so not much scope for reading!
DeleteFor me reading is like breathing . My father taught me reading at the age of four because I was so eager to read myself. Now my eyes are quite sick , nothing to repair anymore, but I still read every day at least between 50 and a 100 pages.And every night my husband will read poetry in bed for me. Just a nice moment before sleeping.
ReplyDeleteHannah
Hannah: 50 to 100 pages a day is pretty good going. And how lovely that your husband reads poetry for you.
DeleteI read a lot! Several hours every day. But, I read ebooks nowadays--on my tablet. My husband reads books on his phone. People looking at phones are not necessarily not reading.
ReplyDeleteLinda Sand
Linda: True, they might be reading on their phone. Perhaps when I'm next on the bus I should ask people if they're reading?
DeleteI love to read books. One of the great pleasures in life, in my opinion. About 15 years ago tho, I had had enough of poor writing in verse or prose. I don't care how interesting a story, if I start a book and the writing is a poor production that I could have written myself, I don't go past page fifty.
ReplyDeletePeace Thyme: I'm amazed at how many books are badly written - verbose and full of rambling and unnecessary descriptions. One book I abandoned after 20 pages because it was just unreadable!
DeleteI always like to have a book on the go, but I think I look at my phone too often all the same. I am working on getting less so. I know that I used to go through life without caring much about most news items so perhaps the secret is to constantly remind myself that my personal life and the inner life of my imagination is far more interesting and important to me than keeping up with exasperating exterior issues which I can do nothing whatever about!
ReplyDeleteJenny: I'm much the same, I care too much about external issues that are totally out of my control. I need to focus more on those domestic pleasures I have some say over.
DeletePhones are a wee addictive. I waste read on my phone; so I make a point to carry a book with me and try to read something of substance. I'm afraid the headlines pull me in to reading a lot of fluff. I'm a huge reader. My big problem isl having my reading glasses nearby. I have many pair but I always have to search a bit to find a pair.
ReplyDeleteAnn: I have varifocals so my reading glasses are always on my nose! If I'm going on a long trip I always take a book with me. There's no way I'll just stare out of the bus/train window.
DeleteI read this article, and upped my reading in 2021 as I used to be an avid reader as well - but I don't think I could manage 50 books. I might set it as a goal for next year though!
ReplyDeleteI spend a lot of screen time simply looking stuff up, and playing games. Blogging is the only social media I indulge in these days.
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Ms Scarlet: Blogging is my main social media activity too. My only other indulgence is Facebook and that's it. I'm reading a lot more now I'm retired. I've about doubled my book consumption.
DeleteMother said that I should have been born with three hands, two for the normal stuff and one for the book that was always in one of them. Father taught me to read when I was four and I haven't stopped since, for information, for laughter, for solace, for sheer pleasure. But just how many badly written books there are...poor use of language, stilted characters, sloppy plots....
ReplyDeleteMy pet hate at the moment is crime novels where the police character always has some physical or mental problem. Give me Peter Grainger's Kings Lake series for well written crime! And always, always give me P.G. Wodehouse for style and laughter.
Fly: Badly written books indeed, far too many of them. I went off crime novels many years ago. I found them rather predictable, and in any case it's the characters that interest me , not the "culprit".
DeleteYes, that is why I like Grainger's books...
DeleteYou already know I read a lot. I met my goal of 100 books for this year.
ReplyDeleteMary: You're an amazingly voracious reader. A hundred in a year is astonishing.
DeleteI love reading, I read while eating breakfast, and then, especially at this time of year, in the afternoon I curl up on the sofa to read, unfortunately I often nod off then!!
ReplyDeletePolly: I sometimes nod off when I'm reading, even when I'm reading something very dramatic.
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