Where do you find the time to read?
Since I've started doing weekly book reviews here, a few of you have asked: Where do you find the time to read? This isn't a new question -- I heard it all the time when I worked as a librarian, and often hear from my friends that they can't find the time to read any more.
Here's a better question, though:
Where do you not find the time to read?
🙂
Let me ask you a slightly different question: Where do you find the time to watch TV? Where do you find the time to scroll through your Facebook wall, or where do you find the time to play Candy Crush or walk around the mall? We make time for what we want to do. We all make choices in our lives, and everything we choose to do has an opportunity cost attached. Binge watching The Walking Dead (OK, I think a lot of us have been there, right?) uses up time you could otherwise spend reading Hidden Figures or The Case Against Sugar or even a cozy mystery; time spent checking in with Dr. Phil is time not spent reading his latest book or even the latest Danielle Steel.
Where do I find the time to read? I make the time to read, because reading is important to me. Reading fuels my brain and my imagination; reading teaches me new things, lets me explore new ideas, and exposes me to viewpoints and ways of life that differ from my own. Everything I have read in my life has gone into shaping me into the person I am today, and everything I continue to read helps me continue to grow.
I read articles, blogs, and more online all day, but I also read books every day -- and visit the library almost every week. And although I do like eBooks, I almost always prefer paper -- and believe that the reading experience is fundamentally different in print than it is online. I find it fascinating that even "digital natives" often prefer print, especially for textbooks and other material that requires focus and concentration. Reading makes you slow down, makes you think, and makes you take some time to process.
Where do I find the time to read? The same way I find the time to do anything else -- while I eat lunch, in the bath, sitting with Mr. 9 when he's doing his reading for school, in the evening after the kids are in bed, while in the waiting room at the dentist or in the pickup line for band...
Where do you find the time to read?
I think that as we've filled the time in our lives that we used to spend reading with other activities and slowly squeezed it out of our daily routines, we've really lost something along the way. We don't necessarily have less time, but we have different ways of spending that time -- which is a very different way of framing the question. How do you choose to spend your time? What's important to you?
P.S. -- Read as much as I do...?
- Pick up your day without reading mug here.
- Pick up your she is too fond of books necklace here.
- Pick up your so many books necklace here.
- Pick up your book charm bangle bracelet here.
- Pick up your I'd rather be reading shirt here.
I have been struggling to "find" time to read since I started my blog. It seems that all my spare moments are spent writing or networking. I agree though, you have to make time for things that are important to you!`
For my school textbooks I definitely prefer print if it's available, but for pleasure reading I've gone nearly all digital. My favorite part is that it's even easier to read because I always have my books with me! I am generally not going to drag a print book around with me if I don't plan to have a decent chunk of reading time, but with my phone in my purse I can read even for 5 minutes while I'm standing in line at the store. Plus it's lighter and easier to hold for long periods of time than a heavy print book. Unfortunately because I'm in school and working, my pleasure reading time is down to a tiny trickle, but when I'm not in school I usually read 1-3 books a week.
I like to read in the afternoon to take a break and I read in place of watching TV in the evenings. I read with paper books and my Kindle. I think I prefer paper books, but getting to the library is tough and my library stinks so there is not a huge selection of the books I am looking for. I have to say that paper books are satisfying to me. When I complete a book it's satisfying to see the hard copy sitting right there (weird right?) I love my paper Bible and wouldn't trade that for the world. Maybe it's my age, but paper/hard copy is satisfying.
Can you do interlibrary loan through your library? I put things on hold from other libraries all the time and just read when they come in.
I decided to give it a try again. The library would not call me when the books would come in and I had no idea they were in and they would get sent back. I updated all of my info on my card, so I hope that will help the situation too.
Oh that is annoying! I have mine set up so it emails me automatically when holds come in, so see if that is an option with your system to remove that human element. 🙁
Years ago, I traded off reading for television. I simply shut off the set every night and curl up with a good book.
Thank god for the library. If I had to buy everything I wanted to read, I wouldn't have money for anything else.
I have insomnia, but it doesn't bother me anymore, because I get a lot uninterrupted reading time in the middle of the night! 🙂
I read in the evening instead of watching tv. Fiction, nonfiction, magazines, pretty much anything. I posted a Little Free Library in my front yard, which benefits the community and provides reading material right outside my door. There may be one near you! You can check the map at http://www.littlefreelibrary.org
I watch Netflix while on the treadmill. It motivates me to get on the treadmill and limits tv time 🙂
Little Free Libraries are SO COOL. That's fantastic.
I think they are great too. I encourage everyone to see if there is one in their neighborhood. Makes a good bike ride or walk destination, too 🙂
Yay! Reading. Although I read a lot online, I still crave book time. Mostly I read a lot of picture books to my kids...but when I MAKE the time as you so aptly put it, then I am so happy I did as nothing beats a regular old fashioned book. #productivemomslinkup
Amen, sister!! I also don't watch much tv, just the ,morning news and maybe 3 hours per week beyond that. I might see a commercial for a show that looks good but I don't want to get sucked into anything new that I might like. ( This Is Us is kinda killing me though, it looks so good and everyone loves it, lol!) Lots of times my husband will ask if I want to watch something with him but I really would rather just read.
I do have a kindle because you can get ebooks from our library and amazon has some great deals on ebooks, I got a lot over the holidays for under $2. I mostly use my amazon wish list to keep track of stuff I want to request from the library. If I paid full price for all the books I read I would be bankrupt!!
So true! Need to make the time. I will say though, a good book helps, as does a routine!